Monthly Archives: January 2007
Programmable Matter: One Step Closer
| January 24, 2007 | Posted by Dave S. under Comp. Sci. / Eng., Intelligent Design, Science |
An article in the February 2007 Scientific American titled Molecular Lego talks about bis-amino acids and bis-peptides. These are synthetic amino acids and peptide chains formed from them. more
The Mystery of Consciousness
| January 24, 2007 | Posted by leebowman under Intelligent Design, Science |
The 1/29/07 issue of Time Magazine is captioned “Mind & Body Special Issue”, and starts out with a discussion of the brain’s geography, an endeavor well studied and categorized by now, but which is far overshadowed by the mystery of ‘consciousness’, often tagged as the ‘ghost within the neural machine’. Steven Pinker writes the centerpiece… more
[Off Topic] Senator Jim Webb: Clueless
| January 24, 2007 | Posted by Dave S. under Off Topic |
Comments off
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As I was watching the Democratic response to President Bush’s State Of The Union speech tonight Senator Jim Webb played the United States Marine card three times (for himself, his brother, and his son all Marines). I take it personally when someone does that. more
Stuart Kauffman critiquing Darwinism
| January 24, 2007 | Posted by William Dembski under Darwinism, Evolution |
I was reviewing recently Stuart Kauffman’s critique of the Darwinian selection mechanism and thought I would share the upshot of it here, especially in light of the recent discussion at UD concerning Haldane’s Dilemma: If selection could, in principle, accomplish “anything,†then all the order in organisms might reflect selection alone. But, in fact, there… more
What are the speed limits of naturalistic evolution?
| January 23, 2007 | Posted by scordova under Intelligent Design |
What are the speed limits of naturalistic evolution? We know from experience it takes time to evolve a species. Would naturalistic evolution be fast enough in geological time to turn a cow into a whale, an ape-like creature into a human? What are the speed limits of evolution? more
Another Form of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
| January 23, 2007 | Posted by GilDodgen under Darwinism, Intelligent Design |
In the Haldane thread, DaveScot responded to a comment I made with this: On Haldane’s Dilemma, I’ve determined the evolutionist argument goes like this: Orthodox evolution theory is a fact, not a theory. Therefore Haldane’s Dilemma must be wrong. I propose a corollary to DaveScot’s proposition: Orthodox evolution theory is a fact, not a theory.… more
Richard Dawkins To Be Taught in Religion Class in UK
| January 23, 2007 | Posted by Dave S. under Darwinism, Education, Intelligent Design |
Intelligent design to feature in school RE lessons Alexandra Smith Tuesday January 23, 2007 EducationGuardian.co.uk Teenagers will be asked to debate intelligent design (ID) in their religious education classes and read texts by evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins under new government guidelines. more
Wikipedia Suppresses Info On Haldane’s Dilemma
| January 23, 2007 | Posted by Dave S. under Intelligent Design |
Wikipedia suppresses Haldane’s Dilemma by Walter J. Remine The key figure — a limit of 1,667 beneficial mutations to explain human evolution — was brushed aside (by falsely blaming it on creationists, instead of acknowledging that it arises solely from evolutionary theory, evolutionary genetics, and J.B.S. Haldane). This key figure was repeatedly expunged from the… more
Indian of the Gaps
| January 23, 2007 | Posted by Barry Arrington under Intelligent Design |
My grandfather hunted arrowheads, and he found them, hundreds of them. I was awed by his collection, and one of my most prized possessions is a frame containing 48 of his best specimens that I inherited from him. Nearly two decades after his death that frame is still hanging on the wall in the room… more
“Poetry in the Genetic Code” — does this mean that Natural Selection is now a poet?
