Evolution Archive
July 1, 2008
Two Papers that Changed the World
or at least our understanding of it. On July 1, 1858, 150 years ago, two papers, one by Charles Darwin and one by Alfred Russel Wallace, were read at the Linnean Society in London. Independently, they had discovered natural selection,...Read all of "Two Papers that Changed the World"
Posted by Duane Smith at 10:06 AM
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May 31, 2008
Evolutionary Novelties
Todd Oakley is Assistant Professor of Biology at the University of California-Santa Barbara. He works in ecology, evolution and marine biology and serves as the Assistant Curator at the Museum of Systematics and Ecology at UCSB. He also has a...Read all of "Evolutionary Novelties"
Posted by Duane Smith at 6:53 PM
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May 11, 2008
Schloss on Expelled
Jeffrey Schloss of Westmont College wrote one of the most balanced reviews of the movie Expelled that I've read. It is also the longest review I have read: twenty six pages of text along with ninety five endnotes. Schloss, a...Read all of "Schloss on Expelled"
Posted by Duane Smith at 12:25 PM
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February 12, 2008
Darwin Day
Today would have been Charles Darwin's one-hundred and ninety-ninth birthday. I'm a little leery about celebrating such a day. I worry that it reinforces the mistaken idea of a Darwin cult rather than celebrates an on going scientific enterprise that...Posted by Duane Smith at 7:44 PM
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November 12, 2007
November 13th - Judgment Day
Don't miss it. A documentary on the Kitzmiller v. Dover School District will be on NOVA. Below is a short preview of Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial. If you know what Kitzmiller v. Dover School District is, you will...Read all of "November 13th - Judgment Day"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:37 PM
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September 15, 2007
Rick Colling and the "Profoundly Scientifically Ignorant"
I have not written on Rick Colling. Others have done a very good job covering the issues surrounding the severe restrictions put of Colling by Olivet Nazarene University in Illinois. Colling wants to teach evolution in a biology class of...Read all of "Rick Colling and the "Profoundly Scientifically Ignorant""
Posted by Duane Smith at 9:12 AM | TrackBack (0) | Abnormal Archive Link |
May 27, 2007
The Creation Museum Carnival is Up at Pharyngula
PZ Myers has done a great job pulling together abstracts and links to about 65 posts whose content ranges from scientific discussion to analyses of media responses to just plain derision. There's even one about Hebrew words that don't mean...Read all of "The Creation Museum Carnival is Up at Pharyngula"
Posted by Duane Smith at 12:27 PM
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May 26, 2007
Hector Avalos' Promotion and Something Irrelevant
Chris Heard has a great post at Higgaion on how the Discovery Institute is trying to leverage Hector Avalos' promotion at Iowa State to support claims that Iowa State improperly denied tenure to Guillermo Gonzalez. Please give it a read....Read all of "Hector Avalos' Promotion and Something Irrelevant"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:07 PM
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February 5, 2007
Intelligent Design: A Political Movement
Ed Brayton at Dispatches from the Culture Wars references a letter to the editor from Pamela Thompson, Vice President of Communications for the Templeton Foundation, regarding Intellectual Design Creationism. Give Ed's post a read. Here is a sample from Thompson's...Read all of "Intelligent Design: A Political Movement"
Posted by Duane Smith at 2:28 PM
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January 13, 2007
What is Biological Evolution?
Laurence Moran at Sandwalk has a great discussion of the minimum definition of biological evolution. The answered is simple, Biological "evolution is a process that results in heritable changes in a population spread over many generations." The discussion is engaging....Read all of "What is Biological Evolution?"
Posted by Duane Smith at 6:40 PM
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December 19, 2006
A Bad Year for Creationists
John Lynch at Stranger Fruit has a month by month chronicle of events ending with today's defeat in the Cobb Country (GA) disclaimer case. In fact, December has been a particularly bad month for creationists. Only May seems to have...Read all of "A Bad Year for Creationists"
Posted by Duane Smith at 9:25 PM
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December 4, 2006
"De-emphasizing" the Evidence as a Creationist Strategy
This issue has raised its head for the second time in the last few months. Several bloggers, including yours truly, reported on it when it first appeared. But yesterday Yahoo brought up The Daily Telegraph of London report that is...Read all of ""De-emphasizing" the Evidence as a Creationist Strategy"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:19 PM
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October 16, 2006
Branding the Other Guy
John McKay at Archi interacts with Ed Brayton and some of his readers at Dispatches from the Culture Wars on the question of the use of "Darwinism" and "Darwinist" by creationists. John is exactly correct, By abandoning their own "-ism"...Read all of "Branding the Other Guy"
Posted by Duane Smith at 12:59 PM
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August 11, 2006
The Sorry and Dangerous State of Science in the United States
Nick Matzke tells the story on The Panda's Thumb, Science magazine has just published the results of international polls assessing public acceptance of evolution around the world: Jon D. Miller, Eugenie C. Scott, and Shinji Okamoto (2006) “.” Science Aug...Read all of "The Sorry and Dangerous State of Science in the United States"
Posted by Duane Smith at 9:28 AM
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August 7, 2006
Wedging the Wedge
Over at Panda's Thumb PvM tells us about “Countering the Wedge: A multi-pronged, multi-year strategy to oppose creationism and intelligent design in the science curriculum of public schools” by Massimo Pigliucci, David Baum and Mark McPeek. All three authors are...Read all of "Wedging the Wedge"
Posted by Duane Smith at 6:57 PM
