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simulacrahelps · 6 years ago

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Characters with Autism masterlist

n this masterlist you’ll find comic/movie/videogame/tv show characters that have Autism (not the actor but only the character they play). Like/Reblog if you thought it was useful.

Comics

Hikaru Azuma(With the Light: Raising an Autistic Child) [x] Sachiko and Masato's firstborn, and the main character of the series. His autism showed up one and a half years after his birth. Hikaru hated to be picked up and held as a baby and did not grow in step with children his age, leading Sachiko to seek a doctor for him. He always has been wearing diapers for a long time. He even stays in his stroller even when he's too old for it. Hikaru dislikes loud and painful noises such as crowds, Buddhist chanting, and babies crying. He likes trains and memorizes many of them, including ones no longer running. Like many autistic people, when something is changed in his routine without any warning, such as a show switching times or being canceled, it upsets him. However, as the story continues, he and his parents figure out how to handle the situation. Since elementary school, he starts to show some unique talents, including cooking and mixing colors.

Black Manta(Aquaman)[x] An alternative version was given in #8 of the 2003 Aquaman series. In this origin, the boy who would become Black Manta was an autistic orphan placed in Gotham City's Arkham Asylum. He felt comfortable in freezing cold water, but found cotton sheets excruciatingly painful. Because the attendants at Arkham did not know how to deal with autism, they would end up restraining him to the bed as he struggled and screamed whenever they tried putting him to bed. In this version, young Black Manta was also fascinated when he saw Aquaman on television.

Johnny Do(Psi-Force)[x] Johnny Do is highly autistic and was treated as a virtual animal in a Russian project investigating paranormals. Boyd was able to forge a connection with him and became his caregiver. "Johnny Do" is the name given to him by Boyd—his real name and background prior to his capture by the Soviet government are unknown; Dehman Doosha (Demon Within) is what his captors called him.

Mark Shiffron(Postal)[x] Hawkins based the lead character on his college roommate, a smart man with Aspergers whose behavior was mocked by other students. To ensure he wrote the condition authentically without being offensive, Hill researched the condition and spoke with people who have dealt with it.

Mr Fantastic(Fantastic Four)[x] He was first speculated, and later confirmed that he had diagnosed himself to be on the autism spectrum.

Movies

Eric Gibb(Played by Jay Underwood) The Boy Who Could Fly[x] Milly and Geneva observe Eric Gibb (Underwood), an autistic boy living next door with his alcoholic uncle Hugo (Gwynne). Eric has never spoken a word in his life, doesn't like to be around people and exhibits bizarre behavior related to flying.

Sally Matthews(Played by Asha Menina)House Of Card[x] Sally, is apparently traumatized by the experience and starts displaying unusual behavior. Ruth is later court mandated to see Jake Beerlander, an expert in child autism, to help Sally.

Randall Eberlin(Played by Jamie Harold) Family Pictures[x] Lainey (Anjelica Huston) and David (Sam Neill), learned that her younger brother Randall (Jamie Harrold) had autism, and how the stress that this placed on them eventually lead to the breakdown of their marriage.

Michael Barth(Played by Bradley Pierce) Cries from the Heart[x] a 7-year-old young autistic boy who is unable to speak or write. After an incident in which Michael wanders away from home to the local playground

David Goodson(Played by Michael Goorjian) David's Mother[x] Sally Goodson has always tried to do what is best for her autistic son David, always blaming herself for the way David is.

Henry & Verlin(Played by Gary Farmer & Keegan MacIntosh)Henry & Verlin[x] Henry an autistic adult with a childlike spirit, and his nine-year-old nephew Verlin (Keegan MacIntosh), who is also autistic. Henry helps Verlin to come out of his shell, but Verlin's mother mistrusts him, believing him to be dangerous. Henry's family eventually decides to institutionalize him and Verlin sinks back into himself at the sudden loss of his friend.

Tim Warden(Played by Ben Faulkner)Silent Fall[x] Tim Warden, a boy with autism, has supposedly witnessed his parents' double murder. Jake Rainer, a former child psychiatrist turned therapist, is called on to probe the child's mind in order to solve the case.

Gregory White(Played by Keegan MacIntosh)The Innocent[x] The only witness to the crime is a nine-year-old autistic boy named Gregory White

Rosetta Basilio(Played by Megan Follows)Under The Piano[x] Franny Basilio is determined to help her musically gifted autistic sister Rosetta have a life of her own.

