Thanks TFF,
...for keeping at this. Definitions are important. Discrimination is important. I welcome additions over on "Semanitcs...."
Thanks also for the AAAS video, as a fitting end to Expelled.
Thought you might enjoy this:
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I happened to catch an appearance by Ben Stein, promoting Expelled, on the "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson."
I just can't believe how Ben Stein is characterizing science, which he seems to insist on calling Darwinism.
He seems to have no grasp on science at all. I suppose some would consider that a badge of honor; he seems to....
Here's a few snippets:
After viewing a clip of the movie....Craig: So, you've made a documentary for stoners.
Ben: It's probably best to watch while high.
Ben: It's about the fact that people think that Darwinism explains everything; and we want to say that:
Darwinism doesn't explain the laws of gravity;
Darwinism doesn't explain the laws of thermodynamics;
Darwinism doesn't explain why some joints are better than so many other joints.
...of Darwinism....
Ben: We like it ...we love it; but it doesn't explain everything.
We don't want people to be fired if they say that the planets stay in their orbits maybe by something other than Darwinism; and we don't think Darwin explained how the planets stay in their orbits.
Craig: To be fair, I don't think Darwin claimed to know ...how the....
Ben: That's exactly right. Darwin was an incredibly modest, down-to-earth, unassuming guy....
He didn't claim that it explained too much, but his followers claim that it explains everything including astronomy; and we say that's very hard to prove. We would like you to watch our movie, light up your favorite bong, and see if perhaps we can change your mind.
Craig: You're not a fan of Darwinism?
Ben: We are huge fans of Darwin explaining how certain birds got longer beaks than others, or have different wild....
Craig: Is this a sort of pro-God thing? Darwin didn't see the world as a God thing, did he?
Ben: Actually toward the end of his life, he sort of did.
Craig: Ooohh Darwin!
Ben: We just want to say, don't fire people if they say the planets stay in their orbits because of something other than Darwinism.
Later Ben was talking about how Craig would do hosting at the White House Correspondents Dinner... and Scots people in general.
Ben: Scotland has the most geniuses, per capita, of any country in the world.
It is considered by many people to be the most intelligent race of people in the world.
Craig: ...long pause.... You're right! ...Ben Stein, everybody. We've gotta go. We'll be right back.
[...guess Ben's not running for office]
Does the movie really misrepresent science as "Darwinism" in this way; or is it just Ben's characterization that is so skewed?
I grant that Ben made a lot of drug references, simply playing to the audience; but I'd hope that heeding his advice would be the only thing allowing people to be tricked by the illogical jumps and conflation of arguments in this film.
