Daily Archives: February 25, 2017

Despite Rumblings About Political Correctness, the Black Oscar Nominees This Year Deserve All the Accolades – Heat Street

Posted: February 25, 2017 at 3:25 pm

The Oscars this year will have a remarkably different vibe than last year, starting with a lack of protests over the skin color of the nominees. Last year, as youll probably remember, the ceremony was heavily infusedwith the social media-driven #OscarsSoWhite protests, which Al Sharpton then latched onto to lead a protest outside the Kodak theater.

As Maria Puente in USA Today wrote after the announcement of this years nominees:

So is this the start of a permanent shift in nomination diversity or just a temporary break from the same-old, same-old? Is it the result of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recent efforts to diversify and expand its voting membership?

Or is it the consequence of a powerful social-media campaign to shame Hollywood about the persistent lack of diversity in the industry and in those it chooses to nominate and honor with gold statuettes every year?

The amount of African-American representation at this years award show obviously left the insatiable social justice left demanding more Hispanic and minority representation as wellapparently no matter if the film, artist or engineer deserves it for the work. Armchair hashtag activists can attempt to take credit for their tweets and outrage pushing the academy to nominate more African- Americans in film this year. But they would be misguided in doing so.

The simple fact is this was a very good year for films centered around African- American culture and performers. It may be the best year in modern history for it. Denzel Washingtons Fences, Moonlight, Hidden Figuresall deserve the attention they are getting as works of art. Acting categories could see threeout of the big fourfinal awards go to actors of colorand all of them would be deserved.

Washington, who has won prior awards for his work on the play Fences, also directs himself in the film version. He knows the character Troy Maxon and thunders his way through it. His winning ofthe Screen Actors Guild award could be an early notice to Casey Affleck that its not going to be his year.

Mahershala Ali steals the spotlightin Moonlight, giving the film a flawed and layered moral center. Its the closest thing to a lock in any category this year. ThreeAfrican- Americans out of the five Supporting Actress nominees dominate that category as well: Viola Davis in Fences (the favorite), Naomie Harris in Moonlight and Octavia Spencer in Hidden Figures. (Spencer is a previous winner for her role in The Help in 2012).

Its possible that Michelle Williams, an Oscar darling, takes home the award for basically one powerhouse scene in Manchester by the Sea, but I dont see how that happens over Davis or Spencer.

Each of these films represented different parts of black culture in America and throughout history, and each deserves its place at the awards. Though La La Land still appears to be the favorite for Best Picture, theres been a sudden burst ofSJW angst around the film, everything from claims that it whitewashes jazz, to people complaining that its just too pretty or too white.

If there are two sleepers to upset LaLa Land, theywould have to be MoonlightandHidden Figuresthe lattertook home Best Ensemble honorsat the SAG Awards, the closest thing the union awards show has to a Best Picture. Moonlight, while short and a bit hollow in the script department, has one of the most authentic settings of the year (and best soundtracks).

Some have criticized Hidden Figuresfor featuring a White Savior (Kevin Costner), which is something of a pattern infilms about black history. But it was a genuine crowd pleaser and a story not many knew about. It also surprised at the Box Office, and thats one of the only things Hollywood loves more than stories about itself.

If Moonlight or Hidden Figures unseatsLa La Land it would be hard to call it an upset. Neither Moonlight, Hidden Figuresnor Fencesisnominated for the purpose of bringing more forced diversity to an award show that may or may not be trying to shy away from more social media controversy. It would one thing to suggest otherwise if the level of craftsmanship werent apparent in thosefilms. If anything, its surprising more films and performances from black-led works werent nominated. Specifically,Loving andBirth of a Nation.

What is clear is that even if the winners represent a cross section of diversity, social justice criticswill not relent in the future. Remember two years before the ridiculous OscarsSoWhite campaign, 12 Years aSlave swept fourawards, including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actress. The awards were absolutely deserved.

