The talk.origins/Evolution Echo Jargon File

Version 1.06 980303

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Styled after the Jargon file of Eric S. Raymond and Guy Luc Steele, and also after "The Devil's Dictionary" by Ambrose Bierce, but without the polish and verve seen in those two documents.

Purpose: This file is intended to be an informal glossary of terms and phrases often encountered in discussions found on the Usenet talk.origins newsgroup and the FidoNet Evolution Echo. My personal outlook indicates that much of the debate stems from persons not understanding the relevant definitions of terms used in converse.

To give folks an indication of what the others might be thinking, most words or phrases listed here will have at least two definitions. The approximation to denotation will be listed first, and the approximation to the commonly encountered connotation second or later. I will try to mark denotations and connotations where it may not be obvious as to which is which, along with the group responsible for so defining or misappropriating the term.

If a FAQ is associated with the topic, that will be indicated by a [FAQ] ({FAQ} Available) at the start of the entry.

Names appearing in {} have entries in the Biographica file.

If an entry is one upon which I am particularly shaky, it will be flagged with a "*". While I will gratefully accept and acknowledge additions and corrections for any entry, I will be especially appreciative of those who can give me more detail on asterisked items. Since I am firmly in the science camp, I expect the following glossary to be of more use/consonance to those who are similarly minded. If anyone can explain an entry from the {TAE}/{SciCre} viewpoint that promotes understanding and goodwill without being misleading, I'll be happy to add or amend entries to suit.

If an entry is one that is currently in development, it will be marked with a leading "?". The reader may encounter two entries for the same word or phrase, both marked with "?". This indicates a situation where I haven't decided on which to prefer and keep.

Starting with Version 1.05, any email or other Internet type addresses will be set off within parentheses, and preceded with the month and year of the last update. Since email and other addresses tend to change from time to time, the timestamps will give the user an idea of how "fresh" such references are. Also, the jargon and biographica files will be maintained in HTML format, with the latest version available through my home page.

While the debate over secondary education consequences in the USA is very serious, participants should be able to appreciate humor and remember that all the other participants are human as well (at least, no known Loebner Prize contenders frequent either t.o. or the Evolution Echo). A basic enjoyment of keen debate should be at least a secondary motivation for participation in these discussions, so one should be prepared to follow a paraphrase of a common aphorism:

One should not attribute to malice what can be explained by stupidity, AND one should not attribute to stupidity what can be explained by ignorance.

:Abiogenesis:

* (n) [FAQ] 1. The development of life from non-living systems via natural mechanisms. [den., science] cf. {creation}. 2. The early part of {evolution(3)} that the {Second Law of Thermodynamics(2)} shows is impossible. [conn., {SciCre}] 3. Spontaneous generation, which Louis Pasteur showed to be impossible. [conn., {TAE}]

:Acker:

(v) 1. To use a typo or misspelling in another person's post as a basis and an excuse for posting one or (more often) several puns. See Biographica entry under {Jim Acker}.

:Ada:

(n) 1. Appellative of Augusta, Countess of Lovelace, the prototypical programmer. 2. Appellative of horribly kludged, defined by committee, systems programming language that threatens to be as popular and widely used as COBOL, mainly due to the US armed forces mandating it for military systems. Also the object of {Ted Holden}'s ire when he is not bashing {EMT}s. The Lady Augusta would be doubly chagrined.

:Ad hominem argument:

(np) [FAQ] 1. An argument which relies upon denigrating the opponent and then asserting or implying that such an unworthy arguer could not have a valid argument. "Gould is a Marxist, and thus we can ignore {punctuated equilibria}," would be an example of an ad hominem argument. Of course, Gould's personal politics have nothing at all to do with the validity of his arguments concerning punctuated equilibria. See {fallacy}.

:Agnostic:

(n) 1. Someone who defers belief or non-belief in a god until the evidence is in. Usually accompanied by the assertion that the evidence is not in.

:Allele:

(n) [FAQ] 1. One of two or more forms [of a {gene}] that can exist at a single locus. [den., from Suzuki et al. 1989] "If one of your parents has blue eyes and yours are brown, then you have two different alleles of the eye color gene -- one for blue and one for brown."

:Anagenesis:

(n) [FAQ] 1. Speciation process which transforms a population into a new species. This kind of {speciation} does not result in a change in number of species.

:Analogous:

(adj) 1. Phenotypic characters which show similarity due to convergent evolution, rather than due to common descent. The flippers of whales are analogous to the pectoral fins of fish. Compare with {homologous}. Synonymous with homoplasious.

:Analogy:

(n) 1. An argument made using two parallel relationships, e.g., "A is to B as X is to Y." The force of the argument depends upon how well A corresponds to X and B to Y, and upon how well the stated relationship of A to B holds. Most commonly seen arguments from analogy are ill-considered and merely obfuscation forwarded by people who don't know enough to form arguments directly dealing with the subject at hand. For an example of a well-formed argument from analogy, the reader is directed to {Darwin}'s "Origin of Species".

:Antarctica:

(np) 1. Continental land area about the South Pole that is completely glaciated. [den., science] 2. A boring place where nobody interesting ever lived. [conn., Ted Holden] This is a rare instance where Ted Holden forwards an opinion which Velikovsky didn't.

:Argument from Authority:

(np) 1. An argument of the form "the proposition X must be true because Y, a recognized authority, says it is true," as a substitute for actual evaluation of X. In conjunction with other {evidence}, the argument can help support a conclusion by demonstrating that others have come to the same result. Often involves quoting the "authority" in a field outside of their actual field of expertise. However, when used alone it is unconvincing for one or more of the following reasons: (a) The reader may not accept the authority of Y, or may not agree that Y made the statement; "{The Flood (1)} must have occurred, because God said it did." (b) Y may simply be wrong; "Gould said that _Hallucigenia_ is unrelated to any other taxa." (c) The person making the argument may be misinterpreting or misusing Y's work; "Einstein was trying to unify electromagnetism and gravity, so electromagnetic forces could cause the Earth to orbit Saturn." (d) The authority actually is speaking on a topic well outside his field of expertise. Example: "William Shockley said, Nature has color-coded groups of individuals so that statistically reliable predictions of their adaptability to intellectually rewarding and effective lives can easily be made and profitably be used by the pragmatic man in the street." While Shockley worked wonders in semiconductor technology, his acumen in sociology was not high. See {fallacy}. 2. Absolute, incontrovertible evidence for the truth of X, provided Y is God or the Bible. [conn., {SciCre}, {TAE}] 3. Absolute, incontrovertible evidence for the truth of X, provided Y is Krishna or the Rig-Vedas. [conn., {Kalki}] 4. Absolute, incontrovertible evidence for the truth of X, provided Y is Velikovsky or _Aeon_ magazine. [conn., Ted Holden]

:Argument from Design:

(np) [ FAQ ] 1. An argument most notably forwarded by the Reverend Paley which brought us the "watchmaker" analogy. At basis, this argues that the complexity and good design seen in natural systems could only be attributed to a superlative designer. Centuries ago, David Hume argued that one can only separate designed from non-designed entities via experiential comparison and contrast. Hence, since we only have one universe, we have no point of reference to argue that the universe is designed (or not designed). More recently, {Richard Dawkins} has written an excellent summary of at least one way in which good design does not imply the existence and action of a designer. See {fallacy}. 2. A self-evidently true proposition which {evolutionists(2)} seem unable to comprehend. [conn., {TAE}]

:Argument from Ignorance:

(np) [FAQ] 1. An argument which arrogates omniscience to the arguer, who claims that because he or she cannot postulate a mechanism for a phenomenon that no such mechanism can exist. Omniscience is not an attribute of any current or past participants on talk.origins or the Evolution Echo, so those employing the AfI are usually met with much skepticism or {flame}s. See {fallacy}.

:Argument from Infinite Digression:

(np) 1. Style of argumentation which relies upon endlessly claiming faults on the part of one's correspondent on irrelevant or non sequitur points, and consistently refusing to support any claims made. Calls to support a previously made point make for new points of digressive departure, especially via claiming that the correspondent made his statement due to improper assumptions. One noted user of this technique was {Darius Lecointe}, whose bizarrely styled digressions gave rise to a quantitative measure, the milliDarian, which would describe the {Dariosity} of a post. The milliDarian scale is sometimes seen applied in responses to newbie {SciCre} or {TAE} posters. 1000 milliDarians is the standard Dariosity of the "typical" Darius Lecointe post.

