…and this is a 
Since the mere majesty and grandeur of the natural world are insufficient to provide entertainment, perhaps science coverage in the media should become something like the Weekly World News. Arthur David Horn could be a major media star.
He now advocates the theory that modern man is not the result of a natural process of evolution, but that evolution was artificially aided by reptilian extraterrestrials. The reptilians bred mankind as servants and continue to rule the planet today, Horn said.
Reptilians have manipulated perceptions of world history and hold power over humankind through their influence over an elite and powerful group of humans, known as the Illuminati, Arthur said. Throughout human history, the reptilian beings have been recorded as dragons or gods.
I don't think that was an example of media quote mangling, either. He was speaking at a meeting called a "Galactic Gathering," organized by The Institute for the Study of Galactic Civilizations.
A plus on his side: there's also a nice human interest story there.
The shift in Arthur's focus came shortly after meeting Lynette, who was then a metaphysical healer, he said. After many conversations over the telephone, Arthur and Lynette finally met face-to-face in July of 1988 when they spent a week in Northern California's Trinity Mountains searching for Sasquatch, commonly known as Bigfoot.
The couple never spotted the mythic creature, but fell in love, Lynette said. Only a few months later, they were married in the chapel on the CSU campus.
Awww. Woo Love.
Somebody pass his name on to Sharon Begley, who is manufacturing pseudo-controversies this week. She's defending Lamarckism now, based on some work that suggests a plausible basis for multi-generation responses to the environment, a justification for some of the observations made by Kammerer on toads.
Genes for living on land seem to get "environmentally silenced in early embryos exposed to water," says Vargas, who combed through Kammerer's lab notes and whose analysis appears in the Journal of Experimental Zoology. "It has taken a painfully long time to properly acknowledge that environment can influence inheritance," he told me. "I think academia has discouraged experiments testing environmental modification of inheritance," because the inheritance of acquired characteristics—Lamarckism—drives the self-appointed evolution police crazy.
They might want to spend more time reading studies and less energy manning the barricades.
Aaaargh! Epigenetics is not Lamarckism! Also, Begley doesn't seem to understand that the institution of science is extremely conservative, and rightly so: we 'man the barricades' because science isn't like the Huffington Post, letting any wacky idea sail through unchallenged. There is a demand for rigor: show us the data, do the experiments, repeat until you've got a case that can't be shot down by a lone skeptical first year grad student. Postulating reptoids guiding human evolution isn't going to be credible until someone shoots one and writes a paper about the dissection, and Lamarckism is going to be sneered at until someone does the experiment that shows it.
I don't think academia has been neglecting this field because of dogma, either. Epigenetics is hot right now (and again, it's NOT Lamarckism!), and there's some interesting work going on in the field of eco-devo. I also think that a replication of Kammerer's work that demonstrated an actual effect would be easily publishable — I'd be interested in reading it, for sure.
We're all the evolution police. It isn't as sinister as Begley seems to imply: we just demand a little more evidence than speculation.
Life Science
Comments
Posted by: Darren Garrison
|
September 29, 2009 11:56 AM
"He now advocates the theory that modern man is not the result of a natural process of evolution, but that evolution was artificially aided by reptilian extraterrestrials. The reptilians bred mankind as servants and continue to rule the planet today, Horn said."
Could almost be viral marketing for the upcoming "reimaging" of V.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1307824/
Posted by: raven
|
September 29, 2009 12:06 PM
Don't try this one at home. The Reptiloid Gray Aliens all carry blasters and have force fields. There is a reason why no one has shot one yet.
Besides which, shooting sentient beings doesn't profile as very ethical. Think about abducting one and inserting an anal probe instead.
Posted by: RichardMNixon
|
September 29, 2009 12:12 PM
I think David Icke started all this, he's about as crazy as they come. Also, George H.W. Bush was a lizard, there's a few videos where you can see his vertical eyeslits closing! Or maybe it's just a strange artifact of light reflecting of his lenses, but that's not as fun as disseminating conspiracy theories!
Posted by: Fred The Hun
|
September 29, 2009 12:15 PM
Lets see if I've got this straight:
Reptilians have manipulated perceptions of world history and hold power over humankind through their influence over an elite and powerful group of humans, known as the Illuminati, Arthur said. Throughout human history, the reptilian beings have been recorded as dragons or gods.
