After hosting a panel earlier this year to discuss supposed flaws in evolutionary theory, Italy’s science agency the National Research Council (CNR) reportedly put up thousands of dollars to help with the publication of a follow-up book, Evolutionism: The Decline of an Hypothesis. The move has vexed many scientists in the country where the Vatican recently came out in support of Darwin’s ideas.
Authored by CNR’s Vice President Roberto de Mattei, the book asserts, among other things, that scientific dating of rocks is inaccurate and that dinosaurs went extinct just 40,000 years ago (rather than some 65 million years ago, not accounting for modern birds, of course), according to the blog ScienceInsider. The American Academy for the Advancement of Science blog notes that an Italian newspaper, La Repubblica, is reporting that CNR provided 9,000 Euros (some $13,255) to help publish the book, which came out last month.
Scientific American (thanks, Berber)
Oh my…
Hm … the headline is not all clear … the article itself does not mention anything that makes you think of creationism. Perhaps the book then?
It’s always good to have opponents, also when it comes to evolutionism. It’s only normal to doubt it as it has not been proven 100% by science at all, so a true scientist would not accept it as the only possible truth .. or better said .. option., nor non scientists. Once the world was flat .. our minds can not see further than the knowledge/techniques we have.
they have freedom of speech in italy? oh wow!
Okay, maybe not all the gaps have been filled in Evolution but NOTHING has been proved by the Creationist camp! They simply sit around trying to poke holes in Evolution with misleading pseudoscience that the average person can distinguish from the real article.
It makes me so angry! Grr.
Wow. I wonder what forms of evidence were submitted during this panel. Oh well, I can’t buy the book. Well, physically, I’m sure I could manage, but morally, and with self-respect firmly intact, I don’t think it’s possible. @Nopke, this is true. There’s no mention in this description of the situation to a creationist bias in the book, however, name all the different organisations that would attempt to undermine a scientific idea as strong as Evolution, which is proven on ridiculous levels. It’s like arguing against the scientific observations of gravity; ‘Well, yes, it could be as simple as all that, and you do present a mighty fine argument, but can you really prove, with all your new and brilliant technology, that that apple wasn’t thrust upon your head by God?’
Substitute any other source than God, if you want. It was just appropriate.
In further response to Nopke, the term ‘proven’ can be a little vague. ’100% proven’ is a stamp that will never be inked. Is the theory of gravity a 100% proven one? Not as such, no, (there is always the chance that some external influencer is involved) but it has been shown to be exceedingly likely because of the force it has been shown to exert on the universe as we know it. Likewise, the theory of evolution has been shown (on multiple occasions) to be exceedingly likely because it is the simplest explanation for an effect that has been established as a fact. Any counter argument to the theory, that I have seen (and I’m a follower of these things), has been stared down by research and evidence (essentially, science).
Sorry if this seems harsh, but you have to remember: ‘keep your mind open, but don’t let your brain fall out’.
this is worst than Mussolini.
Ah, progress. As a Christian i love science and fully support it, yet i can still believe in a young earth, a global flood, dinosaurs and be a green, albeit a reasonable green who looks forward to new technologies and progress in man.
Heaven forbid (a little irony for you) you should actually read something that would contradict the religion of evolution.
There is evidence and it is provided by accredited and published scientists.