Month: July 2014
Would the World Be Better Off Without Religion?
In a Skeptical Inquirer article that I'm a bit surprised hasn't received more attention, Scott O. Lilienfeld and Rachel Ammirati take a look at this question: Would the World Be Better Off Without Religion? A Skeptic’s Guide to the Debate - CSI. In this article, we address the overarching question of whether high levels of certitude … Continue reading Would the World Be Better Off Without Religion?
Finding platonism
Click through to see the full version. Be sure not to miss the popup bubble on the second page. via The Sighting - Existential Comics.
The Art of Darkness
Why has the idea of hell survived so long?
Kathryn Gin Lum has an interesting piece on hell over at Aeon: Why has the idea of hell survived so long? – Kathryn Gin Lum – Aeon. Chellew-Hodge’s understanding that punishment is an essential feature of religion, and her students’ confidence that it need not be, might seem to represent a simple generational divide. That so many young … Continue reading Why has the idea of hell survived so long?
NASA approves Space Launch System. This is good, despite the problems.
We seem to be getting closer to deep space missions: NASA approves Space Launch System, the most powerful rocket ever, for deep-space travel. NASA gave the go-ahead to start full production on the most powerful rocket ever. The rocket, known as Space Launch System, is set to blast beyond low-Earth orbit this decade to explore the … Continue reading NASA approves Space Launch System. This is good, despite the problems.
The evolutionary paradox of sex
Megan Scudellar has a fascinating article up at The Scientist Magazine on the mystery of why sexual reproduction evolved to be so pervasive: The Sex Paradox | The Scientist Magazine®. Sarah “Sally” Otto was sitting in a lab meeting of evolutionary biologist Marcus Feldman’s group at Stanford University in 1988 when she overheard a graduate student … Continue reading The evolutionary paradox of sex
Why you are still alive, the immune system explained
A cool video explaining the human immune system, or perhaps more accurately, giving a broad simplified explanation while also giving us a glimpse of just how complicated it is. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQGOcOUBi6s
George Takei: Why I love a country that once betrayed me
This is an incredible video that I really wished I had shared yesterday, but better late than never! George Takei, of Star Trek Sulu fame, talks about the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII and the bravery of those who fought in the war. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeBKBFAPwNc
Chimpanzees have language
I've read in several places that language is the last uniquely human characteristic. Well, it turns out chimps communicate with a language of gestures: Researchers Translate the Meaning of Over 60 Gestures Used by Chimps. In the first systematic study of a non-human primate language, scientists from St. Andrew's University have deciphered the meaning of 66 wild … Continue reading Chimpanzees have language
