Caught this from the Sensuous Curmudgeon, "William Dembski Is “Moving On”"! I'm undecided if this is a good thing or not. On the one hand, who will be declaring the imaginary success of the unexplained, and apparently inexplainable, 'Design Inference Filter' if Dembski is off doing something else. On the other hand, maybe even Wild Bill can see the writing on the wall and realizes how futile the whole Intelligent Design facade has been. Yes, I called is a facade, and so would you if you read what Intelligent Design is, according to the Discovery Institute's own Wedge Strategy. I clicked over the Wild Bill's post on his new blog, "A New Day" to see what he has to say, and he's pretty brief.
He's switching from Intelligent Design to education. OK, I'm not sure that's a good thing. Is he going to be teaching? If so, what exactly? He mentions "advancing freedom through education via technology". Talk about a nothing statement. He's not known as a technologist, and I don't think he's known as an educator either. Oh, he's worked for a couple of schools, but does getting in trouble with the Michael Polanyi Center controversy and Evolutionary Informatics Lab controversy at Baylor and the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary flood controversy qualify him as an educator.
Oh well, I guess we will just have to wait and see what he's up to. He does say he still has a few ID irons on the fire, so he won't be disappearing too quickly. But in any event, soon we won't have Wild Bill Dembski to kick around. I can't say I'll actually miss him. I mean recently what has he done? It seems folks like Meyer, Luskin, and Klinghoffer have been carrying to water at the DI more than anything by Bill or even the one-time golden child, Michael Behe. Maybe this particular ship has gone as far as it can and it's time for Creationists to come up with something else. You know, like they did after Creationism and Creationist Science failed. Intelligent Design has been in a decline since the Dover ruling.
Sunday, November 22, 2015
Dembski jumping ship?
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I've been considering the possibilities.
ReplyDeleteFirst, perhaps Dembski has had Good Intentions all along, but recently saw the light: ID is a scam. I consider this highly unlikely. Dembski charged $200/hr as an expert witness at the Dover trial discovery phase, then withdrew before the trial. That doesn't sound like an ethical man who recently saw the light.
Second, perhaps Dembski of Good Intentions sees his work in ID as finished. He may see the mathematical basis as sufficiently developed. Since ID at best is simply a bad idea, it has limited intellectual fecundity. Dembski may see his "legitimate" role as dwindling, what with Meyer doing the majority of philosophical heavy lifting.
Third, perhaps Dembski of GI sees ID mathematical modeling as limited by current biological knowledge, current computer technology, or both. We need to KIM that Dembski's main man is Robert Marks, who works largely under the radar of anti ID bloggers. Dembski provides the mathematical horsepower for Marks' computer science. Marks would inform Dembski of any parametric or technological shortcomings needed to implement Dembski's mathematics. Marks may have told Dembski, "we need to wait."
Fourth, perhaps Dembski of semi GI learned of Marks' results, and they weren't good for ID. Dembski is a proud man, who is not likely to admit that his conclusions were wrong. It the computer modeling says he's wrong, he might decide that ID is bankrupt, at least from the mathematical perspective. Mathematical bankruptcy means that Dembski's role is finished for good.
Fifth, Dembski of semi GI might view his book sales as disappointing. Dembski has never had the popular appeal of Phillip Johnson or Meyer. There may be a bit of envy there.
Sixth and finally, Dembski is not a man of GI. He's been in on it for a long time, it not the beginning. He sees the money dwindling, which was his whole point in the first place. He knew that the gravy train would end someday, and he's decided that the day has come to exit.
What I have been thinking about is who is funding this new endeavor of his? I didn't see anything mentioned about who he's going to be working for, who will be picking up the tab. I can't believe he'll be funding this himself. Maybe a Templeton Grant? Wouldn't that be funny!
ReplyDeleteWhat I wouldn't be surprised to find is that the DI is going to fund something like his previous Informatics center, maybe attached to their Biologics 'Institute'?