And they were married in the chapel on the CSU campus.
Oh, that explains everything including the fact that the Virgin Mary was a Komodo Dragon and gave birth to a little Jesus Lizard via parthenogenesis. Right?
Posted by: mattheath.wordpress.com
|
September 29, 2009 12:17 PM
Teach the Controversy!Posted by: wet_bread
|
September 29, 2009 12:18 PM
Could someone direct me toward a book or article written for the public that describes why epigenetics isn't Lamarkism? (I'm not being sarcastic in asking this question, BTW.) A recent episode of NOVA about epigenetics left me making that connection, even though they never used that word. I trust PZ when he says that's a misinterpretation, but I don't have the scientific background to understand why it isn't.
Posted by: Forbidden Snowflake
|
September 29, 2009 12:23 PM
I, for one, welcome our new reptilian overlords.
Posted by: SteveF
|
September 29, 2009 12:24 PM
"But in a fascinating new analysis, biologist Alexander Vargas of the University of Chile reaches a far different conclusion"
Isn't this guy Vargas banned here at Pharyngula? He comments quite a lot at Sandwalk and has done some sterling Evo-Devo work.
Posted by: Forbidden Snowflake
|
September 29, 2009 12:25 PM
this gives the expression "to woo a lady" a whole new meaning, doesn't it?
Posted by: MikeM
|
September 29, 2009 12:35 PM
This guy put the God in Godzilla, that's for damn sure.
Posted by: Thorsonofodin
|
September 29, 2009 12:36 PM
Did you get to that story by Googling "the Green University" like i suggested? If not CSU sure has gotten a lot of attention from Pharyngula today. There is actually a lot of really big science going on at CSU especially in epigenetics. I hope we will make it onto Pharyngula one day to highlight this actual science. There is even some really cool synthetic biology research going on at CSU. Check out the work of June Medford making plants that can change from green to white when they detect TNT in the soil! http://www.tompainesghost.com/2009/07/from-seed-to-sentinel.html
Posted by: Glen Davidson
|
September 29, 2009 12:36 PM
Oh hell, that's just the Enuma Elish, with reptilian aliens replacing the gods who made man to be slaves for them.
For sure, it's as reasonable as ID, or "scientific creationism." At least one might believe that they weren't trying to push their particular religion if they'd at least allow another creation myth to be taught as supposed science.
Then it would simply be a matter of teaching any religion instead of science, not their own religion instead of science.
Glen D
http://tinyurl.com/mxaa3p
Posted by: greymav
|
September 29, 2009 12:37 PM
I can't say I've ever heard of eco-devo...is that a typo for "evo-devo", or a distinct item?
Posted by: or-mabinogi
|
September 29, 2009 12:38 PM
That reminds me, the V remake is coming at the start of November. Mmmm, Morena Baccarin.
Posted by: Treppenwitz
|
September 29, 2009 12:45 PM
I'm sitting in a class on evolution right now (big disappointment so far, which is why I'm on here). Lecturer's talking about Lamarck (yes, over a month in and we haven't even gotten to Darwin yet), and immediately after I read "Aaaargh! Epigenetics is not Lamarckism!" a student asked whether epigenetics isn't sort of like inheritance of acquired characteristics. It was uncanny.
Posted by: Thorsonofodin
|
September 29, 2009 12:54 PM
@ #6 even the big wigs are not sure what the definition of epigentics is. I work in the Chromatin field and when I asked Karolin Luger at a seminar one time if post translational modification of the histone tails qualifies as epigenetcis she basically said no but a lot of people say it does because "its sexy" ~translation - it gets your research funded.
See - http://www.tompainesghost.com/2008/10/fashionable-science.html - for some quibbling among big names in epigentics.
Posted by: Bone Oboe
|
September 29, 2009 12:56 PM
I can't recall if I found this on a thread here, or if it reared it's scaly head during a jaunt into the bowels of You Tube; but it's got Reptoids, aliens and the devil. Oh and weapons grade Crazy, it's got that by the barrel full.
If it's already been posted here, I offer my apologies.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAArwzqshpw
Posted by: Lynna, OM
|
September 29, 2009 1:00 PM
Lamarckism, or how to starve ten million people by feeding them nothing but a Bad Idea.