Its easy for opponents of political correctnessto level the charge that this years rich diversity ofnominees are only up there to placate a mob obsessed with their Netflix and Twitter. Butcritics in a rush to grab their phone for an outraged tweet should step back and appreciate the year that this was for African-American film.

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Despite Rumblings About Political Correctness, the Black Oscar Nominees This Year Deserve All the Accolades - Heat Street

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CPAC inadvertently shows logic behind political correctness – UT The Daily Texan

Posted: at 3:25 pm

Two weeks ago, conservatives were up in arms about the treatment of Breitbart tech editor and alt-right online superstar Milo Yiannopoulos, who was, to hear them say it, being rudely deprived of his free speech by triggered liberal snowflakes in the name of political correctness. After Yiannopoulos was forced to cancel a speaking event at UC-Berkeley due to protests on campus, President Donald Trump tweeted: If U.C. Berkeley does not allow free speech and practices violence on innocent people with a different point of view NO FEDERAL FUNDS?

On Saturday, Yiannopoulos was invited to give a speech at Conservative Political Action Conference, an influential gathering of conservatives in Washington where President Trump is also scheduled to speak. American Conservative Union, which organizes the event, said that Yiannopoulos message was important to hear at a time when political correctness is properly being discarded.

If the specter of political correctness can move a political institution like CPAC to embrace a glorified internet troll, its probably worth examining what political correctness is. Conservatives say that its the antithesis of free speech: the idea that there are some things you shouldnt be allowed to say. The truth, of course, is more complicated. Of course youre entitled to free speech, but youre not entitled to a platform, and institutions with control of particularly influential platforms like the American Conservative Union and UC-Berkeley should be discriminating about which voices they decide to elevate.

In other words, people with platforms should know where to draw the line. Thats not a radical idea.

Where do conservatives draw the line? As the last year and a half has proved, thats a hard question to answer. Its not at mocking prisoners of war for being captured. Its not at proposing to ban more than one billion people from the country on the basis of their religious beliefs. Its not at picking fights with the parents of a fallen soldier. And its not at sexual harassment.

CPACs embrace of Yiannopoulos last week only deepens the mystery. It means they dont draw the line at someone who, despite being gay, has advocated for forcing gays back into the closet in order to preserve the nuclear family. It means they dont draw the line at someone who instigated an army of racist trolls against comedian and Saturday Night Live star Leslie Jones. It means they dont draw the line at aggressive transphobia, hate speech against Muslims, or ad hominem attacks against feminism.

But this week, we got some answers. On Sunday, a video emerged in which Yiannopoulos appears to condone statutory rape and sexual relationships between boys and men. For once, there was universal outrage at his comments, and in the span of 48 hours he lost his speaking slot at CPAC, his book deal and his job at Breitbart.

So it turns out conservatives do draw the line, not at bigotry or harassment or hate speech, but at pedophilia. Whether they like it or not, the right subscribes to the same basic idea behind the UC-Berkeley protests namely, that there should be standards for elevated public speech. They just have vastly lower standards.

Groves is a government sophomore from Dallas. Follow him on twitter @samgroves

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Spencer Rendahl: Immigration And Eugenics – Vermont Public Radio

Posted: at 3:25 pm

Almost a century ago in Charlottesville, Virginia, Carrie Bucks mother had been institutionalized for what was then called feeblemindedness.

Despite good grades Carrie was pulled from school by her foster parents at the end of sixth grade for domestic work. Soon Carrie became pregnant, and her foster family, knowing shed probably been assaulted by a visiting relative, also had her institutionalized for being feebleminded.

Carries circumstances made her the unfortunate legal target of the American eugenics movement.

As author Adam Cohen notes in his book, Imbeciles: The Supreme Court, American Eugenics, and the Sterilization of Carrie Buck, in the 1920s the United States was caught up in the belief that newly discovered scientific laws of heredity could perfect humanity. It was a compelling idea, and Eugenicists laid claim to a body of apparent scientific knowledge and practice that called for native-born Americans deemed mentally or physically deficient to be forcibly sterilized.

