From the Irish Times:
QuoteLenihan to launch anti-evolution book
Minister for Science Conor Lenihan is to officially launch a book exposing the "fiction of evolution".
Mr Lenihan will attend the launch of The Origin of Specious Nonsense by Dublin writer John J May in Buswell's Hotel on Wednesday evening.
According to the book's website Mr May says evolution "cripples sanity, promotes myths and obscures reality".
He also said anyone who teaches evolution is "either ignorant or deliberately suppressing the known scientific facts.
"It [evolution] is a toxic poisonous mind virus which destroys the hearts immune system against hope and common sense," he added.
Mr Lenihan said he is not launching the book as Minister for Science but rather as a TD because Mr May is a constituent of his.
The "Gorillas and Girls" launch party will begin with a talk entitled "How evolution made monkeys out of man" at 7:30pm before the Minister launches the book at 8pm.
Michael Nugent of Atheist Ireland said the Minister's appearance at the launch is an abuse of his position and an attack by the Government on both scientists and science education.
How do these people get into these jobs? How can such an idiot get the job of Science Minister? This is like a flat-earther being put in charge of the teaching of geography! Boggles the mind!
why is there such a thing as a science minister? Is there a geology minister as well?
Sounds like a pointless job that is keeping someone in a big salary
Ah sure didn't the minister for Tourism once say that there were jobs in Jeopardy.
I checked every county on my map of Ireland and I couldn't find anywhere called Jeopardy.
This has to be a joke. He's not promoting it as Minister for Science (I never heard of this position btw) but he's launching it because this lad is in his constituency. Here's my book "The Lighter Side of Murder", Brendan Smith would you launch it for me?
Quote from: Eamonnca1 on September 13, 2010, 09:54:45 PM
From the Irish Times:
QuoteLenihan to launch anti-evolution book
Minister for Science Conor Lenihan is to officially launch a book exposing the "fiction of evolution".
Mr Lenihan will attend the launch of The Origin of Specious Nonsense by Dublin writer John J May in Buswell's Hotel on Wednesday evening.
According to the book's website Mr May says evolution "cripples sanity, promotes myths and obscures reality".
He also said anyone who teaches evolution is "either ignorant or deliberately suppressing the known scientific facts.
"It [evolution] is a toxic poisonous mind virus which destroys the hearts immune system against hope and common sense," he added.
Mr Lenihan said he is not launching the book as Minister for Science but rather as a TD because Mr May is a constituent of his.
The "Gorillas and Girls" launch party will begin with a talk entitled "How evolution made monkeys out of man" at 7:30pm before the Minister launches the book at 8pm.
Michael Nugent of Atheist Ireland said the Minister's appearance at the launch is an abuse of his position and an attack by the Government on both scientists and science education.
How do these people get into these jobs? How can such an idiot get the job of Science Minister? This is like a flat-earther being put in charge of the teaching of geography! Boggles the mind!
Not so strange. I know a Free P who firmly believed in Creationist theory and also did a degree in geology at Queen's. Work that one out!
Far be it for me to try and defend crazy horse, but, has anyone read the book (i'm presuming not given that it's a launch - but it could have been leaked by the publishers ala harry potter!)?
Since we don't know what's actually in the book, maybe it's a bit soon to be decrying poor conor? The book may just point out the many, many flaws in the theory of evolution as we currently know it. Does it actually posit creationist theories as well? People would do well to remember that without people questioning accepted scientific wisdoms we'd not have advanced very far, of course it may just be some more creationist rubbish flying in the face of all available evidence, in which case I'll join you in questioning crazy horse's judgement (if there was ever any thought that he had any sense in the first place).
Quote from: andoireabu on September 13, 2010, 10:17:02 PM
why is there such a thing as a science minister? Is there a geology minister as well?
Sounds like a pointless job that is keeping someone in a big salary
Science is kind of important. It's what drives innovation, and it needs funding. If something needs funding then it's better to have a government department that deals with it.
Clearly its gonna be nonsense when the writer says "It [evolution] is a toxic poisonous mind virus which destroys the hearts immune system against hope and common sense"
Anyone have any idea what that means?
It means he doesn't know jack about evolutionary biology. If he did he'd appreciate how elegant a process it is and how much more impressive it is than any alternative that's ever been proposed.
Quote from: Bogball XV on September 13, 2010, 11:53:36 PM
Far be it for me to try and defend crazy horse, but, has anyone read the book (i'm presuming not given that it's a launch - but it could have been leaked by the publishers ala harry potter!)?
Since we don't know what's actually in the book, maybe it's a bit soon to be decrying poor conor? The book may just point out the many, many flaws in the theory of evolution as we currently know it. Does it actually posit creationist theories as well? People would do well to remember that without people questioning accepted scientific wisdoms we'd not have advanced very far, of course it may just be some more creationist rubbish flying in the face of all available evidence, in which case I'll join you in questioning crazy horse's judgement (if there was ever any thought that he had any sense in the first place).
By flaws I presume you mean things are that not yet explained? Which makes evolutionary biology no different from any other scientific field in that we do not know everything there is to know.
Quote from: Rav67 on September 14, 2010, 12:48:53 AM
Clearly its gonna be nonsense when the writer says "It [evolution] is a toxic poisonous mind virus which destroys the hearts immune system against hope and common sense"
Anyone have any idea what that means?
