Evolution Expert Philip D. Gingerich to Speak at SMU on Oct. 7
Philip D. Gingerich, a leading expert in the evolution of primates and whales, will speak at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7, in Dallas Hall’s McCord Auditorium.
Philip D. Gingerich
Gingerich’s lecture on “Darwinian Pursuit in Paleontology: Origin and Early Evolution of Whales” is part of SMU’s year-long celebration of naturalist Charles Darwin’s 200th birthday and the 150th anniversary of his world-changing publication, On the Origin of Species.
Gingerich, the Darwin Year Visiting Scholar for SMU’s Institute for the Study of Earth and Man, is Case Collegiate Professor of Paleontology at the University of Michigan. He also is professor of geological sciences and director of UM’s Museum of Paleontology. A recipient of UM’s 1997 Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award, he teaches courses on primate and mammalian evolution and supervises undergraduate and graduate student research on mammals and evolution.
His research focuses on vertebrate paleontology, especially the origin of modern orders of mammals and quantitative approaches to paleobiology and evolution.
A winner of numerous awards, Gingerich is a member of the National Geographic Society Committee for Research and Exploration, associate editor of American Journal of Science, and co-editor of Causes and Consequences of Globally Warm Climates in the Early Paleogene. In 2001 he was a scientific adviser to “Walking with Prehistoric Beasts,” a television documentary produced by the BBC and aired on the Discovery Channel.
Whales and evolution: Gingerich at SMU, this afternoon
October 7, 2009
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Charles Darwin, Darwin, Education, Evolution, Science, Texas | Tagged: Charles Darwin, Darwin, Evolution, Lectures, Philip D. Gingerich, Science, SMU, Texas, Whale Evolution | 
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Posted by Ed Darrell
Darwin’s Darkest Hour, debuts on NOVA tonight
October 6, 2009BOSTON, MA—This fall, NOVA celebrates the 200th anniversary year of Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his famous book the Origin of Species with three evolution-themed programs.
Each film will approach the topic of evolution in a different way. To kick off NOVA’s fall season on October 6, Henry Ian Cusick (Lost) and Frances O’Connor (Mansfield Park) star in “Darwin’s Darkest Hour,” a two-hour scripted drama that presents the remarkable story behind the birth of Darwin’s radically controversial theory of evolution and reveals his deeply personal crisis: whether to publish his earthshaking ideas, or to keep quiet to avoid potential backlash from the Church. In November, NOVA premieres “Becoming Human,” a three-part special on human evolution. The series combines interviews with world renowned anthropologists and paleoanthropologists and the most recent, groundbreaking
discoveries with vivid images of our earliest ancestors to present a comprehensive picture of our human past. Then, on December 29, “What Darwin Never Knew” reveals answers to evolutionary questions that even Darwin couldn’t explain. Scientists are beginning to expose nature’s biggest secrets on the genetic level, with the hope of one day answering the crucial question: How does evolution really work?Following are descriptions for NOVA films in fall 2009:
Darwin’s Darkest Hour (2 hrs) – Tuesday, October 6
NOVA and National Geographic Television present the extraordinary human drama that led to the birth of the most influential scientific theory of all time. Acclaimed screenwriter John Goldsmith (David Copperfield, Victoria and Albert) brings to life Charles Darwin’s greatest personal crisis: the anguishing decision over whether to “go public” with his theory of evolution. Darwin, portrayed by Henry Ian Cusick (Lost), spent years refining his ideas and penning his book the Origin of Species. Yet, daunted by looming conflict with the orthodox religious values of his day, he resisted publishing—until a letter from naturalist Alfred Wallace forced his hand. In 1858, Darwin learned that Wallace was ready to publish ideas very similar to his own. In a sickened panic, Darwin grasped his dilemma: To delay publishing any longer would be to condemn all of his work to obscurity—his voyage on the Beagle, his adventures in the Andes, the gauchos and bizarre fossils of Patagonia, the finches and giant tortoises of the Galapagos. But to come forward with his ideas risked the fury of the Church and perhaps a rift with his own devoted wife, Emma, portrayed by Frances O’Connor (Mansfield Park, The Importance of Being Earnest, Steven Spielberg’s “Artificial Intelligence”), who was a strong believer in the view of creation and honestly feared for her husband’s soul. Darwin’s Darkest Hour is a moving drama about the birth of a great idea seen through the inspiration and personal sufferings of its brilliant originator.Hubble’s Amazing Rescue – Tuesday, October 13
In the spring of 2009, NASA sent a shuttle crew on a risky mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope for the last time. Hubble has enthralled scientists and the public by capturing deep views of the cosmos and a wealth of data from distant galaxies. It has helped lead the search for alien planets and is a key tool in cosmology’s quest to investigate and map the universe’s mysterious dark matter. The astronaut servicing team carried out the first-ever in-space repairs of Hubble’s defective instruments, a task that required ingenious engineering fixes and the most intensive NASA spacewalk ever. From training to launch, NOVA presents the inside story of the mission and the extraordinary challenges faced by the rescue crew.Lizard Kings – Tuesday, October 20
