15 Answers to Creationist Nonsense

Back in 2002, Scientific American published 15 Answers to Creationist Nonsense -- an attempt to rebut "some of the most common "scientific" arguments raised against evolution." Having to refute creationists arguments against evolution isn't a new thing. As SciAm points out, Charles Darwin was similarly challenged in his day by scientists, until evidence from numerous scientific disciplines mounted a bulwark against "creationist nonsense." Today of course, science faces a the challenge of misunderstanding, misinformation and just plain lies. Even the informed is challenged to face the barrage of idiocy.

Here's some help then. 15 common arguments that creationists raise, and answers you could wield to knock them back to the dark ages (let's face it, some will never see the light).

1. Evolution is only a theory. It is not a fact or a scientific law.
2. Natural selection is based on circular reasoning: the fittest are those who survive, and those who survive are deemed fittest.
3. Evolution is unscientific, because it is not testable or falsifiable. It makes claims about events that were not observed and can never be re-created.
4. Increasingly, scientists doubt the truth of evolution.
5. The disagreements among even evolutionary biologists show how little solid science supports evolution.
6. If humans descended from monkeys, why are there still monkeys?
7. Evolution cannot explain how life first appeared on earth.
8. Mathematically, it is inconceivable that anything as complex as a protein, let alone a living cell or a human, could spring up by chance.
9. The Second Law of Thermodynamics says that systems must become more disordered over time. Living cells therefore could not have evolved from inanimate chemicals, and multicellular life could not have evolved from protozoa.
10. Mutations are essential to evolution theory, but mutations can only eliminate traits. They cannot produce new features.
11. Natural selection might explain microevolution, but it cannot explain the origin of new species and higher orders of life.
12. Nobody has ever seen a new species evolve.
13. Evolutionists cannot point to any transitional fossils--creatures that are half reptile and half bird, for instance.
14. Living things have fantastically intricate features--at the anatomical, cellular and molecular levels--that could not function if they were any less complex or sophisticated. The only prudent conclusion is that they are the products of intelligent design, not evolution.
15. Recent discoveries prove that even at the microscopic level, life has a quality of complexity that could not have come about through evolution.

Rejoice, The Hummer Is Dead

Mark Morford of the SF Gate has written a biting commentary on the impending (or not so) death of the Hummer -- comparing its representative excesses and false American machismo to that of the Bush Administration, and the "bloated, arrogant, offensive," and dead, Jerry Falwell. It's an absolute pleasure to read. Check it out.

Dispatches: Undercover Mosque

The UK's Channel 4 news show, Dispatches, filmed a documentary of extremist Islam being practiced in British mosques. While they publicly talk moderation, Dispatches "finds preachers condemning integration into British society, condemning democracy and praising the Taliban for killing British soldiers" in their mosques. The extreme views may be coming from a few, but those Muslims that do nothing to counter them are just as guilty. Watch the video and be afraid.

Trent Reznor Rips into Record Companies

Australia's Herald Sun is carrying an interview with Trent Reznor, in which he harangues the music industry, music fans, himself and the illegal downloading of music. Here's an excerpt, in which Reznor is confronted on why his latest CD goes for $34.99 at the local HMV.

Well, in Brisbane I end up meeting and greeting some record label people, who are pleasant enough, and one of them is a sales guy, so I say "Why is this the case?" He goes "Because your packaging is a lot more expensive". I know how much the packaging costs -- it costs me, not them, it costs me 83 cents more to have a CD with the colour-changing ink on it. I'm taking the hit on that, not them. So I said "Well, it doesn't cost $10 more". "Ah, well, you're right, it doesn't. Basically it's because we know you've got a core audience that's gonna buy whatever we put out, so we can charge more for that. It's the pop stuff we have to discount to get people to buy it. True fans will pay whatever". And I just said "That's the most insulting thing I've heard. I've garnered a core audience that you feel it's OK to rip off? F--- you'. That's also why you don't see any label people here, 'cos I said 'F--- you people. Stay out of my f---ing show. If you wanna come, pay the ticket like anyone else. F--- you guys". They're thieves. I don't blame people for stealing music if this is the kind of s--- that they pull off.

Whaddaya know ... Reznor is still cool.

