Source: https://crowdedheadcozybed.wordpress.com/2009/03/03/a-brief-history-of-moonbats/
Timestamp: 2019-04-19 18:39:47+00:00

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James and I then moved on to discuss Charles Darwin’s The Origin of Species, wherein he lays out the case for common descent and natural selection, the two overarching principles of evolution. While James is familiar with the concepts, we concentrated more on the historical context, most especially the rise of Christian fundamentalism.1 Darwin sailed aboard the HMS Beagle from 1831 until 1836, spending five years conducting a survey of the waters around South America. We touched on the Galapagos Islands, the now famous finches, and how important Darwin’s observations were to become to Biology. It was years before Darwin would publish his insights in Origin (in 1859), but when he did they were seen by the emerging fundamentalist movement as a direct challenge to their doctrine of biblical literalism. Indeed, how could they not? What was to become the Theory of Evolution was direct evidence of a very ancient earth, much more ancient than any reading of the Bible could account for.
Nevertheless the evidence began to pour in, each piece fitting into the last like an immensely complex puzzle, one in which the overall picture was one of a gloriously majestic universe without need of or regard to Bronze Age mythology. Each scientific discovery was a nail in the coffin of this religious superstition. We talked about Gregor Mendel and the inheritance patterns in pea plants and James Watson and Francis Crick and the discovery of DNA.
And then we talked about John Scopes. Because the biblical literalist notion was losing ground at every turn on the scientific front, proponents resorted to a defensive legislative posture. By gaining control of state legislatures, they were able to stall the teaching of science by outlawing it. Academic Freedom has never been a friend of religious extremists, despite their current disingenuous usurpation of the phrase. John Scopes was a Science teacher in Dayton Tennessee when he was charged in 1925 with the crime of teaching evolution in violation of state law. He was convicted and fined $100, though the case was thrown out later on procedural grounds. James was horrified at the very idea of a Science teacher getting in trouble for teaching science.
The Tennessee law served as a model for further anti-science attacks in the United States, led by Christian fundamentalists who had growing power throughout the twentieth century. It was only in 1968, when the United States Supreme Court handed down a decision in the Epperson v. Arkansas case, that the unconstitutionality of such laws was finally turned right. Susan Epperson successfully challenged a similar Arkansas law on the grounds that it was a violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the Constitution. The decision was reversed at the Arkansas Supreme Court, but that reversal was then overturned by the federal Supremes (Epperson v. Arkansas).
It was because of the Epperson decision that creationists changed their tactic to one of demanding by law equal time for creationism and science. In 1975, back in Tennessee, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled this also unconstitutional on the same grounds (Daniel v. Waters). Creationists had been dealt another setback, but they were not finished. Their next move was to remove all references to the book of Genesis, and supply themselves with a brand new name: Creation Science.
The state school board of Arkansas was up to bat again in 1981 with its own equal time law, but in January of 1982 the District Court ruled that changing the name didn’t make the notion of creationism any more scientific (McLean v. Arkansas). That case was a foreshadowing of the Supreme Court decision a few years later in Edwards v. Aguillard. The opinion in Edwards applied the Lemon test, wherein a law must pass a three pronged test to not be in violation of the Establishment Clause. Briefly stated, the government’s action must have a legitimate secular purpose, must not have the primary effect of either advancing or inhibiting religion, and must not result in an “excessive entanglement” of the government and religion (Lemon v. Kurtzman). It was clear that neither creationism nor Creation Science would ever pass muster. It was time for another name change.
By this point my son was livid at the dishonesty of the creationists, but there was more to come. At the time of the Edwards decision, a Christian Fundamentalist group called the Foundation for Thought and Ethics had been working on a high school targeted text book, ostensibly about Biology but in reality a Creation Science fakery entitled Biology and Origins. In response to Edwards the text was search/replaced, replacing each instance of “Creationism” with the new moniker “Intelligent Design”, “Creationist” with “design proponent”, and “God” with “Intelligent Designer”. The text got a shiny new title, Of Pandas and People. Unfortunately for Dr. Behe, who wrote the chapter on blood clotting, the Foundation for Thought and Ethics is as incompetent as it is dishonest and this would come to haunt him in federal court eighteen years later.
