One hundred years ago, a trial took place in a small Tennessee town called Dayton that forever changed how we discuss science, faith and education. During the Scopes Centennial, Vanderbilt will explore how far we’ve come.
Marks the 100th anniversary of the 1925 Scopes “Monkey Trial," in which a Tennessee high school science teacher, John Scopes, was found guilty of teaching the science of human evolution. The trial received worldwide attention and began public discussions on science and education that continue to this day.
Programming throughout the spring will examine how evolutionary concepts are critical to understanding our world and tackling existential challenges like pandemics, climate change and food insecurity. Scopes Centennial will dissect this misunderstood science, which need not antagonize religion, and examine modern challenges to its teaching from scientific, religious and legal perspectives.