Month: October 2010
How Embarrassing: Astronomers Lose Life-Friendly Planet
New Scientist is reporting: “Last month, a team of astronomers announced the discovery of the first alien world that could host life on its surface. Now a second team can find no evidence of the planet, casting doubt on its existence.”
The Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Does Not Refute Intelligent Design
In the prior post, I discussed challenges to the claim that our supposed fish-ancestry dictates that the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) must take a circuitous route from the brain to the larynx. Let’s assume, for the sake of argument, that common ancestry between mammals and fish is the best explanation for the nerve’s path. Would that refute intelligent design? Evolutionary biologist Jerry Coyne assumes that ID is incompatible with common ancestry, which it isn’t. As one pro-ID biologist wrote me on this topic, “this is only a problem for design if one assumes design means designed from scratch for each taxon, and if one believes that the designer would necessarily use the shortest distance between two points (in other words, Read More ›
The Language of Technology
It is difficult to escape the use of technological language in discussing cellular functions. Stephen Meyer has a section on information theory in Signature in the Cell and basically uses technological language or metaphors to describe DNA. The best language for describing DNA uses analogies to writing, copying and pasting, and software. Another example of this is in Behe’s book, Darwin’s Black Box, where he uses a rotary motor to describe the function of a bacterial flagellum. This brings to mind an interesting question: what is the relationship between the development of technology and the discovery of the inner workings of the cell? They seem to go hand-in-hand.
Can You Be a Darwinist and a Theist?
For more about the new book God & Evolution, go here: http://www.faithandevolution.org/god-and-evolution/
Stephen Meyer Discusses Attempts To Create Living Cells With Computer Assembled DNA
This interview with Dr. Stephen Meyer about his book Signature in the Cell was conducted some time ago, but is a very good introductory discussion of DNA manipulation, cellular engineering and attempts to create living cells with computer assembled DNA at its heart.