:Argumentum ad Assertion Allopecia:

(np) 1. The argument that what one says is self-evidently, irrefutably true, and therefore one need provide no supporting evidence. Often combined with {Argumentum ad CAPSLOCK}, and/or as the opening shot in a round of {Argument ad Assertion Repititio ad Nauseum}.

:Argumentum ad Assertion Repetitio ad Nauseam:

(np) 1. Argument premised on the basis that any assertion repeated often enough is, perforce, true. This rhetorical mode is a frequent companion of {Argumentum ad CAPSLOCK}, or denigrations of correspondents. There exists great variability in the frequency and timing of the repetitions.

:Argumentum ad CAPSLOCK:

(np) 1. The LACING of prose text with capitalization used as a HIGHLIGHTING method to demonstrate the INNATE SUPERIORITY of one's own logic over those whose TOUCH-TYPING abilities are WEAKER. Also known as "McElwaine-ization" or erroneously as "Larsonization", after an early post by McElwaine the subject of which was a physicist named Larson. See {fallacy}.

:Astronomer:

(n) 1. Someone who is happy to get the order of magnitude correct in the exponent. 2. Someone who often has a pain in the neck while practicing to become one. [conn.]

:Atheist:

(n) 1. One who has no belief in a god. 2. One who believes that there is no god. 3. An {evilutionist}. [conn., {TAE}] 4. A keyword which indicates that something is being inappropriately cross-posted to or from one of the religion groups.

:Apatheist:

(n) 1. One who couldn't care less whether there is a god or not.

:Asexual reproduction:

(n) 1. A method of reproduction in which the genetic material of the new organism(s) is obtained from that of a single existing organism. See {sexual reproduction}.

:Bad quotation:

(np) 1. A {quotation} which does not follow the appropriate conventions, either due to lack of attribution or to editing without appropriate indications (cf. {brackets}, {context}, {ellipses}, {omission}). If the meaning of the {quotation} is thereby altered, it is a {misquotation}.

:Balesian inference:

(np) 1. Mode of argumentation which relies upon reference to evidence in a previous post, which in fact was never posted, or to a future post to appear Real Soon Now, which will, in fact, never be posted. At some point, particular claims which were once claimed to be answered in a soon to be posted message are thereafter claimed to have been already answered in a past post. This technique is named for long time talk.origins participant {Bob Bales}.

:Bird's Eye Frozen Foods Division:

(n) 1. Purveyors of frozen foodstuffs, popular in the continental USA. [den.] 2. A world-renowned scientific research laboratory. [conn., Ted Holden] See {quick frozen mammoths}.

:Brackets:

(n) 1. The typographical symbols "[]", which in a {quotation} indicate insertions or alterations made by the person presenting the quote. All such alterations, even changes in letter case, should be marked with brackets; failure to do so is a form of {misquotation}.

:BSA:

(acronym) 1. Boy Scouts of America, USA congressionally chartered youth organization. [den.] 2. Bible-Science Association, organization for the promotion of {SciCre} based in Minneapolis.

:Bullfrog:

(n) A word which ones speaks when one wishes to embarrass {Duane Gish}, who has in the past made astonishing claims about the genetic code of the amphibian in question and its similarity to genetic codes of other animals, and who has been unable to give a source for that claim except rumors. "Chicken lysozyme" has a similar effect.

:C-decay:

(np) [ FAQ ] 1. The assertion that the speed of light has undergone a measurable slowing in recorded history, forwarded by {Barry Setterfield}. Setterfield further claims that the decay of the speed of light follows an exponential, such that light speed was infinite a few thousand years ago. The {FAQ} deals with the questionable data handling and analysis which Setterfield had to use to obtain his pre-ordained results, and the wholesale rejection of data points which would have lessened the confidence levels which Setterfield claimed.

:Carbon-14:

[also "14C"] (np) 1. Radioactive isotope of carbon used in dating terrestrial organic material that is younger than the limit of resolution of the technique, currently about 50KYA. 2. Flawed dating technique based on uniformitarian BS assumptions [conn., {Ted Holden}] 3. Proof that the world cannot be more than 10,000 years old [conn., {SciCre}]

:Catastrophism:

(n) 1. The theory that large-scale events (catastrophes) have been the sole or the major force shaping the development of Earth and life. Conventional science recognizes the role of catastrophes (e.g., the increasingly-accepted "dinosaur killer" meteor), but does not believe that they have the dominant role assigned by catastrophists.

:Censorship:

(n) 1. The banning from all publication or discussion certain works or concepts based upon content. 2. Posting corrections to {SciCre} misinformation. [conn., {Paul Nanson}, {Andrew Cummins}] 3. Insisting that only science be taught in science classrooms. [conn., {SciCre}, {TAE}]

:Chance:

(n) 1. Quality associated with phenomena studied using probability and statistical theory. [den.] 2. When modified by the adjective "pure", descriptive of something which does not occur. [conn., {SciCre}]

:Clade:

(n) 1. A group of interbreeding or potentially interbreeding organisms and that group's descendants. Compare with { kind}.

:Cladistics:

(n) 1. A system of classification which places emphasis on specialized or derived characteristics rather than on shared features. Also known as "phylogenetic systematics" and "Hennigian systematics."

:Cladogenesis:

(n) 1. Process of speciation which results in production of a daughter species from a parent population, with retention of the parent species. This leads to a multiplication in number of extant species.

:Coalescent Theory:

* (np) 1. A method for comparison of gene sequences in populations to find the most likely common ancestor sequence.

:Conservation of Angular Momentum:

(np) 1. A physical conservation principle. [den., science] 2. A {Uniformitarian BS} assumption. [conn., Ted Holden]

:Context:

(n) 1. In Gestalt terms, the ground against which a feature is perceived. 2. The sentences surrounding a {quotation} in its original material, which often must be supplied if the statement is to be understood in its original sense. The deliberate {omission} of context is a form of {misquotation} if it leads the reader to misinterpret the quotation. 3. An unnecessary and confusing mass of text best left out of a {quotation}. [conn., {TAE}, {SciCre}] This is like carving a statue out of a block of wood: cutting away everything that doesn't look like what one wants to get...

:Creation:

(n) 1. The bringing forth of matter from nothing, or the development of life from non-living systems. cf. {abiogenesis}.

:Creationism:

(n) 1. The belief in {creation(1)} as having a supernatural agent, but usually without limiting the range of mechanisms used by that agent. See {CWACK}, {SciCre}.

:Creationist:

(n) 1. One who accepts or promotes {creationism}. [den.] 2. One who respects others' beliefs and is courteous. [conn., Joe Morlan, added by request]

:Creation Science Research Center:

(n) 1. A facility dedicated to the advancement of {SciCre}.

:Crossover:

(n) 1. The exchange of nucleotides between pairs of homologous chromosomes during mitosis or especially meiosis.

:CRS:

acronym [ FAQ ], "Creation Research Society". The CRS requires a statement of belief from members which is widely regarded as a bar to any scientific integrity on the part of those who take it. Most folks associated with the {ICR} are members of the CRS. The CRS has an ftp site at ([03/1995] iclnet93.iclnet.org in /pub/resources/text/crs).

:CSC:

acronym, "Center for Scientific Creation", Walter Brown's Phoenix-based organization for the promotion of {SciCre}.

:CSRC:

acronym, see "Creation Science Research Center".

:Cumulative selection:

* (np) 1. A process of repeated selection on different traits. It is the accumulation of a number of different _selected_ traits which makes cumulative selection a creative force. [Syn., "cumulative evolution"]

:CWACK:

acronym, "Christians Who Aren't Creationist Krackpots". [Originated by Jim Acker 11/03/1992] I managed not to save the original post; my recollection thought the final "K" stood for "kooks", but Acker expands it as "krackpots".

:Darian:

(adj) 1. A proposed term to describe mentally dense posters or postings. A darian poster can be told a simple fact (e.g., "Evolution does not have goals") three dozen times, illustrated by as many different examples and analogies, and still respond with "But then what is the goal of evolution?" See {Scientific cretinism}.

:Dariosity:

(n) 1. The level of impenetrability of a post due to application of the {Argument from Infinite Digression} and/or sheer mental density, measured in milliDarians (mD), as in "800 mD." See {Darius Lecointe}.

