PZ Myers. 2005 Jun 13. A new recruit. <http://pharyngula.org/index/weblog/a_new_recruit/>. Accessed 2008 Nov 20.
Posted on M00o93H7pQ09L8X1t49cHY01Z5j4TT91fGfr on Monday, June 13, 2005
A new recruit
The Discovery Institute is doing a fine job of raising the visibility of creationism and focusing the attention of their enemies. They say things like this:
Although much of the public controversy over intelligent design has focused on the application of design to biology, it’s important to remember that design theory itself reaches well beyond biology, and that some of the strongest evidence for design comes from such fields as physics, astronomy, and cosmology.
And suddenly, scientists in disciplines other than biology perk up and realize that these clowns are coming to pester them next. The Privileged Planet debacle is a sign that the anti-evolutionists are eager to pollute national science institutions and all scientific disciplines with their garbage, and more and more scientists are going to be speaking out harshly against them. The utter vacuity of the creationist responses in Kansas is also a sign of their weakness; the DI has overreached itself, and blood is in the water.
The newest recruit is Phil Plait of the Bad Astronomy Blog. Phil has always been ready to dismantle the abuse of his discipline by the media, but now he's alerted to the bad physics, astronomy, and cosmology of the Discovery Institute, and plans to spend more effort fighting the distortions of the creationists.
Young Earth creationists have let slip the dogmas of war. In the ensuing battles they will use a host of weapons, including misrepresenting facts, mining of quotes, belaboring outdated theories, and dancing around to avoid answering direct questions. Mark my words: their history is clear.
They may have fired the first shot, but we have plenty of ammo on our side as well. And we also have many, many scientists willing to accept this call to arms.
I’m one of them. Over the course of time, you’ll be seeing more rebuttals — no, debunking — of creationist claims here. I’ve had enough, and this threat is real. They want to turn our classrooms in a theocratically-controlled anti-science breeding ground, and I’m not going to sit by and watch it happen.
Every anti-science, anti-education bill in a legislature makes a state full of bitter foes, every national embarrassment creates a horde of angry scientists. I think the only thing we've lost in our war with the creationists so far is our complacency.
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When are they going to take on those godless, atheist, naturalistic atomists! Chemists are teaching that all matter on earth is made of the same basic fundamental particles. At the core, we are just like rocks. With that in mind, I'm tossing all sense of ethics out the window; I'm gonna start doing what comes naturally and just sit here and erode away the time!
#: Posted by on 06/13 at 08:17 AM
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Kickass. BA Phil is one of the few folks out there with the knowledge to wipe out stupid claims, and the personality to come across as the good guy while doing it.
did#: Posted by on 06/13 at 08:50 AM -
Heehee. Thanks!
-Phil#: Posted by The Bad Astronomer on 06/13 at 10:22 AM -
To say the least, I found this post uplifting. With all this nonsense going on in Kansas, the Smithsonian, one school board after another, it felt good to have a sober reflection on what's actually happening. In short: this is pissing scientists off. It's certainly pissing me off! Creationists are simply mobilizing their worst nightmare.
#: Posted by on 06/13 at 12:52 PM
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Geez, this is ridiculous. If they want to go back into the middle ages, perhaps they'd like to move to a 3rd world country where there is no science.. Lets see them preach over there.
Science Wars: Revenge of the Creationists
Science Wars: The Creationists Strike Back
Ahh, here we go. We need a mascot now, hell lets make him a monument in their faces..since they like the monuments so much.
** slips on a long white labcoat, grabs a meter stick with one hand and holds it up to parry, grabs a random book with the other**
Science Wars: Return of the Scientists
The only way to fight this is through education, which they are throughly corrupting. But its our Only Hope.
:D Okay, perhaps I'm letting my immaturity show.. It'll take more battles to mature me I guess.#: Posted by on 06/13 at 01:58 PM -
"This is the smallest extrasolar planet yet detected and the first of a new class of rocky terrestrial planets," said team member Paul Butler of the Carnegie Institution of Washington.
Oh boy. I don't like the sound of that.
"It's like Earth's bigger cousin."
Uh oh. That's not good. Let's hope they never find any signs of life there.
(The preceding was a test of the dead end scientific vacuity of the (non) religion ID (Intelligent Design) movement should they ever be successful in setting up their little creationist Taliban. Thank you.)#: Posted by on 06/13 at 03:14 PM - No, that planet orbits so close to its sun that the temperature on its surface is way too high for chemical life.
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I would really love to see anyone spouting "it's just a theory" banned from using any appliance employing solid-state devices, including computers and mobile phones. "Quantum theory" isn't merely a theory, it implies God playing dice. It's inherently heretical, a realm in which anything can happen as long as it does so quickly.
#: Posted by on 06/14 at 03:56 AM
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Don't underestimate these guys. The president of the Discovery Institute is a Harvard grad, as is a major supporter, George Gilder, author of the techno-pangloss screed "Telecosm". They are smart (albeit misguided), well-funded, manipulative and ruthless.
Their goal is to extend the "culture wars" to demonize scientists just as others have already demonized journalists, professors and liberals.
I liked the Science Wars idea. How about a remake of the birth of the scientific method and human rights (not unrelated events): The Enlightenment, Part II.#: Posted by on 06/15 at 11:54 AM