Uncommon Descent Serving The Intelligent Design Community

Claim: Blue-eyed humans have a single common ancestor

They are saying that there were no blue-eyed people before 10,000 years ago. Someone should interview the prof on whether he believes that all humans are, in any event, descended from a single pair, Adam and Eve. Just for fun. See what he says. Read More ›

An astrobiologist suggests changing how we search for alien life

Walker: “A popular definition that “life is a self-sustaining chemical system capable of Darwinian evolution” excludes any organisms that can’t reproduce because they are not capable of evolution—therefore mules and many senior citizens are excluded if you read the definition too strictly.” Read More ›

Dear Darwin, We have finally found an explanation for teaching! – Researchers

The problem that would be obvious to anyone but the researchers (apparently) is that everyone involved in the study knew what was going on in the big picture and that what they were doing didn't really matter. The opposite would be true of our ancestors. Read More ›

From science historian Michael Flannery: A farewell to Darwin doubter Gertrude Himmelfarb (1922-2019)

Flannery: When Gertrude suggested to Julian [Huxley, Darwin's faithful puppy] that her book might shed new light on Darwinian evolution, he immediately protested, “New! There is nothing new to say about evolution. Everything that needs saying has already been said. The theory is incontrovertible.” She says that abruptly ended the conversation. Read More ›

Not-yet-specialized cells seem to know where to go

Researchers: Tohoku University scientists have, for the first time, provided experimental evidence that cell stickiness helps them stay sorted within correct compartments during development. How tightly cells clump together, known as cell adhesion, appears to be enabled by a protein better known for its role in the immune system. Read More ›

Holiday Humor and Our Annual Plea for Support

If only Captain Picard had frequented this site, he would have known that he has nothing to worry about because the probability of a random toss of letters spelling out “disaster” is practically nil. We wish all of our readers a joyful and merry Christmas. And so that we can keep this site up to, among other things, stave off the misguided fears of such as Capt. Picard, we hope you will consider a yearend donation to UD. As I have told you before, we aspire to have a shoestring budget. Our budget is more comparable to an aglet (the small sheath at the end of a shoestring). Our operation is very lean, and we could really use your support. Read More ›

If you get canceled, like paleontologist Gunter Bechly, where do you go?

Klinghoffer: Dr. Bechly recently penned a blockbuster 14-part series debunking Kimberella as a solution to the Cambrian Explosion. In case you missed it, it is a monumental, and morally important, piece of scholarship. The Cambrian event, a massive saltation, remains an unsolvable mystery for Darwinists, with all that implies about the evidence for purpose and design. Read More ›

Out there near Pluto, mysterious Arrakoth may be a time capsule into our early solar system

From Max Planck Society: "There is as yet no explanation as to how a body as flat as Arrokoth could emerge from this process," says Rezac. " Note: No one has so far claimed that it an “extraterrestrial lightsail.” Or a space alien’s experiment. What’s going wrong here? ;) Read More ›