Dishonesty of intelligent design “research”

Posted on March 24, 2013 | 21 Comments

In my recent post Creationists prefer numerology to real scientific research I discussed the “research” approach used by those few scientists who are proponents of intelligent design. And I concluded:

“they ignore the normal honest research approach. They never advance a structured hypothesis, one that is consistent with intelligent design. They therefore never submit such hypothesis to any testing or validation.”

Behe

Michael Behe is Professor of Biological Sciences at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. He works as a senior fellow with the Discovery Institute’s Center for Science & Culture.

Recently I noticed another blatant example of this lack of scientific honesty – the refusal to propose and test their own hypotheses of intelligent design. It’s a quote that seems to be going around the religious apologist bogs at the moment. For example, have a look at True Paradigm: Monday quote, The Big Bad Wolf, Theism and the Foundations of Intelligent Design – Page 13, or Still Speculating After All These Years at Contra Celsum.

It’s a quote from Michael J. Behe‘s book Darwin’s Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution – this is the short form.

“The overwhelming appearance of design strongly affects the burden of proof: in the presence of manifest design, the onus of proof is on the one who denies the plain evidence of his eyes.”

Michael J. Behe, Darwin’s Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution p 265.

Notice the problem?

Behe is asserting that he has no need to produce any evidence, outline a structured hypothesis, or do anything to test or validate his claim.

He simply has to make an assertion – based on nothing more than his claim of an “overwhelming appearance” (to him). Then it is up to those with different hypothesis to do all the work. To test his assertion (please note – a vague assertion – not a structured hypothesis) and prove him wrong.

Or else he declares his assertion correct by default!

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21 responses to “Dishonesty of intelligent design “research””

  1. Cedric Katesby | March 24, 2013 at 3:17 pm |

    “The overwhelming appearance of the Earth staying completely still strongly affects the burden of proof: in the presence of manifest stillness, the onus of proof is on the one who denies the plain evidence of his eyes.”

    “The overwhelming appearance of the Sun moving from East to West strongly affects the burden of proof: in the presence of manifest moving, the onus of proof is on the one who denies the plain evidence of his eyes.”

    Recently I noticed another blatant example of this lack of scientific honesty – the refusal to propose and test their own hypotheses of intelligent design…

    One great advantage to this kind of science is how very cheap and easy it is. No experiments to do, no field work, no satellites to launch, no long term observations required.
    Heck, you don’t even need much of an edumacation! From the comfort and safety of your own armchair, you can point to “the obvious” on your blog (ahem, “institute”) and proudly declare how all those smarty-pants scientists have it all wrong.

    Science denialism is for the lazy. Actual science demands work and lots of it.
    Nobel Prizes are not awarded to people who just whine endlessly.

    6. Evolution vs. Creationism:Experts vs. Scientists-Peer Review

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  2. Phil | March 24, 2013 at 3:29 pm |

    Nobel Prizes are not awarded to people who just whine endlessly.

    Obama got one just for turning up for work

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  3. Cedric Katesby | March 24, 2013 at 3:47 pm |

    Obama?
    Obvious troll is obvious.

    Like

  4. Ken | March 24, 2013 at 3:52 pm |

    Didn’t Bush “turn up for work?”

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  5. Cedric Katesby | March 24, 2013 at 4:01 pm |

    US Presidents who have won the Nobel Peace Prize:
    Theodore Roosevelt (1905)
    Woodrow Wilson (1919)
    Jimmy Carter, Jr. (2002)
    Barack Obama (2009)

    “Teddy Roosevelt won it in 1905 for helping to end the Russo-Japanese War.
    Woodrow Wilson won it in 1919 after pushing to join the League of Nations.
    Jimmy Carter won it in 2002 (not while he was elected in office) for humanitarian efforts.
    Barack Obama won it in 2009 for “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples.”
    Al Gore is the only VP to have won a Nobel prize; he won it his efforts on reducing global warming and promoting strict environmental standards.”

    (From the official website of the Nobel Prize)
    “The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 is to be awarded to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. The Committee has attached special importance to Obama’s vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons.

    Obama has as President created a new climate in international politics. Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play. Dialogue and negotiations are preferred as instruments for resolving even the most difficult international conflicts. The vision of a world free from nuclear arms has powerfully stimulated disarmament and arms control negotiations. Thanks to Obama’s initiative, the USA is now playing a more constructive role in meeting the great climatic challenges the world is confronting. Democracy and human rights are to be strengthened.

    Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world’s attention and given its people hope for a better future. His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world’s population.

    For 108 years, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has sought to stimulate precisely that international policy and those attitudes for which Obama is now the world’s leading spokesman. The Committee endorses Obama’s appeal that “Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges.”