| January 22, 2007 | Posted by William Dembski under Intelligent Design |
The theme of silent mutations that are not so silent has been addressed here at UD before (e.g., go here). Here’s a piece that elaborates on the significance of this recent finding: Silent No Longer: Researchers unearth another stratum of meaning in the genetic code By Ivan Amato The more scientists study the genetic code,… more
Ph.D.s in Obfuscation — Or, Simple Truths Denied
| January 21, 2007 | Posted by GilDodgen under Intelligent Design |
In another forum, Denyse wrote: Bear with a simple lay hack here a moment: Why must we know a designer’s intentions in order to detect design? If the fire marshall’s office suspects arson, do the investigators worry much about WHY? Surely they investigate, confirm their finding, and turn the information over to other authorities and… more
Evolutionary Psychology: This is a … discipline?
| January 20, 2007 | Posted by O'Leary under Intelligent Design |
I have been meaning for some time to set down my reasons for thinking that evolutionary psychology is only questionably a discipline. At least seven reasons occur to me (actually more, but these seven are top of mind): more
Bats fly uniquely.
| January 20, 2007 | Posted by idnet.com.au under Intelligent Design |
In case any one accidentally comes to the (?obvious) conclusion that the finding of yet more evidently brilliant design in biology may support ID, everyone must include the customary clear homage to the creator of all life, NDE. Science Daily “Kenneth Breuer and Sharon Swartz are determined to understand the detailed aerodynamics of bat flight… more
Evolutionary psychology solves the Problem of Beauty (Goodness and Truth are next)
| January 20, 2007 | Posted by William Dembski under Darwinism, Evolution |
It’s amazing what passes for science these days (as well as what doesn’t): The first evidence that beauty is infectious is published today by scientists who have shown that when women see a rival smiling at a man, he becomes more attractive as a result. . . . Why has nature designed women to be… more
Part of the Discovery Institute’s secret research program uncovered
| January 19, 2007 | Posted by scordova under Intelligent Design |
Through a little detective work, I found out where some of the Discovery Institute’s research funding has gone. It was an obscure comment in a paper that clued me in. The funding was for an exploration into the fundamental Speed Limits of Naturalistic Evolution. What was the plight of this exploration? more
Alternative Darwin Awards
| January 19, 2007 | Posted by Theodosius under Intelligent Design |
Bill asked me to introduce myself, and to describe an idea that came to me recently. I am a graduate student, working on philosophy of biology (at a university that shall remain nameless), nearing the dissertation stage. I am sure that everyone knows about the odious “Darwin Awards.” I have been concerned about this phenomenon… more
US Scientific Literacy Exploded Upward Starting in 1995
| January 19, 2007 | Posted by Dave S. under Education, Evolution, Intelligent Design, Science |
Civic Scientific Literacy: A Necessity in the 21st Century more
US Leads in ID Belief, Trails in Astrology Belief
| January 18, 2007 | Posted by Dave S. under Biology, Comp. Sci. / Eng., Culture, Darwinism, Education, Evolution, Intelligent Design, Science |
I read this Huffington post which notes that the U.S. leads Europe by quite a margin in those who reject orthodox evolution as scientific fact. They go on to an unsupported conclusion that this means the U.S. must be trailing in scientific and engineering accomplishments. Au contraire, mon ami, au contraire! more
Physicians and Surgeons for Scientific Integrity
| January 18, 2007 | Posted by William Dembski under Darwinism, Intelligent Design |
Pro-ID anti-Darwinism doctors are on the rise. Check out Physicians and Surgeons for Scientific Integrity and note their member list. more
David H. Gorski: Do as I say, not as I do
| January 18, 2007 | Posted by Dave S. under Biology, Culture, Evolution, Off Topic |
Over at Respectful Insolence, Dr. David H. Gorski (a.k.a. Orac), goes off on a rant about how medical doctors, in this case Uncommon Descent contributor and surgeon Dr. David A. Cook, aren’t qualified to evaluate claims made by evolutionary biologists. Yet Dr. Gorski, also a surgeon, somehow believes himself qualified to evaluate evolutionary claims made… more