Category: Science

Debating Darwin and Design: Science or Creationism? (1)

A couple of days ago I posted my opening statement to a formal online debate I’m currently engaged in with Christian neo-Darwinist Francis Smallwood at Musings Of A Scientific Nature. My opening statement can be found here, and his here. What follows are my opening thoughts on the question whether ID is ‘creationism in a… more

Debating Darwin and Design: A Dialogue Between Two Christians

A couple of months ago, I agreed to take part in a written debate with a good friend of mine, Francis Smallwood. Francis, like me, is a commited Christian. Unlike me though, he is also a neo-Darwinist. On his blog Musings Of A Scientific Nature he writes on many different scientific issues, although his primary… more

For record: Questions on the logical and scientific status of design theory for objectors (and supporters)

Over the past several days, I have been highlighting poster children of illogic and want of civility that are too often found among critics to design theory – even, among those claiming to be standing on civility and to be posing unanswerable questions, challenges or counter-claims to design theory. I have also noticed the strong… more

Update: Toronto earns a bar to poster child status (as does Petrushka) in a TSZ thread, with several others joining in and showing the habitual incivility and strawman tactics of too many design objectors

Sometimes UD commenter, NR has started a thread at TSZ, which addresses my new poster child of illogical conduct by objectors to design theory series. Unfortunately, the thread all too soon illustrates just why it is wise to cordon off sites that harbour abusive commentary as enablers of uncivil behaviour. And into the bargain, it… more

He said it: Toronto of TSZ etc on abductive inference to best explanation in science

The illustration to the right is a Hertzprung-Russell diagram of two star clusters, and is used to infer ages for these clusters. How is that done? Stellar clusters are gravitationally bound and so the stars seem to be of the same general age and composition, also they are at about the same distance from us.… more

ID as ‘Science of God’ (aka Theology)

A piece of mine has been just published in the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s (ABC’s) excellent Religion and Ethics website. It provides a larger context for my own theologically positive approach to ID, which I realize is not everyone’s cup of tea. However, like Gregory Sandstrom, I welcome johnnyb’s intervention, which raises the issue of which… more

Michael Flannery: “Figures don’t lie but liars figure.”

“The data generated is never any better than the premises that lie behind the gathering of that data.” more

History can’t be a science, but it can certainly be a pseudoscience

As the human population’s average age rises in many places, due to low birth rates, we will likely see declines in general unrest. more

No, we didn’t know that about Francis Crick, double helix co-discoverer, either

“Francis Crick confessed that he was tripping the first time he envisioned the double helix.” more

How science should handle new ideas

“Science moves forward not by enshrining, but by doubting and improving on, the consensus opinion.” more

He said it: Michael Crichton on consensus science

Interestingly, the officially Christian American Scientific Affiliation is totally into consensus science. Strange turnabout, really. more

He said it: G. K. Chesterton on scientism

“Materialism is really our established Church; for the Government will really help it to persecute its heretics.” more

Nature editorial opposes funding cuts to political science

There may be solutions, who knows? But Nature’s editors do their readers a disservice by second-guessing opponents instead of demanding reform. more

Evidence for an Engineered Universe

In the next video for the Engineering and Metaphysics conference, we have our keynote speaker, Walter Bradley, author of The Mystery of Life’s Origin (the book which kicked off the Intelligent Design movement). Here Bradley presents an overview of the cosmological case for design. Lots of interesting information from the man who started it all!… more

Biologic Institute, ID’s research arm, has a Facebook page

If you are reasonably sure you are not a troll, enjoy. more

Praise for Ted Davis’ recent BioLogos columns

Before the modern era, most writers assumed that the universe was created in six literal days, though some ancient sources take a different approach. But so? more

Scientists are beginning to forget Darwin, whether they admit it or not.

“All of them [recent science papers] speak in machine terms (nanomachine, rotation, motor, mechanism, architecture) but none of them have much to say about evolution.” more

“So much of contemporary science writing traffics in the illusion of knowledge”

… it’s quick to close the case, eager to peddle solutions, … more

God particle physicist struck from school textbooks, over religion issue

Sounds like Pakistan’s god is too small. more

Science journal Nature wins libel case

Well, how be this then: Hereafter, all British libel cases are always decided automatically for the plaintiff with all costs. Gavel. more

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