How Jesus Became God | Bart D. Ehrman

Bart Ehrman has a new book out, looking at the historical development of Jesus becoming God.  Although I'm not religious, I still find the history of religion interesting, and of the Judeo/Christian tradition in particular fascinating.  I have his book on my reading list. Jesus was a lower-class preacher from Galilee, who, in good apocalyptic … Continue reading How Jesus Became God | Bart D. Ehrman →

No, it’s not just you, there are things science just doesn’t know (yet)

There are many concepts in science where different sets of evidence seem to lead to contradictory conclusions, or where the evidence leaves crucial holes in the narrative.  In my experience, many lay people notice these contradictions or holes, but often assume that they simply don't understand the concept, that it's just them. Or, worse, they … Continue reading No, it’s not just you, there are things science just doesn’t know (yet) →

Pinpointing the brain’s arbitrator: Reliability weighed before brain centers given control

amanimal called my attention to this fascinating article, which has a bearing on yesterday's and many other posts I've made about brain processing. We tend to be creatures of habit. In fact, the human brain has a learning system that is devoted to guiding us through routine, or habitual, behaviors. At the same time, the … Continue reading Pinpointing the brain’s arbitrator: Reliability weighed before brain centers given control →

Does anyone have a link to a detailed description of the cosmological horizon problem?

So, I'm trying to understand cosmic inflation a bit better, and I've concluded that I don't understand one of the chief itches that it scratches.  I know the standard explanation about regions of space being too far apart to have ever interacted, but I don't get why they couldn't have interacted when the universe was … Continue reading Does anyone have a link to a detailed description of the cosmological horizon problem? →

Consciousness: the interpreter, the lexicographer, the reporter

I recently read Michael Gazzaniga's book, 'Who's in Charge: Free Will and the Science of the Brain'.  Gazzaniga, working with Roger Sperry, performed some of the famous split-brain patient experiments.  The results of these experiments had implications for our understandings of consciousness, the self, and free will. In patients with certain types of severe epileptic … Continue reading Consciousness: the interpreter, the lexicographer, the reporter →

Vikings

Last year, when the History Channel showed the Bible miniseries, it also premiered another show that aired immediately after it, Vikings.  Coming out at the same time as the other miniseries, I wasn't sure where this one would be going.  But it's a historical drama of the story of Ragnor Lodbrok and other Vikings in … Continue reading Vikings →