"The Origin of Specious Nonsense"

Pushtrak · 13-09-2010 03:06PM #1

http://www.theoriginofspeciousnonsense.com/

This book is launching in Dublin on Sept 15th in Buswells Hotel by Conor
Lenihan TD - MINISTER FOR SCIENCE!!! Apparently there is €10,000 to be
won! If anyone has a head for banal creationist arguments please feel
free to attend. If however you think it's a disgrace that a minister
for science is promoting this book... - then feel free to get in touch with him
http://www.theoriginofspeciousnonsense.com/

Someone on my facebook posted this. I went to the site but its a hideous mess and hard to see what is going on there. Though it is playing Ennio Morricone so I kept the tab open.

fatmammycat · 13-09-2010 03:13PM

Heard this advertised earlier, checked out site and pods, zero science on offer, even in the page samples. Nor is May (author) a scientist himself.

c_man · 13-09-2010 03:15PM

From bowsing that site

Reasons why I detest Evolution

1: It teaches us to be satisfied with - not understanding origins.

Conor Lenihan is going be at the launch of this garbage? Really?

Dades · 13-09-2010 03:17PM

I really hope the part about the Minister turning up is bollocks.

A publicity stunt on behalf of the publishers perhaps?

c_man · 13-09-2010 03:19PM

Dades wrote: »

A publicity stunt on behalf of the publishers perhaps?

You can also bet that that e10,000 won't be given out in a raffle. I imagine it'll be on offer to anyone who can prove evolution or something...

fatmammycat · 13-09-2010 03:20PM

maybe so, I would be surprised if he did make an appearance at this kind of bash.

MagicMarker · 13-09-2010 03:20PM

For a minute there I thought Conor Lenihan wrote it! Although launching it isn't much better.

Where is Buswells hotel?

GLaDOS · 13-09-2010 03:21PM

"A Hoax" "A Joke"
"A Fantasy" "An Impossibility"
"A Fiction"
"A Fairytale For Adults"
"The greatest deceit in the history of science"

Getting rave reviews

sensibleken · 13-09-2010 03:25PM

I went to a talk on the great o'neil which featured conor lenihan last week. he came accross as...a bit dim. so im not really suprised/

oceanclub · 13-09-2010 03:28PM

Nope, he's launching it; I rang Lenihan's office and it was confirmed. When I asked did not having a Minister for Science launch an anti-science book give it credence, I was told that just because he was launching it did not mean he agreed with it, which obviously wasn't the question I asked.

P.

Turtwig · 13-09-2010 03:29PM

This is purely an attempt to try to get book publicity by sparking controversy. Ignore and stop discussing it.:)

MagicMarker · 13-09-2010 03:30PM

Malty_T wrote: »

This is purely an attempt to try to get book publicity by sparking controversy. Ignore and stop discussing it.:)

Discussing what?

:pac:

Dades · 13-09-2010 03:32PM

Malty_T wrote: »

This is purely an attempt to try to get book publicity by sparking controversy. Ignore and stop discussing it.:)

While that might be true, I think it's ridiculous that the minister is going.

I'm going to let him know, too.

http://www.deti.ie/corporate/ministersoffice/lenihan.htm

fatmammycat · 13-09-2010 03:36PM

This is beyond ridiculous.

axer · 13-09-2010 03:40PM

This sums up the stupidity of the author:

MagicMarker · 13-09-2010 03:42PM

''Charles Darwin & King Kong the Gorilla shall be present''.

WTF?

Pushtrak · 13-09-2010 03:45PM

axer wrote: »

This sums up the stupidity of the author:

Only thing that could make that worse would be if they'd used "Euro's."

Galvasean · 13-09-2010 04:01PM

Damn tacky website crashed my browser. F#cking Creationist SCUM! :mad:

It's beyond ridiculous that the minister for science is helping to launch this tripe. I'm sending him an email to express my concern (that says a lot since I normally don't bother).

Galvasean · 13-09-2010 04:03PM

axer wrote: »

This sums up the stupidity of the author:

Maybe he is raffling off ten thousand individual euro coins?

pts · 13-09-2010 04:17PM

Grrrrr.....
Will be writing an angry email this evening. Is there any particular way a TD should be addressed?

Sam Vimes · 13-09-2010 04:18PM

pts wrote: »

Grrrrr.....
Will be writing an angry email this evening. Is there any particular way a TD should be addressed?

"Thieving gombeen" I believe is the correct nomenclature

Dades · 13-09-2010 04:18PM

pts wrote: »

Grrrrr.....
Will be writing an angry email this evening. Is there any particular way a TD should be addressed?

Just remember you pay his wages (the wages of sin...)

fatmammycat · 13-09-2010 04:26PM

In his book May uses 'the wonder of pregnancy to disprove the hoax of evolution'. Oh dear. Just...oh dear.

Zombrex · 13-09-2010 04:32PM

Galvasean wrote: »

Maybe he is raffling off ten thousand individual euro coins?

€10,000 worth of euro coins? :P

sink · 13-09-2010 04:34PM

I sent the minister an angry (but polite) email. I'll let you know if I get a reply.

Zombrex · 13-09-2010 04:36PM

This book seems to be being self published

http://originalwriting.ie/bookshop/non-fiction/bodymindspirit/the-origin-of-specious-nonsense/

Seems like anyone with a twitter account can get a Minister to come to their "lauch party"

What was that about coming to the opening of an envelope:P

Rowley Birkin QC · 13-09-2010 04:38PM

Just e-mailed Matt Cooper, would be great if he picked up on this nonsense.

Galvasean · 13-09-2010 04:42PM

Email sent. Had to reign in on the bad language....

I am writing to express my absolute dismay that you, our Minister for Science, are helping with the launch of the book 'The Origin Of Specious Nonsense'. This book is about as unscientific in approach as one could imagine. You would be wise to pick and chose what kind of literature you are seen to promote with greater care as this move is making you look like a laughing stock in the eyes of right thinking members of our society.

Yours sincerely,

Sean

sink · 13-09-2010 04:45PM

This is what I wrote.

Dear Sir,

I was horrified to discover that you will be attending a book launch of "The Origin of Specious Nonsense" by author John J. May. Although I have not yet read it I understand that this book attacks evolution, one the most well supported theories in the entire field of biology and underpins everything we know about the nature of life. It is so well supported by evidence in the fossil record and DNA that it is considered a fact as much as gravity is considered fact.

Now if John J. May discovered some evidence that disproved evolution, such as a species which does not fit in the phylogeny of the tree of life and so falsifies it, he should publish his research in a scientific journal and there would be no doubt that he would win a Nobel prize and become a world renowned figure.

I have my doubts as to the credibility of his claims and his motivations. Evolution has been under attack since it's inception by religious dogmatists who are anti-scientific in outlook. Motivated not by a quest for truth through following the empirical evidence as uncovered by the scientific method, but rather a quest to uphold their superstitions and religious nonsense above that of science. Their modus operandi is to deny the evidence, muddle the facts and discredit true science and scientists in the public media.

Sir as the minister for science, you represent the government in all matters pertaining to science and to be associated with such anti-scientific tripe, discredits you, discredits this government and discredits the people of this country who elected you. I genuinely hope you reconsider attending this book launch.

Yours Sincerely,

amacachi · 13-09-2010 04:46PM

I'm really confused and don't want to ask the obvious question for fear of ruining the thread. :pac:

keane2097 · 13-09-2010 04:50PM

Emailed the minister there - this is appallingly stupid on his part.

"The Origin of Specious Nonsense"

Comments