Bencze: Did the arterial network sprout long before the giraffe’s long neck evolved? Sadly evolution can’t look ahead to provide things that will be useful in the future, so no go.
Culture
Here’s an interview with Michael Denton on the history and future of ID
Biochemist Michael Denton is one of the earliest figures in the current era to question conventional Darwinism.
Why it’s okay for Rolling Stone to write false stories about a drug called Ivermectin
Much that happens in media today is not about what happened. It’s about Hot Hair and Big Lipstick posing as news. Readers, they don’t need you. And you don’t need them. We all have the internet.
Lutheran religious studies prof asks, Is methodological naturalism racist?
Shedinger: As the authors note, African Americans consistently score higher on surveys of religiosity than the general population. This will not be surprising to anyone familiar with the African American church tradition. But African American undergraduates seem to be aware of the absolute requirement that EEB research be done in accordance with methodological (and de facto metaphysical) naturalism. Their religious inclinations will therefore be in conflict with the culture within the EEB community and it will be difficult for them to feel a sense of belonging in that community.
Materialism hangs on to science now — not by evidence but by politics
A quibble with Brian Miller’s analysis above: It’s not “philosophy” as such that fronts Darwin’s stranglehold on the discussion of evolution. It’s the power to cause career ruin. That’s the stick end of politics, not of philosophy.
How things have changed! Even Darwin’s Finches’ defenders are spooked
Peter and Rosemary Grant, the iconic Darwinian speciation couple, are backtracking in the face of new evidence that it doesn’t really work that way. On the other hand, this is a great time to be a recovering Darwinist. The world is much more interesting than that.
Rationalist skeptic comments on the manipulative arguments for Darwinism
Part of an excerpt from his new book, Taking Leave of Darwin (2021). Science historian Michael Flannery, among others, have often noted this style of Darwinian argument. One might say that it relies on the public’s willingness to be persuaded of the proposition far more on the innate intellectual value of the proposition.
Online (mainly) Spanish ID conference September 11–12, 2021
There will be 12 talks, including Steve Meyer and Casey Luskin (with translation ) The others will be Spanish-language profs from Spain, Argentina, and Chile — and, of course, Brazil (Marcos Eberlin).
At Fermilab, Wokeness now beats out work
Let’s keep an eye on Fermilab and see if Wokeness beating out work results in more genuine physics discoveries or fewer.
At Mind Matters News: Science’s Limitations According to a Futurist
According to Danaylov, we have reached a point in history in which the story needs to change – much like it has changed through time.
When “following the science” meant joining the Nazis
Klinghoffer: I’m still reeling at the stupidity of whoever at Scientific American decided to give a green light to publishing an article, “Denial of Evolution Is a Form of White Supremacy,” by Allison Hopper. The absurdity of tarring critics of Darwinism with racism boggles the mind — given how Darwin’s own legacy, down to today’s Alt-Right, is so tied up with racial pseudo-science, viciously denigrating Africans, African-Americans, and others.
Another reason not to teach Darwinism in the public school system
One rather hopes the students’ suit is settled by now and they can get on with their lives. Unfortunately, Benga never really got over his own experience and ended up committing suicide.” But we’ve been saying this practically forever: Quit teaching Darwinism in the public school system. There are ways of addressing evolution sensitively that don’t include teaching Darwinism. Maybe insurance companies should quit insuring schools where Darwinism is taught against these specific types of incidents.
Darwinian biologist Jerry Coyne defies the transgender lobby
Much more at his post. It’s pretty brave today in the world of the Woke to raise any questions at all about what they do.
Vox Popoli on COVID and loss of trust in science
Vox Popoli: Scientists, by and large, are relatively stupid. Even worse, they’re accustomed to being more or less unaccountable. They’re high-level midwits, for the most part, …
The Science is Settled — now just SHUT Up. Except, we aren’t shutting up. We can’t.
Of course, there are orthodoxies and then there are smelly orthodoxies. COVID-19 created a situation where many more people than otherwise have discovered a really smelly orthodoxy in science. Prediction: More people will start asking more questions.