For those of you who haven’t watched the “Where Are They Now?” episode on Kirk Cameron, he’s focused his God-given acting ability to doing only productions that promote Christian evangelism. One of these is a series with a like-minded minister, called “The Way of the Master”. It’s a disarming name in that when you see it listed, you’re expecting a kung fu flick. So here’s a bit from their show where they seek to prove creationism with a banana, or as they call it, “the atheist’s nightmare.” The minister does all the talking, but Kirk does some excellent sitting.

From a BBC article:

The Science Learning Centre in London asked 11,000 pupils for their views on science and scientists.

Around 70% of the 11-15 year olds questioned said they did not picture scientists as “normal young and attractive men and women”.
They found around 80% of pupils thought scientists did “very important work” and 70% thought they worked “creatively and imaginatively”. Only 40% said they agreed that scientists did “boring and repetitive work”.
Over three quarters of the respondents thought scientists were “really brainy people”.

That’s all well and good, but the last quote is by far the best:

Among those who said they would not like to be scientists, reasons included: “Because you would constantly be depressed and tired and not have time for family”, and “because they all wear big glasses and white coats and I am female”.

From the BBC:

A court in the US has ruled against the teaching of “intelligent design” alongside Darwin’s theory of evolution.

From Slashdot:

The new Darwin Exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History has ‘failed to find a corporate sponsor in the United States because American companies are anxious not to take sides in the heated debate between scientists and fundamentalist Christians over the theory of evolution’ according to articles at The Sydney Morning Herald, The Telegraph, and The Register. The $US3 million needed for the exhibit was met by private charitable donations.

Popular Science published their list of the 10 Worst Jobs in Science. Their number 3 was Kansas Biology Teacher. That’s 7 ranks worse than Orangutan-Pee Collector and 4 worse than Semen Washer.

From New Scientist:

Astrology would be considered a scientific theory if judged by the same criteria used by a well-known advocate of Intelligent Design to justify his claim that ID is science, a landmark US trial heard on Tuesday.

Under cross examination, ID proponent Michael Behe , a biochemist at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, admitted his definition of “theory” was so broad it would also include astrology.

Rothschild (plaintiffs’ attorney) suggested that Behe’s definition was so loose that astrology would come under this definition as well. He also pointed out that Behe’s definition of theory was almost identical to the NAS’s definition of a hypothesis. Behe agreed with both assertions.

And Behe doesn’t see anything wrong with that.

Great peanut gallery quote:

“You’ve got to admire the guy. It’s Daniel in the lion’s den,” says Robert Slade, a local retiree who has been attending the trial because he is interested in science. “But I can’t believe he teaches a college biology class.”

This caused a double take. Someone put up some interesting examples of color illusions.

It’s been discovered that a certain species of louse seeks out a fish, eats the fish’s tongue, then becomes the tongue.

What did you think the picture was?