Based on the wording of the press release and McGinnis’s matter-of-fact statement, I assumed that the UCSD scientists had produced a mutant shrimp without hind legs. I then argued that this would not justify the researchers’ claim to have discovered a "general mechanism for producing major leaps in evolutionary change," since it takes a lot more to turn a shrimp into a fruit fly than eliminating a few legs.Not the full Monty but the full brazen. The press release (Gasp!) preceded the publication of the full study by a day.
Because the Discovery Institute is doing PR, not science, and they had to respond to the press release on the same day--"War Room" tactics--they were forced to guess what the heck the study had done.
But nobody should take comfort in Wells's mistake. Science still hasn't made a fly out of a shrimp.
Yep. Ol' Jonathan sure gave evo science the two-by-four up the head on that one.
I suppose admitting error and explaining the production of such is something brazen to you.