Kazan(Played by Andrew Miller) Cube[x] Kazan is an autistic savant that was trapped in the Cube.

Simon Lynch(Played by Miko Hughes) Mercury Rising[x] Simon had autism his whole life up until February 1999, and was also considered an autistic savant, as he could - and still can - read MERCURY code (as easily as others can read their native language)

Meaghan Robinson(Played by Laura Harling) Nightworld: Lost Souls[x] Victor's autistic 12-year-old daughter, Meaghan

Molly McKay(Played by Elisabeth Shue)Molly[x] A 28-year-old autistic woman named Molly McKay has lived in an institution from a young age following her parents' death in a car accident. When the institution must close due to budget cuts, Molly is left in the care of her non-autistic older brother, Buck McKay, an advertising executive and perennial bachelor. Molly, who verbalizes very little and is obsessed with lining up her shoes in neat rows, throws Buck's life into a tailspin as she runs off her nurses and barges into a meeting at Buck's agency naked.

Cody O’Connor(Played by Holliston Coleman) Bless The Child [x] Cody is diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum, and is enrolled in a Catholic school for children with special needs in order to make her more aware of her surroundings (part of her condition).

Chloé(Played by Adèle Haenel) Les Diables[x] Joseph is a 12-year-old boy running from children's home to children's home with his autistic sister Chloé in tow. Chloé cannot bear to be touched, following only Joseph's commands as instruction.

Dewa(Played by Dicky Lebrianto)Biola Tak Berdawai[x] a tiny eight-year-old with autism and brain damage

Vernon Jackson(Played by Lucas Black)Killer Diller[x] an autistic piano player in need of a friend.

Jovana(Played by Jovana Mitic) Midwinter Night's Dream[x] A simple story of an ex-convict who comes home after 10 years, only to find two squatters in the form of a woman and her autistic daughter.

Steven & Philip Morgan(Played by Zac Efron & Thomas Lewis)Miracle Run[x] In a flashback, a single mother, Corrine Morgan-Thomas drives her seven-year-old twin boys Steven and Philip to the doctor's office and learns that they have autism. Philip simply repeats what he hears others say, a condition known as echolalia, while Steven is completely nonverbal.

Cho-Won(Played by Cho Seung-woo)Marathon[x] A young man with autism, named Cho-won, finds release only in running. As a child, Cho-won regularly had meltdowns, bit himself, and struggled to communicate with others—finding solace only in zebras and the Korean snack, choco pie.

Rama Krishna(Played by Jeeva)Raam[x] In order to portray his character Ram, Jiiva had to remain blank and did a lot of Reiki and also met a person who had autism and observed his mannerisms.

Donald Morton and Isabelle Sorenson (Played by Josh Hartnett & Radha Mitchell)Mozart and the Whale[x] two people with Asperger syndrome (a form of autism). Donald runs a small self-help group for people on the autism spectrum who are more affected by their autism than he is. Mozart and the Whale is a fictional account, using characters loosely based on the real-life relationship of Jerry Newport and Mary Meinel (now Mary Newport).

Bea(Played by Poppy Rogers) Breaking and Entering[x] Will Francis (Jude Law), a young Englishman, is a landscape architect living a detached, routine-based life in London with his Swedish-American girlfriend Liv (Robin Wright Penn) and her autistic daughter Bea. The 13-year-old girl's irregular sleeping and eating habits as well as her unsocial behaviour (she has trouble relating to people and seems only interested in doing somersaults and gymnastics) reach worrying proportions and start to put a lot of strain on Will and Liv's relationship.

Linda Freeman(Played by Sigourney Weaver)Snow Cake[x] Snow Cake is a drama about the relationship between autistic Linda, and a neurotypical British tourist Alex

Ben(played by Greg Timmermans)Ben X[x] Ben has been diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, a form of autism.

Anna & Sarah Woodruff(Played by Nikki & Jessi Haddad)Imagination[x] Redheaded twins Anna and Sarah Woodruff, roughly 10 or 11 years old, both have Asperger, an autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

Charlie Mollison(Played by Luke Ford) The Black Balloon[x] Charlie is Thomas's older brother who lives with autism, as well as attention deficit disorder. Charlie enjoys dressing up like a monkey, playing computer games using a Commodore 64 and receiving gold stars for good behaviour. Charlie communicates with the rest of his family by using sign language.

Poppy(Played by Lizzy Clark)Dustbin Baby[x] The film also addressed the theme of Asperger syndrome through the character of Poppy.