:Darwinian:

(adj) 1. Of or pertaining to natural selection. 2. Natural selection with gradualist assumptions.

:Day-Age theory:

(np) 1. A {creationist} variety which holds that the word "day" appearing in Genesis 1 should actually be read as "age". The theory is an attempt to reconcile {literalism(2)} with science, but (like the {Gosse Assertion}) satisfies neither side.

:Degree:

(n) [ FAQ ] 1. Scalar unit of measure on a relative scale. [den.] 2. Award conferred by institutions of higher learning in recognition of the recipient's completion of coursework and research in a program of study. [conn., science] 3. As in {degree(2)}, or additionally an award conferred by an unaccredited institute in recognition of the recipient's paying of the requisite printing fee, or an award conferred upon one by oneself in recognition of one's founding of the unaccredited institute, or an award conferred by one upon oneself in recognition that one deserves it. [conn., {SciCre}]

:Dendrochronology:

(n) 1. A relative dating technique utilizing tree rings. 2. Item of evidence misinterpreted due to {uniformitarian BS} assumptions.

:Diploid:

(adj) 1. In eukaryotes, having the normal complement of chromosomes, that is, that chromosomes occur in homologous pairs.

:Dogma:

(n) 1. Principles or propositions so firmly held that they are incapable of change, even when accumulated contrary evidence might indicate that a change is in order. [den.] 2. The positions of one's opponent in debate or discussion. [conn.]

:Dogmatic:

(adj) 1. Making assertions and arguments without the least concern for the content of replies or proffered documentary materials, such that the arguments so forwarded have the properties of {dogma(1)}.

:Electro-magnetic Forces:

(np) 1. Physical forces that are completely described by Maxwell's equations (classically) or by QED (quantum mechanically). [den., science] 2. Weird, eerie, otherworldly forces capable of doing any thing at any time for any reason. [conn., Ted Holden]

:Ellipses:

(n) 1. The typographical symbols "...", "....", "...?", etc., which in a {quotation} indicate an intentional {omission} of words, an abrupt change of thought, a lapse of time, or an incomplete statement. The four-character forms are used when the omission extends to the end of the sentence. {Brackets} should be used if confusion as to the source of the "..." (the original material, or the person making the quote) may occur, as "[...]". 2. In the publications of certain groups, an almost certain indicator of {misquotation}; cf. {ICR}.

:EMT:

acronym, see "Evolutionary Mechanism Theory".

:Entropy:

* (n) [FAQ] 1. S = k*ln(w); where S is entropy, ln is the natural logarithm operator, k is Boltzmann's constant (1.38E-23 J/K), and w is the number of quantum states in the system. 2. A mysterious and arcane technical factor that discredits {evolution(3)} utterly. [conn., {SciCre}] 3. Symbol for a measure of information content in strings forwarded by Claude E. Shannon on the advice of John Von Neumann: "Call it 'entropy'; no one knows what that is, so you won't be questioned about it." [{entropy(3)} etymology via Karl Pribram, personal communication.]

:Evidence:

(n) 1. An object or objects whose existence, attributes, or organization provides empirical support for a {hypothesis} or {theory}. [den., science]

:Evilution:

(n) 1. The worldwide Communist - Satanist - Free-Silver - Unionist - Sadist supersecret cabal and conspiracy to remove morals and respect for God from human society using biological science concepts that very few people understand anyway. At the last announcement, it cost $20 (payable to {Ybloc Sirhc}) just to get the membership application information to join the conspiracy. One wonders how this plot can succeed where Envy, Pride, Sloth, Gluttony, Avarice, Lust, and the other one no one remembers failed to do the trick.

:Evilutionist:

(n) 1. A proponent or dupe of the {evilution} conspiracy. Since proponents are masters of indirection, most known evilutionists are dupes. See {Ybloc Sirhc}. [Originated by Lionel Tun.]

:Evolution:

(n) [ FAQ ] 1. Change in allele frequency in a population over time. [den., science] This denotation is phenomenological, that is, it represents the minimum phenomenon which biologists will, when questioned, admit fits the term "evolution" and cannot be covered completely under "adaptation", "variation", or the like. It is also inclusive, that is, all evolutionary phenomena can be recognized by the means described in the denotation. This denotation does not make reference to or implications about evolutionary processes. The means by which the allele frequency changes occur are the subjects of a number of {EMT}s, such as {natural selection} and {genetic drift}. See Chris Colby's Evolution Primer and Larry Moran's essays for details. 2. A process that results in heritable changes in a population spread over many generations. [den., Larry Moran] 3. Changes in adaptation and diversity in populations of organisms. [den., {Ernst Mayr}] Often forwarded in preference to {evolution(1)} by certain people. 4. The belief that all life originated, complexified, and diversified via chance {mutation}s and descent as a random process. This (erroneous) connotation is quite common in the USA. [conn., {TAE}]

:Evolutionary Mechanism Theory:

(np) 1. Any one of several {theories(1)} in biology dealing explicitly with some aspect of {evolution} or cumulative evolution. Examples include Sewall Wright's "shifting-balance theory", Eldredge and Gould's "punctuated equilibrium theory", the theory of common descent, Darwin's "descent with modification", and Henry Fairfield Osborn's "orthogenesis". While "evolutionary theory" is equivalent, the point that mechanisms are proposed and tested in {EMT}s is worthy of stress and repetition.

:Evolutionism:

* (n) 1. Conditional acceptance of one or more {EMT}s based upon the overwhelming evidence found for such. [den., science] 2. Rejection of {SciCre} or the conjectures of Velikovsky. [conn., {TAE}] 3. {Uniformitarian BS}. [conn., Ted Holden] 4. Philosophy of inevitable development. [conn., C.S. Lewis(?)]

:Evolutionist:

* (n) 1. One who is active in research of one or more {EMT}s, or who applies one or more {EMT}s in their research or occupation. [den., science] 2. Anyone supportive of or in agreement with one or more {EMT}s. [conn., laypeople] 3. {Uniformitarian BS} artist. [conn., Ted Holden] 4. One who derides others' beliefs and is rude. [conn., Joe Morlan, added by request]

:FABNAQ:

[ FAQ ] acronym, "Frequently Asked But Never Answered Question(s)". Originated by {Tom Scharle}.

:Fallacy:

(n) 1. Mode of invalid argumentation which comprises the text of one's correspondents' posts, and which is never seen in one's own. ;-)

:False dichotomy:

(np) 1. The principle that since no one brought apples to the picnic, pears must have been brought instead. Actually, though, everyone brought potato salad exclusively. An interesting example of an attempted false dichotomy usage was at the 1981 Arkansas Act 590 trial, where one of the lawyers for Arkansas, whose name was Williams, tried to get Francisco Ayala to agree with the "two-model" argument. Ayala replied, "My name is not not-Mr. Williams. This courtroom is filled with people whose names are not not-Mr. Williams."

:Falsifiable:

(adj) 1. As prescribed by Karl Popper, the property which is required for a {theory(1)} to be scientific. There must be some test which can be performed that will indicate that the theory is wrong. For example, the flat-Earth theory can be falsified by circumnavigating the planet; the theory is thus scientific, although falsified. Despite recent {SciCre} legal and propaganda tactics, evolution is falsifiable.

:FAQ:

acronym, "Frequently Answered Question(s)".

:Fedfil:

(n) 1. A hostname of a machine connected to the Internet which was a host for an apparent net parasite.

:Felt Effect of Gravity:

(np) 1. The assertion that the gravitational attraction attributable to earth's mass was offset in the past by the close proximity of Saturn. The major evidence for this view is the weightlifting ability of Kazmaier and the selected stories, legends, and myths of certain nations. Used, if not originated, by Ted Holden.

:FGU:

acronym, "Frequently Given-out Understanding", any of a number of illiterate writings elsewhere described as {FAQ}s, {FRA}s, {FABNAQ}s, or jargon files. [den., Ted Holden, who gives as a vocalization guide for {FGU} the string "fugg-U"]

:FIF:

acronym, "Favorite Incoming {Flame}". A bit of derogatory rhetoric directed at a person which, due to its source, is considered a compliment instead. For example, {Chris Nedin} often includes a quote from Carl Wieland, a down-under {SciCre}-ist, in Nedin's signature, stating, "How can Nedin be trusted?"

:Flame:

(n) [FAQ] 1. An insult, put-down, or other invective aimed at another participant in a discussion.

