In his October 1, 2006, column in the Washington Post, Paul A. Hanle argued, "By teaching intelligent design or other variants of creationism in science classes at public schools -- or by undercutting the credibility of evolution -- we are greatly diminishing our chances for future scientific breakthroughs and technological innovations, and are endangering our health, safety and economic well-being as individuals and as a nation." The president of the Biotechnology Institute, which seeks "to engage, excite, and educate the public, particularly young people, about the promise and challenges of biotechnology," Hanle emphasizes in his column that "to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS, bio-warfare and pandemic diseases, to discover lifesaving cures and life-improving breakthroughs, tomorrow's biologists must be equipped with scientifically based knowledge today, adding, "Nations that value open inquiry and use scientific criteria in education, research and industry will outperform those that do not. If we are to continue to be leaders in the global economy, we must teach science, not religion, in the science classroom."
October 2, 2006