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The Physicians and Surgeons for Scientific Integrity (PSSI), formally registered as PSSI International Inc, is a United States 501(c)(3) nonprofit anti-evolution organization promoting the pseudoscientific principle of intelligent design associated with the Discovery Institute, based in Clearwater, Florida. While in the past the organization sponsored events promoting intelligent design and fundamentalist Christianity, it is currently largely inactive.
Contents
The PSSI has created and maintains a public list of medical professionals who "Dissent from Darwinism". This list is used by the Discovery Institute in its anti-evolution campaigns. The petition is in support of the Discovery Institute claims that intelligent design is scientifically valid while asserting that evolution lacks broad scientific support.
Viewpoint
PSSI asserts that academic freedom is being hampered by evolution supporters suppressing views that they disagree with.
The PSSI website repeats other standard creationist objections to evolution, including the claim that subscription to "Darwinian macroevolution" is damaging to the social structures of societies. This is contrary to the data analyzed in a study published by author and illustrator Gregory S. Paul. Nevertheless, the methodlogy and conclusions of Paul's study were criticized by more recent articles published in the same journal. The PSSI tries to emphasize the threat of evolution by using a mined quote from philosophy professor Daniel Dennett, "Darwinian evolution is a ‘universal acid;’ it eats through just about every traditional concept and leaves in its wake a revolutionized world-view."
PSSI also quotes film maker and Harvard Medical School graduate Michael Crichton:
Organization and Activities
The Physicians and Surgeons for Scientific Integrity was established in early 2006 by Rich Akin. Geoffrey Simmons, M.D., Discovery Institute fellow, is one of the Directors of the PSSI.
The PSSI invites any person with an M.D., D.O., D.D.S., D.M.D., D.V.M. or equivalent degree to be a physician/surgeon member of PSSI. The PSSI offers separate memberships for other medical professionals and the general public.
The PSSI, which was active between 2006 - 2008, held a "Doctors Doubting Darwin" rally at the University of South Florida's Sun Dome in September, 2006, along with subsequent events held in Barcelona, Málaga, Madrid, Leon Vigo, Spain, Louisiana State University, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Oregon, Washington State, and Rome, Italy from 2006 - 2008. The organization has not held any such rallies or public meetings since that time.
While the website is still accepting membership applications and donations, the organization is largely inactive.
The organization offers regular memberships for 350 dollars a year and also offers memberships with reduced fees for medical residents, medical students, other medical professionals, nonmedical memberships, and others who are not able to afford these fees.
History
By May 8, 2006, the PSSI Dissent petition had 34 signatories.
Originally it was free to join the PSSI. This continued to be true at least through April 11, 2007.
On the evening of Friday, September 29, 2006, a "Doctors who Doubt Darwin" rally organized by Tom Woodward, author of Doubts About Darwin, and Rich Akin, author of Darwin or Design?, and sponsored by the PSSI, was held at the University of South Florida's Sun Dome. This rally drew about 3500-4000 people, according to Hank Tippins of the Tampa Bay newspaper, The Observer News. Jacob Tillman of the University of South Florida newspaper, The Oracle estimated that the crowd was larger than 1000. Apologetic organizations promoting the event had hoped to fill all 7700 seats in the Sun Dome.
This meeting featured the Discovery Institute's Jonathan Wells and fellow Michael Behe, and received local radio coverage. The Sun Dome rally was opposed by the Florida Citizens for Science organization.
The PSSI also sponsored a three-hour presentation to 120 people at the Radisson Hotel in St. Petersburg, Florida on the morning of Saturday, September 30, 2006, the day after the Sun Dome rally. This discussion featured intelligent design advocates Michael Behe, Ralph Seelke and Jonathan Wells. St. Petersburg Times reporter Melanie Ave reported that the material was met with skepticism in some quarters. A debate was planned as a second part to "Darwin or Design?" featuring the Discovery Institute's Stephen C. Meyer.