:Flame:

(v) [FAQ] 1. The act of insulting, putting down, or lading with invective another party in a discussion.

:Flood:

(n) 1. A lot of standing water where it isn't usually encountered. [den., science] See {Flood, The}. Examples include the largest floods known from examination of geology, the "Spokane Flood" or "Lake Missoula Flood", which was actually a repeated series of flood events caused by glacial damming and release cycles that carved out the "scablands" formations of eastern Washington state.

:Flood, The:

(np) [ FAQ ] 1. The deluge which is related in Genesis chapter six and thereafter. Syn., "the deluge", "the Noachian deluge", etc. [den., {TAE}] 2. The stuffing of a "newbie"'s mailbox with {FAQ}s and {flame}s after a round of blithe parroting of the {TAE} or {SciCre} party line. [conn., {t.o. regulars}] See {irrefutable truth}.

:ForTun:

(n) 1. Program patterned after the "fortune" utility, which emits a short aphorism with each invocation. ForTun, however, emits a short quote taken from the posts of the noted {SciCre} presence, Lionel Tun. For all that ForTun selects such quotes by {chance} from a collected database of Tun-ian pearls, conversation with ForTun provides an eerie verisimilitude in respect to conversation with Lionel. [Program named and written by W. Kurt vonRoeschlaub.]

:FQA:

acronym, "Frequently Questioned Answers".

:FRA:

acronym, "Frequently Rebutted Assertion(s)".

:Gametes:

(n) 1. The specialized cells produced by organisms for sexual reproduction. In isogamous species, the gametes produced by the sexes are of equal size; in anisogamous species, the gametes are of different sizes (with the producers of smaller gametes considered as male). In most metazoan animals, gametes are produced by {meiosis} and are {haploid}.

:Gap theory:

(np) 1. A theory that assigns God as the explanation for anything that science cannot (yet) completely explain -- such as the origin of life on Earth, or the "cause" of certain quantum events. The problem with gap theory, from a theological point of view, is that God keeps getting smaller and smaller as science explains more things -- a few hundred years ago, God was the cause of weather and disease and any number of other day-to-day events, but now He can act only in the distant past or in ways indistiguishable from the actions of random processes. Also {God of the Gaps} theory.

:Gecko:

(n) 1. A lizard from the family geckonidae. Certain geckos, such as the day geckos of Madagascar and the banded geckos of the southwestern United States are the cutest of all contemporary lizards despite anything Paul Keck might say.

:Gene:

(n) 1. The fundamental physical and functional unit of heredity which carries information from generation to the next. [den., from Suzuki et al., 1989]

:Genetic Algorithms:

(np) 1. Computational systems based upon an implementation of natural selection as an algorithm for classification or optimization.

:Genetic drift:

(np) 1. {Evolution(1)} due to the fact that the transmission of alleles from one generation to the next is essentially a process of sampling from a finite set. The actual base pair sequences within the genome of a species may undergo mostly unexpressed variations without the application of {natural selection}. Genetic drift underlies the premise of the neutral theory.

:Genetics:

(n) 1. The branch of science which deals with elucidating the attributes and mechanisms of heredity in living systems. On Earth, this involves research into RNA and DNA. [den., science]

:Genotype:

(n) 1. The heritable information contained in an individual. [den., science]

:God Of The Gaps:

(n) A deity that is employed by its believers whenever they don't understand something. Some {TAE}s cling to that god, and they see with horror that the more you understand, the less gaps are left for it to live in, so they prefer understanding as little as possible.

:Going Ballistic:

(vp) 1. Of a person, indicates that one has entered a state of extreme reaction without sufficient cause, in the view of the speaker. [den.] 2. Of a correspondent, pointing out egregious errors on the speaker's part without all due deference. [conn., Jim Moore]

:Gosse Assertion, The:

(np) 1. The belief that a creator created the universe and life by fiat, but with the "appearance of age". Rightly rejected by most theologically astute persons as libelous or blasphemous. {Gosse} was the author of "Omphalos" (navel), where this assertion was given its fullest treatment.

:Grade:

(n) 1. Taxon which includes species at a similar level of organization, but with multiple lines of descent. Contrast with {clade}.

:Gradualism:

(n) 1. The viewpoint that evolutionary change occurs in a non-saltatory fashion, i.e., not by jumps, but by the effects of {cumulative selection} or {genetic drift}. Even those most noted for their gradualist stance admit that saltatory change may occur, but assert that gradual change is more common.

:Haploid:

(adj) 1. In eukaryotes, having only half the normal complement of chromosomes. 2. What the "H." in "Jesus H. Christ" stands for.

:Homologous:

(adj) 1. Phenotypic characters which are similar across species due to common descent. The flippers of whales are homologous to the arms of humans. Compare with {analogous}.

:Hopeful Monster:

(np) 1. The expression of a systemic mutation as described by {Richard Goldschmidt}. A pair of such "hopeful monsters" of complementary sex might form the basis for a new species, giving a saltational character to speciation processes.

:HTE:

acronym, "Holden Technical Enterprises", which engages in dealing with foreign languages for computers, statistical text search techniques, etc. The single proprietorship of {the Inimitable One}.

:Hypocrisy:

(n) 1. The identification of a vice in others which is considered a virtue in oneself. 2. The application of a double standard, in which others are deprecated for behaving as one does oneself. 3. Word which cannot be speeled corrictly on the ferst attempt. [conn., {t.o. regulars}] 4. {Flame}s which are motivated by spelling errors. ;-)

:Hypothesis:

(n) 1. A statement which proposes a natural mechanism for a phenomenon, where the mechanism is amenable to test, provides explanatory and predictive power, and is conditionally held on review of further observations and experiment. [den., science] 2. A guess. [conn., {TAE}]

:ICR:

acronym, see "Institute for Creation Research"

:Ice core:

* (np) [ FAQ ] 1. A sample of ice taken from glaciers or other accumulations, often showing seasonal layering. [den., science] Ice cores can be dated by multiple independent means, with the oldest published date of 140,000 +- 15,000 years for the Vostok core from Antarctica [references in the {FAQ}]. 2. Item of evidence misinterpreted due to {{uniformitarian BS} assumptions. [conn., Ted Holden]

:Inimitable One, The:

(np) 1. Reference to {Ted Holden}, vocal proponent of Velikovsky as the ultimate source of information on origins. See {Bird's Eye Frozen Foods Division(2)}, {Electro-magnetic Forces(2)}, {Felt Effect of Gravity}. This appellation was designed to allow for the creation of specific kill files, and is usually reserved for {flame}s of The Inimitable One, or for the umpteenth refutation of the same tired {FRA}s from The Inimitable One. See {Argumentum ad Assertion Repetitio ad Nauseam}.

:Institute for Creation Research:

(np) [ FAQ ] 1. A facility dedicated to the advancement of {SciCre} located in San Diego, California. Has a dialup bulletin board at ([01/1995] 619-448-9082).

:Inversion:

(n) 1. {Crossover} with one or both exchanged chromosome fragments flipped end for end. 2. Reversing the meaning of a {quotation} through {misquotation}.

:Invisible Pink Unicorn, The:

(np) 1. A meta-symbol for replacement of any supernatural agent forwarded in an explanation of origins or descent, where the argument depends upon the unknowable nature of the supernatural agent. 2. Horrible, blasphemous non sequitur forwarded by desperate {evilutionist}s.

:IPU:

acronym, see "Invisible Pink Unicorn, The"

:Irrefutable truth:

(np) 1. Self-evident or easily verified pronouncement in accordance with reality. [den.] 2. {FRA} brazenly put forward as if true. See {Paluxy River}. 3. True by {Argumentum ad Assertion Repetitio ad Nauseam}; irrefutable because the arguer refuses to acknowledge the existence of, much less the value in, rebuttals to the main assertion. {Flame}-bait.

:Isochron dating:

(np) [ FAQ ] 1. A self-checking method of dating used with several radioisotopes. [den., science] 2. Desperate propaganda forwarded by geologists and others to hide the failure of absolute radioisotope dating techniques to provide reliable results. [conn., {TAE}]

:Kalki:

(n) 1. Appellation for a Hare Krishna hive entity which sporadically posts to t.o. as "Kalki Dasa". {Kalki} has the most parodied .sig in t.o. circles.

:Kalki Syndrome, The:

(np) 1. Appellation for behavior in which a poster makes a scathing critique of the behavior of others, which actually is much more cogently applied to the poster himself. [den., Benjamin Dehner] See {Kalki}, {hypocrisy}.