Noah Connely(Played by Michael Worth)God’s Ears[x] The story is about an autistic boxer who falls in love with an exotic dancer

Sarah(Played by Skye Bennett)Dark Floors[x] A young, autistic girl at a hospital holds the key to defeating other-dimensional monsters that seek to kill everyone.

Zen(Played by Yanin Vismitananda)Chocolate[x] She has a daughter named Zen who is soon found to be autistic.

Charles(Played by Gabriel Gaudreault)Suzie[x] Suzie, a 58-year-old taxi driver suffering from depression, finds a 10-year-old autistic boy named Charles alone in the back seat of her cab one Halloween night.

Adam Raki(Played by Hugh Dancy)Adam[x] a young man with Asperger syndrome living alone in Manhattan after his father's recent death. He has a friend, Harlan Keyes, an old army friend of his father's, who is always there for him. Because of his condition, Adam has difficulty communicating and likes to escape into his love of space exploration.

Dafu( Played by Wen Zhang)Ocean Heaven[x] Ocean Heaven is about a terminally ill father, Sam Wong/Wang Xincheng (Jet Li) as he works his job in an aquarium and struggles to look after his 21-year-old son Dafu/David, who has autism

Rizwan Khan(played by Shahrukh Khan)My Name Is Khan[x] Haseena diagnoses Rizwan as having Asperger's syndrome.

Mandy (played by Ashley Rickards)Fly Away[x] Jeanne is awakened by crying from her autistic teenage daughter Mandy

Terry Marshall(Played by Rhett Giles) Quantum Apocalypse[x] Terry, Ben's autistic brother, refuses to let Samantha, Ben's daughter, take the school bus, which is having mechanical problems.

Tom Taylor(Played by Charlie Tahan) Burning Bright[x] Kelly is with her autistic brother, Tom, whom she has taken to a special hospital for him to be cared for while she is at college.

Alan Wheddon(Played by Braeden Reed & Luke Benward)Dear John[x] Savannah mentions to John that his father may have a form of high-functioning autism known as Asperger's syndrome like Tim's son, Alan. This upsets John, who storms off.

Simon(Played by Bill Skarsgård)Simple Simon[x] Simon is an 18-year-old man with Asperger Syndrome. Incapable of living independently, he is cared for by his endlessly loving and patient brother, Sam, and Sam's girlfriend, Frida. He lives by an unchanging daily routine and finds any change in his life very stressful.

Alfred Jones(Played by Ewan McGregor) Salmon Fishing in the Yemen[x] Alfred exhibits some symptoms associated with Asperger syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction, and restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests.

Dana Minor(Played by Devon Graye) Exodus Fall[x] Marilyn commits Dana, who is autistic, to an institution, allowing doctors to perform medical experiments on him.

Yoav Pomerantz (Played by Michael Hanegbi) Dr. Pomerantz[x] The son, Yoav , who is now 30 years old, actually has Asperger syndrome. He works as a traffic inspector and more than anything else, loves to affix traffic tickets to car windshields.

Tomor Roshko(Played by Michael Moshonov)Mabul[x] Yoni's autistic older brother returns to the family home and challenges the family to reconcile and put an end to their dysfunctional ways in time for Yoni's Bar Mitzvah celebration.

Oskar Schell(Played by Thomas Horn) Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close[x] Nine-year-old Oskar Schell, who has Asperger syndrome, is the son of German American Thomas Schell

Mickey Tussler(Played by Luke Schroder) A Mile in His Shoes[x] The film centers on Mickey Tussler (Luke Schroder), an 18-year-old from Indiana with Autism, who joins the semi-professional baseball team "the River Rats" after being discovered by Arthur Murphy

Jhilmil Chatterjee (Played by Priyanka Chopra)Barfi![x] Barfi's autistic childhood friend and wealthy heiress of her grandfather's fortune

Walter Hill(Played by Dexter Darden)Joyful Noise[x] Vi Rose has a son, Walter, who has Asperger syndrome

Luke & Zack(Played by Lou Taylor Pucci and Seth Green) The Story of Luke[x] a young man with autism who embarks on a quest for a job and a girlfriend.

Duncan(Played by Chris Marquette) The Odd Way Home[x] a high-functioning autistic twenty-something. Through a picaresque road-trip to Duncan's only-living relative, the two develop a friendship and an understanding of what family really is.

