Intelligently designing science

I don’t usually participate in random acts of googlebombing, but this is what I think of “intelligent design.” You can’t go around calling something like this “science,” because it really doesn’t meet the definition. Whether or not it deserves to be taught in the public schools or displayed in mainstream museums, intelligent design is still pseudoscience.

But before anyone loses their cool and starts spouting off that I’m an atheist, let me point out that I don’t automatically discount pseudoscience: I’m quite fascinated by various flavors of string theory, for example. But I wouldn’t hold it as proven fact quite yet.

Religion is not incompatible with science, as even the theory of evolution leaves room for the possibility that God did start it all. When we discuss the beginning of time, obviously a lot of philosophy starts coming into play, since the beginning of time will always predate any point in scientific history. But we cannot blindly hold onto speculation that arises from wishful thinking. That’s all this brand of philosophy is: wishing that there isn’t more to learn about our world.

Thanks to Neil Turner for the scoop.