Michael Egnor
Encyclopedia
Michael Egnor is a neurosurgeon and intelligent design
supporter. He has been a professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Stony Brook University since 1991. He completed medical school at Columbia University
and has published twenty-nine articles.
after reading Michael Denton
's book Evolution: A Theory in Crisis
and said "claims of evolutionary biologists go wildly beyond the evidence." Biologist Jerry Coyne
responded to Egnor's article noting that Egnor is no biologist, or even a scientist, but Egnor accepted widely discredited claims in said book (claims recanted by Denton himself in a later book) and "Egnor is decades out of date and shows no sign of knowing anything at all about evolutionary biology in the 21st century." Egnor is a signatory to the Discovery Institute intelligent design campaign
A Scientific Dissent From Darwinism
and Physicians and Surgeons who Dissent from Darwinism. In 2007 he joined the Discovery Institute
's Evolution News & Views
blog.
In March 2007, when the Alliance for Science sponsored an essay contest for high school students on the topic "Why I would want my doctor to have studied evolution," Egnor responded by posting an essay on the Discovery Institute
's intelligent design blog claiming that evolution was irrelevant to medicine. In a column written for Forbes, Egnor identified himself as a Catholic. Dr. Burt Humburg criticized him on the blog Panda's Thumb pointing out the benefits of evolution to medicine. Members of the website ScienceBlogs
,such as PZ Myers, John Lynch, Joan Bushwell, ERV,Tyler DiPietro, and Afarensis, also criticized him.
Egnor appeared in Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed
. In the film, Ben Stein
describes this as "Darwinists were quick to try and exterminate this new threat," and Egnor says he was shocked by the "viciousness" and "baseness" of the response.
Intelligent design
Intelligent design is the proposition that "certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection." It is a form of creationism and a contemporary adaptation of the traditional teleological argument for...
supporter. He has been a professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Stony Brook University since 1991. He completed medical school at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
and has published twenty-nine articles.
Intelligent design
Egnor rejected evolutionary theoryEvolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
after reading Michael Denton
Michael Denton
Michael John Denton is a British-Australian author and biochemist. In 1973, Denton received his PhD in Biochemistry from King's College London.-Biography:...
's book Evolution: A Theory in Crisis
Evolution: A Theory in Crisis
Evolution: A Theory in Crisis is a 1985 book by Michael Denton in which he claims that the scientific theory of evolution by natural selection is a "theory in crisis"...
and said "claims of evolutionary biologists go wildly beyond the evidence." Biologist Jerry Coyne
Jerry Coyne
-Online articles:* , The New Republic* , The New Republic* , The New Republic* ", The New Republic * -Online articles:* , The New Republic* , The New Republic* , The New Republic* ", The New Republic (Review of Michael Behe's The Edge of Evolution)* -Online articles:* , The New Republic* , The...
responded to Egnor's article noting that Egnor is no biologist, or even a scientist, but Egnor accepted widely discredited claims in said book (claims recanted by Denton himself in a later book) and "Egnor is decades out of date and shows no sign of knowing anything at all about evolutionary biology in the 21st century." Egnor is a signatory to the Discovery Institute intelligent design campaign
Discovery Institute intelligent design campaigns
Discovery Institute intelligent design campaigns are a series of related public relations campaigns conducted by the Discovery Institute which seek to promote intelligent design while attempting to discredit evolutionary biology, which the Institute terms "Darwinism." The Discovery Institute is the...
A Scientific Dissent From Darwinism
A Scientific Dissent From Darwinism
A Scientific Dissent from Darwinism is a statement issued in 2001 by the Discovery Institute, a conservative non-profit public policy think tank based in Seattle, Washington, USA, best known for its advocacy of intelligent design.The statement expresses skepticism about the ability of random...
and Physicians and Surgeons who Dissent from Darwinism. In 2007 he joined the Discovery Institute
Discovery Institute
The Discovery Institute is a non-profit public policy think tank based in Seattle, Washington, best known for its advocacy of intelligent design...
's Evolution News & Views
Center for Science and Culture
The Center for Science and Culture , formerly known as the Center for the Renewal of Science and Culture , is part of the Discovery Institute, a conservative Christian think tank in the United States...
blog.
In March 2007, when the Alliance for Science sponsored an essay contest for high school students on the topic "Why I would want my doctor to have studied evolution," Egnor responded by posting an essay on the Discovery Institute
Discovery Institute
The Discovery Institute is a non-profit public policy think tank based in Seattle, Washington, best known for its advocacy of intelligent design...
's intelligent design blog claiming that evolution was irrelevant to medicine. In a column written for Forbes, Egnor identified himself as a Catholic. Dr. Burt Humburg criticized him on the blog Panda's Thumb pointing out the benefits of evolution to medicine. Members of the website ScienceBlogs
ScienceBlogs
ScienceBlogs is an invitation-only blog network and virtual community. It was created by Seed Media Group in 2006 to enhance the public understanding of science. , ScienceBlogs hosted 75 blogs dedicated to various fields of research. Each blog has its own theme, specialty, and author and is not...
,such as PZ Myers, John Lynch, Joan Bushwell, ERV,Tyler DiPietro, and Afarensis, also criticized him.
Egnor appeared in Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed
Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed
Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed is a 2008 documentary film, directed by Nathan Frankowski and hosted by Ben Stein. The film contends that the mainstream science establishment suppresses academics who believe they see evidence of intelligent design in nature and who criticize evidence supporting...
. In the film, Ben Stein
Ben Stein
Benjamin Jeremy "Ben" Stein is an American actor, writer, lawyer, and commentator on political and economic issues. He attained early success as a speechwriter for American presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford...
describes this as "Darwinists were quick to try and exterminate this new threat," and Egnor says he was shocked by the "viciousness" and "baseness" of the response.
Medical Work
One of his more prominent cases involved a young boy whose head was crushed by his father’s SUV. Egnor successfully completed the complicated surgery through relatively new, innovative techniques. The ordeal has been documented through several news venues, including Newsday and Good Morning America. The case was also published in New York Magazine in 2005 under the “Best Doctors” section.External links
- Michael Egnor at Stony Brook University