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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
April 30, 2007
Category: biology
No one should ever be granted a degree in science without being able to finishing this little gem of an aphorism: "It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble......
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 2:22 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: evolution
Evolution is not, in philosophical terms, teleological -- heading for some ultimate goal.
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 9:51 AM • 8 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
April 28, 2007
Category: biology
Get ready for a big fracas among oncologists: "In June, U.S. researchers will announce the first direct link between cancer prevention and the sunshine vitamin. Their results are nothing short of astounding." (Globe and Mail, April 28). A lot of...
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 10:10 AM • 7 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
April 26, 2007
Category: climate
Uncertainty does not, and never has, preclude action.
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 4:48 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
April 25, 2007
Category: climate
A lot of us had forgotten how poorly the Clinton Administration scored on the environmental front.
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 1:13 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
April 24, 2007
Category: religiosity
PZ seems to have swallowed an apocryphal report to the contrary.
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 4:21 PM • 8 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: biology
Not that we understand everything about been neurophysiology, behavior and navigation. It's theoretically possible that cell phones are the problem, but it doesn't seem to me like there's enough science there to justify elevating it to a working theory.
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 10:03 AM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
April 21, 2007
Category: religiosity
The cover of the latest issue of Maclean's magazine, which is the Canadian equivalent of Time or Newsweek, asks "Is God poison?" The secondary headline to the feature, which is online, says "a new movement blames God for every social...
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 6:29 AM • 7 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
April 20, 2007
Category: science culture
People aren't stupid. At least they aren't all stupid all of the time. And then they can understand numbers, contrary to what the advocates of science framing would have us believe.
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 7:18 AM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
April 17, 2007
Category: misc
I don't really care if those power lines, which are at the moment tangled in a tree lying across the street a few hundred meters from our house, can deliver a megawatt of power for a nanosecond. What I need is one or two kilowatts for several hours at a stretch.
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 1:53 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Neurophilosophy 11.19.2009
The Island of Doubt 11.20.2009
Greg Laden's Blog 11.20.2009
The World's Fair 11.19.2009
Laelaps 11.20.2009
