Evolution in the light of intelligent design encyclopedia - new entries

Coelacanth Devonian coelacanth find fills gap. "The find is significant for consigning an extensive discussion of coelacanth and lungfish fins to the filing cabinet of history."

Earth as privileged planet "Theories of how planetary atmospheres formed will need to be reappraised. The findings create yet more problems for OOL research. In other contexts, finding water outside the Earth has been used to raise expectations of finding life, but at least that does not arise here. However, it is worth contrasting this point with some of the more sensational media reports ... "

Form, theory of form The modern synthesis (neo-Darwinism) has not given us a theory of form.

Hot Jupiters

Kelvin "As a physicist, Kelvin sought to develop quantitative, rather than qualitative, science and he found himself in conflict with geologists who wanted an Earth with "no vestige of a beginning."

Orchids "on the basis that the "rate of orchid evolution" exhibited by the subtribe Goodyerinae is almost zero, the comment of the lead author is probably correct: "The dinosaurs could have walked among orchids."

Origin of life research - examples of flawed thinking (David Tyler)

Peppered Moth controversy
"Is it scientifically defensible to find an example of natural selection within a population of an animal, and then use this as an evidence for evolutionary transformation from the first single cell to the extraordinary diversity of life that we find in the biosphere?" (David Tyler)

Privileged Planet hypothesis Earth as privileged planet: In light of 2007 find, "Theories of how planetary atmospheres formed will need to be reappraised. The findings create yet more problems for OOL research. In other contexts, finding water outside the Earth has been used to raise expectations of finding life, but at least that does not arise here. However, it is worth contrasting this point with some of the more sensational media reports ... "


Sci Phi Show, featuring Australia's Jason Rennie, offers podcasts featuring major players pro and con intelligent design (O'Leary)

These entries will be added to the Evolution in the light of intelligent design Encyclopedia.

Intelligent design and popular culture: Where did terms like "intelligent design", "Darwinism" come from?

Here's a podcast from the Discovery Institute, with Rob Crowther tracing the history of the use of the term "intelligent design" back about 100 years. I wouldn't be surprised if it's older - but not much older. Words change their range of meanings over the centuries. Apparently, some people - desperate to keep Darwinism's books from getting balanced - want to claim that the term is not only of very recent vintage but was developed purely for political purposes. Not likely.

While we're here, another cute trick is to claim that only ID types use the term "Darwinism." Several earnest and unimaginative people have pestered me with that claim and refuse to be set straight by evidence of usage. Even Lyn Margulis hollering "I am a Darwinist" at the Evolution Summit has no effect on them. They seem to know "the truth", however it shifts and changes, and "the truth" shall keep them hapy, or anyway less worried.

Intelligent design controversy: Why things are different in Canada

In this podcast, I discuss the differences between Canadian and American culture, which impact rresponses to the intelligent design controversy. Here is a post in which I discuss the differences, in the light of a recent poll which asked similar questions in both nations and got dramatically different responses. Also here, here and here. Now THAT was a story with legs. Heree is a useful item on polls on ID-relevant issues in general.

(P.S.: That authorship statement in the podcast for The Spiritual Brain SHOULD say "Beauregard and O'Leary are co-authors." Because we are.)

Portuguese language ID controversy blog celebrates 70 000 visitors

The Portuguese language blog Pos-Darwinista (my godchild, insofar as it was named after the Post-Darwinist), has logged 70, 000 visitors so far. Blogger Enezio encourages Portuguese speakers to join the fun, reminding me that Toronto has a large Portuguese speaking community. Parabens, Enezio!

My two children's science books just published!

I can't find Alien Worlds or Living in Space, both for the Grade 6 level, on the Internet yet, but I am looking at copies.

They have just been published by Thomson Duval as part of the Reading for Real series.

On the whole, the illustrators did an excellent job and the editors stayed true to my concept.

But they turned my girl characters into guys!

WHY did they do that? Reasonable thoughts welcome!

Even so, I now qualify for membership in CANSCAIP!

Update: I found a link for the books. Now, if I could just get them to respond to my request to buy a few extra copies.