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PZ Myers

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Paul Zachary Myers(born March 9, 1957) is an American biologist who founded and writes thePharyngulascienceblog.He is associate professor ofbiologyat theUniversity of Minnesota Morris(UMM)[1]where he works in the field ofdevelopmental biology.[2]He is a critic ofintelligent design,thecreationistmovement, and otherpseudoscientificconcepts.[3]

PZ Myers
PZ Myers inLondonin 2006
Born
Paul Zachary Myers

(1957-03-09)March 9, 1957(age 67)
Kent, Washington,U.S.
EducationUniversity of Washington(BS)
University of Oregon(PhD)
Known forPharyngula
Scientific career
FieldsEvolutionary developmental biology
InstitutionsUniversity of Minnesota Morris

In 2006 the journalNaturelisted Myers'sPharyngulaas the top-ranked blog by a scientist based on popularity.[4]Myers received theAmerican Humanist Association's 2009Humanistof the Year award and the International Humanist Award in 2011.Asteroid153298 Paulmyersis named in his honor.[5]

Early life

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Myers was born March 9, 1957, the eldest of six children inKent, Washington;his mother is ofSwedishandNorwegiandescent.[6]Regarding his ancestry, Myers wrote: "I'm only half Scandinavian. The blood has been thinned with that of those domesticated English and Irish and Scots."[7]He was named "Paul Zachary", after his grandfather, but preferred the initials PZ to being called "Little Paul". He has described his family as "probably what would be called the working poor nowadays", and noted that "when I was growing up I was calledwhite trashmore than a few times ".[8]

He claims to have been a "sciencegeek"from an early age, gaining an interest inzoologyandmarine biologyfrom studying the insides of fish while on fishing trips with his father.

Growing up, Myers attended anEvangelical Lutheran Church in America(ELCA) church.[9]Prior to hisconfirmation,Myers says, "I started thinking, you know, I don't believe a word of this."[10]Now anatheist,Myers comments on his blog about science, education, atheism and religion.[11][12]

Education and activism

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Myers graduated fromKent-Meridian High Schoolin 1975 and subsequently attendedDePauw Universityin Indiana on a fullscholarship.[10][13]However, he returned home the next year after his father suffered aheart attack.[10]He then graduated from theUniversity of Washingtonin 1979 withBachelor of Scienceinzoology.Myers drifted away from this field towardevolutionary developmental biologyand obtained aPhDin biology from theUniversity of Oregon.[14]

PZ Myers presents his talk, "You, too, can know more molecular genetics than a creationist!", atSkepticonin 2014.

A self-styled "godlessliberal"[15]and outspokenatheist,he is a vocal critic of all forms of religion, superstition, supernaturalism, spirituality andpseudoscience.He is quoted as having "nothing but contempt" forintelligent design,arguing that it is "fundamentally dishonest".[10]

He is also an outspoken supporter ofsex-positive feminism.[16]Myers believes women should make their own sexual choices without outside pressure.[17]

In 2009 Myers was named theAmerican Humanist Association's "Humanist of the Year".[18]

In April 2015,Atheist Irelandissued an official announcement, apologizing that they had given Myers public platforms to speak and that now it is "publicly dissociating itself from the hurtful and dehumanising, hateful and violent, unjust and defamatory rhetoric of the atheist blogger PZ Myers... We believe his behaviour is unjust to individuals, increases prejudice against atheists, and is harmful to the promotion of an ethical society based on empathy, fairness, justice and integrity.".[19]

In 2017, Myers, who formerly considered himself one of the "New Atheists", disassociated himself from theNew Atheistlabel. Describing the label as being applied "against our protests, because we were all aware that there was nothing new about it. Maybe we were more aggressive, or maybe suddenly people were listening to us, but really, it was the same old atheism with a fancy artisan label". Myers prefers to be simply referred to as an atheist.[20]

Postgraduate career

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Myers has taught and researched at theUniversity of Oregon,theUniversity of Utah,andTemple University.He is currently an associate professor of biology at theUniversity of Minnesota'sMorriscampus.[1]He is a member ofMinnesota Citizens for Science Education,[21]and cultivates an interest incephalopods.[citation needed]

