PZ Myers
PZ Myers | |
---|---|
Born | Paul Zachary Myers March 9, 1957 Kent, Washington, U.S. |
Education | University of Washington (BS) University of Oregon (PhD) |
Known for | Pharyngula |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Evolutionary developmental biology |
Institutions | University of Minnesota Morris |
Paul Zachary Myers (born March 9, 1957) is an American biologist who founded and writes the
In 2006 the journal
Early life
Myers was born March 9, 1957, the eldest of six children in
He claims to have been a "science geek" from an early age, gaining an interest in zoology and marine biology from studying the insides of fish while on fishing trips with his father.
Growing up, Myers attended an
Education and activism
Myers graduated from Kent-Meridian High School in 1975 and subsequently attended DePauw University in Indiana on a full scholarship.[10][13] However, he returned home the next year after his father suffered a heart attack.[10] He then graduated from the University of Washington in 1979 with Bachelor of Science in zoology. Myers drifted away from this field toward evolutionary developmental biology and obtained a PhD in biology from the University of Oregon.[14]
A self-styled "godless
He is also an outspoken supporter of sex-positive feminism.[16] Myers believes women should make their own sexual choices without outside pressure.[17]
In 2009 Myers was named the American Humanist Association's "Humanist of the Year".[18]
In April 2015, Atheist Ireland issued an official announcement, apologizing that they had given Myers public platforms to speak and that now it is "publicly dissociating itself from the hurtful and dehumanising, hateful and violent, unjust and defamatory rhetoric of the atheist blogger PZ Myers... We believe his behaviour is unjust to individuals, increases prejudice against atheists, and is harmful to the promotion of an ethical society based on empathy, fairness, justice and integrity.".[19]
In 2017, Myers, who formerly considered himself one of the "New Atheists", disassociated himself from the
Postgraduate career
Myers has taught and researched at the University of Oregon, the University of Utah, and Temple University. He is currently an associate professor of biology at the University of Minnesota's Morris campus.[1] He is a member of Minnesota Citizens for Science Education,[21] and cultivates an interest in cephalopods.[citation needed]
Blogging and writing
Myers has been active on the internet. He was involved in scientific debates on
Pharyngula
Pharyngula is Myers's personal
Myers started Pharyngula.org on June 19, 2002
Book
Myers's book, The Happy Atheist, was published by Random House in August, 2013.[27] It is largely a compilation of previous blog posts.[28] Voice for its audiobook version was provided by noted atheist and science communicator Aron Ra.[29]
Fellow blogger Greg Laden celebrates "the level of refinement of his writing" and writes that "these essays actually have a different feel to them".[30]
Eucharist incident
A controversy arose in July 2008 over a Pharyngula blog entry written by Myers expressing amazement at news reports of
In his July 8 blog entry, Myers criticized the reaction to Cook's act. Myers described the level of harassment including multiple death threats leveled against the student, and accusations against the student which included
Myers was criticized from both religious and non-religious quarters. The Catholic League accused Myers of
Subsequently, Myers explained to the Star Tribune that while his post was "satire and protest," he had received death threats regarding the incident but was not taking them too seriously.[37] In a talk show featuring Myers on Catholic Radio International, hosted by Jeff Gardner, Myers confirmed that he had been sent an unspecified number of consecrated hosts and said that he intended to "subject them to heinous cracker abuse." When asked by Gardner to explain why he must do so, Myers said that Donohue of the Catholic League was insisting that he acknowledge the Body of Christ in the Eucharist. Gardner pointed out that Donohue had no authority to insist on such acknowledgment. The show host then asked Myers which individual possessing the Magisterial authority of the Catholic Church had insisted that he recognize the Body of Christ in the Eucharist. Myers replied that no one from the Catholic Church had contacted him.[40]
On July 24, 2008, Myers, in his post, "The Great Desecration," wrote that he had pierced through the "goddamned cracker" with a rusty nail, which he also used to pierce a few ripped-out pages of the
Science activism
Interview and screening of Expelled
In April 2007 Myers was interviewed for what he was told would be a documentary titled Crossroads, purportedly about science and religion.
On March 20, 2008, Myers was
Creation Museum visit
Myers's engagement as keynote speaker at the 2009 Secular Student Alliance Conference in Columbus, Ohio,[48] developed into an August 7, 2009, trip, in which 304 attendees visited the nearby Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky.[49]
Appearances
Myers has been invited to speak about science, rationalism, or atheism at conferences, symposia, and other events.
