November 7, 2009
The world is a beautiful place
to be born into
if you don’t mind happiness
not always being
so very much fun
if you don’t mind a touch of hell
now and then
just when everything is fine
because even in heaven
they don’t sing
all the time
The world is a beautiful place
to be born into
if you don’t mind some people dying
all the time
or maybe only starving
some of the time
which isn’t half bad
if it isn’t you
Oh the world is a beautiful place
to be born into
if you don’t much mind
a few dead minds
in the higher places
or a bomb or two
now and then
in your upturned faces
or such other improprieties
as our Name Brand society
is prey to
with its men of distinction
and its men of extinction
and its priests
and other patrolmen
and its various segregations
and congressional investigations
and other constipations
that our fool flesh
is heir to
Yes the world is the best place of all
for a lot of such things as
making the fun scene
and making the love scene
and making the sad scene
and singing low songs and having inspirations
and walking around
looking at everything
and smelling flowers
and goosing statues
and even thinking
and kissing people and
making babies and wearing pants
and waving hats and
dancing
and going swimming in rivers
on picnics
in the middle of the summer
and just generally
‘living it up’
Yes
but then right in the middle of it
comes the smiling
mortician
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Poetry | 
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Posted by John M. Lynch
November 6, 2009
Dembski “uses the Bible” to illustrate a scientific point. From here:
After a time of musical praise and worship, Dembski took the stage and began a clear, concise analysis of the necessity for Intelligent Design studies. He highlighted the similarities and differences between Intelligent Design and Creation Theory and explained why there was a need for both and how science and religion go hand in hand. Dembski’s investigative research and insightful lecture was met with appreciative applause as he concluded with prayer. … The topics that Dembski discussed at The Baptist College of Florida were grounded in Biblical faith and doctrine ranging from Darwinism to Information Theory.
HT to John Pieret
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Intelligent Design | 
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Posted by John M. Lynch
November 6, 2009
The following has appeared in the October edition of the Newsletter of the History of Science Society. It appears here so as to allow comment and discussion on the issues raised.
In a recent book review for The British Journal for the History of Science, Thomas Dixon asks what contribution historians of science can make to the debate about intelligent design (ID). As myself and others noted in a 2008 Isis Focus article, historians have many opportunities to make contributions to this most public of debates, yet our community has largely resisted the Siren’s call of engagement with creationism. In this brief note, I would like to offer some thoughts on current creationist tactics with regards the history of science and hopefully inspire some readers to engage in this significant debate.
Read the rest of this entry »
9 Comments | Anti-evolution | Permalink
Posted by John M. Lynch
November 5, 2009
I was listening to June Tabor’s version of “And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda” tonight and quoting the following seemed apt:
And now every April I sit on my porch
And I watch the parade pass before me
And I watch my old comrades, how proudly they march
Reliving old dreams of past glory
And the old men march slowly, all bent, stiff and sore
The forgotten heroes from a forgotten war
And the young people ask, “What are they marching for?”
And I ask myself the same question
And the band plays Waltzing Matilda
And the old men answer to the call
But year after year their numbers get fewer
Some day no one will march there at all.
The last ANZAC survivor of Gallipoli, Alec Campbell, died in 2002. He led Hobart’s ANZAC Day parade three weeks prior to his death. There ain’t that many survivors of the War to End All Wars left.
3 Comments | 
Poetry | 
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Posted by John M. Lynch
November 3, 2009
Todd Wood’s latest statement on evolution:
That’s why I want my students to know the truth about evolution. It’s not bogus. It’s not a failure. There’s lots of evidence in its favor. But that just doesn’t make it true. Have faith in the risen Christ, and it will not matter what scientists tell you (or anyone else, for that matter).
See here.
2 Comments | Young Earth Creationism | Permalink
Posted by John M. Lynch
November 1, 2009
There’s a big Darwin meeting going on in Chicago this weekend with concurrent science and HPS sessions. I was originally going to attend but work got in the way. PZ Myers has been live blogging the science talks by Dick Lewontin, Ron Numbers, Mark Hauser, Doug Futyuma, the Grants, Douglas Schemske, Paul Sereno, Frederick Cohan, Jerry Coyne, Eric Lander, Philip Ward, David Jablonski, David Kingsley, Neil Shubin, and Hopi Hoekstra.
He also stumbled into Michael Ruse’s talk on “Is Darwinism past its ‘sell by’ date? The challenge of evo-devo” – I suspect this is the talk Ruse gave here at ASU in February (transcript available) – and one by philosopher Bill Wimsatt that left him a little confused. Bill often has that effect of folks.
Update: I thought there was a verb, to Wimsatt. I was wrong.
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Posted by John M. Lynch
October 28, 2009
Once again, Steve Fuller shows what a clown he is. See here and here.
Update (11/1): Fuller can deal it out but appears not to be able to handle criticism. As I’ve said here before, he is in no way is representative of STS as practiced by the historians, philosophers & sociologists I work with. He is a minor player with serious problems who is convinced of his own importance. Sad really.
9 Comments | Bits and Pieces | Permalink
Posted by John M. Lynch
October 25, 2009
A poll of 11,768 adults across ten countries indicates that 43% think that “[e]volutionary theories should be taught in science lessons in schools together with other possible perspectives, such as intelligent design and creationism.” Agreement ran at 54% in Britain and 51% in the US. This article notes that “Britons were almost three times more likely than Egyptians to want creationism and intelligent design to be included in the teaching of evolution” but if the question was worded as above, I suspect that the lower rate for Egyptians may actually be from them wanting only creationism taught in schools. Unfortunately, I can’t actually find the report online.
(HT to John Pieret)
4 Comments | Anti-evolution, Science Education | Permalink
Posted by John M. Lynch
October 25, 2009
Details here.
After that (in 1989) I bought a series of Windows laptops and desktops manufactured by Dell, Gateway and Toshiba. Twenty years later, I moved to my current system.
1 Comment | Technology | Permalink
Posted by John M. Lynch
October 23, 2009
Cutting edge of home computing in 1982. More information here.
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Posted by John M. Lynch
Famously, Dubliner 
