Scientist Urges Colleagues to Focus on "Unintelligent Design"

Newswise — The scientific community's failure to mount effective opposition against the intelligent design movement calls for new tactics, contends University of Massachusetts Amherst geologist Donald Wise. He proposes that scientists abandon all religious and philosophical discussions and focus instead on evidence that he believes demonstrates a clear lack of intelligent design.

He will present his approach at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America on Monday, Oct. 17 in Salt Lake City.

Proponents of intelligent design believe the complexities of various anatomical structures cannot be explained by evolution, and are actually evidence of an intelligent designer. Wise and others believe this assertion is another version of creationism, re-cast to avoid being declared a religion by federal courts. He contends this claim of being non-religious provides an opportunity for the scientific community to mount an effective political campaign.

Wise advocates that scientists point to the "incompetent design" in the human skeleton. He asks, "What is so intelligent about our sinus drainage system, so clogged that they would embarrass a plumber?" He says that the human pelvis is tipped forward for convenient knuckle-dragging at such an angle that only by extreme spinal curvature can humans stand erect, a design defect that would flunk any first-year engineering student.

"We have to recognize that the Intelligent Design push is a very well-organized, effective political movement that's attempting to strike at the heart of science itself," says Wise. "Science should abandon the traditional methods of polite debate and start using the rules of rough-and-tumble politics.

"Science has operated as a muscle-bound giant," Wise argues. "That giant should focus his efforts on effective political tactics, resorting to the most effective weapon against those who think ultimate truth is on their side—namely undeniable facts served up with a sense of humor."