User:Lucybailey01/Dinosaurs by Design

Dinosaurs by Design by Duane Gish was published by Master Books in 1992 as a Creation science textbook for use in homeschooling curricula.^[1] In the book, the author provides a creationist view of dinosaurs based on Christian fundamentalism.

Master Books, a division within Creation-Life Publishers, serves as the publishing arm of the

Gish's belief in a literal interpretation of the Genesis creation narrative in the Book of Genesis of the Bible. He argues that fossils of dinosaurs cannot be dated accurately radiometric dating, as “they often give very unreliable results.”^[4] Instead of an evolutionary view of dinosaurs, Gish suggests they were created along with other animals by Godand disappeared due to changes in the climate after Noah’s flood. He writes, “We believe that all of the dinosaurs may have died out after the Flood because of the many great changes that took place on the earth as a result of that flood” ^[5]. He cites the Loch Ness Monster, the Mokele-mbembe, and the killing in 1890 of what he suggests was “the last living Quetzalcoatlus as evidence for the existence of dinosaurs today.”^[6]

Critical reactions to the book

In his review of Dinosaurs by Design, Daniel J. Phelps sharply criticizes Gish's conclusions, stating, “The sheer number of errors, half- truths, and outright deceptions in the book make it difficult to review in a limited space”.^[7] Phelps quotes many of Gish’s false and unsubstantiated claims, providing peer-reviewed evidence to the contrary.

For example, Gish explains the discovery of thirty Iguanodon skeletons in a Belgian coal mine as resulting from the "great Flood of Noah."^[8] However, "there was no catastrophic event which led to the accumulation of fossils. The mine records indicate at least four separate depositional layers. This is supported by taphonomic evidence revealed in the reconstruction of the excavation site."^[9] An armored dinosaur was found buried in ice in Antarctica ^[10]. This is false, as this fossil was actually found in sedimentary rocks known as the Santa Marta Formation.^[11] Duckbill dinosaurs (Hadrosauridae) with skin preserved were "buried so quickly that their flesh did not have time to decay before they were completely buried in mud.”^[12] In reality, the fossils show evidence that the carcasses underwent considerable decay and desiccation before burial.^[13]

The "Great Flood of Noah" is the best explanation for a mass burial of allosaurs found in Utah ^[14]). This is in contrast with the findings of Molnar and Farrow, who stated that “The orientation of the elements when uncovered suggests that they were scattered and became oriented before burial. This is consistent with the occurrence of breakage and loss of delicate structures, which suggests that scavenging took place. . . . Such invertebrates and plants as have been found indicate deposition in a shallow, quiet, freshwater body" ^[15]

Phelps concluded that Gish’s book, while inappropriate as a curriculum for children, is useful in arguing against Gish and other creationists: “ Any scientists wishing to debate Gish can use the contents of this book as a powerful weapon to force him into defending this pseudo- scientific nonsense.” ^[16]

Examining Dinosaurs by Design using Sagan’s “Baloney Detection Kit” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Demon-Haunted_World ^[17]

Carl Sagan, in his book, The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark, proposes a method for identifying pseudoscience which he calls “The Baloney Detection Kit”. Gish’s work does not hold up to these standards in the following ways:

Occam’s razor: Gish offers this explanation for the existence of carnivorous dinosaurs, who would have presumably eaten plants when they were created: “Perhaps, after sin and violence came into the world, some animals became more ferocious, and developed an appetite for meat. Having the teeth, jaws, claws and the power to do so, these animals began to kill and eat other animals.” ^[18] This is certainly not the most simple explanation. Scientific hypothesis must be falsifiable. Gish’s young-earth creationism, based on a literal interpretation of the Bible, is not easily falsifiable, as it relies on a faith based framework. Scientific claims are often accompanied by quantitative data. Gish’s book tends to be qualitative, drawing heavily on biblical narratives, but lacking in quantitative scientific evidence. Gish’s book relies heavily on the biblical account of creation and a young-earth perspective. independent confirmation from other scientific disciplines overwhelmingly supports an old-earth model in theory of evolution.

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