Though they may look like dragons and inspire stories of man-eating, fire-spitting monsters with long claws, razor-sharp teeth and muscular, whip-like tails, these creatures are actually monitor lizards, the largest lizards to walk the planet. With their acute intelligence—including the ability to plan ahead— these lizards are a very different kind of reptile, blurring the line between reptiles and mammals. And even though these bizarre reptiles haven’t changed all that much since the dinosaurs, they are a very successful species, versatile at adapting to all kinds of settings. Lizard Kings will look at what makes these tongued reptiles so similar to mammals and what has allowed them to become such unique survivors. But while the creatures can find their way around many different habitats, finding them is no easy task. Natural loners, and always on guard, they sense anything or anyone from hundreds of feet away. NOVA will follow expert lizard hunter Dr. Eric Pianka as he tracks the elusive creatures through Australia’s heartland with cutting-edge “lizard cam” technology for an unparalleled close encounter with these amazingly versatile “living dragons.”Becoming Human: Unearthing Our Earliest Ancestors – Tuesday, November 3, 10, 17
NOVA presents a three-part, three-hour special—investigating explosive new discoveries that are transforming the picture of how we became human. The first program explores fresh clues about our earliest ancestors in Africa, including the stunningly complete fossil nicknamed “Lucy’s Child.” These three-million-year-old bones from Ethiopia reveal humanity’s oldest and most telltale trait—upright walking rather than a big brain. The second program tackles the mysteries of how our ancestors managed to survive in a savannah teeming with vicious predators, and when and why we first left our African cradle to colonize every corner of the Earth. In the final program, NOVA probes a wave of dramatic new evidence, based partly on cutting-edge DNA analysis, that reveals new insights into how we became the creative and “behaviorally modern” humans of today, and what really happened to the enigmatic Neanderthals who faded into extinction. Shot “in the trenches” where discoveries were unearthed throughout Africa and Europe, each hour of Becoming Human unfolds with a forensic investigation into the life and death of a specific hominid ancestor, such as “Lucy’s Child.” Dry bones spring back to vivid life with stunning animation, the product of a unique NOVA collaboration between top anthropologists and a talented team of movie animators.What Are Dreams? – Tuesday, November 24
What are dreams and why do we have them? NOVA joins the leading dream researchers as they embark on a variety of neurological and psychological experiments to investigate the world of sleep and dreams. Delving deep into the thoughts and brains of a variety of dreamers, scientists are asking important questions about the purpose of this mysterious world we escape to at night. Do dreams allow us to get a good night’s sleep? Do they improve our memory? Do they allow us to be more creative? Can they solve our problems or even help us survive the hazards of everyday life? NOVA follows researchers like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Matthew Wilson who is literally ‘eavesdropping’ on the dreams of rats and takes viewers into a sleep lab for a first-hand look at how scientists do their best to eavesdrop on human dreams. From those who violently act out their dreams to those who can’t stop their nightmares, from sleepwalking cats to people who can’t dream, each fascinating experiment contains a vital clue to the age-old question: What are dreams?What Darwin Never Knew (2 hours) – Tuesday, December 29
Earth teems with a staggering variety of animals, including 9,000 kinds of birds, 28,000 types of fish, and more than 350,000 species of beetles. What explains this explosion of living creatures—1.4 million different species discovered so far, with perhaps another 50 million to go? The source of life’s endless forms was a profound mystery until Charles Darwin’s revolutionary idea of natural selection, which he showed could help explain the gradual development of life on Earth. But Darwin’s radical insights raised as many questions as they answered. What actually drives evolution and turns one species into another? And how did we evolve?Now, on the 150th anniversary of Darwin’s the Origin of Species, NOVA reveals answers to the riddles that Darwin couldn’t explain. Stunning breakthroughs in a brand-new science—nicknamed “evo devo”— are linking the enigma of origins to another of nature’s great mysteries, the development of an embryo. To explore this exciting new idea, NOVA takes viewers on a journey from the Galapagos Islands to the Arctic, and from the Cambrian explosion of animal forms half a billion years ago to the research labs of today. Here scientists are finally beginning to crack nature’s biggest secrets at the genetic level. And, as NOVA shows in this absorbing detective story, the results are confirming the brilliance of Darwin’s insights while exposing clues to life’s breathtaking diversity in ways the great naturalist could scarcely have imagined.