- Secular Student Alliance Conference in Columbus, Ohio, 2009
- Glasgow Skeptics in the Pub, 2011[50]
- Melbourne, Australia, 2012
- Reason Rally, 24 March 2012
In July 2013, Freethought Blogs organized an online virtual conference called FtBCon or FtB Conscience. Google+ Hangout software was used to enable real-time discussion around the world. Participants included all the Freethought Blog bloggers as well as Jeremy Beahan,
Awards
Myers has received several awards for his activism and blogging.
- International Humanist Award (2011)[52]
- Humanist of the Year award (2009) American Humanist Association[18]
- Top-ranked blog written by a scientist (Nature science journal, 2006)[25]
See also
References
- ^ a b PZ Myers Biology Faculty Archived 2013-03-30 at the Wayback Machine from University of Minnesota Morris
- ^ "Biology Faculty". Academics at the University of Minnesota, Morris. June 19, 2015.
- ^ Oppenheimer, Mark (2010-10-16). "BELIEFS; Atheists Debate How Pushy to Be". The New York Times. p. 12. Retrieved 2010-12-19.
- PMID 16823420.
- ^ Medkeff, Jeff (2008-03-25). "PZ Myers and (153298) Paulmyers". Archived from the original on 2008-08-07. Retrieved 2008-03-25.
- ^ Myers, PZ (June 19, 2011). "My Swedish/Norwegian mother, you mean?". Twitter.
- ^ Myers, PZ (February 5, 2011). "Have I ever told you how proud I am of my Scandinavian ancestry?". Pharyngula. ScienceBlogs. Archived from the original on December 3, 2011. Retrieved July 24, 2011.
- ^ Myers, PZ (May 8, 2007). "There are no marching morons". Pharyngula. ScienceBlogs. Retrieved January 15, 2016.
- ^ Myers, PZ (June 2, 2013). "An atheist goes to church — 1stLC."
- ^ a b c d Mosedale, Mike (November 23, 2005). "The Mad Scientist, interview with PZ Myers". City Pages. 26 (1303). Archived from the original on 2008-08-02. Retrieved 2007-08-22.
- ^ Myers, PZ (2006-03-13). "Left or Right, religion and politics don't mix". Pharyngula. Archived from the original on 2007-02-12. Retrieved 2007-08-22.
- ^ "The Humanist - a magazine of critical inquiry and social concern". Archived from the original on 2012-03-25. Retrieved 2012-02-01.
- ^ "My week in the Pacific Northwest". ScienceBlogs. 2010-07-25. Archived from the original on 2010-07-27. Retrieved 2010-07-25.
Saturday at 5:00pm on I'll be attending…my 35th high school reunion with a gang of strange people I haven't seen in decades. You aren't invited unless you were also a graduate of Kent-Meridian High School, Class of 1975
- ^ "About PZ Myers
- ^ Tagline on Pharyngula: "Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal."
- ^ "The not-so-Amazing Atheist self-immolates". Freethoughblogs. 8 February 2012. Retrieved 2012-09-29.
The feminism I embrace is sex-positive. It includes heterosexual men and women, homosexual men and women, trans men and women, and every kink and twist you can imagine.
- ^ "Carrie Poppy tells all". Pharyngula. August 7, 2013.
- ^ a b "American Humanist Association: Humanist of the year". American Humanist Association. Archived from the original on 2012-07-17. Retrieved 2013-06-06.
- ^ "Atheist Ireland publicly dissociates itself from the harmful and hateful rhetoric of PZ Myers". Atheist Ireland, Executive Committee. 7 April 2015. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
- ^ "The New Atheism is dead. Long live atheism". Pharyngula. July 31, 2017.
- ^ "MnCSE Scientific Advisory Board". Minnesota Citizens for Science Education. Archived from the original on 30 March 2010.
- ^ [1], Pharyngula, Science Blogs
- ^ [2], About >> Pharyngula, Freethought Blogs
- ^ [3], Pharyngula, Freethought Blogs
- ^ PMID 16823420.
- Alexa.com. Archived from the originalon 2007-03-12. Retrieved 2006-09-03.
- ^ "Random House: The Happy Atheist by P.Z. Myers". 2012. Retrieved 2013-07-26.
- Branch, Glenn (August 8, 2013). "Godless chronicles: Glenn Branch goes for a dip in the antitheologic.". Nature. Vol 500, p 149.
