Magic Statistics

The narwhal is a species of whale that lives in arctic waters, feeds on fish, and has a tusk that grows up to nine feet in length. In medieval times, narwhal tusks were sold as unicorn horns and fetched upwards of £16,000 from European monarchs. But why does the narwal have a tusk anyway? Does it help break ice, spear fish, or does it serve some social function? All wrong, according to the latest scientific findings.

[A] team of scientists from Harvard and the National Institute of Standards and Technology has now made a startling discovery: the tusk, it turns out, forms a sensory organ of exceptional size and sensitivity, making the living appendage one of the planet's most remarkable, and one that in some ways outdoes its own mythology.

The find came when the team turned an electron microscope on the tusk's material and found new subtleties of dental anatomy. The close-ups showed that 10 million nerve endings tunnel from the tusk's core toward its outer surface, communicating with the outside world. The scientists say the nerves can detect subtle changes of temperature, pressure, particle gradients and probably much else, giving the animal unique insights.
. . .
With the basics now in hand, the team is working to understand how the narwhal uses the information. One theory is that the tusk can detect salinity gradients that tell if ice is freezing, a hazard that has killed hundreds of narwhals.

Well, then, one might wonder whether the tusk does such a great job of detection.

via titusonenine.

Rev Dr Peter Toon of the Society for the Preservation of the Book of Common Prayer weighs in on the controversial decision of several large American churches to remain closed on a Sunday later this month because Christmas falls on that day. Dr Toon cites an announcement from one of those churches: "It is our most sincere hope that you will be able to use this opportunity to spend some time with your family and enjoy the holiday together."

Sunday has been designated as the day of Christian corporate worship since the time of the apostles (Rev 1:10; 1 Cor 16:2). So, says Dr Toon,

[H]ere we find an amazing thing — that the leadership of a supposed Christian congregation, a very large one, is saying that there is NO duty to worship God the Father in the Name of the Lord Jesus on the weekly celebration of the resurrection in late December. What may be called the secular understanding of Christmas – family get together for a holiday celebration – has triumphed and the assembly of Christians is closed down on that day which is this year, nothing less than the Lord’s Day.

The blog of Founders Ministries, "committed to historic Baptist principles", takes a remarkably similar view:

The kind of reasoning that is coming out in defense of church closings has more in common with the world and its ways than it does with the Bible. And this is further evidence of how far American evangelicalism has fallen away from basic, biblical Christianity.

This is a very hot issue in the Christian blogosphere. Christianity Today gathers links here. Get Religion has blogged on this issue here and here.

Such a kerfuffle has been raised that even the New York Times has noticed.

Daniel Dennett visited the University of Delaware recently and spoke on "Darwin, Meaning, Truth, and Morality". He reportedly said that Darwinian evolution has shattered the credibility of religion and destroyed God himself. Then someone pointed out that he had placed himself in an embarrassing position.

In the question session, philosophy professor Jeff Jordan made the following observation to Dennett, "If Darwinism is inherently atheistic, as you say, then obviously it can’t be taught in public schools." "And why is that?" inquired Dennett, incredulous. "Because," said Jordan, "the Supreme Court has held that the Constitution guarantees government neutrality between religion and irreligion." Dennett, looking as if he’d been sucker-punched, leaned back against the wall, and said, after a few moments of silence, "clever." After another silence, he came up with a reply: He had not meant to say that evolution logically entails atheism, merely that it undercuts religion.

Dr Dennett backs the use of the term "brights" for those who reject religion and embrace philosophical materialism. Sounds like he's not that bright himself.

For more examples of philosophical materialists committing elementary logical errors, click here or here.