Haridas(Played by Prithviraj Das) Haridas[x] However he is forced to leave the force for a while to take care of his autistic son, Haridas

Rafer(Played by Grayson Russell) Season of Miracles[x] an underdog Little League team through their 1974 season with newcomer and autistic baseball savant, Rafer

Riley Morris(Riley Polanski) Alien Abduction[x] an autistic 11-year-old boy who records his ordeal as an alien abductee.

Adam(Played by Ty Simpkins) Meadowland[x] Sarah, who is a teacher, deals with her grief by obsessing over one of her students, Adam, who has Asperger's

Jane(Played by Louisa Krause)Jane Wants a Boyfriend[x] Jane is a young woman with autism spectrum disorder living with her parents in Queens, New York.

Mária(Played by Alexandra Borbély )On body and Soul[x] Mária is immediately unpopular at work for her autistic behaviour and uncompromising grading of the abattoir's meat quality. Though Endre tries to befriend her, she quickly becomes uncomfortable with the interaction and rudely comments on his lame left arm. However, she repeats the conversation to herself that night, analyzing where she made her mistakes.

Billy Cranston(Played by RJ Cyler)Power Rangers[x] an autistic and intelligent loner. Billy is the classic nerd who has become a bully magnet.

Wendy(Played by Dakota Fanning)Please Stand By [x] a brilliant and autistic young woman with a fixation on Star Trek—lives a routine life in an Oakland, California group home where she is monitored by her primary caregiver, Scottie

TV Shows

Adam Kelvey(Played by Braeden Lemasters)House [x] The patient was diagnosed with autism and since that time his parents have left their job in order to care for him. He is very low-functioning, unable to speak or communicate and is usually unresponsive to external stimuli.

Mayuko Amemiya (Played by Rie Tomosaka)Kimi ga oshiete kureta koto [x] A young autistic woman, Mayuko, who has difficulty understanding and processing human emotions, meets with a young former psychiatrist, Shinichi, who is still getting over the unexpected death of his longtime girlfriend. Shinichi begins to help her with her skills of human interaction, but as he gets to know Mayuko better, he finds that she may be helping him to remember the feelings of love that he has forgotten in his grief.

Gary Bell(Played by Ryan Cartwright)Alphas[x] Gary has been diagnosed with high-functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (more commonly known as ASD). He has idiosyncratic and compulsive tendencies, echolalia, and has difficulty empathizing with others.

Karla Bentham(Played by Jessica Baglow)Waterloo Road[x] She’s a child who was badly let down by the system which failed to diagnose her Asperger’s syndrome, writing her off as a truculent troublemaker.

Kevin Blake(Played by Meschach Peters and Trevor Jackson)Eureka[x] Kevin was diagnosed with autism.

Rebecca Blithely (Played by Melissa Farman)Strange Empire[x] an autistic woman who was previously institutionalized and who now works as a doctor.

Max Braverman(Played by Max Burkholder)Parenthood[x] Max Braverman has Asperger’s syndrome.

Sonya Cross(Played by Diane Kruger) The Bridge (2013 TV series)[x] Detective Sonya Cross, is a member of the El Paso police department who has Asperger syndrome.

Connor DeLaurier (Played by A.J. Saudin) Degrassi: The Next Generation[x] Connor DeLaurier is a tenner at Degrassi, who has Aspergers Syndrome

Virginia Dixon (Played by Mary McDonnell)Grey’s Anatomy[x] she is autistic, having Asperger's syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder formerly considered separate from autism. Bailey characterizes this as "significant impairment during social situations," explaining her bluntness and lack of sarcasm comprehension. Another characteristic of autism is specific and repetitive behaviors and interests.

Jerry Espenson(Played by Christian Clemenson) Boston Legal[x] Jerry has Asperger's Syndrome, and possibly also Tourette's Syndrome, which interferes with his ability to interact socially with other people, but also makes him a masterful interpreter of the law and its language.

The parallel universe version of Astrid Farnsworth (Played By Jasika Nicole)Fringe[x] Her odd social behavior and unusually high proficiency with mathematics in general (and probability in particular) indicate that she has Asperger syndrome or high-functioning autism, which she believes could be the cause of the tension between her and her father.

Micaela Gómez(Played by Monica Spear) La mujer perfecta (The Perfect Woman)[x] Micaela has a form of autism called Asperger syndrome, and as a result, people around her do not understand her and confuse her as a crazy person.

Gil Grissmon(Played by William Petersen) CSI: Crime Scene Investigation[x] In addition to being a genius and somewhat of a polymath beyond his career training, he exhibits Asperger-like traits. In "Caged", it is hinted that (in fact) he has Asperger's syndrom.

