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Science Icon Fires Broadside At Creationists
London Times vis The Statesman (India) ^ | 04 July 2004 | Times of London Editorial

Posted on 07/04/2004 5:19:27 PM PDT by PatrickHenry

Professor Ernst Mayr, the scientist renowned as the father of modern biology, will celebrate his 100th birthday tomorrow by leading a scathing attack on creationism.

The evolutionary biologist, who is already acclaimed as one of the most prolific researchers of all time, has no intention of retiring and is shortly to publish new research that dismantles the fashionable creationist doctrine of “intelligent design”.

Although he has reluctantly cut his workload since a serious bout of pneumonia 18 months ago, Prof. Mayr has remained an active scientist at Harvard University throughout his 90s. He has written five books since his 90th birthday and is researching five academic papers. One of these, scheduled to appear later this year, will examine how “intelligent design” — the latest way in which creationists have sought to present a divine origin of the world — was thoroughly refuted by Charles Darwin a century and a half ago.

His work is motivated in part by a sense of exasperation at the re-emergence of creationism in the USA, which he compares unfavourably with the widespread acceptance of evolution that he encountered while growing up in early 20th-century Germany.

The states of Florida, Mississippi, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky and Oklahoma currently omit the word “evolution” from their curriculums. The Alabama state board of education has voted to include disclaimers in textbooks describing evolution as a theory. In Georgia, the word “evolution” was banned from the science curriculum after the state’s schools superintendent described it as a “controversial buzzword”.

Fierce protest, including criticism from Jimmy Carter, the former President, reversed this.

Prof. Mayr, who will celebrate his 100th birthday at his holiday home in New Hampshire with his two daughters, five grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren, was born on 5 July 1905 in Kempten, Germany. He took a PhD in zoology at the University of Berlin, before travelling to New Guinea in 1928 to study its diverse bird life. On his return in 1930 he emigrated to the USA. His most famous work, Systematics and the Origin of Species, was published in 1942 and is regarded still as a canonical work of biology.

It effectively founded the modern discipline by combining Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection with Gregor Mendel’s genetics, showing how the two were compatible. Prof. Mayr redefined what scientists mean by a species, using interbreeding as a guide. If two varieties of duck or vole do not interbreed, they cannot be the same species.

Prof. Mayr has won all three of the awards sometimes termed the “triple crown” of biology — the Balzan Prize, the Crafoord Prize and the International Prize for Biology. Although he formally retired in 1975, he has been active as an Emeritus Professor ever since and has recently written extensively on the philosophy of biology.


TOPICS: Heated Discussion
KEYWORDS: crevolist
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To: AndrewC; balrog666
He likes dungeons and dragons games.

Blaming God for the death of his Chaotic-Evil Paladin, maybe? :-)

441 posted on 07/06/2004 8:43:25 PM PDT by bondserv (Alignment is critical!)
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To: bondserv
Looking at the drain and seeing that there was no manhole cover nearby, the Christian quickly reasoned that the best course of action was to remove a single lug nut from the other three tires to use with the spare. Then drive to an auto-supply store to replace the four missing lugs.

So a Christian's first choice in this situation would be to open the manhole and climb into the sewer.

Meanwhile, the PhD would be on his cell phone to AAA.

442 posted on 07/06/2004 8:43:35 PM PDT by js1138 (In a minute there is time, for decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse. J Forbes Kerry)
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To: MacDorcha
... still though, you profess there is no such thing as a closed system. how?..

I have never professed any the non-existence of a closed system. I even posted an example of a almost closed system. (It acts like a closed system over a short time period.)

443 posted on 07/06/2004 8:43:38 PM PDT by Doctor Stochastic (Vegetabilisch = chaotisch is der Charakter der Modernen. - Friedrich Schlegel)
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To: bondserv
Another joke showing the difference between the religious and scientific approaches to problems.
444 posted on 07/06/2004 8:49:57 PM PDT by Doctor Stochastic (Vegetabilisch = chaotisch is der Charakter der Modernen. - Friedrich Schlegel)
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To: js1138
So a Christian's first choice in this situation would be to open the manhole and climb into the sewer.

