Posted on 03/22/2006 6:22:07 PM PST by Central Scrutiniser
Huge crowds extend Darwin exhibit in New York
Wed Mar 22, 2:54 PM ET
NEW YORK (AFP) - A monumental Charles Darwin exhibition in New York has been extended by five months amid an overwhelming public response to what was touted as a scholarly rebuke to opponents of teaching evolution in US schools.
The American Museum of Natural History said Wednesday that nearly 200,000 people had visited "Darwin" since it opened three months ago.
Originally slated to close at the end of this month, the exhibition will now run through August 20, said museum spokesman Joshua Schnakenberg.
"Darwin" had opened amid furious debate in many school districts over the teaching of the 19th century naturalist's evolutionary theory and the first trial on the teaching of the God-centered alternative favoured by many religious groups, "intelligent design," or ID.
That trial, in Pennsylvania, ended in defeat for the evangelical right with the judge in the case decrying the "breathtaking inanity" of the school board in the town of Dover which backed the concept that nature is so complex it must be the work of a superior being.
"Our conclusion today is that it is unconstitutional to teach ID as an alternative to evolution in a public school science classroom," the judge said in his ruling in December.
An early section of the New York exhibit is devoted to the question, "What is a Theory?" and seeks to clarify the distinction between scientific theories and non-scientific explanations about the origins and diversity of life.
"This is really for the schoolchildren of America. This is the evidence of evolution," said the exhibit's curator, Niles Eldridge.
In a Gallup poll released last October, 53 percent of American adults agreed with the statement that God created humans in their present form exactly the way the Bible describes it.
Thirty-one percent stood by the "intelligent design" stance, while only 12 percent said humans have evolved from other forms of life and "God has no part."
When I was growing up in Chicago, there was a little hole-in-the-wall type of take out place...it was called Blondees...and they served just two things...Italian Beef Sandwiches and the most delicious fries...that was all that they served...this little gem of a place was three blocks from where we lived...they were only open from late March, thru Halloween...then Mr, and Mrs. Blondee, as everyone called them, RVed down to Florida for the winter, to be with their grown children and grandchildren...
'Blondees', was known by everyone in the area as having the best beef sandwiches and fries...what was especially great about them, as being that they served only these two items, they always had hot food ready to go...just two employees, Mr. and Mrs. Blondee...she took the orders, and rang up the order on the cash register, he cooked the food and together they made up the orders...you could order in one of two ways...either from the little slider window, on the outside, that Mr. Blondee manned, or walk inside to the tiny little room, that had all of one table, a few chairs, and a long lunch counter(most folks took their orders back home, or back to work)...
When it got time for Mr. and Mrs. Blondee to make the trip down to Florida, they would post a cardboard sign in the slider window, announcing their last day they would be serving the yummy food, an announcing the date of their return, a few months later...when the time came, they locked up the little place, and took off to spend the winter in Florida...we always knew ahead of time, when they were leaving, and my mom and dad allowed us to have more than our usual dinner fare of the Blondee goodies, as we were be without it for several months...
Usually it took several weeks, or a couple of months for 'Blondee', withdrawal to set in...you would have a craving for the great eats at Blondees, and no matter how you tried to duplicate their stuff at home, or buy it from another place, it was never the same...as spring returned to Chicago, we got anxious, as we knew, Mr. and Mrs. Blondee would be returning...
That cardboard sign in the slider window, indicating the return of Mr. and Mrs. Blondees, indicating the exact date of their first day on the job, for the new season, was now fading, but it had done its job...we knew exactly when the first day of Blondees treats were again up for sale...
I ran up there on the first day of Blondees return...mom always gave me the money, told me what to buy, and everyone at home, was eagerly waiting my return...I had to leave early, because, there was always a long line of hungry folks, waiting for that slider window to open, for the door to be unlocked...sometimes the line went clear around the block, and down the street...but we did not care, how long the line was...because we knew....Blondee was back, soon, very soon, we would have the best food ever...
They were a great success..they worked only the time from late March, until just after Halloween...they made enough money to carry them through the winter in Florida without having to work...I think a lot of things made them so successful...first off, their food was just so delicious...and secondly, they sold only two things, Italian Beef Sandiwiches, and fries...so they were quick...no one milling around, taking extra time deciding what they wanted to eat...all you had to decide on, was how many Italian Beefs and orders of fries you wanted...and lastly their 'customer service', was tops...Mr. and Mrs. Blondee knew your name, they knew your family, they inquired about your life, they were like old friends...
After many years, they decided to retire permanently to Florida...they were getting elderly, and wanted to spend their remaining golden years with their children and grandchildren...of course, we all understood this, yet we mourned when they left Chicago for good...those last few months before they left, my family got Blondees once or twice a week...mom figured we should get the good stuff, while we still could and get as much as she could afford to pay for...
