Lenski’s Long Term Evolutionary Experiment | The Skeptical Zone

[Mercer (John Mercer)]

@Sam

The point is that at that point he believed everything that Kenneth Miller believes, or everything that Richard Dawkins believes (apart from the non-belief in God), or everything that Joshua Swamidass believes in.

You’re missing the important fact that this isn’t about belief.

@Sam

So fine, it wasn’t what you fit in the limited definition of the Darwinian mechanism.

That’s precisely backwards. The point is that evolution is not limited to Darwinian mechanisms. It includes mechanisms that are explicitly NON-Darwinian.

@Sam

It was everything that every mainstream scientist at the time was thinking.

It’s not about “thinking,” it’s about the evidence.

@Sam

My point that it seems so painful to make is that he came to his current beliefs not from reading the bible, or because of a theology course or a dream, or a vision or any other of the regular ways he seems to be disparaged.

Science isn’t about belief, Sam.

@Sam

He was challenged to look closely at the science supporting all of the neo-Darwinian synthesis, as well as neutral theory.

Behe’s writing reveals that he can’t be bothered to look at ALL the science. He even fudges the evidence itself for the teeny-tiny science he cherry-picks.

@Sam

Why are you suggesting that, evolutionary biologist breath the rarified air of only objectivity and truth telling. I’ve got sad news for you. They are people.

Who do actual science. Behe hasn’t done any for more than 25 years.

@Sam

If scientist working at the premier science organization in the world, NASA, can obfuscate and deny good and even simple science when the situation suits them…

It wasn’t the scientists, Sam, it was management that was at fault. You might want to read up on this.

And how did you determine that NASA is the “premier science organization in the world” and not, say, NIH? It appears that you are unable to distinguish between management, science, and engineering.