When Will It End

Just when you think it couldn't get much worse ... it gets much worse. There seems to be no end to the travesty that is the Bush Administration. The latest comes from one of the political lackeys of King George, who was appointed to the Interior Department. Julie MacDonald filled the role of deputy assistant secretary for fish, wildlife and parks, until she resigned last week -- a week before Natural Resources Committee launched an investigation into inappropriate actions on the part of MacDonald. MacDonald it appears was busy harassing scientists of her department and removing fish on the endangered species list. Inappropriate in itself -- but far more inappropriate when you realize that MacDonald was making a cool $1 million annually from her fish farm that profited from the extinction of said fish. [Read more.] Can this woman be shot?

American Dictatorship

Rouge Government is carrying a post exposing the Bush Administration's National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive, that effectively makes the President of the United States a dictator, should a "catastrophic emergency" occur. Section 2b) defines such an emergency in really vague terms:

"Catastrophic Emergency" means any incident, regardless of location, that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the U.S. population, infrastructure, environment, economy, or government functions.

Should Americans be afraid at this point? Yup. Should Americans challenge this trampling of their fundamental rights? Yup. Are Americans afraid of this? Mostly, no. Are Americans going to doing anything about this? Nope. They're way too busy watching American Idol to care.

Our Contribution to Genocide

Africa is dry, and climate change is going to make it even more so. It has been suggested that the current conflict in Sudan, is not just a manifestation of religious and ethnic animosities -- it's also a conflict of too few resources to meet the demand of the existing population. If the world is serious about ending the genocide in Sudan, it will also have to address the problem of dwindling resources, exasperated by the Sahara pushing further south, down the continent. It is another perspective on climate change. Our consumption habits in the developed world is being paid for, in part, by the lives of Africans -- by the genocide happening in Sudan.

This perspective begs for urgency in addressing climate change. The conflict and resulting genocide in Sudan may be an early warning sign of the coming consequences of climate change. It won't happen fast, but ancient hatreds around the world, currently held at bay by economic and social prosperity, will certainly ignite when there's nothing left to lose. The world has had little success in brokering peace in Sudan, or implementing sustainable measures to provide the basics of life. What will we do when the strife in Sudan crops up elsewhere in the world -- as climate change alters more than just the African continent?

They say that every society is only three meals away from revolution. Deprive a culture of food for three meals, and you'll have an anarchy.

Related reading:

• National Security and the Threat of Climate Change [PDF]
• Climate Change and International Security
• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
• Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis [PDF]

'Attempted' Copyright Infringement

The latest on intellectual property protection south of the border, comes courtesy of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and the Bush Administration. They are seeking to ensure that their friends of the old guard can continue to milk profits from content, regardless of fair use rights. Copyright infringement is already against the law, but Gonzales is now proposing that attempting to commit piracy should also be a crime, punishable by America law.

Considering that close to 80% of internet traffic is from file sharing activities -- and just making a wild guess to say that at least half of those people are partaking in copyright infringement, exposes a whole lot of people to potential jail time. Is it just me, or is there a huge disconnect with reality on the part of the Bush Administration and their business supporters? Believe it or not, a whole lot of people aren't looking for jail time, but neither are looking for draconian measures on how they can consume content they've purchased.

Just in case you think that not living in the US offers you any type of protection against, think again. There was a recent case of an Australian being extradited to the US to stand trial for software piracy. With compliant national governments around the world, working to appease America, no one is safe -- except maybe, the Iranians and North Koreans.

Useful Void: The Art of Forgetting in the Age of Ubiquitous Computing

Viktor Mayer-Schönberger has penned an interesting paper that goes against our natural tendency to preserve our past. In Useful Void: The Art of Forgetting in the Age of Ubiquitous Computing [PDF], Mayer-Schönberger argues that in the digital age, a comprehensive trail of our actions, words and beliefs is being preserved for posterity, and aided with distributive and recovery capabilities of the internet, could inadvertently pose a danger to society. In effect, our technology-aided ability to recall everything is creating panopticon world that threatens to stifle the public discourse that fuels the engines of our democracies. Technology evolved fulfilling our retention desires, with default to retain, rather than delete. Mayer-Schönberger wishes to reset the default; to enable our technology to forget.

