Discovery Institute's Blog, page 94

From Patrick Anderson at the Argus Leader, More Misinformation on Academic Freedom in South Dakota

We've met reporter Patrick Anderson before. See here for responses from last year to his reporting for the Sioux Falls, SD, Argus Leader. On the subject of academic freedom, his work has left much to be desired. Now Mr. Anderson is back, spreading more misinformation.

In January, Senator Jeff Monroe introduced Senate Bill 83, which noted:

No teacher may be prohibited from helping students understand, analyze, critique, or review in an objective scientific manner the strengths and weaknesse...

Another Layer of Defense: The Adaptive Immune System

Editor's note: Physicians have a special place among the thinkers who have elaborated the argument for intelligent design. Perhaps that's because, more than evolutionary biologists, they are familiar with the challenges of maintaining a functioning complex system, the human body. With that in mind, Evolution News is delighted to offer this series, "The Designed Body." For the complete series, see here. Dr. Glicksman practices palliative medicine for a hospice organization.

The body is consta...

Closed Minds, Closed Doors: United Methodist Church Commission Is Censor of the Year

This coming Friday, February 12, is Darwin Day, aka Academic Freedom Day. In keeping with time-honored practice -- well, a practice going back a couple of years anyway -- the occasion has come to announce the winner of our Censor of the Year (COTY) award.

Presented by Discovery Institute's Center for Science & Culture, COTY is a dubious honor, recognizing outstanding efforts in silencing debate about Darwinian evolution and alternative theories of life's origins. This year, nominees submitte...

A Reader Asks, "Are De Novo Genes Real?"

We get good questions here at Evolution News. (Give us yours by hitting the orange Email Us button at the top of the page.) Today, a reader writes to ask, "Are de novo genes real?" This is a question that touches on a number of topics relevant to evolutionary biology, dealing with one of the most exciting aspects of genomic research today. So what are these things called de novo genes?

De novo genes are genes that are present in a particular species or taxonomic group, and not present in any...

Dolphin Males Force Dolphin Females into Gang Intercourse

One of the distinctions separating humans from animals is that we are a species capable of morality. Only we create moral codes through rational means -- which is one reason they differ from society to society.

Animals are amoral. Whatever morality they appear to show -- often anthropomorphized by observers -- comes from instinct, not rational discourse or deliberation worked out and changeable over time.

With that in mind, dolphins are often romanticized as gentle sweethearts. But males for...

Natural Life: Cosmological Fine-Tuning as an Argument for Structuralism

Editor's note: In his new book Evolution: Still a Theory in Crisis, Michael Denton not only updates the argument from his groundbreaking Evolution: A Theory in Crisis (1985) but also presents a powerful new critique of Darwinian evolution. This article is one in a series in which Dr. Denton summarizes some of the most important points of the new book. For the full story,get your copy of Evolution: Still a Theory in Crisis. For a limited time, you'll enjoy a 30 percent discount at CreateSpace...

In a Plea for Genuine Academic Freedom, New Play Turns Inherit the Wind Topsy Turvy

You probably know the basic plot of the tired old film and play Inherit the Wind. For teaching Darwin's theory of evolution in a small Southern town, freethinking biology teacher Bertram Cates gets prosecuted by Christian fundamentalists. Loosely based on the infamous Scopes trial, Inherit the Wind is much more propaganda than history, yet it continues to shape popular culture's understanding of the debate over Darwinian evolution.

So congratulations to Los Angeles-based playwright and acto...

Houston Chapter of the Science & Culture Network Launches BIG with a Screening of Living Waters

This Friday night the Houston Chapter of the Science & Culture Network celebrated its public launch with a kickoff featuring a premiere screening of Living Waters: Intelligent Design in the Oceans of the Earth. Over 700 people showed up, quite an impressive turnout when you think about all the other activities that compete for our Friday nights. The premiere took place in the newly built sanctuary of Faith Bible Church in The Woodlands, TX. With a fresh design and theater-style seating, it w...

Junk DNA: Is Preventing Breast Cancer a Function?

Each time a function is found for a piece of non-coding DNA, the "junk DNA" myth gets more mythological. Here's a function that has been revealed for a certain long, non-coding transcript of DNA into RNA (lncRNA). It helps prevent breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

Researchers at the University of Bath explain why it is difficult to find these functions for non-coding parts of the genome:

The human genome contains around three metres of DNA, of which only about two per cent contains genes tha...

Official United Methodist News Service Implies Intelligent Design Is...Satanic?

The United Methodist News Service (the official news service of the denomination) has published an article about the UMC's ban on Discovery Institute from having an information table at its upcoming General Conference. I give a lot of credit to reporter Heather Hahn for being willing to talk with me to get Discovery Institute's side of the story.

But there are some rather strange passages in the article. Take the following sentence:

Because intelligent design starts with belief in a designe...