#1406: Walter Bradley

Walter Bradley is a professor (retired) of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M (something of a creationist hub, apparently) and Baylor Universities, Fellow of the Discovery Institute, and a pretty central figure in the creationist movement, for instance in virtue of his 1984 book The Mystery of Life’s Origin: Reassessing Current Theories (with Charles Thaxton and Roger L. Olson), which is generally recognized as one of the books that started the Intelligent Design movement. In the book the authors attack and reject science as well as all natural theories for the origin of life on earth, predictably ending up claiming that the Christian God did it. It didn’t make a huge splash in scientific communities, but as always with these people their battles aren’t intended to be fought among experts but in public opinion (not convinced? Here’s another “telling example”). An example of the scientific bankruptcy of the book is here.

It is hardly Bradley’s only outreach effort on behalf of science denial. He has witnessed for the anti-science side before the Texas Board of Education during certain board members’ efforts to introduce religion and science denialin Texas public schools, and is on the selection committee for the Trotter Prize, which rewards work on intelligent design creationism. And heck, Bradley was even one of the original strategists behind the Wedge strategy for reforming American culture in line with evangelical principles. Dishonesty is a sin only for nonbelievers, remember.

Bradley is of course also a signatory to the Discovery Institute petition A Scientific Dissent From Darwinism.

Diagnosis: Bradley is actually known for being comparatively upfront and fair in his presentations on intelligent design. His background story suggests that this description doesn’t apply to his long term strategies.