An Example of Framing by Matt Nisbet

Last summer I blogged about a survey of 149 professional, prominent, evolutionary biologists [Evolutionary Biologists Flunk Religion Poll].

The great majority of the evolutionists polled (78 percent) chose A, billing themselves as pure naturalists. Only two out of 149 described themselves as full theists (F), two as more theist than naturalist (D) and three as theistic naturalists (B). Taken together, the advocacy of any degree of theism is the lowest percentage measured in any poll of biologists' beliefs so far (4.7 percent).

The study was done by Gregory W. Graffin and William B. Provine and you can read the full report in American Scientist [ Evolution, Religion and Free Will]. The study quotes the findings of Larson in 1998 where only 5.5% of biologists in the National Academy of Sciences believe in God.

An earlier study of average scientist by Larson showed that 40% believe in a god and 45% do not [NEW SURVEY: SCIENTISTS "MORE LIKELY THAN EVER" TO REJECT GOD BELIEF]. Couple these results to the fact that somewhere between 30% and 50% of the general population of Western European countries are atheists and agnostics [Atheists and Agnostics] and I think it would be fair to say that the majority of evolutionary biologists do not believe in god. The data supports the statement that, among evolutionary biologists, the consensus is lack of belief in god. This probably applies to all professional scientists.

Now, let's look at how Matt Nisbet spins the story [Francis Collins: The Angry Atheists Do Not Speak for Us]. He opens by quoting an interview with Francis Collins, a deluded scientist, who, quite predictably, says ...

I also think that those of us who are interested in seeking harmony here have to make it clear that the current crowd of seemingly angry atheists, who are using science as part of their argument that faith is irrelevant, do not speak for us. Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens do not necessarily represent the consensus of science; 40 percent of scientists are believers in a personal God. A lot more are rather uncomfortable about the topic but certainly would not align themselves with a strong atheistic perspective.

Collins is talking about the "angry atheists" when he claims that they don't represent the consensus. Then he spins the argument to make it look like most scientists are believers, or at least have some doubts. Of course, when Collins says they "do not speak for us" he doesn't mean members of the National Academy of Scientists or prominent evolutionary biologists. No, he's referring to the broader survey that included many other categories of scientist. Among that group, there are still more non-believers (45%) than believers (40%).

Matt Nisbet then says ...

As Collins accurately notes, the argument by Dawkins, PZ Myers, and other atheist hardliners that science undermines the validity of religion, even respect for religion, is at odds with the consensus view in the scientific community.

For example, as the recent National Academies report on evolution concludes: "The evidence for evolution can be fully compatible with religious faith. Science and religion are different ways of understanding the world. Needlessly placing them in opposition reduces the potential of each to contribute to a better future."

I don't think Nisbet is representing the consensus view in the scientific community—at least not in the scientific community of professional evolutionary biologists. In that community the overwhelming majority are non-believers in god(s). This is how framing works, is it different from lying?

Furthermore, Nisbet is picking up on a paragraph in Science, Evolution and Creationism, a recent publication of the National Academy of Sciences. That paragraph is, itself, a "frame" and a misrepresentation of the consensus view among scientists as many of us have pointed out [How the National Academy of Sciences Framed their Book on Evolution]. The polls clearly show that the vast majority of members of the National Academy of Sciences are atheists. Thus, Nisbet is putting his own spin frame on the topic and quoting more inaccurate spin framing to support his position. I guess this is how framing is supposed to work.

I don't want any part of it. It's way too close to "lying." Matt Nisbet goes on to beat up on his regular victims by saying ...

Dawkins and Myers are entitled to their opinion and as a fellow atheist I strongly support their right to voice criticism of religion. Yet at some point they need to consider the unintended consequences of their preferred brand of atheist punditry, and to recognize the pragmatism of the consensus message from the National Academies and other leading science organizations.

In their campaign, Dawkins and Myers may honestly believe that they are speaking truth to religion and that by adding their voice to the argument culture, they can raise awareness among the non-religious while potentially shifting society towards greater secularization. However, in coming decades, if the goal is to defend the teaching of evolution in schools and to maintain public trust in science and scientists, their message likely serves as a liability towards that end.

Matt, you are completely wrong about this. The "consensus message" of the National Academies and other leading science organizations is flat-out wrong. Most scientists do not believe in God and among prominent evolutionary biologists Francis Collins is part of a 5.5% minority. You may have convinced the authors of Science, Evolution and Creationism to mislead the public about the beliefs of scientists but you'll never convince the scientists themselves to go along with it.

