Philosophy & Ethics

Intelligence, Uplift And Our Place In A Big Cosmos

A balanced and well-researched  Wired article by Jason Kehe  reveals the latest  "yoo-hoo transmission to aliens"   stunt.  Of course I consider these things to be, at best, dopey, with a small but significant chance of being thoughtlessly dange ...

Article - David Brin - Sep 23 2012 - 12:23pm

Jerry Coyne Vs. John Dupré On The Status Of Evolutionary Theory

I read two interesting commentaries on evolutionary theory recently. One was by philosopher John Dupré, the other by evolutionary biologist Jerry Coyne. Actually, the latter was a commentary on the former, and it had a typical Coyne-style title (“Another p ...

Article - Massimo Pigliucci - Oct 1 2012 - 5:00pm

A Response To Pigliucci’s Response To Coyne’s Response To Dupre

I must admit, before reading Massimo Pigliucci’s interesting article on Science 2.0, I was unaware of John Dupre’s so-called scholarship. My curiosity first led to Wikipedia which refers to him as a critic of evolutionary biology. With amazing tools such ...

Article - Randall Mayes - Oct 8 2012 - 9:12am

The Golden Goose Egg

I’ve been meaning to write a column on steady-state economics for some time. Last year, I even did some preliminary research, before getting caught up in topical current events instead. Then, last week, I returned to my internet perusal, again typing in m ...

Article - Holly Moeller - Oct 12 2012 - 11:46am

An Exercise In Immersion: Peter Singer, Harriet McBryde Johnson And Composition Students

It's no surprise that when I get interested in a topic I opt for full immersion. Come on, people--you've seen the ze bra print! You've seen the wigs! What's my latest? Apparently, a deep immersion into Peter Singer, whose chapter " ...

Article - Kim Wombles - Oct 14 2012 - 12:41pm

Essays On Emergence Part I

I am about to go to an informal workshop on naturalism and its implications, organized by cosmologist Sean Carroll. The list of participants is impressive, including Pat Churchland, Jerry Coyne, Richard Dawkins, Dan Dennett, Rebecca Goldstein, Alex Rosenbe ...

Article - Massimo Pigliucci - Oct 21 2012 - 12:26am

Essays On Emergence Part II

Last time we examined Robert Batterman’s idea that the concept of emergence can be made  more precise by the fact that emergent phenomena such as phase transitions can be described by models that include mathematical singularities (such as infinities). Ac ...

Article - Massimo Pigliucci - Oct 31 2012 - 12:31pm

Measuring Up To The Happiness Standard

By all accounts, my friend Lori has a fabulous sense of style. Plus, she really knows how to find a bargain. The outfits she assembles from Goodwill and vintage clothing shops continue to defy expectation – and imitation. Years ago, when we both lived in ...

Article - Holly Moeller - Oct 19 2012 - 8:38am

Intelligent Design Into The Science Curriculum

Design, according to some, needs a designer. However, famous biologists and neo-Darwinists such as D. Dennett say that evolution “designs” by natural selection. If we accept that usage of the term, “design” does not by definition imply an intentional act ...

Article - Sascha Vongehr - Oct 22 2012 - 3:29am

Essays On Emergence Part III

So far in this series we have examined Robert Batterman’s idea that the concept of emergence can be made more precise by the fact that emergent phenomena such as phase transitions can be described by models that include mathematical singularities, as well ...

Article - Massimo Pigliucci - Oct 29 2012 - 5:30am