Iowa professor caught in the Evolution debate

From The Des Moines Register...

Why would the world care about a little-known astronomy professor at a public university in Iowa? It's because of the 2004 book he co-authored with theologian Jay W. Richards called "The Privileged Planet."...

Now a researcher at the University of Washington, Gonzalez had been reading about circumstellar habitable zones, the circular swath surrounding stars where complex life is possible.

People have observed for centuries that the moon and sun often appear the same size in the sky. How is the ability to view eclipses connected to the ability to support life?

"It occurred to me - the best place in the solar system to view a solar eclipse is also the best place in the solar system to support complex life," Gonzalez says. "Is that just a coincidence?"

The article also tells of the harassment the professor has received from so-called intellectuals who seem to think rational, scientific thought begins with screaming nasty names at those who disagree with you.

Posted by Danny Carlton at September 1, 2005 07:27 AM