Shahir Hamza (Played by Husein Madhavji)Saving Hope[x] Chief of Neurosurgery,who is highly skilled but socially awkward due to his Asperger syndrome.

Fiona 'Mittens' Helbron(Played by Betty Gilpin)Elementary[x] Fiona Helbron is the lead computer programmer for Pentillion Edge. She dates Sherlock Holmes, is autistic or "nueroatypical" and likes cats.

Gabrielle Jacobs(Played by Virginie Le Brun) Shortland Street[x] She seemed different and soon the staff realized that she had Asperger syndrome. Straight away Gabrielle proved to be an excellent surgeon but seemed to lack social ability. Her social disabiltiy annoyed some of the senior nurses including Tania Jeffries. A man came to Gabrielle requesting suregory, but she could not do it seeing as they once had an affair. But eventually she went through with the surgeory and saved his life. Gabrielle had a short relationship to Kip Denton. He was not aware of her Aspergers and did not understand her absurd behaviour. He was tired from her all sex, no talk attitude and once he found out she had Aspergers, he let her go much to Gabrielles confusion.

Jonah Jeremiah "JJ" Jones (Played by Ollie Barbieri) Skins[x] He has autism, for which his psychiatrist is no help, instead prescribing him dozens of prescription drugs. Thus, few people take him seriously in spite of his intelligence, and this often leads him to fits of rage or getting 'locked on'; this is especially true if the people are Freddie or Cook, as he says "they're pretty much the only friends that I've got."

Isidore Latham (Played by Ato Essandoh) Chicago Med[x] Dr Isidore Latham is a Orthodox Jew. His family history and background is almost unknow. We do know he has Aspergers which impairs his social abilities and empathy towards others.

Lily Montgomery(Played by Leven Rambin)All My Children[x] Lily is the autistic child of Laurel Banning and Denny Benton. Laurel had embezzled thousands of dollars from the Mason Foundation (which was a charity headed by Natalie Dillon to pay for the expensive care & schooling of her daughter).

Bob Melnikov (Played by Dmitry Chepovetsky) ReGenesis[x] Canadian. Biochemist at NorBAC, and a former student of David Sandström. He is deemed a genius, with an IQ score of 162 (Season 1, Episode 5) and has attained two PhD's (Season 1, episode 11). He has been diagnosed with Asperger syndrome.

Abed Nadir (Played by Danny Pudi)Community[x] It is hinted that Abed has Asperger's syndrome, reflected in his inability to pick up on social or emotional cues

Spencer Reid(Played by Matthew Gray Gubler)Criminal Minds[x] Reid is 36 years old with three PhDs and one cannot usually achieve that without some form of autism.".

Park Shi-on (Played by Joo Won) Good Doctor (2013 South Korean TV series)[x] A young man named Park Shi-On (Joo Won) has savant syndrome and a developmental disability. His mental age is that of a 10-year-old, but he becomes a paediatric surgeon.

Isadora Smackle(Played by Cecilia Balagot)Girl Meets World[x] that Isadora was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome at age 5. This makes it hard for her to understand emotions, and she is currently struggling to overcome it.

Wally Stevens(Played by Mark Linn-Baker) Law & Order: Criminal Intent[x] A high-functioning autistic, he spent years completely unaware that he had Asperger syndrome, but found that he had incredible difficulty relating to other people, a difficulty which cost him his relationship with his wife and children.

Shawn Murphy(Played by Freddie Highmore)The Good Doctor[x] he must learn the ropes of hospital work, while facing unique challenges and embracing his strengths due to his diagnoses of autism and savant syndrome.

Annie Wheaton(Played by Kimberly J. Brown) Rose Red[x] an autistic teenager with telekinetic powers

Tommy Westphall(Played by Chad Allen) St. Elsewhere[x] Westphall, who is autistic, played an increased role in St. Elsewhere's final episode, "The Last One", where one interpretation of the finale is that the entire St. Elsewhere storyline exists only within Westphall's imagination.

Minato Shindo (Played by Kento Yamazaki) Good Doctor (2018 Japanese TV series)[x] Minato Shindo (Kento Yamazaki) is autistic with savant syndrome. He has an amazing memory and keen spatial skills, but he finds it difficult to communicate with others.

Sam Gardner(Played by Keir Gilchrist)Atypical [x] an eighteen year old boy on the Autism Spectrum. He is obsessed with the South Pole, Antarctica and its Penguins.