9 Comments | Charles Darwin, Darwin, Evolution, Science, Television | Tagged: Charles Darwin, Darwin, Evolution, NOVA, PBS, Science, Television | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
“Crunchy Con” Dreher weighs in on Darwin’s legacy
October 4, 2009We have the privilege, sometimes, of having Rod Dreher sitting on the editorial board of our local newspaper, The Dallas Morning News.
Is it a privilege today? You be the judge: Dreher’s column in the “Points” section today, “When science meets pop culture: Darwin’s example shows that scientists can’t do much to stop the public from abusing their work.”
In contrast to Dreher’s previous defenses of intelligent design and other sciency woo, in this piece he mostly gets Darwin correct — which, alas, means he doesn’t talk much about what Darwin actually said. That makes the errors more glaring, to me. But, what do you think?
For example: Dreher discusses abuses of Darwin:
Take Charles Darwin. In 1859, the publication of his On the Origin of Species was an event so earth-shaking that 150 years later, the trembling still reverberates. In their recent book Darwin’s Sacred Cause, Adrian Desmond and James Moore argue that the Darwin family’s deep roots in the British anti-slavery movement caused young Charles to start asking questions about the common origins of humanity. “It is the key to explain why such a gentleman of wealth and standing should risk all to develop his bestial ‘monkey-man’ image of our ancestry in the first place,” they write.
The authors make a case that Darwin, who was never himself a social activist, undermined racial prejudice with his discoveries. That is true – to a point.It is also true that Darwin’s work on evolution and natural selection, as it became popularized, inspired scientists and laymen to take more interest in racial differences, an intellectual passion that would have sinister consequences in the science of eugenics – founded in the late 19th century by Darwin’s cousin, Francis Galton.
Did Dreher read Desmond and Moore? Did they get the events right? Britain’s abolishment of slavery occurred when Darwin was a young man. It was a hot controversy while he was asea aboard the Beagle. Was it that controversy that caused Darwin to ask whether humans have a common origin? At the same time, Darwin was quizzing “Jeremy Button,” a dark-skinned native of the area around Tierra del Fuego, who had been essentially kidnapped on a previous voyage of the ship, and who was being returned home on the voyage Darwin was part of. As I’ve read Darwin, I see that he finds hard evidence of evolution in plants, in sea creatures, in other animals — and then wonders how humans could have been exempt from such actions. I don’t see Darwin starting from slavery and reasoning backwards.
But second, I still wait for someone to point me to any clear indication that eugenics advocates were particularly inspired by Darwin, or that eugenics was related in any serious way to the genocides of Europe in the early 20th century. Hitler didn’t think he was improving any race, but was instead getting rid of people he didn’t like. The link from Darwin to genocide gets particularly strained for the genocide of the Armenians in 1915 (regardless the cause). When asked to justify genocide against German Jews, Hitler didn’t refer to Darwin, but instead asked who remembered the Armenians, 25 years later. The question wasn’t, “Is this the thing to do to improve the race,” but was instead, “Can we get away with it?”
It makes me lament again the DMN’s having killed their once-great science section. A newspaper that doesn’t do enough reporting on a subject never feels compelled not to comment on it, but such commentary always suffers from its reading audience having little background in the topic. Full of sound and fury, as Shakespeare wrote.