In a test case that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, lawyers in Virginia presented expert evidence that would never stand up to scrutiny today, that Carrie, her mother, and Carries 8-month-old daughter were feebleminded. In 1927 Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, a eugenics supporter, famously wrote that three generations of imbeciles are enough to justify the courts 8-1 ruling that allowed the State of Virginia to sterilize Carrie and countless others with qualities deemed undesirable.

Nazi Germany followed the lead of the American eugenics movement and forcibly sterilized 375,000 of their own citizens. In the Nuremburg trials, Nazi defendants attempted to use Holmes majority decision as a defense.

And heres the Immigration link, because eugenicists turned to immigration laws for non-citizens.

At the turn of the last century, record levels of immigrants poured into the country, bringing with them different religious, ethnic and political backgrounds. Fear of their numbers contributed to social unrest and set the stage for The Immigration Act of 1924.

Championed by eugenicists, the Act set quotas for immigration that favored northern European and Christian immigrants over southern and Slavic Europeans and Jews. This law barred Otto Frank from bringing his family here to escape the Holocaust. Its the tragic backdrop to his daughter Anns famous diary - in which she documents her life before perishing in Auschwitz.

I find it hard to accept that once again were debating immigration and religion in a similar atmosphere.

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Spencer Rendahl: Immigration And Eugenics - Vermont Public Radio

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20 years after Dolly the sheep, potential of cloning remains unclear – CNN

Posted: at 3:25 pm

More than seven months earlier, on July 5, 1996, they had aided a Scottish Blackface sheep in giving birth to a Finn Dorset lamb codenamed 6LL3.

Using a breakthrough technique called somatic cell nuclear transfer, scientists at Roslin took a nucleus -- the part of the cell that contains most of its genetic information -- from cells within the mammary gland of an adult sheep and stuck it inside an unfertilized egg from which the nucleus had been removed.

They stimulated the egg to develop into an embryo and planted the embryo into a surrogate mother. The lamb was dubbed Dolly, a nod to country music legend Dolly Parton and her famously ample bosom.

Years later, that same cell cluster was used to make four other sheep just like Dolly.

The lab had kept her birth secret for seven months to make the announcement coincide with the publication of the scientific paper describing the experiments that produced her, they said.

Much of the news reports had focused not on cloning sheep but on its potential for humans, said Alan Colman, who is now a visiting scholar in the Harvard University Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology.

"We'd underestimated the impact the announcement would make," he said. "It was something we had prepared for, but we had been totally overwhelmed by the response."

Previously, cloning had been done using only embryonic cells, and now researchers had showed that it was possible in cells from another part of the body -- an adult body.

"At the time she was born, I was ecstatic, because no one had previously been able to use nuclear transfer to make an adult vertebrate from an adult cell," Colman said.

Despite the headlines, cloning a mammal wasn't the team's main goal. They were out to develop a more efficient way to produce genetically modified livestock.

In fact, Dolly wasn't even the first to ever be cloned. She was the first mammal cloned from an adult cell.

But scientists have learned a lot since developing the technique, and somatic cell nuclear transfer has been used in more than 20 species to make clones.

But by and large, scientists don't see a need to clone humans.

Dolly herself lived out her days at the Roslin Institute and was able to produce six lambs.

But she was euthanized at age 6 after being diagnosed with progressive lung disease and after a long battle with arthritis.

Finn Dorset sheep usually live 10 to 11 years, and her health problems seemed to confirm fears that cloned animals would age faster and die prematurely compared with animals born naturally.

This was further exemplified by Dolly's four cloned "sisters," who were recently euthanized because they too began to show symptoms of osteoarthritis.

"OA, as you may know, is a progressive disease, and we took appropriate measures to manage the condition at the time under veterinary guidance," said Kevin Sinclair, a developmental biologist at the University of Nottingham who led research on the sheep.

