Larry, why do Darwinists insist on calling ID creationism?I don't know. Why don't you ask a Darwinist?
You’ll need to answer on your own blog because you’re no longer welcome on this one.
Darwinism is their perpetually virgin theory that can never be impugned. Have you noticed how absolute are the claims they make for it? You’d have as much luck discussing science-related questions about Darwin’s theory with them as discussing Mary’s state of grace with Mickey and Ladislaw.Once again, you're dead wrong Denyse. Lots of us question classic "Darwinism," as did Stephen Jay Gould, the former President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS, a professional society). Modern evolutionary theory has moved well beyond what Darwin knew in the nineteenth century. Science is constantly changing—it does not rely on the literal reading of ancient texts. When will you ever learn?
The Nobel Prize in Medicine 1953.
It's easy to construct a phylogenetic tree using cytochrome c sequences (left). The tree shows us that bacteria and eukaryotes form two separate branches just as predicted by evolution. Within the eukaryote branch, we see that plants, fungi, and animals form distinct groups. Again, this is exactly what evolution predicted.Comparisons of these two rates, the rate of mutation and the evolutionary substitution rate, have revealed the very surprising fact that the two rates are the same. This remarkable finding that the difference between the DNA sequences of different species have been generated by mutation and that other factors such as natural selection could only have played a relatively minor role.Denton knows that the data supports such an idea because he brings up cytochrome c on the next page.
By comparing sequences a curious pattern was observed. For example, in the case of cytochromes, all the higher organism cytochromes (yeasts, plants, insects, mammals, birds, etc.) exhibit an almost equal degree of sequence divergence from the bacterial cytochrome in Rhodospirillum. This means that all their cytochrome genes have changed to about the same degree—in other words, have evolved at a uniform rate.The uniform rate of change is what impresses Michael Denton. As I mentioned above, Denton knows that adaptation (selection) is ruled out as an explanation. Unlike many other IDiots, Denton knows that pan-adaptationism (often called Darwinism) is not the prevailing view in evolutionary biology.
Explanations of uniform rates of evolution in protein genes in terms of genetic drift of neutral mutations fare no better. The rate of genetic drift in a population is determined by the mutation rate. This is not controversial. Although mutation rates for many organisms are somewhat similar per generation time—10^-6/gene/generation—the problem is that generation times are vastly different, so that the rate of mutation per year in, say, yeast, may be 100,000 times greater than a tree or a mammal such as man or elephant, organisms that have long generation times. (p. 291)The generation time argument is a bit bogus for several reasons. First, mutation rates are based on changes per cell division (replication) and not generation time. Thus, in mammals such a mouse, there are about 50 cell divisions between zygote and gamete and the organism reproduces in about 100 days. Thus, there is, on average, one mutation-causing replication event every two days. This is no more than the average "generation time" of single-celled organisms such as yeast or bacteria. (Bacteria divide once every few days, at most, contrary to what most people believe.)
These twin discoveries—that the mutation rate equals the evolutionary substitution rate, and that the rate of change in many genes is regulated by a clock which seems to tick simultaneously in all branches of the tree of life—may represent the first evidence, albeit indirect, that the mutational processes that are changing the DNA sequences of living things over time are indeed directed by some as yet unknown mechanism, or more likely mechanisms. Of course, these discoveries do not prove directed evolution, but it is far easier to imagine them as the outcome of some sort of direction than the outcome of purely random processes. (p. 292)In other words, Michael Denton can't imagine how stochastic evolutionary processes might work, so God did it. Another argument from ignorance, albeit an ignorance that's on a much higher level than the ignorance usually on display on creationist websites and blogs. (Michael Denton is by far, the most knowledgeable IDiot when it comes to understanding evolution and molecular biology. Perhaps it's why he's out of favor with the true IDiots.)
