Nationality United Kingdom Role Professor Name Andrew McIntosh | Doctoral advisor J.F. Clarke Institutions University of Leeds Residence Leeds, United Kingdom | |
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Fields chemical engineering, combustion, thermoacoustics Alma mater University of Wales
Cranfield Institute of Technology Education Cranfield University, University of Wales Known for Intelligent design, Biomimetics | ||
Andrew McIntosh is professor of thermodynamics and combustion theory at the University of Leeds. His group has received recognition for research on the physics behind the gaseous "cannon" of the bombardier beetle and his biomimetic application of this to the design of spray mechanisms, which has resulted in several patents. McIntosh is a young earth creationist.
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Research
McIntosh's research group has developed a new technology known as µMist which is based on the gaseous "cannon" of the bombardier beetle. In December 2010, this work received the outstanding contribution to innovation and technology title at the Times Higher Education awards in London.
Views
In a discussion with Richard Dawkins on BBC Radio Ulster and in an article, McIntosh argued that the principles of thermodynamics are not consistent with Darwinian evolution. McIntosh said that the issue is that the second law of thermodynamics concerns entropy increasing in an isolated system. The current understanding is that because the earth is in an open system (where heat and mass transfer are allowed through the boundary) that entropy could readily decrease in such a system since outside there will be a compensatory overall increase. McIntosh argues against this, maintaining that even in an open system, random energy input will not produce complex and mutually dependent systems required for life without there being an existing or embryonic system there to begin with. Styer and Bunn have argued that the compensation principle of low entropy islands can be used to lower the entropy locally and generate free energy. McIntosh argues that it is information systems in living systems which are controlling the non equilibrium thermodynamics.
McIntosh is director of the organisation Truth in Science which promotes creationism and intelligent design. In November 2006, the University of Leeds issued a statement distancing itself from creationism, and noted that McIntosh's directorship of Truth in Science is unconnected with his teaching or research.