Posted by: jaxkayaker
|
September 29, 2009 1:18 PM
Lynna - you're thinking of Lysenkoism
Posted by: Dust
|
September 29, 2009 1:28 PM
Which CSU are they talking about? CSU to me means Colorado State University, my alma mater.
If they are refering to a part of the California State University system, shouldn't the initials of which campus they are refering to be included? Google mentions that there are 23 of them. grumble grumble
Posted by: Coriolis
|
September 29, 2009 1:36 PM
That's bullshit.
Everyone knows that the whole earth, and human civilization along with itm was developed for the sole use of our mice overlords in their quest to find the question of Life, the Universe, and Everything. It's unbelievable that anyone would be so ignorant as to not know that.
Posted by: Ken
|
September 29, 2009 1:48 PM
#3: "I think David Icke started all this, he's about as crazy as they come."
In HP Lovecraft's "Cthulhu Mythos," aliens from space were mucking around on Earth all the time, and were interpreted by early humans as gods. Jason Colavito's "The Cult of Alien Gods : H.P. Lovecraft and Extraterrestrial Pop Culture" rather convincingly traces von Daniken, Sitchin, and their ilk back to HPL, showing that they - or their sources - drew directly upon the Lovecraft stories, including his pseudo-historical framework based on the works of Blavatsky, Donnelly, Churchward, and so forth.
Posted by: Thorsonofodin
|
September 29, 2009 1:49 PM
Dust,
We are most assuredly referring to Colorado State. Go Rams!
Posted by: Porco Dio
|
September 29, 2009 1:51 PM
yup, regurgetation of David Icke.
read one of his books once, it was recommended to me by a guy i haven't been able to speak to since...
Posted by: Tulse
|
September 29, 2009 1:54 PM
But wasn't Lysenkoism simply a form of Lamarckism?
Posted by: jaxkayaker
|
September 29, 2009 2:00 PM
Lysenkoism used inheritance of acquired characters, which was one of the main principles of Lamarckism, but I wouldn't blame Lamarck for starving Russians any more than Darwin is responsible for The Final Solution
credit where credit is due, and the same for discredit: Lysenko
Posted by: http://fordi.org/login/
|
September 29, 2009 2:10 PM
You know, when I see someone use the term "Web Designer", "Web Developer", "Interactive developer" or any of the other common catchalls for the various grades of, essentially, website monkey, in connection with something I find remarkably stupid, I cringe a little.
I'm a programmer - one familiar with web technologies, and currently employed with one of those silly catchall titles - and while I am aware that there are among us the very stupid and very gullible. As an example, one of my colleagues - one who I don't expect to remain for long - claims to be an "HTML Guy" while producing some of the worst markup I've ever seen. He also happens to be a Yogi in his spare time, apparently.
So when I see a "web designer" saying something this stupid, I think immediately of these sub-par colleagues, their work, and the work I've had to do in fixing their mistakes. I know it's not really appropriate to link one with the other - it's just what gets fired off in my head - but it makes me cringe pretty damned hard.
Posted by: Gregory Greenwood
|
September 29, 2009 2:23 PM
"He now advocates the theory that modern man is not the result of a natural process of evolution, but that evolution was artificially aided by reptilian extraterrestrials. The reptilians bred mankind as servants and continue to rule the planet today, Horn said."
*points accusatory finger at Horn*
Silence fool! Everyone knows that our true overlords are cephalopod death gods. If you anger Cthulhu much more, he will kill us all. He might even forget to eat the most dedicated believers first. Your screwing up the entire apocalypse with your saurian heresy!
*Adopts best hystrionic Xian voice* Burn him! Burn the lizard lover!
Posted by: Dust
|
September 29, 2009 2:25 PM
Thanks Thorsonofodin, if I had clicked on the article would of known right off >g
Horn was gone long before I got to CSU (class of '97) Couldn't tell ya where the chapel on campus is as never bothered to find out.
Posted by: Gregory Greenwood
|
September 29, 2009 2:25 PM
Damn it! 'You're' not 'your'. It's all Horn's fault. His lizard apocrypha is causing Cthulhu's blessings to be withdrawn from the faithful. . .
