The Lancet’s Special Issue on Charles Darwin

Yesterday I noted that Scientific American has an issue out devoted to the work of Charles Darwin. The Lancet has also just put out a special issue on Darwin. The issue marks the bicentennial of the birth of Darwin  on February 12, 2009 and the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species on November 24. An mp3 audio is available at the site describing the issue.

The Lancet, a major British medical journal with worldwide distribution, concentrates on the importance of evolutionary science to medicine. Topics also expand beyond health care, including an essay which describes how Darwin, beyond his contributions to science, also ranks as one of the great philosophers of history.

A Theological Defense of Stem Cell Research

Religious views are not a sufficient justification for public policy, such as restricting government funding of embryonic stem cell research, but should anyone be interested, Frank Cocozzelli has addressed the topic from a theological perspective. He responds to some of the views expressed by Rick Warren.

Sarah Palin: Conservative of the Year

In several recent posts, most recently here, I have predicted that the Republican Party and the conservative movement are in a downward spiral due to their dominance by anti-intellectualism and the beliefs of the religious right. There is no more future in the twenty-first for a movement which supports creationism over evolution than there is for one which argues that the earth is flat.

Here’s one more small piece of evidence of the wrong direction the conservative movement is moving in from Human Events:

Sarah Palin wins HUMAN EVENTS’ prestigious “Conservative of the Year” Award for 2008 for her genius at annoying all the right people. The last woman to get liberals this hot under the collar would have been … let’s see now … oh, yeah: Me!

Sarah Palin and Ann Coulter. Lumping the two together certainly makes sense. Both are dead ends.

Blogger Debate I’d Love To See

Hilzoy vs. Megan McArdle on the UAW and the automotive industry.