Homeopathic Emergency Room
Category: Health
Thanks to Felicia for the tip-off....
Posted by Martin R at 8:20 AM • 4 Comments •
Aardvarchaeology
Martin Rundkvist's blog. Archaeology, skepticism, Sweden. And books and music and stuff.
Profile
Dr. Martin Rundkvist is a Swedish archaeologist, journal editor, public speaker, skeptic, atheist, lefty liberal, bookworm, and father of two.
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Recent Posts
- Homeopathic Emergency Room
- Daycare No More
- Anthro Blog Carnival
- Libertarian Columnist Smears Sweden in the Guardian
- Hello Dear Spammer
- Tech Note: Our Crappy Computers
- Primate Diaries Join Sb
- North European Natural Caffeine Source?
- Current Archaeology 232
- Four Stone Hearth: Call for Submissions
Recent Comments
- Robert on Royal Medals Copied
- DianaGainer on Homeopathic Emergency Room
- ArchAsa on Homeopathic Emergency Room
- paddy on Homeopathic Emergency Room
- OriGuy on Libertarian Columnist Smears Sweden in the Guardian
- cls on Libertarian Columnist Smears Sweden in the Guardian
- Chris S. on Silence is the Enemy: But What is Wrong With Those Men!?
- Jorg on Homeopathic Emergency Room
- T. Axelson on Open Source Dendrochronology
- Kaleberg on Libertarian Columnist Smears Sweden in the Guardian
Archives
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- December 2006
Blogroll
Good Blog Carnivals
Skepticism:
Swedish Atheist Ad Campaign
Category: Skepticism
It may seem a little gratuitous in a country where few people are religious any more, but the ads make the point that there's a lot of quiet Christian influence still around in society.
Posted by Martin R at 8:20 AM • 6 Comments •
Energy is Good, Calories are Bad
Category: Skepticism
What newagers, health nuts and alties seem to be completely ignorant of is that both words originate in physics and that they refer to the same thing.
Posted by Martin R at 8:20 AM • 15 Comments •
Humanities Have No Important Issues
Category: Archaeology
We pursue lines of inquiry that we find fun or trendy or likely to get funded because someone with money deludes themself into seeing them as important.
Posted by Martin R at 8:20 AM • 12 Comments •
No Meaning to Life
Category: Skepticism
Why are we here? Why do we live? What is the meaning of life? These questions are poorly phrased as neither "why" nor "meaning" has a distinct definition. To begin with "why", it can refer either to the cause of...
Posted by Martin R at 8:20 AM • 21 Comments •
Conflict Between Universities and Former State Church of Sweden
Category: Skepticism
One of the evaluation's main findings is that the Church of Sweden has too much influence over the universities, and that this influence has grown in recent years.
Posted by Martin R at 3:20 PM • 9 Comments •
Alan Sokal on the Nature and Use of Science
Category: Skepticism
Science is to use reason and observation when approaching factual matters pertaining to any aspect of the single real world we live in.
Posted by Martin R at 4:16 PM • 5 Comments •
Alan Sokal Speaks In Stockholm
Category: Skepticism
An issue that has followed me through my career is the fight against pretentious jargon and extreme epistemological relativism in the humanities. The latter is an old idea from the sociology of science which holds that scientific knowledge does...
Posted by Martin R at 8:20 AM • 25 Comments •
Skeptical Homies
Category: Skepticism
Here's me and my skeptical homies outside the Vasa museum last Wednesday: Manuel Paz-y-Mino from Peru and Massimo Polidoro from Italy....
Posted by Martin R at 8:20 AM • 4 Comments •
Massimo Polidoro Lecture Tour
Category: Skepticism
Italian skeptical star Massimo Polidoro is on a lecture tour of northern Europe. He spoke in the Netherlands last Friday, and here's the remaining schedule:Mon 11 May. Gothenburg, Sweden. Tue 12 May. Stockholm, Sweden. Wed 13 May. Uppsala, Sweden. Fri...
Posted by Martin R at 8:25 AM • 5 Comments •
Skepticality's 100th Show
Category: Skepticism
Skepticality, one of my favourite podcasts, just put its 100th show on-line! Swoopy and Derek have been going strong now for four whole years! Always good for in-depth science-friendly interviews....
Posted by Martin R at 3:40 AM • 3 Comments •
Museum Catalogues Ice Cream Stick
Category: Archaeology
I don't think curating, photographing and cataloguing things like this is a good use of public funding.
Posted by Martin R at 8:20 AM • 27 Comments •
Ola Wikander and Fictional Beings
Category: Language
Essentially, they're the same guy: a storm god called "the Lord".
Posted by Martin R at 8:20 AM • 23 Comments •
Etzel Cardeña, Professor of Parapsychology at Lund
Category: Skepticism
He explained that though he is definitely not a philosophical materialist, he hesitates to call himself a dualist, preferring to speak of a "oneness".