Blogging and writing

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Myers has been active on the internet. He was involved in scientific debates onUSENETsurrounding the growingcreationistmovement. He was a founding member ofThe Panda's Thumbblog. In June 2002, he started his websitePharyngula.org,which morphed into a blog now hosted byScienceBlogs[22]and Freethought Blogs.[23]

Pharyngula

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Main article:Pharyngula (blog)

Pharyngula is Myers's personalweblog,promoted as "Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal."[24]The topics Myers covers are eclectic, delving into the non-scientific as well as scientific. While Pharyngula includes many articles discussing breaking science news and research, the blog has become particularly well known for ridicule ofintelligent designand of attempts to insert it into science education. In 2006, the science journalNaturelisted Pharyngula as the top-ranked blog written by a scientist.[25]

Myers started Pharyngula.org on June 19, 2002[26]as an experiment in writing instruction for a class. Students were required to submit mini-essays to be published online. After the project was finished, Myers still had the web-publishing software, and started to use it himself. The blog is named after his favorite stage inembryonic development,thepharyngulastage. Pharyngula moved to hosting atScienceBlogs,a project ofSeed Magazine,in 2005.

Book

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Myers's book,The Happy Atheist,was published byRandom Housein August 2013.[27]It is largely a compilation of previous blog posts.[28]Voice for itsaudiobookversion was provided by noted atheist and science communicatorAron Ra.[29]

Fellow bloggerGreg Ladencelebrates "the level of refinement of his writing" and writes that "these essays actually have a different feel to them".[30]

Eucharist incident

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See also:Host desecration § 2008 controversy in the US,andCatholic League (U.S.) § Eucharist incident

A controversy arose in July 2008 over a Pharyngula blog entry written by Myers expressing amazement at news reports ofdeath threatsissued toUniversity of Central FloridaStudent Senator Webster Cook. On June 29, 2008, Cook attended aCatholic Massbeing held in the student union at UCF by a Catholic student group that receives funding from the student government. Cook received theCatholic Eucharist hostbut did not consume it immediately. He said later that he wanted to take it back to his seat to show a friend, but when stopped he pretended to put it in his mouth until back at his seat, then a church leader made forcible attempts to take the wafer from him.[31][32]Cook stored the host at his home, then returned it one week later after receiving e-mail threats and pleas.[31][33]Bill Donohue,President of theCatholic League,described the student's actions as "beyond hate speech" and said that "All options should be on the table, including expulsion."[34]

In his July 8 blog entry, Myers criticized the reaction to Cook's act. Myers described the level of harassment including multiple death threats leveled against the student, and accusations against the student which includedhate crime,kidnapping,and intent todesecrate the Eucharistwhich Catholics consider amortal sin.[32][35]Myers expressed outrage thatFox News Channelappeared to be inciting readers to cause further problems for the student, and ridiculed reports that armed guards would attend the next mass. Myers suggested that if any of his readers could acquire some consecrated Eucharistic hosts for him, he would treat the wafers "with profound disrespect and heinous cracker abuse, all photographed and presented here on the web."[36]

Myers was criticized from both religious and non-religious quarters. The Catholic League accused Myers ofanti-Catholicbigotry,[37]described his proposal as a threat to desecrate whatCatholics hold to be the Body of Christ,and sent a letter asking the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota State Legislature to take action against Myers.[37][38]The Catholic League argued that, as the Pharyngula website was accessible via a link from the University of Minnesota's website, it should be bound by the university's code of conduct, which requires faculty to be "respectful, fair and civil" when dealing with others.[38]Joe Foley, a member of the Board of theSecular Student Alliance,wrote on the organization's website that Myers had "crossed the line" from "playful satire" to "masturbatory condescension".[39]Foley concluded, "if open-minded believers are willing to join us in polite dialogue, we need to be ready to welcome them with more than ridicule and pranks."[39]

Subsequently, Myers explained to theStar Tribunethat while his post was "satire and protest," he had received death threats regarding the incident but was not taking them too seriously.[37]In a talk show featuring Myers onCatholic Radio International,hosted by Jeff Gardner, Myers confirmed that he had been sent an unspecified number of consecrated hosts and said that he intended to "subject them to heinous cracker abuse." When asked by Gardner to explain why he must do so, Myers said that Donohue of the Catholic League was insisting that he acknowledge the Body of Christ in the Eucharist. Gardner pointed out that Donohue had no authority to insist on such acknowledgment. The show host then asked Myers which individual possessing theMagisterialauthority of the Catholic Church had insisted that he recognize the Body of Christ in the Eucharist. Myers replied that no one from the Catholic Church had contacted him.[40]

