Standing up to God

The Australian academic who took on a church elder in a costly court battle over a Turkish rock formation which the latter claimed contained Noah's Ark has been made an honorary fellow of the Geological Society of London for his "courageous stand against creation science". Ian Plimer, head of earth sciences at Melbourne University, persuaded the judge that the claims were false, but not that they breached the Trade Practices Act. He now faces a huge legal bill.