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PZ Myers is a biologist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota, Morris.
…and this is a pharyngula stage embryo.
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[I]f history and science have taught us anything, it is that passion and desire are not the same as truth. The human mind evolved to believe in the gods. It did not evolve to believe in biology. Acceptance of the supernatural conveyed a great advantage throughout prehistory, when the brain was evolving. Thus it is in sharp contrast to biology, which was developed as a product of the modern age and is not underwritten by genetic algorithms. The uncomfortable truth is that the two beliefs are not factually compatible. As a result those who hunger for both intellectual and religious truth will never acquire both in full measure.
Edward O. Wilson, Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge, (First edition, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1998), p. 262.
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Category: Galapagos • Personal
Posted on: October 14, 2008 2:20 AM, by PZ Myers
Congratulations to surviving for a whole 21 years. Now go say thank you to your sweetie, Avy.
It's very short notice and I didn't know what to get you anyway, so you'll have to settle for a picture of an affectionate pair of land iguanas.
Party on, dudes, and be excellent to one another!
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Comments
Posted by: Monado in Toronto | October 14, 2008 2:35 AM
Cute! I don't know Alex, so I'll just say Happy Birthday!
PZ, I hope you're not still up - you'll need your strength for non-stop pub-crawling in Toronto, home of 7,000 restaurants, many of which serve beer.
Posted by: Jared | October 14, 2008 3:01 AM
I still think PZ should make a trip down to New Orleans... Could make for some REALLY fun pub-crawls.
Posted by: Thesk | October 14, 2008 3:08 AM
Seriously, PZ, when do you sleep?
Posted by: moother | October 14, 2008 3:16 AM
PZ, gief pic of the homo sapien love birds too!!!
and and congratulations Alex dude!
Posted by: Uncephalized (aka Alex Hickey aka The Birthday Boy) | October 14, 2008 4:01 AM
Wow!
Not only did my incredibly amazing girlfriend think of something this awesome, PZ Myers actually printed me a birthday message.
When I popped open my RSS reader and saw a birthday message to me, instead of the usual "creotards do something tardtastic, atheists shake heads" I thought I had actually gone insane for a moment. Turns out you guys are just awesome. *grin*
Now I need to get back to writing my lab report and studying for my exam tomorrow. Yay for engineering school! I'll have to put off 21 years' worth of drinking and debauchery until tomorrow night. :D
Posted by: Sam | October 14, 2008 5:00 AM
How do you know they're affectionate, as opposed to, say, merely facing in the same directon as some green, leafy vegetables?
Posted by: SoMG | October 14, 2008 5:42 AM
Over at the Volokh Conspiracy theres stuff about whether McCain is like or unlike Gandalf in LOTR.
I think he's more like Gimli the Dwarf in the movies (not so much the books) whose first response to the problem is to hit it with an axe.
Or like Donner the thunder god in another lord-of-rings piece. Rebuked by his elders and mocked by his foes for empty bluster.
Posted by: SoMG | October 14, 2008 5:44 AM
Gandalf is a power-bass-baritone like Wotan or Hans Sachs. McCain is a reedy tenor.
Posted by: Desert Son | October 14, 2008 9:43 AM
SoMG at #7 posted:
Over at the Volokh Conspiracy theres stuff about whether McCain is like or unlike Gandalf in LOTR.
"Pity? It was pity that stayed Bilbo's hand. Many that live deserve death. Some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them, Frodo? Do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. Even the very wise cannot see all ends."
Doesn't sound much like McCain to me.
Just a thought.
No kings,
Robert
Posted by: xebecs | October 14, 2008 10:37 AM
Ohhh! You do requests?
My birthday is tomorrow -- could I please have a picture of two giant squid, preferably doing something humorous such as playing badminton? LOLcats-style captioning is not strictly necessary but will earn you extra credit.
Seriously, tomorrow is my birthday.
Posted by: Romeo Vitelli | October 14, 2008 10:47 AM
Um, those iguanas don't seem all that affectionate to me. Are they having a lover's quarrel or something?
Posted by: llewelly | October 14, 2008 1:34 PM
The iquanas seem rather cold and distant toward each other to me. None of the cuddling and crawling on each other that I heard about in a podcast on the JREF cruise to the Galapagos.
Posted by: Sili | October 14, 2008 3:39 PM
Tarvu! people.
Of course they're grumpy!
Don't you recognise the "Do you mind?" look when you see it?
Damn! I'm sure all your friends refer to you as "The Cockblocker" behing your backs.
Posted by: Monado | October 14, 2008 3:57 PM
Sorry, PZ. Your pop-up needs scroll bars. I'm getting an enlarged picture of some grass.
Posted by: PZ Myers | October 14, 2008 4:33 PM
Fixed that.
Posted by: Heather | October 14, 2008 7:29 PM
Happy Birthday, Alex!!!! I hope you have a nice celebration after your exam!
Posted by: ming the merciless | October 15, 2008 2:10 PM
HBTY, Alex, and I hope you return the favor when it's the iguanas' turn.
ming