Just in time for the bicentennial observance of Charles Darwin’s birth, a new survey of Louisiana residents shows 40 percent of the respondents believe evolution is not well-supported by evidence or generally accepted within the scientific community. Only 39 percent of the respondents said they believed evolution is well-supported by evidence. Twenty-one percent said they did not know.

That’s almost half the state living in some combination of denial and ignorance. The split even affects the governor’s mansion. On the one hand is Bobby Jindahl, who signed that stealth creationism bill. On the other hand is his wife, Supriya, who just “launched a private foundation to promote math and science education in Louisiana’s classrooms.” Must make for interesting dinner conversation.

Not accepting evolution is one thing, and quite bad enough, but to think that there is any doubt of evolution within the scientific community is just breathtakingly ignorant.