Oolon Colluphid

Just to let everyone know, Douglas has now posted some new stuff in his <a href="http://iidb.org/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=8&t=000008" target="_blank">formal debate with scigirl</a>. Discuss.

Oolon

LiveFreeOrDie

Does Douglas have some kind of a point? If so, I can't tell what it is. All I see is a bunch of one- and two-sentence non sequiturs, assertions, and witticisms.

If this is what passes for a formal debate, you might as well go ahead and close the thread.

MrDarwin

Well, with this comment:

it sure sounds like God is punishing African Americans for the exceedingly bad fortune of their ancestors being forcibly removed from their "pre-appointed boundary" and enslaved!

Jayhawker Soule

I just read the latest post, and I completely agree.

Principia

Queeg strikes yet again.

SC

Tigermilk

Wow, yeah . The first thing I read this morning was the latest post by Douglas, and I was thinking "Wonder if we've got a thread where I can comment on the complete lack of content here?". Lo and behold, the second post to that thread summarises my thoughts perfectly!

Principia

Sorry guys,

I guess I am partially responsible for getting Douglas to his present, non-responsive state. I love how despite admitting he's not an expert either in mathematics or biology, he actually believes that he can make significant (or more significant) statements than the true experts.

SC

Oolon Colluphid

Blimey, just read it properly meself! What a waste of bandwidth!

There seems to be only one substantial point:

So stuff that moves outside this (undefined) boundary might be at a disadvantage?! You don�t say! But then again, it might not. The opening of the Suez Canal has led to a massive influx of Red Sea species into the Mediterranean (at a rate of ten new forms per year � and hardly any the other way). Many Mediterranean species are now in decline, and the native prawn is almost gone (Steve Jones 1999). Similarly, grey squirrels have driven the native red squirrels to near extinction in Britain in the 150 years since their introduction from America, and in their fifty years here American mink (Mustela vison) have caused a 30-50% fall in ground-nesting birds in Scotland and a �catastrophic� decline in water voles throughout Britain. According to a government inquiry, �Unlike in the mink's own native America, our native birds and mammals have no natural defence mechanisms to deal with this predator.� There are countless other examples of organisms introduced by man to a region where they did not exist before out-competing the local fauna and flora, such as rabbits in Australia, and the devastation on local Gal�pagos fauna wreaked by man�s introduction of pigs, goats, rats, dogs, fire ants, etc.

Thus, some creatures designed by God to fit their circumstances, when they get outside these �boundaries�, can prosper... and others, equally designed for their environment, can be pushed out, even unto extinction, by the new arrivals. So being outside your "pre-appointed boundary" might be a disadvantage... or an advantage. In other words, what sodding boundaries?

Oolon

pseudobug

Does this remind anyone of rantman as well?

Darwin's Finch

Exactly what I was thinking, pseudobug. Why, between randman's grasp of paleontology and Douglas's expertise in math and "discerning valid from invalid science," they could rule the world!