Science-Based Medicine The NESS Jack Kirby Museum & Research Center Expelled Exposed: Why Expelled Flunks » Richard Sternberg Summary Expelled claims that Sternberg was “terrorized” and that “his life was nearly ruined” when, in 2004, as editor of Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, he published a pro-intelligent design article by Stephen C. Meyer. The Claim “The paper ignited a firestorm of controversy merely because it suggested intelligent design might be able to explain how life began.” The Facts Expelled doesn’t even get the paper’s subject right. The first question asked by BSW members was “how did this paper ever get published?” Though Sternberg claimed that he was the best qualified to handle the review process, science blogger Ed Brayton notes that this is not the case: Systematics (the study of taxonomy) is the subject of the PBSW and it is the subject of Sternberg’s expertise, but it is not the subject of Meyer’s paper. “In October, as the OSC complaint recounts, [Sternberg’s supervisor] Mr. The Smithsonian wrote a letter to the Wall Street Journal, observing, “Dr.
Neuroskeptic SCIENCE-BASED PARENTING Quackwatch space1970 Pamela Winnick's Science Envy Pamela Winnick is an attorney and former reporter for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette who has written several articles that lean against evolution and in favor of intelligent design. I recently forced myself to read her 2005 book, A Jealous God: Science's Crusade Against Religion. It wasn't a pleasant experience. Winnick's book covers a variety of topics: abortion, population control, eugenics, medical experimentation, the Scopes trial, the theory of evolution, intelligent design, and fetal tissue research. "The Galileo prototype of the scientist martyred by religion is now purely a myth. Throughout the book, scientists are depicted as crazed, power-hungry, and immoral. Winnick's claim that "science long ago won its war against religion" is far too glib. Winnick's reporting is sloppy. Here's an example of a mined quote. (By the way, Winnick got the Orwell quote wrong, too. As might be expected of someone with no scientific training, Winnick displays multiple misunderstandings of science.
Overthinking It | Movies, TV, Music, and Popular Culture... taken way too seriously. NeuroLogica Blog Jul 14 2015 Why Pluto is Important As I write this post we are just minutes away from the closest approach of the New Horizons probe to Pluto, the farthest world we have thus far explored (24 minutes and counting). It’s an exciting moment, not just for astronomy buffs or science enthusiasts, but for humanity. I’m glad to see an appropriate level of excitement among the media and the general public. Still, a couple of people have commented to me or in my presence that they don’t understand what the big deal is or why this is important, so allow me a moment to explore why I think this is such a big deal. First, let us not forget what it took to get there. Continue Reading » Jul 13 2015 Supporting the Narrative in an Echochamber Dunning, commenting on the implications of the Dunning-Kruger effect, wrote: This seems accurate, but I think the situation is actually worse. This more active process has been called the “echochamber effect.” Continue Reading » Jul 09 2015 New Zealand Ban on “Trolling”