Category: Science
On Engineering Deficits and Papal Pronouncements
This story seems particularly ironic in light of the Pope’s speech in Germany yesterday. While the numbers are tendentious, popular perception in America is that we are recruiting students to the engineering profession no better than Germany. Trends indicate that...
We are the Meaning Makers
If I were Jason Kuznicki, I’d be irritated. Here’s Jim’s explanation of his “puzzle”: It’s all about trying to find a pattern that isn’t real–when pathological, the condition is called apophenia–by relying on human design intuitions. All of the strategies...
Fabric of the Cosmos – Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality
What is space? What is time? If you are looking for a modern physicist’s take on the very best answers to those two questions, and all of the related mysteries they stir up, check out Brian Greene’s Fabric of the...
Daniel Dennett Jumps the Shark
Daniel Dennett is the new H.G. Wells and Leon Wieseltier is his Chesterton. Dennett’s latest book, Breaking the Spell: Religion as Natural Phenomenon, seems to be an updated version (and narrower) version of Wells’ Outline of History in which Wells attempted to explain...
Meaning and Darwinism
On Sunday morning, I attended church at Anaheim Vineyard to hear Dr. J.P. Moreland speak on anxiety, an issue I’ve dealt with repeatedly the last eight months. In his sermon, he argued that Darwin and the adoption of scientific naturalism...
Part IV – What is “information”?
Many thanks to Radar, a newcomer, for his thoughtful comments and his referencing real research in the areas we are discussing and attempting to shed light on. Radar, I assume you have encountered a few answers to the question “What...
(More ID vs. E) A Distinction between “Mechanism” and “Originating Cause”
Many people are trying to understand the answer to this question: “Where did all the complexity come from?” IDers say, “It came from an intelligent designer,” Evolvers say, “It came from previous simplicity, gradually increasing in complexity.” In the previous...
a refreshingly clear definition
“The theory of intelligent design (ID) holds that certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause rather than an undirected process such as natural selection. ID is thus a scientific disagreement with...
Part IV – What is “information”?
Many thanks to Radar, a newcomer, for his thoughtful comments and his referencing real research in the areas we are discussing and attempting to shed light on. Radar, I assume you have encountered a few answers to the question “What...
Part III – What does “intelligent” mean?
A hearty thanks to Warren for his thoughtful responses. There is a second misunderstanding that I have observed twice or thrice, here or there. It is a simple and understandable one, having to do with the term “intelligent.” Warren conveniently...