Leave a Comment » | Charles Darwin, Darwin, Evolution, History, Newspapers, Religion, Science | Tagged: Charles Darwin, Darwin, Darwin's Legacy, Evolution, History, Religion, Rod Dreher, Science | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Dembski’s students sent into the crucible of Darwinism, at SMU!
September 24, 2009Oh, the sermons they’ll be able to preach!
We learn from a couple of sources that Bill Dembski has assigned his students in two different classes at Southwest Baptist Theological Seminary to try to crash a program honoring Charles Darwin and evolution theory at nearby Southern Methodist University, on Thursday, September 24.
Fall 2009
Christian Apologetics (SWBTS #PHILO 4373 – Fall 2009)
<> New as of 09.16.09! Dear Class, I want to share with you a few things: (1) For extra credit I’d like you to go to SMU on September 24th. On that day there are two back-to-back events at SMU celebrating Darwin — go to smu.edu/smunews/darwin/events.asp and scroll down to September 24th. I don’t want you going there merely as spectators but will indicate in class how you might actively participate and engage the Darwin-lovers you’ll find there.
* * * * *
Intelligent Design or Unintelligent Evolution (SWBTS #PHILO 2483 – Fall 2009)
<> New as of 09.16.09! Dear Class, I want to share with you a few things: (1) For extra credit I’d like you to go to SMU on September 24th. On that day there are two back-to-back events at SMU celebrating Darwin — go to smu.edu/smunews/darwin/events.asp and scroll down to September 24th. I don’t want you going there merely as spectators but will indicate in class how you might actively participate and engage the Darwin-lovers you’ll find there.
You gotta wonder just what would happen if one of those abused students were to actually pay attention to the science, turn honest, and become a defender of science and Darwin. SWBTS students are not required to swear to honesty, however, so it’s unlikely they will turn (not at the tuitions they pay!).
SMU’s Year of Darwin programs feature the NOVA episode on the Pennsylvania trial on evolution and intelligent design. The NOVA piece will be screened, and discussions will include the Honorable John E. Jones, the federal judge who presided over the trial and has since been maligned unfairly by Dembski and other religionists who reject the views of science. Other lecturers include reporter Laurie Lebo and the team that produced the NOVA episode:
| Sept. 24, 2009
Reception 10 a.m. Lecture 10:30 a.m. DeGolyer Library |
The Friends of the SMU Libraries/Colophon and The Friends of KERA Invite the public to a special event in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species and the 200th birthday of its author, Charles Darwin. Featured speakers will be Paula Apsell, senior executive producer of NOVA, and Melanie Wallace, senior series producer of NOVA. Please RSVP to 214-768-3225 or cruppi@smu.edu, Complimentary Valet Parking. |
| Sept. 24, 2009
4-6 p.m. O’Donnell Hall Owen Art Center |
Screening of “Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial,” a NOVA documentary. Introduction by Paula Apsell, senior executive producer of NOVA, who received an honorary degree from SMU in 2008. |
| Sept. 24, 2009
Reception 6-7 p.m. Panel 7-8:30 p.m. Caruth Auditorium Owen Art Center |
A panel discussion on the legal, ethical and journalistic issues surrounding the making of NOVA’s documentary film, Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial. Participants include John E. Jones, the federal judge who barred a Dover, Pa., public school district in 2005 from teaching “intelligent design”; Paula Apsell and Melanie Wallace, NOVA producers of the documentary; plaintiff’s council Eric Rothschild; and Laurie Lebo, author of The Devil in Dover. |
| Sept. 25, 2009
10:30 a.m. – noon Karcher Auditorium Storey Hall |
“Intelligent Design in the Classroom,” a panel discussion on First Amendment issues featuring Judge John E. Jones III, Eric Rothschild (Pepper Hamilton, LLP), Hiram Sasser (Liberty Legal Institute) and Lackland Bloom, SMU’s Dedman School of Law. |
| Sept. 25, 2009
10-11:30 a.m. 3531 Garson Owens Art Center |
Master class on Documentary Film Making, taught by Paula Apsell and Melanie Wallace of NOVA. Strictly by RSVP (to Teri Trevino, trevinot@mail.smu.edu) |
| Sept. 25, 2009
2-3 p.m. Hughes-Trigg Forum |
Lauri Lebo will speak on “From Dover to Texas: Reporting on Extremist Views in a Fair and Balanced World” followed by a book signing of her book, The Devil in Dover. |
I have attended sessions around Dallas where Dembski and other ID creationists were the featured speakers. We know one thing for certain: Dembski’s students will be given a more polite and mannerly reception at SMU than Dembski and his crew give scientists and critics at their own sessions. For years, since 1991 at least, SMU has allowed Dembski and his accomplices to use the facilities and good offices of SMU to promote their anti-science screeds, though Dembski’s views are not shared by Methodists, and are contrary to positions taken by the Methodist General Assembly.