"These animals were in their 10th year and so coming towards the end of their natural lifespan."

To investigate this further, the team at Nottingham will now conduct postmortem examinations to truly understand what's going on inside the animals.

"The final phase of our study ... involves detailed postmortem analyses of different tissues and organs in order to gain a better insight into the aging process in these animals," Sinclair said.

The Roslin Institute donated Dolly's body to the National Museum of Scotland, where she stands to this day.

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20 years after Dolly the sheep, potential of cloning remains unclear - CNN

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‘Ring of Fire’ Solar Eclipse In Pisces: What It Might Mean For You – Collective Evolution

Posted: at 3:25 pm

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We are having a Solar Eclipse in Pisces on February 26th, 2017 at 2:58pm Universal Time. While itwill only be visible in parts ofSouth America and Africa, as withevery eclipse, the astrological significance will still affect the whole planet.

This is an annular eclipse, which is when the Sun is almost completely blocked from the Moon except for the outer edges. This is because the Moon is near its apogee, which is its furthest distance from the Earth. This type of eclipse is also referred to as a ring of fire,thanks to its unique appearance.

We also had a Lunar Eclipse in Leo a few weeks ago. Eclipse season, which occurs every six months, is a significant period of transitions thatcan start up to six weeks before eclipsesbeginand play out over the following months. However, this eclipse window isparticularlytransitional because we are shifting away from two years of Virgo-Pisces eclipses and into Leo-Aquarius ones.

Venus is slowing down to go retrograde on March 4th. Any changes or developments we have had since January 30th regarding love, relationships, pleasure, money, value(s), beauty/aesthetics, or art,will face a reflective and/or a reconsideration/adjusting phase over the next six to eightweeks. (Note: Join my mailing list here to be notified when that article will be published.)

We have had a series of eclipses in Pisces since March 2015, but this will be the final one. These have all been South Node eclipses, which shake up certain negative aspects of ourselves that are no longer serving us, depending on the sign theyre inand where it is in your personal birth chart. The Eclipse is aligned with Neptune, which is a modern ruler (or sub-ruler) of Pisces;therefore it amplifies the Piscean themes mentioned below.

We need to look at the negative traits of Pisces and Neptune energy and identify what areas of our lives they areplaying out in and what needs to change. It could be related to delusional behaviour or outlook, deception, escapism, carelessness, or avoiding our duties or physical health. This could also shake things up if we tend toself-sabotage, self-sacrifice, and/or if we have problems with drugs and alcohol.

For some people, there may be a direct connection between this eclipse and how the upcoming Venus retrograde will make changes in how theyapproach love relationships. For example, Pisces and Neptune expressed negatively can make us delusional about a person or relationship and not see the situation for what it is. Or if you have been treating a relationship as an escape while avoiding important duties/tasks, these upcoming months can shake that up as well.

Collectively, Neptune and Pisces are both associated with oil and the oil industry. It is very likely that during the upcoming six months we will see an escalation in problems and conflicts that arise as a result of the industry. However this plays out, it would clearly illustrate the need for us to abandon oil andmovetoward sustainable and clean energy sources.

Mars is in its own sign of Aries in a tight conjunction with Uranus. This can be an energy of surprising, innovative,or explosive action. It could manifest as breaking free, or even some sort of rebellion, attack, or shakeup. Both planets are in a challenging opposition with Jupiter in Libra, which wants to expand and teach us lessons in relating/diplomacy, relationships/partnerships, balance, justice, beauty, and art.

There is some potential for conflict here between these two sides. However, the initiating and assertive Mars in Aries will be making a harmonious trine to Saturn in Sagittarius that will be strongest from March 4th-6th. This is great for any sort of determined effort, and in some cases it could be connected to Sagittarian themes of travel, exploration, education, marketing, teaching, and publishing.

