Now on ScienceBlogs: Freethinker Sunday Sermonette: more religion and child abuse
An irregular exploration of the struggle between the power of rational discourse and the scientific method on one hand, and the forces of superstition and dogma on the other. Mostly regarding climate change, though.
James Hrynyshyn is a freelance science journalist based in western North Carolina, where he tries to put degrees in marine biology and journalism to good use.
The Demon-Haunted World:
Science as a Candle
in the Dark,
by Carl Sagan
(A
review)
The Doubter's Companion:
by John Ralston Saul (Excerpts)
Skeptic Magazine: www.skeptic.com
Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal: www.csicop.org
A poem by Yehuda Amichai:
The
Place
Where We Are Right
The Meaning of the
Island of Doubt
By doubting we come to inquiry; and through inquiry we perceive truth.
--- Peter Abelard
Undisguised clarity is easily mistaken for arrogance.
-- Richard Dawkins
As for evolution, it happened. Deal with it.
-- Michael Shermer.
"There is no need to sally forth, for it remains true that those things
which make us human are, curiously enough, always close at hand.
Resolve, then, that on this very ground, with small flags waving, and
tiny blasts of tinny trumpets, we have met the enemy, and not only may
he be ours, he may be us."
--Walt Kelly
August 30, 2006
Category: climate
This week we've been asked to comment on James Robbins' ridiculous essay in The National Review, Hooray For Global Warming. Although a more appropriate response would probably be to ignore such twaddle, that would be contrary to the whole blogging...
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 2:22 PM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
I will second David Ng's plea for everyone to watch or read the farewell speech of the outgoing UN ambassador for AIDS, Stephen Lewis. It's a rare combination of passion and reason, one that should leave every civilized person seething...
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 9:35 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
August 29, 2006
Category: religiosity
The first reports of the changing of the guard at the Vatican Observatory suggested evil-doing were afoot. The outgoing George Coyne is known as a stalwart defender of science and evolution in particular. But the Vatican later insisted Coyne was...
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 11:43 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
August 28, 2006
Category: pseudo-science
Astrology is not usually at the top of my worry list. Sure, there are far too many gullible readers of daily horoscopes, and it did bother me a bit to learn Ronald Reagan was consulting an astrologer while sitting in...
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 8:45 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
August 25, 2006
Category: religiosity
Can someone please carry out a fact check on Katherine Harris' resume? Because I have to wonder about any institution that would bestow a degree on someone so ignorant of just about everything. Joan took a whack at her in...
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 11:41 AM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
August 24, 2006
Category: politics
The government spokesthingies say it's just a oversight. "On its own, it's not really a smoking gun," Glenn Branch of the National Center for Science Education tells New Scientist. "Inadvertant" is the explanation supplied to the New York Times. But...
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 9:38 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: science culture
I envy Nature reporter Jenny Hogan, who's been blogging from the International Astronomical Union's big meeting in Prague for the past couple of weeks. I've always considered science journalism the most fascinating sector of the industry (that's why I'm one),...
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 7:59 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
August 23, 2006
Category: punditry
Carl has added Jack Kemp to his pantheon of creationist-friendly pols after coming across the Republican presidential-wannabe's latest column, which attempts to cast doubt on the notion that pro-evolution forces aren't doing as well as the liberal media would have...
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 12:24 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: religiosity
A paper due to be published next month by Adrian White, a psychologist at the University of Leicester, makes a sincere effort to compare global happiness rates. This sort of thing has been done before, and surprises are few. As...
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 9:29 AM • 7 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
August 21, 2006
Category: evolution
If Richard Dawkins spends much time in the blogosphere, he's probably quite pleased with himself these days on account of the success of the meme meme. By that, I mean the "unit of cultural information, such as a cultural practice...
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 3:43 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
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