Conner Wood takes a look at Robert McCauley's book, 'Why Religion is Natural and Science is Not'. Robert McCauley, a philosopher and cognitive scientist at Emory University, thinks that religion is natural, but science isn’t. Such a claim could easily inspire all manner of outrage and uproar from both offended believers and irked scientists alike. But what … Continue reading Religion is natural, science is hard
Tag: Religion
Was Jesus a conspiracy?
Bart Ehrman posted a video on his blog (embedded below) where he discusses the case for the existence of the historical Jesus. Most of his excellent blog's content is pay-walled, so I'm happy to have an opportunity to link to something that isn't. (Incidentally, if you have the means and interest, I highly recommend subscribing. All … Continue reading Was Jesus a conspiracy?
Did Neanderthals have religion?
It's been a while since Coolidge and Wynn posted an entry. Now they've done one looking at whether Neanderthals intentionally buried their dead. What did Neandertals do with dead people? And what does this tell us about Neandertal behavior? These questions are perennial favorites for undergraduates and lay persons interested in human evolution. Indeed, one … Continue reading Did Neanderthals have religion?
SMBC: A fable
As is often the case, Zach Weiner hits it out of the park with this observation. I've read a lot of history, and I'm struck by how often this type of pattern emerges. Click through to see the full sized version. via Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal.
Belief in immortality hard-wired? Study examines development of children’s ‘prelife’ reasoning — ScienceDaily
By examining children's ideas about "prelife," the time before conception, researchers found results which suggest that our bias toward immortality is a part of human intuition that naturally emerges early in life. And the part of us that is eternal, we believe, is not our skills or ability to reason, but rather our hopes, desires … Continue reading Belief in immortality hard-wired? Study examines development of children’s ‘prelife’ reasoning — ScienceDaily
SMBC: Momentary molecular arrangements
Today's Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal is too relevant to this blog's conversations for me to pass up calling your attention to it. Click through to see the full size version. via Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal.
Interview of Ara Norenzayan on Inquiring Minds podcast
As I mentioned before, I have a big backlog of podcasts that I'm working through on my lunch walks. Many of you have probably already heard this, but just in case you haven't: If you enjoyed my review of Ara Norenzayan's book, 'Big Gods', then you'll probably also enjoy this interview of him by Chris … Continue reading Interview of Ara Norenzayan on Inquiring Minds podcast
Should Scientists Debate Creationists?
The perpetually-bowtied science educator Bill Nye “The Science Guy” is slated to debate creationist Ken Ham, the founder of Kentucky’s Creation Museum, on Feb. 4. Many scientists are uneasy about the debate — not because they are concerned that Ken Ham will provide new creationist evidence or arguments that will leave Nye cowering and apologizing … Continue reading Should Scientists Debate Creationists?
Why evangelicals and Catholic leaders are against contraception | Machines Like Us
Why do the leaders of some religious groups like the Catholics and now even evangelicals oppose contraception, to the extent of even objecting to health insurance policies covering it? After all, access to safe, reliable, and easy contraception has to be one of the most beneficial advances that society has made. And the fact that … Continue reading Why evangelicals and Catholic leaders are against contraception | Machines Like Us
Big Gods: An interesting read
A while back, I read Ara Norenzayan's book, 'Big Gods: How Religion Transformed Cooperation and Conflict'. I'm posting this review somewhat from memory, but I've had a couple of conversations about it lately and I think it might be good to move the discussion here. In the book, Norenzayan asks an interesting question. How did … Continue reading Big Gods: An interesting read
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