Meanwhile, the PhD would be on his cell phone to AAA.

In the accent of Arnold, "No pain, no gain, therefore you will remain, loser once again". Head knowledge without experience, causes flawed thinking.

445 posted on 07/06/2004 8:50:30 PM PDT by bondserv (Alignment is critical!)
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To: AndrewC
I also will state that I believe that heat will never spontaneously flow from cold to hot.

Are you asserting there are no naturally occurring heat pumps, either organic or non-organic?

446 posted on 07/06/2004 8:53:13 PM PDT by js1138 (In a minute there is time, for decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse. J Forbes Kerry)
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To: bondserv
Head knowledge without experience, causes flawed thinking.

So you, as a typical Christian, and a spokesman for your religion, think it's a winning argument to classify educated people as incompetent bumblers. Not that your argument is arrogant, prideful, or irrelevant or anything.

447 posted on 07/06/2004 9:00:38 PM PDT by js1138 (In a minute there is time, for decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse. J Forbes Kerry)
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To: js1138
Are you asserting there are no naturally occurring heat pumps, either organic or non-organic?

No. I stated a form of the second law of thermodynamics. But I am interested in what you consider a naturally occurring non-organic heat pump.

448 posted on 07/06/2004 9:01:23 PM PDT by AndrewC (I am a Bertrand Russell agnostic, even an atheist.</sarcasm>)
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To: js1138; bondserv
So you, as a typical Christian, and a spokesman for your religion, think it's a winning argument to classify educated people as incompetent bumblers.

Metric conversion mistake made Mars orbiter crash

 WASHINGTON (AP) -- For nine months, the Mars Climate Orbiter was speeding through space and speaking to NASA in metric. But the engineers on the ground were replying in non-metric English.

 It was a mathematical mismatch that was not caught until after the $125-million spacecraft, a key part of NASA's Mars exploration program, was sent crashing too low and too fast into the Martian atmosphere. The craft has not been heard from since.


I don't know. What would you call that?
449 posted on 07/06/2004 9:11:23 PM PDT by AndrewC (I am a Bertrand Russell agnostic, even an atheist.</sarcasm>)
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To: AndrewC
What would you call that?

The fallacy of the hasty generalization.

450 posted on 07/06/2004 9:21:14 PM PDT by general_re (Drive offensively - the life you save may be your own.)
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To: Doctor Stochastic
Another joke showing the difference between the religious and scientific approaches to problems.

Although I gladly take advantage of the God imputed brilliance of some modern medical care for my children, we are not attached so much to this life that the typical neurosis of having to avoid a good dodgeball game, inhibits our happiness. We like trampolines, diving-boards and good tasting food too.

Science is entertaining, and sometimes helpful.

451 posted on 07/06/2004 9:21:46 PM PDT by bondserv (Alignment is critical!)
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To: AndrewC

http://www.cthisspace.com/ftl/features/cookbook3.html
http://www.cif.org/nominations/nom_119.html

I will defer to physicists on this one, but I assume that evaporation is a simple heat pump. Certainly the evaporation of water cools an object. There is an energy source, however.


452 posted on 07/06/2004 9:25:23 PM PDT by js1138 (In a minute there is time, for decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse. J Forbes Kerry)
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To: bondserv
Did you know that Jesus is God?

That's funny he doesn't seem think so

Matthew 19:17
And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God:

John 14:28
Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.

1 Timothy 2:5
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

Did you know that Jesus created the universe? Did you know that Jesus knows Enoch?

1st I'm hearing of it. Where is Jesus mentioned in Genesis?

Did you know Jude was Jesus' half-brother?

Yes, But I find it suspicious that despite all the miracles Jesus preformed and you would think that his parents would have told him about the virgin birth thingy, Jude didn't believe Jesus was the Messiah until his brother James claimed he saw him rise from the dead and he didn't bother to write any of this down for 40+ years.

The spuriousness of the so-called Book of Enoch means nothing to this passage in the New Testament. Jesus could quote Enoch verbatim whether there was a Book of Enoch or not.

