Evolution, In Action

Creationist and the rest of the anti-science crowd are a funny bunch. They denounce evolution as a lie, as imposable, as never occurring. Then we see something like this.

Tamiflu, the Roche Holding AG drug for influenza, can’t fight most infections that have been diagnosed in the U.S. flu season so far, health experts said.

More than half of the flu viruses that have been analyzed in the U.S. this season are of the H1N1 strain, said Joseph Bresee, chief of influenza epidemiology and prevention at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Virtually all the H1N1 viruses the agency has tested, 72 of 73, are Tamiflu-resistant, he said.

The emergence of Tamiflu-resistant strains that can spread easily from one person to another makes it more difficult for doctors to use drugs to treat people who are at high risk of severe flu complications, such as pneumonia, he said.

Yep, that's evolution. The environment changes (Tamiflu is created) and the species (the H1N1 virus) has to adapt. The members of the species that can change and resist the new threat (Tamiflu) continue on, those who don't die off.

These changes occurred over the time frame of just a few years, imagine the changes that can be seen over millions (hundreds of millions) of years. It is quite simply evolution, the same forces that enabled the virus to change to survive exposure to Tamiflu have, over the eons, created the great diversity of life that we see on out planet.

I am left wondering just how ill-informed or downright dishonest all the evolution deniers are. How can you ignore all the evidence to pretend something so obvious is not occuring?



Tags
Evolution, Science

Interesting Discovery in Antarctica

A research team has found ancient moss and insects.

The moss was essentially freeze dried, he said. Unlike fossils, where minerals replace soft materials, the moss tissues were still there, he said.

"The really cool thing is that all the details are still there," even though the plant has been dead for 14 million years. "These are actually the plant tissues themselves."

...

Further study uncovered remains of tiny crustaceans known as ostracodes, small midges and beetles, and pollen from southern beech trees and pink plants.

"The existence of wet-based glaciers, proglacial lakes, tundra vegetation and insect remains all indicate that the climate of the western Olympus range ... was warmer and wetter that that of today" about 14 million years ago, the researchers report.

Not that surprising, but still very cool.


Tags
Science

A Scary Science Saturday

The potential for this first time ever in recorded history event makes it clear just how advanced global climate change may be. There is a real chance that the North Pole may briefly have no ice this summer.

The chances for a total meltdown at the pole are higher than ever because the layer of ice coating the sea is thinner than ever, he said.

"A large area at the North Pole and surrounding the North Pole is first-year ice," Serreze said. "That's the stuff that tends to melt out in the summer because it's thin."

Preliminary February and March data from a NASA satellite shows that the circle of ice surrounding the North Pole is "considerably thinner" than scientists have seen during the five years the satellite has been taking pictures, NASA ice scientist Jay Zwally said Friday. He thinks there is slightly less than a 50-50 chance the North Pole will be ice-free.

Since the Reagan administration, scientists have advised us that the climate was acting in unusual ways. They have pointed out that temperatures were going up and this had implications to all of humanity. They have also stressed that these changes are caused by, or made much more dangerous by, the carbon consumption of human beings.

Since the first warnings, there has been a large portion of our society and our political landscape who contested this statement. This group, composed mostly of right wing politicians, followers and corporate stooges, at first denied that it was happening. As more evidence piled up they have worked hard to both confuse the issue and move the goal posts on the proof they demand. Even now, with all the evidence being produced they try to argue that we still don't know enough about the root cause to do anything.

This group is trading the future of our society for thier own short term gain. They don't want to have to face the hard choices that this issue could demand. The politicians don't want to tell their constituents that Hummers and 2 hour commutes are no longer viable lifestyles and the company executives want another quarter of record profits.

And it's easy to sell this inaction to the American public. The narrative created by those that deny the science fits right into the preprogramed thinking of the American right. They hate tree huggers. They don't really understand, and to some extent fear, science. Anything that is made to sound like it is coming from tree hugging scientist is easy to slander.

Even when the slander is a lie.

