Report on Pennock's Testimony

The ACLU-PA blog has a report up about the testimony this morning of my friend and fellow MCFS co-founder Rob Pennock. It included a little levity:

The morning session included several light moments. Dr. Pennock testified that referring to a "designer" rather than "God" is like referring to "Ambassador Wilson's wife" rather than "Valerie Plame Wilson." As the gallery laughed, Judge Jones chuckled and said, "As an example."

Also, when opposing counsel Patrick Gillen asked if he had ever heard evolution referred to as a "big tent theory," Dr. Pennock said curiously, "I can't say that I've ever heard it referred to as a 'Big Ten theory.'" When he realized his mistake, Dr. Pennock noted his position at Michigan State, and Gillen referred to his own degree from the University of Michigan.

I'm sure he's happy to be done with his part of the trial. It's really a grueling process. First he had to prepare a very long and thorough report of his expertise and perspective on the facts of the case, then endure depositions by attorneys for both sides, then finally testify at the trial. And all of this while teaching his normal classes, making other speaking appearances, working on other projects for MCFS, not to mention his normal life that includes a wife and an absolutely adorable little 3 year old daughter. Now he can get back to his normal level of being vastly overworked instead of the past few months of being insanely overworked.

More like this

Intelligent design advocates have been furiously busy trying to find a way to sneak their views into science classrooms around the country. In Kansas, Ohio, Texas, New Mexico, Michigan and several other states, they have tried a variety of tactics to get in to the curriculum.
After Rob Pennock's testimony the other day, Casey Luskin - who now works for the Discovery Institute - wrote an attempted critique of Pennock's claims concerning digital evolution.
Mike Argento, a columnist for the York Daily Record, the local newspaper in Dover, Pennsylvania, had some amusing thoughts on the testimony of Rob Pennock:
Science and Theology News has a series of invited commentaries on the Dover trial and Judge Jones' ruling that are worth reading.