Abusing Science

Number 3 of a series

Something happened within the past year. I previously became accustomed to getting one of these postings by the Discovery Institute about every week. Now they appear to come on a daily basis. What’s going on? Something has energized these modern-day creationists, and I am thinking they have obtained a large infusion of funding, and those with the Discovery Institute who are not already fully employed there are finding it more comfortable to spend their hours ginning up propaganda in addition to doing their regular jobs. Here is something recent.

Stephen Meyer and other proponents of intelligent design theory are often accused of committing the “God of the gaps” fallacy, or GOTG for short. Just what does that mean? And is the accusation true? GOTG is one form of a logical fallacy called the argument from ignorance. It goes like this:

Premise: Cause A cannot produce or explain evidence E.
Conclusion: Therefore, cause B produced or explains E.
Now, that’s an obvious error in logic. Does ID theory commit the same error? However often critics say that it does, it does not.

ID theory does not rely simply on establishing one cause as inadequate to produce a given effect. It also establishes that a particular other cause is adequate, where no other is.

So, critics often characterize ID as having this fallacious form:

Premise: Material causes cannot produce or explain specified information.
Conclusion: Therefore, an intelligent cause produced the specified information in life.

In reality, the logic of ID theory is this:

Premise 1: Despite a thorough search, no materialistic causes have been discovered with the power to produce the large amounts of specified information necessary to produce the first cell.
Premise 2: Intelligent causes have demonstrated the power to produce large amounts of specified information.
Conclusion: Intelligent design constitutes the best, most causally adequate explanation for the origin of the specified information in the cell.

This post has been adapted from Dr. Meyer’s book Return of the God Hypothesis, Chapter 20, in which Dr. Meyer explains the logic of intelligent design in depth. I challenge critics to respond to the actual arguments in the book, which is available in print, Kindle, and audiobook formats from all major book retailers and many libraries!

Full disclosure: I have a copy of Meyer’s book, and I will post some more from it.

In the meantime, follow the reasoning. The final syllogism above is their case. It relies on the truth of Premise One. Scientist have yet to detail the production of the first living cell. Premise Two relates intelligent causes to the production of “large” amounts of “specified information.” I put some words in parentheses, because these are vaguely determined.

The facts are these:

Darwinian evolution has provided an explanation for biological evolution that has massive confirmation in our studies of the natural world and has never been refuted.

Intelligent Design has provided no explanation for the method by which life on this planet originated or by which evolution of life has been accomplished. Specifically, the creationists insist the first cellular life came about by supernatural means. There was lifeless matter, and then there were living cells, or at least there were structures that naturally produced living cells. Matter that would otherwise have gone about its course without producing life suddenly violated the way things work in nature, and there was life. Magic? Apparently so. Did the Creator have fingers or other means to push atoms and molecules into the proper arrangement? We have studied matter and energy for centuries, and we have never observed matter behaving in such a way. What we have observed is natural processes producing variations in living organisms that cause the offspring of these organisms to dominate future generations.

In short, the creationists’ argument is right out of Harry Potter, magic wands, spells and witchcraft. Their arguments would qualify for the Breathtaking Inanity award.

Alternative Medicine

First of a Series

The following was previously posted on the Skeptical Analysis site relating to some political foolishness. For the North Texas Skeptics it applies to our take on alternative medicine.

Did these people ever pretend to be a serious publication? I think not. But to push for being the icon of backwoods intellect is maybe stretching it. Here is from a recent email.

MIRACLE DRUG? Ivermectin for Covid-19 could save lives

Breitbart News <sponsored@mail.breitbart.com>
To :jf_blanton@yahoo.com 
Wed, Nov 8 at 7:00 AM

ORDER IVERMECTIN NOW

STORY OF IVERMECTIN: Ivermectin, like penicillin and aspirin, is a medication with origins in nature and has a rich history of improving health, particularly in underdeveloped regions. Approved for human use in 1987, it has been crucial in combatting devastating tropical diseases, including Onchocerciasis and Elephantiasis, and it’s effective against parasitic infestations in animals. Beyond its role as a broad-spectrum anti-parasitic, healthcare professionals have used it for various diseases. Ivermectin is celebrated for its safety, being on the WHO’s list of essential medicines and having won a NOBEL PRIZE IN MEDICINE for its contributions to eradicating parasitic infections. While numerous studies worldwide highlight its potential to combat COVID-19, the FLCCC recommends its use, emphasizing its safety with few reactions and a few drug interactions, meaning it’s virtually safe to take regardless of what other medications you may be taking!