If the goal is to maintain "public trust in science and scientists" then speaking the truth is always better than framing.

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I Prefer People Who Sign their Names to Comments and Blogs

 
Given a choice between anonymous bloggers (and commenters) and those who sign their real names, I prefer to deal with those who use their real names. In part, this is because I admire their willingness to stand behind what they say regardless of the possible consequences. I do understand that it's easy for a tenured Professor to say this but I've never hidden behind anonymity even when I was an undergraduate, a graduate student, a postdoc, or an untenured Professor.

Greg Laden discusses anonymous bloggers in Some of my best friends are pseudonymous bloggers. I pretty much agree with his position. His posting is well worth reading.

I also agree with his stance on arguing from authority. In the real world, it makes a difference if someone is someone is putting forth an argument based on years of experience in the field or not. Nobody has time to evaluate all of the facts on every issue. We have to learn who we can trust and who we can't. The connection between this and anonymous blogging is obvious.

Please do not interpret this as a blanket recommendation to trust everyone in a position of authority. Similarly, I'm well aware of the fact that non-experts often make insightful contributions to a debate. The issue is much more complex than that. We don't need to list all the exceptions to the general principle that wisdom and experience usually count for something.

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[Cartoon Credits: (top)Anonymity and Sovreignty (bottom) Cerebral Kitchen Productions]

Evolutionary Teapot

 
There's an exhibit of china and pottery inside the Legion of Honor museum in San Francisco. One of the items that caught the attention of Leslie is a funny looking teapot.

The teapot itself isn't that unusual but there's an inscription on the bottom that refers to evolution. Apparently, there was a bit of hysteria and over-reaction to Darwin's ideas in the 1880's and this teapot pokes fun at that era.

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Legion of Honor: San Francisco

 
Last Sunday we visited the Legion of Honor art museum in San Francisco. We went specifically to see the Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer’s Life, 1990–2005 exhibit but there were lots of other wonderful sights to see. The building is a 3/4 scale copy of the Palais de la Légion d’Honneur in Paris.

There are two works of art in the main courtyard. The most impressive is a casting of Rodin's Thinker, which I interpret to be an icon for rationalism and a warning to creationists. The second is clearly an impressionist view of the Flying Spaghetti Monster

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Evolution: 24 myths and misconceptions

 

If you think you understand it, you don't know nearly enough about it.

New Scientist has just published an excellent series of articles on evolution [Evolution: 24 myths and misconceptions]. These are some of the best explanations of evolution that I've ever seen in a popular magazine. Thus, it's all the more tragic that they spoil it all by putting a false picture of evolution (right) on the website.

Shared misconceptions:

Everything is an adaptation produced by natural selection

We tend to assume that all characteristics of plants and animals are adaptations that have arisen through natural selection. Many are neither adaptations nor the result of selection at all.

Natural selection is the only means of evolution

Much change is due to random genetic drift rather than positive selection. It could be called the survival of the luckiest.

Natural selection leads to ever-greater complexity

In fact, natural selection often leads to ever greater simplicity. And, in many cases, complexity may initially arise when selection is weak or absent.

Evolution produces creatures perfectly adapted to their environment

You don't have to be perfectly adapted to survive, you just have to be as well adapted as your competitors. The apparent perfection of plants and animals may be more a reflection of our poor imaginations than of reality.

Evolution always promotes the survival of species

The phrase "survival of fittest" is widely misunderstood (see 'Survival of the fittest' justifies everyone for themselves). Many wrongly assume it means that evolution always increases the chances of a species surviving.

Evolution sometimes results in individuals or populations becoming less fit and may occasionally even lead to extinction.

It doesn't matter if people do not understand evolution

At an individual level, it might not matter much. However, any modern society which bases major decisions on superstition rather than reality is heading for disaster

"Survival of the fittest" justifies "everyone for themselves"

The "fittest" can be the most loving and selfless, not the most aggressive and violent. In any case, what happens in nature does not justify people behaving in the same way

Evolution is limitlessly creative

It might seem like there is no end to nature's inventiveness but there are some features that could probably never evolve, at least on Earth.

Evolution cannot explain traits such as homosexuality

There are numerous evolutionary mechanisms that might explain homosexual behaviour, which is common in many species of animals.

