Anderson: To my surprise, Dawkins responded rather glibly that we have a pretty good idea how life started. Yes, there are some challenges, he acknowledged, but…
Books of interest
Sean McDowell interviews Steve Meyer on his new book
There is no escape via pure naturalist atheism from the conundrums science sets before us.
Terry Scambray: A review of Mike Flannery’s book, Nature’s Prophet, on Alfred Russel Wallace
(Wallace, Darwin-s co-theorist, was a working-class stiff whom Darwin’s set elbowed out. He was not a materialist (naturalist) and he thought evolution could be consistent with meaning and spirituality. Darwin abhorred such ideas. This review was originally published at New Oxford Review.)
Straw in the wind? Get a load of the insightful review of a string theorist’s Big Book at Nature
In sharp contrast with the classic slobbering review at Time of string theorist Brian Greene’s new book, Until the End of Time: Mind, Matter, and Our Search for Meaning in an Evolving Universe (Penguin 2020), , which resurrects mid-twentieth century attempts to undermine traditional religions via schlock science religion, the Nature reviewer is not impressed. (Kiddos, that was back when Time Magazine mattered, as did newsprint in general.) By contrast, Philip Ball at nature appears appropriately skeptical.
String theorist’s philosophy of life – Time’s reviewer laps it up
Some reviewers almost make us forget that string theory was supposed to be science, not religion. Get a load of this review of string theorist Brian Greene’s new book, Until the End of Time: Mind, Matter, and Our Search for Meaning in an Evolving Universe (Penguin 2020)
Reformers of evolutionary biology publish book of essays, exploring views, disagreements
It’s encouraging that the reformers are allowed to disagree on some matters. That makes biology seem more like a discipline and less like a fanatical religion. Which brings us to the “more traditionalist camp in evolutionary biology” (the heirs of Darwin). It would be remarkable indeed if, as reviewer Svensson hopes, they could acknowledge disagreements candidly. Wouldn’t they end up having to try to get each others’ publishers to reject journal articles and cancel book contracts?
At Nature: Worries aired about “truth decay”, Rob Sheldon responds
Sheldon: What is really evident in this essay, is not the “truth decay” of today’s scientists (a separate issue) but the political weaponization of what should be neutral scientific models.
Sale!: Douglas Axe’s book, Undeniable, available on Kindle for $1.99
We checked; it’s Undeniable: How Biology Confirms Our Intuition That Life Is Designed (Harper One, 2016). But these sales don’t last.
David Bentley Hart offers an honest assessment of Richard Dawkins’s new book
The book is Outgrowing God: A Beginner’s Guide. Hart thinks Dawkins has finally found his authorial voice but you had better read the rest.
Stock up on Darwin for the holidays! Okay, well…
Contrary to the reviewer’s complaint, the author is quite right to portray Darwin’s human evolution theme this way. The underlying assumption that evolution proved the right people to be superior has created a key difficulty in getting any serious criticism of Darwinism accepted. It made a thesis that seemed highly plausible to many Europeans irresistible. Put another way, the highly evolved human never seemed to look like Evander Holyfield, fitness notwithstanding.
Who’s throwing stones at “Nature’s Prophet”? (Wallace)
A reviewer attacking Michael Flannery, author of a book on Darwin’s co-theorist Wallace re his Discovery Institute ties, actually wrote a book with a serious racist in 2003. Of course, rules Darwinists dream up never apply to themselves.
Nancy Pearcey: What Phillip Johnson’s Wedge of Truth made clear
Pearcey: Shortly after Johnson finished his book, his forewarnings were confirmed by the appearance of a book titled The Natural History of Rape, which argued that, biologically speaking, rape is not a pathology; instead, it is an evolutionary strategy for maximizing reproductive success.
David Berlinski’s new book takes a very different view of human nature from Steven Pinker’s
Pinker thinks that things are getting better all the time but Berlinski says, nah!, no real change.
Paul Nelson remembers Phillip Johnson: Not like he’d expected
Hot tip from a sometime talent scout: They seldom look like they should. That’s a sign of authenticity. Experience looks different from packaging.
David Tyler on the significance of David Gelernter dumping Darwin
It will be interesting to see whether Steve Meyer’s Darwin’s Doubt has as much influence in years to come as Phillip Johnson’s Darwin on Trial.