Paul Z. Meyers
pharyngula
Posts by this author
November 19, 2007
Today is the anniversary of the delivery of the Gettysburg Address, which, even if the content weren't gloriously beautiful, would deserve eternal recognition as an exemplary reminder to speech makers of the virtues of brevity.
You should at least read it today.
November 19, 2007
He's a little late, but Afarensis finally saw Judgement Day. Verdict: he likes it! I knew he would. He also points out the key factor that demolished the creationist case:
This, in a nutshell, is why ID lost at Dover. The contrast between the experiments embodied in that stack of papers and books…
November 19, 2007
My library doesn't subscribe to this journal, but maybe yours does. Can anyone send me a pdf of this paper?
Mather JA, Anderson RC 2007) Ethics and invertebrates: a cephalopod perspective. Dis Aquat Organ. 75(2):119-29.
This paper first explores 3 philosophical bases for attitudes to invertebrates…
November 19, 2007
It is my honor to induct into the Grand Order of the Molly, with all rights, privileges, powers, and obligations thereof, the distinguished commenter known as Sastra. Everyone stand up, applaud frantically, and remember to bow when you meet her in the street henceforth.
November 19, 2007
A few little videos by way of the marvelous Kevin Hayden:
Ladies, did you know that you are just like a cardboard box? We're supposed to treat you delicately and with respect, just in case you've got something in your uterus. If you've had a hysterectomy or you're menstruating, though, and we…
November 19, 2007
Whoa. Somehow, I think I've ended up in the Bizarro Universe. New Scientist reports that the Discovery Institute has a problem with the information for teachers that accompanied the recent Judgment Day documentary.
The teaching package states: "Q: Can you accept evolution and still believe in…
November 18, 2007
Zeno compares Dinesh D'Souza to Mark Twain. This exercise is much like comparing mouse droppings to our upcoming Thanksgiving feast, but I suppose it must be done. Note D'Souza's argument for free will:
I am sitting at my computer with a cup of coffee on my desk. I can reach over and take a sip if…
November 18, 2007
Wilkins is about to review a new paper on sociobiology by Wilson and Wilson, but he hasn't quite done it yet. I'll be looking forward to it, though.
Wilkins calls himself an unflinching sociobologist. I'm more of a lapsed sociobiologist with a fairly positive view of the field. The book…
November 18, 2007
After urging you all to do something to save the Tasmanian devil, I discover now that Tara wrote about DFTD last month. I guess I have to work harder to keep up with all these science bloggers.
November 18, 2007
Today's Freethinker Sunday Sermonette first tells the tale of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, which is utterly wacky by intent…and then has a most amusing cartoon retelling of Sodom and Gomorrah, which is even more insane. Who needs the FSM when you can discredit religion more effectively with its…
November 18, 2007
People had some peculiar ideas in 1932. Try reading this wonderfully detailed diagram of evolution (if you've got the bandwidth, download the 3212x8748 pixel version).
The vertical axis makes sense: it's a logarithmic scale of geologic time. It's not quite right, since it has life arising about 1.6…
November 17, 2007
If you're curious about the public response to PBS's Judgment Day, the PBS ombudsman has an article up on it. It had above average viewership; there were a lot of complaints that it was "one sided", but that's just too bad, since the science is decidedly one sided.
The letters are the best part.…
November 17, 2007
Listen to Roy Zimmerman's characterization of "Jerry Falwell's God" — I think I read something very similar in Dawkins' The God Delusion. Only milder, and not as musical.
(via God is for suckers!)
November 17, 2007
The Baylor Lariat is running a silly poll in which they ask how Baylor ought to approach ID: encourage it, discourage it, prohibit it, or support it. The creationists have been having fun with it, and "encourage" is winning by a landslide. Let's everyone head over there and skew it the Pharyngula…
November 17, 2007
The good Lynch of Stranger Fruit was honored as the CASE/Carnegie Professor of the Year awardee for Arizona. Everyone go applaud!
November 17, 2007
It's a measure of the DI's intellectual bankruptcy that they are pleased to have recruited Michael Medved to their cause. He's wingnut who loves Sasquatch; I don't even care for his movie reviews, which seem to consist of nothing but sanctimonious assessments of movies in the light of his…
November 17, 2007
Hmmm. They're arguing about teaching ID in Orange county and in Polk county. Both places have sensible people pointing out that Intelligent Design creationism is not science (and probably also sensibly have visions of $3 million court costs wafting through their heads), while a few clueless…
November 17, 2007
Kentucky, you're on notice.
The chairman of the joint Agricultural and Natural Resources Committee is holding hearings to promote ignorance and denialism. This is appalling.
Chairman Jim Gooch, D-Providence, a longtime ally of the coal industry, said he purposefully did not invite anyone who…
November 17, 2007
In weird medical news, researchers have discovered that an extract made from shellfish reduces scarring after certain medical procedures. It's a gel-like polysaccharide called chitosan, and it's injected up the nose after sinus operations.
I don't know what this means for my daily fix of squid goo…
November 17, 2007
If you've been wondering what to do in the aftermath of Cyclone Sidr, the people to watch Chris and Sheril and influential blogger Greg Laden. Some specific information is available here and here, but I'm sure more will be coming up.
November 17, 2007
It's mid-November, so it's time to suggest new inductees into the Order of the Molly. Leave comments in this thread naming your favorite commenters!
We do have a bunch of new people here, but please don't even dream of nominating any from the influx of wacky denialists — it'll make me grumpy.
November 17, 2007
Some people, after seeing the recent Dover documentary (now available online), have been wondering who the heck this Steve Fuller wanker is, and why he's defending Intelligent Design. Here's a philosopher to explain Fuller to you. You'll wish you hadn't asked.
November 16, 2007
Enjoy the nice criticism of medical woo.
Sid Schwab takes on the credulity of believers in alternative medicine, like chiropractic.
Ben Goldacre demolishes homeopathy.
November 16, 2007
I used to live on this stuff in the good ol' days.
Now you can get it on a t-shirt through the University of Texas at Austin School of Biological Sciences. Although, you know, "Texas flavor" does sound like it's setting up the punchline for a joke.
November 16, 2007
It's the week before Thanksgiving. Have you done your Christmas shopping yet?
Deep Sea News recommends a lovely poster. It's one of those black light posters, so you can have the gaping jaws and needle-like teeth of abyssal predatory fish glowing at you.
Street Anatomy has a list of ten anatomy…
November 16, 2007
More carnivals, including one that is new to me!
I and the Bird #62
Friday Ark #165
Accretionary Wedge #3 (a geology carnival!)
And we have a new Tangled Bank coming up at From Archaea to Zeaxanthol next Wednesday—send those links to your science articles to me or host@tangledbank.net.
By…
November 16, 2007
The Discovery Institute is spreading misinformation again. They have a document that implies that it would be OK for schools in at least some states to "teach the controversy", by which they mean that it is alright for teachers to promote Intelligent Design creationism in their classes. I wonder if…
November 16, 2007
We had a seminar from Marco Restani of St Cloud State University yesterday — he's a wildlife biologist who talked about Tasmanian Devils. Just a little tip: don't ever invite wildlife biologists or conservation ecologists to give talks. They are the most depressing people in the world, and they…
November 16, 2007
Sepia officinalis
Figure from Cephalopods: A World Guide (amzn/b&n/abe/pwll), by Mark Norman.
November 16, 2007
Salma, Salma, Salma…you heard about my thread to name the feeblest reason for believing in Christianity, and you couldn't just leave a comment like everyone else? You had to go running to the press to submit your entry?
Mexican actress SALMA HAYEK was so upset by childhood jibes about her flat-…