7/8/22

An update of an earlier work of collected papers in which scientists deal with the question of intelligent design and creationism. ( )

This book is a collection of contributed papers that discussed the evidence for evolution and demonstrated the lack of evidence for creationism. Because it came out before the Intelligent Design movement got going, it doesn't deal with that particular aspect of the "Creation Science" movement of the late 20th century. A good introduction to the topic. ( )

Scientists Confront Creationism is a collection of essays by evolutionary biologists, supposedly defending Darwinism and rebutting creationism. While it doesn't really rebut creationism it does certainly patronize creationists, and does a passable job defending Darwinism, although it did not leave me convinced.

The rather patronizing title is a good prelude to the book, which loves to beg the question. When I saw the title, I thought, aha, here is the definitive answer to all of the opponents of Darwinism, and would straightaway answer the question, "What do you do with half of a wing?". Well, the book is 315 pages long, and finally I found the rebuttal to this objection on page 306, in a chapter/paper entitled: "Equal Time to Other Religions". OK, I was expecting a rebuttal to this most fundamental of all objections to Darwinism by say, page 15, but no matter. The rebuttal? - It seems that the Harri Krishna's object that there are no conceivable intermediate forms. There you have it, "The Harri Krishna Rebuttal". If the Harri Krishna's raise objection X, then objection X is automatically invalid, without actually having to deal with the question or the objection. I still don't know what an animal would do with half of a wing, but now I know I have to shave my head, wear orange robes and bang on symbols, .because I share an objection to Darwinism in common with the HK's.

Another curious feature: For the first three-quarters of the book, the various authors explain with great patience that these poor stupid clods who call themselves Creationists just can't get it through their thick skulls that changes take place gradually, over millions and millions of years, so that you couldn't even tell from one generation to another what the difference was. Then, in the last quarter of the book, we are informed that evolutionary biologists have come up with a brilliant new theory - that changes take place very suddenly, over perhaps just a few generations, or thousands of generations. The evidence - the lack of evidence that changes take place gradually. There is absolutely no positive evidence for the "Punctuated Equilibrium" theory, but it there is enough confidence in it to add it after the chapters that assure us that changes take place gradually, etc.

This is an important book, even if only to demonstrate in what disarray is the theory that we keep hearing is a "fact". ( )

Although I dig the subject matter, I think it's a little dry. ( )