Posted by Martin R at 8:20 AM • 22 Comments •
Take Your Flu Shot
Category: Skepticism
The flu costs a week of lost work during which you feel like one of the restless dead.
Posted by Martin R at 8:20 AM • 9 Comments •
My Friend's Obit Notice
Category: NOIBN
My friend of twenty years, retired broadcaster Lars Erik Åström, died the other day of cancer at age 69. Too soon by far: he has young grandchildren and he was a very good man without whom the world is worse....
Posted by Martin R at 8:20 AM • 2 Comments •
The Onion: "Not All Christians Are Meek Pinko Weirdoes"
Category: Humour
I'm here to tell you there are lots of Christians who aren't anything like the preconceived notions you may have. We're not all into "turning the other cheek." We don't spend our days committing random acts of kindness for no...
Posted by Martin R at 4:24 AM • 2 Comments •
Erich von Däniken: Twilight of the Gods
Category: Skepticism
German SciBling Florian Freistetter of Astrodicticum Simplex offers a report from von Däniken's recent lecture.
Posted by Martin R at 3:03 PM • 42 Comments •
Among Friends & Foes
Category: Archaeology
I ended up chatting briefly with two ladies whom I have criticised sharply in various media.
Posted by Martin R at 8:20 AM • 9 Comments •
Irate Christian E-Mail
Category: Skepticism
A rare piece of irate e-mail.Hi Mr. Rundkvist, This is Gregory from the US. I was reading your thoughts on Dr. Moller and the Exodus Case. You criticize Moller for not trying to disprove his hypothesis. Tell me; do evolutionists...
Posted by Martin R at 8:20 AM • 73 Comments •
Following the Letter of the Law
Category: Humour
"When the fence is symbolic, the structural elements are often symbolic 'doorframes' made of wire."
Posted by Martin R at 8:20 AM • 11 Comments •
My Weird Camp Counselor
Category: Children
A memory. A lot of Swedish middle-class kids get sent to confirmation camp when they're 14. It's basically a crash course in Christianity and ends with first communion. My brother went through his course and then refused the wafer &...
Posted by Martin R at 8:20 AM • 9 Comments •
Roman Coin Prank
Category: Archaeology
A recent unusual find is very likely a wry gift from an archaeologist.
Posted by Martin R at 3:15 AM • 12 Comments •
Cosmic Miroslav Provod
Category: Archaeology
"Nobody will doubt the existence of static electricity in the ancient times..."
Posted by Martin R at 11:59 AM • 13 Comments •
Hard-Up Debater Appeals to Kuhn
Category: Skepticism
"Professor Y subscribes to an earlier Kuhnian paradigm than myself."
Posted by Martin R at 10:16 AM • 12 Comments •
Jeff Medkeff 1968-2008
Category: Skepticism
One of Aard's regulars, Jeff the Blue Collar Astronomer, died yesterday. He was diagnosed out of the blue with spontaneous ("cryptogenic") liver cancer in early June. Jeff was 39. I learned the sad news from Wikipedia contributor Kwix this...
Posted by Martin R at 5:54 PM • 2 Comments •
Bob Lind Gets Grant
Category: Archaeology
Bob has neither formal qualifications nor any excavation experience.
Posted by Martin R at 1:43 PM • 8 Comments •
Against Theoretical Archaeology
Category: Archaeology
All enquiry that does not concern the life-ways of people in the past and/or does not study material remains is non-archaeology.
Posted by Martin R at 2:08 PM • 46 Comments •
Bob Lind Challenges Me to a Duel
Category: Archaeology
"You with your fine archaeological credentials will surely not find reason to complain."
Posted by Martin R at 9:48 AM • 8 Comments •
Sailing the Ley Lines with Dr. Curry
Category: Skepticism
Reading up on some pseudoscientific ideas common among dowsing-rod enthusiasts, I happened upon a funny detail. Many Swedish dowsers believe in the "Curry grid", consisting of "power lines" across the surface of the Earth, detectable only by dowsing. They...
Posted by Martin R at 8:20 AM • 5 Comments •
Skepdude Beefcake Calendar
Category: Skepticism
On my desk is a copy of the 2009 Skepdude pinup calendar. It features lascivious images of many prominent skeptical gentlemen, including D.J. Grothe, Hemant Mehta and Brian Dunning. For March, there's even a picture of a skinny white dude...
Posted by Martin R at 8:20 AM • 10 Comments •
Euro Skeptics Forums
Category: Skepticism
The European Council of Skeptical Organizations (ECSO) has set up an on-line forum. Explains ECSO chairman Amardeo Sarma,"The purpose of this forum is to promote discussion with ECSO and other Skeptics Organisations. So if you have some question or a...
