SciCre

contraction, see Scientific Creationism. [neologism circa 1986, due to Wesley Elsberry]

Scientific Creationism

(np) 1. The belief that scientific evidence supports the literal factuality of the first eleven or so chapters of the book of Genesis in the bible, in contradiction to EMTs. [den., SciCre] This is derived from early sources of the term; later ones try to dissociate SciCre from "biblical creationism" by the expedient course of not actually mentioning the Bible when discussing SciCre. SciCre-ists are distinguished by two features from the TAEs: SciCre is associated only with literal inerrantist interpretations of Genesis, and SciCre-ists take a pro-active stance on pushing their conjectures into secondary school science classrooms as science alongside or in replacement of EMTs. SciCre came about because of a rift in the American Scientific Affiliation, an organization of religious scientists. Several ASA members became disillusioned with the ASA because the predominant Deist sentiments of the membership, and they then went about setting up several offshoot organizations (the CSRC, the ICR, etc.). See literally(3).

? Scientific cretinism

(n) 1. Scientific creationism presented by a particularly dense proponent; particularly one who presents nothing but prepared materials (e.g., ICR pamphlets) and is to all appearances unable to produce an original thought.

Scientific storkism

(n) 1. The theory that human babies are delivered by the stork. It must be true, it's what my parents told me. The theory may be invoked as a counter to argument from authority. There is a humorous post which develops this idea fully.

Second Law of Thermodynamics

(np) [FAQ] 1. S(t+1) >= S(t) S(t) = k*ln(w) where S is entropy, t is time, ln is the natural log operator, k is Boltzmann's constant (1.38E-23 J/K), and w is the number of quantum states in the isolated system. An isolated system is one in which neither energy nor matter is exchanged with another system. The system should be in thermal equilibrium, also, for entropy to remain nondecreasing. This is the statistical formulation. [den., science] 2. Disorder increases over time. [conn., SciCre] It is common to see this vague misstatement of the 2nd law coupled with a statement of an erroneous prediction attributed to EMT's of increasing order over time.

Selfish gene

(n) 1. A theory proposed by Richard Dawkins that states that the unit of selection is the gene, not the organism. The theory's rejection of the role of the organism in the selection process is currently viewed as incorrect. 2. A catchphrase which, like "survival of the fittest", can be distor -- er, employed to show that evilutionists are immoral [conn, SciCre].

Sex

(n) 1. Sexual reproduction. 2. The activities that organisms engage in for the purpose of sexual reproduction. 3. Judging by the number of divine laws relating to it, an obsession of certain deities.

Sexual reproduction

(n) 1. A method of reproduction in which the genetic material of the new organism(s) is obtained by combining that of two or more existing organisms. See asexual reproduction, gametes.

Shooting oneself in the foot

(np) 1. A fallacy in which the argument used, rather than supporting one's point, refutes it. Example: "If the population of humans increased by only a small percentage per year in the last 100,000 years, the population of humans would be far larger than it is today. Therefore, evolution is wrong." That the number of individuals in a population has a tendency to increase geometrically if there were not the limits placed by competition for resources and carrying capacity was one of the most famous arguments used by Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace in advancing the theory(1) of natural selection(1), following the ideas of Thomas Malthus. It is easiest to shoot oneself in the foot with numerical arguments, since many statistically astute people lurk about on t.o./Evolution Echo with nothing better to do than to run your numbers through their SAS/SSPS/Systat/etc. systems just for fun.

Special creation

(np) 1. Doctrine that immutable species were created over the range of geologic time. This was an attempt to mesh a non-literal interpretation of Genesis with the evidence of the fossil record. [den.] 2. The events of the creation week as given in the first two chapters of Genesis. [conn., SciCre]

Species

* (n) 1. Highly controversial term given a variety of definitions by biologists. Currently, the Biological Species Concept (BSC) is widely popular: Groups of actually or potentially interbreeding populations, which are reproductively isolated from other such groups (Mayr, 1963, Animal Species and Evolution). Unfortunately, a criticism leveled at the BSC is its inapplicability to the normal mode of taxonomic research. 2. The group beyond which microevolution(2) cannot be shown to operate. [conn., SciCre, TAE]

Strawman Argument

(np) 1. Stating a misrepresented version of an opponent's argument for the purpose of having an easier target to knock down. A common, but deprecated, mode of argument. See fallacy.