Apr 30 2008
He’s smarter than you, he’s got a science degree
First, I acknowledge I’ve plagiarised the title of this post, from this video.
Fun though that be, I really want to comment on this event Jim draws attention to. There is something about this that reminds me rather of the way some Christians collect celebrity believers. So-and-so’s a Christian and they’re cool, ergo you should become a Christian because it makes you cool. X is a brilliant footballer, and he’s a Christian: shouldn’t you be one also.
So it is with Alan White, holder of a PhD in organic chemistry, Harvard Grad and author of 18 scientific publications. (Given that the only publication I’ve tracked down is an article on the “compostablity of cellulose acetate films”, I’m not entirely clear what expertise he might claim in evolutionary biology or cosmology.) Wow. Look, he believes in creation like the book of Genesis tells it, so that must be a proper scientific belief. He’s a scientist, so his opinions must be science.
Er … No. He’s just this guy, you know. The only relevance “being a scientist” has is that he appears to fit the stereotype of someone with no literary or poetic sensitivity, and so reads Genesis literally. But isn’t there something about this idea of “being a scientist” that seems to owe something to Hollywood images of men in white coats who will either solve every conundrum or else blow up the world.
I’s say it again. Scientist’s opinions are not science.