Creationists, like all other mystics, thrive on questions that science hasn’t yet decisively resolved — the origin of life, origin of the universe, etc. They claim (with no evidence whatsoever) that such things are impossible by natural means, and then they assert (again, with no evidence) that the only answer to such questions is supernatural activity — whatever version of Oogity Boogity it is that they’re peddling. This kind of “explanation” (which literally explains nothing) is known as the God of the gaps.

The Discovery Institute is typical in that respect, and after they’ve identified some still-unanswered question, they tirelessly promote it and criticize all rational attempts to provide answers. That’s what’s going on in the latest post at their creationist blog: At Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Patron Reports Errors in Displays, Gets Brushed Off. It was written by Sarah Chaffee (whom we call “Savvy Sarah”). Here are some excerpts, with bold font added by us for emphasis:

Misrepresentations of the scientific evidence on evolution are everywhere. Check out the displays at your local science museum, for example, and you can’t help tripping over them.

BWAHAHAHAHAHA! A better place would be the Discoveroids’ website. Anyway, then she says:

We received a note from a friend of ours [ i.e., a creationist ] who visited the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. In addition to exploring the new robotics exhibit with his grandchildren, Discovery Institute supporter and intelligent design enthusiast Jim Campbell decided to visit the origins-of-life section.

That must have been fun — a creationist looks at a godless museum’s Satanic exhibits. What did he find? Savvy Sarah tells us:

Two of the displays, on the formation of cells and the Miller-Urey experiment, were scientifically inaccurate.

BWAHAHAHAHAHA! So what did he do? Savvy Sarah continues:

He sent a letter to the museum, pointing this out. On the “Recipe for Life” display [big quote from the creationist’s complaining letter, including]: [Excerpt from the creationist’s complaining letter:] For an informed view on the subject of life’s origins, consider what Dr. James Tour has to say about it.

We already know what Tour says, because we wrote about his views a couple of years ago — see James Tour: Creationist Organic Chemist. He’s a proud signer of the Discovery Institute’s A Scientific Dissent From Darwinism.

Here’s another excerpt from the creationist museum visitor’s letter:

The second offensive museum display involves the Miller-Urey experiment. The experiment was certainly important and informative at the time it was conducted although there are now valid questions concerning whether the atmosphere simulated in the experiment was representative of the intended primitive atmosphere. … Again, this display is not worthy of the museum and the caption should be at least modified to more honestly represent the experiment.

The Discoveroids don’t like the Miller-Urey experiment. We’ve written about that before — see Discovery Institute: Ignore the Miller-Urey Experiment!, and also Casey and the Miller-Urey Experiment, #2.

Okay, so the creationist museum visitor wrote his complaining letter. Then what happened? Savvy Sarah says:

How did the Denver Museum of Nature & Science respond? In a September letter, they noted: [Alleged quote from the museum’s response:] I have passed your recommendations to the multi-disciplinary team … . Due to travel schedules, they are not due to meet for several weeks, but are going to review your input, and will get back to you after that discussion.

Then what? Savvy Sarah reveals:

Campbell [the creationist museum visitor] followed up after receiving the letter, and then again a few months later, but has received no response.

Gasp — no response! That’s so revealing! And now we come to the end of Savvy Sarah’s post:

It’s great to see people using their scientific knowledge to point out flaws in Darwinian dogma. But a museum brushing off a customer, when it comes to evolution, sadly doesn’t come as a big surprise.

We’re shocked — shocked! The museum ignored a creationist’s complaints. This is an outrage!

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