Category Archives: science
Intelligent Drug Design
It’s one thing to insist that creationism be taught in schools, but what would the world be like if we really took intelligent design seriously? Probably something like this…
Pfizer to launch new “Intelligent Drug Design” working group
NEW YORK- Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer today announced a three year, $32 million drug discovery initiative targeted mainly at diseases prevalent in developing countries. However, although seemingly a small effort by the standards of the drug industry- Pfizer alone spent $9.4 billion on overall research and development in 2010- the program has already stirred considerable debate.
According to Pfizer spokeswoman Susan Nym, the new program will be based not on evolutionary biology- the traditional cornerstone of pharmaceutical research- but rather on the hypothesis of Intelligent Design, which contends that life was created by a supreme being. This new drug discovery initiative was quickly praised by supporters of intelligent design, who have long been dogged by criticism that the theory lacks testable predictions or research applications.
The decision to participate in the new “Intelligent Drug Design” initiative was an easy one, Nym says. With the looming expiration of patents on several highly profitable drugs, Pfizer needs to find new hit drugs- and soon- to offset lost revenues. However, traditional evolution-based methodologies usually take many years of investigation and clinical trials before a new drug can be cleared for sale by the FDA.
“What Pfizer needs”, says CEO Ian Read, “is a miracle. And who better to give us one than our supreme creator?” Analysts have reacted favorably to the news, pointing out that the choice to target third-world diseases should increase the odds of success, while growing political support of ID-based research could well cut years off the time-to-market. The new unit, which Pfizer has recruited leading ID researcher William Dembski to lead, has been described as a low-cost way to explore an emerging field; should it prove successful, other diseases, such as arthritis, may follow.
Of course, even proponents of intelligent design admit that traditional evolution-based research will never go away completely. “My first task on the job was to cancel the erectile dysfunction project”, noted Dembski. “But this initiative clearly shows that intelligent design is a viable scientific theory, and I look forward to performing cutting-edge research alongside the visionaries at Pfizer.”
Pfizer stock rose 5.8% on the news.
When you think white coats and padded walls, think science
After mentioning to a bank teller that I do scientific research, I was greeted by the familiar reply:
“Oh, so you’re one of those really smart people who wears a lab coat and goggles?”
At present, my work is largely done at a computer, so I’m never sure quite what to make of such comments. For those occasions when time constraints don’t allow me to respond constructively, my first thought was to make one of these. (if you’re going to be trapped in the stereotype of lab coats, then at least have fun doing it)
…But the truth is that all those LEDs would make it very uncomfortable to wear while sitting down. For those of us whose work takes us away from the bench, I propose following the lead of one theorist I recently met: tie dye lab coats!!! The ones linked appear to be of the style favored by chemists (buttons and loose sleeves) rather than biologists (snaps and elastic cuffs), but the basic idea is the same.