A recedingly famous debate, but the reflections are interesting:
As you may know, once in a while I am invited to offer my thoughts on Fox News. And I love it—I love being in the studio right there with those reporters with the opportunity to look them in the eyes (or lens). As you may infer, I’m not much for their style, and I usually disagree with just about everything a Fox commentator has to say, but I relish the confrontation. I had that same feeling about Ken Ham’s building. I wanted to be in the belly of the beast. I drove by there when I was on other business in Cincinnati a few years ago. The building was closed, but driving around the grounds I saw numerous depictions of ancient dinosaurs. One infamous sculpture featured humans of apparent European descent astride a triceratops-style ancient animal adorned with Christmas lights. I wanted to see the inside someday.
I do about a dozen college appearances every year. It’s a privilege that I enjoy immensely. At first, I figured this appearance and this encounter would get about the same amount of notice as a nice college gig. There’d be a buzz on Twitter and Facebook, but the world would go on spinning without much notice on the outside. Not here: the creationists promoted it like crazy, and soon it seemed like everyone I met was talking about it.
I slowly realized that this was a high-pressure situation. Many of you, by that I mean many of my skeptic and humanist colleagues, expressed deep concern and anger that I would be so foolish as to accept a debate with a creationist, as this would promote him and them more than it would promote me and us. As I often say and sincerely believe, “You may be right.” But, I held strongly to the view that it was an opportunity to expose the well-intending Ken Ham and the support he receives from his followers as being bad for Kentucky, bad for science education, bad for the U.S., and thereby bad for humankind—I do not feel I’m exaggerating when I express it this strongly.
I believe I am generally not the stereotypical male who refuses to ask for directions. … More.
Anyone ever said this dude was the type not to ask for directions? Naw, thought not.
For one thing, we can’t find where he mentions that skulls slide on which DeWitt commented: “I can only conclude that the sole purpose of showing such a slide was to confuse and obfuscate, not educate.” Afriend suggests that if he did say anything, it would most likely be something of a mix between “I am by no means an expert on most of this” and ” My colleagues sent me dozens of PowerPoints for my use.” In short, he doesn’t suffer from a lack of deference to authority.
Ham’s response to Bill Nye’s recent reflections on the debate offers the interesting information that Nye only visited the Creation Museum for 122 seconds and never went inside.
No, Bill, the Museum was open, not closed, when you visited for that 122 seconds. And, no, you did not drive around the grounds. You pulled up the short driveway, stopped to take photos, and then drove out. It all took two minutes. And, no, Bill, you did not see “numerous depictions of ancient dinosaurs”—there is only one sculpted dinosaur in the front circle of the museum where you stopped.
Also, Bill, you did not see (as you claim), “One infamous sculpture featured humans of apparent European descent astride a triceratops-style ancient animal adorned with Christmas lights.” First, I point out that there was a wire sculpture of a Triceratops near the driveway that was used for our Christmas program (and is lit up). But there are no “humans of apparent European descent astride” this Triceratops.
Now, inside the Creation Museum there is a small sculpture of a Triceratops that is not a part of any of our exhibits. It’s merely a photo opportunity for kids 12 and under—they can hop on to have their parents take photographs. It’s no different to what you find at other secular museums, zoos, etc.
And why did Mr. Nye say “humans of European descent” who weren’t there to begin with? … More.
Why? Because Nye is learning to live in an age when facts don’t matter, only feelings about perceptions. He saw that stuff in his own mind, which makes it true and important (and possibly, someday, a subject of legislation).
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