"In the course of your work, you will from time to time encounter the situation where the facts and the theory do not coincide. In such circumstances, young gentlemen, it is my earnest advice to respect the facts."

_ Composer Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971), in a lecture to junior engineers.

It is no doubt testimony to the sad state of my social life that I found myself _ a year and a half before the 2008 election _ watching last week's Republican presidential debate.

Well, truth be known, and in the interest of full and honest disclosure, my TV was mostly tuned in to the Yankees game going on at the same time.

I switched back and forth to the debate between innings.

During one such switcheroo, I witnessed Sen. Sam Brownback, Gov. Mike Huckabee and Rep. Tom Tancredo all raise their hands when asked to do so if they don't believe in evolution.

I suppose it's gratifying that the other seven candidates on the stage did not raise their hands. They have apparently been perfectly able to reconcile their religious beliefs with scientific fact.

Even better, given time for sober reflection since the debate, Huckabee, Brownback and Tancredo have all since "clarified" their opinions on evolution to be more in line with those of their colleagues.

One might even say that their opinions have (ahem) evolved.

Whew! It was just a little bit scary for a while to think that three supposedly serious _ if a bit obscure _ presidential aspirants were willing to ignore the preponderance of scientific evidence supporting evolution.

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What other science would they choose to ignore if elected president?

Don't get me wrong. I have enormous respect for anyone who holds a sincere religious belief, including, of course, people with a deep faith in what is written in a Bible or Quran.

To me, though, it's so much more impressive to appreciate a deity who created a universe over billions of years with beautiful, overwhelming logic and immutable laws of physics than by just getting the job done over an Earth week.

The other Republican candidates illustrated that you don't have to be an atheist to believe in evolution or any other scientific verity. But for a while there, Tancredo, Brownback and Huckabee had me a little concerned.

I shudder to think of some future debate when we might read the following newspaper account:

"The campaign of presidential contender Milton T. Frebish came to a tragic end this evening after he became confused and raised his hand when the candidates were asked who didn't believe in the law of gravity.

"Visibly flustered and apparently unwilling to admit his mistake, a momentarily panicked Frebish sought to prove he was right by diving off the debate stage into the orchestra pit.

"Services for former governor Frebish will be held Thursday in the Capitol Rotunda and will be attended by all 37 of the remaining candidates for president."

Those of us who thought Spencer Tracy and Fredric March settled all this evolution business in 1960's "Inherit the Wind" have been proven to be dead wrong.

Just two years ago, IMAX theaters in a bunch of Southern cities refused to show a movie about volcanoes that had references to evolution.

This was in 2005.

In the United States of America.

In big cities such as Charleston, S.C.

It seems the theater owners were worried that anything _ even if it's scientific fact _ that mentions evolution would offend folks with certain religious beliefs.

The movie was "Volcanoes of the Deep Sea," which made a connection between human DNA and microbes inside volcanoes under the ocean.

"We've got to pick a film that's going to sell in our area. If it's not going to sell, we're not going to take it," said Lisa Buzzelli, director of an IMAX theater in Charleston that didn't show the movie. "Many people here believe in creationism, not evolution."

It wasn't just a South Carolina situation, either. IMAX theaters in North and South Carolina, Texas and Georgia also decided not to show the volcano film.

All of those states (coincidentally _ or maybe not _ all in the South) will have presidential primaries early next year. Perhaps that was on the mind of the GOP hand-raisers last week.

Fortunately for Tancredo, Huckabee and Brownback, the first primary isn't until January. All they had was a bad week in a long season.

Come to think of it, I can say the same thing about the Yankees.

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Sam Pollak is editor of The Daily Star. He can be reached at spollak@thedailystar.com or at (607) 432-1000, ext. 208.