Evolution

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Darwin’s Theory of Evolution Not Dead Yet

August 29, 2010 in Evolution by askeptic | No comments

University of Bristol researchers appear more adept at self-promotion than science.

‘Calgary researcher’s room-to-roam proposal may be fittest theory‘ was the headline  of an article written by Jamie Komarnicki and published in the Wednesday, August 25, 2010 of the Calgary Herald.  It seems one way or another, news organizations across the world have picked up and reported that University of Bristol researchers Michael Benton, Sarda Sahney and Paul Ferry have developed a replacement for current evolutionary theory with which Charles Darwin is most closely associated. Read the rest of this entry »

On Evolution: The Calgary Herald still evokes awe and outrage

November 24, 2009 in Evolution by askeptic | 3 comments

This year is Charles Darwin’s year. It marks the 200th Anniversary of his birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication On the Origin of Species.

On the Origin of Species is one of the most important and influential books of all time. In it, Darwin details his theory of evolution by means of natural selection, a crowning scientific achievement and one of the singular accomplishments of our species in the 200,000 or so years we have been around. Read the rest of this entry »

Speaking of Grades, Bishop Henry . . .

May 6, 2009 in Education, Evolution, Religion, Skeptic News by askeptic | No comments

Bill 44 has been producing quite a stir here in Alberta.

This is the bill that will either allow parents to remove their children from such controversial subjects as evolution or will not permit parents to remove their children from such subjects as evolution — depending upon who in the government you talk to. The Premier says parents will have that right, the Minister responsible says parents won’t. Half the Conservative caucus is speaking out in favour of the Government’s position (although they are split on which government position), while the other half of caucus is running for cover. The opposition is against it, although here again, just what ‘it’ is, isn’t clear. Read the rest of this entry »

Latest Update: Monkeys Are Back In Alberta Education

May 6, 2009 in Education, Evolution, Religion, Skeptic News by askeptic | No comments

Did ASkepticRTN cause the Alberta government’s turnaround?

It was on the weekend that AskepticRTN delivered its critique of the Alberta Government’s Bill 44  (see AskepticRTN, Education in Alberta: No Monkeys Please). Copies were sent to the politicians involved, as well as all the newspaper columnists mentioned in the post.

I guess we had an impact. First, we got flooded with e-mail. I love e-mail. It lets me know I actually have some readers out there and I like that. One regular reader, Ian, actually submitted a comment. That’s great too. Ian always gives me constructive criticism. Read the rest of this entry »

Education in Alberta: No Monkeys Please.

May 2, 2009 in Education, Evolution, Religion, Skeptic News by admin | 3 comments

You think the Alberta media is dumb about science? Just wait to you get a load of our politicians!

It’s called Bill 44. Last year the Alberta Provincial Government promised a review of human rights legislation in the province. Much of this review was driven by the actions of The Alberta Human Rights and Citizenship (AHRC) Commission with respect to Ezra Levant. A publisher of a local Alberta magazine, Mr. Levant, reproduced those infamous Danish cartoons depicting the prophet Mohammad. A complaint was lodged and Mr. Lavant was hauled in front of the Commission for promoting hate or something like it.  Read the rest of this entry »

When Nigel Hannaford gets science, watch out!

March 31, 2009 in Education, Evolution, Religion by admin | No comments

You are into a whole new world of dumb

Sorry Nigel. I almost missed your latest desperate attempt at  trying to look like you know what you are talking about in the Tuesday March 24, 2009 edition of the Calgary Herald.

The piece, entitled When science gets religious watch out, Nigel trots out the same tired argument so in vogue with the (nonthinking) members of the media. Specifically, that the question of how life evolved on earth is a religious, rather than scientific question. We addressed the lunacy of this argument earlier in (see ASkepticRTN: First Alberta science ) as have many others. Even the title of Nigel’s piece tries to turn truth on its head, implying that science is meddling into the affairs of religion when the Gary Goodyear affair, about which Nigel was writing, was about religion meddling in science.

