Reading Time: 2 minutes I’m afraid these comments are absolutely fundamental to understanding the Trump administration’s approach to…everything. I am absolutely staggered and listening to this response at the blatant stupidity on the show. What disgusts me most is when, in response to: “We’ve had temperatures explode this summer. You may have learnt that we broke a record in […]
science
Posted inHealth, News, Philosophy, Religion, Science
The Coronavirus and a Better Gospel
Reading Time: 6 minutes As you may already know, last night President Trump phoned in an interview to Hannity and brazenly disagreed with the World Health Organization about the fatality rate of the latest global health threat, the COVID-19 virus. Viewing the appearance of the Coronavirus as more of a public relations issue than as a matter of public health, Trump takes […]
Posted inPolitics
Dems vs GOP: Voter Confidence in Scientific Method
Reading Time: 2 minutes Pew Research Center recently carried out some research with regard to science and voter preference. The piece is interesting and worth a read, but what stuck out for me was the confidence in the scientific method. As Pew stated: Factual knowledge alone does not explain public confidence in the scientific method to produce sound conclusions. Overall, […]
Posted inMeaning & Purpose, Science, The Secular
Some Questions to Dr J Berger
Reading Time: 5 minutes As some of you will know, I recently edited a book by Joseph J Berger called Science & Spirituality (Barnes & Noble), which is available now (please grab a copy, even though Amazon are being bastardly difficult with their distribution). The book, as you will find out, is aimed predominantly at students as an introduction to scientific […]
Posted inScience
Science and Medicine: Not Seeing God in Your Prayers, Thank You Very Much
Reading Time: 6 minutes Here is an excerpt from a chapter in my recent-ish anthology of chapters from writers here at Patheos Nonreligious (Not Seeing God: Atheism in the 21st Century) [UK here]. This chapter is by Kevin Davis, with his blog “SecularVoices”. It is not the whole chapter, but gives you a taste. Please grab a copy of the book […]
Posted inReligion, Science
Faith and Reason Are Not Really Friends
Reading Time: 8 minutes You may not find this as fascinating as I do, but I recently came across a video put out by The Gospel Coalition, a think tank for Calvinists co-founded by Tim Keller, a Presbyterian pastor and author who herein verbalizes his own reservations about human evolution. What stands out most to me is that while […]
Posted inPhilosophy
How Any Behavioural Research Findings Negate Free Will
Reading Time: 3 minutes This is something that I’ve said many times in many places but I have never explicitly written it up in a blog post. Today, I am going to return to one of my favourite topics: libertarian free will (LFW). Data is a funny thing. Science seeks to understand the world, as a method, which means finding […]
Posted inComedy, Philosophy, Religion, Science
Theology and Black Cats
Reading Time: < 1 minute “Philosophy is like being in a dark room and looking for a black cat. Metaphysics is like being in a dark room and looking for a black cat that isn’t there. Theology is like being in a dark room and looking for a black cat that isn’t there, and shouting “I found it!” Science is […]
Posted inGeneral
Weaponizing Statistical Platitudes On Jack-O-Lanterns
Reading Time: 5 minutes It’s Halloween, and this image is being shared around again: I think the jack-O’-lantern is genuinely hilarious. The notion of avoiding this inference is certainly a spooky thing to be avoided in science, making for a funny pumpkin, but the statement doesn’t hold absolutely. I wrote a post on it last year, talking about statistical […]
Posted inEvolution
How Australian biology students’ views on evolution have changed over time
Reading Time: < 1 minute In the context of recently talking about creationism and evolution, I thought this would be of interest. As ABC News reports: A long-term study of Australian biology students reveals how attitudes towards creationism and evolution have shifted. The survey, published today in the journal Evolution: Education and Outreach, was started 32 years ago by Mike Archer at […]