Animated Tv Shows

Carl Gould(Arthur)[x] Carl has Asperger's syndrome, a form of Autism spectrum disorder which makes him have problems with social interaction when being around people.

Julia(Sesame Street )[x] Julia is a four-year-old girl on the children's television program Sesame Street who is autistic. She is a yellow Anything Muppet with a red bob cut hairstyle and green eyes (blue for green screen uses) who wears a dark dress shirt over light pink t-shirt and green pants with white flowers on them and black shoes. She premiered on the show on April 10, 2017, though she was introduced in “digital form” in 2015. Her debut marks a new phase of Sesame Workshop’s autism awareness initiative, “Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children”, which provides resources “designed to serve autistic children and their families”.The role of Julia is performed by puppeteer Stacey Gordon, whose son is autistic.

Video Games

Charlie Kane's unnamed son(Twisted Metal Black) [x] Autism (mechanical savant), Oppositional Defiant Disorder

Cassandra (Rage of The Dragons)[x] While they were staying with Elias, he noticed that she had a form of high-functioning autism, and he helped her control her energy in order to harness it better. She fights using close-ranged defensive attacks with an angelic motif.

Jade (The Indigo Child)[x] Jade is an autistic orphan whose parents are unknown and has presumably abandoned her as a young child as she ended up in the St. Thomas Orphanage.

#Autism #characters with autism #rph #masterlist

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iowamedia · 4 years ago

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24/7 DAD takes on fatherhood trials

A new session of 24-7 DAD, a free 11-week group designed to help Marshall County dads with the challenges of fatherhood, will begin Sept. 8. David Hicks of YSS of Marshall County and Ron Eberline of Center Associates, are the facilitators of the group. Hicks said 24-7 DAD is a national organization that helps new fathers. “24-7 DAD is a national, science-based curriculum that we follow. It has…

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faithfulnews · 5 years ago

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#1 of Our Top Stories of 2019: Informed by Discovery Authors, Yale’s David Gelernter Rejects Darwinism

Editor’s note: The staff of Evolution News wish you a Happy New Year! We are counting down our top ten stories of 2019. If you haven’t done so yet, please take a moment now to contribute to our work in bringing you news and analysis about evolution, intelligent design, and more every day of the year. There is no other voice, no other source of information, like ours. Thank you for your friendship and your support!

The following article was originally published here on October 21, 2019.

This is important. Yale University computer scientist David Gelernter is a polymath, a brilliant writer, artist, and thinker. Famed both for his specific scientific expertise, and for his cultural, political, and historical reflections, he’s also now a confessed Darwin skeptic. More than a skeptic really.

In a wonderful essay in the new issue of The Claremont Review of Books, “Giving Up Darwin,” he credits reading Stephen Meyer’s book Darwin’s Doubt as the primary cause of his rejecting neo-Darwinian evolution, a “brilliant and beautiful scientific theory” but one that’s now been overtaken by science.

An Intellectual Landmark

He calls Darwin’s Doubt “one of the most important books in a generation,” a “landmark in the intellectual history of Darwinism,” and says that, “Few open-minded people will finish it with their faith in Darwin intact.” Well, “open-minded” is the key qualifier, isn’t it?

Dr. Gelernter is not on board with intelligent design:

Meyer doesn’t only demolish Darwin; he defends a replacement theory, intelligent design (I.D.). Although I can’t accept intelligent design as Meyer presents it, he does show that it is a plain case of the emperor’s new clothes: it says aloud what anyone who ponders biology must think, at some point, while sifting possible answers to hard questions. Intelligent design as Meyer explains it never uses religious arguments, draws religious conclusions, or refers to religion in any way. It does underline an obvious but important truth: Darwin’s mission was exactly to explain the flagrant appearance of design in nature.

The Deciding Factor

While Gelernter is a religiously observant Jew, he makes clear that, despite what the critics so often say, neither for him nor for Meyer is religion the deciding factor. Science is:

The religion is all on the other side. Meyer and other proponents of I.D. are the dispassionate intellectuals making orderly scientific arguments. Some I.D.-haters have shown themselves willing to use any argument — fair or not, true or not, ad hominem or not — to keep this dangerous idea locked in a box forever. They remind us of the extent to which Darwinism is no longer just a scientific theory but the basis of a worldview, and an emergency replacement religion for the many troubled souls who need one.

It’s worldview commitments that drive loyalty to Darwinism, along with considerations of career and personal prestige, joined with herd thinking and sheer complacency.

What Now for Biology?

