2006

. . . Why would the new board keep in place the evolution policy it once so ardently opposed? The School District’s suit brought national attention and ridicule to the community, and the testimony of the former board members exacerbated the situation. A likely forthcoming decision by Judge Jones would overrule both the board and the theory of intelligent design. By rescinding the old board’s evolution policy prior to a court ruling, the new board might have curtailed legal costs and fees incurred by a victorious ACLU and AUSCS. But the new board accepted a likely stinging defeat in court, with painful legal bills attached. It is now three months following the Dover Area School District’s courtroom defeat and the Read More ›

When scientists have to continually look to nature to figure out how to do things well, doesn’t it become apparent at some point that we’re dealing with embodied intelligence? Here’s just the latest edition:

The propulsion system used by slime-squirting bacteria could teach rocket scientists and nano-engineers some new tricks.

Myxobacteria are micrometre-scale filament-shaped organisms that glide along surfaces, leaving a trail of slime in their wake. Biologists were convinced the bugs produced the slime as lubricant, but couldn’t explain how they generated the force to move.

Now it turns out that the bacteria push themselves along by ejecting the slime from nozzles on their bodies. “They are little rockets,” says Andrey Dobrynin, a polymer scientist at the University of Connecticut in Storrs.

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[From a colleague:] It is one thing to predict (however foolishly) that 90% of the human race will perish. It is something else to recommed that this happen on the grounds that human beings “are no better than bacteria.” Should the job of a professor who taught that the Holocaust was an excellent thing and ought to be repeated be protected on grounds of academic freedom? If not, then why should Dr. Pianka enjoy the right to profess his even more reprehensible teachings from a taxpayer-funded pulpit? ————————————————- [And from another colleague:] Note also the absurdity of conjoining some views of the contemporary left: Wanting some people to die because they are Jews/black/retarded/homosexual/Gypsies/abortionists is evil, but wanting most people to Read More ›

“Programming the Universe,” by Seth Lloyd Welcome to the Machine Review by COREY S. POWELL . . . More than once, I found myself recalling a scene in “Animal House” in which one of the Delta House guys has a cosmic epiphany during a cannabis-fueled conversation with his professor (Larry: “That means that one tiny atom in my fingernail could be. . . .” Professor: “. . . could be one little, tiny universe.” Pause. Larry: “Could I buy some pot from you?”) Is Lloyd doing anything more than playing physics head games? He anticipates the question, asking, “Just what does this picture of the universe as a quantum computer buy me that I didn’t already have” thanks to our Read More ›

Check our George Will’s column today, http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/will1.asp, where he recounts the “global cooling” hysteria of the early 70’s. Here’s a quote:

“While worrying about Montana’s receding glaciers, [Montana Governor] Schweitzer, who is 50, should also worry about the fact that when he was 20 he was told to be worried, very worried, about global cooling.

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I blogged yesterday about UTAustin professor Eric Pianka (aka “Dr. Doom”) and his advocacy of killing 90% of the world’s human population with airborne Ebola. Could Pianka be charged with terrorism/conspiracy to commit a terrorist act? What happens if a student actually takes his suggestion to heart and kills a bunch of people? Why shouldn’t we think that Dr. Doom himself would commit the act of human destruction he is advocating? How is what he is saying any different from somebody at an airport saying that he plans to plant a bomb there. Note: This is not a matter of saying he actually has planted a bomb but saying that he plans to plant one — that surely would be enough in the current climate to get him arrested. So what about Pianka? At what point do his remarks advocating human destruction constitute a terrorist threat that get him arrested? And if not arrested, how about committed?

As soon as this is posted, I’m going to have a chat with the Department of Homeland Security. [Called them — They are aware of it; it will be interesting to see if they do anything about it.] For your information, I’ve posted an article below by a reporter who was there at Pianka’s remarks (AP refused to pick up the story, so the page is presently overloaded).

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http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/bright/bright_index.html

Tonight, THE CITIZEN SCIENTIST has posted online “Meeting Dr. Doom,” Forrest Mims’s first-person account of an astonishing speech by Prof. Eric R. Pianka of the University of Texas. Pianka was recently named the 2006 Distinguished Texas Scientist at the annual meeting of the Texas Academy of Science. Mims is an active member of the Academy and chairs its Environmental Science Section. In his Distinguished Scientist speech, Pianka advocated eliminating 90 percent of the world’s population by airborne Ebola to save the world. He said we are no better than bacteria and made other intemperate statements. He received a sustained, standing ovation by the vast majority of the audience of several hundred. Today Pianka gave a similar speech in Austin. MORE

Here’s an article from today’s Baptist Press: http://www.sbcbaptistpress.org/bpnews.asp?ID=22949 And check out the following image and caption from yesterday’s campus paper, the Baylor Lariat: Correction: Beckwith is an associate professor.

I got a chuckle (make that a bellylaugh) out of this article: http://foxnews.webmd.com/content/article/120/113762

Get out your notepad and check off the evolutionary presuppositions, like the notion that laughter predates speech. Make special note of speculation presented as fact.

Be aware that the Provine mentioned in this article is not William, but Robert. Here are some excerpts:

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Henry Neufeld is entitled to an opinion. So are all these people: http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=581 Only 12% of the adults in the U.S. think Darwinian evolution should be taught in a vacuum. Biblical creationism is out on establishment clause grounds but ID is neutral on the nature of the intelligence and widely supported as contrast for unintelligent evolution. What kind of democracy are we living in when 12% of the people get to censor what 88% want to their children exposed to in public schools? A bad democracy at best. ID may never be accepted in the halls of academia but it’s already overwhelmingly accepted by the public. The only question that remains is whether a vast majority will allow a small Read More ›

(University of Bath) Scientists discovered the minimal genome size needed for the first life increased by a factor of 2. That may seem like a modest rise in complexity, but consider that a target of just 10 bits growing in specificity to 20 bits (a factor of 2) implies that the target is now 1024 times more improbable (2 raised to the 10th). And if the previously presumed minimal gene size was several thousand bits of information, it boggles the mind just how much more improbable the origin of life becomes with this discovery! Minimal genome should be twice the size, study shows (Hat Tip: David Coppedge, Creation Safaris)

Myers whines about Witt’s rhetoric comparing evolution, Castro, and popularism. Meanwhile, Myers is perfectly happy to defend evolution via judicial fiat. When a scientist needs to play the constitution card to censor criticism of his pet theory you can rest assured the theory is one that’s in crisis.

This just in. My morning paper reports that LPGA pro Natalie Gulbis has an extra vertebra in her back that enables her to bring her club so far around she has her back to the target. The random mutation that led to Ms. Galbis’ extra vertebra apparently confers a golfing advantage on her, which in turn allows her to make millions of dollars whacking a little white ball around a park. Her golfing wealth makes her more attractive to prospective mates, which makes it more likely that she will pass on her DNA containing the “extra vertebra” trait. Maybe there’s something to NS after all.

Is this a kind of Darwinalia, or should I say, Darwin Ale Ia? Evolution Amber Ale (Hat Tip: David Coppedge, Creation Safaris)