Signature of Controversy: Responses to Critics of Signature in the Cell

Signature in the Cell #2

by David Klinghoffer (Editor)

Signature of Controversy is a response to the 2009 bestseller Signature in the Cell by Stephen C. Meyer , a book recognized as establishing one of the strongest pillars underlying the argument for intelligent design. To call Signature in the Cell important is an understatement. The critical response that followed the publication of Stephen Meyer’s book was fascinating, but the fact is that few—if any—of the critics really grappled with the crux of Meyer’s argument or with the substance of intelligent-design theory. This is remarkable and telling.  In Signature of Controversy , defenders of intelligent design analyze the hostile response using the critics’ own writings.
Edited by David Klinghoffer and including essays by David Berlinski, Casey Luskin, Stephen C. Meyer, Paul Nelson, Jay Richards and Richard Sternberg.

Genres: Science, Intelligent Design, Evolution, Religion, Nonfiction, Biology

143 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2010

Reviews

[Kip Lowery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Signature in the Cell (SitC) details the history and premises of the intelligent design theory. Signature of Controversy details the reactions to SitC from a culture of science that seems to have no place for it. This book is a collection of articles that critique the reviewers of SitC and answers them clearly. Amazingly, some reviewers of SitC have clearly not even read the book, yet have felt compelled to review it (negatively). Some mischaracterize the argument completely. Some are just plain uncivil and even obnoxious. None are really able to refute the argument of the theory, though, which, simply put, is as follows:

1. There is no materialistic explanation for the origin of biological information (specified complexity) in DNA.
2. The only known cause of information is an intelligent agent.
3. Since there is no materialistic explanation for the origin of biological information, an inference can be made to an intelligent cause

Signature of Controversy is a must read for those who have read SitC. You will learn more details why recent origin of life experiments, that supposedly tag ID as a dead end, actually supplement the design argument. It will bring you into the dialogue that is going on in the blogosphere. Be prepared to access blog sites to read these SitC reviews first hand. It will position you to look objectively at the communities of scientists that are discussing this theory. This book has also helped to solidify the intelligent design argument for me, and hopefully it will do the same for you.

[Harrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

As the title makes clear, this is a series of responses to criticisms of Stephen Meyer's book, Signature in the Cell. It's a small volume, readable in a sitting or two, and contains responses written by Discovery Institute-affiliated scholars and writers, including Douglas Axe, David Berlinski, David Klinghoffer, Casey Luskin, Paul Nelson, Jay Richards, Richard Sternberg, and Meyer himself. While the volume does an excellent job responding to critics (many of whom didn't even both to read Meyer's book before reviewing it, seemingly), because of the overall poor quality of the criticisms to start out with, there isn't a whole lot of new information here (aside from Sternberg's three-part look at a fascinating genomic signal in LINE and SINE DNA, showing that Alu-like sequences seem to be species specific, aggregating in similar sections of the genomes of different species). Berlinski's witty two-page rejoinder is probably the highlight of the book for me. So, Signature of Controversy (***) is fine as a supplement, but you're not missing much if you just stick to Meyer's book.

[Damon · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you read SITC this book adds very little. Some good info on supposed "junk DNA", but more repeated arguments from the book to folks who disagree with the book, yet haven't read it, don't understand it, or are having cognitive difficulties. Reaction to this book is a case study in the ability of humans to willfully misunderstand when belief has taken hold of reason. Really, SITC is not really discussed by the opposition. It's only the defenders that quote, cite and explain the rationale of the book.

[Philski · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was basically a group of blog posts recast as a book. In some instances they neglected to remove the underline from what were hyperlinks. Interesting information but poorly put together.