June 2006

Reprogramming Biology by Ray Kurzweil, July 2006 Scientific American Biology is now in the early stages of a historic transition to an information science, while also gaining the tools to reprogram the ancient information systems of life. Our electronic devices typically update their software every few months, yet the 23,000 software programs called genes inside our cells have not changed appreciably in thousands of years. As we begin to understand biology in terms of its information processes, however, we are developing realistic models and simulations of how disease and aging progress and ways to reprogram them. Read the rest at the link above. Biologists are becoming obsolete. This is why they whine so much. Mathematicians and computer engineers are trained Read More ›

Below is a letter to me by Darrel Falk, a biologist on the faculty at Point Loma Nazarene University. Darrel and I have known each other for several years, and even though our views on ID diverge, we respect each other. The letter here is in response to my recent blog entry at UD on Ken Miller and Francis Collins’s possible openness to ID at the origin of life (go here). Note that Francis Collins wrote the foreword to Darrel’s book Coming to Faith with Science: Bridging the Worlds Between Faith and Biology, a book for which I also wrote an endorsement (although I have my differences with the book, I think it is one we need to engage).

In giving me permission to post this letter, Darrel remarked, “I have always greatly admired your sincerity. I have sensed a number of times how much you really want ID to be a true scientific force and not just a political force. Most recently this was clearly (and sincerely) evident in your statements in the Phillip Johnson Festschrift [i.e., Darwin’s Nemesis]. I believe you really have a vision that Intelligent Design should be of the highest quality biology. It is with that in mind that I hope you (and those who read your blog) will take my comments in the form of constructive criticism. I hope that people within the movement don’t become defensive, but will simply ask the question, ‘Does Falk have a point worth considering?’” To this he added, “I personally hope that Intelligent Design will evolve into a force that partners with science rather than a force which opposes it. If it would do that, I believe its influence would live on in ways that extend beyond the positive things it has already done.”

Here, then, is the letter (unedited; the ellipses were there in the original). I’ve interspersed comments in backets using boldface.

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My book NO FREE LUNCH is now, five years after its publication, appearing in paperback. I was asked to write a new preface to the paperback edition. Here is an excerpt: … Ironically, the very sketchiness of mathematical details that Wolpert claims prevents one from properly assessing the book does not prevent him from offering just such an assessment. In his review, he writes: “Neo-Darwinian evolution of ecosystems does not involve a set of genomes all searching the same, fixed fitness function, the situation considered by the NFL theorems. Rather it is a co-evolutionary process. Roughly speaking, as each genome changes from one generation to the next, it modifies the surfaces that the other genomes are searching. And recent results Read More ›

In addition to the engineers, physicists, chemists, and mathematicians who dissent from Darwin, anywhere from 33% to 60% of medical doctors dissent from Darwin (see Nearly Two-Thirds of Doctors Skeptical of Darwin’s Theory of Evolution, HCD Research Poll, also check out PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS WHO DISSENT FROM DARWINISM).

Pro-ID sympathies are reflected by the fact a moderately pro-ID book received an endorsement by the Dean of Harvard’s medical school, Dr. Joseph Martin.

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[This just in from a colleague in Kansas:] We are distributing the multicolored brochure titled “Frequently Asked Questions About the New Kansas Science Standards” and explaining the message in more detail: A genuine scientific controversy over evolution clearly exists — its historical character alone guarantees that evolution contains subjective and controversial “narratives” about what happened. However, institutions in positions of authority are denying it. “There is no controversy over evolution! — anyone who would deny it is a religious fool.” They are in a bind, because any substantive discussion of the core issues shows on its face the existence of controversies over what evolution means and how random mutation and natural selection can explain the history of life and macroevolution. Read More ›

I’ve been lax in keeping the topic here on intelligent design and away from everyone’s favorite religion (or lack thereof). I’m as guilty as anyone. To remedy this situation I’m going to be deleting any comments I see with gratuitous references to religion until further notice. I’ll make an exception for any of our authors who’ve PhDs in both theology and mathematics. 😉 Update: I’ll make one other exception. You can make gratuitous comments are about Darwinism, the Godless Religion of the Left.

Weinberg has a knack for seeing through pretensions. His reference to Sontag’s “piety without content” reminds me of Martin Gardner’s “loyal liars” in his delightful and depressing theological novel The Flight of Peter Fromm (available from Prometheus — I’m going to be using it in my apologetics course this fall). MR. WEINBERG: In my experience most physicists are not particularly religious. A few are – no question about it. But most are not. In fact, I would say they’re not so much irreligious as simply uninterested in this subject. They don’t know enough or think enough about religion to qualify as atheists. And but I think that’s not so limited to physicists. In my experience many Americans think of religion Read More ›

Rammerstorfer, Markus (2006). Nur eine Illusion? Biologie und Design [Only an Illusion? Biology and Design]. Tectum-Verlag, Marburg / ISBN 3-8288-9117-9. This book is now available. Amazon.de displays it here: http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/3828891179/028-6300370-3230923?v=glance&n=299956 See also the author’s homepage: http://members.aon.at/evolution/Book.html.