What negative Piscean-Neptunian traits do you need to let go of? Take a look at what camearound a year ago, and almost two years ago when those eclipses were also in the same sign. There could be a connection between what came upthen and now. If that is the case, these upcoming months are the time to make those changes, as the lunar nodes are in the final stretch the Pisces-Virgo polarity.

Another thing to consider is that we are transitioning to a push toward Leo energy, since the previous lunar eclipse was in that sign. One thing that Pisces and Leo have in common is that both signs can be very creative. Therefore, for those creative types who are being challenged by their own negative Piscean-type traits, this can be a excellent time to find greater fulfillment by shining in ones creative self-expression. If you wish to do any intentions it is best to do them within the first 24 hours following the eclipse.

The exact time and peak of this New Moon Lunar Eclipse is at 2:58pm Universal Time on February 28th. Click hereto find out what that is for your time zone.

What does this Lunar Eclipse mean for you specifically?Get a personalized reading with the author of this article based on your exact birth date, time, and location.Click here for more information.

Your life path number can tell you A LOT about you.

With the ancient science of Numerology you can find out accurate and revealing information just from your name and birth date.

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'Ring of Fire' Solar Eclipse In Pisces: What It Might Mean For You - Collective Evolution

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Study proposes new theory for evolution of infant-directed song – Science Daily

Posted: at 3:25 pm


Science Daily
Study proposes new theory for evolution of infant-directed song
Science Daily
Music is a tricky topic for evolutionary science: it turns up in many cultures around the world in many different contexts, but no one knows why humans are the only musical species. Noting that it has no known connection to reproductive success ...

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Study proposes new theory for evolution of infant-directed song - Science Daily

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England’s ‘finishers’ continue evolution of 23-a-side game against Italy – The Guardian

Posted: at 3:25 pm

England head coach Eddie Jones shares a joke with one of his finishers named in Sundays squad to face Italy, Ben Youngs. Photograph: Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty Images

England have taken the novel approach of announcing their matchday squad to face Italy and referring to their replacements bench as the Finishers in the official RFU press release.

Jones has heaped praise on his finishers after late victories over France and Wales in the Six Nations so far that have owed much to the performances of his replacements and Ben Teo, James Haskell and Danny Care have all been rewarded with starts against Italy.

In naming Care ahead of Ben Youngs, Jones pointedly said that Ben will then come on and finish the game while Jamie George, who again settles for a place on the bench on Sunday despite outshining the captain Dylan Hartley in Cardiff, has previously said: We dont ever see ourselves as the bench. Everyone on the bench would love to be starting, but we are all of the mindset that weve got to make sure that we have an impact on the game. Eddie puts a massive amount of importance on us and a lot of pressure and weve got to make sure we react to that.

Such is Joness strength in depth that calling his bench Finishers would appear to be a method of keeping the replacements motivated but it does not seem to have been well received by the Six Nations, who switched Finishers back to Replacements in their official release of the team.

The term was brought into rugby union parlance during the World Cup in 2015 by the Australia coach Michael Cheika and borrows from the phrase Closer, used to describe pitchers in baseball who come on to see the game out.

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England's 'finishers' continue evolution of 23-a-side game against Italy - The Guardian

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Watch Beyonc’s Stunning 20-Year Evolution In This 20-Second GIF – Huffington Post

Posted: at 3:25 pm

A new GIF, created by the people behind the website aromahq.com, features 20 years of Beyonc looks, one each year from 1997 to 2017. And its pretty remarkable, especially considering Bey has been a staple in pop culture for two full decades now.

Beyonce is 35-years-old and was only 15 when Destinys Child landed a record deal with Columbia Records in 1997.

From a social standpoint, she hasnt missed a step over the years, a rep from aromahq.com told HuffPost. She... continues to just expand her star power consistently by being a great performer and putting out good music.

