Thursday, February 24, 2011

#155: Guillermo Gonzalez

Gonzalez is associated with (and a pet of) the Discovery Institute, and one of their “clearest” examples of a victim of evil Darwinist conspiracy in academia. Gonzalez is an astronomer who was denied tenure at Iowa State University. He did not receive tenure because, in part, of a lack of publications (and probably failure to bring in grant money) among other things. It was not hard for the Discovery Institute (where Gonzalez is currently a fellow) to construe this as being due to Gonzalez’s creationist beliefs and as evidence for the persecution of crackpots. More here, here, and here. In fact, even if their allegations were right, they would not prove the Discovery Institute’s point, but they would of course never realize that.

He also figured prominently in the cesspit of dishonesty “Expelled”.

Gonzalez has, apart from that, written a book with theologian Jay Richards presenting us – predictably enough – with Paley’s argument, yet again (in its modern fine-tuning argument format).

He is also a climate change denialist.

Diagnosis: Not as flamboyantly stupid as, say, Geoffrey Simmons, but a solid crackpot nonetheless.

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