And that's not good. John Lynch rips into Dembski's views on Alfred Russell Wallace, and Dembski's mistakes are legion and major. Wallace is an interesting guy, and it's always a shame when Discovery Institute propagandists start mangling yet another aspect of history, philosophy, and science.
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More articles by PZ Myers can be found on Freethoughtblogs at the new Pharyngula!
Dembski: “as good a historian as he is a mathematician and philosopher”
Category: Creationism
Posted on: July 9, 2009 7:04 AM, by PZ Myers
Find more posts in: 
Humanities & Social Science
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Comments
Posted by: SC, OM | July 9, 2009 7:28 AM
Yes, he's a real Renaissance kook.
Posted by: Kobra | July 9, 2009 7:29 AM
He's not just bad at history, philosophy, and mathematics (I bet Dumbski doesn't even know the significance of the natural base, e), but his knowledge of biology and physics is abhorrent. Why does he bother speaking or writing at all ever? To refrain from doing so would save him some shame.
Posted by: Burning Umbrella | July 9, 2009 7:42 AM
The logic seems to be that it's not what you say that makes you appear clever, but using long words.
In the world of monosyllability, a dembski is a king.
Posted by: Drosera
|
July 9, 2009 7:46 AM
Dembski's mistakes? You're too lenient. Lies is a better word. These people are dishonest to the bone.
Posted by: Felix | July 9, 2009 8:23 AM
Question: does anyone seriously still bother to waste time with anything coming from that... person?
Posted by: Zeno | July 9, 2009 8:28 AM
Alfred Russel Wallace. (Sorry to be pedantic.)
Posted by: Josh
|
July 9, 2009 8:31 AM
And SC demonstrates that it's possible to win a thread with the very first comment.
Posted by: Nerd of Redhead, OM
|
July 9, 2009 8:42 AM
She still has a way to go to beat Cuttlefish, who did it with two words.Posted by: Ll | July 9, 2009 8:49 AM
My father used to say that "In the land of the witless, the halfwit is king".
It seems to apply here beautifully.
Posted by: John D Stackpole | July 9, 2009 8:57 AM
Dawkins gave a very good (IMV) overview of the pre- and non-Darwin speculations on natural selection here:
http://richarddawkins.net/article,3946,Dawkins-on-Darwin,Update-613-Richard-Dawkins---Natural-History-Museum---Open2net
including A R Wallace.
The precursors were close to getting it right but missed out on one essential or another.
Posted by: Stanton
|
July 9, 2009 9:03 AM
He writes for the glory of Christ.And money.
Posted by: Josh | July 9, 2009 9:09 AM
@Nerd: true that is. Those are some large tentacles to fill.
Posted by: Kobra | July 9, 2009 9:12 AM
I don't recall seeing this. Does anyone have a link?
Posted by: Mozglubov | July 9, 2009 9:18 AM
That is a well-phrased description of Dembski's talents...
Posted by: Smoggy Batzrubble | July 9, 2009 9:23 AM
As a Bible Believing YEC, I'd just like to praise God for supplying us another straw to clutch onto.
Straw...strawman. What's the difference really?
Posted by: Ryan F Stello | July 9, 2009 9:26 AM
Those selections from the bits from the foreward are priceless.
One hopes that if Dembski were to get around to reading Wallace's original work, his mind would self-destruct with indicision on who to villify and who to glorify.
Posted by: Ryan F Stello | July 9, 2009 9:28 AM
Arg. 'indecision'. Well, you know what I means.
Posted by: Nerd of Redhead, OM
|
July 9, 2009 9:30 AM
Kobra,
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2008/12/mmmmmmm_yummy.php#comment-1241070
Posted by: SC, OM | July 9, 2009 9:35 AM
Well, there was this one @ #2:
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2008/12/mmmmmmm_yummy.php
Ah - a challenge. Thanks. :)
Posted by: Josh | July 9, 2009 9:51 AM
Challenges are one of your strengths, are they not...?
Posted by: SC, OM | July 9, 2009 10:07 AM
Indeed. Ones that interest me, that is. ;)
Posted by: 386sx | July 9, 2009 10:10 AM
Oh noes! Dembski Schmembski!!
(This is my sad attempt at wresting the thread win.)
Posted by: Kobra | July 9, 2009 10:13 AM
Oh haha. Yeah, that's definitely a two word win. :D
Posted by: Josh | July 9, 2009 10:14 AM
Kinda goes without saying, doesn't it? Attempting to be an OLympic swimmer would make little sense if you didn't enjoy being in the water.
*shrug*
Posted by: Pierce R. Butler | July 9, 2009 10:31 AM
Have you heard? The quest for intermediate fossils has failed!
Fans of advanced trollery may appreciate the contributions of one of Lynch's commenters, who has, we're told, dismantled "Darwinism", starting by debunking quantum mechanics and astrophysics in a 7-volume opus.
Posted by: SC, OM | July 9, 2009 10:34 AM
Nah, some people seem to be drawn to the challenge for the sake of the challenge itself. Or get caught up in competing or trying to win at something despite no longer enjoying the process and uncertainty about how fulfilling a victory would actually be. I'm not that type. I take to challenges when they're enjoyable (this case) or the goal is worthwhile (or, ideally, both).
Anyway, I'm off. Catch you all later!
Posted by: Josh | July 9, 2009 10:40 AM
Yeah, your right. I was forgetting those folks.
Also interesting is that Dembski is so fucking useless and non-interesting that a good deal of the comments, only a little ways into this thread, have already ignored anything to do with his dumb ass.
Posted by: raven | July 9, 2009 10:44 AM
I'm sure Dembski's theology is the equal of anything else he screws up.
Evolution isn't mentioned once in the bible.
Nor is it mentioned anywhere in the bible that one has to take every word literally. An impossible task that no one actually does anyway, they just lie and say they do. The bible didn't even exist when it was written. It was cobbled together from a disparate group of sources over hundreds or thousands of years.
Odd fact. Dembski's father is or was a scientist of some sort, a biologist IIRC. His kid spends all his time time trying to destroy science. Might be a case of teen age rebellion and someone who never grew up mentally.
Posted by: SC, OM | July 9, 2009 11:51 AM
Before I walk out the door...
Since not much is happening on this thread, I'll put today's Honduras update here.
Democracy Now! interviews Manual Zelaya:
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/7/9/in_rare_us_broadcast_ousted_honduran
Posted by: Medina64 | July 9, 2009 12:13 PM
What is really funny is to follow the link and look at the comments. Some idiot named C. David Parsons is promoting his website and line of creationist whack-job books. He makes Dembski look like a genius.
Posted by: Eamon Knight | July 9, 2009 2:24 PM
Some idiot named C. David Parsons is promoting his website and line of creationist whack-job books.
He's been around for a while: http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2008/01/creationist_physics_101.php
Posted by: Qwerty | July 9, 2009 5:15 PM
Dumbski.
Posted by: Hypatia's Daughter | July 10, 2009 1:49 AM
I read the Parson's posts on Lynch's blog. He seems to be obsessed with sex & sin. I guess he will be burning in Hell because he is fucking crazy.