Thus enters the Discovery Institute and the star of our show, Michael Behe. The Discovery Institute is a Seattle based think tank with major funding from Howard Ahmanson Jr., a well known Dominionist who unabashedly and unashamedly told the Orange County (CA) Register, “My goal is the total integration of biblical law into our lives.” The institute’s own goals were laid out in a fund-raising document that was leaked to the public in 1999. “The Wedge”, as they named it, sets forth the following goals: “To defeat scientific materialism and its destructive moral, cultural, and political legacies” and “To replace materialistic explanations with the theistic understanding that nature and human beings are created by God”. It proposes to achieve these overtly religious goals in three phases, “Scientific Research, Writing & Publicity”, “Publicity & Opinion-making”, and “Cultural Confrontation & Renewal” (Discovery Institute, “The Wedge”). Clearly, this is not how scientific organizations go about their usual business, but if there were some research being done those results should stand or fall on their own merit. Behe was brought on board ostensibly to get the research ball rolling.
Rather than heading for the lab however, Behe headed for the word processor. In 1996, rather than publishing research in a peer-reviewed science journal, Behe wrote Darwin’s Black Box, a book where he introduces the concept of ‘Irreducible Complexity’. Irreducible Complexity is the notion that “A single system which is composed of several interacting parts that contribute to the basic function, and where the removal of any one of the parts causes the system to effectively cease functioning.” In DBB, he posits that the cilium and bacterial flagellum, the immune system, vesicular transport, and the blood clotting cascade are so complex that they could not possibly have evolved. Without any actual empirical support, let alone peer-review (though Behe claimed otherwise as we shall see later), Darwin’s Black Box was universally panned by the scientific community. Irreducible Complexity is an argument from personal incredulity, if a fancy one. It boils down to ‘I can’t imagine how that could have evolved, therefore it was created by the Judeo-Christian-Muslim God’. James immediately picked up on the leap of logic here, asking how Behe knew it wasn’t a different god that did the designing. Sadly, not everyone catches that little bait and switch routine.
Stepping away from the conversation with my son for a bit, there is a bit more history that is relevant here. In the following years, the Intelligent Design Creationism movement published no relevant science in peer reviewed journals. While Behe teamed up with University of Pittsburgh Physics professor David Snoke to publish one paper in Protein Science (Behe and Snoke, “Simulating evolution by gene duplication of protein features that require multiple amino acid residues”), the paper was rebutted and debunked thoroughly by Michael Lynch, Distinguished Professor of Evolution, Population Genetics, and Genomics at Indiana University. Indeed, as Lynch points out, Behe and Snoke merely present a strawman which they proceed to burn in effigy.
In the same issue, Behe and Snokes issue a half-hearted rebuttal to Lynch, admitting that their paper does nothing to “disprove Darwinism”and is restricted to one small result that is irrelevant to the real world.
This did not stop Behe and his comrades from later claiming that they had finally published support for Intelligent Design Creationism in a peer reviewed journal, however. To this day, the Discovery Institute website lists both Darwin’s Black Box as well as this paper as peer reviewed support for their movement (Discovery Institute “Peer-Reviewed & Peer-Edited Scientific Publications Supporting the Theory of Intelligent Design (Annotated)”).
“But notice that that particular paper by Behe is not at all about the evolution of proteins. It is about, it’s a structural biological paper, it’s about structural biology. It’s about how proteins are actually made inside living organisms. It had nothing to do with evolution. There is no evolutionary context. There is no comparison to other, of a variety of species, say to begin to address how that particular protein might have evolved, how that function might have evolved. So he actually does not address at all the problem.
“It makes the same exact argument that he has made with the bacterial flagellum, which is ‘Oh, it’s so complex that I can’t see how it could have possibly have evolved.’ Well just because Michael Behe can’t see it, or even a couple of reviewers can’t see it, that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.
“The best example again is in fact the bacterial flagellum. Behe has been claiming for a long time that this is a complex structure that is made up by dozens of different proteins that just have to be in place in order for the whole thing to work, which he calls Irreducible Complexity. And he claims that because all those proteins have to be in place simultaneously, then there is no way that evolution could have possibly produced that structure by natural means. Except – that biologists have actually shown that there are other versions around of the bacterial flagellum and of the proteins that assemble in the bacterial flagellum. Some of these versions are not flagella at all. They’re used, they’re different structures but they’re closely related structures that are made up of a subset of the same proteins and they do different things.
“For instance, one of these structures is used by some bacteria to inject their DNA in another cell. So they are pumps. Well it turns out that in order to make a flagellum, you need that kind of same function, you need a pump gun of some function. So we have now an example of a structure that is different but it’s related, it’s made of a subset of the same proteins as the bacterial flagellum. This is exactly what evolutionary theory would predict. Evolution works by adding things on pre-existing structure and at some point by changing the function of the new structure.
