As you’ve all probably heard by now, the Dover school board underwent a transformation after Tuesday’s election. Rather than embracing evolution or being convinced that intelligent design is not in fact a scientific theory, it seems more likely that the Dover residents were tired of the scrutiny and perhaps tired of being labeled as scientifically backwards.

Indeed, most people probably don’t know enough about either evolution or intelligent design to really distinguish between them. To borrow someone else’s words:

Most of my friends in high school were “Creationists,” but in reality, they didn’t know much about evolution or creationism. It was more a cultural badge than a well thought out view about how the world worked. Similarly, most people who believe in evolution do so because it shows that they are enlightened people who aren’t superstitious, they don’t know the details of the process of evolution….

Along the same lines, a view presented by Carol Wolman is that those who don’t believe in evolution are using that as a label to present themselves as the “elect.” I think that’s certainly likely for some people. I think, though, that there are also a number of people who feel a real need to be saved, and won’t risk anything interfering with their salvation. Wolman points out, though, that religion and science needn’t be incompatible:

In fact, the dichotomy between a Creator and Darwinism is totally spurious. Who set up the law of natural selection? In fact, who set up the law of gravity, who set up e=mc², who set up the periodic table? Did Darwin, Newton, Einstein, Mendeleev invent these laws? No, they discovered the intelligent design of the universe.

The view strikes me as being reasonable, and accommodating to a number of people who still belive divinity should play a role in how the universe works. Sadly, I don’t think it’s a view that will be espoused by many people anytime soon.

This post refers to:

Razib. “ID vs. Creationism, what’s in a name.” Nov. 9, 2005.

Wolman, Carol. “Intelligent Design vs Evolution: A False Dichotomy.” Nov. 11, 2005.

I think about writing a lot, as most writers probably do. Lately, I’ve felt the need to get some of these thoughts out of my head, and so I’ve decided to let them out here. It’s been a while since I’ve read any writing guidebooks, but what I remember will probably form a good reference point.

I used to puzzle over whether writing was an art, a skill, or a craft. Now, I think it’s all of the above. In addition to having natural talent, a painter must also be a master of technique.

I’m still not sure how a writer really learns technique. Some of it seems to be just by osmosis. I’m guessing that’s why so many of those guidebooks tell you to read. One trouble with this otherwise sound advice is that it’s so easy to encounter and inadvertently absorb bad writing.

Right now, I perceive the solution to be a kind of perpetual studenthood. It’s a necessity for almost any professional, I suspect. William Osler emphasized the need to continuously learn and be proficient in one’s work to a class of graduating medical students. I think that writers need to think of themselves as professionals as well as artists.

There really is a lot writers need to know. Beyond the basics of grammar and spelling, there are such further complexities as usage, organization, and rhetoric. There are techniques of narration, exposition, dialogue, characterization… a whole host of skills that can be put to use by both fiction and non-fiction writers. If one is a technical, medical, or science writer, there is also the issue of readability.

Once all of those skills are mastered, there is still the content to worry about. An advertising copywriter needs to know his product, a science writer needs to understand his discipline, and a novelist needs to know human nature.

At some point, writing changes from a hobby to a job. The difference between the two is pretty remarkable. I’ve known for a long time that writing is work. I think I’m only just beginning to get a sense of how much work there really is. It’s a terrifying prospect and a huge challenge.

I always did have trouble saying no to a challenge.