A Small Speck

The God Debate II: Harris vs. Craig

2011-04-16T08:43:00.000-07:00

Evolution of Creationism

2011-02-13T08:25:00.000-08:00

Tenacious DNA

2011-01-15T18:10:00.000-08:00

Miller vs. Morris

2011-01-08T10:08:00.000-08:00

Henry Morris gets his clock cleaned. Thoroughly. By Kenneth Miller.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Evolution vs. Creationism 101: Genie Scott

2010-09-11T19:02:00.000-07:00

The God Debate

2010-09-04T08:09:00.000-07:00

Fascinating exchange or should I say, very enlightening exchange, between Richard Dawkins, Ruth Gledhill and Hannah Devlin. Richard is clearly at the top of his game.

The Great Debate, Part 3: Miller & Pennock respond

2010-09-03T21:24:00.000-07:00

The Great Debate, Part 2: Michael Behe makes his case

2010-09-01T18:09:00.000-07:00

The Great Debate, Part I: Miller & Pennock vs. Dembski & Behe

2010-08-31T15:35:00.000-07:00

McLean vs. Arkansas 20 Years Later: Part I

2010-08-27T13:37:00.000-07:00

Part II

Part III

Part IV

Follow this link to read the court's decision. There are also additional links to transcripts and other interesting resources about the trial.

P.Z. Myers - Speaking truth to absurdity [1/4]

2010-08-12T18:47:00.000-07:00

Part II

Part III

Part IV

Tips for Evolution Communicators

2010-08-10T17:00:00.000-07:00

Without a Doubt

2010-08-08T18:32:00.000-07:00

Genie Scott vs. Kent Hovind--The Radio Debate

2010-06-29T20:13:00.000-07:00

Nothing like the smell of a good clock cleaning in the morning...

The Evolution of Creationism: Part III

2010-06-26T11:01:00.000-07:00

The Evolution of Creationism: Part II

2010-06-26T11:00:00.000-07:00

The Evolution of Creationism Part 1

2010-06-23T17:12:00.000-07:00

Baloney Detection Kit

2010-03-18T18:19:00.000-07:00

The Empirical Evidence for Global Warming

2010-03-02T19:02:00.000-08:00

Climate Science

2010-01-19T18:21:00.001-08:00

Is Science Dogmatic?

2010-01-17T18:04:00.001-08:00

Critical Thinking

2010-01-12T17:46:00.000-08:00

The Digital Universe

2009-12-19T08:14:00.001-08:00

Why Evolution is True

2009-12-04T10:37:00.001-08:00

Theology Explained

2009-12-03T16:01:00.000-08:00

Lawrence Krauss

2009-11-11T17:41:00.000-08:00

Hitchens and Fry vs Catholic Apologists

2009-11-08T12:07:00.000-08:00

Happy Carl Sagan Day!

2009-11-07T07:31:00.000-08:00

Jerry Coyne at AAI

2009-11-04T18:12:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Universe III

2009-10-25T09:01:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Universe II

2009-10-24T07:34:00.000-07:00

Evolution is REAL Science #3

2009-10-15T07:31:00.000-07:00

Evolution is REAL Science #2

2009-10-15T07:16:00.000-07:00

Evolution is REAL Science #1

2009-10-15T07:06:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Steven Jay Gould

2009-09-10T18:35:00.000-07:00

He would have been 68 today.

Deep Deep Space

2009-08-13T20:02:00.000-07:00

Cool Video About Evolution

2009-06-20T17:46:00.001-07:00

Is God Necessary for Morality? (1 of 10)

2009-06-20T17:37:00.000-07:00

What Constitutes an Open Mind?

2009-04-05T09:11:00.000-07:00

The Universe Part 1

2009-04-04T21:47:00.000-07:00

Darwin's Dangerous Idea Part 1 (1 of 6)

2009-03-23T17:15:00.000-07:00

Coming Soon

2009-02-12T20:10:00.000-08:00

Creation, the movie.

Happy Birthday Charles Darwin

2009-02-12T19:53:00.000-08:00

A video birthday wish from the SSE.

The Evolution of Evolution

2009-02-12T19:46:00.000-08:00

Very slick multimedia presentation at NSF.GOV

Darwin Survives as the Fittest

2009-02-12T19:32:00.000-08:00

Most excellent read on Roger Ebert's blog on this most fine Darwin Day.

The Voyage of Charles Darwin

2009-02-12T18:36:00.000-08:00

The complete BBC series is available on youtube. Here's the first episode.

