William Mullen in “the Trib”:http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-060306evolution,1,1449899.story?coll=chi-news-he writes about the Field Museum’s latest permanent exhibit, a step-by-step overview of that most misunderstood of natural history subjects, evolution:

bq. “I respect religion and other people’s beliefs,” said [biological anthropologist Robert] Martin, “but I am a scientist, and we are a science museum. We establish what we know from observable evidence.”

bq. Almost certainly it will be one of the museum’s star attractions, if for no other reason than _it remains the museum’s main dinosaur display_ , one of the most popular draws it has. The exhibit is free with normal museum admission fees, but tickets will be issued to help direct the expected large crowds.

bq. [T]he exhibit formally is named “The Kenneth and Anne Griffin Halls of Evolving Planet” after the two major donors backing its installation. The Griffins, both major hedge-fund entrepreneurs, donated $5 million to the exhibit’s financing.

Thank god that our side (the science side) is pretty good at educating whizzes like Ken Griffin — who might be the city’s second biggest employer of mathematicians — who are also willing to stick up for good science. It’s a bit strange that he chooses this venue to make a big philanthropic splash, but all the better.