On July 24, 2008, Myers, in his post, "The Great Desecration," wrote that he had pierced through the "goddamned cracker" with a rusty nail, which he also used to pierce a few ripped-out pages of theQur'an(in English translation, not the original Arabic) andThe God Delusion,and had simply thrown them all in the trash along with old coffee grounds and a banana peel. He provided a photograph of these items in the garbage, and wrote that nothing must be held sacred, encouraging people to question everything. In addition, he described the history of allegations ofhost desecration,emphasizing the frequent use of such allegations in medieval Europe to justifyanti-Semitism.[41]The following day, University of Minnesota, Morris (UMM) Chancellor stated: "I believe that behaviors that discriminate against or harass individuals or groups on the basis of their religious beliefs are reprehensible" and that the school "affirms the freedom of a faculty member to speak or write as a public citizen without institutional discipline or restraint."[42]

Science activism

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Interview and screening ofExpelled

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In April 2007 Myers was interviewed for what he was told would be a documentary titledCrossroads,purportedly about science and religion.[43]However, in September 2007, executive producer Mark Mathis announced that the film wasExpelled: No Intelligence Allowedabout perceived censorship of intelligent design supporters in academia and elsewhere.[44]Regarding the discrepancy of focus, Myers wrote: "I mean, seriously, not telling one of the sides in a debate about what the subject might be and then leading him around randomly to various topics, with the intent of later editing it down to the parts that just make the points you want, is the video version ofquote-miningand is fundamentally dishonest. "[43]

On March 20, 2008, Myers wasdenied entry into a screeningofExpelled: No Intelligence Allowedat theMall of AmericainMinneapolis.He was waiting with his family and guests to attend a private screening after having reserved seats for himself and guests under his own name using the freely available online procedure set up by the film's promoters. Shortly before the film started, a security guard told him that the producer Mark Mathis had instructed that Myers be removed from the premises. After telling his family of this Myers went to a nearby Apple store andbloggedabout his amusement that they had expelled him, but allowed his guest entry to see the film—Britishevolutionary biologistRichard Dawkins,who had also been interviewed for the film under similar circumstances.[45]In a question and answer session at the end of the film Dawkins asked why Myers had been excluded, and later said that "if anyone had a right to see the film, it was [Myers]. The incompetence, on a public relations level, is beyond belief."[46]The saga has been described by Dawkins as "an incredible piece of inept public relations" on the part of the film's producers.[47]

Creation Museum visit

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Myers at the Creation Museum

Myers's engagement as keynote speaker at the 2009Secular Student AllianceConference inColumbus, Ohio,[48]developed into an August 7, 2009, trip, in which 304 attendees visited the nearbyCreation MuseuminPetersburg, Kentucky.[49]

Appearances

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Myers has been invited to speak about science, rationalism, or atheism at conferences, symposia, and other events.

In July 2013, Freethought Blogs organized an online virtual conference called FtBCon or FtB Conscience. Google+ Hangout software was used to enable real-time discussion around the world. Participants included all the Freethought Blog bloggers as well as Jeremy Beahan,Jamila Bey,Virginia Brown, Ania Bula,David Brin,Eneasz Brodski, Ian Bushfield, environmental blogger and authorChris Clarke,James Croft, Heina Dadabhoy,J. T. Eberhard,Daniel Fincke,Debbie Goddard,Julia Galef,Nicole Harris, Rebecca Hensler, scientist and bloggerGreg Laden,Robin Marty, science artist & blogger Glendon Mellow, Aoife O'Riordan,Beth Presswoodof The Atheist Experience,Kim Rippere,Amy Roth,Jacques Rousseau,Desiree SchellofSkeptically Speaking,David Silverman,Xavier Trapp, bloggerRebecca Watson,Eliezer Yudkowsky,scientist & bloggerBora Zivkovic,and others. The conference was free and took place over three days.[51]

Awards

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Myers has received several awards for his activism and blogging.

