Watson is currently suspended from chancelor duties.

Watson’s own institute has itself been linked to historical Darwinian racism, even though it dutifully denounced him.

Also, here’s a spoof interview from The Brites on the reaction of a paragon of political correctness, trying to hold together Darwinism and egalitarianism. (Of COURSE it doesn’t work. As I point out here, you can’t have both Darwinism and egalitarianism. The only possible result is PC idiocy. )

More seriously, a friend offers some brief extracts from Watson’s book DNA:

“Our discovery had put an end to a debate as old as the human species: Does life have some magical, mystical essence, or is it, like any chemical reaction carried out in a science class, the product of normal physical and chemical processes? Is there something divine at the heart of a cell that brings it to life? The double helix answered that question with a definitive No” (xii).

No?

“Only with the discovery of the double helix and the ensuing genetic revolution have we had grounds for thinking that the powers held traditionally to be the exclusive property of the gods might one day be ours. Life, we now know, is nothing but a vast array of coordinated chemical reactions. The ‘secret’ to that coordination is the breathtakingly complex set of instructions inscribed, again chemically, in our DNA” (396).

One of the most innovative scientists I know has strictly cautioned me against any kind of “nothing buttery” as observed above.

Watson is nonetheless generous, after his fashion:

I do not dispute the right of individuals to look to religion for a private moral compass, but I do object to the assumption of too many religious people that atheists live in a moral vacuum. Those of us who feel no need for a moral code written down in an ancient tome have, in my opinion, recourse to an innate moral intuition long ago shaped by natural selection promoting social cohesion in groups of our ancestors.

But, unbelievers that we are, Montreal neuroscientist Mario Beauregard and I doubt that any such “innate moral intuition” can be created by the magic of natural selection. The moral intuition of relatedness comes rather from the relationship between our limited minds and the mind that created the universe in which we live.

Oh, well, it is obvious that Watson is not a corner stool at our local coffee klatsch. He doesn’t even like Gattaca, whose limitations I concede myself – but he dislikes it for entirely different* reasons: Read More ›

Elementary my dear Watson. Further updates on Watson’s apology are at TheBRITES.org .

In Kitzmiller et al vs Dover, the issue over whether or not Darwinian Evolution could be allowed critical evaluation by students, rather than be presented as established fact, was settled once and for all. Furthermore, any consideration of an alternate theory was off the table. All across the land, scientists cheered, since at least for now, science had been saved from an ‘assault by religion’. Just after the decision was handed down, Ohio’s State Board of Education in a 9 to 8 vote kept with their lesson plan, saying in effect, “go ahead and sue us” [Toledo Blade Op Ed 1/14/06]. Although many school districts had been considering broadening their standards to allow a more open discourse, many shelved their Read More ›

According to the Guardian, following the row that erupted over his characterization of people of African origin as less intelligent (whatever that means, given that no one has ever defined “intelligence” in an empirically meaningful way), DNA pioneer Watson has backed off: Prof Watson’s statement did not clarify what his views on the issue of race and intelligence are, but he hinted that he had been misquoted. I somehow doubt that.  According to the Independent, Watson’s own institute has apparently disowned his comments: “Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory does not engage in any research that could even form the basis of the statements attributed to Dr Watson,” the institute’s president, Bruce Stillman, said. Dr Watson’s comments were entirely his own and Read More ›

For those not familiar with it, be sure to visit this site. At the bottom of the homepage there are links to various chapters. They are all worth a look, but be sure to check out the chapter on evolution. (I also loved the tables and charts, especially the geologic ages and events chart.)

From the site:

What is Science?
Put most simply, science is a way of dealing with the world around us. It is a way of baffling the uninitiated with incomprehensible jargon. It is a way of obtaining fat government grants…

Read More ›

I’d been hoping Scott Adams, Dilbert’s alter ego, would incorporate his recent questions about Darwinian evolution into some of his work. Here is one example to enjoy. Also, go here for a link to Adams’ responses to the Prophet of the Pharyngula, who has denounced him as a sinner for having any questions about Darwinism. Oh and here is a link to Dilbert, the baby engineer.  Also: More from David Warren on the Darwinoids New cartoon on the ID-Darwinism controversy, and a link to more cartoons Can a conscious mind be built out of software? Why ordinary people do very bad things The course Denyse O’Leary will be teaching at St. Mikes at the University of Toronto, starting Tuesday, on Read More ›

Parallel universes exist – study “Parallel universes really do exist, according to a mathematical discovery by Oxford scientists described by one expert as “one of the most important developments in the history of science.” . . .” The Oxford team, led by Dr David Deutsch, showed mathematically that the bush-like branching structure created by the universe splitting into parallel versions of itself can explain the probabilistic nature of quantum outcomes.” © Copyright Press Association Ltd 2007, All Rights Reserved. The reporter authoritatively declares that possibility of quantum outcomes as interpreted by Deutsch is evidence that parallel universes “exist”. The Sci.Physics.Research blog about David Deutsch on parallel universes appears more restrained, (may I say “skeptical”?), unable to locate a published paper Read More ›

The American Consumer Union has declared the XD133 Slow Down Slide unsafe for children. The slide, designed by a genetic algorithm, has been recalled. Details are at TheBRITES.org.