Already, there has been growing concerns with the retention and use of private, historical information. Just about all of our public, and increasingly private transactions are being captured, stored and combined with other data to create information that in return is used to paint a target on us. There is no anonymity in surfing the internet, purchasing with credit cards or using public spaces. In a world afraid of terrorists lurking around every corner, surveillance capabilities of public and private institutions will continue to increase. Advertising dollars continue to shift from old media to the new as a result of the latter promise to target individuals more accurately based on their demographic profile and personal desires. Google apparently has all user queries saved since the beginning of Google Inc. We are all potential terrorists and consumers in this increasingly monitored world that relies on our past behaviours.

In response to privacy concerns, there has been efforts to protect personal information via legislation and constitutional reinterpretation (Canada and US, anyway) … both of which Mayer-Schönberger addresses and discounts for being ineffective. Mayer-Schönberger also tackles the do-nothing approach, and one suggested by Lawrence Lessig, which would employ rules within technology to influence and constrain our behaviour. The do-nothing approach is dismissed as being irresponsible, but Lessig's suggestion is fine-tuned to tackle the resetting of the default state of remembering. Mayer-Schönberger suggests that our technology should have a built in default to forget, and this requirement should be mandated by legislation. Webcams and surveillance cameras would have short defaults to forget what they've stored. Internet Cookies would expire in days or weeks, not decades. Search engines would have to delete what you've searched for over time, including losing caches to sites no longer in existence. Digital photographs would need to be deleted based on your personal preferences. It all sounds good, but stepping back to look at what problem Mayer-Schönberger is trying to solve, leaves me unconvinced.

Mayer-Schönberger wanting to reset the default to enable forgetting is in response to the potential misuse of information detailing past behaviour. With our every action being recorded, we may temper future dialogue for fear of being taken out of context and misrepresented. Behind the potential misuse of private information however is narrow perspective of the past. The past has already happened, and doesn't necessarily dictate future behaviour. It does, however, hold invaluable information and insights that can be leveraged for future value -- privately and publicly -- that we have yet to fully grasp. True, private information should only be used via expressed consent, but it should be remembered for what it is: the past, and not necessarily a harbinger of the future. Mayer-Schönberger uses the example of Amazon's suggestion feature, where Amazon suggests what you may want to read based on past purchase decisions. So, if you purchased a children's book in the past as a gift, suddenly, Amazon thinks you also like to read kids literature. This is exactly why the past should be forgotten, but it also why, while the past may be interesting from a historical perspective, it isn't necessarily predictive of the future, nor should it be given such relevancy.

Of course, therein lies the catch. We give the past much relevancy in the present. We dissect every sentence ever said by public figures in the hopes of catching them in inconsistencies. We enjoy finding the duplicity of others. We don't allow for change, yet expect others to give us a fair shake, independent of our past blunders. It's not the past we need to be afraid of, it's us -- and there is no technology or legislation that is about to solve that little problem. Mayer-Schönberger's suggestion however -- not a bad attempt at of a band-aid for human nature.

Planning for a Climate-Changed World

Most now admit that the global climate is changing on a massive scale, and its happening within our lifetime. Regardless of whether you accept the science that places the blame on human activity, or choose to believe that the change is being driven by other mechanisms, know that unprecedented change is happening. Science has had years of practice in building climate models that have been tested with data to verify their accuracy.

Honed by a broad range of climate scientists, the model represents atmospheric and oceanic systems. Like other global models, it simulates interrelated processes: for example, the warming of Earth's surface by solar radiation; the absorption of heat by the oceans; the reflection of solar energy by land surfaces, ice sheets, and particulates in the atmosphere; and the effects of the accumulation of excess carbon dioxide and other atmospheric gases that trap heat.

[Read more in MIT’s Technology Review]

The problem with such models however is the scale: it’s global. Models haven’t been built that narrow predictions to regional or local scales, where governments can respond with strategic planning. We all undoubtably believe that drought, fierce storms, flooding, and other signs of the impending apocalypse will never be visited upon us. That only happens to others, especially if they’re poor, and live in third world countries. Right? With models scaled locally however, we would be able to forecast the chances of disasters knocking at our doors and would be in a better position to prepare for such occurrences.

Of course, as New Orleans taught us, knowing that a disaster would occur, and doing something with that knowledge, are entirely different prospects. Sometimes, history just needs to repeat itself a number of times in quick succession, before those of us with foresight are heeded.

