creationism
pharyngula | June 11, 2009Over the last few days, I've been reading the articles in the latest issue of Evolution: Education and Outreach. This is a fairly new journal with the mission stated in the title, and I have to say that it is very, very good — the articles are almost always easily readable, and they address significant issues in the public understanding of evolution. This particular issue focuses on transitions, and not just on transitional fossils, but all kinds of evidence for change over evolutionary time. It's been commented on by Larry Moran and Jerry Coyne, and they're entirely right that these are…
pharyngula | June 10, 2009I don't drink caffeinated beverages anymore (I gave them up when I converted to Mormonism1) so it's easy for me to refuse to give Coca Cola any more of my business, but this news may cause more distress to others: Coca Cola is a corporate partner with the Creation "Museum". Ken Ham can brag about this meaningless exploitation of his suckers "museum" attendees for profit, but I doubt that Coke wants to trumpet this news — it looks like they're sponsoring stupidity.
I don't know that there is much point to protesting the association anyway. If Coke pulled out, you know the local Pepsi…
pharyngula | June 10, 2009This is an entirely fictional manifesto, but it could be the game plan for a lot of rather devious pro-religion people right now — I could almost imagine it as the mission statement for the Templeton Foundation, for instance.
It is the objective of we, the New Creationists, to undermine not simply evolutionary theory, but science as a whole. It is this form of inquiry which has caused the greatest damage to our version of events. It must be destroyed at all costs.
The primary method for attaining our goal is Reaching a Middle Ground. This means that we are to seek, purely in the eye of the…
pharyngula | June 9, 2009You've probably noticed that as a soap bubble thins, it acquires a rainbow of iridescent colors across its surface. Or perhaps you've noticed that a film of oil on a mud puddle shows beautiful colors. These are common physical properties of thin film interference.
The way it works is that light entering a material with a higher refractive index is both reflected and transmitted. Some of the light bounces back with a partial phase shift, and some of it passes through. In a thin film, it passes through but doesn't travel far before it hits another boundary, for instance between the film and the…
laelaps | June 8, 2009 Is intelligent design science, or not? Think carefully before you answer. The modern intelligent design (ID) movement is motivated by theological concerns and trades in on religious authority to meet its aims, but stripped of this background, can ID be relegated to the "junk science" bin? While the answer to this latter question is "Yes", in a new paper ("The science question in intelligent design") Sahotra Sarkar argues that proclaiming ID to be non-science without careful consideration does little good.
As Sarkar notes, there is no easily definable demarcation criteria to deem ID science…
sa smith | June 5, 2009As much as I make fun of IDiots, I have to say that they really do create great science education outreach opportunities. Stupid shit they say is a perfect place to start talking to your friends about weird shit you do everyday.
For instance, we all know about Casey Luskins (aka 'Captain Nipple-Slip') inability to comprehend phylogenetic trees. Well, blogger Bort looked at a tree made almost 10 years ago with primate ERVs, and compared it to a tree he made 30 seconds ago with primate Cytochrome B as the input.
SPOILER: Theyre the same.
He also, accidentally, reminded us of why people laugh…
sa smith | June 5, 2009I have to admit, even as a research scientist, used to reading dozens of scientific papers a day, I have a really hard time keeping up with the huge volume of research coming out of the Intelligent Design laboratory, Biologic Institute.
With one PR release every other month, ID will be For Realsies Science and Darwinamism will be dead any day now. For REAL.
The latest entry, written by 'staff' (aka Casey Luskin, Prince of Tits?), highlights how perfect biology is:
For decades enzymologists have recognized that certain enzymes are catalytically perfect--meaning that they process reactant…
pharyngula | June 5, 2009I know, they're getting a little old. It's just that we have this glaringly obvious monument to ignorance in our midst, one that is hard to just ignore, so everyone has to take a crack at it. This one does make a few interesting points, at least. For instance…
Of course, the Bible in no place says that it is to be interpreted literally. What is the "literalism" manifesto, then, if not interpretive? Here's an example of how the literalism plays out, from the Museum literature. Ham's children's book, Dinosaurs of Eden, raises the specter of the "day-age theory"--the theory that each biblical "…
gregladen | June 4, 2009There is an interesting post on The Intersection called Civility and the New Atheists, by Chris Mooney. In the post, Chris reviews Barbara Forrest's statements that in engaging int he cross-world-view debate (scientists vs. creationists, atheists, vs religion, etc.) one should maintian etiquette, respect and understand diversity, and practice humility.
Atheist and pro-science writer Mooney notes in speaking of a talk by Forrest:
Forrest therefore concluded her talk by saying that we need are "epistemological and civic humility"-providing the groundwork for "civic friendship." To which I…
pharyngula | June 3, 2009The Intelligent Design creationists have done it again: thrown together another piece of sloppy scholarship to defend themselves from a non-argument. John Lynch is lazing in the balmy Mediterranean, and casually demolishes them in an afternoon in a Cretan cafe. It sounds like hard work, philosophizing.