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August 2, 2006
The Other Truth About Kansas
Most of Kansas voted for proscience State School Board candidates in the primary election held yesterday. While they were unable to boot all the creationists, this is a very good start and a major set back for those who poured...Read all of "The Other Truth About Kansas"
Posted by Duane Smith at 9:40 AM
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July 31, 2006
The Truth About Kansas
Ed Brayton at Dispatches from the Culture War has found an Intelligent Design creationist who tells the truth. Except when fundraising, they don't naturally tell the truth. You can read it in the comments at William Dembski's website. In response...Read all of "The Truth About Kansas"
Posted by Duane Smith at 1:08 PM
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June 20, 2006
An Intersection of Evolutionary Biology and Archaeology
I have an interest in archaeology and a usually unrelated interest in evolutionary biology. Actually, my interest in evolutionary biology is mostly focused on Paleoanthropology but I'm willing to be a little broader when something really abnormal comes along. A...Read all of "An Intersection of Evolutionary Biology and Archaeology"
Posted by Duane Smith at 3:21 PM
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April 11, 2006
On the Role of Intuition in Creationism
Henry Neufeld at Threads of Henry has an interesting post that challenges a long held belief of mine (and his) in a very interesting way. The belief is that some kind of naive intuition lies near the base of much...Read all of "On the Role of Intuition in Creationism"
Posted by Duane Smith at 9:23 AM
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March 31, 2006
On Using the "E" Word Every Day from Kindergarten On
This morning's Los Angeles Times has a story about the trials of teachers as they try to teach science in the face of some pupils and parents who are prepared to challenge them at almost every step. The whole article...Read all of "On Using the "E" Word Every Day from Kindergarten On"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:26 PM
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March 7, 2006
Neither Rhyme Nor Reason
Roses are red. Violets are blue. I ride a bicycle. Can you swim? This is the poem my father would recite whenever he wanted to point out that something made no sense at all. It wasn't until today that I...Read all of "Neither Rhyme Nor Reason"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:41 PM
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March 2, 2006
The Naked Ape and the Other Partially Naked Primates
At the beginning of chapter 27 of Following the Equator, Mark Twain attributed this to "Pudd'nhead Wilson's New Calendar:" Man is the Only Animal that Blushes. Or needs to. And those words are a powerful metaphor for much of the...Read all of "The Naked Ape and the Other Partially Naked Primates"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:23 PM
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February 23, 2006
Castorocauda lutrasimilis the Jurassic "Beaver"
Until now, Jurassic mammals have been thought of as small. But, at about a foot long, this new fossil discovery is a whopper, at least by Jurassic mammal standards. PZ Myers has a good report, with pictures, over at Pharyngula....Read all of "Castorocauda lutrasimilis the Jurassic "Beaver""
Posted by Duane Smith at 3:19 PM
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February 21, 2006
Kenneth Chang Writes a Very Good Article
Back in August of last year, I posted a very negative piece about an article in the New York Times written by Kenneth Chang. Today's New York Times has another article by Mr. Chang on the Intelligent Design creationist moment...Read all of "Kenneth Chang Writes a Very Good Article"
Posted by Duane Smith at 9:49 AM
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February 11, 2006
Why Give Him This Much Copy?
The Los Angeles Times has an article, starting on the front page no less, by Stephanie Simon about the silliness of the Evangelist Ken Ham. Yes, Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis fame. I have mostly negative feelings about this...Read all of "Why Give Him This Much Copy?"
Posted by Duane Smith at 10:10 AM
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February 1, 2006
The Original Wedge Document
PZ Myers at Pharyngula directs us to a story in the Seattle Weekly that tells the history of the original wedge document and gives a copy of it complete with graphics. If you have even the slightest doubt about the...Read all of "The Original Wedge Document"
Posted by Duane Smith at 11:34 AM
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January 22, 2006
Can They Read?
I am increasing concerned that the folks in the Intelligent Design creationist movement can't read. Dave Scott on Uncommon Decent comments on the lack of reaction from the "Darwinian Evolution (sic)" community to an article in L'Osservatore Romano . I...Posted by Duane Smith at 11:21 AM
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January 18, 2006
Catholic Biologist Again Says Intelligent Design is Not Science
I found this AP article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution while I was looking for something else. The Vatican newspaper has published an article saying "intelligent design" is not science and that teaching it alongside evolutionary theory in school classrooms...Read all of "Catholic Biologist Again Says Intelligent Design is Not Science"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:26 PM
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January 4, 2006
Orthodox Rabbi Supports Evolution as a Science and Intelligent Design Creationism as Religion
Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb is the executive Vice President of the Orthodox Union, an organization that works on behalf of some 1,000 Orthodox synagogues. He is also the spiritual leader of Congregation Shomrei Emunah in Baltimore. Here is part...Posted by Duane Smith at 9:46 PM
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December 27, 2005
What?
"Let the student decide." With those well-chosen words John McCain summed up his view on the teaching of "intelligent design" along with evolution in public schools. [Arizona Daily Star] What a relief to know that scientists, educators and even judges...Posted by Duane Smith at 1:23 PM
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