It is impossible to imagine that SWBTS would allow Methodists to do the same thing, teaching and promoting science and especially evolution theory, at the seminary.
SMU’s program is open to the public (go to the SMU site above to see more events set over the next few months).
Dembski is teaching apologetics. Creationist apologists are not licensed, and generally cannot be sued for pedagogical or theological malpractice, even by their students. Standards for apologetics don’t exist. Scientists, on the other hand, are subject to peer review, and if using federal funds, prosecution should they tell falsehoods.
Nota bene: SMU’s lectures on Darwin’s Evolving Legacy are available on video, on-line. See the wonderfully informative and explanatory presentation by Dr. Barbara Forrest, for example.
2 Comments | Charles Darwin, Creationism, Darwin, Ethics, Evolution, History, Intelligent Design, Religion, Science, Science and faith | Tagged: Dover Trial, Intelligent Design, Judge John E. Jones, Southern Methodist University, William Dembski, Year of Darwin | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Intelligent design in science classes: Two views
August 19, 2009Texas’s ACLU chapter’s convention on August 1 featured a lively and informative session on intelligent design. It might seem like it was set up as a debate, but as the video shows, the two views complemented each other surprisingly.
Presenters were Liberty Legal Institute’s Hiram Sasser and Barbara Forrest, a professor of philosophy at Southeastern Louisiana University, the premier chronicler of the creationism wars in the U.S.
Help others to see:
Leave a Comment » | Creationism, Darwin, Education, Evolution, Freedom - Political, Intelligent Design, Religious Freedom, Science, Separation of church and state, Teaching, Texas, War on Education, War on Science | Tagged: ACLU, Creationism, Education, Evolution, First Amendment, Intelligent Design, Religion, Science, Separation of church and state, Texas | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
In comedy, truth, wisdom, and education
June 13, 2009Remember Jonathan Miller and “The Body in Question?”
Dick Cavett remembers, discusses the now-75-years-old man. Plus, delightfully, Cavett has video at his blog at the New York Times.
And here, Miller explains to Cavett just why creationism is in error, and why the study of Darwin and evolution is worthwhile. You’ll have to go to the Times site for the full program; here’s a few minutes’ of of Miller:
Leave a Comment » | Charles Darwin, Creationism, Darwin, Education, Evolution, History, Science, Television | Tagged: Charles Darwin, Creationism, Darwin, Dick Cavett, Education, Evolutin, History, Jonathan Miller, Science, Television | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
McLeroy nomination – still dead?
May 26, 2009Molly Ivins’ untimely passing becomes acutely painful when the Texas Lege comes down to the last days of a session. Who can make sense of it without Molly?
We thought a couple weeks ago that Gov. Rick Perry’s nomination of creationist wedge politician Don McLeroy was dead, when the Senate Nominations Committee took testimony and failed to report the nomination, to chair the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE).
Then last week, in one of those surprise moves that even the Texas legislators responsible often cannot explain, the nomination rose from the dead and stumbled, zombie-like, to the Senate floor for a vote this week — maybe as soon as today, Tuesday, May 26.
The Houston Chronicle reports that all 12 Senate Democrats will vote against the nomination, dooming it (according to The Lonesome Mongoose, via Pharyngula).
The Bryan dentist has presided over a contentious 15-member State Board of Education that fought over curriculum standards for science earlier this year and English language arts and reading last year. Critics faulted McLeroy for applying his strong religious beliefs in shaping new science standards. McLeroy believes in creationism and that the Earth is about 6,000 years old.
