A. E. Wilder-Smith
Encyclopedia
Professor Arthur Ernest Wilder-Smith, Ph.D. (Physical Organic Chemistry), Dr. es Science (Chemotherapy), D. Sc.(Natural Sciences), P.D.
, F.R.S.C.
(1915 - 1995), more commonly known as A. E. Wilder-Smith, was an organic-chemist
, humanitarian, lecturer
and author
.
In 1966 he published the book Herkunft und Zukunft des Menschen which promoted Burdick's and other's claims that dinosaur and human footprints existed together at Paluxy River
. Wilder-Smith included in his book plates showing the Paluxy site including plates attributed to himself, Burdick and Taylor. With the exception of plate 6 from Burdick all plates claiming to be man tracks were in situ. In the mid 1980s the footprints were shown to be not of human origin, and some specimens were shown to be doctored or carved, in particular the loose blocks attributed to Burdick.
According to the National Center for Science Education
, Wilder-Smith's 1981 work The Natural Sciences Know Nothing of Evolution contains a variety of falsehoods and errors. Kenneth Christiansen, Professor of Biology at Grinnell College
, reviewed the book stating "the most fundamental flaw of the book is an apparent confusion or ignorance (it is hard to tell) concerning our present understanding of the evolutionary process." He further noted that Wilder-Smith's work disregarded basic literature in the field discussed. In 1986, Wilder-Smith and creationist physicist Edgar Andrews (President of the Biblical Creation Society
) debated biologists Richard Dawkins
and John Maynard Smith
at the Oxford Union
. In 2005 intelligent design
advocate William A. Dembski
wrote that Wilder-Smith's "intuitive ideas about information has been the impetus for much of my research."
Privatdozent
Privatdozent or Private lecturer is a title conferred in some European university systems, especially in German-speaking countries, for someone who pursues an academic career and holds all formal qualifications to become a tenured university professor...
, F.R.S.C.
Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry
Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry is awarded by the Royal Society of Chemistry in the United Kingdom. Achieving Fellow status in the chemical profession denotes to the wider community a high level of accomplishment as a professional chemist...
(1915 - 1995), more commonly known as A. E. Wilder-Smith, was an organic-chemist
Chemist
A chemist is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density and acidity. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component atoms...
, humanitarian, lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer is an academic rank. In the United Kingdom, lecturer is a position at a university or similar institution, often held by academics in their early career stages, who lead research groups and supervise research students, as well as teach...
and author
Young Earth creationism
Young Earth creationism is the religious belief that Heavens, Earth, and all life on Earth were created by direct acts of the Abrahamic God during a relatively short period, sometime between 5,700 and 10,000 years ago...
.
Biography
He became a professor of pharmacology at the University of Illinois Medical Center in 1963. He had serious problems with evolutionary views of the origin of life in his book The Creation of Life and Man's Origin, Man's Destiny according to Walter L. Bradley. He contended "that the conversion of energy flow into information remains, at present, undemonstrated and without theoretical basis." Some considered him Europe's leading creationist. He was not afraid to correct creationists when they were wrong as when he made the comment to Francis Arduini in 1984 that Morris "didn't know a thing about thermodynamics" .In 1966 he published the book Herkunft und Zukunft des Menschen which promoted Burdick's and other's claims that dinosaur and human footprints existed together at Paluxy River
Paluxy River
The Paluxy River is a river in the U.S. state of Texas. It is a tributary of the Brazos River. It is formed by the convergence of the North Paluxy River and the South Paluxy River near Bluff Dale, Texas in Erath County and flows a distance of before joining the Brazos just to the east of Glen...
. Wilder-Smith included in his book plates showing the Paluxy site including plates attributed to himself, Burdick and Taylor. With the exception of plate 6 from Burdick all plates claiming to be man tracks were in situ. In the mid 1980s the footprints were shown to be not of human origin, and some specimens were shown to be doctored or carved, in particular the loose blocks attributed to Burdick.
According to the National Center for Science Education
National Center for Science Education
The National Center for Science Education is a non-profit organization based in Oakland, California affiliated with the American Association for the Advancement of Science. It is the United States' leading anti-creationist organization, and defends the teaching of evolutionary biology and opposes...
, Wilder-Smith's 1981 work The Natural Sciences Know Nothing of Evolution contains a variety of falsehoods and errors. Kenneth Christiansen, Professor of Biology at Grinnell College
Grinnell College
Grinnell College is a private liberal arts college in Grinnell, Iowa, U.S. known for its strong tradition of social activism. It was founded in 1846, when a group of pioneer New England Congregationalists established the Trustees of Iowa College....
, reviewed the book stating "the most fundamental flaw of the book is an apparent confusion or ignorance (it is hard to tell) concerning our present understanding of the evolutionary process." He further noted that Wilder-Smith's work disregarded basic literature in the field discussed. In 1986, Wilder-Smith and creationist physicist Edgar Andrews (President of the Biblical Creation Society
Biblical Creation Society
The Biblical Creation Society is a United Kingdom-based creationist organisation founded in 1977 by Scottish minister Nigel M. de S. Cameron and a group of evangelical students, who were concerned about the popularity of theistic evolution among conservative Christians, but were repelled by the...
) debated biologists Richard Dawkins
Richard Dawkins
Clinton Richard Dawkins, FRS, FRSL , known as Richard Dawkins, is a British ethologist, evolutionary biologist and author...
and John Maynard Smith
John Maynard Smith
John Maynard Smith,His surname was Maynard Smith, not Smith, nor was it hyphenated. F.R.S. was a British theoretical evolutionary biologist and geneticist. Originally an aeronautical engineer during the Second World War, he took a second degree in genetics under the well-known biologist J.B.S....
at the Oxford Union
Oxford Union
The Oxford Union Society, commonly referred to simply as the Oxford Union, is a debating society in the city of Oxford, Britain, whose membership is drawn primarily but not exclusively from the University of Oxford...
. In 2005 intelligent design
Intelligent design
Intelligent design is the proposition that "certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection." It is a form of creationism and a contemporary adaptation of the traditional teleological argument for...
advocate William A. Dembski
William A. Dembski
William Albert "Bill" Dembski is an American proponent of intelligent design, well known for promoting the concept of specified complexity...
wrote that Wilder-Smith's "intuitive ideas about information has been the impetus for much of my research."