Science Minister to launch book attacking science

[Eamonnca1]

From the Irish Times:

Lenihan 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!

[andoireabu]

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

[Orior]

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.

[Lawrence of Knockbride]

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?

[Tony Baloney]

From the Irish Times:

Lenihan 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!

[Bogball XV]

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).

[Eamonnca1]

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.

[Rav67]

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?

[Eamonnca1]

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.

[J70]

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.

[J70]

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.

[Main Street]

"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?
an immune system against positivity??

Strange things happen to the mind when dogma meets a rational challenge.

[Eamonnca1]

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.

[tyssam5]

How spiders make a web sometimes has me doubting evolution!

[AFS]

This May guy is on Today FM now. He sounds mental. Wouldn't be surprised if this was all a pisstake.