I’ll have more to say about this remarkable testament to independent thinking. But as for biology, now what? “Darwin’s intellectual daring will always be inspiring. The man will always be admired.” I have no doubt about that. But:

How cleanly and quickly can the field get over Darwin, and move on? — with due allowance for every Darwinist’s having to study all the evidence for himself? There is one of most important questions facing science in the 21st century.

This long, thoughtful, and beautifully written article reflects David Gelernter’s own willingness to “study all the evidence for himself.” He cites the work of our colleagues Douglas Axe, David Berlinski, and Paul Nelson by name. He notes that two books I collected for Discovery Institute Press, Berlinski’s The Deniable Darwin and Other Essays and Debating Darwin’s Doubt, he also found to be “essential.” Wow.

A lot of writers, a lot of scientists, less gifted than Professor Gelernter refuse to think through these issues for themselves. We’re familiar with the results. Others take the plunge: Tom Wolfe, Thomas Nagel, Dennis Prager, and Ben Shapiro are four quite different but all fiercely independent voices who startled friends and enemies by studying the matter and coming out as Darwin critics. All had their brush with Stephen Meyer’s work, including Darwin’s Doubt and Signature in the Cell.

Just the Past Few Months

We are watching as one support after another peels away from the intellectual “consensus” supporting evolutionary theory. We’ve seen this in just the past few months: Three Nobel Prize-winning scientists endorse chemist Marcos Eberlin’s case for intelligent design, argued in his brand new book Foresight: How the Chemistry of Life Reveals Planning and Purpose. Well over a thousand PhD scientists declare themselves publicly as evolution skeptics. Modern ID theory’s founding scientist, biochemist Michael Behe, engages in an extended written debate with one of the world’s most distinguished evolutionary researchers, National Academy of Sciences member Richard Lenski, over Behe’s new book Darwin Devolves — and wins (as any fair observer would agree from the record of exchanges between Behe and his critics).

Scientists, intellectuals, and ordinary thoughtful adults are giving up the old pledge of allegiance to Darwin. The evolution in thought is very gradual, admittedly, but it’s unmistakably happening.

Photo: Fireworks of the Space Needle, Seattle, by Wonderlane, via Flickr (cropped).

The post #1 of Our Top Stories of 2019: Informed by Discovery Authors, Yale’s David Gelernter Rejects Darwinism appeared first on Evolution News.

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#ben-shapiro #charles-darwin #darwins-doubt #david-berlinski #david-gelernter

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deniscollins · 6 years ago

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Midwestern Floods Pit Communities Against One Another as Levees Rise Ever Higher

The town of Grafton borders the Mississippi River, which attracts tourists who spend money in the bars and nights in the inns along the river. In exchange, Grafton’s 650 or so residents sacrificed the lower floors of their homes to the river’s whims or moved up onto a bluff. But the water is rising more often, and to heights rarely seen before, partly due to other places bolstering their levees and forcing the water elsewhere. If you were a business person advising Grafton’s mayor, would you recommend building flood walls that would damage tourism: (1) Yes, (2) No? Why? What are the ethics underlying your decision?

The Mississippi River annexed Jerry and Sue Eller’s backyard, invaded their basement and converted their street into a boat ramp.

“It’s life on the river,” Ms. Eller said on Monday as people fished from her back porch, though only one scrawny catfish was biting. “You take the bad with the good.”

As record-breaking floods have torn through the Midwest this spring, towns have looked nervously toward levees and flood walls that protect them from inundation. When some levees were breached, destroying farms and homes in Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri, politicians pledged to build them back taller, stronger, bigger.

Other places, including the town of Grafton, where the Mississippi River crested on Monday, have taken a different approach to riverfront living. There are no levees here, no protection from the river’s natural sprawl, so residents have been left to clean up behind devastating floods.

For generations, people in Grafton have made a bargain with nature. The river gave their town a reason for being, drawing tourists who spend money in the bars and nights in the inns along the river. In exchange, Grafton’s 650 or so residents sacrificed the lower floors of their homes to the river’s whims or moved up onto a bluff.

But Grafton’s bargain has grown more complicated. The water is rising more often, and to heights rarely seen before. Residents feel more exposed to the river than ever as other places bolster their levees and force the water elsewhere. In the race to build barriers along the Mississippi, they say, places like Grafton are drowning.

“Every time they build a levee or raise one, it hurts everybody without a levee,” said Peter Allen, an owner of The Loading Dock restaurant in Grafton, which has been closed for much of this spring because of the floods. “Flooding, it’s natural, and the river used to be able to handle it a lot better.”