:Kind:

* (n) 1. Unit of relationship beyond which genetic change cannot alter descendents. [den., {TAE}] Unfortunately, this is an operational rather than observationally based definition. 2. An inadequately referenced or defined grouping not amenable to analysis. [conn., science] Typically employed by {SciCre}-ists and {TAE}s when they become flustered.

:Kind:

(adj) 1. Giving the benefit of doubt beyond all reason; withholding flamage despite massive provocation; conducting discussion without resort to witticism and sarcasm. Unlike a {TOC}, {kind} conduct has been spotted, albeit rarely, on t.o. and the Evolution Echo.

:Last-Thursdayism:

(np) 1. The assertion that all existence sprang into being this past Thursday, with all memories of sentient beings created in situ. cf. {The Gosse Assertion}. Variants replace "Thursday" and "Last" with other time symbols and relation modifiers.

:Liar:

(n) 1. One who puts forward information which is known to be untrue. [den.] 2. Another person who puts forward information which disagrees with information that one has already posted. [conn.] 3. One who continues to put forward information for which a rebuttal has been given. [conn.] Notable example: Duane Gish's 1974 "Have You Been Brainwashed?" pamphlet contains several errors of fact which Gish admitted he knew about in 1985. Ian Plimer pointed out that it seemed odd that the {ICR} was still selling the pamphlet, unchanged, long after Gish said he was aware of the errors. See {irrefutable truth}.

:Literalism:

(n) 1. A method of Biblical interpretation in which the meaning of each passage is exactly what it states, no more and no less. This is an interesting ideal, but in practice is never observed. 2. A method of Biblical interpretation in which the meaning of each passage is exactly what it states, no more and no less, *unless* theology or tradition or textual clues or common sense indicates otherwise, in which case the meaning is something other than exactly what the passage states. This is the form in which "literalism" is commonly encountered. See {literally(3)}.

:Literally:

(adv) 1. Of a method of making a weak joke or finding fault with one's correspondent. Example: "I am no relation to Robin Lane Fox." "Then, I take it, you do not believe in common origins." The second person took the first person literally. 2. Figuratively. [conn.] Example: "I was so angry, I literally exploded." 3. Of a method of reading into a text what you want it to say. [conn., {TAE}] Example: "I read both Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 literally."

:Locus:

* (n) 1. A specific location upon the physical medium which carries heritable information at which a {gene} resides. [den., science]

:Loki Points:

(np) 1. Points garnered in the Chris Colby {t.o. home game} by entering a tongue-in-cheek parody of a viewpoint opposite your own which is responded to by persons of your own viewpoint as if the parody was a real argument. A classic example of a Loki Point award includes whoever came up with the "decreasing body temperature proves {SciCre}" post, which was a Barry Setterfield/Thomas Barnes parody, but who attracted some pretty amazing {flame}s from {t.o. regulars} who should have known better. Named for the deceptive Norse god Loki.

:Macroevolution:

* (n) [ FAQ ] 1. {Evolution} at or above the species level. [den., science] The boundary between macro- and micro- is fuzzy, as some researchers prefer to include speciation in micro- and others reason that the only macro- process that gives distinctive events is speciation. Speciation events are thus, to many scientists, examples of {macroevolution}. 2. {Evolution} too imperceptible to be observed within the lifetime of one researcher [conn., Dobzhansky (1937)] 3. {Evolution} at a level which is not currently observed. [conn., {TAE}] This is a common connotation among {SciCre}-ists and {TAE}s, since it is open ended and easy to adjust with announcements of new observations. Depending upon the astuteness of {SciCre}-ists and {TAE}s in your local community, this may be asserted to be at levels ranging from species to family, with a marked preference for the word {kind}. Given the manner in which {kind} is defined, this becomes a tautology.

:Macrogravity:

(n) 1. The hypothetical force that is a major factor in describing the motions of the planets and the stars. [den., Matthew P. Wiener] Cf. {microgravity(3)}. Macrogravity can only be inferred from these motions (the bodies involved being by definition not subject to experimentation). The identification with {microgravity(3)} under the single concept of gravity is said to be parallel to the identification of {macroevolution} and {microevolution} under the concept of {evolution}.

:Meiosis:

(n) 1. In diploid eukaryotes, a process of cell division in which the chromosomes do not first duplicate. Half of the original cell's chromosomes go to each of the resulting cells, producing {haploid} cells.

:Microevolution:

(n) [ FAQ ] 1. {Evolution} within the species level. [den., science] 2. Change in allele frequency in a population over time. [conn., {SciCre}] Note that this connotation is equivalent to {evolution(1)}. All {SciCre}-ists so far admit that {microevolution(2)} is observed. Some {TAE}s may not. 3. Adaptation or variation. [conn., those {TAE}s who balk at {microevolution(2)}]

:Microgravity:

(n) 1. The state of very little gravitational acceleration such as experienced in free fall, as in an artificial satellite. [den.] 2. Small deviations in standard gravitational attraction due to local masses (such as the Himalayas). [den.] 3. The force which causes the observed weight and acceleration of bodies in the laboratory. [conn., Matthew P. Wiener] Microgravity is by definition the force which can be measured experimentally. Newton's {theory(1)} of Universal Gravitation identified microgravity(3) and {macrogravity}.

:Misquotation:

(n) 1. Text which resembles a {quotation}, but which is actually a fabrication or a misrepresentation of the original. The criterion for deciding if quoted text is a misquotation is that the meaning of the quoted text is not the same as that of the original text. Some misquotations are accidental, but many require so much effort to construct that they are almost certainly deliberate falsifications.

:Misquotation by fabrication :

(np) 1. A "quotation" which has no original.

:Misquotation by omission :

(np) 1. Leaving out text from a {quotation}, thereby altering its meaning.

:Misquotation by omission of context :

(np) 1. Omitting the {context} of a {quotation}, thereby altering its meaning.

:Misquotation by patchwork :

(np) 1. A particularly outrageous form of {misquotation by omission}, in which widely separated phrases or sentences are patched together.

:Misquotation By selection of strawmen :

(np) 1. Quoting a hypothetical or rhetorical position presented by an author during exposition as if it was the actual position of the author; a form of {misquotation by omission of context}.

:Mitosis:

(n) 1. A process of cell division in which the chromosomes first duplicate. One copy of each chromosome goes to each of the resulting cells, producing cells of the same ploidy.

:Morlanization:

(n) 1. The process of taking a correspondent's argument, taking it to the nearest available extreme position, pigeonholing it there, and then claiming that the pigeonholed argument is actually the correspondent's position. 2. The process of deleting qualifying comments from a paragraph of a correspondent's post, then claiming that the statements sans qualifications are the complete representation of the correspondent's position. Both one and two due to {Joe Morlan}; see {Strawman Argument}. Often difficult to detect as a strawman, since morlanized posts often contain what appear to be legitimate {quotations} that are actually {misquotations by omission of context}.

:Mutation:

* (n) 1. An error in duplication of genetic material which results in a different sequence of and/or a different number of base pairs in the copy than were in the original. [den., science] 2. An error in duplication of genetic material which results in a different sequence of and/or a different number of base pairs in the copy than were in the original, which is always bad for the organism getting the copy. [conn., {TAE}] 3. An error in duplication of genetic material which results in a different sequence of and/or a different number of base pairs in the copy than were in the original, which is always bad for the organism getting the copy, except after {The Flood}. [conn., {SciCre}]

:Natural selection:

(np) 1. The differential reproduction and, thereby, transmission of alleles between generations, of individuals in a population, due to heritable variation in a trait or traits which they possess. This is one mechanism by which {evolution(1)} can occur. [den.] 2. Survival of the fittest. [conn., due to {Herbert Spencer} c. 1850] This oversimplification is perhaps the most widely held incorrect "definition" of {evolution}. Several people have spent much time and effort declaring that {natural selection(2)} is a tautology, although their intended target was apparently {natural selection(1)}. The list of those making this {strawman argument} analysis includes such luminaries as {Arthur Koestler}, {Tom Bethell}, and {Phillip E. Johnson}.

:NCSE:

acronym, "National Center for Science Education", publisher of the Creation/Evolution journal and NCSE Reports newsletter. (NCSE, P.O. Box 9477, Berkeley, CA 94709, (510) 843-3393. $20/year for membership and both publications.)