“This particular State Board of Education under the leadership of Dr. McLeroy has been divisive. It’s been dysfunctional, and it has been embarrassing to the point of having commentary on this in the Washington Post, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal,” said Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus.
McLeroy’s leadership, she said, had made Texas “the laughing stock of the nation.”
It takes 11 votes to block a gubernatorial nomination. Van de Putte said all 12 Senate Democrats plan to vote against McLeroy
Don’t count your dead nominations before the silver stakes are driven. Stay tuned. Maybe you should call your Texas senator again on Tuesday. Pray, cross your fingers, hope, and pass the ammunition.
If the nomination fails, it is still foggy as Donora, Pennsylvania on its worst days as to who will head the group. The chairman must come from one of the 15 elected members. Most people who might win Rick Perry’s selection are creationists. If Perry is wise, he’ll try to choose someone who is a capable administrator, wise chairman of hearings, and who lacks the desire to annoy key players in education, like administrators, teachers, parents, Texas college presidents and professors, and state legislators. Alas for Texas, Winston Churchill is not a member of the SBOE, nor is Mitt Romney.
The Senate rarely blocks a governor’s appointment.
There is speculation in the Capitol and within the Texas Education Agency that Gov. Rick Perry might elevate Cynthia Dunbar, R-Richmond, to lead the board. Like McLeroy, Dunbar also holds strong Christian beliefs and recently authored a book that advocates more religion in the public square.
“We believe that Texans deserve better than divisive, destructive, extreme leadership,” Shapleigh said. “If the governor chooses to appoint someone more extreme and more divisive, we’ll have to deal with that at the appropriate time.”
McLeroy’s tenure as chairman of SBOE is one of those waves we were warned about in 1983 lin the Excellence in Education Report, which warned of a “rising tide of mediocrity.” The divisions and crude politics, heavy-handed destruction of statutory and regulatory procedures, at best distracts from the drive for better education, but more often leans toward the worst, sabatoging the work of students, teachers, parents, administrators and legislatures.
Do you pray? Pray that Texas education be delivered safely and intact from this time of trial. Whether you pray or not, call your Texas legislator and tell her or him to straighten out the SBOE.
Resources:
- Phil Plait at Bad Astronomy, “This guy runs your school board?”
- Thoughts from Kansas, and Seed article on Texas SBOE
- Perry to everybody, “Drop Dead!”
- McLeroy declares war on science
- McLeroy’s war on English students
- Houston Chronicle opinion pages: “Be very afraid” of Texas SBOE
- “McLeroy Confirmation Alert,” Texas Freedom Network Insider
- “McLeroy backs fringe social studies ‘expert,'” TFN Insider
- “Victory for the Texas Taliban,” Leiter Reports
3 Comments | Creationism, Darwin, Education, Education quality, Education reform, Evolution, State school boards, Texas, Texas Citizens for Science, Texas Freedom Network, Texas Lege, Textbooks, War on Education | Tagged: Creationism, Don McLeroy, Education, Evolution, Science Standards, Texas Lege, Texas State School Board, Textbooks | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Evolution theory driven by anti-racism
May 3, 2009Here’s a book that most creationists hope you never read and which strikes terror in the hearts of Discovery Institute fellows: Darwin’s Sacred Cause: How a Hatred of Slavery Shaped Darwin’s Views on Human Evolution.
Cover of Desmond and Moore's 2009 book, Darwin's Sacred Cause
It’s another grand book on Darwin from the team of Adrian Desmond and James Moore, based on their deep diving into the archives of writings from and about Darwin in his own time. Their earlier book, Darwin, is a bit of a modern classic in biography, and a must-read for anyone seriously studying Darwin and evolution.
This book promises to eviscerate a favorite chunk of calumny claimed by creationists, that Darwin’s theory is flawed because Darwin himself was a racist. Scientists painstakingly note that the racist views of a scientist don’t affect the theory (think of William Shockley and the transistor), but creationists still use the false claim as fodder for sermon’s and internet rants. Or, in the case of the Discovery Institute, the false claims is used as a justification to appoint a fellow in the propaganda department, Richard Weikart.
