This is just too amazing to not?propagate. ?Pharyngula links to this spectacular piece of right-wing?kitsch that depicts Jesus (Caucasian, like he should be) personally delivering the Constitution to a group of awed on-lookers who include, children, school teachers, US Founding Fathers (including, ironically, notoriously atheistic Thomas Payne), Ronald Reagan, dead astronauts, black soldiers (specifically), and… Continue reading »
Oct
02
Where’s Your Missing Link Now? Oh, There It Is.
There has, over the centuries since Darwin posited his theory of natural selection–and, more specifically, of the descent of man from early ape ancestors–been much wailing and gnashing of the teeth. ?One of the more frequently wailed notes (translated into language that can be understood by reasonable people) goes something like this: if Darwin was… Continue reading »
Sep
20
Are Atheists More Scientifically Literate Than Average?
The Pew Research Center recently compiled a lengthy and exhaustive study on the state of science education in the United States. ?The project–which sampled about 1,000 randomly selected US citizens–tackled a variety of issues in the public perception of science. ?Some of the results were surprising–84% of Americans think that science’s impact on society has… Continue reading »
Sep
13
Movie on Darwin Deemed Too Controversial For US Audience
In the second of what I suspect will be a scattered series of posts on Darwin–I’m TAing a class on him this semester–I bring you some facepalm-worthy news on this godless Sunday morning. ?The UK’s Telegraph reports that a new drama about the life and times of Charles Darwin has recently made its premier at… Continue reading »
Sep
10
A Book Review and Some Philosophy of Science
Charles Darwin was 200 years old this February–or, rather, he would have been 200 years old if he hadn’t been ejected from the gene pool in 1882. ?Moreover, the 150th anniversary of the publication of his magnum opus, On The Origin of Species, is right around the corner: it was first published on November 24,… Continue reading »
Sep
03
Attention New York City Atheists: See Richard Dawkins Live!
I’m a member of the New York Academy of Science, so I regularly get emails about the various (generally excellent) series of public lectures that they put on. ?Last Fall, the theme was neuroscience (hence my membership), and this Fall the theme is “Provocative Thinkers in Science.” ?Of course, nobody does provocative science like Richard… Continue reading »
Sep
03
Bertrand Russell: Leaping Tall Proofs in a Single Bound Variable
Back when I was a human larva, Bertrand Russell was one of the first philosophers I ever discovered, let alone read in any depth. I was raised moderately Catholic, but by the time I was 11 or 12, I was wrestling with nascent feelings that Catholicism–and indeed, all of religion–might be terribly inadequate. One day,… Continue reading »
Aug
31
Newsflash: Insane People Have Insane Policies
There’s nothing we academics hate more than apparent infringements on our essential freedom to babble about whatever the hell we want whenever the hell we want and get paid for it. ?Well, we also really hate it when meetings don’t provide free sandwiches. ?Or when the coffee machine is broken. ?Ooo, or when students show… Continue reading »
Aug
27
Dawkins’ Show is “Bullshit!” Without the Bullshit
Since I talked a bit about Penn & Teller’s atheiskeptihumanist-style show “Bullshit!” yesterday, I thought this might be appropriate to mention. ?While I was rambling around the Internet last night, I came upon a short, two-part series that Richard Dawkins did in much the same vein. ?It’s called “Enemies of Reason,” and features much of… Continue reading »
Aug
26
Penn & Teller: More Good Than Harm?
As you probably have heard if you follow our news feed, the Catholic League is calling for Penn & Teller’s Showtime show?“Bullshit!” to be cancelled after an (as-yet unseen) season finale attacking Catholicism. ?For those who haven’t had the pleasure of seeing “Bullshit!”–which, as you might be able to tell already, I quite enjoy–I suppose… Continue reading »
Aug
25
The View From the Trail: Introducing Natural Philosophy
Who am I?? Why am I here?? It seems only appropriate that a philosophy blog begins with these questions; Dan Dennett says that it’s an occupational hazard of the profession that we philosophers get asked to define the meaning of life over dinner (or over the Interwebs, as the case may be).? That’s not what… Continue reading »










