Life Without a Net
Science in Society
Why Doesn’t Arguing Scientifically Work?
Here’s a truism we’re all familiar with: The wiser we get, the more we realize how little we know. It’s especially true of scientific investigation and education. More importantly, it’s a foundational difference between religion and science. The hallmark of science is its malleability. When the data changes, the hypotheses change. The best scientific thinkers are … Continue reading
Don’t Be a Dick
Phil Plait, the Bad Astronomer, gave a controversial talk at TAM this year. He entitled it “Don’t Be a Dick.” (View the whole thing HERE. It’s about 30 minutes.) His main point was two-fold. First, he articulated just how difficult it is to be an advocate for skepticism, science, and reason. It’s a lot easier … Continue reading
Selling Science
I must say thank you to regular reader Cpt Pineapple (Alison) for the inspiration for today’s post. For some time now, I’ve been trying to wrap my brain around the idea of selling non-theism. More specifically, I’ve been thinking about what religion has going for it that non-religion doesn’t. Then I remembered the conversation Alison … Continue reading
Teach Critical Thinking, Please
Paul Harris of Harvard University is interested in learning how children think about knowledge. He and his colleagues recently completed a study of 10-12 year olds who believe in God. The children were asked various questions about different kinds of entities to determine how their beliefs were established. They were asked about supernatural beings like … Continue reading
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