Plus, its also tons of fun to see all of the phases and styles shes had over the years.We mean, shes gone from this:

Its been a pleasure to see her grow and evolve.Heres to 20 more years, B!

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Watch Beyonc's Stunning 20-Year Evolution In This 20-Second GIF - Huffington Post

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How To Make The Easy Switch To Natural Deodorant – Collective Evolution

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Ive tried to make the switch from toxic deodorant to the natural kind quite a few times in my life. But every time I tried, Id find myself sweating more than usual, and stinking up a room. What was going on?

It makes sense that we dont want to smell, but why would we subject ourselves to ingredients that do more harm than good? The parabens found in most deodorants have been linked to breast cancer, the aluminum compounds within deodorantscan mimic estrogen, propylene glycol can cause delayed allergic reactions, along with kidney and liver damage, the triclosan is a possiblecarcinogen, and the list goes on.

Research also shows that some compounds used in deodorant are absorbed and stored in fat cells, which are prevalent in the underarm area, explainsPhilip Harvey, Ph.D., editor in chief of the Journal of Applied Toxicology. Your underarm tissue also contains hormone receptors, which could react to some of those same deodorant ingredients.

With health experts suggesting deodorant can cause or contribute to developmental or reproductive issues, as well as cancer, its concerning to say the least that hygiene products like this are so readily available for us, and thatwe rely on them so heavily to ensure we not only smell good, but avoidsmelling awful for work, for friends, and for ourselves!

The skin is the bodys largest organ and what touches our skin can easily enter our bloodstream. With skyrocketing rates of breast cancer, it would seem prudent to avoid these chemicals until further research is done.

I used to look upalternative deodorants regularly, trying out a new one every so often to see if it would keep mefresh like the mainstream stuff, but no matter the brand, no matter the reviews, they all made me sweat more and smell more. I would find myself fearful of giving hugs, of opening my arms with expression during a business meeting.

Eventually, I dug a little deeper and simply searched the Internet for: Why does natural deodorant make me smell and sweat worse?

Heres the short answer: Your body is detoxing.

The reason you smell is because bacteria live in your armpits and break down lipids and amino acids found in your sweat, turning them into substances that have a very particular odor.

The bacteria killed off by deodorants permitbacteria that produce even more pungent odors to thrive.

When you choose to stop using deodorant, your sweat glands overcompensate forall that time spent being plugged up for so long. The result is increased perspiration.

So, the reality is, it wasnt my lack of deodorant that wasmaking me smell and sweat more, it was wearing it in the first place that was!

Knowing this allowed me to get through the detox period, and come out much healthier on the other side.

Upon looking for healthier alternatives, there were ingredients I made sure to steer clear of, like: silica, triclosan, talc, propylene glycol, steareth-n, aluminum compounds (aluminum chloralhydrate, aluminum zirconium tetrachlorohydrex gly, and parabens (methyl, ethyl, propyl, benzyl, and butyl).

As for the safer ingredients to look for, they include: alcohol, aloe, arrowroot powder, baking soda, coconut and other vegetable oils, corn starch, essential oils, hops, kaolin clay, vegetable glycerin and natural waxes, vitamin E, witch hazel, and zinc oxide.

The Environmental Working Groups (EWG) Skin Deep Database is my go-to for all things health when it comes to cosmetics. Look for a score of 1 with Good data, and read up on the sites information for a given deodorant, and youll be well on your way to better options.

Putting endocrine-disrupting chemicals directly on top of lymph nodes in your armpit major parts of your immune system is a surefire way to mess with your hormones and suppress immune function. So the detox the sweating and stinking is totally worth it. Besides, its only a small period of time before youre off the rough stuff for good and smelling just fine.

Your life path number can tell you A LOT about you.

With the ancient science of Numerology you can find out accurate and revealing information just from your name and birth date.

