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Dinosaur attack in Canada!!: No, not science fiction, honest!

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The Darwinian evolution mob struck recently, in Canada, against Minister of Science Gary Goodyear, in Stephen Harper’s Conservative government.

But it is a confused story, and the motives are unclear.

As the photo caption in 24 Hours (the Toronto subway’s biggest free source of litter), put it,

A group calling itself the Disgruntled Dinosaurs held a protest outside the Intercontinental Hotel yesterday to call attention to Science Minister Gary Goodyear’s refusal to confirm he believes in evolution. Goodyear – who was at the hotel to deliver a speech – clarified Tuesday that he does believe in evolution and initially refused to answer the question because it was “irrelevant” since his beliefs have nothing to do with government policy.

Fancy that.

A Minister of the Crown who does not believe in treating his office as a personal fiefdom from which he can dictate his beliefs to us serfs?

To the stake with him, right! When a guy becomes Science Minister, he gets to impose his personal beliefs on all the rest of us, regardless of public policy. Right?

Oh, you don’t like that? I don’t like it either. Neither, it seems, does Gary Goodyear.

So … what really happened here?

The intelligent design controversy has had little impact in Canada, principally, in my view, because the way the public is divided on the subject is not on political lines.

Mike Strobel for the Toronto Sun had, I think, the right take on the controversy. Many were upset due to funding cuts to science and technology:

Scientists roasted Goodyear. Is this why the feds have cut research funding? Does Ottawa figure it’s cheaper to read the Bible?

Fumed one: “It’s the same as asking the gentleman, ‘Do you believe the world is flat?’ and he doesn’t answer on religious grounds.”

No, it’s not the same. We can bloody well see the world is round. But I can’t look at an ape and see myself. Except some Sunday mornings.

Anyway, at Front and Simcoe, the protest evolves into two college kids in Barney the Dinosaur outfits.

An unsuspecting Goodyear is in the InterContinental Hotel, telling the Economics Club how the Tories are boosting research in these tough times.

Warily, I approach the puff dinos. They identify themselves as the Disgruntled Dinosaurs. Man, I know how you feel, fellas.

They are U of T science students Adam Tempiy, 23, and Yves, uh, Smith, 24.

Hmmmm. Adam and Yves, eh? What a revelation.

You aren’t Young Liberals by any chance?

“No, no,” says Adam. “We just feel a creationist shouldn’t be science minister. It doesn’t jibe with his mandate. Does it start to skew his view?”

Wow, a dino-poet. I look around. The hotel swarms with TV trucks, cops and men in black with wires in their ears. For a couple of kids in Barney suits?

Puff dino fashion parade can be viewed here.

Goodyear, deciding to be the adult yesterday, told the Canadian Press (quoted in the CBC, the government broadcaster):

“We’re evolving all the time,” Goodyear said in an interview. “Of course I believe in evolution.”

Wow. Now we know what really caused the extinction of the dinosaurs. Puff Barney suits and wasting time on worthless causes, when you are a science student.

(Presumably, if you have really been accepted as a science student at the University of Toronto these days, you have a heavy course load, no?)

Local media sensed what was happening here, to their credit, and have largely failed to bite.

Some thoughts:

Go here for the rest.

Comments
Paleontologists would be very lucky indeed of they could have such certainty.
Certainty about what?Cabal
March 21, 2009
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NormO, Strobel probably lives here in Toronto, where the highest non-airborne elevation is the observation deck of the CN Tower, the tallest freestanding structure in the world. I'd need to go back up there again to see if one can note the fallaway of the land. In any event, careful observers have noticed for millennia that when a ship disappears on the horizon, it appears to sink slightly from the keel up - a hint that we are living on the surface of a sphere. I was born in Saskatchewan which, like most of Canada's provinces, is enormous, and therefore the curvature of the Earth must be taken into account when surveying, hence correction lines. In fact, 2300 years ago, Eratosthenes gave a reasonable estimate of the circumference of the planet, known at that time to be a sphere, principally, I expect from observations of this type. Paleontologists would be very lucky indeed of they could have such certainty.O'Leary
March 20, 2009
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No, it’s not the same. We can bloody well see the world is round. But I can’t look at an ape and see myself. Except some Sunday mornings.
Actually, it's exactly the same. If you look around you, the world looks pretty flat, a little bumpy maybe, but certainly not round. However, we have this so-called "theory" of the spherical earth. This theory attempts to explain all of the various observational evidence we have about the shape of the earth. Turns out, it's round! At least according to our best theory. Anyways, if Mike Strobel can gather that the Earth is round, simply by having a look out his window. He must live in an awfully tall building.NormO
March 20, 2009
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iconofid, I removed noted scholar's comment.Clive Hayden
March 20, 2009
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Denise O'Leary: notedscholar, you seem to be writing about a different story. Am I the only one confused here? Who is "notedscholar"?iconofid
March 20, 2009
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Now that's funny! But it's scarey to think that some of these monkey brained kids might end up our next politicians! They certainly fit the standard profile. ;-) Q: Given that their IQ's are probably hovering around their shoe size, how did they get into UT? A: Oh well, they just gave the secret password for all biology related courses there -"I believe in Darwin".Borne
March 20, 2009
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notedscholar, you seem to be writing about a different story. Mr. Goodyear was not concerned about criticism. But he does not feel he must answer every impertinent question put to him. He did so later, to get the puff dinosaur suits off the street and back to the costume rental firm. Do not let us detain you from your learned discourses. Russ, I agree. These young fellows made what was probably a disastrous public relations move for their cause (?), prompted by youthful arrogance. They too should study.O'Leary
March 19, 2009
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They are U of T science students Adam Tempiy, 23, and Yves, uh, Smith, 24.
It's too bad that college students don't do like my friends and I did and work their way through school. They'd have less time for self-righteous spouting off at grown ups.russ
March 19, 2009
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I don't agree with you. Goodyear is a creationist. Why would you say he's not? It's GOOD to have someone like him on our side. Read what he said. He talks about MICROEVOLUTION. He never said that he believes that whales evolved from bears or cows or whatever it is that the darwinists say that they came from now.AmerikanInKananaskis
March 19, 2009
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