This past Tuesday, I attended a talk by Casey Luskin of the Discovery Institute at the University Club of Chicago. Attending this talk with me was Jamie Bernstein (her post on the event is located over at the Friendly Atheist blog) – we were both very curious to see what Luskin had to say on the topic of intelligent design (ID), which is essentially another form of creationism.
The event was a casual luncheon, and I must profess that the people gathered there were quite pleasant. After Jamie & I seated ourselves and started our meals, the group (which numbered approximately 30 in total) held an invocation (appropriate, considering as how the St. James Fellowship and Salvo Magazine – both Christian organizations – sponsored the event). It was at this time that Jamie & I felt a wee bit self-conscious, because we had started our meals before the prayer while everyone else was waiting – oops. But no one made a big deal out of it, for which I was thankful.
After awhile the talk got underway. I did my best to transcribe the talk on my computer, and I will include the notes I took below – all of my specific after-the-fact commentary will be in bolded italics…
Me and Casey Luskin (right) after his talk – though we butted heads (more on that below) during his presentation, we agreed that it wasn’t necessary to get out the boxing gloves 🙂
Intelligent Design: Dead Science or Future of Biology?
talk by Casey Luskin (M.S., J.D., ESQ) of the Discovery Institute’s Center for Science & Culture
at the Fellowship of St. James, University Club of Chicago
The Skeptical Teacher 