Giuseppe Sermonti

Giuseppe Sermonti (born 1925) is a retired Italian professor of genetics, known for his antievolutionary views.

Biography

Early life and career

Born in Rome, graduated in agriculture and genetics, he entered the Superior Institute of Health in 1950, founding a department of Microbiological Genetics. He became professor of genetics at the University of Camerino, then at the University of Palermo in 1965, and finally moved to the University of Perugia in 1970, where he is presently emeritus professor and where he manages the Genetics Institute of the University from 1974. From 1970-1971 he presided over the "Associazione Genetica Italiana". [ [http://www.ksde.org/outcomes/sceptcvsermonti.pdf#search='Giuseppe%20Sermonti' KSDE.org] ] He is the discoverer of the genetic parasexual recombination in antibiotic-producing "Penicillium" and "Streptomyces". He was vice-president of the "XIV International Congress of Genetics" held in Moscow and he was appointed as president of the "International Committee of the Working Group on Genetics of Industrial Microorganisms".

Publishing

In 1971 Sermonti published "Il Crepuscolo dello Scientismo" (in English "The Twilight of Scientism"), a post-modernist, religiously-inspired critique of science. In 1980 Sermonti published an anti-evolution book "Dopo Darwin" ("After Darwin"), co-authored with Roberto Fondi.

Since 1979, Sermonti has been Chief Editor of "Rivista di Biologia/Biology Forum", one of the oldest extant biology journals in the world (founded in 1919), which, prior to Sermonti's assumption of the role of Chief Editor was considered to be respectable journal. Since Sermonti took over, however, it has published papers by creationists such as Jerry Bergman, Richard Sternberg, Jonathan Wells, as well as articles by Morphogenetic field advocate Rupert Sheldrake and holistic scientist Mae-Wan Ho. [ [http://darwin.bc.asu.edu/blog/?p=351 Revisiting Rivista] ] History and Philosophy of Science professor John M. Lynch, says that Rivista di Biologia largely publishes only research outside the general scientific consensus. Lynch said of Rivista: "While there may be interesting ideas here, there is no indication that they represent mainstream thought in biology. And while this might be an 'internationally respected biology journal' within certain (anti-Darwinian) communities, it cannot be considered so among the majority." and "the influence of Rivista, we see that - as one would expect from the above - the journal is of negligible importance at best ... in the case of Rivista could not reasonable be called 'internationally respected'." [http://scienceblogs.com/strangerfruit/2007/02/revisiting_rivista.php Revisiting Revista] Dr. John Lynch. Stranger Fruit, June 2, 2005.] The Discovery Institute, hub of the intelligent design movement, lists Sermonti's Rivista di Biologia as having published Jonathan Wells' paper suppoting intelligent design as a "featured article" on their list of "Peer-Reviewed & Peer-Edited Scientific Publications Supporting the Theory of Intelligent Design." [ [http://www.discovery.org/scripts/viewDB/index.php?command=view&program=DI%20Main%20Page%20-%20News&id=2640 Peer-Reviewed & Peer-Edited Scientific Publications Supporting the Theory of Intelligent Design (Annotated)] by the Discovery Institute] Sermonti's own book "Why Is a Fly Not a Horse?" is published by the Discovery Institute. [ [http://www.discovery.org/scripts/viewDB/index.php?command=view&program=Book%20-%20CSC&id=3607 Why is a Fly Not a Horse?] Discovery Institute, Center for Science and Culture.]

Between 1986 and 1989 Sermonti produced three books on the hermeneutics of fairy tales, entitled "Fiabe di Tre Reami" (Fairy Tales of Three Realms), arguing that they contained unexpressed principles of science: Snow White is the narrative of cupellation as well as of the phases of the moon; Red Riding Hood is the story of mercury; Cinderella is the tale of sulfur.

In 1987 Sermonti was one of the founding members of the Osaka "Group for the Study of Dynamic Structure" which holds the view of process structuralism, a view which is not widely held.

