Archives for September, 2010
A discussion with Genie Scott about Science Standards, Creationism and Evolution in the Classroom
Posted by Greg Laden on September 16, 2010 This is from a few months back, but is very relevant to Back to School Month!
Yet Another Backwards Music Video
Posted by Greg Laden on September 16, 2010 Rember this Hall and Oats video from Shorewood High School? If you liked that, you might like this:
Arctic Sea Ice Shrinks to Alarmingly Small Range
Posted by Greg Laden on September 16, 2010 Scientists have been measuring sea ice very carefully since 1979. Prior to that, there are estimates that are of varying degrees of usefulness. I know for a fact that many New England lighthouses were attached to land by winter-long ice in places that have not had sea ice in any living person’s memory, and there…
Two search engines with somewhat different foci
Posted by Greg Laden on September 16, 2010 First, we have SeekFind, the “Christian Search Engine” where you will not find anything that conflicts with the bible. Click here. I entered “Australopithecus” and got 163 results almost all from the Institute for Creation Research. Second, we have the skeptical search engine, click here, which provides results from science oriented and skeptical sites. The…
Science proves that your friends are more important than you!
Posted by Greg Laden on September 16, 2010 Editor’s Selection IconThe other day a friend of mine bumped into some news that concerned her. She could have asked a random person about this to find out more information, but there was a bit of information that came with the news indicating that I might know more than the average person about it. So,…
Intelligent Design’s Legal Status after Dover
Posted by Greg Laden on September 16, 2010 First, there was plain and simple creationism, a Christian idea that, in an ideal Christian world, would be taught as part of any science dealing with the past, including biology (evolution), geology, and presumably history. But the constitution stood in the way of implementing basic Christian teachings in public schools in the United States, though…
Help Out Al Franken’s Friend
Posted by Greg Laden on September 15, 2010 I just got the following email from Al Franken: Dear Greg, Believe me, the last thing a Vikings fan like me would ever think to support is something called a “Cheddarbomb.” But while the Packers may be our rival, I’d do just about anything to help out my friend Russ Feingold. His football allegiances aside,…
Anthropogenic Climate Change: It’s for real.
Posted by Greg Laden on September 15, 2010 I’ve noticed that a lot of smart people who nonetheless “did not accept” AGW, or at least, denied the “A” part of it, have stoped talking about it lately. I’m speaking here of people I know personally. You know who you are, and you know you were wrong, and I just wanted to say that…
Public perceptions of energy consumption and savings
Posted by Greg Laden on September 15, 2010 There are two quick and fairly easy approaches to reducing US emissions of CO2 by several percent. These reduction would be at the household level, possibly decreasing the household cost of energy by between 20 and 30 percent (or more, depending on the household) and decreasing national total CO2 emissions by around 10% or so.…
Why are so many things broken?
Posted by Greg Laden on September 15, 2010 It is a plot, as I always suspected. Seth Godin at Gel 2006 from Gel Conference on Vimeo. Here’s his web site.
Carne Ross: An independent diplomat
Posted by Greg Laden on September 15, 2010 After 15 years in the British diplomatic corps, Carne Ross became a “freelance diplomat,” running a bold nonprofit that gives small, developing and yet-unrecognized nations a voice in international relations. At the BIF-5 conference, he calls for a new kind of diplomacy that gives voice to small countries, that works with changing boundaries and that…
Ben Cameron: The true power of the performing arts
Posted by Greg Laden on September 15, 2010 Arts administrator and live-theater fan Ben Cameron looks at the state of the live arts — asking: How can the magic of live theater, live music, live dance compete with the always-on Internet? At TEDxYYC, he offers a bold look forward.
Rob Dunbar: Discovering ancient climates in oceans and ice
Posted by Greg Laden on September 15, 2010 This Rob Dunbar is NOT Robin Dunbar the Archaeologist. Rob Dunbar hunts for data on our climate from 12,000 years ago, finding clues inside ancient seabeds and corals and inside ice sheets. His work is vital in setting baselines for fixing our current climate — and in tracking the rise of deadly ocean acidification.
The Vigil After Dover: Part 1
Posted by Greg Laden on September 15, 2010 The Irony of Henry Adams: The most misunderstood quote evah!
Posted by Greg Laden on September 15, 2010 I just received a mass emailing from Julia’s high school, in the name of the principal. Routine business. At the end of the missive was this quote: A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops. What does this quote mean to you? If you don’t know its context, you may be…
Ad using religious iconography banned in Britian
Posted by Greg Laden on September 14, 2010 Do you remember the controversy over nuns painting a naked guy as part of an advertising campaign? (Click here, not work safe if anyone is looking and they’re a prude.) Well, apparently one thing led to another and one of the nuns got pregnant!
