Creationism, bad for your reputation

Source: http://blog.stodge.org/350

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The latest pro-creationist campaign run by the Discovery Institute seeks to establish credibility for the Intelligent Design movement by publishing a list of “reputable scientists” who are willing to endorse ID as an alternative to the theory of Evolution. None of the names listed have any particular relevance to evolutionary development or have published any peer-reviewed papers explaining the expert reasons for their dissent.

According to Time magazine, none of the 600 odd names listed by the discovery institute are Evolutionary biologists, however a number of the DI’s names are people who really should know better than to get involved with this debate. For example one is an Emeritus professor of Geology who believes in young earth creationism, and a neurosurgeon who denies common-descent of life.

If you are a scientist who works for a reputable institution and you allow yourself to endorse this medievalist nonsense, people are going to ask questions. Mostly, fellow scientists and the media are going to ask you to justify your belief, and if you respond by parroting the fragile rhetoric of the Discovery Institute you will be branded as a credulous nit-wit. This is not a conspiracy, this is the way that science detects frauds and nincompoops.

And this is exactly what has happened to Dr. Michael Egnor, a consultant and professor of neuro-surgey and pediatrics. He was called to account for his odd beliefs in a short article published in Time Magazine. The good doctor responded, but in the opinion of most observers he merely demonstrated that he is spectacularly ignorant of high-school level science topics.

The wing-nuts at Overwhelming Evidence are already accusing the rest of the world of being involved in a conspiracy theory to scare scientists like Michael Egnor back into line. This fits in very well with their martyrdom complex, and a desire to be seen as the lone voice of sanity in a world that overwhelmingly rejects their theories. They would very much like to make a martyr of Egnor so that they can show the world just how hard done-by they are. They would like us to think that a nameless legion of enemies lead by Richard Dawkins has a grudge against Dr. Egnor, however the truth is much simpler.

It is not Dawkins or a conspiracy of “scientists” who have hurt Egnor’s reputation. It is Egnor’s own folly that he allows the Discovery Institute to sell him as an expert in evolutionary development when in actual fact he is an expert in brain physiology. This naturally creates an impression of a man who does not know his own limits.

According to the almighty Internet Dr Michael Egnor is a trusted surgeon, but would you trust a man to perform brain surgery on your child if you knew that he could not tell the difference between science and the kind of pseudo-scientific mysticism pedaled by the Discovery Institute.

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