In 1994 Sermonti attended an AIDS denial conference in Bologna where he spoke "On the damage of the campaigns against AIDS" [ [http://www.aidsinfobbs.org/openforum/forum14/6633 Alternative AIDS Conference:Bologna Italy] ] .

Creationism

Along with physicist Antonino Zichichi, Sermonti is considered one of the leading two creationists in Italy [Silvano Fuso [http://www.cicap.org/en_artic/at101152.htm Antidarwinism in Italy] ] . In 1993 Sermonti published, in Answers in Genesis's young earth creationist apologetics magazine, an article entitled "Not from the apes" [ [http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v15/i3/apes.asp Not from the apes] ] .The young earth creationist Henry M. Morris cited Sermonti (along with Guy Berthault, Roberto Fondi and Wolfgang Smith) as a Roman Catholic creationist in response to John Paul II's 1996 statement on evolution, however, Sermonti has not described himself as either a Roman Catholic or a creationist. [Henry M. Morris [http://www.bible.ca/tracks/b-pope-accepts-evolution.htm Evolution and the Pope] ]

Sermonti has been increasingly involved with the intelligent design movement. He is one of the signatories of the Discovery Institute's "A Scientific Dissent From Darwinism", a controversial petition which the intelligent design movement uses to promote intelligent design by attempting to cast doubt on evolution. cite web|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/21/science/sciencespecial2/21peti.html?ex=1298178000&en=de5bd718715864a0&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss|title=Few Biologists but Many Evangelicals Sign Anti-Evolution Petition|author=Kenneth Chang|publisher=The New York Times|date=2006-02-21|accessdate=2008-05-05] [cite web|url=http://www.discovery.org/scripts/viewDB/filesDB-download.php?command=download&id=660|title=Signatories of 'A Scientific Dissent From Darwinism'|publisher=The Discovery Institute|month=April | year=2008|accessdate=2008-05-05|format=PDF] Sermonti attended the Kansas evolution hearings with the Discovery Institute in 2005 but no transcript of his testimony exists as the court reporter could not understand what he was saying due to his strong Italian accent [ [http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/kansas/kangaroo2.html#p1096 Transcript of the Kansas evolution hearings] ] . His book "Dimenticare Darwin" (Forget Darwin) was published in 2003 and was translated into English as "Why Is a Fly Not a Horse?" [Andrea Bottaro, [http://www.pandasthumb.org/archives/2005/06/of_form_over_su.html Of Form over Substance: a review of Sermonti] , Panda's Thumb June 19, 2005 and http://www.ncseweb.org/resources/rncse_content/vol25/9099_iwhy_is_a_fly_not_a_horse_12_30_1899.asp] which was published by the Discovery Institute and edited by Jonathan Wells. In this, he denies being a creationist, saying that "For the reservations I harbor about Evolutionism, I have been accused of being a Creationist. I am not: if I am allowed, I would only aspire to being a creature".

Bibliography

*"Genetics of Antibiotic-Producing Microorganisms", 1969, (Wiley, London) ISBN 0471776351
*"Il Crepuscolo dello Scientismo" (Twilight of Scientism), 1971, 2002, (Nova Scripta, Genoa) ISBN 88-88251-01-4
*"Dopo Darwin" (After Darwin), with R. Fondi, 5 editions, 1980-1984 (Rusconi, Milan) ISBN 88-18-02515-5
*"Fiabe di Tre Reami" (Fairy Tales of Three Realms), 1985-1989, 2004 (La Finestra, Trento) ISBN 88-88097-31-7
*"Why is A Fly Not A Horse?", 2005 (Discovery Institute Press). ISBN 0-9638654-7-1
*"Tra le quinte della scienza", 2007, Di Renzo Editore, ISBN 8883231759

External links

* [http://www.cts.cuni.cz/conf98/sermonti.htm Is There A Purpose In Nature?]

References