See also

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References

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  1. ^abPZ Myers Biology FacultyArchived2013-03-30 at theWayback MachinefromUniversity of Minnesota Morris
  2. ^"Biology Faculty".Academics at the University of Minnesota, Morris.June 19, 2015.
  3. ^Oppenheimer, Mark (2010-10-16)."BELIEFS; Atheists Debate How Pushy to Be".The New York Times.p. 12.Retrieved2010-12-19.
  4. ^"Top five science blogs".Nature.442(7098): 9. 2006.Bibcode:2006Natur.442....9..doi:10.1038/442009a.ISSN0028-0836.PMID16823420.
  5. ^Medkeff, Jeff(2008-03-25)."PZ Myers and (153298) Paulmyers".Archived fromthe originalon 2008-08-07.Retrieved2008-03-25.
  6. ^Myers, PZ (June 19, 2011)."My Swedish/Norwegian mother, you mean?".Twitter.
  7. ^Myers, PZ (February 5, 2011)."Have I ever told you how proud I am of my Scandinavian ancestry?".Pharyngula.ScienceBlogs. Archived fromthe originalon December 3, 2011.RetrievedJuly 24,2011.
  8. ^Myers, PZ (May 8, 2007)."There are no marching morons".Pharyngula.ScienceBlogs.RetrievedJanuary 15,2016.
  9. ^Myers, PZ (June 2, 2013). "An atheist goes to church — 1stLC."
  10. ^abcdMosedale, Mike (November 23, 2005)."The Mad Scientist, interview with PZ Myers".City Pages.26(1303). Archived fromthe originalon 2008-08-02.Retrieved2007-08-22.
  11. ^Myers, PZ (2006-03-13)."Left or Right, religion and politics don't mix".Pharyngula. Archived fromthe originalon 2007-02-12.Retrieved2007-08-22.
  12. ^"The Humanist - a magazine of critical inquiry and social concern".Archived fromthe originalon 2012-03-25.Retrieved2012-02-01.
  13. ^"My week in the Pacific Northwest".ScienceBlogs.2010-07-25. Archived fromthe originalon 2010-07-27.Retrieved2010-07-25.Saturday at 5:00pm on I'll be attending…my 35th high school reunion with a gang of strange people I haven't seen in decades. You aren't invited unless you were also a graduate of Kent-Meridian High School, Class of 1975
  14. ^"About PZ Myers
  15. ^Tagline onPharyngula:"Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal."
  16. ^"The not-so-Amazing Atheist self-immolates".Freethoughblogs. 8 February 2012.Retrieved2012-09-29.The feminism I embrace is sex-positive. It includes heterosexual men and women, homosexual men and women, trans men and women, and every kink and twist you can imagine.
  17. ^"Carrie Poppy tells all".Pharyngula.August 7, 2013.
  18. ^ab"American Humanist Association: Humanist of the year".American Humanist Association. Archived fromthe originalon 2012-07-17.Retrieved2013-06-06.
  19. ^"Atheist Ireland publicly dissociates itself from the harmful and hateful rhetoric of PZ Myers".Atheist Ireland, Executive Committee. 7 April 2015.Retrieved8 April2015.
  20. ^"The New Atheism is dead. Long live atheism".Pharyngula.July 31, 2017.
  21. ^"MnCSE Scientific Advisory Board".Minnesota Citizens for Science Education.Archived fromthe originalon 30 March 2010.
  22. ^[1],Pharyngula,Science Blogs
  23. ^[2],About >> Pharyngula,Freethought Blogs
  24. ^[3],Pharyngula,Freethought Blogs
  25. ^abButler, Decla (2006-07-05)."Top five science blogs".Nature.442(7098): 9.Bibcode:2006Natur.442....9..doi:10.1038/442009a.PMID16823420.
  26. ^"Related Info for: pharyngula.org/".Alexa.com.Archived fromthe originalon 2007-03-12.Retrieved2006-09-03.
  27. ^"Random House: The Happy Atheist by P.Z. Myers".2012.Retrieved2013-07-26.
  28. ^Branch, Glenn(August 8, 2013)."Godless chronicles: Glenn Branch goes for a dip in the antitheologic.".Nature.Vol 500, p 149.
  29. ^"Ask an Atheist Day? Do I want to do this?".17 September 2020.
  30. ^"PZ Myers is the Happy Atheist – Greg Laden's Blog".Archived fromthe originalon 2017-08-29.Retrieved2017-08-29.