Desmond and Moore confront the claims head on, it appears. How will creationists change their story to accommodate these facts? Or, will creationists resort to denial?
One theme that may be supported in the book is the realization that pursuit of a noble cause frequenly ennobles those who pursue it. Certainly it is easy to make a case that Darwin’s hatred of slavery and advocacy for its abolition colored his views of what he saw, though perhaps not so much as what he saw colored his views of slavery and abolition. Desmond and Moore have a chapter that discusses Charles Lyell’s trips to America, and Lyell’s different views on slavery having traveled the American south. Lyell did not travel as an abolitionist, and his views suffer as a result. Lyell was a product of his times in the portrait Desmond and Moore paint. Darwin demonstrated the power of science, and the power of personal use of science, in using the facts to overcome racism; Darwin used his experience and study to rise above the times. That may be the difference between the men, why we celebrate Darwin today, and remember Lyell as a good scientist, but usually a footnote to Darwin.
Resources:
- Conturnix comments at Blog Around the Clock
- The first chapter of the book, at The New York Times
- Review of the book in The New York Times
- Review of the book in The Christian Science Monitor
- Review of the book in The Guardian
- Science News review
- Extensive review in Nature (some kind of subscription required; much available without subscription)
- Special resources on Darwin at Nature
2 Comments | Biography, Books, Charles Darwin, Darwin, Evolution, Racism, Science | Tagged: Biography, Books, Charles Darwin, Evolution, Racism, Science, Slavery | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Evolution in Texas
April 14, 2009
From image maker Colin Purrington: Texans' fondness for Biblical literalism indirectly ruins science education for the rest of the country. Texas is the nation's biggest consumer of textbooks, so authors will often write their books "for" the Texas State Board of Education, which usually has at least one delusional freakazoid who believes that fossils are the result of the Great Flood. On the State School Board!! I kid you not. Really amazing, and sad.
Another brilliant creation of Colin Purrington’s Evolution Outreach project.
2 Comments | Biology, Darwin, Education, Science, State school boards, TEKS, Texas | Tagged: Biology, Darwin, Education, Evolution, Science, Texas | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
More creationist flapdoodlery
April 2, 2009Reformed Covenanter is a Rushdooney-loving blogger in Northern Ireland. Here, in comments he accepts the bizarre story that Darwin was a nasty man, an atheist groomed from birth by his grandfather, Erasmus, to hate the church.
Great trick, or a miracle: Darwin’s grandfather Erasmus died in 1802. Charles Darwin was born seven years later, in 1809. For people who believe in miracles, this is no problem, I suppose. But I worry that they attribute such astounding miracles to Darwin. That departs a bit from Christian theology, it seems to me.
(It’s a classic wingnut site — comments closed, don’t ask, not no way, not no how.)
5 Comments | Darwin, Rampant stupidity, Religion | Tagged: Darwin, Impossible Things, Rampant stupidity, Religion, Rushdooney | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Texas science under siege: Help if you can
March 27, 2009More bad news than good news from the Texas State School Board: Yes, the board failed to reintroduce the creationist sponsored “strengths and weaknesses” language in high school science standards; but under the misleadership of Board Chair Don McLeroy, there is yet <i>another</i> series of amendments intended to mock science, including one challenging Big Bang, one challenging natural selection as a known mechanism of evolution, and, incredibly, one challenging the even the idea of common descent. It’s a kick in the teeth to Texas teachers and scientists who wrote the standards the creationists don’t like.
Texas Freedom Network’s blog headline tells the story: “Science Under Siege in Texas.”
Do you live in Texas? Do you teach, or are you involved in the sciences in Texas? Then please send an e-mail to the State Board of Education this morning, urging them to stick to the science standards their education and science experts recommended. Most of the recent amendments aim to kill the standards the scientists and educators wrote.
TFN tells how to write:
You can still weigh in by sending e-mails to board members at sboeteks@tea.state.tx.us. Texas Education Agency staff will distribute e-mails to board members.
You don’t think it’s serious? Here’s Don McLeroy explaining the purpose of one of his amendments:
Live blogging of SBOE activities today by Steve Schafersman of Texas Citizens for Science, here, and by the Texas Freedom Network, here.
