creationism
pharyngula | February 2, 2008A review in the New Orlando Sentinel asks the question, "Is Ben Stein the new face of Creationism?"
In the cruelest slam of creationism yet, it is accompanied by this photo:
That's just mean.
Anyway, read the whole thing. It's a review of Expelled, and … no, sir, he didn't like it.
He uses "straw man" tactics to attack, mainly The Origin of the Species, as Darwin wrote it in 1859. He sets up false theses that "the other side" must hold (classic Limbaugh) and knocks those straw men down. Citing scientific research as recent as 1953, he can't understand why no peer-reviewed scientist thinks…
evolvingthoughts | February 1, 2008
A rather cute article at the Catholic News Service says this:
In commentaries, papal speeches, scientific conferences and philosophical exchanges, the Vatican has been focusing more and more on the relationship between God and evolution.
From the outside, this may seem a reaction to the U.S. debate over creationism versus evolution, but it really has as much or more to do with the pope's interest in defining the legitimate spheres of science and faith.
Pope Benedict has weighed in several times on evolution, essentially endorsing it as the "how" of creation but cautioning that evolutionary…
gregladen | February 1, 2008You've heard of the movie Flock of Dodo's. ... But have you seen the out takes?
Me neither. But I do have this for you (warning: Includes PZ Myers Footage)...
(Do wait for the end. The best bit is at the end. Don't miss it!!!!!)
pharyngula | February 1, 2008For those of you looking for audio of that debate with Simmons, you can download an MP3 now. I'm actually a little bit impressed that the radio station has enough integrity to retain the file and make it available to their listeners.
I can't say as much about Uncommon Descent. They briefly put up a thread to discuss the debate as it was happening, the comments accumulated, and many conceded the debate to me (while, of course, disagreeing with me). It wasn't a troll thread, no vituperation was going on, it was just a fairly ordinary set of comments with nothing objectionable, I though…but then…
gregladen | February 1, 2008Science ruins being a human, according to the Pope.
Speaking of cells, the Pope said:
When human beings in the weakest and most defenseless state of their existence are selected, abandoned, killed or used as pure 'biological material,' how can one deny that they are being treated not as 'someone' but as 'something,"
The pope belies that undifferentiated cells are people. Each one of them, I suppose, is a person. But he does not believe that a differentiated cell that is converted by scientists into an undifferentiated cell is a person. Nor, apparently, does he think of it as a monstrosity…
pharyngula | January 31, 2008That radio debate was a hoot and a half, but I can't take credit. All the joy came straight from the mouth and brain of my lovely opponent, who obviously didn't do a lick of research for either the debate or for his books. I was shocked for a moment when, after I'd mentioned the recent discovery of Indohyus, he went on to claim that there were no intermediates between that deer-like artiodactyl and modern whales … and when I tried to mention Pakicetus, Ambulocetus, Rhodcetus, Basilosaurus, etc., he seemed to have never heard of them, claimed his information came from a Scientific American…
pharyngula | January 31, 2008Two days ago I was asked to participate in a radio debate with a Discovery Institute fellow. I asked about the topic and the format, and they said, "the evidence of Evolution vs. evidence of Intelligent Design" and "each would get a 5 minute opening statement and then we would debate the issues brought out in the opening statements." OK, sure, I said, while rolling my eyes at the ridiculous expectations.
I'm supposed to call in in an hour and a half. I just got this email.
I just received an e-mail from Dr. Simmons requesting the title of the debate to change to "Are Darwin's Theories Fact or…
clock | January 31, 2008Someone did it.
Get a prize if you correctly identify which one is intelligently designed.
In both cases, the designer was an intelligent.....human. Of course. No media reports yet of bioengineering labs run by chimps, dogs, elephants or dolphins.
gregladen | January 31, 2008I wish we had more details of this story, but this is what we know so far:
The Lafayette County School Board unanimously adopted a resolution in protest of a proposed Florida Department of Education revision of the science portion of the Sunshine State Standards at a special meeting on Jan. 25.
According to Fred Ward, Lafayette County superintendent of schools, FDOE is considering new standards which would make the teaching of evolution mandatory in every school and to disallow the teaching of any other explanation about how the earth, universe, and man came into existence.
"The new Sunshine…
pharyngula | January 30, 2008Floridians are meeting to discuss evolution! You just have to read one account, complete with quotes, of a creationist mob trying to articulate their opposition to science. There are plenty of amusing examples of dumbitude, but this one is my favorite:
Referring to the discovery that Pluto no longer is considered a planet by scientists today, Kendall said scientific opinions can change as scientists explore new information.
You have to understand…this fellow Kendall was using that as an argument against evolution.
pharyngula | January 30, 2008That silly Iowa State physics fellow who was denied tenure has finally admitted to something sensible. First:
Gonzalez said in an e-mail Monday that he is applying for tenure-track positions in case the Regents do not act in his favor.
Good for him! Tenure denials happen all the time, and smart academics pick themselves up off the floor, brush off the debris, and move on. Turning it into a major trial in which your self-esteem and reputation are shackled to false notions that one must retain this one job is a recipe for further self-destruction. Move on, Guillermo! Liberty University and a…
pharyngula | January 30, 2008Larry Moran has one video clip, and here's another:
What the heck is wrong with this country that such a clueless git should be considered by many to be a viable candidate for president?
laelaps | January 30, 2008Since I've left my old blog on wordpress I've generally left it to mutate on its own, by which I mean I haven't paid much attention to the comments accumulating over there since October. From what I can tell, though, creationists stop by every now and then and have left a number of arm-waving, vitriolic statements about how I've been brainwashed by the evilutionists. Here are two of my favorites;
On Gigantoraptor;
This Is all CRAP and you know it ... This was proven to be a Fruad ! It was carved into the rock. It made the cover of Time Mag ,and they had to retract the whole story. After all…
pharyngula | January 29, 2008It's a bit of a switch from doing the Minnesota Atheists radio show last Sunday to what I'll be doing on Thursday: I'll be on the Jeff and Lee Christian talk radio program (they told me 4pm, but their schedule says 3; somewhere around there, anyway). Their guest is Geoffrey Simmons, and I'm supposed to "debate" him — he gets 5 minutes to present the evidence for ID, then I get 5 minutes to present the evidence for evolution, and then follows a 50 minute free-for-all.
I already told them the format wasn't fair. I need weeks of air time just to summarize the evidence for evolution, while…
pharyngula | January 29, 2008I didn't know this until just now, but the National Center for Science Education has an Amazon Wish List. It's interesting to see what dark corners they're poking around in, so have a browse.
And of course, if anyone wanted to make a little contribution to that worthy organization, you could always click on "Add to Cart" and help them out by sending them a copy. These are resources they use to understand the opposition (and their own side) and to help make informed arguments … so give the gift of knowledge!
gregladen | January 29, 2008You may not want to miss this (Feb 13th) episode of Wife Swap:
a theologically liberal high powered corporate executive mother with a stay-at-home husband swaps lives with a born again Christian mom who believes women are created to be men's help-mates ...
... the Childs are born-again Christians who interpret the bible literally and use it as a guide for life. In the Childs' family constitution, God comes first, husband Christopher comes second. The family have to serve God at all times with a cheerful heart, and they follow the words of scripture to the letter. Lee-Ann is a stay-at-home mom…