pharyngula

It's tough to tread that line between contempt and admiration: Jerry Coyne writes about the Templeton journalism awards. It really is a smart move on the part of the Templetonites to coopt journalists to sell their bankrupt line by tossing a good-sized chunk of money at them. One interesting…

The country was hit hard with some loss of life, but so far seems to be handling it well — this is nothing like the Haiti disaster. Countries on the Pacific shore need to brace themselves for tsunamis. NOAA has published estimated arrival times. And just look at this amazing map of where the energy…

My teeth and gums are still aching from my week of intense dental maintenance. I have clearly signed up for the wrong program.

Here's a Fox-News-driven poll for you. Should Al Gore remain on Apple's Board of Directors? Yes 48% No 49% Unsure 4% What did Al Gore do to win this vote of no-confidence? Was he flirting with Linux, caught running Windows, abusing insider information to reap illegal profits from the booming…

Got problem kids? Man, when they hit those teenage years they all get rebellious and willful, and start thinking independently, and often start doing things their parents would rather they didn't. This is one of the tough responsibilities of being a parent — you have to be willing to let your…

National Geographic has a whole page of miscellaneous videos featuring bats having dinner. I like bats, but perversely preferred this one of assassin bugs turning the tables on them.

Hey, I just checked my mailbox for a fancy gilt envelope, but no joy. I was hoping to hear from the Pope. The Pontifical Council for Culture has announced that it is creating a foundation to focus on relations with atheists and agnostics. See? They should be calling me any minute now…oh, wait. The…

You know, voodoo is a really ridiculous religion. Ritual magic, placating gods…but it's common and accepted in Haiti. Here's another ridiculous religion: Christianity. It's got its own brand of ritual magic, and it's also all about placating one god. It's also common and accepted in Haiti. I'm…

Chris Mooney has just been named a Templeton Fellow in journalism. It's perfect for him. Many sincere congratulations on the excellent career trajectory. Abbie sees the bright side in all this.

Because I am weirded out by this new fad of vajazzling, or the gluing of shiny little rhinestones to women's crotches. I think the problem is that I'm a biologist, so I find skin quite pleasant as it is; this must be something to appeal to geologists, who think it can't be sexy unless it is…

For some reason, Grimpoteuthis always makes me think of Wimpy. (via Frozenly, which also has a number of other photos of weird creatures found in the Mariana Trench)

Another day, another outraged Christian. Parents in a Utah school district were horrified to discover a link on the district web page to an evil essay: The new battle centers on a link on the district's Web page that was quietly removed on Feb. 16. Titled "America: Republic or Democracy?" the link…

It's OK, though, you know he's the kind of rotten, self-centered guy who would do that.

The South Dakota senate has been wrestling over an important resolution, HCR 1009. Here's the original text. It will look rather familiar to anyone who has seen creationist bills roll through a legislature. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the House of Representatives of the Eighty-fifth…

I just need a machine, I guess.

Apparently, it takes a lot of artificial modification to get one's brain into the state where it can defend religion.

Good grief. This ridiculous study is making the rounds of the atheist community, with its claim that liberals and atheists are smarter than conservatives and religious people. Look at the numbers! Young adults who identify themselves as "not at all religious" have an average IQ of 103 during…

A lot of people don't like Lyndon Rush, the Christian zealot who also happens to be a bobsledder in the Olympics. I think he's wonderful. It's so helpful to have someone like him openly demonstrating that Christians are morons.* You know there's no atheist in a foxhole, right? There's no atheist at…

I'm shocked that such a serious journal would find any value at all in running a web poll, but there you go. They're everywhere. How about giving them a lesson in the frangibility of polls? Should homeopathy be allowed on the NHS? Yes 35% No 65%

The Canadian government is planning to help a fundamentalist Christian group, Youth for Christ, to proselytize. They've offered to contribute several million dollars to the construction of a youth center in downtown Winnipeg, which sounds like a wonderful, useful idea…except for the fact that the…

Two suspects in a Texas church arson have been arrested. Unfortunately, guess what the most important fact in the presentation of the story is? Investigators have seized books on demons and atheism as well as rifles and knives from in a home linked to one of the men charged with setting an east…

The endless thread apparently turns one year old today. What the heck have you people been talking about? Anyway, you know the drill. Comments on the old post closed, commenting resumes here. Are you planning to keep it up for another year? May your conversations continue to blossom.

The Duggars are that creepy family paraded about on The Learning Channel — the ones with the swarm of kids. It's a horrifying show, but in this episode, the nightmare is compounded by the fact that they visit the Creation "Museum" and even get a personal guided tour from freakishly dead-eyed Ken…

Cults are all about control, and small children must be very hard to control. The leader of a religious cult was "outraged" when a 1-year-old boy did not say "Amen" before a meal and ordered her followers to deprive him of food and water until he died, a Baltimore prosecutor told jurors Monday.…

Collins has a new book coming out, titled Belief: Readings on the Reason for Faith. It's the same old drivel: CS Lewis, old chestnuts re-roasted on a dying fire, nature and science somehow testifying to the truth of faith, moral law, fine-tuning, the Big Bang, etc. Jerry Coyne says it just right:…

I run a blog, not an open forum, and I'm reminded once again why I prefer the former. The Richard Dawkins site is revising their forum. This substantial change is causing a great deal of unwarranted anxiety — people are unhappy (which is fair enough) and complaining, and many are flocking to a new…

Earlier, I linked to that ghastly "Negotiation is Over" anti-research site. Let me balance that with a link to the pro-science site, Speaking of Research. Compare the two, it's enlightening. Guess which one relies on shrieking all-caps accusations and threats of dire harm to the people on the other…

I just got back from another two hours in The Chair. I had 3 30-40 year old fillings replaced — I have outlived my childhood dental work, which is the sniny way to look at it — and had a wisdom tooth removed. Never mind me, I'll just be curled up in the corner, whimpering.

Janet Stemwedel was a participant in a panel discussion on the ethics of animal research. She got her reward: she is now featured on the web page of a deranged terrorist for animal rights, complete with her home address and phone number. These thugs are people who threaten children and carry out…

Stenocereus thurberi