So I emerge from my grant writing burrow only to discover by way of ScienceBlogling PZ that the clowns at Answers in Genesis are pestering National Academy of Sciences member Richard Lenski about the citrate evolution in E. coli paper he co-authored.
Fortunately, Gerlach at Off Resonance does a great job fisking this creationist crapdoodle, so I don’t have to. While I’m glad Lenski responded, he should cut them off at this point. The problem is that his response, which is quite sensible–he presents the data that show that contamination is not an issue among other things–does not matter to these loons.
It’s not only that they’re ideologically blinkered, but they are quite stupid. Take Dr. Purdom. I’ve dealt before with her basic ignorance–perhaps willful ignorance–regarding the evolutionary role for mutation. If Schlafly and Purdom did receive the data, no doubt they would misinterpret the data because they are spectacularly unqualified to understand them** (anyone who thinks that all mutations are ‘bad’ is an idiot). Then the argument would revolve around the ersatz ‘scientific’ controversy, as they provide an ‘alterative’ and incorrect explanation. Like many idiots, they’re too stupid to realize that they’ve been beaten, so it would keep going on and on.
(Of course, the real controversy should be why are fucking morons who don’t know anything about microbiology taken seriously at all?)
So, Rich, please don’t send them the data beyond what you’ve done already. It’s just a waste of your time.
*I’ve known him for a long time; it feels very weird to call him by his last name.
**I’ve also been tagged by Schlafly’s brother, Roger, who apparently doesn’t know the difference between genetic and phylogenetic. Another fine example of the arrogance of ignorance.