Posted by PvM on December 18, 2004 | Comments (17) | TrackBack (4)

Common, though persistent, misconceptions exist among ID proponents about the Cambrian Explosion, the Darwinian ‘tree of life’ and the appearance of phyla. I hope that my contribution will help put to rest some of these misconceptions.

These misconceptions include: 1) no Pre-Cambrian fossils 2) appearance of phyla are at odds with Darwinian predictions 3) the shape of the tree of life over time 4) no transitional fossils between phyla.

The confusion seems to have started with Art Battson, was popularized by Wells but continues with on Mark Hartwig and more recently with Salvador who posted the following picture (loosely based on the original work by Art Battson).

Continue reading  “Icons of ID: Darwinian predictions and the Cambrian”

Posted by Timothy Sandefur on December 17, 2004 | Comments (37) | TrackBack (6)

In a comment regarding the Dover school board case, Grand Moff Texan asks,

Isn't teaching bad science as science an act of fraud?

Couldn't parents sue a public institution for willfully damaging their children's education?

Oh, how I wish. I've long said it's one of my dreams in life to be the first attorney to successfully sue a government school teacher for malpractice. Alas, it can't be done.

Continue reading  “Suing schools for negligent science education?”

Posted by John S. Wilkins on December 15, 2004 | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

There has been something of a reaction by American cartoonists to the recent creationist and ID attempts to get evolution out of, or their theology into, public schools. For your delectation and amusement, courtesy of Nick Matzke, here they are in one hit: Evolving Thoughts

Posted by PvM on December 15, 2004 | Comments (12) | TrackBack (0)

In addition to the more than 500  Steves in NCSE’s Project Steve many other scientists have started to speak out against Intelligent Design.
To appreciate the number, there are about 1% of people in the US with the name Steve or Stephanie. In addition, less than 1% of the population in the US has a PhD.
The NCSE has collected the position of Civil Liberty organizations, Educational organizations, Religious organizations and Scientific and Scholarly organizations in their Voices for Evolution project.

Continue reading  “Scientists v Intelligent Design”

Posted by Nick Matzke on December 15, 2004 | Comments (22) | TrackBack (0)

Today, eleven parents from Dover, Pennsylvania, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU of Pennsylvania), Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and attorneys from Pepper Hamilton LLP filed suit in federal court to overturn the “intelligent design” policy of the Dover Area School Board.

The National Center for Science Education is consulting on the case (for free) on the science and science education aspects of the case.

Continue reading  “Kitzmiller et al. v. Dover Area School District”

Posted by Reed A. Cartwright on December 15, 2004 | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

First Call for Abstracts

Southeastern Ecology and Evolution Conference
The University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia
11-13 March 2005
http://www.uga.edu/seec…

Registration deadline:  4 February 2005

We invite all graduate, undergraduate, and post-doctoral researchers studying in the environmental and life sciences to submit abstracts for either oral or poster presentations at the 2nd annual Southeastern Ecology and Evolution Conference (SEEC) to be held March 11-13, 2005, at the The University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia.  Talks will be delivered by Drs. Whit Gibbons, John Avise and Gary Barrett.

Continue reading  “SEEC 2005”

Posted by PZ Myers on December 15, 2004 | Comments (1) | TrackBack (1)

Posted by PZ Myers on December 15, 2004 | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Tangled Bank #18 is now online at CodeBlueBlog. Go read about science and medicine!

Posted by Timothy Sandefur on December 14, 2004 | Comments (24) | TrackBack (1)

A while back I noted that, just after adopting a curriculum requiring the teaching of Intelligent Design creationism, a York, Pennsylvania school district member told the York Daily Record "We are not going to be sued.... It's not going to be a problem. I have confidence in the district's lawyers."

Looks like she was wrong.

Posted by PZ Myers on December 14, 2004 | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Like this bumper sticker? Want one?

They're now available from:

They're $2.50 each (a bargain!) Make out the check to the "UC Boulder - Bioliteracy project". And even better, look at what the money supports: The Bioliteracy Project.

Our goal is to generate, test and distribute the tools to determine whether students are learning what teachers think they are teaching.

We assume that accurate and timely assessment of student knowledge will pressure the educational world toward more effective teaching.

Why? Because basic understanding of the biological sciences impacts our lives in more and more dramatic ways every year.

A wide range of important personal, social, economic and political decisions depend upon an accurate understanding of basic biology and the means by which science generates, tests and extends our knowledge.

A good cause, a strong statement, a classy sticker for your car…how can you go wrong?

Posted by PvM on December 13, 2004 | Comments (40) | TrackBack (0)

Dembski’s recent lamentations about what he considered the selective use of data by evolutionists (googlewars) motivated me to look in some more detail at how ID proponents are handling topics such as the Cambrian Explosion. My findings conclude that ID proponents are still confused about the Cambrian explosion, the fossil record, and the molecular data which contradicts their cartoonish portrayal of the Cambrian. Based on selective ‘evidence’ and poor scientific arguments, the impression is created that the Cambrian explosion is a problem for evolutionary theory or supportive of intelligent design. Neither assertion is true — unless one accepts that Intelligent Design is all about ignorance. The lack of any scientifically relevant hypothesis by Intelligent Design to explain the Cambrian explosion exemplifies the scientific vacuity of ID, and I won’t even mention the theological risks.

Continue reading  “Icons of ID: The Cambrian Explosion”

Posted by PZ Myers on December 13, 2004 | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

PvM has already written a bit about this issue in the article "Human Gland Probably Evolved From Gills", but I'm not going to let the fact that I'm late to the party stop me from having fun with it. This is just such a darned pretty story that reveals how deeply vertebrate similarities run, using multiple lines of evidence.

Continue reading "Deep homologies in the pharyngeal arches" (on Pharyngula)

Posted by PZ Myers on December 13, 2004 | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

…is some more Tangled Bank entries! This is the week to send in links to your science writing on the web. They will be exhibited for all to read on CodeBlueBlog on Wednesday, and you can send your links either directly to Dr Boyle, to me, or to host@tangledbank.net.

If you don't know what this "tangled bank" thing is, find out more on the Tangled Bank website, which also contains many links to other science weblogs and science articles on the net. And if you think it's a cool idea, volunteer to host one yourself!

Posted by Reed A. Cartwright on December 12, 2004 | Comments (41) | TrackBack (0)

Evolution bests Creationism

Evolution: 39,300,000
Creationism: 700,000

Posted by Nick Matzke on December 12, 2004 | Comments (23) | TrackBack (2)

If you would like to see what the Intelligent Design folks want to do to the state science standards in Kansas, you’re in luck!  They have kindly posted their suggested revisions right here on the Intelligent Design Network website, and on the slick new Kansasscience2005.com website (look, there’s a picture of a student looking through a microscope, it must be scientific!)

A representative quote:

Continue reading  “Kansas 2005: Have a look see”

Posted by PvM on December 12, 2004 | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

The Discovery Institute continues to ignore the advice of Richard Colling

Prof. Richard Colling wrote:

In his new book, “Random Designer,” he writes: “It pains me to suggest that my religious brothers are telling falsehoods” when they say evolutionary theory is “in crisis” and claim that there is widespread skepticism about it among scientists. “Such statements are blatantly untrue,” he argues; “evolution has stood the test of time and considerable scrutiny. [1]”

(Sharon Begley in Tough Assignment: Teaching Evolution To Fundamentalists, Wall Street Journal, December 3, 2004; Page A15 )

Continue reading  “Icons of ID: And the Wedge continues”