Mr. and Mrs. Blondee, I am sure, have long ago, passed on to the Lords good care...but to so many of us, who loved their food, and appreciated their care and kindness, we were blessed to have known them and tasted their food, cooked with care and love..
I think you showed up too late to expect a rebuttal, unfortunately - AnnoyedOne got annoyed and announced 'intention to abandon thread' a while ago. (It was a fun time, though, sorry you missed it.)
To some, science is stronger than their faith. That's why they need to scientifically prove God.
What a great memory.
Can you imagine anything that would disprove ID?
I find the thought that large crowds are generally drawn to more things which require very little intellect, to be completely wrong...
Large crowds are drawn to all sorts of things...sports events, like baseball, football, basketball, hockey, NASCAR, horseracing.....museums of all sorts draw huge numbers of people...many of the things museums exhibit would appeal to people of great intellect....large crowds are drawn to many of our National Parks, for all that they offer...large crowds are drawn to various churchs for what they offer...one could go on and on, you get the point...
Whether an event, or a place, or an exhibit draws large crowds, cannot be used to indicate how intelligent the people are, who view these things...that is just wrong...my guess would be, that at any event, or place, that draws large crowds, there would be people of the whole wide spectrum of intelligence...frankly, thats the only thing that makes any sense....
Thanks...
I used to work practically next door to Berghoff's.
Thanks...sometimes I so busy, I dont have a lot of time to post...I am also from the NW side....kind of in between the Humboldt Park area, and the Logan Square area...
You are right....we do know what REAL Italian Beef is...and we so blessed to have known it and eaten it...
Darwin was spot on in his estimate of the time required since the start of the Cambrian.
Not only do regions have their specialty foods, but people have their specialties...my husbands grandmother was from Sicily...she made a wonderful bread that was rolled up with a special filling of spices and italian sausage...Now I made great homemade bread and Italian sausage, but I could never duplicate her recipe, not as good as she made it...and of course, she would never part with her recipe...
And my husbands aunt made the best spaghetti and meat balls and sausage ever...and fried chicken that would put the best southern cook to shame...and then again, she would never pass on her recipe...
What was it with these old Sicilian ladies?....it was as if, their best eats had to be kept a special secrete, and they would never pass on their best recipes, and when the old ladies died, so did their recipes...
The anti-evos don't have to. They always say, "You doubt my assertions? You prove I'm wrong." And they are unapologetic in their stance. I can only assume they have an exemption.
"Just as with the Ancient Greeks who hypothesized the existence of the Atom, they had no way for many centuries to prove it, nor could they imagine any way it could be done. But eventually it WAS able to be done.. and guess what? They were right. But if all scientists had accepted the idea that it was unprovable, it would never have even been attempted.
You make it sound as though scientists were actively considering the Greek concept of the atom as put forward by Democritus as science the entire time only to discover its true nature when the technology presented itself. This isn't true. It wasn't of any scientific interest until Joseph Guy-Lussac figured out that in the combination of two gases that resulted in a third gas, the resulting volume was proportional to the volume of the original two gases, indicating a combination of some sort of particles. From there Avogadro, Maxwell and Boltzman, and others, developed the idea of molecules.
The question becomes:
If we consider current ID to be Democritus's particle, should we assume it to be correct and waste energy on it with the hope, but no guarantee, that we will eventually be able to identify the designer.
Or should we forget it for now and trust that an Avogadro will turn up when the technology is available and renew interest in it, if it is indeed true?
Very sad. My mother passed on at age 96 a couple years ago. Her memory will be passed on more completely because she taught her children to cook. And I have taught my children to cook.
Good call! I made chili for the first time using ground pork recently (2 to 1 ratio pork to beef) and noticed how much better the flavor was. I will never make a solely beef chili again.
My dear Ichthy'osaurus;
True kinda, humans just love a good story.. some even love a bad story evidenced by Shakespeare's success.. or silly ones with a moral evidenced by Grimm's Fairly Tales.. or high, lofty and transcendent ones evidenced by the Bible.. Darwin was a story teller.. and Darwinic Shamans have added mightily to the Yarn and should be respected for the effort.. but its at its base My father the protein molecule(ultimate Darwin) is eclipsed by Humpty Dumpty..
The simplicity and depth of Humpty Dumpty a child or even Cosmologist can understand.. My father the protein molecule is so unprobable.. and probably statisitically impossible.. but an egg on a wall is quite believeable..
However New York City voters, you know, are quite insane... I wrote and programmed a NYC payroll once.. and can testify those people are NUTTIER THAN A MOONBAT.. They LOVE to be TAXED... They love it..
Newton's Laws of Thermodynamics???
Newton's Laws of Thermodynamics???
"What was it with these old Sicilian ladies?....it was as if, their best eats had to be kept a special secret, and they would never pass on their best recipes, and when the old ladies died, so did their recipes..."
Keep your friends close; keep your recipes closer....
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