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Doug Axe: Hidden Figures and the Engineering Challenge to Darwinism – Discovery Institute

Posted: at 3:24 pm

Ahead of tomorrow night's Academy Awards ceremonies, Doug Axe has an excellent post up at The Stream on the film Hidden Figures and the engineering challenge to Darwinism. The film, with several nominations including Best Picture, is the story of African-American women who were math prodigies, or "computers," at NASA.

Another lesson, more pragmatic, occurred to me as the drama unfolded. Having migrated in my own career from the measurable-fact culture of engineering to the more descriptive culture of biology, I felt a tinge of nostalgia as I watched a roomful of nerds with their calculators and chalk boards working together to find the answer to a pressing question: How can we bring an orbiting astronaut back safely to Earth?

Notice the very pre-post-truth essence of that phrase find the answer. Engineers have always taken for granted that clearly posed questions have uniquely correct answers -- there to be found by anyone with the skill to find them, and unambiguously recognized as correct when found. The joy of Hidden Figures is that it sweeps away our prejudicial attitudes as to who might have these requisite skills.

Celebrating National Engineers Week here yesterday, Sarah Chaffee observed, "[E]ngineering and medicine differ from evolutionary biology in that they focus on how things work. Evolutionists can seem at times to disregard function, but doctors and engineers never can." Yes, there's a blurred, fudging quality to much of evolutionary thinking.

By contrast, Dr. Axe admires the steely, unforgiving nature of an engineer's calculations:

Of course, those who've turned fuzziness into a paid profession are apt to sense more threat here than beauty. A famous 1960s meeting demonstrated this, convened under the heading Mathematical Challenges to the neo-Darwinian Interpretation of Evolution. There, a group of slide-rule toting engineering types, unconcerned with matters of etiquette, tried to put the slippery blob of evolutionary theory through the grinder gears of hard reality. Among the Darwinists present was Harvard's Ernst Mayr, who (in protest) titled his talk: "Evolutionary challenges to the mathematical interpretation of evolution." Stick that in your gears, you nerdy engineers!

This is rather unforgiving of Dr. Axe:

The evolutionary explanation of life cannot stand up to NASA-style engineering scrutiny.

If you doubt this, please join me in testing it. Hand pick your Darwin sympathizers from the most esteemed places. It doesn't matter who they are, because all the pomp and prestige of the academic world is powerless to change hard facts. All claims of Darwin having discovered the only scientifically valid explanation of life get torn to tiny bits when you put them in the grinder.

The response to this challenge is sure to be either silence or protest. There won't be a nerdy evolutionary biologist who marches up to the chalkboard and does the math that saves the theory. The math has been done; the theory undone. Nor will there be a lab test that shows natural selection to be a worker of wonders. We've been there. Too many tests to count, and the blind watchmaker never showed up.

The protest will be familiar, organized around the usual defensive themes. Different sciences work differently! -- they'll say. It isn't reasonable to hold a historical science to engineering standards! -- they'll say. No practicing evolutionary biologist would accept your proposal as valid! -- they'll say.

Let them speak. Then remind them that the difference is simply one of seriousness. When we really need to know that something will work, tested-and-approved certainty has always been the standard. Evolutionists ignore that standard because they can. Storytelling works for them because they're all telling stories together. Their grand stories are all wrong, but as long as no one is dying in orbit, most people are content to let them carry on.

Merciless, but true. Evolutionary theory's authority rests on muzziness as to details, and on the public's being willing to overlook and forgive it, despite what Axe identifies in his book Undeniable as our universal intuition of intelligent design in nature.

"Trust us," Darwinists in effect say. Trust our massive extrapolation to a grand theory from a spray of trivial observations (finch beaks, smaller voles, etc.). "Trust" is not a factor in engineering. Either you bring the astronaut safe and alive back to Earth, or you do not. There's no fudging that.

Photo credit: 20th Century Fox.

I'm on Twitter. Follow me @d_klinghoffer.

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Doug Axe: Hidden Figures and the Engineering Challenge to Darwinism - Discovery Institute

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