Author Archives: Jon Garvey

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About Jon Garvey

Training in medicine (which was my career), social psychology and theology. Interests in most things, but especially the science-faith interface. The rest of my time, though, is spent writing, playing and recording music.

The dangers of making assumptions about data

Posted on 17/12/2019 by Jon Garvey

I commend to you this YouTube presentation by Frank Lansner, from October, which explains and updates his 2018 paper, which is unfortunately behind a paywall:

Posted in Creation, Politics and sociology, Science | 7 Comments

Genealogical Adam and Eve

Posted on 13/12/2019 by Jon Garvey

Three days late (to miss the rush) I need to remind you that on 10th, Joshua Swamidass’s book The Genealogical Adam and Eve was published, and has already attracted a number of reviews including one at BioLogos (they got the title wrong initially, like Francisco Ayala did reviewing Stephen Meyer’s Signature in the Cell there back in the day – read more carefully, chaps, if you want to appear sincerely interested).

Posted in Genealogical Adam, Science, Theology | 1 Comment

I learn how to manipulate the masses (in 1963)

Posted on 10/12/2019 by Jon Garvey

I recently recalled the time, in primary school, when I was able to control the behaviour of my entire school.

Posted in Politics and sociology, Science | Leave a comment

Murdering opinions

Posted on 02/12/2019 by Jon Garvey

Between school and university, I spent several months as a lowly scientific assistant in a government Pest Control Laboratory.

Posted in Politics and sociology | 5 Comments

You can’t exclude human influence from science

Posted on 27/11/2019 by Jon Garvey

The title of this blog could refer to a number of things I’ve discussed here over the years. It could mean the fact that science is entirely a human activity, which could be summarised as asking the near-infinite realm of nature particular questions of human interest, to which it will return equally particular and incomplete answers. Or it could refer to the mysterious effects of mind on quantum events. But in fact in this post it’s about something else: providence.

Posted in Creation, Philosophy, Science, Theology of nature | 5 Comments

“Alexa, what is the real cost of your switching on my lights?”

Posted on 25/11/2019 by Jon Garvey

Here’s a link to a stunning diagram, and the must-read accompanying long article, called “The Anatomy of an AI system.” I understand it’s won some kind of award for a design as iconic as, perhaps, the London Underground map of Harry Beck; or perhaps closer still, those diagrams of the cell’s biochemical processes that so impressed me with God’s wisdom during my medical training.

Posted in History, Politics and sociology, Science | Leave a comment

Press credibility

Posted on 21/11/2019 by Jon Garvey

I don’t think I’ve mentioned that I recently rediscovered a book I’d forgotten I’d read back in 2009, Flat Earth News, by Nick Davies. It’s very relevant to my current interest in the propaganda-world in which we now seem to live, and move, and have our being.

Posted in Politics and sociology | 4 Comments

Heads up on “The Generations of Heaven and Earth”

Posted on 18/11/2019 by Jon Garvey

I’ve just checked the proofs on my forthcoming (second) book, The Generations of Heaven and Earth: Adam, the Ancient World, and Biblical Theology, so when it is published by Cascade early next year you can blame all the residual mistakes on me.

Posted in Adam, Creation, Genealogical Adam, History, Science, Theology | 2 Comments

On Phillip Johnson

Posted on 15/11/2019 by Jon Garvey

The recent death of the founder of the Intelligent Design Movement (and seriously accomplished legal scholar), Phillip Johnson, put me in mind of the fact that I once met him, but had never read his work.

Posted in Creation, History, Politics and sociology, Science | 7 Comments

Hermes delivery on time – DHL late

Posted on 12/11/2019 by Jon Garvey

I saw the planet Mercury for the first time in my life yesterday. Missing it for nearly 6 decades is really sheer laziness, as it’s in plain sight, close to the sun, if you look at the right time, as the ancients well knew.

Posted in Creation, Science | Leave a comment