Floods were always a risk, but in the last decade, they have become an annual or twice-annual plight. They damage property, force long detours on trips to the grocery store and drive away tourists. The 32.1-foot crest on Monday — flood stage starts at 18 feet — was the fourth-highest mark recorded in Grafton going back to the 1800s. It was high enough to cover parking lots and fill some riverfront buildings and nearly submerge street signs. Nine of Grafton’s 20 highest crests have occurred since 2008.

“It’s frightening,” said the mayor, Rick Eberlin, who said he hoped that the water would recede in time for Memorial Day, when peak tourism season starts and when a new gondola-style attraction is scheduled to open.

Scientists have attributed the uptick in flooding to increased rainfall in the Midwest, an effect of climate change, and the continuing efforts to constrict the river. In an ever changing patchwork of protection, cities and towns have long sought new ways to keep the water away. Burlington, Iowa, has worked in recent years to install a floodwall. In Illinois, some rural levee districts have been accused of building beyond their authorized height, a point of bitterness for those downstream.

“There’s always going to be winners and losers when it comes to levees,” said Jonathan Remo, an associate professor of geography at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. “When you create big levees, you’re pushing water onto somebody else.”

Heavy rains expected this week could worsen problems along the Mississippi River, which has already been above flood stage for well over a month in some areas. Some people who live along the river said they believed they were at a tipping point — a moment when the entire region needed to rethink the wisdom of having so many levees, especially in rural areas with few people.

“You’ve got hundreds of miles of waterway leveed off that probably can’t stay like that,” said Colin Wellenkamp, the executive director of the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative, which represents municipal governments on the river.

Grafton’s laissez-faire approach to flood control is part fiscal necessity and part business strategy. Spending tens of millions of dollars on a floodwall is not practical, Mr. Eberlin said, and doing so would jeopardize Grafton’s main appeal to tourists, many of whom come from St. Louis, about 40 miles to the south, to be near the water. The town’s strategy also has environmental benefits, according to experts who warned that the competition to build bigger levees elsewhere is dangerous and expensive.

“This is an arms race against Mother Nature,” said David Stokes, the executive director of the Great Rivers Habitat Alliance, which opposes expanding levees and building in floodplains. “Mother Nature will win.”

Grafton’s strategy is distinct. Even many agrarian sections of the river are protected by levees, including the Sny Island Levee Drainage District, upstream from Grafton, which shields farmland along a fertile stretch of Illinois riverfront and has been accused of building its levees too high. The mayor and others in Grafton blame Sny Island and other rural levee districts for some of their flooding woes. The Sny Island district’s superintendent, Mike Reed, did not respond to an interview request.

“While the Sny and the entire region are in the middle of a flood fight to protect our communities, any political discussion about levee heights is counterproductive and does nothing to help the people impacted by the rising waters,” said Christian G. Morgan, a spokesman for the district, in an emailed statement.

For decades, Grafton has sought balance between respecting the river’s power and embracing its proximity. After record-setting floods devastated the Midwest in 1993, many on Grafton’s waterfront accepted federal buyouts for their homes. Some moved onto the bluff. A few hundred people left town. Businesses continued to operate along the river.

Davenport, Iowa, the largest city on the river without permanent flood protection, has faced a similar dilemma. Over decades, Davenport residents have repeatedly decided against building a floodwall, dissuaded both by the cost and a fear of losing their connection to the river.

But last week, as the Mississippi River reached record levels in Iowa, a temporary flood barrier installed in downtown Davenport was breached, swamping businesses and forcing firefighters to rescue people. Much of the area remained underwater this week, said Mayor Frank Klipsch, who said it was too soon to say whether his city now would reconsider building a floodwall.

“We understand that if we do not stop or absorb some of the water, it’s got to go somewhere,” Mr. Klipsch said.

In waterlogged Grafton, where river levels were expected to fall in the coming days, residents looked forward to a reprieve.

The Ellers, who had gone without laundry and warm showers, spoke excitedly about moving their water heater and washing machine back downstairs when the floods receded. Joe and Jan DeSherlia, who were commuting to their office by pontoon boat on Monday, were eager to reopen their gift shop and winery. And Mr. Allen, the restaurant owner and a Grafton alderman, said it would take about a week after the water fell to clean up The Loading Dock and get the approval of health inspectors to resume serving catfish fritters.

“It’s brutal, it’s tough,” Mr. Allen said. “The risk is still worth it.”

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