Endless Forms Most Beautiful

2009-02-03T20:37:00.000-08:00

Sean Carroll talks about Darwin and evolution. This is part 1 of 6 parts.

[Hat Tip: Year of Science 2009]

Darwin Turns 200

2009-02-01T22:18:00.000-08:00

Science News has just come out with a special Web edition commemorating the 200th year since Darwin's birth.

Bringing Darwin into the 21st Century

2009-02-01T22:01:00.000-08:00

Darwin 200 at the Wellcome Trust. Some really great stuff.

Explore Life on Earth

2009-02-01T21:55:00.000-08:00

Darwin 200

2009-02-01T21:38:00.000-08:00

Many articles are beginning to pop up on-line celebrating 200 years since the birth of Charles Darwin. Here's one called Darwin 200 in Focus Magazine, with articles by Richard Dawkins and PZ Myers.

The Forces that Shaped Charles Darwin

2009-02-01T10:57:00.000-08:00

NPR has a great series called Darwin 200, you can listen to the 1st installment here.

Attenborough on Evolution

2009-02-01T10:49:00.001-08:00

What is Science?

2009-01-17T16:58:00.000-08:00

Is Volcanic Lightning the Answer to Life's Origin?

2008-10-16T16:24:00.000-07:00

New Scientist has an interesting article today about Volcanic Lightning, and some new information from the Miller-Urey experiment. Fascinating stuff.

Update: Looks like Pharyngula has picked this one up also.

Flat Earth Debate

2008-08-21T20:32:00.000-07:00

I injected myself into an on-line discussion recently, and decided I'd post the pertinent parts of that discussion here, mainly for posterity, but also for hilarity.

The discussion centered around the question of whether the Bible's authors thought the Earth was flat or not. The outstanding statement on the table was the following:

My Opponent: "the Bible actually states the Earth is round not flat"

So, I responded with the following:

Me: "Round doesn't mean not flat, whereas sphere or ball does. The Ancient Hebrews had a word for sphere, which is equivalent to our word for ball. They didn't use that word to describe the Earth though, choosing instead to use the Hebrew word for round. This usage by itself suggests they were referring to a flat Earth. But in addition to that, there are also biblical references to events taking place at the center of the Earth, which can only mean a flat Earth, since a spherical object has no center on its surface. So, unless you're willing to accept that these events took place literlly in the middle of our spherical Earth, you'll have to concede that the authors were referring to a flat Earth."

This comment should have technically ended the discussion, unless my opponent could show that I was wrong, that ancient Hebrew actually used the same word for round and sphere or something like that, but he had a different, more nonsensical angle:

My Opponent: "something round CANNOT be flat too"

Wow. The word CANNOT really jumps out doesn't it? Obviously his way of puffing out his chest with confidence. Clearly he felt he was making a point that should be pretty obvious, but, as you'll soon see, he couldn't have been farther from the mark. In fact, his response reminded me of another debate.

Some years ago, I heard of a now infamous debate, where a creationist tried to argue that evolution couldn't be true, because if it were, it would violate the second law of thermodynamics. This is of course false, but that's not what makes the story interesting. The creationist in that debate made this argument:

One of the most basic laws in the universe is the Second Law of Thermodynamics. This states that as time goes by, entropy in an environment will increase. Evolution argues differently against a law that is accepted EVERYWHERE BY EVERYONE. Evolution says that we started out simple, and over time became more complex. That just isn't possible: UNLESS there is a giant outside source of energy supplying the Earth with huge amounts of energy. If there were such a source, scientists would certainly know about it.

The money quote of course is the reference by the creationist to a "a giant outside source of energy supplying the Earth with huge amounts of energy". I can only imagine how foolish he must have felt when it was explained to him that this giant energy source exists, and has a very familiar name.

It's called the SUN!! [tremendous howls of laughter ensue]

Anyway, I got to have my "it's called the Sun" moment when I responded this way:

Me: "Ever heard of pizza?"

I thought it was a pretty funny response, and figured that after such a humiliating defeat, he'd concede the point and we could go on with our lives. But no, this guy wasn't giving up, he'd lost the battle, but he was still wanting to win the war. His confidence was fading though, he no longer seemed as confident about his initial claim:

My Opponent: "The Bible meant the center of the known world, they didn't know about the rest of the world yet."

So, in a matter of minutes, his argument goes from a confident "they knew what shape the Earth was!", to a timid "umm, they had no idea."

Well, Okee Dokee.

