You will notice that it lacks definiteness; that it lacks purpose; that it lacks coherence; that it lacks a subject to talk about; that it is loose and wabbly; that it wanders around; that it loses itself early and does not find itself any more. --Mark Twain
Joshua Rosenau spends his days defending the teaching of evolution at the National Center for Science Education. He is formerly a doctoral candidate at the University of Kansas, in the department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. When not battling creationists or modeling species ranges, he writes about developments in progressive politics and the sciences.
The opinions expressed here are his own, do not reflect the official position of the NCSE. Indeed, older posts may no longer reflect his own official position.
Daily Kos asks 1200 voters: Most astronomers believe the universe formed about 13.7 billion years ago in a massive event called the Big Bang. Do you think that's about right or do think the universe was created much more recently? Saints be praised, 62% of the public accepts the Big Bang and a 13.7 billion year old universe. Democrats are the most positive, with 71% accepting that, while only 44% of Republicans agree (38 think it's more recent, the rest are undecided). I've said it before and I stand by it: conservative Republicanism is incompatible with science. But looking at...
A year ago today, George Tiller was murdered in cold blood. Tiller was a Wichita OB/GYN known for being one of the few doctors who would perform third trimester abortions. Scott Roeder came into Tiller's church, where Tiller served as an usher, and shot him to death before his family and friends. In memory of Tiller's death, here's a repost from a year ago. Medgar Evers was a civil rights activist in Mississippi. Growing up black in a state where dark skin was a crime, he had the courage to stand up for his rights and the rights of his...
Shorter Billy Dembski: BEACON comes home with the bacon!: Why doesn't the NSF give meeeeee $25 million?"Wah!" would've been even shorter, but would limit my ability to distinguish this whine from every other post at Dembski's blog....
My review of Elaine Howard Ecklund's Science vs. Religion is online and will be in the print edition of your Washington Post this Sunday. I'm unaccustomed to reviewing books in 300-400 words, so there's a bunch I'd have liked to say but couldn't, and I felt like I should wait to blog the book until the Post review was out. The very short version of the review is that the book is good. It's written mostly as guidance for scientists trying to sort out to deal with science and religion in their own lives, but there's valuable insight for nonscientists...
Shorter Martin Cothran: How Whiteliberaldemocrats voted on the Civil Rights Act of 1964: Rand Paul can't be a racist for opposing the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in 2010 because there were racist Democrats who opposed it in 1964.Cothran doesn't know why everyone is beating up on Republican Senate candidate Rand Paul for saying he'd vote against the Civil Rights Act of 1964. I mean, sure, the Civil Rights Act does a bunch of stuff that Cothran has no intention of actually discussing, but look how the voting pattern in 1964 doesn't tell a clean story about how one party...
Before they discovered Casey Luskin, the Disco. 'Tute's legal nerve cluster resided in Seth Cooper. Cooper offered his sage advice to the school board in Dover, PA, then left first for the staff of a state legislator, and then high-tailed it to a conservative legislative activism group in DC, leaving Disco. to Casey. Disaster ensued.This is only relevant because I came across Seth Cooper's website, which includes this summary of his earlier career: Prior to his work with ALEC, Seth worked in 2007 as a contract attorney in Washington State. He also served as a Caucus Staff Counsel in the...
From Eric Hovind's twitter feed, we get a photo and a caption: Hanging out with Dr Stephen Meyer from the Discovery Institute. Wow, smart guy!For those who can't keep track, Hovind is the son of Kent Hovind, currently serving time in a federal prison on charges related to tax evasion. Hovind created "Dinosaur Adventure Land," a young earth creationist theme park, and adopted the stage persona "Dr. Dino" for his speaking tours. Hovind claims a doctorate from a diploma mill: Patriot Bible University. He also claims that creationism is excluded from schools because of a secret conspiracy involving the Israel,...
Rand Paul is a wuss. I mean canceling his appearance on Meet the Press just means we won't be treated to his explanations for opposing widely beloved government programs like the EPA, Civil Rights Act, FHA, minimum wage. Have some courage of your convictions, Rand!...
l cannot fathom why Robert Gibbs, the President's Press Secretary, would dispute that the animal scurrying past the President's feet is a vole. The short tail, the shape, the fur, all scream meadow vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus). And yet: "Where I'm from, that's a rat" Press Secretary Robert Gibbs declared Friday, a day after whatever-it-is scurried from one set of bushes to another in the Rose Garden right in front of the President Barack Obama's podium as he spoke to reporters.It's a vole. The AP quotes a Cornell biologist saying the same, but I've trapped enough voles to know, too. Gibbs...
Panel moves ‘Religious Freedom Act’: A Senate panel narrowly approved legislation Tuesday whose supporters say reaffirms constitutional guarantees of freedom of religious expression. Approval came over the objections of those who contend Senate Bill 606 is unnecessary because the U.S. Constitution and the Louisiana Constitution already protect religious freedom.… The measure, sponsored by state Sen. Danny Martiny, R-Metairie, also had support from Baptist and Catholic church representatives as well as the head of a group that promotes a pagan church. Valli Henry, president of the Louisiana Alliance of Wiccans, said the legislation “bolstered our hope of spreading Wicca and paganism...
Joshua Rosenau spends his days defending the teaching of evolution at 