- ^ "Ask an Atheist Day? Do I want to do this?". 17 September 2020.
- ^ "PZ Myers is the Happy Atheist – Greg Laden's Blog". Archived from the original on 2017-08-29. Retrieved 2017-08-29.
- ^ a b "Radio interview with "Webster Cook, student senator and non-eater of communion wafers"" (online radio). Freethought Radio. 2008-07-19. Retrieved 2008-07-28.
Tune in to hear the inside story about the young Orlando student whom Catholics have accused of committing a 'hate crime' for not eating a communion wafer!
- ^ a b "'Body Of Christ' Snatched From Church, Held Hostage By UCF Student". WFTV. 2008-07-09. Archived from the original on 2008-07-11. Retrieved 2008-07-11.
- ^ "'Body Of Christ" Returned To Church After Student Receives Email Threats". WFTV. 2008-07-09. Archived from the original on 2008-07-25. Retrieved 2008-07-25.
- ^ "Florida Student Abuses Eucharist". The Catholic League. 2008-07-07. Archived from the original on 25 August 2011. Retrieved 2008-07-25.
- ^ Getuiza, Cheryl (2008-07-09). "Student Who Took Religious Icon Getting Death Threats". My Fox Orlando. Retrieved 2009-11-18.
- ^ "IT'S A FRACKIN' CRACKER!". Pharyngula. 2008-07-08. Archived from the original on 2008-07-12. Retrieved 2008-07-11.
- ^ a b c "Communion wafer held 'hostage' raises holy heck". Minneapolis Star Tribune. July 11, 2008. Archived from the original on February 4, 2009.
- ^ a b "Minnesota Prof Pledges to Desecrate Eucharist". The Catholic League. 2008-07-10. Archived from the original on 2008-07-13. Retrieved 2008-07-11.
- ^ a b J. Foley, "Wafergate: PZ Myers Crossed the Line" Archived 2011-04-06 at the Wayback Machine, secularstudents.org, Aug. 3, 2008
- ^ "The Heart Of The Matter On Catholic Radio International|2008-07-10". We Need To Talk. Catholic Radio International. Archived from the original on 2008-07-20. Retrieved 2008-07-18.
- ^ Myers, PZ (2008-07-24). "Pharyngula: The Great Desecration". Pharyngula. ScienceBlogs. Archived from the original on 2008-07-25. Retrieved 2008-07-24.
- ^ WALSH, PAUL Morris chancellor defends instructor who defiled Eucharist, tore Qur'an Archived 2009-08-27 at the Wayback Machine Star Tribune, July 25, 2008
- ^ a b Myers, PZ (2007-08-22). "I'm gonna be a MOVIE STAR". Pharyngula (blog). Archived from the original on 2008-05-14. Retrieved 2008-05-28.
- ^ Dean, Cornelia (2007-09-27). "Scientists Feel Miscast in Film on Life's Origin". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-05-28.
- ^ Myers, PZ (2008-03-20). "Pharyngula: EXPELLED!". Archived from the original on 2008-03-22. Retrieved 2008-03-23.
There is a rich, deep kind of irony that must be shared. I'm blogging this from the Apple store in the Mall of America, because I'm too amused to want to wait until I get back to my hotel room. I went to attend a screening of the creationist propaganda movie, Expelled, a few minutes ago. Well, I tried… but I was Expelled!
- ^ Hewitt, Chris (2008-03-21). "Biology prof expelled from screening of 'Expelled' - TwinCities.com". The Pioneer Press. Retrieved 2008-03-21.
- ^ Discussion on PZ Myers being expelled from Expelled Archived 2009-01-20 at the Wayback Machine. The Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science. Retrieved March 22, 2008
- ^ "Secular Student Alliance". Retrieved 2009-08-17.
- ^ Powell, Devin (2009-08-14). "A firebrand visits Creation Museum". StarTribune.com. Minneapolis: Star Tribune. Archived from the original on 2009-08-18. Retrieved 2009-08-17.
- ^ "PZ Myers on the Pharyngula at Glasgow Skeptics". Glasgow Skeptics. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
- ^ "FtBCon 2013: Atheism with a conscience". Freethought Blogs. 2013-06-21. Retrieved 2013-07-21.
- ^ "IHEU Awards for 2011". International Humanist and Ethical Union. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
External links
Official
- Pharyngula – Official blog
Interviews/Presentations