The Benshi

All that fear and hatred in 2005 and for what? Couldn’t everyone tell it was an inept movement that was doomed to beat itself to pieces like the flagellae they so worshipped as examples of perfect design? I never understood the panic element. Whatever. Intelligent Designer and former momentary celebrity Dr. Michael Behe of Lehigh University will be joining the post-screening panel discussion of my movie, “Flock of Dodos” next Thursday at Villanova University. This graph kinda tells their sad story.

THE MEDIA WORLD GIVETH, AND THE MEDIA WORLD TAKETH AWAY. Here’s a Google Analytics search on “intelligent design.” Yeeks. They had a good run, until a party pooping judge in Dover, Pa. took a sledge hammer to their entire existence in December, 2005. After that you can see they kinda flat lined.

bummer

AN IRREDUCIBLY COMPLEX COLLAPSE

It was such a fun party for them. While it lasted. On August 7, 2005 they scored the cover of TIME Magazine with a huge feature article that painted the picture of a movement that was setting the world on fire. The only problem is what happens to things that are on fire — they eventually burn out. Especially when they explode first, as was the case in December of that year with the Dover Trial. Ouch.

Interestingly, in August, 2005 I was set to interview Stephen Jay Gould’s widow, Rhonda Shearer, but she decided to cancel the interview, saying that, “Steve always said there’s no point engaging with these people, it will all be settled in court.” She was right. I didn’t know then the Dover ruling would prove to be so dramatic, but it has been. They got their spine snapped. They’ve been directionless on the topic of intelligent design (though of course still scurrying around, attempting their anti-evolution hijinx at every textbook ruling opportunity).

yikes

DR. MICHAEL BEHE ON VILLANOVA DODOS PANEL NEXT THURSDAY

Late next week I’ll be at Villanova University with yet another Sizzling Dodos visit. We’re screening Dodos on Thursday night and Sizzle on Friday afternoon. The Dodos post-screening panel discussion will be Dr. Michael Behe of Lehigh University, Faye Flam (science journalist from Philadelphia Inquirer), Dr. Aaron Bauer (Villanova evolutionary biologist) and myself.

This will be the first time Dr. Behe will attend a screening of the movie, and my first time seeing him since our lengthy two hour interview on a hot summer day at Lehigh University in August of 2005 — right at the height of the intelligent design fury. He was a good sport to take part in the movie, and he’s a good sport to attend this event. And I will never quite understand why so much hatred and bile was spewed at him by evolutionists. A lot of them should be ashamed of themselves for it. For me personally, I received far more hatred from scientists than from the bungling kooks behind the intelligent design movement.

DODOS IN PHILLY NEXT THURSDAY NIGHT with a panel discussion featuring intelligent designer Dr. Michael Behe.