Texas Governor: Evolution vs Creationism in Texas Schools
Posted by Greg Laden on September 14, 2010 Governor Rick Perry’s position is that he believes in “Intelligent Design” as a matter of faith and intellect. Well, his faith is out of place (did he not swear to protect and defend the US constitution? On a bible?) and his intellect is clearly damaged by exposure to those wide open Texas spaces. Between his…
Before and after public pressure
Posted by Greg Laden on September 14, 2010 Before: Irish science minister boosts antievolution blarney The Irish minister of state for science is to appear at a launch party for a self-published antievolutionist book, according to the Irish Times (September 13, 2010). Conor Lenihan, who represents Dublin South West for Fianna Fáil in Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Irish parliament) and…
Stones & Bones: Evolution for kids
Posted by Greg Laden on September 14, 2010 Stones & Bones is a new book for children on the topic we all know and love: Evolution. The book comes with a CD and there is a very useful accompanying web site, according to the publishers. The NCSE recommends it.
Casey Luskin makes a reasonable argument that biology textbooks are biased and full of lies, on Fox News
Posted by Greg Laden on September 14, 2010 NOT!!!!!! Actually, I think we can make even better arguments about Luskin’s points than this fun video gives. Put them in the comment section please:
Just so you know … cdesign proponentsists
Posted by Greg Laden on September 14, 2010 The blogosphere is structured like a bus of tourists heading into ever new territory being spoken to by a thousand guides with microphones in the front of the vehicle. Woe be it to any guide who points out something that the bus passed several blocks back. But sometimes it is appropriate to re-mention certain things…
Blob 92 is already looking like a hurricane
Posted by Greg Laden on September 14, 2010 I hereby withdraw my earlier prediction that a blob over Mali and Niger would be the next named Atlantic storm. Instead, I think it will be this one right here: We shall name it Karl. If it forms into a tropical storm soon. Expect that by Thursday.
Science Education and Critical Thinking
Posted by Greg Laden on September 14, 2010 I just want to remind returning teachers of this podcast: How are today’s teachers sharing the wonders of science and critical thinking with the next generation of students? With cognitive psychologist and university lecturer Barbara Drescher, and Mike McRae, former science teacher and current science writer for the education division of Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and…
The Women Of Skepticism
Posted by Greg Laden on September 14, 2010 …. the podcast of the recent Skeptically Speaking, is here. It’s a recorded live show! This is not about women in skepticism. It is about skepticism, by women. Sort of. Anyway this episode includes: Panelists: Kylie Sturgess of The Token Skeptic, Robynn ?Swoopy? McCarthy of Skepticality, and Heidi Anderson and Jenna Marie Griffith of SheThought.…
Dropbox is still good
Posted by Greg Laden on September 14, 2010 I’ve been using Dropbox for several months now, and I still like it. I have it installed on two computers, a desktop and a laptop. I recently wiped the desktop’s hard drive and installed an entirety new drive and system, then I installed Dropbox, and all my files (which were stored on Dropbox) mysteriously appeared…
RIP George C. Williams
Posted by Greg Laden on September 14, 2010 George Williams died on September 8th, 84 years old. He was one of the first academic defenders of evolution against “Intelligent Design” but is better known for his work on evolutionary medicine. Lest GCW start spinning in his new grave, let me quickly note …
Evolution vs. Creationism: The Book
Posted by Greg Laden on September 14, 2010 A life science teacher should not have to know about creationism to teach evolution, other than to the extent that you may cover the history of evolutionary biology, and begin in the days before science took center stage and natural philosophy was dragged off with one of those big vaudeville hooks. But, unfortunately, you do…
Facebooking Moose Busted for Bombing Conspiracy
Posted by Greg Laden on September 13, 2010 Justin Carl Moose used his Facebook page to advocate violence against health care clinics where abortions are preformed, and urged violent attacks on people who work in such facilities. But, just like if you get stone drunk and photographs of you half naked wearing a lampshade on your head in some dive appear on Facebook…
Three Tropical Energy Blobs
Posted by Greg Laden on September 13, 2010 Tropical storms and hurricanes are eddies in the massive current of solar energy transiting from the equator, where there is lots of it, to the poles, where there is less. And when I say equator, I mean the ITCZ. Anyway, there are three such concentration of energy in the Atlantic worthy of a close look.…
Bad Research
Posted by Greg Laden on September 13, 2010 Cognitive psychologist Barbara Drescher joins us to discuss the common mistakes scientists make, and what happens to the science when their research goes wrong. … and …. Journalist David Dobbs explains the case against Marc Hauser, a prominent Harvard evolutionary biologist who was recently found guilty of scientific misconduct. This Friday on Skeptically Speaking.
, which is now available for the 
