Carnivalia, and an open thread

It's looking almost like somebody could make an anthology called Evolution in Medicine or something like that, composed entirely of responses to Michael Egnor.

Ah, I love open threads. :: /me removes his clothes ::

So, which new evo-devo model animal woudl you choose?

Hey Im going to be 'debating' an HIV Denier tonight on The Debate Hour :)

That is, unless a tornado blows me away first...

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I think Pharyngula readers will get a kick out of this guy.

Just been rereading the excellent Ebonmusings essay A Ghost in the Machine, in which the soul meets neuroscience. Strongly recommended to anyone around here who hasn't already read it. Long and meaty, but requires no technical background.

Well, wouldn't you know . . . the Chocolate Jesus show has been closed.

Damn, wrong thread. I was testing to see why I couldn't post in the right thread, and when the preview finally worked, I had forgotten where I was. Sorry.

Anybody watch Law & Order tonight (still mid-show here on West Coast)? It is turning into a "creationist wingnut charged with murder and burning down a church" story.

Here's an excerpt from Evolution: Fact or Theory?, by Cora A. Reno, (C) 1953, The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago, page 61:

The following is an example of the way in which selections and mutations might operate to produce some of the conditions we note in connection with the geographic distribution of living things. If a mutation in the form of a white fur-bearing animal were produced in temperate regions, it would be so conspicuous that probably it would be quickly killed. If, however, such a mutation occured in a snow-covered region, it would be more likely to survive than its darker-colored relatives.
It is very possible that in this way various groups of animals have been developed and are now found in environments in which they are especially fitted to live. Entirely aside from evolution this would explain some of the thing we observe in connection with geographic distributions.

Bolding added by me for your amusement. So if we just grant common descent, random mutation, and natural selection, there is no reason to acknowledge evolution.

Atheist says he's victim of religious hate crime

CAROLINE ALPHONSO
EDUCATION REPORTER
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An atheist group leader says he is the victim of a religious hate crime.
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Freethought Association of Canada president Justin Trottier said he was assaulted at Ryerson University earlier this week while he and a colleague were hanging posters for a coming lecture.
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"Their motives were clearly premised on the fact that we were atheists [publicizing] an atheist event and that was seen as unacceptable to them," Mr. Trottier said in an interview yesterday.
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"They mocked the nature of the event."
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Mr. Trottier, 24, and his colleague were hanging posters Tuesday night announcing a lecture by Victor Stenger, author of God: The Failed Hypothesis, when they were approached by two men. The men asked for a copy of the poster, mumbled under their breath and tossed it to the ground. Mr. Trottier said he yelled after them, "You could have recycled that."
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Fifteen minutes later, when Mr. Trottier and his colleague were in a more secluded area of the university, he said the two men reappeared and started a verbal argument. One of the men hit him in the face twice, and butted him on his face, causing his nose to bleed, Mr. Trottier said.
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Janet Mowat, a spokeswoman for Ryerson, said security has gone through its files and "they are treating it not as a hate crime, but as a dispute that arose and led to an altercation."
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Toronto police say they are investigating the incident. But Detective Dave Alexander was also hesitant to call it hate-motivated.
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"We don't have anything that suggests that as far as I'm aware of. I know [Mr. Trottier] was talking about that, but certainly from what I see it doesn't look like it falls within what our policies and procedures define as a hate crime," Det. Alexander said. "But we're still looking at that as well to cover all the bases."
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Growing Up in the Universe

Richard Dawkins, author of the New York Times bestseller The God Delusion, and now the Galaxy British Book Awards AUTHOR OF THE YEAR -- brings you the first DVD from The Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science: Growing Up in the Universe.
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About 'Growing Up in the Universe': Oxford professor Richard Dawkins presents a series of lectures on life, the universe, and our place in it. With brilliance and clarity, Dawkins unravels an educational gem that will mesmerize young and old alike. Illuminating demonstrations, wildlife, virtual reality, and special guests (including Douglas Adams) all combine to make this collection a timeless classic.
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The Royal Institution Christmas Lectures for Children were founded by Michael Faraday in 1825, with himself as the inaugural lecturer. The 1991 lecturer was Richard Dawkins whose five one-hour lectures, originally televised by the BBC, are now available for the first time on DVD, courtesy of RDF.
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DVDs are Region-Free, NTSC.
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