Updated: May 15, 2007

• Planning for a Climate-Changed World: Part 2 of the MIT Technology Review article.

Bullet-Shaped Solar System

As results from our various instruments pour in, we get an increasingly accurate view of our universe, and our place in it. Recently, researchers analyzing data from the Voyager spacecrafts, began to piece together an image of our solar system’s place within the galaxy. The solar system travels in an invisible bubble, created by solar particles streaming towards interstellar space. The edge of our solar system is in fact, defined as the point where particles from the Sun and those of interstellar space, reach a happy medium -- undulating against each other. Our solar system moves through the Milky Way, carving it’s way through interstellar space -- with the bubble of solar particles shaped like a bullet, forming a protective shell around the system. The edge of this bubble, carves a path through the Milky Way’s magnetic field at an angel of 60-degrees, traveling at 1/3 the speed of light. The bullet shaped is formed from the solar particles hitting the galactic magnetic field.

Ain't that cool?

Failure of Kyoto

A draft declaration on global warming being prepared for the G8 Summit in early June, hosted by Germany, is being systematically taken apart by the US. The US apparently is opposed to a pledge to limit global warming; cut greenhouse gas emissions; supporting carbon markets; and having the UN be the forum where the world tackle the climate crisis. Not surprisingly, Steven Harper still has his head lodged firmly up George W. Bush's rotting ass. Harper's government is backing the US stance to water down strong global warming message Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel is trying to push through. History will look back at this, and see failure in our elected representatives to do the right thing. History will look back at each one of us, and judge our actions in response to the political inaction.

World Fair Trade Day

Spread the word ... it's World Fair Trade Day.

Plastic Will be the Death of Us

The North Pacific Gyre, occupying an area of about 34 million square kilometres in the northern Pacific Ocean, is a swirling vortex of ocean currents that sweeps up waste material, creating a garbage dump that is estimated to be twice the area of the state of Texas. Most of the material in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, as it is lovingly known, is plastic. Plastic that is making it's way into the food chain -- rapidly. Forget the images of marine life and birds digesting the visible plastic trash. Tiny pieces of plastic, estimated by Charles Moore of Algalita Marine Research Foundation, to outweigh plankton in North Pacific Gyre by six times, is making its way insidiously into us. At the genetic level, the toxins from plastic are messing with out collective biochemistry. And it's too late to do anything about it. At best, we can stop adding to the wasteland our world and bodies have become -- that's because plastic doesn't decompose, and worldwide, less than 5% of what is created annually is being recycled. That means, just about all the plastic that has ever been manufactured, is still with us.

Related reading:

• Our oceans are turning into plastic...are we? -- Best Life Magazine
• Global Marine Litter Information Gateway -- UNEP site

They're Made of People!

We send a lot of stuff into space. A lot. Not everything that goes up and stays out there, necessarily had a primary mission. Upper rocket stages of spacecrafts for instance -- they're just there to make sure the crafts we send up, get to where they're going, and have a chance at completing their missions. Upper rocket stages -- well, they just sort of get left to their own devices when they've been spent. As Space.com points out in a recent article, an interesting possibility arises from that scrap metal. The spacecrafts that get sent out are usually sterilized to ensure they're clean -- not so with the upper rocket stages. They're teeming with bacteria from the engineers who built them. The amazing thing about bacteria is their ability to survive. Bacteria has been known to hibernate for millions of years -- waiting for the right conditions to arise so they continue doing what bacteria do -- multiple, and evolve. Right now, upper rocket stages are hurtling out of our solar system to destinations unknown. Space is quite large. Time is very long. With some wild imagination, the possibilities can be really freaky.

Democracy in Trouble

If you've been keeping tabs on democratic process south of the border, you'd rapidly be coming to the conclusion that democracy is in decline. In the country that holds itself up to the world as an example of rule by the people, the United States of America has done an awful job of living up to the basics, let alone the idealism it seeks to inspire. From the debacle of the last election, to the abuses of the Bush Administration and the wars the country has fought -- including the secret ones -- America has really been a terrible disappointment.

Now the hoedown has started again, as candidates from the Republicans and Democrats, test the waters of presidential candidacy -- and what little hope there may have been for change, is slowly morphing into yet another disappointment. The impartial media has been weighing in on candidates, and with their subtle machinations, continuing the sacking of democracy.

