PBS 45 & 49

NOVA travels to Dover, Pa., to investigate the 2005 evolution vs. intelligent design courtroom case in Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial.

The Theoriousness of Theory

PBS 45 & 49 will air Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial on Tuesday, Nov. 13 at 8 p.m. with repeats on Wednesday, Nov. 14 at 2 a.m.; Sunday, Nov. 18 at 12:30 a.m.; and Sunday, Nov. 18 at 4 p.m.

After watching a screener of this week’s NOVA, Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial, I wanted to write, “Watch it – it’s engrossing,” provide a big fat hyperlink to the program Web site and then just leave the rest of it alone. But that would make me a scaredy-pants blogger.

So I decided to look around for common ground (as I hummed that M.C. Hammer classic, “U Can't Touch This”). Here it is: no matter which side you take in this debate, you’ll probably find your blood boiling occasionally as you watch.

Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial recounts the turmoil that tore apart the small town of Dover, Pa., in a battle over teaching intelligent design in public schools. Featuring trial re-enactments based on court transcripts and interviews with key participants, including expert scientists and Dover parents, teachers and town officials, the program follows the 2005 federal case of Kitzmiller v. Dover School District.

While I’m not a big fan of re-enactments in documentaries (they can be cheesy), the technique works for the purposes of this production because it provides the shortest route to conveying the arguments presented by both sides. It’s fascinating to watch the legal teams lay out their respective cases. That alone makes for good viewing and invites a little armchair lawyering.

Two thoughts linger with me after watching Judgment Day. (That’s what I love about public television — all of the lingering thoughts!) One is about the necessity of doing your homework, and if you watch the documentary I think you’ll see what I mean. The other concerns the definition of “theory.”

We non-scientific folk tend to use the term sloppily. We dabble in all kinds of everyday “theories” (usually involving gossip or conspiracy), tending to think of “theory” as “speculation.” Scientific theory is another matter.

“The term ‘theory’ needs to be looked at in the way that scientists consider it,” said biologist Ken Miller, one of the key witnesses in the Kitzmiller v. Dover School District trial. “A theory in science means a large body of information that’s withstood a lot of testing … [theories are] well-supported, testable explanations that provide natural explanations for natural phenomena.”

This proves to be one of several critical points in the case. And while we’re at it, we’d better find answers to the question, “What is science?” because that, too, helped to guide the judge’s final ruling.

Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial will be available as video on demand beginning Nov. 16.

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Lisa Martinez, PBS 45 & 49’s Vice President of Marketing & Development

As vice president of marketing and development, I oversee private sector fund-raising, including membership, underwriting and grants; external communications including publications, the Web site, community outreach, public relations and press relations; and promotional and fund-raising events.

I’ve been with PBS 45 & 49 for over 20 years, joining the station in 1985 as an intern. I worked in communications for the first 18 years and was then promoted to my current position in 2004. I'm a member of the North Central Ohio Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, and my civic involvement includes volunteer work for the Main Street Kent revitalization project and the Portage County Board of Elections.

I grew up in Canton, Ohio, graduated from GlenOak High School, went to The Ohio State University for a week and returned home because my dorm room was shaped like a piece of pie. (Who can live like that?) So I enrolled at Kent State, where I declared many majors, from advertising to secondary education, all the while taking the literature courses I really loved. Eventually I admitted I was an English major and earned both a B.A. and M.A. from KSU. I taught Freshman English as a part-timer at KSU over the years, until it dawned on me that grading papers is among my least favorite things to do. But I'm still in love with Kent after all these years. It's a unique place — small enough to be a town (a very non-suburban one) but big enough to allow for a bit of city anonymity.

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