Thoughts in a Haystack

I am puzzled by #2.

Off hand, I can't think of any experiments, not even poorly designed ones. I can think of cases where they will say, after the fact, that that's what they would have expected.

There are a few cases when a "young earth" creationist has done something like a floating a block of wood in the water as a model of Noah's Ark.

But an advocate of the ID variety?

Tom S.
 

The list I cribbed from wasn't just about ID, so it had aspects more fitting for "alternative medicine" but don't you remember where Ann Gauger of the Biologic Institute did a neat little experiment in "leaky growth," in microbial colonies at high densities that demonstrated a beneficial mutation in the lab? Ummmm ... opps ... nevermind!
 

Dear Tom S.,

Perhaps you're right about the paucity of scientific findings by IDers, but let's be fair. The ID movement is a poorly staffed, poorly funded (or perhaps I should say "non-funded")movement. A David against a Goliath was a far more balanced fight than evolution against ID. Can you think any major university who would hire anyone identifying themselves as an IDer? Even among tenured profs, many IDers must remain in the closet fearing that they would be terribly scorned by their colleagues. It's not a very pretty picture.

With such an imbalance of "findings" originating from just one camp, wouldn't you think that our worldview would become horribly skewed??
 

Can you think any major university who would hire anyone identifying themselves as an IDer?

And whose fault is that? The IDers long ago proclaimed what they were doing was science when, in fact, they had nothing and no prospects of getting any science (given that they still have not produced a theory of ID). On the other hand, it is clear that ID is really theistic apologetics and a political ploy. It is the IDers themselves who have trashed their own reputations. Academics and every other reasonably honest person are right to scorn such dishonesty.

With such an imbalance of "findings" originating from just one camp, wouldn't you think that our worldview would become horribly skewed??

No, because there is no reason to believe that ID would fare any better if it had the full resources of the National Institutes of Science behind it, any more than perpetual motion "research" would. ID does have funds available ... to the extent they aren't put into PR and political campaigns to have legislation passed rather than to do science. ID has yet to establish even a minimal level of credibility to expect any public funding.
 

I always wonder if these ID guys (or any pseudoscientists for that matter) think that what they're doing is what real scientists do. I suppose that's how the clergy do it; they're "educated" for several years, and then are allowed to spout their interpretations as they see fit. In their minds, I guess being a scientist isn't any different. I'd like to think my Ph.D will be worth more than a priest's collar.
 

Josh said, I always wonder if these ID guys (or any pseudoscientists for that matter) think that what they're doing is what real scientists do.

Several of these ID guys have doctorates in the sciences. They clearly know what scientists do. Unfortunately, it seems that they don't care about such fine points. Apparently, some of the ID docs believe that distorting data and lying about facts are what Real Christians do to intrude their faith into spheres, such as science, where it has no business being.
 

I hear about all of those scientists and other smart people who are anti-evolutionists. Given those great numbers of smart people, why haven't they managed to come up with an "alternative theory", or an experiment - even just a "thought experiment"?

All it takes is one smart person to formulate an alternative. There are plenty of examples.

And time? Creationism, in one form or another has been around for at least generations. How long did the "wedge document" estimate was needed?

But if it's money that is supposed to be the problem, then there seems to be adequate money available for things other than research.

Of course, it is hard to imagine getting funding when you don't have any project to present to the funding agency. No theory, no research program, and you expect funding?

Tom S.
 

Get some training by entering the AIG Creation Sciens Fair. Note especially two important entry requirements see Panda's Thumb.