OK, But it's Jude quoting Enoch not Jesus.

John 1:1-4

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

John 8:58-59

58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

OK, How about

Matthew 28:17
And when they saw him,they worshipped him: but some doubted.

Mark 3:21
And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.

And

Matthew 28:16
"Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him..."

Luke 24:33-36
And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them..And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

OK, Many people who actually knew the guy didn't believe him and thought he's crazy and their resurrection stories don't match and take place in two different locations and I'm supposed to believe this over all the evidence for evolution.

Again, six generations after Adam would be the seventh generation. Adam being the first generation.

OK, and again if Adam is counted the 1st then "Seventh after" would be the eighth generation

Have a good night  

453 posted on 07/06/2004 9:27:52 PM PDT by qam1 (Tommy Thompson is a Fat-tubby, Fascist)
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To: AndrewC
So when an engineer makes a mistake (please note that the NASA goof occurred within the engineer's field of expertise) the who class of PhDs becomes incompetent. What happens when an arrogant, stereotyping Christian makes his religion stink?
454 posted on 07/06/2004 9:29:43 PM PDT by js1138 (In a minute there is time, for decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse. J Forbes Kerry)
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To: qam1
Make that

_______________as
if Adam is counted ^ the 1st then

455 posted on 07/06/2004 9:32:40 PM PDT by qam1 (Tommy Thompson is a Fat-tubby, Fascist)
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To: js1138
So when an engineer makes a mistake (please note that the NASA goof occurred within the engineer's field of expertise) the who class of PhDs becomes incompetent. What happens when an arrogant, stereotyping Christian makes his religion stink?

No. It allows for the truth of the statement--- educated people can be classed as bumblers(bumblers by definition are incompetent)

456 posted on 07/06/2004 9:36:13 PM PDT by AndrewC (I am a Bertrand Russell agnostic, even an atheist.</sarcasm>)
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To: js1138
So you, as a typical Christian, and a spokesman for your religion, think it's a winning argument to classify educated people as incompetent bumblers.

I have nothing against a "good" education. However considering the propensity of our educators to be Amoral Liberal stooges which have a tendency to turn out warped shells of so-called educated citizens, our higher education can only be classified as harmful.

Neutrality in education, even in the "Hard Sciences", is a thing of the past. No one wants to say, "We don't know for sure". They might lose their job, so they fill the heads that are sent out with half-truths and lies. Very different from when a more universal Godly standard of honor restrained those who lacked integrity from shaming themselves into believing they could pass off something they hadn't fully proven.

This lack of Ethics has permeated the seminaries as well. Read the peer-review trash that is passed off as legitimate in the science journals. There are even secular scientists who are "up in arms" about the downfall of standards in the scientific process.

457 posted on 07/06/2004 9:38:39 PM PDT by bondserv (Alignment is critical!)
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To: js1138
Your first link contains this ----> 15 Kelvin mass to give up heat to reach zero Kelvin is a million to one long shot -- two million to one if the Viral theorem is applied. I suspect something not provable lies in the rest of the paper.

Your second link is to an award for a commerical product. Each solid wall component replaces up to six standard wall parts: siding, frame, sheathing, insulation, vapor barrier, and interior paneling, and up to nine conventional construction steps are replaced by one operation.. Hardly something natural.

Your evaporation example is much closer to a natural heat pump. Heat pumps do require an energy input. That is due to the second law.

458 posted on 07/06/2004 9:47:41 PM PDT by AndrewC (I am a Bertrand Russell agnostic, even an atheist.</sarcasm>)
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To: AndrewC

I notice you would rather focus on whether PhDs can change a tire than on whether naturally occurring heat pumps exist.


459 posted on 07/06/2004 9:50:09 PM PDT by js1138 (In a minute there is time, for decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse. J Forbes Kerry)
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To: qam1
And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God:

What is the implication of this as a reply to "Good Master,..."?

460 posted on 07/06/2004 9:52:15 PM PDT by AndrewC (I am a Bertrand Russell agnostic, even an atheist.</sarcasm>)
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