Posted by Martin R at 8:20 AM • 0 Comments •
Junior Meets the Astronaut
Category: Children
It was a good talk, ranging from abstruse physics to everyday practicalities of life in space.
Posted by Martin R at 3:10 PM • 5 Comments •
Irrefutable Evidence: Cell Phone Alarmism Does Cause Harm
Category: Tech
An elderly gentleman saw his grand-daughter answer her phone while holding her newborn baby...
Posted by Martin R at 3:52 PM • 13 Comments •
Skeptical Dirty Limerick Carnival
Category: Skepticism
Akusai of Action Skeptics has done something pretty ostentatious and very cool: he's written the latest Skeptics' Circle blog carnival entirely as a collection of dirty limericks!"An Irishman living with Swedes Speaks about bodily needs Eat and drink well So...
Posted by Martin R at 3:56 AM • 0 Comments •
Skeptic's Guide Interview
Category: Skepticism
Getting up in the small hours on Thursday morning paid off: I'm on The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe #147!...
Posted by Martin R at 3:34 PM • 8 Comments •
Bits and Bobs
Category: Archaeology
Yesterday I did 5.5 more man-hours of metal detecting at the "Hall of Odin" site in Västmanland with Per Vikstrand. No prehistoric finds: just a piece of a 15/16/17th century brass cooking pot. Bob Lind's craziness is once more repeated...
Posted by Martin R at 4:12 AM • 18 Comments •
Aard Regular Makes Headlines Bashing Christian Right
Category: Skepticism
It's great to live in a country where run-of-the-mill Dominionist statements piss the right wing off most mightily.
Posted by Martin R at 9:05 AM • 31 Comments •
Rupert Sheldrake Stabbed by Madman
Category: Skepticism
The attacker struck during a break in the 10th International Conference on Science and Consciousness.
Posted by Martin R at 9:58 AM • 1 Comments •
Carnivalia
Category: Blogging
The thirty-eighth Four Stone Hearth blog carnival is on-line at A Very Remote Period Indeed. Archaeology and anthropology, and all seen in relation to the the Rice Track/Soccer Stadium in Houston, Texas. The next open hosting slot is on...
Posted by Martin R at 4:32 AM • 2 Comments •
Austrian Anthroposophy Waldorf School Hit by Measles Outbreak
Category: Skepticism
Poor kids. They should have corrected their failings and gained soul forces and this would never have happened.
Posted by Martin R at 5:48 AM • 10 Comments •
Lind & Mörner Still Mucking Around in Ravlunda
Category: Archaeology
The last time these enthusiastic gentlemen interfered with the site, they were reprimanded by the County Archaeologist.
Posted by Martin R at 12:27 PM • 9 Comments •
A Pox on Both Houses
Category: Skepticism
A reader has pointed out that a propaganda website friendly with the Chinese government and hostile to Falun Gong is quoting a recent blog entry of mine. She suggests that this means that I am aiding the government in its...
Posted by Martin R at 4:06 AM • 5 Comments •
German Incest Case
Category: Skepticism
The incest taboo is a cultural universal, and most likely genetically determined.
Posted by Martin R at 7:20 AM • 88 Comments •
Wikipedians, Check This Out
Category: Skepticism
The Wikipedia entry about Falun Gong is heavily biased.
Posted by Martin R at 7:07 PM • 40 Comments •
Falun Gong Puts On a Song and Dance
Category: China
The Chinese authorities and Falun Gong: a nasty autocratic regime persecuting a nasty manipulative cult.
Posted by Martin R at 8:20 AM • 5 Comments •
Samian Pierre Resists Attempt to Move Viking Town
Category: Archaeology
Amateur scholars all around the Baltic argue that Birka was in their favourite spot.
Posted by Martin R at 8:20 AM • 6 Comments •
Archaeology and Scientism
Category: Archaeology
Among Anglophone archaeologists there used to be hostility towards "scientism", often compounded to "naïve scientism" or "vulgar scientism".
Posted by Martin R at 3:10 PM • 13 Comments •
Gonna Flash My Stuff
Category: Skepticism
I've just agreed to a flattering request from real.girl at Skepchick. This means that chances are you will find a skeptical archaeologist in partial deshabillé in the 2009 edition of the Skepchick skin calendar. And I'm train blogging again. And...
Posted by Martin R at 4:42 AM • 15 Comments •
Archaeology Beyond Scientific Credibility
Category: Archaeology
Post-modernist hyper-relativism unexpectedly rears its ugly dying head in the form of a call for papers from one Tera Pruitt for the otherwise respectable Archaeological Review from Cambridge. Note the scare quotes around the words truth and valid claims.Call for...
Posted by Martin R at 3:06 PM • 17 Comments •
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