Are you a scientist? Are you named Steve or Stephanie?

Then you should sign up for the Steve list. They're trying to get 900 qualified evolution supporters with names that are variants of "Steven" — I think they should aim for a nice round one thousand.

More like this

I thought NCSE did this already. I'm almost certain I heard Eugenie Scott talking about this in a presentation.

It's not that they already did it...it's that they're still doing it.
Wish I could participate.

By Sven DiMilo (not verified) on 08 Sep 2008 #permalink

Ahh I see now

too bad being in a PhD program doesn't count.... maybe in a few years...

By Geo-Steve (not verified) on 08 Sep 2008 #permalink

They could, maybe, make a list of biologists who oppose the flim-flam of anti-evolution--it is the list that matters.

You mean, a list of biologists, period? You're pretty humorless sometimes, Glen. It's funny this way.

By Sven DiMilo (not verified) on 08 Sep 2008 #permalink

We should badger Stephen Colbert to join the list. After all, he does have an honorary PhD from Knox College...

By Brett Samsen (not verified) on 08 Sep 2008 #permalink

Humor's in the eye of the beholder, I guess. Hell, I still get a grin out of "Who's on first?"

By Sven DiMilo (not verified) on 08 Sep 2008 #permalink

Rats. I was well on my way to registering when the rules changed from "having a doctoral degree" to "scientist".

Why on earth would they disallow the juris doctorates?

(Go ahead, I deserve the lashings I am gonna get for this.)

;)

So, once we've done the Steves, let's move on to the Richards, the Pauls, the Michaels, the Dans...

Or the Lisas, the Barbaras, the Abbies, the Rebeccas,...

I think some have misunderstood. The Steve list has been around for awhile but a round 900 are wanted in time for the Year of Darwin; something about slogans and T-shirts, and NCSE is about five names short, I think.

By Lee Picton (not verified) on 08 Sep 2008 #permalink

...the Svantes, the Anderses, the Nicoles...
and, here's an excuse to mention my all-time favorite name of a real biologist. (She's good, too; studies lungfish physiology and publishes well).

By Sven DiMilo (not verified) on 08 Sep 2008 #permalink

SC@15

So, once we've done the Steves, let's move on to the Richards, the Pauls, the Michaels, the Dans...

Or the Lisas, the Barbaras, the Abbies, the Rebeccas,...

No, the first batch of lists would include the Stephanies, the umm, Richardines, The Paulines, the Michelles, etc.

The Steve list includes quite a few females - Steven or variations of Steven.

and, here's an excuse to mention my all-time favorite name of a real biologist.

Oh, the poor dear. Hope she has a good sense of humor.

From the Project Steve introduction page:

NCSE has been exhorted by its members to compile a list of thousands of scientists affirming the validity of the theory of evolution, but although we easily could have done so, we have resisted such pressure. We did not wish to mislead the public into thinking that scientific issues are decided by who has the longer list of scientists!

From the FAQ:

Is NCSE going to circulate a similar statement for Janes, Johns, and so on?

No. It's only funny once.

Thanks for the link, PZ. We're definitely hoping to get to the big 1K, but we'll print "Over 900..." shirts first. Some of our Steves have been waiting a long time for theirs.

No, the first batch of lists would include the Stephanies, the umm, Richardines, The Paulines, the Michelles, etc.

The Steve list includes quite a few females - Steven or variations of Steven.

I'm aware of that. Perhaps some women aren't thrilled at being variations on male theme in efforts called things like "The Steve Project." Richardines?

"It's not humorless to suggest that the same decade-old one not continue to be told."

Of course it is, humor never ceases to be funny! Like all those catchphrases that circulate here endlessly! Slut! Cephalopods! Ilk! Trophy wife! They never ever cease to be funny!

Sarcasm, on the other hand, gets old pretty fast.

Lee Picton | September 8, 2008 1:20 PM #16

I think some have misunderstood. The Steve list has been around for awhile but a round 900 are wanted in time for the Year of Darwin

And if they don't get 900, they will have failed proving that evolution is false!

Speaking as a Steve on the list (and living in Kansas, to boot). My understanding was that this was intended as a tongue-in-cheek response to The Discovery Institute's "Scientific Dissent From Darwinism" list.

The reasoning went along the lines of - we could put together a list of all the scientists who consider evolution to be a proper scientific theory, but that list would get very big, very fast, so how about limiting it to a single name. "Stephen" (and variations thereon) was chosen to honor Stephen Jay Gould.

Stephen (NCSE Steve #598)

Wish I could participate.

What, you mean Sven isn't Swedish1 for Stephen?

1 Please forgive me if I've guessed the wrong Scandinavian heritage for you (or if I'm wrong in attributing any Scandinavian heritage to you).

By Bill Dauphin (not verified) on 08 Sep 2008 #permalink

I'm Swedish all right--half, anyway--and so's "Sven," but alas, 'tis a nom de net. My real monicker's not even close to qualiying.

By Sven DiMilo (not verified) on 08 Sep 2008 #permalink

I am neither a scientist nor a Steve, but I am sure that there are enough to hit the 1,000 mark. It sure makes the few hundred that support ID look foolish.

Thanks for the link, PZ. We're definitely hoping to get to the big 1K, but we'll print "Over 900..." shirts first. Some of our Steves have been waiting a long time for theirs.

Shouldn't those be "Over 9000!!!" shirts?

"Stephen" (and variations thereon) was chosen to honor Stephen Jay Gould.

Ah. Well, that makes sense, then. Carry on.

/steps down off soapbox

Sven is not from Stephen, it's an ancient word for young man or male virgin...

