Evolutionary Biology - Better Right Than Happy

Live debate this weekend

I’ll be doing a live debate on August 1, 2021, at 3:00 PM ET (7:00 PM GMT) with Ahmed Abdelsattar, a computer engineer who is also an Islamic apologist and frequently makes videos about why he does not accept the theory of evolution. Hope some of you will be able to watch!

Is teaching natural selection “a mass-mind tool of financial interests”?

(The following is a slightly edited version of an article that appeared previously on The Panda’s Thumb.)

Have a look at this article from the Khan Academy, in particular the section entitled Natural Selection:

Darwin, evolution, & natural selection

What do you think? Is it a reasonably accurate and informative, if perhaps a bit bland and prosaic, summary of some of the key elements of the theory of evolution, suitable for the average high school student?

What if someone was to tell you that it is, instead, a “mass-mind tool of financial interests”, designed to indoctrinate unwitting students into accepting an outdated concept that is no longer accepted by modern science? That is the view of Suzan Mazur, who has written a scathing response to this seemingly benign article on her blog.

Book review: “The Genealogical Adam & Eve” by S. Joshua Swamidass

Are science and religion compatible with one another? More specifically: Can one accept the scientific fact that human beings are the result of the 4 billion year process of evolution in which we share common ancestry with all other organisms that inhabit the earth, and at the same time believe the Biblical and Quranic accounts according to which we are all descended from a single couple who were directly created by God? For many the answer is an unequivocal “No”. This includes the members of creationist organizations such as Answers in Genesis, the Institute for Creation Research and the Discovery Institute who try to discredit the theory of evolution in favour of the belief that humans are a special creation of God. On the other side are atheist scientists such as Richard Dawkins, Jerry Coyne and PZ Myers who argue that acceptance of scientific ideas like evolution renders belief in God untenable.

However, there remains a number of people who take an in-between position. In fact, I suspect a majority of people, professional scientists and laypersons alike, simply hold to their religious beliefs (or lack thereof) with little or no thought given to how these relate to the scientific principles which they accept. But there exist a group of people, often referred to as theistic evolutionists or evolutionary creationists, who are equally as devoted to theism as they are to science and actively work to create a reconciliation between the two.

Nathan Lents on our imperfect body

Nathan Lents, professor of biology at John Jay College, has written a book which describes some of the imperfections of the human body. Beyond being entertaining bits of medical trivia, these are also part of what prompted Charles Darwin to formulate his theory of evolution. The idea that much of our biology demonstrates what can only be considered “stupid design” not only serves as an effective counterargument to the claims of creationism. It also helps correct the misunderstandings of many people who accept evolution, but view it as primarily driven by natural selection and constantly seeking the best possible design for an organism. The truth is that evolution largely proceeds by accident and luck, both good and bad, and rarely if ever arrives at a solution of the sort that would be found by careful advanced planning.

Is Science Limited by Methodological Naturalism?

Watch this video from a few months ago in which creationist philosopher Stephen Meyer argues that the practice of science should not entail methodological naturalism:

Genealogical Adam & Eve: An Attempt to Reconcile Science and Faith

It is one of the embarrassments of our supposedly educated and enlightened age that a large percentage of the population continues to reject the scientific theory of evolution. It is also clear that this rejection is largely related to the perception that the theory is in conflict with religious belief. People interested in fostering the public understanding and acceptance of science have taken various approaches to this problem. Some, notably Richard Dawkins, Jerry Coyne, and PZ Myers, endeavor to tackle the problem at its root by directly criticizing theism and religious belief. Others are more circumspect and try to persuade creationists that there is no necessary contradiction entailed in accepting the science of evolution and believing in God.