Meanwhile, in 2003 Yong Jiang and Russel Doolittle published an article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that discussed the blood clotting system of puffer fish, Fugu rubripes (Jiang and Doolittle). What’s relevant about that paper is that the puffer fish sports a blood clotting system much like ours, but with a few pieces missing. That’s critical in this context in that Behe’s definition of Irreducible Complexity, which he applied specifically to the blood clotting system, holds that if all the parts were not in place the system would cease to function. (Although Behe would later move the goalposts to say that the system wouldn’t function as it had with all its parts, it is important to note that the blood clotting system of F. rubripes still falsifies even that assertion.) Similarly, each of the systems that Behe claimed were Irreducibly Complex was shown to have a perfectly plausible evolutionary pathway. Since his definition is that such systems could not possibly have evolved, it is not even necessary to demonstrate an actual pathway, only a possible one. Irreducible Complexity was a nearly stillborn concept, having been refuted almost as soon as it was proposed.
Michael Behe is nothing if not stubborn. He tenaciously held to his discredited notions, all the while doing not one bit of research to support them. In 2005, under oath in federal court, Behe admitted while being questioned by plaintiffs’ attorney Eric Rothschild that he had not published any peer reviewed science supporting Intelligent Design. Though my son got the highlights of the trial, including Behe’s admission under oath that Intelligent Design can only be considered science if Astrology is also considered science, here I’m going to pull directly from the trial transcripts a bit.
“Q. Let’s go on to immune system. That’s another biochemical system that you argued in Darwin’s Black Box and you argue in your testimony is irreducibly complex, is that correct?
Q. And I’m correct in understanding that you have not written any peer reviewed articles in scientific journals arguing that the immune system is in fact irreducibly complex?
A. No. My argument is in my book, that’s right.
Q. And nobody else has written any articles in peer reviewed scientific journals arguing that the immune system is irreducibly complex?
A. Nobody has used those terms, but there are articles which speak of the requirement for multiple parts.
Q. They discuss what the immune system is comprised of?
A. Yes, in terms of it needing different several different parts.
Q. But those are not articles that argue for the irreducible complexity of or do not argue that the immune system can’t evolve because it is irreducibly complex?
A. No, they don’t argue that.
Q. Similarly you have not written any articles in peer reviewed scientific journals arguing that the immune system is intelligently designed?
A. Yes. Similarly that argument is in my book, so no, I didn’t do it in peer reviewed articles.
Q. And nobody else has either?
Further along in the testimony of that same afternoon, Behe again put forth the assertion, as he claimed to have done in his paper in Protein Science, that Irreducibly Complex systems could not possibly have evolved, and that there was no published science detailing the evolution of the immune system in particular. Rothschild however, presented him with over 50 peer-reviewed papers and books detailing such evolution of the immune system. Behe waved them away, saying he didn’t need to read them to know that they did not adequately describe the evolution of the immune system. It’s interesting that Behe found it appropriate to dismiss such a mountain of evidence as was laid before him on the witness stand without ever having read it, but what he said next would assure his place in infamy.
Behe asserted on the stand that it was not his job to support his claims with evidence, but rather his critics’ responsibility to debunk his claims to his satisfaction.
“Q. Again at the same time you don’t publish any peer reviewed articles advocating for the alternative, intelligent design?
A. I have published a book, or — I have published a book discussing my ideas.
Q. That’s Darwin’s Black Box, correct?
A. That’s the one, yes.
Q. And you also propose tests such as the one we saw in “Reply to My Critics” about how those Darwinians can test your proposition?
Q. But you don’t do those tests?
A. Well, I think someone who thought an idea was incorrect such as intelligent design would be motivated to try to falsify that, and certainly there have been several people who have tried to do exactly that, and I myself would prefer to spend time in what I would consider to be more fruitful endeavors.
Q. Professor Behe, isn’t it the case that scientists often propose hypotheses, and then set out to test them themselves rather than trusting the people who don’t agree with their hypothesis?
This is nonsensical, of course. It is not the job of the scientific community at large to spend valuable time and money debunking every half-baked idea that meanders down the pike. In the fields of science, if one has an idea that has merit, it is up to the originator of the idea to do the research to support it.
It was at this point that we arrived, and with the highlights of this background information in hand my son accompanied me into Beckwith Recital Hall in the Cultural Arts building at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington to hear Michael Behe speak. I’m writing a separate article for Behe’s lecture itself, coming soon.
2Line breaks and line numbers removed from official transcript for legibility.
Behe, Michael J. “Answering Objections to the Argument for Intelligent Design in Biology”. Lecture. Cultural Arts Building Beckwith Recital Hall, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC. 26 Feb. 2009.
Scopes v. State. 154 Tenn. 105, 289 S.W. 363 (1927).
Long drives with footnotes and bibliographies are the best.
