Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal
PZ Myers is a biologist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota, Morris.
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« Another round in the Kleiman/Myers skirmish | Main | It's tough to be Al Gore »
Category: Creationism
Posted on: July 19, 2007 12:32 PM, by PZ Myers
So Nick Anthis also has a copy of the Atlas of Creation, and I don't. I am beginning to suspect that the Muslim creationists are only sending copies to people who are smooth-cheeked and lovely in their online portraits.
Oh, well. From the descriptions of the contents, it sounds like the pictures are pretty, but the story is repetitive: X looks like Y, therefore God made both!
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YES! Send me a free issue of Seed.
If I like what I see, I'll receive 5 more issues (6 in all) for just $14.95. That's 50% off the cover price! If I'm not completely satisfied, I'll simply write "cancel" on the invoice and owe nothing. The free issue is mine to keep.
(Non-U.S. subscribers, click here.)
Comments
Edit: "makes my jealous".
Posted by: Blake Stacey, OM | July 19, 2007 12:43 PM
And, of course, I can't spell either.
Sigh. Time for lunch.
Posted by: Blake Stacey, OM | July 19, 2007 12:45 PM
You are known to think 'Cthulu akhbar', so you'll have to wait for it the second hand shops. Shouldn't be long.
Posted by: Peter McGrath | July 19, 2007 12:55 PM
I guess at a cost of rationality, dignity, and $300, they can't afford to send you their paraphernalia.
Posted by: Tom @Thoughtsic.com | July 19, 2007 12:55 PM
It's a jealous. It's company policy not to imply ownership in the event of a jealous. We use the indefinite article: "A jealous". Never "Your jealous".
Scotty B
Posted by: Scotty B | July 19, 2007 12:58 PM
The entire "Atlas of Creation" is available online in PDF format. But the content is just recycled "Creation Science", so why bother? The stolen pictures sure are pretty, though.
Posted by: Tim Tesar | July 19, 2007 1:09 PM
In other news, which I'm sure the BibThump gang will trumpet:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070719.wpaleobrit0719/BNStory/Science/home
Posted by: Caveat | July 19, 2007 1:15 PM
Wait a second. Shouldn't Islamic creationists favor those who AREN'T smooth-cheeked?
Posted by: Chris Thompson | July 19, 2007 1:16 PM
I think PZ might be referring to that part of the brain responsible for critical thinking, known to the mushy-minded as "the jealous". As in "your just jealous".
(I sure wish they'd complete their sentences, though. What about my jealous?)
To "make" one's jealous then, might be to engage it. There's probably better ways to do it, like presenting somene with an actual problem to solve, but a "what's wrong with this picture" puzzle might work too.
(I have a feeling that the typo will be corrected by the time I finish this comment)
Posted by: Rey Fox | July 19, 2007 1:29 PM
Color fossils? KEWL!!!!!!!!! Although I suppose, if they're all plants anyway, they can be whatever color they like.
Posted by: ladyvonkulp | July 19, 2007 1:35 PM
I have it on *good authority* that fundamentalist islamists enjoy those who are baby-faced and favor them with special attention
now I need to go gargle my mind.
back later.
Posted by: tony_the_anti-christ | July 19, 2007 1:36 PM
Cmon PZ, being jealous of a person with a copy of that book is the literary equivalent of being jealous of someone infected with an STD.
Posted by: Steven | July 19, 2007 1:38 PM
If the Islamic creationists are using facial hair as a criterion for getting their book, perhaps they feel that men who shave are more in need of their propaganda than men who don't.
Posted by: twincats | July 19, 2007 1:43 PM
I wonder how this sort of "morphological similarity proves creation" will react to this report about the ubiquity of species that can only be distinguished by genetic analysis.
And why does the bible never mention Ham checking each creature Daddy was loading on the ark to make sure that all ten species of skipper butterfly were included.
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn12293&feedId=online-news_rss20
Posted by: Skip Huffman | July 19, 2007 1:47 PM
If you add the book to your library, do you need to hire an orang-utan as librarian?
Posted by: tony_the_anti-christ | July 19, 2007 1:52 PM
Whatever, Mr. Second Hottest Male Science Blogger. No excuses.