Posted by: boygenius
|
September 29, 2009 2:31 PM
From the article PZ linked to about the Galactic Gathering:
Sooo...the speakers are legitimate because there are a lot of them and they are well organized? Where have we heard that argument before?
BTW, there are no comments posted on the article yet. Hint, hint.
Posted by: amphiox
|
September 29, 2009 2:44 PM
I'm no expert on this, but as I understand it, when Lamark was describing the inheritance of acquired characteristics (as far as I know he was not the originator of the hypothesis, but just happened to mention it in one of his books, and his name got attached to the hypothesis as a result), he was talking about phenotypes, and it was a one to one character to character type of inheritance, as in parent gets enlarged muscles or toughened skin, and offspring inherits the same enlarged muscles and toughened skin in the same place.
Whereas epigenetics is more the inheritance of genome regulation which may or may not have been influenced by environmental factors.
Also, Lamarkism was a hypothesis that tried to explain the evolution of novel characteristics. The acquired characteristics did not exist in the population. Their first appearance occurs at the moment they are "acquired" by the hypothetical parent, while the capacity for epigenetic changes are already pre-existing in the population prior to the environmental influences that bring them out, having arisen as the result of past mutations in gene regulatory mechanisms.
Posted by: Blake Stacey
|
September 29, 2009 2:47 PM
For what Lamarck actually said, see, e.g., here.
Posted by: Orac
|
September 29, 2009 2:54 PM
Geez. Can't Horne even come up with an original conspiracy theory? When it comes to the whole "reptilians" thing, David Icke did it first and did it better a long time ago. He even added bits about how Bill Clinton and various other world leaders were really just reptilians in disguise.
Posted by: Dust
|
September 29, 2009 2:56 PM
Would searching for Sasquatch be the West Coast's version of 'Hiking the Appalachian Trail'?
Just wondering............
Posted by: Midwifetoad
|
September 29, 2009 3:10 PM
Someone mention my name?
Posted by: dr-rieux
|
September 29, 2009 3:17 PM
C'mon, PZ: you're a Minnesotan! And just under a year ago, our state became famous for being the home of one Lucas Davenport, a doofus who voted for "Lizard People" for President of the United States. He also wrote in (but did not vote for) "Lizard People" in the U.S. Senate election section of his ballot, causing his actual vote for now-Senator Al Franken to be disqualified.
This is strong evidence for A.D. Horn's thesis, of course--at least within Minnesota.
Posted by: wet_bread
|
September 29, 2009 3:26 PM
@amphiox: Thanks for the explanation. I think I understand the distinction now, but it's still a little mushy for me. For what it's worth, I suspect this is a distinction that could use some clear public science writing. I'm still curious if anyone knows of a good broad-audience book on epigenetics.
Posted by: flyonthewall
|
September 29, 2009 3:32 PM
Somebody has been watching too much TV in the 80's
V - the series
OMFG its coming back, they're doing a remake.
Coincidence, I think not!!!
Posted by: Sili
|
September 29, 2009 3:46 PM
And they say that Darwinism is not the source of immorality!You first thought upon being challenged is to grab a weapon and go kill the dissenters!
Posted by: Desert Son
|
September 29, 2009 4:37 PM
Ok, I'm at a loss. I tried logging in with Movable Type, and was "Forbidden!" twice, then the third time it let me through. I wasn't cool enough the first two times? (A recurrent problem in my life, to be sure.)
TypePad (oh, fickle TypePad) was available as a sign-in option only one of the three times.
I'm not sure yet if I like this new scienceblogs game, but I'm pretty sure I still haven't figured out the rules.
Anyway, with regard to reptoid historical revisionism, I've said it before, and it bears repeating: what about the Lectroids?
Teach the controversy! "Big Boo-TAY! TAY! TAY!"
No kings,
Robert
Posted by: Crewvy
|
September 29, 2009 5:13 PM
Always the friggin` reptiles.
Posted by: MikeM
|
September 29, 2009 6:05 PM
I'm with you, Desert Son. That error message page I get is among the most user-hostile error messages I've ever seen. It's almost impossible to tell what's producing it.
I daresay that it's significantly reducing PZ's traffic, too. I think this very same posting would have had 300 responses by now, had it been posted on August 15th. It's discouraging people, which is probably good in some cases, and bad in most.