So what does happen when religion, or in this case the religious, meddles in things scientific? The answer is to be found in Nigel’s column. Nigel tries to display his knowledge of science and ends up sounding as dumb as I would lecturing the Pope on Catholic interpretations on the holy trinity. I am not so dumb as to try. Nigel on the other hand . . . Read the rest of this entry »

First Alberta science, now Canadian science. How long must we wait for Real science.

March 25, 2009 in Evolution, Religion by admin | 2 comments

Okay, this getting depressing.

First, Alberta decides that a supporter of the Discovery Institute (conditions for membership: fat wallet, gullible but preferably both) is qualified to lead provincial science policy, and to spearhead the effort of designing a provincial life sciences strategy (see ASkepticRTN Is Intelligent Design Leading Alberta Science Policy). No word on how you do that without talking about evolution but hey, this is Alberta. We don’t need no stink’n science!

Now, it turns out that Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for Science and Technology for Canada is a creationist. He is also a chiropractor. This means Canada’s Minister of Science is not only profoundly igorant of the subject of his portfolio, he has also spent his career promoting the abuse of science through the promotion of pseudo-scientific nonsense at the expense of those individuals sick or gullible enough to pay for snake oil. Read the rest of this entry »

How bad journalism gave religion an alibi

February 18, 2009 in Evolution by admin | No comments

Nigel Hannaford is now soft selling Darwinian evil. Hey, it’s progress.

Okay, my opportunity to say I told you so. On the eve of Darwin Day I suggested we would see very little (if anything) from the Calgary Herald or the Calgary media in general concerning the accomplishments of Charles Darwin. I suggested if we did see anything, it would be little more than another sophomoric attack concerning Darwin’s responsibility for a host of evils including declining morals.  

The Herald, brilliant in its timing managed to accomplish both. Virtually nothing appeared to mark Darwin Day (except a very small syndicated piece that reduced Darwin and evolution as something that is being celebrated in England. Oh those crazy Brits!). Then, almost a week later came the attack. Read the rest of this entry »

Darwin Day Thursday Feb. 11 2009

February 11, 2009 in Evolution, Religion, Skeptic News by admin | 3 comments

Will any Calgary media notice?

Darwin Day is tomorrow, Thursday February 1. 2009 marks the 150th anniversary of the publication of The Origin of Species as well as the 200th anniversary of the great man’s birth. I am looking forward to the vast coverage this will be receiving in Calgary’s media. I’ll bet I’m disappointed.

Experience tells me that there will be little coverage and what coverage there is, will be the usual hatchet jobs that blame Darwin for everything from communism to the declining moral fiber in America (what is moral fiber anyway?). One of the greatest intellectual achievements of all time will be reduced to a listing of the paranoid rants of a few religious fundamentalists. As a reader of ASkepticRTN know well, this has certainly been the pattern of my Calgary Herald over the years. Read the rest of this entry »

A Ray of Hope on the Evolution Front

September 1, 2008 in Evolution, Skeptic News by admin | No comments

Herald columnist Rob Breakenridge actually gets it.

I could hardly believe my eyes. Page A11, Tuesday, August 12, 2008 edition of the Calgary Herald: What is it about evolution theory that Albertans’ don’t get?by Rob Breakenridge.

Rob’s article was in reaction to a recent poll conducted by Angus Reid that questioned Canadians about their beliefs in evolution versus creationism. According to Rob’s interpretation of the poll results, 58% of Canadians believe in evolution. Here in Alberta, however, that number drops to 37%. Rob asks, somewhat rhetorically:

How can this be? Does this represent some serious shortcomings in our educational system? Have we been swayed by the charlatans of the Intelligent Design movement? Is there some truth to the stereotype of Alberta as a hotbed of religious fundamentalism? Read the rest of this entry »

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