If it is true that a vast amount of DNA in higher organisms is in fact junk, then this would indeed pose a very serous challenge to the idea of directed evolution or any teleological model of evolution. Junk DNA and directed evolution are in the end incompatible concepts. Only if the junk DNA contained information specifying for future evolutionary events, when it would not in a strict sense be junk in any case, could the finding be reconciled with a teleological model of evolution. Indeed, if it were true that the genomes of higher organisms contained vast quantities of junk, then the whole argument of this book would collapse. On any teleological model of evolution, most, perhaps all, the DNA in the genomes of higher organisms should have some functions.Sorry Michael, it is true. The genomes of many complex multicellular organisms have vast quantities of DNA that serves no purpose. It's junk. The whole argument of your book just collapsed, as did any argument for intelligent design.
 | A couple of weeks ago, we were watching the final episode of "The Amazing Race" and one of the sites they visited was the Eiffel Tower. It's in Paris, and it made my wife think of going to Paris in the Springtime. That's a great idea but, being somewhat less romantic, I have to admit that my first thought on seeing the Eiffel Tower was "Mark Twain." Huh? Is there a connection between Mark Twain and the Eiffel Tower. Of course there is. There's a connecton between Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) and everything, if you look hard enough. I thought of him because of this quotation from "Was the World Made for Man?" |
Man has been here 32,000 years. That it took a hundred million years to prepare the world for him is proof that that is what it was done for. I suppose it is. I dunno. If the Eiffel tower were now representing the world's age, the skin of paint on the pinnacle-knob at its summit would represent man's share of that age; & anybody would perceive that that skin was what the tower was built for. I reckon they would. I dunno.Turns out, Mark Twain said many things that are relevant to the debate between rationality and superstution.
Man is the only animal that blushes. Or needs to.
I am the only man living who understands human nature; God has put me in charge of this branch office; when I retire there will be no-one to take my place. I shall keep on doing my duty, for when I get over on the other side, I shall use my influence to have the human race drowned again, and this time drowned good, no omissions, no Ark.
Man is a Religious Animal. He is the only Religious Animal. He is the only animal that has the True Religion--several of them. He is the only animal that loves his neighbor as himself and cuts his throat if his theology isn't straight. He has made a graveyard of the globe in trying his honest best to smooth his brother's path to happiness and heaven....The higher animals have no religion. And we are told that they are going to be left out in the Hereafter. I wonder why? It seems questionable taste.
God's noblest work? Man. Who found it out? Man.
In religion and politics people's beliefs and convictions are in almost every case gotten at second-hand, and without examination, from authorities who have not themselves examined the questions at issue but have taken them at second-hand from other non-examiners, whose opinions about them were not worth a brass farthing.
In the laboratory there are no fustian ranks, no brummagem aristocracies; the domain of Science is a republic, and all its citizens are brothers and equals, its princes of Monaco and its stonemasons of Cromarty meeting, barren of man-made gauds and meretricious decoractions, upon the one majestic level!
Scientists have odious manners, except when you prop up their theory; then you can borrow money off them.
The gods offer no rewards for intellect. There was never one yet that showed any interest in it..
The motto stated a lie. If this nation has ever trusted in God, that time has gone by; for nearly half a century almost its entire trust has been in the Republican party and the dollar--mainly the dollar. I recognize that I am only making an assertion and furnishing no proof; I am sorry, but this is a habit of mine; sorry also that I am not alone in it; everybody seems to have this disease.
What God lacks is convictions- stability of character. He ought to be a Presbyterian or a Catholic or something- not try to be everything.
I often use molecular models to illustrate concepts in my biochemistry class. There are several types of models and the different types can be used for different purposes. For example, I have a big space-filling model of DNA that's very useful for understanding how sequences are read on double-stranded DNA.
Name this molecule. You must be specific. We need the exact name. Bonus points for explaining why this molecule caused such a controversy in biochemistry. (Hint: it has something to do with the green carbon atoms.)  | This photograph is supposed to have been taken from inside a plane that has just been involved in a mid-air collision. The plane crashes and everyone on board is killed. The photo was recovered from a digital camera at the crash site. |
| Status: FALSE This is a hoax. The photos are from the opening scene of Lost. |
The Toronto Star reports that James Till and Ernest McCulloch were named to the Order of Ontario.
