Science and Religion Around the Blogosphere

John Morehead shared a web site he recently discovered, Suvudu, which looks at the possibility of a robot apocalypse (among other things).

Lauri Lebo highlights the record number of creationist/intelligent design bills proposed this year.

P. Z. Myers shares a test that is probably parody, but could become reality if some of the aforementioned laws were passed. Christians who support genuine science (and would thus have failed the test below too) need to be vocal and visible, not just for the sake of science education, but also for the sake of Christianity’s reputation.

Keith Miller discusses the Cambrian Explosion at BioLogos.

Heather Wax reports on confusion in the UK about whether time travel is science fact or science fiction. Doctor Who seems to be an influential factor. She also mentions the Smithsonian’s restoration of the Jefferson Bible.

Ethan Siegel is your tour guide to the night sky.

Inside Higher Ed shared an AAUP report about academic publishing in the digital age.

Michael Patton has posted two cartoons contrasting Christianity with other religions. I cannot fathom how anyone could think that the cartoons accurately portray the situation. Perhaps Michael has the Gospel of Peter in his canon, where the resurrection takes place before a crowd of onlookers. Perhaps John 14:22 has slipped his mind. Perhaps he has forgotten that the accounts of appearances to a few disciples (not what we normally mean by “public”) at times hint at the appearance of the individual in question not being that of Jesus as they knew him, or refer to some doubting. Or perhaps he thinks that Paul’s tidbit of hearsay about Jesus being seen by 500 Christians at once can be taken at face value and is an adequate basis for this sort of self-assuredness. But even so, unless one forgets the Golden Rule, then surely one cannot treat Christian texts with such credulity while treating others with skepticism. And historically speaking, there is probably a lot more of what is depicted in the second cartoon in Christianity than many Christians are willing to admit.