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pharyngula | September 21, 2010Tristero thinks he has refuted my denial of the existence of souls by citing Otis Redding's soul, but I reject his refutation! He has done it by the sneaky tactic of a strategic redefinition of "soul", away from 'magic essence of personal identity independent of the material substrate of the brain' to 'smokin” hot passionate musicality', and I must call shenanigans. Shenanigans, I say!
I could be refuted, however, if Redding's soul were to possess my body and set me to crooning "These arms of mine" down the hallway right now.
Actually, there are many moments when it would be useful to be…
gregladen | September 21, 2010After 15 years in the British diplomatic corps, Carne Ross became a "freelance diplomat," running a bold nonprofit that gives small, developing and yet-unrecognized nations a voice in international relations. At the BIF-5 conference, he calls for a new kind of diplomacy that gives voice to small countries, that works with changing boundaries and that welcomes innovation.
gregladen | September 21, 2010Skeptically Speaking with Desiree Schell.
The podcast for last week's show is available here.
David Dobbs talks about Marc Hauser, which is rather interesting.
Then, Barbara Drescher talks about common mistakes made by scientists (sort of an extension of the theme).
The Podcast is here.
The show also seems to have a new theme song!
gregladen | September 20, 2010The National Research Council first met on this day in 1916, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS, or "Triple-A S") first met on this day in 1848.
gregladen | September 20, 2010The winners of the Stick Science cartoon contest, sponsored by Florida Citizens for Science, were announced on September 19, 2010. "The basic concept here," as FCFS's Brandon Haught explained in announcing the contest, "is to draw a cartoon that educates the public about misconceptions the average person has about science." And lack of artistic ability was no barrier: "all entries must be drawn using stick figures. This is about creative ideas, not artistic ability."
Story here
gregladen | September 20, 2010There is an old joke motif the origin of which is obscure (to me, perhaps you can inform us): A highly technical, or perhaps mundanely boring, or perhaps very formal or conventional thing ... a police report, the new HR guidebook for a large company, the manual for your new programmable graphing calculator ... is being discussed, and someone suggests doing it as an "interpretive dance." I know I first heard that joke a very long tie ago. Since it probably predates Wikipedia, it is unlikely that we will ever know who first used this theme.
An aptamer is a molecular tool that is used to…
gregladen | September 19, 2010And tells everyone else to kiss off?
Now, go here and vote up this video.
Bonus Rant:
Mwaaa, bitches!
cwilcox | September 17, 2010Scientists worry way too much about the impacts of our work. We want our papers to mean something, for people to really want to read them. Of course, the true test of whether your paper is important is that future papers cite you as a reference.
What makes one paper cited by everyone and another fall into obscurity? Well, there are all kinds of theories. Maybe it's how high-impact the journal is - after all, a Science paper is better than obscure journal, right? Some have even suggested it's a matter of size - of your reference list, that is.
But now, John Parker, a post-doc at the National…
dolittle | September 17, 2010In the spirit of discussing the effects of climate change, I thought it only appropriate to mention the findings of a recent article by Ozgul et al., published in Nature. The findings of this particular study point to global warming offering a distinct advantage for yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventis) whose populations have been increasing over the last 10 years. Climate change has resulted in an earlier arousal from hibernation and animals that are giving birth earlier in than previous years, which has promoted larger body masses prior to entering hibernation. This increase in body…
gregladen | September 17, 2010This might be a little unusual for me, being an American of my age and all, but over the course of my life I've had a small number of close friends who were Hitler Youth in Germany during World War II. I don't hold that specific fact against anyone. But, just in case you wanted to see it, I thought I'd post this photograph of The Pope giving the Nazi Salute something that looks exactly like the Nazi salute but is actually a Christian blessing thingie (which does not obviate the fact that he was a Nazi along with most of his Christian-German compatriots of the time):
But then, it turns out…
gregladen | September 17, 2010
Hitler wth Archbishop Cesare Orsenigo, the papal nuncio in Berlin, 1935
On April 20, 1939, Archbishop Orsenigo celebrated Hitler's birthday. The celebrations, initiated by Pacelli (Pope Pius XII) became a tradition. Each April 20, Cardinal Bertram of Berlin was to send "warmest congratulations to the Fuhrer in the name of the bishops and the dioceses in Germany" and added with "fervent prayers which the Catholics of Germany are sending to heaven on their altars."
Photo and text from here.
kcollins | September 16, 2010
I need your HELP and it will take just three simple steps: copy the link, Add your friends to an email and Send.
For the past year I have been organizing the USA Science & Engineering Festival in what I hope will be the country's largest celebration of science and engineering -- a FUN, entertaining, educational and FREE event geared toward reinvigorating the interest of Americans in the Sciences. I have put as much energy and imagination and effort into this as any of the companies I started. And now I need your help getting the word out.
Why is this important?
In a nutshell:
--…
pharyngula | September 16, 2010Most Christians are merely misguided and lazy thinkers; I don't have any particular animus against them, and just wish they'd grow up. However, there's one kind of Christian that makes me furious and fills me with an angry contempt. I have been known to make the most militant atheist response in my repertoire when I encounter them: I might snarl briefly and leave them to rot in their hateful ignorance.
These are the people for whom I reserve the term "demented fuckwits". They are the apocalypse-mongers, the cheerleaders for Armageddon, the monsters who take great satisfaction in their…