Category Archives: Science

Panic and Alarm (and Why This Is About Science Fiction)

Posted on Thursday 27 February 2014 by Mark R. Kelly

Salon: I lost my dad to Fox News: How a generation was captured by thrashing hysteria Sad case study of a man whose father disappeared into the paranoid, outraged worldview of Fox News. Like certain kinds of religious extremists, Fox … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Philosophy, Psychology, Religion, Science, science fiction | Comments Off on Panic and Alarm (and Why This Is About Science Fiction)

Why the World Is This Way Rather Than That Way

Posted on Thursday 27 February 2014 by Mark R. Kelly

Good quote from Sean Carroll (from his post debate reflections about theistic vs naturalistic worldviews. (via) If we would presume to contemplate theism from an intellectually honest perspective, we would try to decide what kind of universe we would expect … Continue reading →

Posted in Physics, Religion, Science | Comments Off on Why the World Is This Way Rather Than That Way

Debates about Science, Creationism, Accommodationism

Posted on Friday 21 February 2014 by Mark R. Kelly

Slate: The Myths of Anti-Creationism This is the latest round in a fascinating debate in recent days between William Saletan of Slate and Sean McElwee in Salon. Can you be a creationist and also be a scientist? McElwee says no; … Continue reading →

Posted in Religion, Science | Comments Off on Debates about Science, Creationism, Accommodationism

Prothero and Vick on that debate

Posted on Thursday 13 February 2014 by Mark R. Kelly

Donald Prothero summarizes the Nye-Ham debate. http://www.skepticblog.org/2014/02/12/hearts-and-minds/ Tristan Vick explains why he didn’t watch the debate, but sides with those who think it was a good idea. http://www.advocatusatheist.blogspot.jp/2014/02/why-i-didnt-watch-bill-nye-vs-ken-ham.html We have to debate Creationists, if anything, to share the accumulated information, … Continue reading →

Posted in Evolution, Religion, Science | Comments Off on Prothero and Vick on that debate

Natural Selection; Family Values

Posted on Wednesday 12 February 2014 by Mark R. Kelly

The trouble with ‘Darwin Day’ is that, it’s not about one guy, as evolutionary biologist Rob Brooks explains. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rob-brooks/darwin-day_b_4770363.html It irks me the way Nye, and others who engage with creationists, allow the likes of Ham to call evolution “Darwinism”, … Continue reading →

Posted in Evolution, Science, The Gays | Comments Off on Natural Selection; Family Values

For Creationists, Intellectual Inquiry is a Sin

Posted on Monday 10 February 2014 by Mark R. Kelly

Slate’s Mark Joseph Stern comments about a new HBO documentary, Questioning Darwin: The Cruelty of Creationism. Intellectual freedom is one of humanity’s greatest gifts—and biggest burdens. Our ability to ask questions, to test ideas, to doubt is what separates us … Continue reading →

Posted in Evolution, Religion, Science, Thinking | Comments Off on For Creationists, Intellectual Inquiry is a Sin

Mooney on our not-to-scientific minds

Posted on Saturday 8 February 2014 by Mark R. Kelly

Here’s an article by Chris Mooney that captures the essence of my own interest in matters of evolution and cosmology and their religious detractors. (These matters aren’t ‘debates’ or ‘controversies’ except in the minds of those blinkered by religious indoctrination. … Continue reading →

Posted in Evolution, Psychology, Religion, Science | Comments Off on Mooney on our not-to-scientific minds

More Questions and Answers

Posted on Friday 7 February 2014 by Mark R. Kelly

Jerry Coyne links the flip side of the Buzzfeed post the other day, this time with questions from evolution-friendly young folk to creationists. He doesn’t need to answer them, but has occasional comments: [D]o creationists think that all evolutionists (and … Continue reading →

Posted in Evolution, Religion, Science | Comments Off on More Questions and Answers

Answers for Creationists

Posted on Thursday 6 February 2014 by Mark R. Kelly

Today both Phil Plait at Slate and Mike D on his blog respond to the Buzzfeed listsicle of 22 messages from Creationists who held up questions to those who ‘believe’ in evolution. (‘Believe’ is not the right word; as Plait … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Evolution, Science, Thinking | Comments Off on Answers for Creationists

Link Dump: Sites and Resources

Posted on Saturday 25 January 2014 by Mark R. Kelly

I’m going through a whole bunch of links that I’ve bookmarked over the past couple years — some of which I should link as ‘resources’ in my right sidebar, perhaps — but for now will note in this post. Sites: … Continue reading →

Posted in Atheism, Culture, Evolution, Lunacy, Psychology, Religion, Science, The Gays | Comments Off on Link Dump: Sites and Resources