The Discovery Institute Retreats from Dover

Discovery Institute ^ | September 22, 2005 | John West

[Arnhart]

The Discovery Institute has announced its retreat in the Dover, PA federal court case over the teaching of "intelligent design" in the Dover schools. John West says: "Rather than require students to learn about intelligent design, what we recommend is that teachers and students study more about Darwinian evolution, not only the evidence that supports the theory, but also criticisms of the theory." This confirms my argument that "intelligent design theory" is not really a scientific theory because it offers no postive explanation for the emergence of life. Rather, IDT employs a purely negative rhetoric of criticizing Darwinian theory as incomplete. West knows that the ID folks will lose their case in the courts if they have to show that they have a testable scientific theory. I have developed these points at darwinianconservatism.blogspot.com

[ClearCase_guy]

West knows that the ID folks will lose their case in the courts if they have to show that they have a testable scientific theory.

I fail to see how Evolution is testable. Certainly not in the way that ideas in Physics or Chemicstry are testable.

Evolution is about conjecture based on accumulated evidence. It is no more testable than ID.

[Arnhart]

Not testable? Evolutionary scientists go into their laboratories every day to test their theories. For example, evolutionary theory predicts patterns of genetic similarity that indicate common ancestry. If we discovered that species predicted to be closely related were not similar genetically, then our theory would be falsified. If there were no genetic similarity between humans and other primates, this would disprove the theory of primate evolution.

How often do the proponents of ID go into their laboratories to test their predictions about how exactly the Intelligent Designer creates "irreducibly complex" mechanisms? Isn't the answer obvious? They never do this, because they have no testable theory at all about exactly when, where, and how the Intelligent Designer does his work.

[Stark_GOP]

"Not testable? Evolutionary scientists go into their laboratories every day to test their theories. For example, evolutionary theory predicts patterns of genetic similarity that indicate common ancestry. If we discovered that species predicted to be closely related were not similar genetically, then our theory would be falsified. If there were no genetic similarity between humans and other primates, this would disprove the theory of primate evolution.

How often do the proponents of ID go into their laboratories to test their predictions about how exactly the Intelligent Designer creates "irreducibly complex" mechanisms? Isn't the answer obvious? They never do this, because they have no testable theory at all about exactly when, where, and how the Intelligent Designer does his work."
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For all their hard work, evolutionary scientists have not been able to prove evolution. Commonality of design and genetic similarity doesn't prove evolution.
It's not the science ID'ers call into question. It's the conclusions evolutionists wrongly make.

[anguish]

For all their hard work, evolutionary scientists have not been able to prove evolution.

Could it be because scientific theories are never proven, ever? All scientists can do is to look for evidence supporting a theory and evidence falsifying the same. Scientists have been working hard on both fronts, and thus far the theory stands.

[Stark_GOP]

"Could it be because scientific theories are never proven, ever? All scientists can do is to look for evidence supporting a theory and evidence falsifying the same. Scientists have been working hard on both fronts, and thus far the theory stands."
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Exactly correct that scientific theories are never proven.

How can you say that the theory, assuming ToE, stands? Evolutionary scientists take justifiable science and make laughable conclusions.

[anguish]

How can you say that the theory, assuming ToE, stands?

Because the evidence continues to support evolution, and it has yet to be falsified. Add to that the fact that no alternative scientific theory has been presented. Yes, some people don't think the evidence support evolution (be it creationists or creo-lite [ID]), but the thousands of scientists doing original research on the subject does.