Join the Heterodox Academy (HxA) campus community at Cornell University for this film screening and talk by Scott Turner.

A hundred years ago, a trial was held in the small town of Dayton, Tennessee. John Scopes, a substitute high school teacher, was in the dock, accused of violating Tennessee’s new law prohibiting teaching any theory of the origin of man that was contrary to Genesis. The trial captivated the nation, as two of the titans of early 20th century America – Clarence Darrow for the defense, and William Jennings Bryan for the prosecution – squared off against one another, in an epic confrontation of evolution versus creationism, of science versus religion, of reason versus superstition.

In July 2025, Dayton celebrated the centennial of the trial that put the town on the map. We were there, to see what they had to say. The Scopes Trial: 100 Years Later shows what we found, and what we think was the real legacy of the Scopes trial.

About the speaker

J Scott Turner is Emeritus Professor of Biology at SUNY-ESF in Syracuse, New York. Presently, he is Director of Science Programs at the National Association of Scholars, which defends the liberal tradition in higher education. He writes extensively about evolution, including three books: The Extended Organism (2000, Harvard University Press), The Tinkerer’s Accomplice (2007, Harvard University Press), and Purpose and Desire (2017, HarperOne).

This event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be provided. Please RSVP in advance.

When: Tuesday, November 11, 2025 at 5:30pm to 7:30pm

Where: Cornell Law School, Myron Taylor Hall 186