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.
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.
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Category: humor
Posted on: February 8, 2008 7:45 AM, by James Hrynyshyn
Friday morning chuckle: The Science Channel asks William Shatner about scotched plans to get him into space:
Q: And there was some kind of mix-up with the Richard Branson civilian space project?A: Well, I guess you could call it that. He thought I should pay to go into space, and I thought he should pay me. The conversation pretty much ended there.
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Comments
The star won't make the trek?!
Posted by: Ian | February 8, 2008 9:18 AM
Not without being paid for the enormous publicity he'd be giving them. :)
Posted by: Andrew | February 8, 2008 10:09 AM
Ho! LOL!
The chap (Shatner) is an actor and he is NOT Capt' Kirk. He has an Agent who attends the "details". He is most rational in asking just how much he would be paid to get into an amateur tin can & blast off. The series was a lotta fun but it wasn't real. Capeche?
Posted by: Skeptic8 | February 9, 2008 12:24 AM
Put both Shatner and Nimoy in on the same launch and that's worth a couple tens of millions in publicity. Unless the headline comes back "Star Trek Icons Perish in Botched Space Ride".
Posted by: QrazyQat | February 20, 2008 8:19 AM
Skeptic8,
I think everyone knows that William Shatner isn't Cpt. James Tiberius Kirk, the character he portrayed in the Star Trek movies and TV series. That doesn't mean that it would serve no purpose to send him into space.
As has been mentioned by others it would give Branson's endeavor a huge amount of publicity. It would also be gratifying for the millions of people who grew up watching Star Trek to see "Cptn. Kirk" actually make it into space.
Of course they would have to build a "helm" and have footage of him lurching from side to side in the press release.
"To boldly go where no overwieght, toupe wearing, hack actor has ever gone before."
Seriously you have to love Shatner. The guy has comfortably made the transition to self-parodying comic icon.
Posted by: Lance | February 29, 2008 12:58 PM