Creationism provides a coherent alternative to evolution

The only thing that creationists agree on is that they don't like evolution. Even Genesis gives two contradictory accounts of creation.

Creationist myths:

Evolution must be wrong because the Bible is inerrant

This argument is undermined by the hundreds of errors and inaccuracies and contradictions found in Bible. It is anything but "inerrant".

Accepting evolution undermines morality

Actually people in more secular countries appear to behave more morally. And even if this claim was true, that would not alter the facts or justify their suppression.

Evolutionary theory leads to racism and genocide

Darwin's ideas have been invoked as justification for all sorts of policies, including some very unpleasant ones. But evolutionary theory is a descriptive science. It cannot tell us what is right and wrong.

Religion and evolution are incompatible

There are various ways in which the known facts about evolution can be reconciled with theistic religions. Some of these ways might be illogical and irrational, but they are no more illogical and irrational than other aspects of religions.

Half a wing is no use to anyone

Just as objects designed for one purpose can be used for another, so genes, structures and behaviours that evolve for one purpose become adapted to do another.

Evolutionary science is not predictive

It might not be possible to predict exactly what life will look like in a billion years but what counts are the predictions that can be made.

Evolution cannot be disproved so is not science

There are all sorts of findings and experiments that could have falsified evolution. In the century-and-a-half since Darwin published his theory, not one has.

Evolution is just so unlikely to produce complex life forms

By weeding out harmful mutations and assembling beneficial ones, natural selection acts like an "improbability drive" that can, given enough time, produce results that appear utterly impossible at first glance.

Evolution is an entirely random process

No and yes. Natural selection is a rigorous testing process that filters out what works from what doesn’t, driving organisms to evolve in particular directions. However, chance events play a big role too.

Mutations can only destroy information, not create it

Biologists are uncovering thousands of examples of how mutations lead to new traits and even new species. This claim not only flies in the face of the evidence, it is also a logical impossibility.

Darwin is the ultimate authority on evolution

Modern evolutionary theory is built on some - but not all - of Darwin's ideas, but has gone far beyond them.

The bacterial flagellum is irreducibly complex

Actually, flagella vary widely from one species to another, and some of the components can perform useful functions by themselves. They are anything but irreducibly complex.

Yet more creationist misconceptions

Evolution is just a theory: Yes it is, like Einstein's theory of special relativity. By theory, scientists mean an explanation backed by evidence. What creationists mean is that evolution is just a hypothesis, unsupported by evidence - which it is not. Evolution is a fact as well a theory.

Evolution violates the second law of thermodynamics

The second law of thermodynamics states that entropy, a measure of randomness, cannot decrease in a closed system. Our planet is not a closed system.

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Tangled Bank #103

 
The latest issue of Tangled Bank is #103. It's hosted at rENNISance woman on the Nature network [The 103rd edition of the Tangled Bank].

Hello from Vancouver! I blog about current genetics, genomics, virology and evolution research. I'll also include posts about grant writing and any other ideas that take my fancy. Don't be shy - leave a comment and start a conversation!

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If you want to submit an article to Tangled Bank send an email message to host@tangledbank.net. Be sure to include the words "Tangled Bank" in the subject line. Remember that this carnival only accepts one submission per week from each blogger. For some of you that's going to be a serious problem. You have to pick your best article on biology.

We Beat the Scientologists!

 
The good news is that atheists are no longer in last place! The bad news is that we have a long way to go to catch up with the Methodists.

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[Hat Tip: Framing Science]

Gene Genie #29

 
The 29th edition of Gene Genie has been posted at My Biotech Life [Gene Genie: the better late than never personal genomics special edition].

It’s a couple of days off schedule but Gene Genie has arrived. I’d like to thank Berci for the opportunity once again. That said, here goes the juicy genetic content.

The beautiful logo was created by Ricardo at My Biotech Life.

The purpose of this carnival is to highlight the genetics of one particular species, Homo sapiens.

Here are all the previous editions .....

