- 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.