    Oslo, October 9, 2009

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  6. Phil | March 24, 2013 at 4:50 pm |

    He got the prize before actually starting work as president.
    Since then he has killed thousands of civilians in Iraq and Afganistan.

    Nice work for a peace loving President.

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  7. Cedric Katesby | March 24, 2013 at 5:35 pm |

    He got the prize before actually starting work as president.

    Google is not your friend.

    “The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior Senator from Arizona.”

    “The 2009 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to U.S. President Barack Obama “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.”[1] The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced the award on October 9, 2009, citing Obama’s promotion of nuclear nonproliferation and a “new climate” in international relations fostered by Obama, especially in reaching out to the Muslim world.

    The Nobel Committee’s decision drew mixed reactions from US commentators and editorial writers across the political spectrum while the response from U.S. allies was generally positive.

    Obama accepted the prize in Oslo on December 10, 2009. In a 36-minute speech, he discussed the tensions between war and peace and the idea of a “just war”.

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  8. Ken | March 24, 2013 at 5:43 pm |

    Phil you said “He got the prize before actually starting work as president.” But previously you claimed he got it for “turning up to work.”

    Can”t you see the conflict?

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  9. Richard Christie | March 24, 2013 at 6:00 pm |

    Nice work for a peace loving President

    Gee Phil, and I bet you thought Obama’s predecessor GW Bush was just dandy.

    Thomas Young reads his letter to Bush and Cheney:

    http://www.democracynow.org/blog/2013/3/21/exclusive_tomas_young_reads_in_full_his_letter_to_bush_cheney_a_message_from_a_dying_veteran

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  10. Cedric Katesby | March 24, 2013 at 6:17 pm |

    Phil you said “He got the prize before actually starting work as president.” But previously you claimed he got it for “turning up to work.”

    Nice catch.

    Poor Phil’s Teabagger logic.
    Yet another sufferer of Obama Derangement Syndrome.

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  11. Phil | March 24, 2013 at 6:24 pm |

    He got the prize for being the first black president.
    He has still killed as many civilians as all the others.

    He don’t deserve no peace prize.

    Mind you, neither does Al Gore.

    Or the EU

    Any of them, really

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  12. Cedric Katesby | March 24, 2013 at 6:34 pm |

    He got the prize for being the first black president.

    That’s not what you said before.

    “He got the prize before actually starting work as president.” But previously you claimed he got it for “turning up to work.”

    Like

  13. Phil | March 24, 2013 at 6:39 pm |

    He got the prize for being the first black president before doing any actual work, ie killing people

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  14. Phil | March 24, 2013 at 6:51 pm |

    Funny, what has this got to do with intelligent design research?

    I just thought of that, sorry.

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  15. Ken | March 24, 2013 at 6:54 pm |

    Nothing, Phil. You had gone of at a tangent – seems” Nobel Prize” sets you off.

    Still I wish we could debate my point about ID dishonesty.

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  16. Cedric Katesby | March 24, 2013 at 7:03 pm |

    “He got the prize before actually starting work as president.”

    “He got the prize before actually starting work as president.”

    “He got the prize for being the first black president.”

    Confused troll is confused.

    Funny, what has this got to do with intelligent design research? I just thought of that, sorry.

    Nobody mentioned Obama until you.
    (shrug)

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  17. Cedric Katesby | March 24, 2013 at 7:07 pm |

    (…ah, typos…)

    “Obama got one just for turning up for work.”
    “He got the prize before actually starting work as president.”
    “He got the prize for being the first black president.”

    Confused troll is confused.

    Funny, what has this got to do with intelligent design research? I just thought of that, sorry.

    Confused troll is still confused.
    Nobody mentioned Obama until you.
    (shrug)

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  18. Phil | March 24, 2013 at 7:31 pm |

    Hey Cedric, you mentioned Nobel Prizes first, not me.

    Comment number 1

    And I never said Al Gore is fat

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  19. Cedric Katesby | March 24, 2013 at 9:10 pm |

    Hey Phil, you mentioned Obama first, not me.
    Then you got confused with trying to get your story straight about him turning up for work before actually starting work and being the first black president derp that you derped.
    Then you couldn’t figure out whatever you were talking about had got to do with intelligent design research.
    Great way to make yourself look like an idiot.

    (…slow hand clap…)

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  20. Jim Hughes | March 25, 2013 at 6:00 pm |

    Obama didn’t get one for “turning up for work”. He got one for “not being Bush”, a international acknowledgment of the world’s opinion of Bush Lite. Not even Hitler’s successor, Konrad Adenauer, managed THAT.

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  21. Danelle | May 10, 2013 at 4:56 am |

    The Army has an armada of helicopters, although only the larger versions carry crew members. Can you imagine a trade show with no expenditure for shipping, transportation, hospitality, hotels or booths. As everyone is aware of the basic HTML course, learning PHP becomes more easy and simple.

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