Product Details

• Actors: Steve Meyer, Paul Nelson, Ken Miller, Bruce Chapman, David Berlinski
• Directors: Brian Boorujy
• Format: Color, DTS Surround Sound, DVD, Full Screen, Special Edition, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Randolph Productions Inc
• DVD Release Date: May 1, 2002
• Run Time: 75 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 0972043314
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #39,495 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Philip Johnson, author of Darwin on Trial

True science and freedom of thought are inseparable, but as this video shows, some scientists prefer power to truth.

Product Description

Are students learning the whole truth about Darwin's theory of evolution?

According to a growing number of scientists, the suprising answer is no. They claim that many of the most famous "Icons of Evolution"-including Darwin's "Tree of Life," finches from the Galapagos Islands, and embryos that look remarkably similar-are based on outdated research and sloppy logic. They say students are being hurt by the failure to present both sides of an emerging scientific debate over Darwin's theory.

Come explore this fascinating new conflict over evolution in the classroom-a conflict based on science, not religion. Learn about the controversy that engulfs one town when a teacher actually tries to tell students that some scientists disagree with Darwin.

From the Galapagos Islands to China, Icons of Evolution will take you on a fast-paced, fascinating journey into one of the most contoversial issues in today's public arena.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

78 of 86 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The book is much better, February 28, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Icons Of Evolution (DVD)

After reading the book by the same title, I was not impressed with the DVD. Unlike the book, the DVD relied on evoking an emotional response regarding the high school teacher and Darwin critic who had his teaching suppressed. While that is certainly lamentable, I was hoping for detailed illustration on the more cogent details of the book. The book, unlike the DVD, is fantastic, providing rigorous scientific evidence refuting neo-Darwinism. I am neither a creationist nor a Christian fundamentalist, but I love science and had believed evolution to generally be true. However, after reading Jonathan Wells' book, I was disappointed at how scientists are essentially dismissing dissenting viewpoints to undergird what has become scientific dogma in the face of contradictory evidence. The DVD, however, touches on this theme, and is a good initial exposure.

126 of 155 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For once, an objective view on critical thinking, June 3, 2003

By 

Robert M. Harris "Mark Harris" (Colorado Springs, CO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Icons Of Evolution (DVD)

What is so refreshing about this DVD is that it does not push a religious or "Creationist" front, as so many that strives to contradict Evolution do. Rather than approaching the debate with advocates for Creationism, it approaches the debate with advocates for Evolution (and most of them staunch evolutionists) who are willing to admit that there are some holes.

This DVD does not provide any answers. Rather, it begs creative and critical thought, a needed quality in today's world of gloss and mind-numbing entertainment. The piece stays true to the "scientific method" of questioning and testing rather than simple avocation of a theory. Rather than accepting inconsistencies, this piece simply asking the participant to execute logical scientific process and look at all options. It acknowledges the fact that Evolution still does not explain everything, nor does it provide a 100% solid foundation as a guiding principal for the explanation of life on this earth. It begs the viewer to look, as a true scientist would, at all current theories and to begin the critical thinking process again from a new viewpoint of objectivity rather than political fence-straddling.

There is real content here so the producers resisted the urge (as so many today do NOT) to gloss over everything with audio/video eye-candy. This is a logical film that is infinitely accessible and informative. Format, flow, and images are clear and straight forward, with impressive computer graphics and appropriate audio tracks strive to do more than giving me an "experience". I won't be showing this to friends for the great graphics or the smooth soundtrack - I will share it with them for discussion.

I would highly recommend this DVD to anyone who is fascinated by the questions of who are we, where are from, and where are we going. I would also recommend this to any school curriculum program, especially high school science - I can't help but wonder how much further we could have learned the principles of science, debate, and presentation, if we would have simply viewed this when I was in high school. It begs the point of fostering open discussion and personal questioning.

Given this aspect, it would also be highly appropriate to any university as well, this primarily because it simply asks us to open our eyes to all possibilities rather than blindly following an "ism". This DVD has no "camp" and does not pretend to accept anything other than inquiry.

I have always personally believed that the educational process was to make creative thinkers rather than automated encyclopedias of information - this DVD treats me like a thinker rather than a sheep - a nice change.

Whenever I find myself or my family simply accepting anything that doesn't really make since, this film will be spinning in the DVD player as a wake-up call. I want my children to be leaders, not followers.

112 of 141 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Why don't evolutionists view this DVD before "reviewing" it?, May 1, 2004

By 

Grimmy "Grimmy" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Icons Of Evolution (DVD)

I could be mistaken, but it appears that the viewer from Missouri and DAN JOHNSON have not even viewed this DVD, yet claim to be "reviewing" it. That's why they dare not raise objections to any of the points made in this evenhanded presentation of the problem - why falsehoods supposedly known to be such by evolutionists - in some cases for many decades - continue to be presented in textbooks as fact.

Evolutionist Stephen Jay Gould agrees that Haeckel's embryo drawings were false, yet claims that since evolutionists have known this for umpteen years, it's a moot point. Wasn't he concerned that Darwinism had to resort to known falsehoods as "evidence"? Why is teaching falsehoods a moot point? Certainly he can expect it of those wicked theists, but isn't Gould a scientist?

Similarly, why aren't evolutionists up in arms about the fact that the feet of "Lucy" were altered to look more human, when allegedly the entire evolutionist community knew her feet were unhumanly curved, quite like an apes? Where is their thirst for accuracy and self-correction?

Jonathan Wells became an atheist through being indoctrinated with Darwinism. I would wager he has more scientific credentials than either of those two dishonest "reviewers": he has degrees in geology, physics, molecular and cell biology, and religious studies, and has worked as a post-doc research biologist. After rediscovering the wonder of creation, he explored various religions, taking him to gurus and swamis, and finally back to theism - ironically, the foundation of most of today's sciences.

Chesterton wrote that "As an explanation of the world, materialism has a sort of insane simplicity. It has just the quality of the madman's argument; we have at once the sense of it covering everything and the sense of it leaving everything out. ... For we must remember that the materialist philosophy (whether true or not) is certainly much more limiting than any religion. ... The Christian is quite free to believe that there is a considerable amount of settled order and inevitable development in the universe. But the materialist is not allowed to admit into his spotless machine the slightest speck of spiritualism or miracle. Poor Mr. McCabe is not allowed to retain even the tiniest imp, though it might be hiding in a pimpernel." Fortunately these "reviewers" have a wealth of information to turn them away from their pseudoscience and back to science: Behe's "Darwin's Black Box", Strobel's "The Case for a Creator", and ex-agnostic Denton's "Evolution: A Theory in Crisis", among others. Of course there is also the Access Research Network on the web to provide objective arguments for real free thinkers.