philosophy
It’s Time for a Scientific Hippocratic Oath
It’s time science had its equivalent of the Hippocratic oath, an oath that publicly confirms each individual scientist’s commitment to the scientific method and to ethical practice.
philosophy
Why Free Will Doesn’t Matter
Free will is an illusion. There, I said it. Now, let’s move on. For it matters not a jot. Only, it seems we can’t move on. Despite evidence, physical and metaphysical, to the contrary, a majority of people refuse to acknowledge that we have no free will. But perhaps this Read more…
evolution
Evolution is Science, Not Religion
Not according to this news piece (not opinion, news) from the Florida, US, based News Chief. Apparently even atheists admit that evolution is a religion: Scientific philosopher and ardent Darwinian atheist Michael Ruse has candidly admitted this. “Evolution is promulgated as an ideology, a secular religion-a full-fledged alternative to Christianity, Read more…
media
Don’t Believe The Australian on Climate
It’s hard to belive that horriffic reporting like this example in the newspaper, The Australian, still exists. It speaks of the heat wave we’re presently experiencing across New South Wales (in fact, I’m shirtless as I write this), but the reporters just couldn’t help themselves and threw in a little Read more…
science
Guitar Hero and Musical Ability
Is there a correlation between skill at guitar hero and musical ability? Has anyone tested this? And could we predict someone’s potential in music, even if they don’t currently play an instrument? If so, could we develop similar tests for other abilities – perhaps as a way to steer children Read more…
science
Genes, Mental Illness and Bad Reporting
This story has been all over the news today. It’s news of a new study published in medical journal, The Lancet, that suggests a common genetic cause for both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. However, many outlets reporting the story go one step further and claim that schizophrenia and bipolar could Read more…
ethics
The Moral Spectrum
It appears as though Jonathan Haidt is getting some attention across the blogosphere, even on blogs with a religious tilt. This is good news. Haidt is breaking new ground in moral thinking – I don’t think he’s answered all the questions, nor that he’s entirely right – but he’s taken Read more…
evolution
Is Evolutionary Psychology Garbage?
There are still many who think it is. Sadly, like the blog linked here, many of the attacks are so riddled with unsophisticated ad hominem and vitriol that their more legitimate arguments are undermined. For example, while I thoroughly agree that much of the research into human sexuality is problematic, Read more…
science
This Changes Everything
Been wading through the latest iteration of the annual question over at the Edge.org. Always a worthwhile way to spend an afternoon. This year’s question is ‘what changes everything’, and besides the usual ebullient predictions of medical breakthroughs, new applications for old technology – and a disappointing amount of rhetoric Read more…
post-modernism
Breaking News: The Author Lives
Reports of the death of the author have been greatly exaggerated. (How suitable to quote one of the all-time greatest authors in this context.) It still boggles my mind (which, I admit, is easily boggled) that anyone could have subscribed to the notion that a piece of work is only Read more…