Uncommon Descent

Archive for May, 2006

31 May 2006

Recommendation from a molecular biologist friend

William Dembski

I love animations of cellular and subcellular events. Today, I found a good website with some new animations. It’s at http://www.fivth.com/fiVthSite/web-content/NewFiles/GrahamJcom/web-content/gjPortfolioCBani.html and each of the thumbnails has an animation associated with it.

31 May 2006

Philosophy of Information Blog

William Dembski

Go here: http://www.wolfson.ox.ac.uk/~floridi/blog/index.html.

31 May 2006

Darwin, Natural Selection, and the Norman Bates School of Hotel Management

William Dembski

There’s an old Saturday Night Live routine with Anthony Perkins (who played Norman Bates, the crazed motel operator in Hitchcock’s PSYCHO). In it, Perkins, playing Bates, describes his new school of hotel management:
Norman Bates: [ to camera ] Are you tired of slaving away in a dull, dead-end job? Fed up with meager paychecks that [...]

30 May 2006

“Darwin’s Divisions”

William Dembski

Darwin’s Divisions
BY FR. MARTIN HILBERT
Philosopher of science and Catholic priest Martin Hilbert explores the church’s role in discussing science and Darwinism using the recent comments of Popes, Cardinal Schönborn of Austria, and the head of the Vatican Observatory, Father George Coyne, S. J.
The church would do a great disservice to believers and to humanity as [...]

30 May 2006

Think of atheists like the mafia and ID as cutting into their profits

William Dembski

Intelligent design leads to forsaking atheism
By Jerry Bergman
Why did the court rule against teaching intelligent design in the Dover, Pa., case? Judge Jones’ ruling was summed up by one commentator as follows: Critical analysis of evolutionism leads to intelligent design, which leads to the Creator requirement. The Creator requirement leads to religion, which leads to [...]

30 May 2006

Presenting a united front — Evolutionists are finding it more and more difficult

William Dembski

Pitt anthropologist thinks Darwin’s theory needs to evolve on some points
Monday, May 29, 2006
By Mark Roth
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Source: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06149/694046-85.stm
Darwin was wrong, and his modern-day adherents perpetuate his mistakes.
That sounds like the opening salvo of an advocate for Intelligent Design or some other religiously driven critique of the theory of evolution.
But it actually summarizes the ideas of [...]

27 May 2006

The argument from incredulity vs. The argument from gullibility

William Dembski

On another blog, the following quotes from Intelligent Thought: Science versus the Intelligent Design Movement are listed approvingly:
“Evolutionary biology certainly hasn’t explained everything that perplexes biologists, but intelligent design hasn’t yet tried to explain anything at all.” –Daniel C. Dennett, Philosopher
“Not only is ID markedly inferior to Darwinism at explaining and understanding nature but in [...]

26 May 2006

Dennett and Dawkins are “Darwinian Fundamentalists” — Dennett says so himself

William Dembski

[Excerpts from a lecture by Daniel Dennett in March this year:]
The late Steve Gould was really right when he called Richard and me Darwinian fundamentalists. And I want to say what a Darwinian fundamentalist is. A Darwinian fundamentalist is one who recognizes that either you shun Darwinian evolution altogether, or you turn the traditional universe [...]

26 May 2006

Who coined the term “methodological naturalism”?

William Dembski

It appears that the first usage of this term traces to the Christian philosopher Paul de Vries. He used the term orally at a conference in 1983. A few years later it appeared in print in the paper “Naturalism in the Natural Sciences,” Christian Scholar’s Review 15 (1986), 388-96. For de Vries, methodological naturalism [...]

26 May 2006

Visigoths at the Gates

William Dembski

Extracts from the introduction to Intelligent Thought: Science versus the Intelligent Design Movement, edited by John Brockman, Vintage Books (go here for an earlier report about this book on this blog):
Religious fundamentalism is on the rise under the rubric of “intelligent design.” ID imperils American global dominance in science and presents the gravest of threats [...]

26 May 2006

Discovery Institute Press Release on Cobb County Case

William Dembski

FOR RELEASE MAY 25, 2006
Discovery Institute Applauds Federal U.S. Appeals Court Decision To Throw Out Judge’s Ruling Against Evolution Disclaimers on Textbooks
Atlanta – The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit has thrown out the trial court decision ruling that evolution disclaimers on science textbooks were unconstitutional.
In a unanimous decision the federal three-judge [...]

25 May 2006

The Cobb County decision is out

William Dembski

The opinion has been issued (it’s been described as a “mess” — a remand for fact-finding). Go here:
http://www.ca11.uscourts.gov/opinions/todaysops.php.

25 May 2006

Stop the ACLU

Dave S.

Stop the ACLU

25 May 2006

ACLU Supports Vile Protesters at Military Funerals

Dave S.

ACLU lawsuit challenges Ky. funeral-protest law
By The Associated Press
05.02.06
FRANKFORT, Ky. — Portions of a new state law intended to prevent protesters from disrupting funerals for soldiers killed in Iraq are unconstitutional and should be struck down, the American Civil Liberties Union said in a federal lawsuit filed yesterday.

25 May 2006

ACLU Stops Graduation Prayers

Dave S.

Graduation prayer axed at Shelby County High
PRINCIPAL CITES COMPLAINT FROM STUDENT, CIVIL LIBERTIES ORGANIZATION
ASSOCIATED PRESS
SHELBYVILLE – The principal of Shelby County High School said the school will not have formal prayer at graduation exercises next month after receiving a complaint from a student and the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky.