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Episode 3: James Tour Detonates “Hyperbole Surrounding Origin-of-Life Claims”

Photo: James Tour, in a scene from Science Uprising, via Discovery Institute.

Rice University chemist James Tour continues his course on abiogenesis. On Episode 3, he turns to detonating some of the hype surrounding supposed progress toward understanding the origin of life from non-life. Tour got going with this 13-part series of lectures in response to a hapless critic, Dave Farina. As a correspondent quips, “I don’t know who Dave Farina is, but he’s kicked the wrong dog.” Indeed so.

There’s a process by which the hype is generated, over and over and over. From the lecture description:

In this episode, Dr. James Tour examines hyperbole surrounding origin of life claims. Beyond a mere attribution to the press for creating hype, Dr. Tour looks into the published works by researchers themselves, discovering a more proper attribution of the source. He then elaborates how this snowballs further by the press into confusion by professors and laypersons.

Watch it below now. Want more Tour? Download two free chapters from the recent Discovery Institute Press book The Mystery of Life’s Origin: The Continuing Controversy (2020). Find that here.

David Klinghoffer

Senior Fellow and Editor, Evolution News
David Klinghoffer is a Senior Fellow at Discovery Institute and the editor of Evolution News & Science Today, the daily voice of Discovery Institute’s Center for Science & Culture, reporting on intelligent design, evolution, and the intersection of science and culture. Klinghoffer is also the author of six books, a former senior editor and literary editor at National Review magazine, and has written for the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Seattle Times, Commentary, and other publications. Born in Santa Monica, California, he graduated from Brown University in 1987 with an A.B. magna cum laude in comparative literature and religious studies. David lives near Seattle, Washington, with his wife and children.

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abiogenesischemistscriticsDave FarinahyperboleJames Tourlifenon-lifeorigin of liferesearchersRice UniversityThe Mystery of Life’s Origin