1. Scienceroll
2. Sciencesque
3. Genetics and Health
4. Sandwalk
5. Neurophilosophy
6. Scienceroll
7. Gene Sherpa
8. Eye on DNA
9. DNA Direct Talk
10. Genomicron
11. Med Journal Watch
12. My Biotech Life
13. The Genetic Genealogist
14. MicrobiologyBytes
15. Cancer Genetics
16. Neurophilosophy
17. The Gene Sherpa
18. Eye on DNA
19. Scienceroll
20. Bitesize Bio
21. BabyLab
22. Sandwalk
23. Scienceroll
24. biomarker-driven mental health 2.0
25. The Gene Sherpa
26. Sciencebase
27. DNA Direct Talk
28. Greg Laden’s Blog
29. My Biotech Life

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EXPELLED: The Movie

 
This is a slick trailer for the movie Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (irony alert!). Unfortunately, the contents of the movie won't measure up to the pre-release hype. Check out EXPELLED EXPOSED for a detailed rebuttal of the claims made in the movie.

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A Slight Error

 

John Wilkins posted a brief note about a German school kid who "corrected" NASA's calculation of the probability of an asteroid hitting the Earth.

You need to read the comments to fully appreciate the irony of the title Oops, a slight error never killed anyone. (Sorry, John, I couldn't resist.)

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[Photo Credit: AAPPL]

What's Wrong with this Tree?

 
Ryan Gregory has published a wonderful article in Evolution: Education & Outreach (Gregory, 2008). The article is about understanding evolutionary trees—a subject we all need to pay attention to because there are so many conceptual pits into which we might tumble. You can read the complete article by clicking on the link below or you can read a short answer to the question on his blog Genomicron [Phylogenetic fallacies: "branching from a main line"].

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Gregory, T.R. (2008) Understanding evolutionary trees. Evolution: Education and Outreach 1: 121-137. [doi:10.1007/s12052-008-0035-x] [PDF]

Scandal at Tim Hortons

 
Every year at this time Tim Hortons runs a promotion called "Roll-up-the-rim." The idea is that you roll up the rim of the paper cup to reveal a prize. There are even special tools to make rolling up the rim easier [Roll Up the Rim]. (As you can see in the photos, you usually get to lose in two different languages.)

This year I only won a single free coffee whereas in previous years I won several cups and several free donuts. (In 1993 I won a stereo system.) I attributed this to bad luck.

Maybe not, according the Globe and Mail. There are lots of customers who think their wins are below the levels of previous years [Coffee junkies say it's a lean 'Roll Up the Rim' season]. Tim Hortons says your chances of winning should be one in nine. According to the article in the Globe and Mail, even Stuart McLean was disappointed that his crew didn't win more often.

For five of the eight weeks that Tim Hortons ran the promotion, CBC host Stuart McLean and his 12-member tour bus drove from Fort St. John, B.C., to Fargo, N.D., perhaps braking for more Hortons outlets than any other vehicle on the road during that period.

“We had logged about 8,000 kilometres on the Vinyl Cafe tour bus,” Mr. McLean, who doesn't drink coffee, later reflected on his show. “[We] made some new friends and rolled up enough rims to make you wonder if anyone ever wins anything.”

This is getting serious. Tim Hortons should not be making Stuart McLean upset [The Vinyl Cafe]. Before you know it, there will be a story about Dave and Morely at Tim Hortons and it won't be pretty watching two Canadian icons duke it out.

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[Hat Tip: Jane]

Oops! Somebody didn't get the message.

 
A group of scientists have published a series of articles about errors and inconsistencies in Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth [Scientists debate the accuracy of Al Gore's documentary 'An Inconvenient Truth'].

There is no question that Al Gore’s 2006 documentary An Inconvenient Truth is a powerful example of how scientific knowledge can be communicated to a lay audience. What is up for debate is whether it accurately presents the scientific argument that global warming is caused by human activities. Climate change experts express their opinions on the scientific validity of the film’s claims in articles just published online in Springer’s journal, GeoJournal.

I guess they didn't get the message from Mooney and Nisbet. You see, when you develop a spin on climate change every scientist is supposed to stick to the script. You can't have freelancers running off and criticizing the frame.

This is exactly the problem with the concept of framing. Nisbet and Mooney just don't get it. There will always be scientists who disagree with the message being framed and it just not possible to shut them up. That's the exact opposite of what science is all about.

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Back in Canada

 
Vancouver Airport

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Happy 70th Bruce!

 
Last night was the gala 70th birthday party for Bruce Alberts at the Metropolitan Club in San Francisco. Here's Bruce with his first three graduate students; Glenn Herrick (right), Keith Yamamoto (left), and me (looking up).

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