I should mention, though, that the book was sent to my boss, to whom--just between you and me--the "smooth-cheeked and lovely in their online portraits" description may not apply as much.
Posted by: Nick Anthis | July 19, 2007 2:04 PM
Don't fret PZ. Any way you slice it, it's still baloney.
Posted by: Jsn | July 19, 2007 3:07 PM
Of course, the Atlas begins by asserting that Darwin's theory described the evolution of life from non-living matter. Darwin's hypothesis (now a theory) proposed a mechanism that explained observed decent-with-modification within popultations (natural selection), not the origin of life. The very first paragraph of the very first page of this document is thus based upon a falsehood. And it just goes downhill from there.
Posted by: Meade | July 19, 2007 3:08 PM
Jealous means that you're afraid of losing something you already have.
Envy means you want something someone else has.
Get it right!
Posted by: Brian W. | July 19, 2007 3:14 PM
Did you know that no-one has ever found the missing link between an alligator and a squirrel? (Atlas of Creation p41)
There's a nice pic of an alligator morphing Manimal-style into a squirrel with a big X through it and the word 'FALSE' printed in big red letters over it.
Well- I'll be. I'm converting to Islam tomorrow.
Posted by: Christian Burnham | July 19, 2007 4:15 PM
I've always found that Muslims were more open-minded about science and biology than the other "Book" religions. (As long as it doesn't mention mammal reproductive organs, before university levels at least). I guess there are weirdos everywhere, eh.
Posted by: mirshafie | July 19, 2007 4:17 PM
when you were speaking about the open minded muslims were you referring to the ones who killed people over cartoons. Don't you just love those "rational" people.
Posted by: qedpro | July 19, 2007 5:29 PM
Brian W., "jealous" can also mean "hostile toward a rival or one believed to enjoy an advantage." So he can be envious and jealous.
Posted by: kmarissa | July 19, 2007 5:39 PM
At least the Mos didn't plagarise the 6000 year geology from the Creos when they picked up the 'kinds'zoology.
You can find more "goodies" with Darwin's microscope (a replica, I hope) than you can in the Koran.
Posted by: Skeptic9 | July 19, 2007 7:41 PM
To #11: especially Adnan Oktar. At least that's what I hear. I'd read the news stories myself but I don't read Turkish, so I rely on a buddy, and he can barely say the guy's name without spitting.
Oh, sorry, "Harun Yahya".
Posted by: octopod | July 19, 2007 8:35 PM
This Atlas of Creation book is just a ruse, trying to distract us from the real question: who is hotter: PZ or Nick? My vote is for Nick.
Posted by: wrpd | July 19, 2007 8:57 PM
I think wrpd is on to something here.
Posted by: Nick Anthis | July 20, 2007 4:54 AM
You mean, Atlas is just a chewbacca defense?
In the words of Darth Vader: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Posted by: Shawn Wilkinson | July 20, 2007 5:19 AM
I've got the thing too.
Note chapter 15, documenting cooperation with the American Institute of Creation research.
Note too: the first chapter of the Appendix:
THE COLLAPSE OF THE THEORY OF EVOLUTION
THE REAL IDEOLOGICAL ROOT OF TERRORISM:
DARWINISM AND MATERIALISM
There, the legend to the photo of the burning Twin Towers is:
No matter what ideology they may espouse, those who perpetrate terror all over the world are, in reality, Darwinists. Darwinism is the only philosophy that places a value on--and thus encourages--conflict.
and in the text:
For this reason, if some people commit terrorism using the concepts and symbols of Islam, Christianity or Judaism in the name of those religions, you can be sure that those people are not Muslims, Christians or Jews. They are real Social Darwinists. They hide under a cloak of religion, but they are not genuine believers. Even if they claim to be serving religion, they are actually enemies of religion and of believers. That is because they are ruthlessly committing a crime that religion forbids, anFor this reason, the root of the terrorism that plagues our planet is not any of the divine religions, but in atheism, and the expression of atheism in our times: "Darwinism" and "materialism."d in such a way as to blacken religion in peoples' eyes.
You can check this on internet.
Posted by: Gerdien de Jong | July 20, 2007 5:39 AM