Anyway, the gist of the Discovery Institute claim is, oh, no, we didn't invent intelligent design creationism in response to recent American court cases — it's an old argument with roots in antiquity. Which, of course, is something no one has ever argued against. We know the argument from…
pharyngula | June 2, 2009Texans have been doing a lot of things right lately. The newest happy result: bills in the Texas legislature to prop up the Institute for Creation Research and to add creationist language to their science standards failed.
So there's a bit more hope for Texas: Don McLeroy is out as Chairman of the State Board of Education, the creationist "strengths and weaknesses" language is not in the standards, and the ICR is still not certified to award phony graduate degrees in science education.
pharyngula | June 1, 2009I never thought I'd say this, but WND has a reasonable article on Kent Hovind's legal troubles. It just recites the facts of the case, although I suspect they somehow expect their readership to view it through their Jesus glasses and see it as an indictment of the government. Still, the illogic of the Hovind position shines through.
Hovind's son, Eric, asserts his parents and the ministry he now heads are not scofflaws.
"My father says very clearly, if you owe a tax, by law, you should pay it," he told WND. "We are not tax protesters."
…
In 1996, Kent Hovind tried to file for bankruptcy…
pharyngula | May 30, 2009I know it's a teaching cliche that there is no such thing as a stupid question…but it's not true. There really are stupid questions.
So moms are everywhere in nature. Females often go to great lengths to feed, save, and protect their young. Many construct homes and shelters...(all without knowing/understanding she's even pregnant) and do so with great care and attention to detail.
So I've got two questions about this:
1) What is the evolutionary advantage of mothers doing everything they can to feed/protect their young? And remember, mothers often give food to their young that they might…
pharyngula | May 30, 2009Wow. Creationists can surprise you with a rare flash of imagination — like this argument that because you don't drool, god exists.
Ok, I have an Evolution Challenge for you. Make your mouth produce a bunch of spit, let it dribble down your face and time how long it is before you simply have to wipe it off. Go ahead; try it! I promise you it won't be very long. It's extremely uncomfortable to have it sit there.
Think about the babies in your life. Have you ever thought about the fact that they stop drooling after the first couple years of life? Have you ever imagined what life would be like…
pharyngula | May 29, 2009The more sophisticated creationists like to toss the name "Alvin Plantinga" into arguments — he's a well-regarded philosopher/theologian who favors Intelligent Design creationism, or more accurately, Christian creationism. I've read some of his work, but not much; it's very bizarre stuff, and every time I get going on one of his papers I hit some ludicrous, literally stupid claim that makes me wonder why I'm wasting time with this pretentious clown, and I give up, throw the paper in the trash, and go read something from Science or Nature to cleanse my palate. Unfortunately, that means that…
pharyngula | May 29, 2009Ouch. It's like Bambi vs. Godzilla, where Luskin is the frolicking innocent baby deer and Thunderf00t is the giant rampaging reptile. Luskin tries to claim that ID is distinct from creationism, and he gets squashed.
pharyngula | May 28, 2009It was close, but Texans did the right thing and did not confirm creationist dentist McLeroy as head of the board of education.
Now we just wait to see who the next clown Governor Perry nominates might be. Until then, though, celebrate!
pharyngula | May 28, 2009I may have sold Francis Collins short. He may be a useful agent in the battle against creationism, but not in the way he probably intends.
The Discovery Institute - the Seattle-based headquarters of the intelligent design movement - has just launched a new website, Faith and Evolution, which asks, can one be a Christian and accept evolution? The answer, as far as the Discovery Institute is concerned, is a resounding: No.
The new website appears to be a response to the recent launch of the BioLogos Foundation, the brainchild of geneticist Francis Collins, former head of the Human Genome…
pharyngula | May 27, 2009A new bill has been proposed in Scarolina. Here it is:
TO AMEND ARTICLE 1, CHAPTER 29 OF TITLE 59 OF THE 1976 CODE, RELATING TO GENERAL PROVISIONS CONCERNING SUBJECTS OF INSTRUCTION IN THE STATE'S PUBLIC SCHOOLS, BY ADDING SECTION 59-29-15, TO PROVIDE THAT CURRICULUM USED TO TEACH STUDENTS ABOUT THE ORIGINS OF MANKIND MUST MAINTAIN NEUTRALITY BETWEEN RELIGIOUS FAITHS AND BETWEEN RELIGION AND NON-RELIGION, AND TO PROVIDE THAT CURRICULUM THAT DOES NOT MAINTAIN THE REQUIRED NEUTRALITY MUST BE REVISED OR REPLACED AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South…
gregladen | May 27, 2009Eugenie Scott, head of the National Center for Science Education, has been awarded the Stephen Jay Gould Prize. From the press release:
OAKLAND, CA March 27
The Society for the Study of Evolution has honored NCSE's executive director with its first Stephen Jay Gould Prize. Named in memory of paleontologist and popular science writer Stephen Jay Gould, this award recognizes outstanding work in communicating the insights, applications, and importance of evolutionary biology to the general public.
"Dr. Scott has devoted her life to advancing public understanding of evolution. As the…