:? Nebraska Man:

(np) 1. An instance of misclassification of fossil teeth as hominid when they were actually those of an extinct peccary. {Osborn} did the original misclassification and also organized the field work which uncovered evidence that the fossils were misclassified. Total elapsed time between misclassification and correct classification was about five years. 2. Evolutionary hoax which proves that scientific evidence cannot be trusted [conn. {SciCre}, {TAE}]

:? Nebraska man:

(n) 1. A peccary's tooth which was misidentified as human and for a time led researchers to believe primitive hominids had been present in the Americas. Despite initial enthusiasm about the find (particularly among American paleontologists -- "As we always thought, mankind originated in America", oh say can you see et cetera), further examination correctly identified the tooth, and the Nebraska man now serves as a fine example of science's self-correcting properties. 2. An error which shows how everything {evilutionist} scientists claim to known about man's origins is wrong [conn, {SciCre}].

:Neutralist hypothesis:

(np) 1. The hypothesis that most variation in {genotype}s is phenotypically neutral in affect (that no or insignificant selective pressure operates upon heritable variation), and that the major mechanisms of heritable change in populations are genetic drift and gene flow. Propounded most forcefully by Kimura. [den., science]

:Non sequitur:

(np) 1. A response which does not address the main issue in contention. An artful use of non sequitur allows one to divert attention from a disastrous train of discussion at the modest expense of one's intellectual integrity. From the Latin, "It does not follow." 2. Improper inference based on premises necessary, but not sufficient, for justification of the conclusion claimed. The conclusion is asserted to follow without the specification of the complete line of logic needed to establish the implication. See {fallacy}.

:? Old-Earth:

(adj) 1. Referring to {creationist} varieties in which the universe and Earth are acknowledged to be old (as indicated by science) but certain features -- particularly mankind -- are considered recently created.

:Omission:

(n) 1. A portion of text which appears in an original source but is left out of a quotation. All omissions must be indicated by {ellipses} in order to avoid turning a {quotation} into a {misquotation}.

:Ontogeny:

* (n) 1. The process of the development and growth of an individual from zygote to adult. [den., science] 2. One third of Ernst Haeckel's famous, but flawed, dictum that "Ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny".

:Ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny:

(s) 1. The principle that each phase of the {ontogeny} of an individual directly represents the adult phase of some ancestor species in the {phylogeny} of the species to which the indivdual belongs. The turn of phrase is attributed to Ernst Haeckel, while the "biogenetic law" upon which it was based can be traced back to von Baer. This principle is recognized to be inaccurate in several respects, and its use is generally deprecated. [den., science]

:Paluxy River:

* (np) [ FAQ ] 1. The site near Glen Rose, Texas, of the "Paluxy River Mantracks", or "Creationist (sic) Piltdown". {SciCre}-ists from the {CSRC} and {ICR}, among others, long contended that certain trackways in the Paluxy River riverbed contained coeval man and dinosaur tracks. Upon close inspection, the putative human tracks were found to belong to a bipedal three-toed dinosaur. Amazingly enough, the {ICR} organ (not at all {vestigial(1)}) "Acts and Facts" announced that the Paluxy River trackways should no longer be considered evidence for {SciCre}. Various {ICR} fellow-travelers have been slow on the uptake, though, and one occasionally finds a "newbie" who posts the {irrefutable truth} about Paluxy River.

:Pedant points:

(np) Any attempts to define them are hopeless, since those who are interested in them will find faults in any definition.

:Peking man:

(n) 1. A hominid fossil (now generally agreed to be _Homo erectus_) discovered in China before World War II. The original bones were lost during the Japanese invasion of China, although castings survive. 2. An example of the sinister {evilutionist} plot to conceal the truth about man's origins by destroying physical evidence [conn, {SciCre}].

:Phenotype:

(n) 1. The set of measurable or detectable physical or behavioral features of an individual. The phenotype represents the expression of the {genotype} of the individual as modified by environmental conditions during the individual's {ontogeny}. [den., science]

:Phylogeny:

* (n) 1. The history of descent of a species. [den., science] 2. One third of Ernst Haeckel's famous, but flawed, dictum that "Ontogeny recpitulates Phylogeny".

:Piltdown Man:

(np) 1. Hoaxed fossil finds of 1912 and 1915 which combined jawbone of orangutan with a modern human skull, labeled Eoanthropus dawsonii. The hoaxed fossils were widely regarded as anomalous during the time when they were considered valid; the hoax was discovered by scientists in 1953. {Gould} hypothesized that {Teilhard de Chardin} was the person who may have done the filing and staining of the fossils in the hoax.

:? Piltdown man:

(n) 1. A hoax in which a skull with both human and ape-like features (actually, a chimera assembled from a modern human cranium and an ape's jaw) was "discovered" in an English quarry. Despite initial enthusiasm about the find (particularly among British paleontologists -- "As we always thought, mankind originated in Britain", rule Britannia et cetera), further examination exposed the hoax, and the Piltdown man now serves as a fine example of science's self-correcting properties. 2. A hoax which shows how {evilutionists} have fabricated all their so-called "evidence" about man's origins [conn, {SciCre}].

:Po-haloes:

contraction, see "Polonium haloes"

:Politeness through sarcastic aggression:

(np) The means by which young whippersnappers are made to see the error of their rude ways. See also {Kalki Syndrome}, {hypocrisy}.

:Polonium haloes:

* (np) [ FAQ ] 1. Radiation induced pleochroic haloes in mica. [den., science] 2. Phenomenon of (1) asserted to be contradictory to common assumptions of crust formation and radioisotope dating methods. [conn., {SciCre}, due to Robert Gentry]

:Population:

(n) 1. In ecology, a group of interbreeding or potentially interbreeding organisms. 2. In studies involving speciation, a {clade}.

:? Progressive creationism:

(n) 1. An {old-Earth} {creationist} variety which holds that the geologic history of Earth is as represented in the fossil record, but God intervened to create each species at the appropriate time in history. A legitimate theory, but falsified by modern observations of speciation events.

:Proof:

(n) 1. Alcohol content rating, equal to twice the percentage content. Properly used as one criterion for beer selection. 2. Assurance of truth of a proposition, available in certain logic systems, but not available in matters of scientific inquiry. 3. Level of evidence required of an {EMT} before a {TAE} will accept it. Obviously, no {TAE} need fear accepting an {EMT}, since {EMT}s are scientific in nature.

:Punctuated equilibria:

(np) 1. Hypothesis forwarded by Niles Eldredge and Stephen Jay Gould that states that most species are characterized by long periods of stasis "punctuated" by occasional and brief productions of daughter species. This represents a modification of Darwinian evolution by stating that the rate of evolution can change, mainly depending upon population size and selection pressure. A prediction of PE is that transitional sequences showing speciation events should be rare in the fossil record, and when found, should show that speciation occurs mostly in small, isolated populations which subsequently spread rapidly. [den., science] 2. A cynical {theory(2)} which admits that no transitional fossils exist, and confirms exactly what {SciCre}-ists have been saying all along. [conn., {SciCre}]

:Quick Frozen Mammoths:

(np) [ FAQ ] 1. A myth originating from the discovery of mammoth cadavers mummified by ice/snow/cold. 2. Flash-frozen beasties (verified by {Bird's Eye Frozen Foods Division}), that prove that Earth orbited Saturn, or that Venus whipped by, or something. [conn., Ted Holden]

:Quotation:

(n) 1. Text which a writer uses which was written by someone else. Quotations should appear within quotation marks ("") or be set off from surrounding text unambiguously. The original author and source should be indicated, preferably in the form of a {reference(1)}. The material may be edited _slightly_, provided all conventions for such alterations are followed (cf. {brackets}, {context}, {ellipses}, {omission}). 2. {Misquotation(1)}, provided it supports your position. ;-)

:Recombination:

(n) 1. Any process that generates a haploid product whose genotype differs from the genotypes that constituted the source of genetic information in the product. (after Strickberger.) There are several types of recombination, including {crossover}, which recombines alleles from homologous chromosomes.