  31. ^ab"Radio interview with" Webster Cook, student senator and non-eater of communion wafers ""(online radio).Freethought Radio. 2008-07-19.Retrieved2008-07-28.Tune in to hear the inside story about the young Orlando student whom Catholics have accused of committing a 'hate crime' for not eating a communion wafer!
  32. ^ab"'Body Of Christ' Snatched From Church, Held Hostage By UCF Student ".WFTV. 2008-07-09. Archived fromthe originalon 2008-07-11.Retrieved2008-07-11.
  33. ^"'Body Of Christ "Returned To Church After Student Receives Email Threats".WFTV. 2008-07-09. Archived fromthe originalon 2008-07-25.Retrieved2008-07-25.
  34. ^"Florida Student Abuses Eucharist".The Catholic League. 2008-07-07. Archived fromthe originalon 25 August 2011.Retrieved2008-07-25.
  35. ^Getuiza, Cheryl (2008-07-09)."Student Who Took Religious Icon Getting Death Threats".MyFoxOrlando.Retrieved2009-11-18.
  36. ^"IT'S A FRACKIN' CRACKER!".Pharyngula. 2008-07-08. Archived fromthe originalon 2008-07-12.Retrieved2008-07-11.
  37. ^abc"Communion wafer held 'hostage' raises holy heck".Minneapolis Star Tribune.July 11, 2008. Archived fromthe originalon February 4, 2009.
  38. ^ab"Minnesota Prof Pledges to Desecrate Eucharist".The Catholic League. 2008-07-10. Archived fromthe originalon 2008-07-13.Retrieved2008-07-11.
  39. ^abJ. Foley, "Wafergate: PZ Myers Crossed the Line"Archived2011-04-06 at theWayback Machine,secularstudents.org, Aug. 3, 2008
  40. ^"The Heart Of The Matter On Catholic Radio International|2008-07-10".We Need To Talk.Catholic Radio International. Archived fromthe originalon 2008-07-20.Retrieved2008-07-18.
  41. ^Myers, PZ (2008-07-24)."Pharyngula: The Great Desecration".Pharyngula.ScienceBlogs.Archived fromthe originalon 2008-07-25.Retrieved2008-07-24.
  42. ^WALSH, PAULMorris chancellor defends instructor who defiled Eucharist, tore Qur'anArchived2009-08-27 at theWayback MachineStar Tribune, July 25, 2008
  43. ^abMyers, PZ (2007-08-22)."I'm gonna be a MOVIE STAR".Pharyngula (blog).Archived fromthe originalon 2008-05-14.Retrieved2008-05-28.
  44. ^Dean, Cornelia (2007-09-27)."Scientists Feel Miscast in Film on Life's Origin".The New York Times.Retrieved2008-05-28.
  45. ^Myers, PZ (2008-03-20)."Pharyngula: EXPELLED!".Archived fromthe originalon 2008-03-22.Retrieved2008-03-23.There is a rich, deep kind of irony that must be shared. I'm blogging this from the Apple store in the Mall of America, because I'm too amused to want to wait until I get back to my hotel room. I went to attend a screening of the creationist propaganda movie, Expelled, a few minutes ago. Well, I tried… but I was Expelled!
  46. ^Hewitt, Chris (2008-03-21)."Biology prof expelled from screening of 'Expelled' - TwinCities.com".The Pioneer Press.Retrieved2008-03-21.
  47. ^Discussion on PZ Myers being expelled from ExpelledArchived2009-01-20 at theWayback Machine.TheRichard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science.Retrieved March 22, 2008
  48. ^"Secular Student Alliance".Retrieved2009-08-17.
  49. ^Powell, Devin (2009-08-14)."A firebrand visits Creation Museum".StarTribune.com.Minneapolis: Star Tribune. Archived fromthe originalon 2009-08-18.Retrieved2009-08-17.
  50. ^"PZ Myers on the Pharyngula at Glasgow Skeptics".Glasgow Skeptics.10 June 2011.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-12-21.Retrieved18 April2014.
  51. ^"FtBCon 2013: Atheism with a conscience".Freethought Blogs. 2013-06-21.Retrieved2013-07-21.
  52. ^"IHEU Awards for 2011".International Humanist and Ethical Union.Retrieved16 August2013.
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Official

Interviews/Presentations

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