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
May 31, 2007
Category: climate
"Have we already passed a 'tipping point' such that it is now impossible to avoid 'dangerous' climate change? In our estimation, we must be close to such a point...."
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 1:58 PM • 20 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
May 29, 2007
Category: climate
The coal industry's PR machine is in overdrive. Today's New York Times gives the dirtiest energy sector every invented a lot of space to make its case that coal power can save the world from climate change, free us from...
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 12:23 PM • 22 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
May 27, 2007
Category: evolution
If hell was real, a place of honor would be reserved for Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, who blocked a plan to honor Rachel Carson last week. We named our cat after Carson, so you can guess how angry this...
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 1:09 PM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
May 26, 2007
Category: cetacea
The plight of just two humpback whales that got themselves lost up the Sacramento River has got the nation transfixed. This sort of thing happens every few years. Back in 1988, it was three gray whales trapped in the ice...
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 7:31 AM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
May 24, 2007
Category: religiosity
Maybe we could invent a drinking game -- one swig for each violation of the laws of physics.
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 4:16 PM • 8 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
May 22, 2007
Category: religiosity
Actually, the report in question came on just shy of 11 p.m. Although my local Fox television network affiliate had been promoting its 10 o'clock news report, in which a scientist uses physics to prove the Christian god exists, for...
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 11:19 AM • 8 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
May 17, 2007
Category: climate
The honeymoon is over.
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 6:41 PM • 8 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: climate
New Scientist has assembled a marvelous list of 26 of the most-cited objections to the scientific consensus on climate change. Temperatures rise before carbon dioxide; polar bear population is increasing; there is no consensus; it's all there. This handy-dandy resource...
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 5:01 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
May 16, 2007
Category: punditry
Falwell's political legacy is important in the same way Bo Derek's hair in "10" was important.
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 8:57 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
May 15, 2007
Category: climate
"If the crib's on fire, you don't speculate that the baby is flame-retardant."
Posted by James Hrynyshyn at 12:14 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Highly Allochthonous 11.05.2009
Eruptions 11.05.2009
Not Exactly Rocket Science 11.05.2009
Corpus Callosum 11.05.2009
Starts With a Bang 11.04.2009