By windy, OM (not verified) on 08 Sep 2008 #permalink

Sven is not from Stephen

I didn't actually think it was; I was joking... though obviously not obviously enough. (Note to self: Lay in supply of emoticons!)

By Bill Dauphin (not verified) on 08 Sep 2008 #permalink

I guessed you were joking, but couldn't resist commenting on the linguistic aspect anyway... I think David Marjanović has been a bad influence on me!

By windy, OM (not verified) on 08 Sep 2008 #permalink

Sven is...an ancient word for young man or male virgin

Huh. Coupla problems here, Houston...

By Sven DiMilo (not verified) on 08 Sep 2008 #permalink

Then they get the Steve list all mixed up with the Adam list, and suddenly they're propounding the Adam and Steve theory of human creation.

Sven is not from Stephen, it's an ancient word for young man or male virgin...

*notes for future mockage*

I think David Marjanović has been a bad influence on me!

A good influence! I love those comments!

Interestingly, "sveinn", from which "Sven" derives, is also the source of "swain", as in a lover (and not a fighter?). Although there is also a cognate with "swan", a shepherd or pigherder; a farm laborer.

By Owlmirror (not verified) on 08 Sep 2008 #permalink

From Wiki,
We (or NCSE) should not forget the other forms of "Steve"

Stepan - Russian, Czech,
Esteban - spanish
Estéfano - portuguese
Kepano - Hawaiian
Etienne (really?) - French
Istefanos - Turkish (any biologists left in Turkey?)
Stefan - Swedish
スティーブン、スティーブ - Japanese
and of course ஸடீபன் for our Tamilese biologists

Huh. Coupla problems here, Houston...

Noted, in case I ever get around to starting "Project Sven"* ;)

*that is, collecting names and addresses of virginal male biologists for unstated, possibly sinister purposes

By windy, OM (not verified) on 08 Sep 2008 #permalink

Copernic (@40):

What? No Klingon?

By Bill Dauphin (not verified) on 08 Sep 2008 #permalink

Alcari (@30)

"What 9000?"

That's a shame. I need a couple more years for a Ph.D!

By Stephanie (not verified) on 08 Sep 2008 #permalink

Reminds me of Bruce McCulloch's song. "These are the Daves I know, I know, these are the Daves I know."

NO. YES. DAMN.

this isn't the first time I've wished my name was steve...
come to think of it, i don't even have my phD yet. time to go somewhere else to put myself on a list :(

Engineers Named Alan (with one goddamned 'l')
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
-#1 - nanoAl <------thats me!

Woo Hoo!
I'm a Dr Steve and I'm a scientist.
I've just signed up.
God! it's been 8 years since I even looked at my thesis and I think I could still write the abstract from memory!

By Black Centaur (not verified) on 08 Sep 2008 #permalink

Old joke? First I've heard of it. It's funny because it's completely bizarre.

These are the Steves I know I know, these are the Steves I know. These are the Steves I know I know, these are the Steves I know. Some of them are Steven, but most of them are Steve. They all have their own hands but they come from different moms.

By Dark Jaguar (not verified) on 08 Sep 2008 #permalink

Project Kseniya is alive and well. Working on double-digit membership, even as we speak.

I always figured "Sven DiMilo" was a good-looking, though armless, love god.

You're about 33% correct.
And I have arms.

By Sven DiMilo (not verified) on 08 Sep 2008 #permalink

You mean not a masculinized quasi-anagram of Venus [DiMilo]?

And I have arms.

As a non-cephalopod, are you not mostly 'armless?

Ow. I think I sprained something there....

By Owlmirror (not verified) on 08 Sep 2008 #permalink

Oh, I've got tentacle envy for sure.
And yes, my fictive middle initial is U.
But enough about me...anybody here namned Steve?

By Sven DiMilo (not verified) on 08 Sep 2008 #permalink

I guessed you were joking, but couldn't resist commenting on the linguistic aspect anyway... I think David Marjanović has been a bad influence on me!

Come, come to the dork side of the farce.

(Not my idea.)

[É]tienne (really?) - French

YA RLY. Es became é a couple of hundred years ago, and the p --> b --> v must have disappeared sometime.

Though all this is so little obvious that people tend to be named Stéphane nowadays. The female form, historically Étiennette, was replaced by Stéphanie longer ago.

[İ]stefanos - Turkish (any biologists left in Turkey?)

Maybe, but that's a Christian name. Turkish-speaking Christians are very rare.

By David Marjanović, OM (not verified) on 08 Sep 2008 #permalink

Etienne (really?) - French

Etienne is not much in use nowadays.
Stephane is much more frequent.

By negentropyeater (not verified) on 08 Sep 2008 #permalink

sorry, cross-post

By negentropyeater (not verified) on 08 Sep 2008 #permalink

Well, I don't have my PhD just yet...

Damn.

By Steve Sauve (not verified) on 08 Sep 2008 #permalink

I personally recruited three Steves to the list, I'll see if I can find some more....

Sadly I'm an engineer with the middle name of Stephen. Close but no cigar.

By commissarjs (not verified) on 08 Sep 2008 #permalink

(smug on) I've been on the list for a few years now and have already worn out my second T-shirt. Even better than the T-shirt is the publication "The Morphology of Steve" (Annals of Improbable Research, July-August 2004). Being a co-author of a paper along with two Nobel Laureates plus Stephen Hawking makes for great bragging*.(smug off)

*If only I could achieve that with a 'real' paper.

By Steve Norley (not verified) on 08 Sep 2008 #permalink

When the list reaches nine billion, one by one the stars go out and the universe ends...

I'm a Steve and a PhD, but it's in accounting. Not sure if that would qualify as related to biology.

Yeah, but there may be a silver-lining around that cloud, Zarquon!

Read Asimov's short story, The Last Question. hehe ;)