The Panda's Thumb (blog)

The Panda's Thumb is a weblog on the creation-evolution controversy from a mainstream scientific perspective. "Nature" lists it as one of the top five science blogs. [cite news | url = http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v442/n7098/full/442009a.html | title=Top five science blogs|publisher=Nature | date=2006 | first= | last= | accessdate = 2006-12-14] It is written by multiple contributors, including Wesley R. Elsberry, Paul R. Gross, Mark Perakh, Nick Matzke and PZ Myers. The blog takes its name from the The Panda's Thumb, the pub of the virtual University of Ediacara, which in turn is named for by Stephen Jay Gould, which in turn takes its title from title essay "The Panda's Peculiar Thumb" [ [http://www.stephenjaygould.org/library/gould_panda's-thumb.html The Panda's Peculiar Thumb] ] , which in turn is a reference to the Panda's sesamoid bone which is an example of convergent evolution.

Early in the blog's operation, it was involved in controversy regarding a book by Francis Beckwith. This book defends the teaching of Intelligent Design in schools. Lawrence VanDyke published a note in the Harvard Law Review, praising the book. Brian Leiter wrote a scathing criticism of this note on his blog. A response to Leiter's blog post appeared in the National Review Online, criticizing Leiter and reaffirming support for Beckwith's book. This response was written by Hunter Baker, who was identified as a "freelance writer in Texas". Baker is also a graduate student and teaching assistant for Francis Beckwith, the author of the book in question; Leiter pointed this out on his blog. [ [http://web.archive.org/web/20070608062721/http://webapp.utexas.edu/blogs/archives/bleiter/000952.html A Case Study in How the Right-Wing Slime-and-Smear Machine Works] Brian Leiter. The Leiter Reports, March 17 2004.] .

Kevin Drum, of the Washington Monthly, reported on these events. [http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2004_03/003541.php Political Animal, Intelligent Design] Kevin Drum. Washington Monthly, March 24 2004.] He described the Panda's Thumb blog as having been started because of this controversy, although contributors to the blog have stated that this is incorrect. [cite web |url=http://www.pandasthumb.org/archives/2004/03/the-calpundit-w.html |title=The Calpundit Weighs in on Leiter vs VanDyke and Plugs This Site |accessdate=2007-11-23 |author=Ed Brayton|date=March 24, 2004|publisher=The Panda's Thumb]

Many of these authors also have complementary weblogs at Scienceblogs.

References

External links

* [http://www.pandasthumb.org/ The Panda's Thumb]