Distinguished Professor Emeritus Botkin of the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, gives a balanced view of the enviromental impact of global warming titled “Global Warming Delusions” in today’s Wall Street Journal and a rather unflattering comment about scientists resorting to deceit to panic a public into supporting a political agenda. Global Warming Delusions By DANIEL B. BOTKIN October 17, 2007; Page A19 Global warming doesn’t matter except to the extent that it will affect life — ours and that of all living things on Earth. And contrary to the latest news, the evidence that global warming will have serious effects on life is thin. Most evidence suggests the contrary. Case in Read More ›

Dr. Dembski’s and Ms. O’Leary’s earlier posts today have produced some, shall we say, “intemperate” rhetoric from the commenters.  I suggest we calm down and look at this issue dispassionately, starting with the raw data.  The raw data is unambiguous.  There is in fact a difference between racial groups when it comes to standard measures of intelligence.  This report of a task force ofthe American Psychological Association (which certainly cannot be accused of conservative bias) makes this clear.  As the report says, Asians do best on IQ tests.  Whites are in the middle.  Blacks score somewhat lower.  The controversy is not over the raw data.  The heat comes when the cause of these differences is discussed.  It is the classic “nature or nurture” debate.  Are intelligence differences among races Read More ›

Some UK opinions for/against ID in The Herald: “It seems to me that the atheistic contributors to the debate on intelligent design ignore one essential point which none of them seems to want to confront. In an examination of the question of our genesis, one fact is ignored: all speculation, analysis and conjecture as to the nature and genesis of our universe is carried out by means of the mind and of the intelligence which mankind possesses. Any conclusion reached is an expression of belief. . . . ” See full Letter Whales provide illustration of the evidence for intelligent design

So … now, James Watson, who has declared that (Darwinian) evolution is both a law and a fact, has since proclaimed, … black people were less intelligent than white people and the idea that “equal powers of reason” were shared across racial groups was a delusion. And this hard on the heels of Richard Dawkins* spilling on about the “fantastic success” of the “Jewish lobby.” Some people wonder what is happening. Bill was wondering whether Darwinists would get back into the eugenics business big time. Having watched H.L. Mencken-style Social Darwinism morph into sociobiology and then get rebranded as evolutionary psychology, I have some idea what’s driving the trend: power Once people gain the right to simply ban opposing ideas, Read More ›

Anybody willing to offer predictions about when Darwinists will be getting back big time into the eugenics business? Africans are less intelligent than Westerners, says DNA pioneer SOURCE: news.independent.co.uk . . . His views are also reflected in a book published next week, in which he writes: “There is no firm reason to anticipate that the intellectual capacities of peoples geographically separated in their evolution should prove to have evolved identically. Our wanting to reserve equal powers of reason as some universal heritage of humanity will not be enough to make it so.”

It’s one thing for the state to control the public school science curriculum. But here we see Sweden also controlling the science curriculum of private schools. How far is the U.S. from following Sweden’s lead?

Creationism to be banished from Swedish schools
Published: 15th October 2007 07:57 CET
Online: www.thelocal.se

The Swedish government is to crack down on the role religion plays in independent faith schools. The new rules will include a ban on biology teachers teaching creationism or ‘intelligent design’ alongside evolution.

“Pupils must be protected from all forms of fundamentalism,” said Education Minister Jan Björklund to Dagens Nyheter. Read More ›

In this column, George Will reveals that indoctrination and intellectual fascism has crept up on faculties other than science (Surprised? Why?): A study prepared by the National Association of Scholars, a group that combats political correctness on campuses, reviews social work education programs at 10 major public universities and comes to this conclusion: Such programs mandate an ideological orthodoxy to which students must subscribe concerning “social justice” and “oppression.” In other words, if you are a social worker and you have a different idea from the orthodoxy about how best to help your clients, you is da enemy of da people (in power, that is) … Meanwhile, today at the Mindful Hack So that’s why we don’t eat Grandma! A professor Read More ›