pharyngula

Randy Olson has a new movie that is premiering today: Sizzle: A Global Warming Comedy. We all know it's going to be funny, and that because it will also criticize the scientists studying climate change, it will be infuriating and annoying and will draw lots of fire from both sides. Go ahead and…

A while back, I said, "Somebody somewhere is going to have to someday point me to some intelligent arguments for gods, because I've sure never found them. And I know, someone is going to complain that I always pick on the weak arguments…while not bothering to tell me what the strong ones are." In a…

I'm home after a 10 day absence, which means … catching up with a backlog of work and mail. I just got back from my office, where a stack of packages was awaiting me — publishing companies keep sending me books to review, and it's getting a little daunting. There was a fine collection of gems in…

I'm a little disappointed in the possible answers to this question, Do you think the religious right exerts too big an influence over public policy? You can reply "Not Sure", "No", and "Yes", but there doesn't seem to be a "HELL YES!!!!" option.

I am back in Morris at last, in time to remind you all that there will be a new Tangled Bank this week at Syaffolee. Send those links in to me soon — we've got a few already, but more would be great. Also, if you volunteered to host in the future, you might want to make sure you check the Tangled…

It's nice to know that at least one person liked my talks in Seattle — and I know at least one didn't, the creationist who made the tired accusation that I was a "fundamentalist" in the Q&A — but you can make up your own mind, since a podcast of the NWSA talk is available. Now, though, I just…

Ron Bailey is a bit late to the funeral, but he does have a scathing review of Expelled. Anybody ready to end the wake with a decapitation? Some garlic? How about a woodchipper?

Richard Dawkins interviewed Rupert Sheldrake on Sheldrake's remarkable assertions about the existence of psychic abilities. Here's Sheldrake's rationalization: He then said that in a romantic spirit he himself would like to believe in telepathy, but there just wasn't any evidence for it. He…

In a fluff story about George Takei (Sulu!) getting married to his partner of 21 years, WNBC takes the tacky step of including a poll asking, "Should same-sex couples be allowed to marry?" Please. How ridiculous. When the cheesy news was full of Britney Spears or Angeline Jolie or the movie star of…

Don't miss this one! At 9am Central, Atheists Talk radio will feature the physicist James Kakalios — ask him your questions about superheroes. Then August Berkshire will discuss the problem of evil…it must have something to do with supervillains, I guess.

I was very pleased to see Hillary Clinton's call for party unity today — that gives me some hope that we'll all pull together and win this important election in November. So…do you need another reason to despise John McCain?

Maria Maltseva took a bunch of photos of last night's talk for the Seattle Skeptics facebook group — and look, here's me and my mom! So now she's on facebook. We'll drag her into the 21st century yet!

The introductory schtick to my talk at the Seattle Skeptics meeting last night was to take a Bible and read a bit of Genesis, making the point that it was vague, wrong, and useless (I also ripped out the page and waved the pathetic thing around a bit, which had several people asking if they could…

Now South Carolina is offering one of those inane "I BELIEVE" license plates to drivers in their state, and yay, we've got a stupid poll to crash! You can vote "Thumbs up" or "Thumbs down" on it, which was a bit of a dilemma for me — I kind of like the idea of the credulous being clearly labeled,…

Dear Sir/Madam I wish to complain about the fact that Katie Kish doesn't like my kind. I am quite certain that the universe has a law that requires that everyone find me likable, and I am surprised that the internets allow disagreement. I would appreciate your attention on this matter as I consider…

Under the malign influence of the wicked and silly Sally Kern, some Oklahomans were trying to pass an awful religious viewpoints anti-discrimination act, which would have simply given further privileges to majority religious views in the state. Fortunately, Governor Brad Henry has vetoed the…

Cool — I've been written up in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. It's a good story by a journalist, Tom Paulson, who I just met this week, and who seems to know what's up in the area. I've already had a relative call up and say she's glad I'm famous, so it's all just in time for the family reunion…

Jeff, the Blue Collar Scientist, has just been diagnosed with liver cancer. Pay him a virtual visit and let him know that we expect him to get well soon and are quite pleased that modern science gives him good prospects for a long, productive, and happy life.

Sometimes my email contains a few good and sincere questions — and here's an example. This is probably the most common rock on which creationists founder: a profound misconception about what evolution says, and a natural human desire to see a guiding plan to the world. I'm tormented. I appreciate…

(via Scuba Duba)

Several people have written to me expressing their concern over the recent publication of this paper: Evidence for Intelligent Design in Gastrointestinal Endocrinology: Identification of Novel Cholecystokinin/Gastrin-Like Peptides in the Nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Greeley GH Jr, Endocrinology…

Michele Bachmann is the Minnesota representative who embarrasses us all. She is, of course, a Republican, and one of the dumber ones — she's our anti-gay, anti-science, anti-American, far-right-wing kook, and we need to get her out of office … she's up for re-election this year. My oldest son…

In case you want to prepare your itinerary, you can now plan your eternity in Jesusland with a map of heaven. I notice that the line to View the Damned is much longer than the line to sit in Jesus' lap.

It's part of an article about an atheist billboard for the Greater Philadelphia Coalition of Reason, which sounds great. Alas, the Inquirer marred it with a stupid internet poll that asks, "Do you believe in God?" Haven't they learned yet that these things are easily skewed? Go show them that…

OK, this is a little rude, a bit funny, and a lot sacrilegious. I'm all for sacrilege, though, so I can't condemn it too much. Authorities were alerted after a parishoner heard "rustling and groaning" coming from inside the confession box and pulled back the curtains to reveal a goth-rock couple…

Having reviewed the extensive evidence of obstreperous obtuse obnoxiousness, I have made a decision in the case of Pharyngulistas v. Kenny: summary termination without appeal. And there was much rejoicing.

One of the fun things about traveling to strange places like Seattle is getting to meet new and interesting people — or, at least, people who are made of meat rather than the more familiar bit patterns of the net. I've had a few occasions now to talk to Alan Boyle, who has just summarized my NWSA…

At the last couple of talks I've given out here on the west coast, I've begun by introducing the appalling ignorance and illogic of creationist arguments. I think I have a new favorite example. To summarize: God ordered the soldiers of the Hebrews to march around Jericho 6 times on 6 days, which…

Man, I'm away on vacation and you rowdies get all raucus and rude in the comments. The powers-that-be at Seed have received a complaint about your heinous behavior, and have asked me (politely, and with assurances that I have full control over how to handle this situation) to address it. Here is…

Wow. This guy is like Ben Stein on quaaludes — and just as wrong, wrong, wrong. The opening premise for his slo-mo diatribe is ridiculous: True science only reports observable facts, rather than interpretations and assumptions. Then he goes on with a tedious litany of examples: you are allowed to…