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Molecular Animation Reveals the Machinery — Yes, Machinery — of Life

Readers may recall, back in June 2010, Massimo Pigliucci and Maarten Boundry expressing their strong dislike for machine metaphors in science (see also Paul Nelson’s remarks on their statement here). Pigliucci and Boundry said that,

…if we want to keep Intelligent Design out of the classroom, not only do we have to exclude the “theory” from the biology curriculum, but we also have to be weary [sic] of using scientific metaphors that bolster design-like misconceptions about living systems. We argue that the machine-information metaphor in biology not only misleads students and the public at large, but cannot but direct even the thinking of the scientists involved, and therefore the sort of questions they decide to pursue and how they approach them.

I shudder to think what Pigliucci and Boundry might have to say about this molecular visualization.

Jonathan McLatchie

Resident Biologist & Fellow, Center for Science and Culture
Dr. Jonathan McLatchie holds a Bachelor's degree in Forensic Biology from the University of Strathclyde, a Masters (M.Res) degree in Evolutionary Biology from the University of Glasgow, a second Master's degree in Medical and Molecular Bioscience from Newcastle University, and a PhD in Evolutionary Biology from Newcastle University. Previously, Jonathan was an assistant professor of biology at Sattler College in Boston, Massachusetts. Jonathan has been interviewed on podcasts and radio shows including "Unbelievable?" on Premier Christian Radio, and many others. Jonathan has spoken internationally in Europe, North America, South Africa and Asia promoting the evidence of design in nature.

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