California’s creation museum

A few people took advantage of the Creation Research Society’s open house to take a peek inside the asylum, and sent back pictures.

Eric Youngstrom found signs of their evidence-based reasoning.

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Ooooh, numbers! It must be real then. Just like the 64.8 meter long giant squid I keep in the 4.3 million cubic meter tank in my basement.

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Because, as we all know, all you have to do is refer to Hitler’s evil using sciencey sounding phrases like “Darwinian” and “natural selection” — phrases he didn’t use or didn’t like — to make Darwin guilty of Hitler.

Jason Frye…well, I don’t know what he found. These are genuine WTF? displays from the ‘museum’.

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I think they’re trying to make a case for trinitarianism using made-up diagrams, but I’m not sure. These could be Martian anatomy diagrams from someone who watched George Pal’s War of the Worlds.

A video of the place!

Never trust the anti-woman brigade to be honest

They are as bad as creationists. They often are creationists. Their anti-abortion ideology is so overwhelming that they will make up ‘facts’ and call them science. Here’s a recent example:

“I think it’s important to note with the term fertilized egg, that’s the same thing as using the N word for an African American,” said Mason. “Because it’s a dehumanizing term and it’s not based in science. The term would be a zygote, or an embryo, speaking of a unique individual.” Mason is hoping the passage of the amendment will lead to the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

“It’s a bad law,” said Mason, referring to Roe v. Wade. “It was not based in reason. They ignored the concept of the pre-born child being a person.”

That’s simply insane. You aren’t insulting a fertilized egg by referring to its status, and there is no one there to be insulted by your terminology. This Keith Mason wanker has no qualifications as a scientist — he seems to be little more than a self-appointed minister…which explains his propensity for lying.

We use the term “fertilized egg” all the time — so do farmers and grocers. I could show it to you in developmental biology textbooks.

While we use the term “fertilized egg” routinely, there is another term you won’t find in any of the texts or on the lips of developmental biologists: “pre-born child”. What a crock.

Sharktopus tonight

I am less than tantalized by the latest trailer for this awful SyFy movie, but I’ll probably tune it in anyway. I suspect I’ll also tune it out.

Cheesy, schlocky giant monster I can understand, but why all the implicit misogyny in these things? It always looks like women’s purpose is to wear a bikini and die horribly.

Mike Celizic has died

Last month, I mentioned this sad and inspiring story of Mike Celizic, who had been diagnosed with cancer and given very little time to live. I’m sorry to report that Mike Celizic has died. Here is the last email he sent to me; it’s a little embarrassing that he’s saying more about me than himself, but that seems to be the kind of fellow he was.

Dr. Myers:

I’m not given to firing off emails to people who are overwhelmed with same. But I’m dying of lymphoma – I’ve got a few weeks – and I want to tell you how much I’ve learned reading your blog and how much enjoyment it has brought me. I’m a writer for the MSM, and it’s been a delicate balancing act for years to not be blatantly the atheist I am, lest I upset the readers, or, more important, the bosses, who quail at the mention of the topic.

I’ve written an entry on deciding not to undergo more treatment. With my last post, I’ll expose my beliefs and let the cranks and fundies weep and wail and gnash their teeth and rend their garments. I’ll be rejoining the ecosystem – anyway, my ashes will – and won’t care.

If you’ve got a spare 30 seconds, which I can’t imagine you do, here’s my take on my decision. No need to respond. I just wanted to say thanks, not tootle my flootle.

So, thanks. Your writing means a lot to an army of people. Keep it up.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/38771115/ns/today-today_health/

And that’s how an atheist can face death.