Philosophy & Ethics

Evolution As Natural Theology?

Science and religion have always been in something of a conflict.   Science seeks to explain the world according to natural laws while religion leaves larger questions as articles of faith.    There is some overlap- 40% of AAAS member scientists in their r ...

Article - Hank Campbell - Feb 19 2011 - 10:02pm

It's the pain, stupid

Being human sucks. I mean, being a kid is quite alright. You play, you eat, your mama tucks you in at night. That is, unless you're unlucky enough to have abusive parents. Or a serious illness. Or you live in some country were you're likely to st ...

Blog Post - David Yerle - Feb 18 2011 - 12:03pm

Extremist Domination Even In The Science Nation

We'd like to believe the political blogosphere, and certainly the political populace, has confrontational overtones science does not, but who are we kidding?   If you get on the wrong side of a science blogging mullah's pet position, they will wh ...

Blog Post - Hank Campbell - Feb 18 2011 - 5:22pm

Sexism In Research Awards?

Women in science get awards for teaching and service proportional to their numbers but not for research, according to a new  Association for Women in Science study funded by the National Science Foundation. "Using data in the public domain on 13 disci ...

Article - News Staff - Feb 23 2011 - 10:57pm

Conflict Of Interest? Few Meta-Analyses Identify Who Funded Drug Trials

More and more, policy decisions and what medications doctors prescribe for their patients are being driven by large 'studies of studies' called meta-analyses, which statistically combine results from many individual drug trials. There's a pr ...

Article - News Staff - Mar 10 2011 - 5:39pm

Newborn Genetic Screening- Who Owns The Blood?

In Australia, babies born since 1971 have had drops of blood taken,  which are then tested for a variety of genetic conditions such as cystic fibrosis.  It has been an effective health check, according to  Dr. Diana Bowman from the Melbourne School of Popu ...

Article - News Staff - Mar 23 2011 - 9:21am

Mel Gibson and Kanye West: Use as Directed

(Or, if you prefer, "Employing Utilitarian Eudaemonism.") Today's lesson will be about ad hominem attacks. Ad hominem attacks are “attacking the messenger, rather than the message.” This happens in every facet of life you'd care to con ...

Blog Post - Brian Taylor - Mar 26 2011 - 2:48pm

Academic Freedom Versus Freedom Of Information Act Requests

In the 1970s, the federal government mandated that only universities that adhered to racial quotas could receive federal money- as a result, nearly all U.S. universities today receive federal funding of some sort and all receive state money. ...

Blog Post - Hank Campbell - Mar 31 2011 - 3:30pm

Global Suicide: No Singularity, Just Evolution Of Deadly Rationality

Why should technology not go on and accelerate like it has before? Why should humanoids not get ever brighter; why should democracy not grow until true communism emerges? Techno-progressives emanate an air of renegade radicalism. They like to accuse criti ...

Article - Sascha Vongehr - Apr 14 2012 - 10:09pm

Paul Feyerabend- "Science's Greatest Enemy" Attacks From The Grave

If you are in science and you have heard the name Paul Feyerabend, it is likely because you have heard the term "post-modernist" and, if you know about post-modernism, you likely do not think much of deconstructionist silliness like that evolutio ...

Article - Hank Campbell - Apr 27 2011 - 7:38pm