:Reference:

(n) 1. Information about the source of a quotation (or other data) which can be used to locate the original. See any style book for the information which must be included in a reference. 2. Biblical book, chapter, and verse which supports a statement and therefore shows it to be true. [conn, {SciCre}, {TAE}]. 3. Vague phrases such as "A guard at the Smithsonian told me..." or "Before there were animal-rights laws this guy used to drive around the country with an ape and..." which when preceding some information shows it to be true. [conn, Ted Holden]. 4. A polite way of saying, "I think you're lying", as in the phrase "References, please?", or more pointedly, as, "Do you have a reference for that?" 5. An item wanted but never found. "I'll find it after [ the end of the term | this project is finished | I complete this 64 disk Tower of Hanoi puzzle ]." [conn., {SciCre}, {TAE}]

:ROPFP:

acronym, "Read Other People's (fine?) Posts". Sometimes seen when particularly vacuous or clueless responses to rebuttals are given.

:RTFF:

acronym, "Read the (fine?) FAQs". Many newcomers to the discussion apparently have the idea that their thoughts and arguments are so new and solid that it is inconceivable that either the argument has been seen before and refuted or that any effective or arguable rebuttal could be forthcoming. A common response to the perceived arrogance of the newcomer is a mass of replies telling him to RTFF. See {Flood, The(2)}.

:Salem Hypothesis:

np. Conjecture that an education in the engineering disciplines forms a predisposition to {SciCre} viewpoints. Due to longtime t.o. regular {Bruce Salem}. New SciCre or {TAE} posters whose credentials include EE, CSE, ME, or other brands of engineering are noted as "data points for the Salem Hypothesis". (My own personal experience indicates that of engineering disciplines, EE's are most often encountered in SciCre-ist postings. I don't believe that I have ever seen a chemical engineering SciCre-ist, on the other hand.)

:SciCre:

contraction, see "Scientific Creationism". [neologism circa 1986, due to Wesley Elsberry]

:Scientific Creationism:

(np) 1. The belief that scientific evidence supports the literal factuality of the first eleven or so chapters of the book of Genesis in the bible, in contradiction to {EMT}s. [den., {SciCre}] This is derived from early sources of the term; later ones try to dissociate {SciCre} from "biblical creationism" by the expedient course of not actually mentioning the Bible when discussing {SciCre}. {SciCre}-ists are distinguished by two features from the {TAE}s: {SciCre} is associated only with literal inerrantist interpretations of Genesis, and {SciCre}-ists take a pro-active stance on pushing their conjectures into secondary school science classrooms as science alongside or in replacement of {EMT}s. {SciCre} came about because of a rift in the American Scientific Affiliation, an organization of religious scientists. Several ASA members became disillusioned with the ASA because the predominant Deist sentiments of the membership, and they then went about setting up several offshoot organizations (the {CSRC}, the {ICR}, etc.). See {literally(3)}.

:? Scientific cretinism:

(n) 1. Scientific creationism presented by a particularly dense proponent; particularly one who presents nothing but prepared materials (e.g., {ICR} pamphlets) and is to all appearances unable to produce an original thought.

:Scientific storkism:

(n) 1. The theory that human babies are delivered by the stork. It must be true, it's what my parents told me. The theory may be invoked as a counter to {argument from authority}. There is a humorous post which develops this idea fully.

:Second Law of Thermodynamics:

(np) [FAQ] 1.

S(t+1) >= S(t)
S(t) = k*ln(w)
where S is entropy, t is time, ln is the natural log operator, k is Boltzmann's constant (1.38E-23 J/K), and w is the number of quantum states in the isolated system. An isolated system is one in which neither energy nor matter is exchanged with another system. The system should be in thermal equilibrium, also, for entropy to remain nondecreasing. This is the statistical formulation. [den., science] 2. Disorder increases over time. [conn., {SciCre}] It is common to see this vague misstatement of the 2nd law coupled with a statement of an erroneous prediction attributed to {EMT}'s of increasing order over time.

:Selfish gene:

(n) 1. A theory proposed by Richard Dawkins that states that the unit of selection is the gene, not the organism. The theory's rejection of the role of the organism in the selection process is currently viewed as incorrect. 2. A catchphrase which, like "survival of the fittest", can be distor -- er, _employed_ to show that {evilutionists} are immoral [conn, {SciCre}].

:Sex:

(n) 1. {Sexual reproduction}. 2. The activities that organisms engage in for the purpose of sexual reproduction. 3. Judging by the number of divine laws relating to it, an obsession of certain deities.

:Sexual reproduction:

(n) 1. A method of reproduction in which the genetic material of the new organism(s) is obtained by combining that of two or more existing organisms. See {asexual reproduction}, {gametes}.

:Shooting oneself in the foot:

(np) 1. A {fallacy} in which the argument used, rather than supporting one's point, refutes it. Example: "If the population of humans increased by only a small percentage per year in the last 100,000 years, the population of humans would be far larger than it is today. Therefore, evolution is wrong." That the number of individuals in a population has a tendency to increase geometrically if there were not the limits placed by competition for resources and carrying capacity was one of the most famous arguments used by Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace in advancing the {theory(1)} of {natural selection(1)}, following the ideas of Thomas Malthus. It is easiest to shoot oneself in the foot with numerical arguments, since many statistically astute people lurk about on t.o./Evolution Echo with nothing better to do than to run your numbers through their SAS/SSPS/Systat/etc. systems just for fun.

:Special creation:

(np) 1. Doctrine that immutable species were created over the range of geologic time. This was an attempt to mesh a non-literal interpretation of Genesis with the evidence of the fossil record. [den.] 2. The events of the {creation} week as given in the first two chapters of Genesis. [conn., {SciCre}]

:Speciation:

[ FAQ ] (n) 1. The production of new species from ancestral populations. 2. The process of production of a new species from a parent population, via {anagenesis} or {cladogenesis}.

:Species:

* [ FAQ ] (n) 1. Highly controversial term given a variety of definitions by biologists. Currently, the Biological Species Concept (BSC) is widely popular: Groups of actually or potentially interbreeding populations, which are reproductively isolated from other such groups (Mayr, 1963, Animal Species and Evolution). Unfortunately, a criticism leveled at the BSC is its inapplicability to the normal mode of taxonomic research. 2. The group beyond which {microevolution(2)} cannot be shown to operate. [conn., {SciCre}, {TAE}]

:Strawman Argument:

(np) 1. Stating a misrepresented version of an opponent's argument for the purpose of having an easier target to knock down. A common, but deprecated, mode of argument. See {fallacy}.

:TAE:

acronym, see "Theistic Anti-Evolutionist"

:Taoistic Creationism:

(np) 1. The religious belief that the Universe was designed and/or created without either a Designer and/or a Creator. [Originally posted by Rob "More Reserved than C-Frog" Derrick.]

:Tautology:

(n) See {truism}.

:Theistic Anti-Evolutionist:

(np) 1. Any person who expresses opposition to {EMT}s when motivated by religious doctrine, as contrasted with those who propose alternative hypotheses and theories within the framework of the scientific method. The {TAE} tends to confuse {evolution} and {EMT}s, which typically results in the {TAE} making specific criticisms of a particular {EMT} while asserting that all {EMT}s are affected. [den., Rob "More Reserved than C-Frog" Derrick (confirm?)].

:Theistic Evolutionist:

(np) 1. A person who attempts to reconcile the physical evidence of origins with a scriptural or other theological belief framework, giving equal credence to the aspects of science and theology.

:Theory:

(n) 1. A statement which proposes a natural mechanism for a phenomenon, where the mechanism is amenable to test, provides explanatory and predictive power, is conditionally held on review of further observations and experiment, and has accumulated supporting observations and experimental results. [den., science] 2. Just a guess. [conn., {SciCre}] 3. A helpful conceptual fiction (like the atomic model is for physicists) [conn., {Bill Conner}]

:Theory of Abrupt Appearance:

(n) 1. A {theory(2)} that gaps in the fossil record are simply gaps, and will not be filled by further paleontological research. At least, so hope the {SciCre}-ists and {TAE}s headed by Wendell Bird.

:Theory of Creation(ism):

* (np) 1. A much talked about, but never seen, {theory(1)} which places {creationism} into the realm of scientific inquiry. Dr Pepper is noted for requesting a statement of the {TOC} from {SciCre}-ists and {TAE}s. 2. "[God | Ea | Krishna | Ymir | {IPU} | etc.] did it." This, unfortunately, fails to meet several of the criteria for a {theory(1)}, although it handily meets the laxer criteria of a {theory(2)}. Also unfortunately, {TOC(2)} is so far the closest approach to {TOC(1)} that has been observed. (Please send more names to include in the quoted section of {TOC(2)}.) 4. Any legitimate scientific theory with the key phrase run through a search and replace function where the new phrase becomes "creation". [conn., {Joe Morlan}]

:Tierra:

[ FAQ ] (n) 1. Artificial life simulation of {Tom Ray}'s which demonstrates the utility of natural selection in computer implementations for finding novel approaches to difficult problems. This is prima facie evidence that {A.E. Wilder-Smith} was premature in declaring "simulations of natural selection 'jam' the best computers".

