research-based evidence for Intelligent Design?

It would seem not. Rhiggs over at Four Dollars, Almost Five decided to contact the Discovery Institute in order to ask the simply, straight-forward question, what scientific data is there to support intelligent design. Casey Luskin replied, and rhiggs did all of us the favor of posting the extended email exchange that ensued.

Go over there and check it out.

Friday Science Awesome

After posting a video of Kent Hovind I feel it necessary to post of bit a science awesome in order to feel a little less dirty.

Yes, Virginia, Kent Hovind is a Liar

Notice the following video of Kent Hovind in his natural environment (in front of an audience of gullible friendlies) doing what creationists do, which is to lie. Fortunately someone made the great effort to watch this video and identify each of Hovind's lies (82 in under 10 minutes, impressive). Unfortunately the people he's talking to have no such truth detection system. They will all no doubt go home and encourage their children (the ones who don't home school anyway) to go into school and spread these Hovind lies. Preferably during science class while the teacher is attempting to finish a sentence that would in fact expose one of these statements as false.

Ray of sunshine on a gloomy day

According to an article from National Geographic News: Scientists have discovered a new population of orangutans in Borneo. They believe this previously unexplored area may hold up to 2,000 orangutans.

With roughly 50,000 orangutans thought to remain in the wild, the new find could add 5 percent to the world's known orangutan numbers, said Erik Meijaard, senior ecologist for the Nature Conservancy in Indonesia.

And some more good news from the article:

But this newfound group faces few threats from humans, because the region's rocky landscape cannot be easily developed into plantations, Meijaard said.

(Image from the Orangutan Foundation website)

Polar Bear Defends Self During Home Invasion

A women climbs a face, a hedge, and jumps 20 feet down into a moat. She then swims towards a group of polar bears. Naturally this results in world-wide headlines proclaiming "Polar Bear Mauls Woman" or "Woman Attacked by Polar Bear".

Without even reading a story or seeing a video I suspected "Woman Harasses Polar Bear" would likely be a more appropriate headline. Upon seeing the video it was even more evident how misleading the headlines were, since this is hardly anything close to what could be called a "mauling" by a polar bear.

Enjoy!



Oh, and in case you are wondering why I take issue with the term mauled, watch this and consider what the woman's condition would be right now had the polar bear actually intended to hurt her.