Mike Gene's New Blog

Sometime over the Christmas holidays, the original Design Matrix blog was hacked and can no longer be accessed. Unfortunately, it looks likely that all the postings from that blog have been lost. idthink.net was also affected but Mike saved all the postings from it and plans to re-post them soon.

But Mike is taking the lemons dealt to him, and making lemonade by starting The Design Matrix blog anew. Comments can even be left, something that couldn't be done very easily at the old site. I encourage you all to visit and participate in the discussions.

Oh yes, and a Happy 2009 to y'all!

The Challenge of Detecting Design

Mike Gene has an excellent post at The Design Matrix blog. Here's an excerpt:

"The distinction between the mind-like action of designing and the hand-like action of actualizing is key. Conceptualization precedes actualization. Thus, detecting design is much more like detecting another mind than detecting busy hands. In fact, if you did not perceive the mind, the hands would not be detected as designing - they’d be detected as doing. Without making any serious and honest effort to detect the mind-like action of designing, a focus on the hand-like action of actualization will not signal design."

UPDATE 05-Jan-2009: The above link is no longer available.

Critical Thinking

From a post at Mike Gene's blog. I particularly like numbers 2 and 4:

"2. understand and define terms (make others define terms, too)

4. question the conclusion: do the facts support it? is there evidence of bias? remember correlation does not equal causation."

A Tip O' The Beer Mug To Mike Gene

This is sad news. Mike Gene is retiring from Telic Thoughts to spend more time with his family.

Mike is that unique voice in the ID/evolution debate who will not be pigeonholed into an extreme position and whose views are well-thought and demand to be taken seriously on their merits alone. Mike's posts at TT have helped to influence my views; his inputs will be sorely missed.

(raising a mug of Grasshopper)

Here's to Mike Gene. May God bless your time with your family and allow to keep following the Rabbit wherever it goes.