I’m considering having a library installed in the passenger’s seat.
Seriously, I ‘ve always wanted to have a library I could lug to the car, camp, cabin, wherever. But not so much history and philosophy of science as mainly bird books.
I always found it weird that the YECs all act as if there were a line in the bible stating “By the way, the earth was created fourthousand years before Jesus was born” and in reality there was only a guy who did the equivalent of a back of an envelope calculation. Not that there is any reason to think the bible were more accurate. Still, why it is a straight to hell thing NOT to believe in a 6000 year old earth for the biblical literalist-type Christians when it isn’t even IN the bible is a mystery for me.
The solution to that mystery of course is that the people pushing biblical literalism haven’t actually read the Bible to begin with. It’s a case of parroting whatever Preacher Bob said in church last week.
I always wondered where that 6000 year estimate came from. Thanks for the info!
I did this when I was a kid just for kicks, and many other people have as well. It’s actually pretty easy.
The hard part is dating an actual Biblical event from which to start your calculations, but archeology has taken care of that, placing Nebuchadnezzar II as ruler of Babylonia from 605 BC-562 BC. With that you can roughly date the Babylonian conquest of Judea. Then it’s just a matter of following the genealogies listed in the Bible backwards. You end up with around 6000 years.
You, suffice it to say, rock. I can’t wait for the rest of the write-up.
Thank you Stephanie. I’m working on it, but I have a 112 exam tomorrow and a research paper on Robert Frost due either Friday or Monday. The second part of this is on pause.
Dude! This is Graduate Level Work! Good to see your not just another Monkey face – you di good work. Your current school should just give you the damned degree now, and quite screwing around. And hey – all you College Deans out there- Give this guy Lou a spot in your MA program ASAP!
Thanks J-Dog. I’ll send you the admin phone number, and tell them to expect your call.
Several quibbles; Watson and Crick didn’t discover DNA. They described (together with 2 others) its double helix structure. Darwin didn’t discover evolution; he described a mechanism for it. Philip Henry Gosse published his book “Omphalos” in 1857 (2 years before “Origin”) in answer to the increasing recognition that fossils did show that species did change. Gosse just claimed that god created the universe to look old.
Quite right about DNA, Wayne. I should have been more clear. Thanks for your input.
Darwin didn’t discover evolution; he described a mechanism for it.
James and I then moved on to discuss Charles Darwin’s The Origin of Species, wherein he lays out the case for common descent and natural selection, the two overarching principles of evolution.
Question: If the Discovery Institute can claim that DBB was peer reviewed, does that make this essay also peer reviewed?
Well, I reviewed it. That might make you overqualified.
But notice that that particular paper by Behe is not at all about the evolution of proteins. It is about, it’s a structural biological paper, it’s about structural biology. It’s about how proteins are actually made inside living organisms. It had nothing to do with evolution. There is no evolutionary context.
If Pigliucci said that, I have to disagree with him. That paper was not about structural biology, it was about population genetics. Which means that it is not the usual material covered by the journal Protein Science, which is structural biology and protein biochemistry. The journal erred in going outside their area of expertise.
I wonder if the journal has made any comments on that, Reginald. I’d be mildly interested to hear whether they have.
To this day, the Discovery Institute website lists both Darwin’s Black Box as well as this paper as peer reviewed support for their movement (Discovery Institute “Peer-Reviewed & Peer-Edited Scientific Publications Supporting the Theory of Intelligent Design (Annotated)”).
List a few “Featured Articles” and follow it up with a “COMPLETE LIST” so that some publications are listed twice.
Although the list is supposed to be “scientific publications,” include works on public policy and philosophy.
Behe’s DBB is not the only work on the list that is not “peer-reviewed & peer-edited” in the usual scientific sense.
In which Atchison acknowledges that he cast the deciding review vote to publish DBB without having seen or read the manuscript. Such “review” focuses on the marketability of the book, not the scientific value of its content.
Furthermore, the book was sent out to more scientists than typically review a manuscript. In the typical case, a manuscript that’s going to — that is submitted for a publication in a scientific journal is reviewed just by two reviewers. My book was sent out to five reviewers.
Translation for those not familiar with peer review: the first batch of reviewers said no. The publisher then sent it to additional reviewers for a second opinion. This is Behe’s effort to turn a failure into a bragging point.
Whoops, sorry for screwing up an HTML link. No preview button.
No worries, I fixed it up when I had a moment this morning at school. Thanks for that. I actually looked for that bit of the transcript, but before I found it I decided that the essay was getting too long as it was.
Dude, you’re a SUPER writer, and you’re gonna be an incredible teacher!

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