3 Comments | Creationism, Darwin, Education, Education quality, Evolution, History, Religion, Science, Science and faith, State school boards, Texas, Texas Citizens for Science, Texas Freedom Network | Tagged: Education, McLeroy, public schools, Religion, Science, Science Standards, Texas, Texas State Board of Education, Voodoo science | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Listen in: Texas board considers science standards, and evolution
March 26, 2009Texas Freedom Network is live-blogging the hearings and proceedings from Austin, again today, before the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE). [I’ve changed the link to go to the TFN blog — that will take you to the latest post with latest news.] Testimony yesterday showed the coarse nature of the way SBOE treats science and scientists, and offered a lot of “balancing” testimony against evolution from people who appeared not to have ever read much science at all. The issue remains whether to force Texas kids to study false claims of scientific error about evolution.
As yesterday, Steve Schafersman of Texas Citizens for Science is live-blogging, too, here at EvoSphere.
Schafersman’s list of several ways you can keep up with the hearings still applies:
I will be live blogging the Texas State Board of Education meeting of 2009 March 25-27 in this column. This includes the hearing devoted to public testimony beginning at 12:00 noon on Wednesday, March 25. I will stay through the final vote on Friday, March 27.
Go to the following webpages for further information:
State Board of Education
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index3.aspx?id=1156March 25-26 SBOE Meeting Agenda
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index4.aspx?id=3994March 25 Public Hearing with Testimony, 12:00 noon
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index4.aspx?id=4034State Board rules for Public Testimony
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index4.aspx?id=3958#Public%20TestimonyCurrent Science TEKS as revised in 2009 January
http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/home/sboeprop.htmlFor the live audio feed, go to http://www.tea.state.tx.us/ for the link.
Leave a Comment » | Creationism, Darwin, Education, Evolution, Politics, Religion, Science, State school boards, Texas, Texas Citizens for Science, Texas Education Agency (TEA) | Tagged: Creationism, Education, Evolution, Politics, Science, Texas, Texas State Board of Educaiton, Voodoo science | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Campolo: Still wrong on evolution
March 18, 2009I’ve been itching to get at Tony Campolo’s republication of his errors on evolution and intelligent design. There’s a lot on my “to do” list.
Mike at Tangled Up In Blue Guy has beat me to it, and probably done it better than I could have. Go read, “Is, and ought, and Darwinism.” I agree.
Related material at Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub:
3 Comments | Accuracy, Bogus history, Charles Darwin, Darwin, Education, History, Racism, Science | Tagged: Accuracy, Culture, Darwin, Evolution, History, Racism, Science, Social Darwinism | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Creationism, at the Bad Idea Blog
March 9, 2009Bad himself has gone silent for a while.
Go give it a look.
I may post some of the stuff over here, eventually. In the meantime, go discuss. Maybe Bad can be convinced to come out of retirement.
Definitely related post:
3 Comments | Biology, Creationism, Darwin, Evolution, Religion, Research, Science | Tagged: Bad Idea Blog, Creationism, denialism, Evolution, Religion, Science | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Cecil Adams’ forum honors Darwin!
February 12, 2009Interesting compilation: In honor of Darwin’s 200th anniversary, take Steve Bratteng’s 13 questions evolution answers that intellligent design cannot; add to that some almost-recent polling data on creationism among Republicans, and kick off a discussion.
Someone posting at the Cecil Adams’ site, Straight Dope, did just that. Go join the discussion.
Trying to flatter me, of course, they linked to this blog — but it’s all Steve Bratteng’s work.
His questionnaire deserves a much broader audience. So, Welcome Straight Dopers.
Update: Goin’ viral now — A forum at Free Republic picked up on the quiz, too (from Straight Dope?). Go check out the discussion there — lots of concern that the malaria question is answered by the existence of Rachel Carson, which means those who propose that don’t understand evolution and haven’t read Rachel Carson, either. Welcome, Freepers.
6 Comments | Charles Darwin, Darwin, Evolution, Health care, Intelligent Design, Science | Tagged: Charles Darwin, Darwin, Evolution, evolutionary medicine, Intelligent Design, Science, Steve Bratteng | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell
Millard Fillmore's Bathtub 