tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883415296937284014.post8412485632412228631..comments2024-01-08T02:16:57.647-08:00Comments on Religion, Sets, and Politics: My take on Expelled. Now with Extra Praeteritio!Joshuahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00637936588223855248noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883415296937284014.post-81421949240661462182008-05-13T19:53:00.000-07:002008-05-13T19:53:00.000-07:00Hi Abbie, since you're here could you maybe take a...Hi Abbie, since you're here could you maybe take a look at "Ur Doing it Wrong!" a few entries above this one. <BR/><BR/>Ian and I aren't sure about what the proper LOL is.Joshuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00637936588223855248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883415296937284014.post-28996176642963434082008-05-13T19:18:00.000-07:002008-05-13T19:18:00.000-07:00LOL @ the crystal sectionI didnt think about that....LOL @ the crystal section<BR/><BR/>I didnt think about that... LOOOL!ERVhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02070086354372691880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883415296937284014.post-83735592855957684812008-04-25T13:05:00.000-07:002008-04-25T13:05:00.000-07:00You're right, Josh. To clarify, I wasn't comparing...You're right, Josh. To clarify, I wasn't comparing them. Too easy.KLPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11273080859576943967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883415296937284014.post-31692086180177648402008-04-25T12:32:00.000-07:002008-04-25T12:32:00.000-07:00Dunc - I think you are correct about the crystals....Dunc - I think you are correct about the crystals. Unfortunately, the segment was only a few seconds so it wasn't clear what precisely they were talking about. Unfortunately, I don't know that much about abiogenesis research. <BR/><BR/>Re: 8 billion people. Since this is a documentary rather than a work of fiction future-proofing seems unnecessary especially since the world pop isn't like to be that large until the late 2020s. Furthermore, the logical future-proofing would have been to say 7 billion which is correct with rounding now and will be correct with rounding until close to 2020.<BR/><BR/>Elissa- ok. I won't. <BR/><BR/>Klp- I think comparing Stein to a convicted pedophile seems extreme. Just because Stein sinks to such levels doesn't mean we should.Joshuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00637936588223855248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883415296937284014.post-35790765289458777902008-04-25T04:04:00.000-07:002008-04-25T04:04:00.000-07:00Good article. Thanks. I think that Ben Stein's c...Good article. Thanks. I think that Ben Stein's comment about the crystals is one example of an attempt to draw the argument away from a scientific playing-field. Instead of proving evolution wrong on scientific grounds (which they have not been successful), they are doing away with the entire scientific method, and attempting to prove their case on emotional/religious/gut instinct grounds (which they have been much more successful at). A proper defense of evolution might start with a defense of the scientific method.Alanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10917256357129135881noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883415296937284014.post-32695378442862249792008-04-24T17:05:00.000-07:002008-04-24T17:05:00.000-07:00I'm glad I read this, Josh. In the words of Henry ...I'm glad I read this, Josh. In the words of Henry Rollins, Ben Stein "is dead to me." After watching <I>Ferris Bueller's Day Off</I>, I kind of liked the guy. Dark forces must have gotten to him, not unlike <A HREF="http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0702041jones1.html" REL="nofollow">Jeffrey Jones</A>. Perhaps these dark forces also pursue the remaining cast...KLPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11273080859576943967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883415296937284014.post-35077170672348227352008-04-24T16:27:00.000-07:002008-04-24T16:27:00.000-07:00I would also recommend that you not bring up the f...I would also recommend that you not bring up the fact that Ben Stein can't find a given coordinate in the Cartesian space of Seattle.Elissahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05130980408051780799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883415296937284014.post-52254481463778735562008-04-24T13:55:00.000-07:002008-04-24T13:55:00.000-07:00Josh,Perhaps the 8 billion is future-proofing?But ...Josh,<BR/><BR/>Perhaps the 8 billion is future-proofing?<BR/><BR/>But anyway, I haven't seen the film (can't have from over here). But I presume the life-from-crystals theory is the one which originated with A.G. Cairns-Smith. Dawkins uses it in <I>The Blind Watchmaker</I>.<BR/><BR/>In general I think it falls into the "Interesting hypothesis, but..." category; can't be ruled out but seems unlikely in comparison to others. In particular, the origin of life in RNA seems much more likely.<BR/><BR/>Cheers,<BR/><BR/>Dunc (saw it in your Facebook update).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com