Candidates are who the media portray them to be. Case in point, Al Gore. In the last election, the media collectively worked to destroy a candidate who was a much better choice than the Texan idiot the country was saddled with. The media is at it again. Candidates participating in debates are not being given fair and balanced coverage by the media -- and in some cases, are simply being removed entirely from be covered. Try a blog search for Mike Gravel or Ron Paul to see what I mean. As a recent editorial in the Washington Post puts it, candidates don't make good copy; don't make good TV; and perhaps, after debates, they should simply be voted off the debate circuit by TV viewers. That's right -- like a reality TV show, candidates should be voted off the island, after all, "it seems to work well for other TV programs".

Brazil Breaks AIDS Drug Patent

What do you do when there is an AIDS drug on the market that would ease the burden of the disease, but you can't afford it? In the case of Brazil, what you do is break the patent, and buy a cheaper generic from India. Brazil follows Thailand in sending a message to Merck that while they own the intellectual rights to Efavirenz, that knowledge needs to be balanced with the lives of the general population.

Brazil was in talks with Merck to obtain Efavirenz at a reasonable cost, but Merck wasn't willing to lower the price of the drug to what it currently charges Thailand. Under WTO rules, Brazil's move is legal, as countries are allowed to break patents in cases where the drugs are deemed critical to public health. In response, the US government has threatened to revoke Brazil's trading partner status with the US. Brazil meanwhile is contemplating the manufacturing of generic Efavirenz domestically for government distribution to the AIDS victims in the country.

Hermione's IMAX Enhancement

It's no secret that the media is obsessed with an idealized image of women -- and more and more, girls. The latest abuse comes courtesy of IMAX, for a digitally enhanced image promoting the latest Harry Potter flick. In a publicity poster featuring the main characters, the stars of the movie are posed in a dramatic shot. IMAX took the same image, which has been used to promote the film, and then altered it to make Hermione fit IMAX's idealized image of a young girl -- more blonde, slimmer waist, and an enlarged bust. The image has since been pulled from the IMAX site, but not before a whole lot of folks noticed. Emma Watson, who plays Hermione, is 17-years-old and portrays a 15-year-old Hermione in the movie. IMAX did more than just get this one wrong. Someone purposely made the decision to make Hermione more than Emma Watson was portraying her. Someone made the decision to make a 15-year-old Hermione's breast larger. That someone should be fired in my opinion. Was there really a need to sexualize Hermione to attract viewers to the movie?

The Murder of Du'a Khalil Aswad

If I had a magic wand, I would wave it for a lot of things -- one of them being fundamentalists. I would wipe the lot of them, regardless of the dogma they subscribe to, right off the planet. I wouldn't waste time on inflicting horrors before their existence is negated -- I would be in too much of a hurry to just get rid of them all.

What has caused my blood to boil is the news coming out of Iraq of the "honour killing" of 17-year-old Du'a Khalil Aswad, last month. Aswad was condemned to death by the men of her family, for being in love with a Sunni Muslim boy -- Aswad is a Yezidi. She was hiding out in the house of a Yezidi tribal leader in a small town outside of the Kurdish capital of Mosul, when 8-9 men stormed the house and dragged her out to the street. They then proceeded to stone her for half-hour, until she died. A large crowd looked on, including security authorities. The entire incident was filmed and the story only broke when the video made it onto the internet.

Her name is Du'a Khalil Aswad. She was a girl. Men and religion murdered her. Her story should never be forgotten.

Nothing

New in consumerism this season -- Nothing! For £3.49, you can purchase the perfect gift for someone who has everything -- Nothing!

What better present for the person who has everything than a poignant reminder that they want for nothing? This lovingly crafted vial of emptiness is filled to the brim with unfettered nothingness. Free from the burden of possessions, the weight of responsibility, Nothing is as idiotic as it is brilliant.

Yes, the world is now officially beyond crazy! Consumerism has taken us over the edge -- you can now buy nothing.

Ahmadinejad's Sin

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president best known his love of George W. Bush, has violated Sharia law -- and is being accused of "indecency and violating religious values" by conservatives in his country. His crime? Publicly kissing the gloved hand of an elderly woman that used to be his school teacher.

Take a moment to ponder and get over it.

So ... shouldn't we all have a problem with fundamentalist ideologies being forced down on anyone?