Stranger Fruit
Archives for February, 2008
Linnaeus’ Legacy is live!
Posted by John Lynch on February 9, 2008 I don’t usually do blog carnivals but Linnaeus’ Legacy #4 is up at The Other 95% and mentions a post of mine. Wander on over to see the current best posts on taxonomy and systematics.
Some chilling strategies of Neo-atheists
Posted by John Lynch on February 9, 2008 Here’s a strategy: Point to some negative consequence, single out a belief system or people group that you don’t particularly like, make a connection–no matter how tenuous–and suggest a solution. Let’s see it applied using an example we’re all familiar with the Discovery Institute using (paging John West!): Eugenics -> Darwinism -> Teach ID. See…
Oreskes on Global Warming Denialism
Posted by John Lynch on February 8, 2008 I was going to blog this later today, but now I see Tim over at Deltoid has beaten me to it, so I’ll post this without much comment. (Shakes fist in impotent fury at those damned Australians!) Like Tim, I received a heads-up from John Mashey regarding an online talk by Naomi Oreskes titled "The…
Some random academic stuff
Posted by John Lynch on February 8, 2008 Yesterday was a good day, though a long one. I was in my office from nine in the morning meeting with students constantly (talking about upcoming papers) until I began teaching at 12:15. My classes were discussing the Book of Job and really seemed to get it, and by that I mean be able to…
Gonzalez loses, DI whines. No surprises.
Posted by John Lynch on February 7, 2008 Since the whining has already started, it is worth reminding ourselves that Guillermo Gonzalez’s publication record at Iowa State University wasn’t as impressive as the Discovery Institute want us to think it was. He was not a "stellar astronomer" while at ISU – i.e. where it counted to getting tenure at ISU. Three first-author papers…
Japanese “scientific” whaling resumes
Posted by John Lynch on February 7, 2008 A mother Minke whale and her year-old calf are dragged on board a Japanese whaling ship after being harpooned in Antarctic waters. The picture was taken from an Australian customs vessel tracking the whalers to gather evidence for possible legal action to stop the annual slaughter. [Photo: AFP]
The shy, fragile face of ID
Posted by John Lynch on February 6, 2008 Over at The Panda’s Thumb there is a highly informative guest post by Dan Brooks detailing a pro-ID conference he was invited to in June of last year. After the conference, Brooks and others received an email "stating that the ID people considered the conference a private meeting,and did not want any of us to…