So here we sit, 25 or so years since the early warnings, watching the North Pole melt, while our Republican politicians and their corporate money driven echo machines keep telling us that there is no real evidence of climate change.



Tags
Climate Change, Republicans, Science

Science (History) Saturday

Something very cool was found at the bottom of Lake Ontario

A 22-gun British warship that sank during the American Revolution and has long been regarded as one of the "Holy Grail" shipwrecks in the Great Lakes has been discovered at the bottom of Lake Ontario, astonishingly well-preserved in the cold, deep water, explorers announced Friday.

Tags
History, Science

Science Sunday

On Jupiter, a new red spot has been spotted.

Fresh imagery shows that a storm system has changed color in the planet Jupiter's turbulent atmosphere, creating a third "Red Spot" to join the centuries-old Great Red Spot and the 2-year-old Red Spot Jr.

The Platypus genetic code has been unraveled

and in Denmark, a 54-million-year-old Parrot has been found.

The fossil—a large wing bone called the humerus—represents the oldest and most northerly remains of a parrot ever discovered, the study authors say. Parrot fossils are scarce, because their small, light bones tend to be destroyed before they can become fossilized. The discovery suggests that parrots evolved in the Northern Hemisphere before branching into wildly diverse species in the southern tropics.

Tags
Science

Science Saturday

In Asia, a Missing Rat has been found.

The greater dwarf cloud rat was thought to live in the canopies of tall trees in the Philippines, but the last sighting of one was 112 years ago. Now it has been found again.

and the detailed study of the Colossal Squid has started at last.

A colossal squid being defrosted this week in New Zealand is yielding "astonishing" new discoveries. For starters, the giant species has the world's biggest eyes, as well as light-emitting organs that may serve as cloaking devices, scientists say.

Tags
Science

An Acquaintance Recommends Expelled

Last night I had an acquaintance come up and tell me that there was a movie that I should go see. He said it was a powerful examination of science.

Within seconds of his recommendation it was clear that he was talking about Expelled. What he did not know is that I was far more aware of what was in, and , not in Expelled. This guy is not religious, but is a huge anti climate change nut and this attack on science fed right into that foolishness. He loved much of the film, until I took it apart, bit by bit.

By the time we had quit talking, he was, at least as expressed to me, no longer a big fan on the attack on evolution in the movie but still wanted to see an expelled type of film done about climate change.

This one conversation does confirm one of my concerns about this tripe. The film not only rings true to the under educated religious right, but also to the general anti science crowd. We will now see the climate change, vaccination and many other anti-science groups use aspects of this piece of trash to buttress their flawed thinking.

Just another step toward drooling stupidity.




Tags
Evolution, Science

They Lie, They Cheat, They Steal

and no, this time I am not talking about the Bush administration.

This time it is the folks form the movie expelled, who have been accused of stealing some of the animation used in their film.

But then, what do you expect from a group that thinks it is ok to lie for Jesus. Go check out the the documentation of the lies in the movie expelled, it is a very nice example of this dishonest behavior.


UPDATE

It appears that these less than honorable self professed christians have also stolen the music used in the film.


Tags
Evolution, Science

Countering Those Lying For God

On Friday a movie is being released whose only goal it to attacks science. It is the effort of a group of religious persons, mostly Christians, who feel threatened by evolution. Their lack of understanding of the basics of science has grown into an irrational fear of any science that threatens their faith based understanding of the universe, and that has let to this foolish lashing out in mocumentary fashion. Unfortunately for them the only avenues of attack on evolutionary science are those that are based on lies, so that is what they they do, a lot.

It is a traditional, if rather disgusting, habit of to many self professed Christians; lying for god.

So if you do have questions of about the movie Expelled this site will be able to cut through their lies and help you counter the distortions of those who think it is OK to Lie For God.



Tags
Evolution, Science

Science Saturday

More evidence is in on the the Hobbit discovery, the sick human hypothesis has taken a hit.

A very interesting fish has been discovered in in Indonesia.

Tags
Science

Fridays Links of Note

Oh My God, is this funny, Evolving Thoughts displays just how stupid Ben Stein and the Expelled crew's argument about nazism and evolution truly is.