I think some good people have gone away permanently now.
Posted by: tony
|
September 29, 2009 6:23 PM
For more 'lovecraftian goodness' (?) I recommend both "The Atrocity Archives" and "The Jennifer Morgue" by Charlie Stross. A fabulous SF author (who just happens to be good at squidly horror too)
He blogs at http://www.antipope.org/charlie/
BTW: I agree with the posters above regarding the horrors of the current registration system (perhaps a message from our reptilian overlords?)
Posted by: sasqwatch
|
September 29, 2009 7:41 PM
A couple points of fact that require highlighting:
1) the "Extraterrestrial Reptilian Overlord Servitude" theory, or EROS, still makes more sense than the Bible.
and
2) ain't no way they're gonna find me in the Trinity Mountains of Northern California. Cold, baby, and getting colder.
Posted by: frozen_midwest, Evil Overlord Local #25, Standards Committee
|
September 29, 2009 7:42 PM
And here I thought the Lizard King (aka Jim Morrison) died nearly 30 years ago and is buried in Paris (France, not Texas).
Posted by: Lynna, OM
|
September 29, 2009 7:52 PM
@19
Crap! Brain fart, that. Thanks for the correction. Don't know how you resisted making fun of me for that one.
Posted by: John Morales
|
September 29, 2009 8:04 PM
[OT]
Tony @44, I enthusiastically endorse your praise for Charlie Stross.
Note: The Concrete Jungle is available under a Creative Commons License here, if anyone wants a sample from The Atrocity Archives.
Posted by: DingoJack
|
September 29, 2009 11:32 PM
*PZ surely the headline should read:
Maybe the media should interview this guy for interesting 'science'. :) - DJ
____________________________
*Woo Hoo!
The appendages have parted and lifted, and now I am ever so graciously allowed to comment. Thank you so much.
Posted by: tohellwithyourturtle
|
September 30, 2009 2:42 AM
I had a comment to post, but not anymore. After repeated "invalid logins" I clicked the back button and I was greeted with "thank you for logging in." Meh, ugh, and all other assorted monosyllabic responses to the pathetic login system used by Seed.
Posted by: tohellwithyourturtle
|
September 30, 2009 2:45 AM
A relevant post, that is.
Posted by: Aquaria
|
September 30, 2009 6:31 AM
And just under a year ago, our state became famous for being the home of one Lucas Davenport, a doofus who voted for "Lizard People" for President of the United States.
I suppose it was likely that someone in Minnesota really would have the name Lucas Davenport, but I'm wondering if someone's Mom read too much John Sandford while she was pregnant. Evidence: It's obvious this kid is an asshole and maybe even a gamer. If he drives a Porsche, that will clinch it.
Love the Prey books. Hate--hate--hate Davenport. What a pompous jerk.
Posted by: Eidolon
|
September 30, 2009 7:14 AM
What is it with Newsweak???
First there is ol' sharon who displays a serious misunderstanding of science and then comes the Dawkins misquote? Are they just inept or are they part part of a plan put in place by our reptilian overloards (who are in turn servents of our squidly masters)?
And WTF is up with the log in? I see it now!! It's all part of a plot by the YEC, ID, RCC, FoF cabal.
Posted by: Eidolon
|
September 30, 2009 7:18 AM
Hmmm - me need more coffee and must preview posts. It's 'Sharon' and 'servants' but still 'Newsweak'. Doh.
Posted by: Occam's Machete
|
September 30, 2009 10:20 AM
Is anyone else not seeing the latest posts on the front page?
I have to scroll through from two days ago to get to new posts.
The Mr Deity post has been stuck at the top of the page. I've cleared my cache so I don't think the problem is on my side. But I could easily be wrong.
Anyone? Anyone?
Oops sorry, didn't mean to do _that_ voice. gggggah-thphut!
Posted by: Occam's Machete
|
September 30, 2009 10:32 AM
Damnit! That post was meant for the open thread. Sorry.
I'll be in the stupid corner wearing the hat if anyone's looking for me.
Posted by: mtgap.wordpress.com
|
September 30, 2009 9:30 PM
I wonder where he got the idea that they were reptillian. I thought they were more cephalopodlike.