Indeed. Besides, evolution could well, in theory, be something that destroys the human spirit. It wouldn't make it any less true, no more than the fact that death and disease are highly unpleasant for the human condition makes them any less true. Unpleasant outcomes and implications are not an argument against evolution or any other scientific theory.
"evolution is a toxic poisonous mind virus which destroys the hearts immune system against hope and common sense"
Since when does the heart have an immune system against hope? ;D
an immune system against positivity??
Strange things happen to the mind when dogma meets a rational challenge.
Strange things happen more and more these days now that it has become so easy for any old crackpot to publish his own book like this boy has done. If he took that trash to a proper publisher he'd be laughed at, and I suspect he's already gone through that process.
How spiders make a web sometimes has me doubting evolution!
This May guy is on Today FM now. He sounds mental. Wouldn't be surprised if this was all a pisstake.
I'd say the guy is serious but Minister Lenihan at the book launch?
Say it ain't so.
Has to be a spoof.
Quote from: AFS on September 14, 2010, 09:49:51 AM
This May guy is on Today FM now. He sounds mental. Wouldn't be surprised if this was all a pisstake.
I thought it was but it's in the national press.
What's he saying on the wireless?
Lenihan pulls out
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2010/0914/1224278831472.html (http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2010/0914/1224278831472.html)
Jaysus, it was not a spoof after all that he intended to launch the book.
I can't quite grasp the totality of his utter stupidity.
Was he offered a gift (large wads of cash) to attend?
Sometimes, even a bribe is no excuse :)
At least someone was embarressed.
Quote from: Main Street on September 14, 2010, 10:53:15 AM
Lenihan pulls out
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2010/0914/1224278831472.html (http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2010/0914/1224278831472.html)
Jaysus, it was not a spoof after all that he intended to launch the book.
I can't quite grasp the totality of his utter stupidity.
Was he offered a gift (large wads of cash) to attend?
Sometimes, even a bribe is no excuse :)
Call yourself an Irishman?! :)
OK - had a quick look. As suspected, he's a crackpot. (The author, I mean. You knew about Lenihan).
http://www.theoriginofspeciousnonsense.com/index-1.html (http://www.theoriginofspeciousnonsense.com/index-1.html)
Quote from: J70 on September 14, 2010, 01:28:23 AM
By flaws I presume you mean things are that not yet explained? Which makes evolutionary biology no different from any other scientific field in that we do not know everything there is to know.
Yes, exactly, the gaps. My point is exactly that, we have pretty much decided that the theory of evolution is the only game in town although it's nowhere near complete and who knows what could arise in the future to better explain things. Scientists tend to laugh off any idea that isn't the accepted consensus, that doesn't mean they're right.
Only 70 years ago, people were ridiculed for believing that the continents might be moving on plates.
Oh, btw it now seems that this lad is a crackpot as Hardy has just pointed out - i just wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt :-[
Evolution is a science.
But for instance Hawkings claiming "the universe can and will
create itself from nothing," "Spontaneous creation is the reason why there is something rather than
nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist,"
is as primitive as Western religions view on creation.
But such a topic deserves another thread, away from the smell of this pseudo crackpot, as Hawkings is a genius in his field of expertise.
Quote from: tyssam5 on September 14, 2010, 08:28:10 AM
How spiders make a web sometimes has me doubting evolution!
how so?
R
Quote from: Bogball XV on September 14, 2010, 12:12:05 PM
Quote from: J70 on September 14, 2010, 01:28:23 AM
By flaws I presume you mean things are that not yet explained? Which makes evolutionary biology no different from any other scientific field in that we do not know everything there is to know.
Yes, exactly, the gaps. My point is exactly that, we have pretty much decided that the theory of evolution is the only game in town although it's nowhere near complete and who knows what could arise in the future to better explain things. Scientists tend to laugh off any idea that isn't the accepted consensus, that doesn't mean they're right.
Only 70 years ago, people were ridiculed for believing that the continents might be moving on plates.
Oh, btw It now seems that this lad is a crackpot as Hardy has just pointed out - i just wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt :-[
Plate tectonics was not accepted in Wegener's time because he could provide no mechanism. Once seafloor spreading was discovered the geological world swiftly accepted it. Similarly evolution, as an idea, was around for years before Darwin, but did not gain acceptance until he marshalled all the evidence and provided a plausible mechanism in The Origin. At this point, evolution won't be overthrown. The relative importance of various mechanisms such as natural selection and symbiogenesis may change though.
QuoteScientists tend to laugh off any idea that isn't the accepted consensus, that doesn't mean they're right.
That's a very general statement - unscientific, one might say!
Sometimes when you read about these type of guys you really wonder do the rest of us stretch ourselves far enough in life.. Like I mean I never took time to write a book about my theories on the beginning of time, and Im now approaching middle age.
Quote from: rrhf on September 14, 2010, 04:56:40 PM
Sometimes when you read about these type of guys you really wonder do the rest of us stretch ourselves far enough in life.. Like I mean I never took time to write a book about my theories on the beginning of time, and Im now approaching middle age.
If you have peer-reviewed papers published on the subject and you know what you're talking about, work away.