In SC we are having to deal with issues with police over enthusiasm, This is why Orcinus's repeated examples of racism within these forces is important.



Jesus General recommends that John McCain create a new position on his, that of Jew Counter, since he already has the perfect man for the job working for him.


And Crooks and Liars brings a poll of historians who are considering who is the worst president ever.

Tags
Evolution, McCain, Racism, Science

Issue Driven Christians and Habitual Dishonesty

There has been a quite fascinating little dust-up that allows all to see the serial dishonesty that some Christians are willing to engage in when their issue is involved. In this case it is evolution, a movie and the scientist who were interviewed for it.

In short, these self professed Christians created a phony movie and lied to the various scientist they wanted to interview about the nature of the project. When one of the main targets of the movie tries to attend a showing of the film, they refuse him entry and threaten him with arrest, and then lie about everything involved in the incident, what happened and why it happened.

Serial lying, from a group claiming to want to promote honesty fairness and in the end christian values.

They seem to have fallen into the trap that is all to common, believing that the ends justify the ends, and that since their cause is noble (at least in their twisted little minds) any action, no matter how vile, is justified.

In the end it just make them and by association all Christians (most especially those with some sympathy to their issue) look like liars and frauds and to be honest, idiots.




Tags
Christians, Evolution, Science

Another Science Saturday

A couple of neat news items this week.

A six footed octopus has been found in England,

















and the Grand Canyon has been given a new birthdate, and it is much older.








Tags
Science

Friday's Links

Here are a couple of links to add some information to your day.

AMERICAblog points out that there are still many things wrong with Kansas (and unfortunately the rest of the US).


How the truth found in science is perverted by some is looked at in Pandas Thumb






Tags
Blogs, Equality, Science

What Are They Thinking?

I honestly do not understand the concept of ignoring science when it conflicts with faith.

There was a recent poll that shows that only 42% of Americans accepted evolutionary theory, but 79% believed in miracles.

That is just depressing. Science, that has been tested and tested and tested again is doubted and denied(mostly by people of faith), but magic is perfectly acceptable. The people of this land do not understand that harm they are doing to the nation by refusing to accept the natural sciences and what the learn about this world.

To many of us cling to our perception of the universe that was implanted into us as children and are afraid to allow reveled scientific facts in. The path we are heading down doesn't hold much promise. We deny global warming and evolution. We allow people who claim the earth is only 6000 years old to teach this in schools and colleges. We refuse to allow research not because it is bad research, but because of religiously driven concepts of when live begins, or ensoulment occurs.

Without a willingness to embrace scientific discovery, the path of our nation is on may be depressingly similar to the path that this devoutly religious young man took.

A 14-year-old boy who refused blood transfusions in his fight against leukemia -- based on religious beliefs -- died Wednesday night in Seattle, hours after a Skagit County judge affirmed his right to reject the treatment.

Dennis Lindberg, of Mount Vernon, died around 6 p.m. at Children's Hospital & Regional Medical Center in Seattle, according to KING-5 television. As a Jehovah's Witness, Lindberg objected to receiving blood. Doctors had said he needed it to survive his cancer treatment.

In court Wednesday, Superior Court Judge John Meyer said that Lindberg, though in the eighth grade, was old enough to know that refusing blood transfusions might amount to a "death sentence," and that he had the right to make that decision

This type of thinking leads to situations like this.

KHARTOUM, Sudan (CNN) -- Hundreds of protesters brandishing ceremonial swords and sticks gathered outside Khartoum's presidential palace Friday to vent their anger against a British teacher jailed for allowing children to name a teddy bear "Mohammed."

or this:

It is an ingrained ritual, and the villagers regard industrious labor to be a magical protection against being chosen, as indicated by the Old Man Warner, never selected during his 77 years. When Mrs. Adams tells Warner that some of the other villages have stopped holding the annual lotteries, he replies, "Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon."

I guess religious driven stupidity has no bounds.

A New Blog To Follow

Denialism

If they stay true to their stated goal, they should be a great asset to all of those of us who cherish truth.