A Flock of Dodos: The Evolution-Intelligent Design Circus

Hey Eric Finke, this isn't a soapbox for your feelings on the ethicality of the debate. Stick to reviews. People are "threatened" by supporters of ID because they are trying to get it taught in schools. That's a big no no in the US where we abide by the idea of separation of church and state.

Many reviewers of this film are simply upset that he didn't conclude the film with: 'I think 'intelligent design' is a valid scientific theory.' But in reality, he gave this whole movement a fair shake.( A much fairer one then it desereved honestly) But the simple fact is, is that science requires proof and the very idea of intelligent design can never truly be proved, as such, is not a science. Sorry, but that's just the way it is. He didn't interview crack pots or crazies, he interviewed the well groomed and well educated base of this movement and gave them every chance to make their argument. Where some heard him as condescending, I heard no such thing. The only reason you might hear that, is because some times the anwsers some of his subjects gave were a little screwy. He made a good argument, but in the end he said 'is it really worth hating such good natured people over somthing as esoteric as religion'. He acknowledged that they were decent people and not worthy of scorn over their belief. All in all this was a great film. I recommend this to anyone looking for a good documentary on the subject. It tries to be even to the other side, but in the end, their theory, is no theory.

Olson says he has overwhelming evidence for evolution, but he only offers 2 pieces of evidence. 1, he claims that a rabbit is not intelligently designed, and 2, because a whale has a pelvic bone. Even though the rabbit's digestive system works perfectly, because it is gross to him, that is his proof that it evolved. He offers the whale as indisputable evidence without any transitional fossil that used to walk. He then plays the "poor me" card saying that scientists do not have PR people and they are so far above the average person that they just cannot communicate with them.

Poor USA, falling into the age old trap of fear and superstition, and turning its back on science and reason. The world's greatest threat is clear today - as ancient cults attempt to destroy free speech and enlightened inquiry. Ultimately the delusional threats of mythology vs. human thought is a test of the human species - will peaceful educated humans overcome group think fairy tales or fall victim to social pressures and threats of violence ?

Several other reviewers here have perhaps missed the point of the film director- while some of his statements may have appeared condescending from the stance of science, that's because they... lacked science. The director's own mother practices faith in religion, and this he acknowledges as being acceptable. However, problems arise when intuition in the gut and heart cease to form into testable hypothesis, yet are still presented as science. Such is an oxymoron. The evolution 'debate' has degraded into a chat filled with catch phrases and dumbed down concepts. The director was able to get further than this with his scientific colleagues, yet failed to do so with the proponents of intelligent design. Fortunately, faith does not require proof. Unfortunately, science does.

This film is not the balanced and respectful documentary that it purports to be in the description, instead it contains a constant undercurrent of insult directed at creationists. The filmmaker is a bit more subtle than the guy in the movie yelling "they're idiots!", but he doesn't conceal his disrespect enough to make this doc at all even-handed. The maker documents the complete lack of respect many evolutionists have for anyone who disagrees with them, but then engages in the same behavior, albeit through implication, suggesting the intelligent-design crowd is less than intelligent. This may seem amusing to some, but our inability to engage in public discourse without resorting to personal insults is the primary reason this country is so bitterly divided. No one appreciates having his mental capacity questioned when he expresses deeply-held opinion. For those of you who enjoy this film and delight in making fools out of those with whom you disagree, please pause long enough to sense what many people in American are beginning to discover – our country will not survive if we continue to attack each other. – Evolutionists, I don't believe this film will lead you to any greater understanding of the intelligent-design crowd because it almost completely avoids the central issues in the debate. And if you haven't yet figured out many of these people you dismiss as stupid actually make great, caring neighbors, you've really got to expand your circle of friends. – Try listening. – Creationists and Intelligent-Designists, you're not going to get much out of this either. It's not always a good thing to see how much others disrespect you, except if it teaches you to not return that lack of respect. A big "Thank you" to the curly-haired guy at the poker game in the black shirt. It's good to see someone who believes in evolution isn’t so threatened by the ideas of others. That's part of what intelligence is.

Randy Olson's 'Flock of Dodos' covers some of the events in the conflict recently fought out in Kansas and Pennsylvania over teaching "Intelligent Design" creationism in public school science courses. Olson, a former student of the late Stephen Jay Gould and marine biologist turned filmmaker, spends much of this film interviewing key figures in the debate (although, tellingly, the Discovery Institute refused to speak with him on camera, despite a good word from their tame scientist, Michael Behe), and trying to accurately portray the views of the two sides involved. Don't waste your time watching 'Expelled'. Catch the PBS documentary 'Judgement Day' and Olson's 'Flock of Dodos'. They're worth your time.