So, I responded with the following, which turned out to be the debate killer. There was no further response:

Me: "Don't you find it odd that people who were supposedly guided by the divine inspiration of an all knowing super entity, were restricted in their knowledge to the same things we would expect of people who weren't guided by the divine inspiration of an all knowing super entity? Hmmm."

I hope that one didn't make him cry.

The Genius of Charles Darwin Part 3

2008-08-19T17:44:00.000-07:00

Part 1 of 5

Part 2 of 5

Part 3 of 5

Part 4 of 5

Part 5 of 5

The Genius of Charles Darwin Part 2

2008-08-17T19:43:00.000-07:00

Part 1 of 5

Part 2 of 5

Part 3 of 5

Part 4 of 5

Part 5 of 5

Interesting take on String Theory

2008-08-12T16:11:00.001-07:00

The Genius of Charles Darwin Part 1

2008-08-06T15:23:00.000-07:00

Richard Dawkins narrates an incredible series about evolution.

Edward Humes Discusses Monkey Girl

2008-08-03T07:51:00.000-07:00

Edward Humes, author of Monkey Girl, talks about the 2005 Kitzmiller vs Dover trial. This segment is the first of an eight part series.

Charles Darwin Biography Part 5

2008-06-27T14:33:00.000-07:00

Charles Darwin Biography Part 4

2008-06-25T16:57:00.001-07:00

Charles Darwin Biography Part 3

2008-06-20T11:33:00.000-07:00

Charles Darwin Biography Part 2

2008-06-10T15:25:00.001-07:00

Charles Darwin Biography Part 1

2008-06-09T19:34:00.000-07:00

Responsibility of Scientists to Speak Out

2008-06-03T17:25:00.000-07:00

James Powell, Kenneth Miller, David Deamer and Kevin Padian talk about the need for scientists to speak out against the enemies of science.

Position of Science in the US in 2006

2008-05-05T19:46:00.000-07:00

David Deamer, Eugenie Scott, Barbara Forrest and Kevin Padian discuss the current assault on science by politicians and irrational fundamentalists.

The Effect of Abuse of Science on Democracy

2008-04-23T18:43:00.000-07:00

Eugenie Scott and Barbara Forrest talk about the creationist movement's continued abuse of scientific information.

Just Less than 50% of Americans Believe in Creationism

2008-04-20T19:15:00.000-07:00

Eugenie Scott and Kenneth Miller discuss the chasm between what scientific knowledge tells us, and what people actually believe.

Origins of Cellular Life

2008-04-19T14:46:00.000-07:00

David Deamer describes his research looking for life's origins.

Gaps in the Fossil Record and Complexity

2008-04-17T19:40:00.000-07:00

Francisco Ayala explains how gaps in the fossil record are not refutations to evolutionary theory, nor is credulity in the face of complexity.

Freedom of Religion

2008-04-15T16:10:00.000-07:00

Barbara Forrest talks about the distorted views of science by the Intelligent Design movement.

Scientific Explanations and God

2008-04-14T19:46:00.000-07:00

Francisco Ayala, James Hoffman and Kenneth Miller explain why natural explanations are not anti-God.

Creationists and the Age of the Earth

2008-04-13T11:28:00.000-07:00

James Powell discusses the misguided belief shared by many creationists that the earth is very young.

Fundamentalism & Biblical Literalism

2008-04-07T17:19:00.000-07:00

Eugenie Scott and Francisco Ayala discuss the lack of acceptance of evidence by Biblical literalists.

Science teachers Challenged by Creationist Students

2008-04-06T18:34:00.000-07:00

Barbara Forrest talks about tactics used by creationists which include training students to challenge science teachers.

Creationism's Negative Effect on Education

2008-04-04T21:36:00.000-07:00

Kenneth Miller, Kevin Padian and Eugenie Scott explain why creationism has a negative effect on education.

Pragmatic Value of Evolution Today

2008-04-03T19:03:00.000-07:00

David Deamer and Francisco Ayala explain the value of understanding evolution to fight off infectuous disease.

Evolution is Essential to Education

2008-04-02T18:59:00.000-07:00

David Deamer, Eugenie Scott, and Francisco Ayala explain why evolution is an integral part of education.

History of Evolution vs Creationism

2008-04-01T19:02:00.000-07:00

Eugenie Scott and Barbara Forrest explain some of the history behind the neverending assault on evolution by creationists.

Purpose and Goals of Creationism

2008-03-31T19:01:00.000-07:00

Barbara Forrest explains the end result sought by many creationists.