MIRACLE DRUG: Ivermectin for COVID-19 could save lives. Historically, it has been used to combat various illnesses and diseases. Fauci and the mainstream media have politicized it since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. A growing body of evidence from dozens of studies worldwide demonstrates ivermectin’s unique and highly potent ability to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication and aid in the recovery from COVID-19. Based on this evidence and first-hand clinical observations, the FLCCC recommends its use as part of a combination therapy in all stages of COVID-19.

NO MORE VACCINES: The COVID vaccine is an experimental medical intervention. It was only approved for emergency use and bypassed most of the typical regulatory safety and approval checks. There is no completely risk-free vaccine, and this one, in particular, has been associated with more deaths and side effects than all other vaccines combined in history. There is debate about the vaccine’s benefits, and some argue that it may not provide absolute protection against COVID. In fact, some critics claim that it weakens the immune system, potentially increasing susceptibility to common and serious side effects, including acute hemorrhage, acute blood clotting, strokes, heart attacks, myocarditis, neurological problems, and autoimmune conditions. There have also been reports of Vaccine-Induced Immunodeficiency Syndrome, which some liken to HIV/AIDS. Many advocate for alternative, natural, and safe ways to combat COVID. The COVID-19 vaccine, regardless of the manufacturer, has also been associated with claims of DNA disruption, parasitic and pathogenic infection, and infiltration by microscopic nanoparticles and graphene oxide, which are alleged to cause significant health detriments.

In case you caught on to the wording “Approved for human use in 1987,” please note the approval is for use as an antiparasitic. Did I fail to mention COVID-19 is a virus, not a parasite? Here is an elaboration.

Ivermectin is an antiparasitic drug. After its discovery in 1975, its first uses were in veterinary medicine to prevent and treat heartworm and acariasis. Approved for human use in 1987, today it is used to treat infestations including head lice, scabies, river blindness (onchocerciasis), strongyloidiasis, trichuriasis, ascariasis and lymphatic filariasis. It works through many mechanisms to kill the targeted parasites, and can be taken by mouth, or applied to the skin for external infestations. It belongs to the avermectin family of medications.

If you think you have noticed a bunch of stupid people dying, then this could be one explanation. And may Jesus have mercy on our souls.

Quiz Question

One of a Continuing Series

This site needs some entertainment. I have a series of so-called Quiz Questions, and I will post one from time to time.

I am guessing the problem involves turning over the least number of cards. Post your answer in the comments section below before viewing the video.

Now I have actually viewed the video, and there is an additional proviso I did not state above. That is all cards have a letter on one side and a number on the other side. Now solve the problem with that in mind. It really is easy.

My solution is posted on the Skeptical Analysis site.

Abusing Science

One of a Continuing Series

The above is from a posting on Facebook by the Discovery Institute. Yes, it is David Coppedge again, soldiering on in the relentless campaign to prop up an aging deity. Follow the link to review his history of challenging science.

This is something new.

Jay Storz at the University of Nebraska was hiking with colleagues on one of the most godforsaken habitats on the planet: windswept, low-oxygen volcanic peaks in Argentina. It was like exploring Mars. That was until they found carcasses of mummified mice beside a rock pile. How did they get there? It’s freezing. There’s no food. There’s no water. Everywhere one looks there is only bare rock. Phys.org quotes Dr. Storz:

“Well-trained mountain climbers can tolerate such extreme elevations during a one-day summit attempt, but the fact that mice are actually living at such elevations demonstrates that we have underestimated the physiological tolerances of small mammals.” [Emphasis added.]

Once they knew what to look for, they found over a dozen other mice remains on 18 summits above 6,000 meters (19,500 feet). Radiocarbon dating showed they had died within the last few hundred years.

Follow the link and read the full article. Here is Coppedge’s final word on the matter.

Moreover, design advocates are not surprised by seeing organisms that are over-engineered for survival, like the mountain mice and the Nepal sherpas. Darwinism has a problem with over-engineered things since it cannot see past the immediate present. We can make this prediction for design theory: fewer human mummies in the Himalayas with desperate expressions on their faces, waiting for the lucky mutations to arrive.

 

I am thinking this represents the level of science done at the Discovery Institute.

This was previously posted to the Skeptical Analysis site at

https://skeptic78240.wordpress.com/2023/11/07/abusing-science-227/