Robert T. Pennock

Robert T. Pennock is a philosopher now working on the Avida digital organism project at Michigan State University where he is an associate professor. Pennock received his Ph.D. in the history and philosophy of science from the University of Pittsburgh. In 1997, he co-directed a National Science Foundation Chautauqua Workshop on the "Ethical Implications of the Human Genome Project." Pennock has served as president of the University of Texas at Austin Chapter of Sigma Xi [Waybackdate|site=http://www.utexas.edu/research/sigmaxi|date=20020609182933|title=The University of Texas at Austin Chapter of Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society] and is a member of the American Philosophical Association, the National Center for Science Education and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

He has written many books and articles critical of intelligent design, using the term "methodological naturalism" to emphasise that the scientific method inherently explains observable events in nature only by natural causes, without assuming the existence or non-existence of the supernatural, and is not based on dogmatic metaphysical naturalism as claimed by creationists. His testimony as an expert witness [http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/dover/day3am2.html] at the Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District was by Judge John E. Jones III as evidence that "Methodological naturalism is a “ground rule” of science today which requires scientists to seek explanations in the world around us based upon what we can observe, test, replicate, and verify" contributing to the conclusion "that ID is an interesting theological argument, but that it is not science".

In 2006 he was elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. [ [http://www.newsroom.msu.edu/site/indexer/2919/content.htm Michigan State University Newsroom - ‘U’ professors take seats among the 2006 American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellows ] ]

Books

*"Tower of Babel: The Evidence Against the New Creationism" ISBN 0-262-16180-X, ISBN 0-262-66165-9
*"Intelligent Design Creationism and Its Critics: Philosophical, Theological, and Scientific Perspectives" (editor) ISBN 0-262-16204-0, ISBN 0-262-66124-1

References

External links

* [http://www.msu.edu/~pennock5 Robert T. Pennock - Home Page at MSU]
* [http://www.complete-review.com/reviews/pennockr/idcandcs.htm Intelligent Design Creationism and Its Critics edited by Robert Pennock]
* [http://www.freethoughtassociation.org/minutes/2005/May25-2005.htm Built on Sand: The Collapsing Creationist Tower] , Lecture by Robert Pennock to the Freethought Association
* [http://www.msu.edu/~pennock5/research/papers/Pennock_SupNatExpl.html Supernaturalist Explanations and the Prospects for a Theistic Science or "How do you know it was the lettuce?"] Paper for "Naturalism, Theism and the Scientific Enterprise" Conference, March 1997, The University of Texas at Austin.