Epistemology: The Study of Gaining Knowledge

2008-03-30T11:31:00.000-07:00

Barbara Forrest and James Powell talk about the methods employed by scientists to "know" what they know.

The Machine

2008-03-29T08:22:00.000-07:00

Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Eugenie Scott, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens, PZ Myers and Charles Darwin busting a move against Creationism in a satirical video that pokes fun at the ridiculous characterization of scientists by the producers of the movie expelled.

The Process of Science

2008-03-28T08:41:00.000-07:00

Kenneth Miller, Eugenie Scott, James Hoffman and James Powell explain the processes used by scientists to help us better understand the natural world.

Experts vs. Scientists and Peer Review

2008-03-27T18:26:00.000-07:00

Kevin Padian talks about the scientific process of peer review and how Intelligent Design proponents avoid it.

Is Hearing Both Sides Fair?

2008-03-26T18:43:00.000-07:00

Kenneth Miller, Eugenie Scott and James Powell explain why the appeal to fairness from Intelligent Design proponents lacks merit.

Teach the Controversy: Evidence Against Evolution?

2008-03-25T18:50:00.000-07:00

Kenneth Miller, Eugenie Scott, and David Deamer explain how the phrase "teach the controversy" is merely a misrepresentation of fact when used by creationists to refer to evolutionary theory.

No Controversy: Evolution's Acceptance in Science

2008-03-24T17:28:00.000-07:00

Kenneth Miller explains the lack of "controversy" with respect to scientist's acceptance of evolution.

Is Evolution Just a Theory?

2008-03-23T18:00:00.000-07:00

Eugenie Scott, James Powell, and Kevin Padian explain what scientists mean when they use the term "theory".

Evolution vs Creationism

2008-03-22T12:07:00.000-07:00

The first in a series of videos that address the Evolution Creationism controversy.

Transitional Fossils in 18 Minutes

2008-03-18T20:01:00.000-07:00

Part I

Part II

[Hat tip Panda's Thumb]

The Giant Tortoise's Tale

2008-03-17T19:17:00.000-07:00

The Salamander's Tale

2008-03-16T09:12:00.000-07:00

This video discusses a phenomenon known as Ring Species, which provides strong evidence for evolution.

The Lava Lizard's Tale

2008-03-15T12:39:00.000-07:00

Defining Science

2008-03-09T18:51:00.000-07:00

In the January edition of Evolution: Education and Outreach is an article called What's So Special About Science? It was written by Ian Tattersall and does an absolutely fabulous job defining science.

Here are some excerpts from the article:

All any honest scientist is really trying to do is to approximate the truth, in the realization that ultimate truth is unknowable through scientific means and that the knowledge he or she generates is invariably susceptible to modification.

...the core of the scientific endeavor amounts simply to the corporate effort to describe nature and its workings as accurately as possible.

What matters is that science as a whole is a self-correcting mechanism in which both new and old notions are constantly under scrutiny.

For this system of provisional knowledge to work, it is necessary that, to the extent possible, scientific hypotheses be proposed in such a way that they are at least potentially falsifiable-provable to be wrong.

Essentially, to understand science, there are two very important concepts:

1) Falsifiability

Science cannot prove, only disprove. When a hypothesis contradicts observations, then it's disproven; if it agrees with the observations made thus far, it's not disproven. Science doesn't search for truth, because we can never be certain that future observations won't disprove what we currently believe to be true. And even if we thought we could search for truth, how would we verify it? We couldn't compare it to the truth, since we don't have the truth, therefore TRUTH falls outside the bounds of science.

Hypotheses that include the workings of sufficiently ineffable deities are useless to science, since they cannot be falsified. You are only doing science when you can answer the question "If I were wrong, how would I know?". When you can't answer that question, you aren't doing science.

2) Occam's Razor: the principle of parsimony

When there are multiple hypotheses that explain our observations equally (meaning our hypotheses have not been disproven) then scientists will choose the simplest one (meaning the one that requires the fewest additional assumptions).

Finding Tiktaalik

2008-03-02T17:38:00.000-08:00

Neil Shubin, author of Your Inner Fish, describes how he and his team found Tiktaalik, a transitional fossil that bridges the gap between fish and tetrapods.

Part 1

Part 2

[Hat tip: Panda's Thumb]

Break the Science Barrier - Part 3 (2/2)

2008-03-02T12:39:00.001-08:00

Break the Science Barrier - Part 3 (1/2)

2008-03-01T08:44:00.001-08:00

Break the Science Barrier - Part 2 (2/2)

2008-02-29T07:00:00.001-08:00