Darwin’s tortoise dies http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/darwins-tortoise-aged-176-dies/2006/06/23/1150845377114.html Father time has finally caught up with the world’s oldest animal in captivity. Giant Galapagos tortoise Harriet has died of a suspected heart attack at the ripe old age of 176 on the Sunshine Coast. She was a star attraction at Steve Irwin’s Australia Zoo since the 1980s and even features in the Guinness Book of Records for her longevity. Her history is as colourful as the hibiscus flowers she lovingly munched on. It is believed Harriet was one of three animals naturalist Charles Darwin brought back from his trip to the Galapagos Islands in 1835 and which led to his theories of evolution and natural selection. A few years later, Sir Charles gave them to Read More ›

In light of the recent discussion on this blog about Darwinism as a naturalistic mystery religion (go here), I decided to revise and update a piece I did a long time ago relating evolution and alchemy. I’ve titled it “Evolution as Alchemy” (go here for pdf, here for html). I’ve also included the text (minus two illustrations) for your convenience below: Read More ›

Check out the following links: http://www.salib.net/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1065 http://www.partaidamaisejahtera.com/diskusi/showthread.php?goto=newpost&t=9

In shocking news this morning, johnnyb was fired from his job for being irrelevant. When asked about why he was fired, ABC Co. gave the following response — “We looked at the operation of the company, and, while there were many programs attributed to him, and some people claimed that the network worked because of him, we ultimately decided that philosophically, these were all johnnyb-of-the-gaps arguments. In each case, someone from management was able to conceive of a way that these systems would be functional without a johnnyb.”

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Here is an edited report on Ken Miller’s talk that he gave at Texas Tech back in March 2006 (go here) as well as a portion of a keynote address given by Francis Collins at the 2002 ASA meeting in Malibu (go here): Ken Miller’s talk was well attended — the auditorium was stacked (400+) with biology professors and their compulsory biology students (for extra credit). The talk was surprisingly fair on the subject of God, but it was terribly unfair (and disjointed) on the subject of Intelligent Design. Almost no facts were given and nearly all of his argument dealt with the Dover v. Kitzmiller trial in which he testified. As usual, Intelligent Design was conflated with creationism. The Read More ›

[From an attorney friend of mine:] Bill, here is an item you might want to “blog” about, relating to the ACLU and the obligation of public schools to keep books in their libraries that take positions some parents object to: An AP story today (6/22/06) in the Washington Times is headlined “ACLU: Miami can’t pull pro-Cuba books,” refers to books in Miami-Dade County’s 33 public schools’ libraries that depict Cuban children happy with Castro. The school board voted 6-3 last week to remove the books, “Vamos a Cuba,” from 33 schools, saying the books were inaccurate and had omissions about life under communism, and thus were inappropriate for children aged 5 to 7 who are the intended age-group for the Read More ›

My last post describes 67 scientific academies around the world weighing in to support evolution. Not to be left behind, the Episcopalian intelligentsia and leadership have just done the same.

Both houses, Bishops and Deputies, of the Episcopal Church General Convention have approved the following resolution. The Episcopal Church is therefore now on record in supporting good science, recognizing that biological evolution is good science, and supporting good science education. And if you believe that, you need your head screwed on straight.

Here is the text of the final version:

* FINAL VERSION – Concurred
Resolution A129
Title: Affirm Creation and Evolution

Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That the 75th General Convention
affirm that God is Creator, in accordance with the witness of Scripture and
the ancient Creeds of the Church; and be it further, Resolved, That the
theory of evolution provides a fruitful and unifying scientific explanation
for the emergence of life on earth, that many theological interpretations of
origins can readily embrace an evolutionary outlook, and that an acceptance
of evolution is entirely compatible with an authentic and living Christian
faith; and be it further Resolved, That Episcopalians strongly encourage
state legislatures and state and local boards of education to establish
standards for science education based on the best available scientific
knowledge as accepted by a consensus of the scientific community; and be it
further Resolved, That Episcopal dioceses and congregations seek the
assistance of scientists and science educators in understanding what
constitutes reliable scientific knowledge.

The following explanation for the resolution is not part of the Resolves but
was entered with them so that bishops and deputies would have a context for
the resolution: Read More ›