:TOC:

acronym, see "Theory of Creation(ism)".

:t.o. home game:

(np) [FAQ] 1. {Chris Colby}'s statement of point assignments to be credited or debited to persons on the observation of certain events in threads on talk.origins. Chris has lately come out with an addition to the point assignment rules to make it easier for {SciCre}-ists and {TAE}s to participate in the fun.

:t.o. Regulars, The (aka The t.o. Irregulars):

(np) 1. A plucky band of derring-do-gooders, who have dedicated their free time to stamp out the idiocy that is {SciCre}. 2. A plucky band of Atheistic-Communist puppets set upon destroying all that is holy in the world. [conn., {SciCre}] 3. A tree full of Howler Monkeys. [conn., Ted Holden]

:True Science:

(np) 1. Science operated with respect for the inconsistent skepticism of {SciCre}-ists and {TAE}s. In other words, not science, but {dogma}.

:Truism:

(n) See {tautology}.

:Tunicate:

(n) 1. The sea squirt, an urochordate. In its larval stage, it has a notochord and rudimentary brain. At metamorphosis, it attaches itself to a fixed location and the notochord and brain wither away. The adult is just a breathing bag covered in mucus. 2. (spelled Tun-icate) A poster who is strong proof of the close evolutionary relationship of vertebrates with the urochordates.

:U. of E.:

(np) Contraction for {University of Ediacara}.

:Uniformitarian:

(adj) 1. Assumption that processes acting in the past are the same as those acting in the present. [den., science] 2. Assumption that processes acting in the past are the same as those acting in the present with the same rates. [conn., {TAE}, Ted Holden] 3. The position of Sir Charles Lyell, as opposed to Georges Baron de Cuvier's Catastrophism, in last century's quarrel among geologists. Lyell won.

:Uniformitarian BS:

(np) 1. Acceptance of {uniformitarian(2)}. [den., Ted Holden] 2. Descriptor used by Ted Holden of any post that disagrees with him, regardless of the nature of assumptions used. [conn., {t.o. Regulars}]

:University of Ediacara:

(np) 1. Talk.origins "virtual university", a running in-joke which places t.o. regulars in various unlikely faculty positions. The name derives from a set of hills in Australia, where a spectacular find of pre-Cambrian multicellular fossils was discovered in the mid-1960's. The {U. of E.} motto is "Knowledge, Wisdom, Beer". The Dean is {Chris Colby}, the registrars are {Stephen "Chris" Watson} and {Seanna "Chris" Watson}. The quoted "Chris" in names derives from the seeming omnipresence of definitive posts from the "big three", {Chris Colby}, {Chris Stassen}, and {Chris Nedin} at the time that the {U. of E.} was created; "Chris" is added to most faculty names in deference to a Monty Python skit. Many references to fossil forms, strangely enough, are to fauna of the Burgess Shale rather than to the Ediacaran Fauna. Campus is located near Darwin volcano on the Galapagos Islands and boasts a luxury yacht/research vessel, several aquatic lab facilities and a social science group-interaction lab, the Panda's Thumb. Faculty and studentship enquiries to (11/1994: faculty@ediacara.org).

:Varve:

* (n) [ FAQ ] 1. A seasonal deposition of sediments in certain lakes. [den., science] 2. Item of evidence misinterpreted due to {{uniformitarian} BS} assumptions. [conn., Ted Holden]

:Vestigial:

(adj) [ FAQ ] 1. A non-functional anatomical component retained merely as a matter of contingent history. [den., science] Example: "{SciCre} is evidence that the human brain is the next vestigial organ." 2. A component whose function is beyond current human comprehension. [conn., {TAE}] Example: "The human appendix, considered to be vestigial, actually performs a function which God has not deigned to allow us to discover."

:Vogon Poetry:

(np) 1. Poetry composed by Vogons, as in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series by {Douglas Adams}. "On no account allow a Vogon to read poetry at you." Vogon poetry is the third worst poetry in the galaxy. Certain humans take bottom honors.

:Watchmaker Analogy:

(n) A cunning argument saying that living beings can't generate without a creator because they are like watches, and watches can't.

:Ybloc Sirhc:

(np) 1. Appellation of the Demonic Overlord who is the dreaded earthly coordinator of the {evilutionist} conspiracy. The suggestion that Ybloc Sirhc is the secret identity of a connoisseur of fine beers and ales is supported by numerous independent lines of evidence (including the facts that Boston is home to both the Red Sox -- an obvious allusion to Satanic footwear -- and the Celtics -- an ancient pagan religious group). [den., Matt Brinkman]

:Young-Earth:

(adj) 1. Referring to {creationist} varieties which hold that the universe and Earth, as well as life, are of recent creation.

:References:

Futuyma, Douglas J. 1979. Evolutionary Biology. Sinauer Associates.

Suzuki, Griffiths, Miller and Lewontin. 1989. An Introduction to Genetic Analysis, 4th Edition.

:Contributors:

Contributor list (thanks, y'all!) :

  Brinkman, Matt
  Colby, Chris
  Cox, Ken
  Fargher, Rob
  Hamilton, Bill
  Harter, Richard
  Isaak, Mark
  Jefferys, William H.
  Kettenring, Thomas
  Lippard, James
  Morlan, Joe
  Otto, Jeff
  Peters, Andy
  Rowe, Mickey
  Scharle, Tom
  Scott, Alan
  Stassen, Chris
  Vickers, Brett J.
  Vonroeschlaub, W. Kurt
  Watson, Bradley S.
  Watson, Stephen
  Wiener, Matthew P.

:Software:

%{
#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>
%}

%%


[ ]*":".*":"          { return 1; }
\n                  { return 2; }
.                   { return 3; }
%%
/*
  This program must be run through flex or lex, then the resulting   lex.yy.c
or lexyy.c file must be compiled using cc or gcc.   Name the resulting
executable 'jargonx'.
*/


/* string to uppercase */
void strup(char *s) {
  short int ii;

  for (ii = 0; ii < strlen(s) ; ii++) {
      if (islower(s[ii]))
s[ii] = toupper(s[ii]);
    } /* for each character */
} /* strup() */

/* Comment this function out if you use flex */
yywrap() { return 1; }

int main(int argc, char **argv) {
  int token, pass;
  char keystr[256], tmpstr[256];

  if (2 > argc) {
      fprintf(stderr,"Usage: jargonx word < jargon_file\n");       return(1);
    } /* if too few arguments */

  strup(argv[1]);
  sprintf(keystr,"%s",argv[1]);
  pass = 0;

  /* Over the entire input... */
  while (0 != (token = yylex())) {
      /* Process vocabulary words looking for a match */
      if (1 == token) {
        /* Matching is not case sensitive */
        strcpy(tmpstr,yytext);
        strup(tmpstr);
        /* Match testing: if keyword is in vocabulary string, match */   
        if (NULL != strstr(tmpstr,keystr)) {
          /* Turn on the output */
          pass = 1;
        } /* if a match */
        else {
          /* Turn off the output */
          pass = 0;
        } /* else no match */
      } /* if a start token */

      /* Check to see if output is on */
      if (pass) fprintf(stdout,yytext);
  } /* while */
  return(0);
} /* main */

:Queued:

List of suggested new entries, feel free to submit denotations and connotations for these :

Intellectual honesty
Rassenkreis
Transformed cladist

:Resources:

Matt Brinkman maintains a list of FAQs for talk.origins. Contact him at (04/1993: brinkman@edseq1.llnl.gov).

Andy Peters maintains the talk.origins Welcome FAQ. Contact him at (04/1993: adpeters@sunflower.bio.indiana.edu).

The talk.origins FAQ archive is a must-see site.

I have a web site devoted to aspects of the evolution vs. SciCre discussion.
============================================================================

:Perpetrator:

Contributions, corrections, etc. can be sent to :

Wesley R. Elsberry, welsberr@inia.cls.org

"A work of art is never finished, only abandoned." -- (name that source)