Quote of the Day (David DeGusta and Jason E. Lewis)

Last updated on: July 26, 2011 at 11:17 am By James F. McGrath

Gould was certainly right that all scientists, as humans, have some sort of bias. But while biased scientists are inevitable, biased results are not… Science does not depend on unbiased investigators but on methods which limit the ability of the investigator’s bias to influence the results…Truth is hard, but it is sometimes obtainable despite even our strongest biases. What a marvellous thing, this science. — David DeGusta and Jason E. Lewis, “Gould’s skulls: Is bias inevitable in science?” in New... Read more

Vacation Stress Chart

Last updated on: July 26, 2011 at 11:13 am By James F. McGrath

PHD Comics HT Marc Cortez Read more

Christmas in July

Last updated on: July 26, 2011 at 12:19 am By James F. McGrath

I decided to go ahead with my plan to call this post “Christmas in July” even though Matt Kelley also posted something on his blog with the same title today. I spent today – actually, yesterday, since it is past midnight – at Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana, with my son and some other people from our church. Most of the conversation during the slightly more than 3 hour car ride each way focused on important existential and philosophical... Read more

Intelligent Design Criminology

Last updated on: July 25, 2011 at 6:56 am By James F. McGrath

Since the issue of science and naturalism was brought up in connection with a recent post on intelligent design, I thought I would repost something I wrote a few years ago on the subject: The question to ask proponents of intelligent design is this: At what point the police should stop investigating an unsolved murder and close the case, declaring that God must have simply wanted the victim dead? It is the same point at which it is appropriate to... Read more

A Literalist Account of Noah Preparing for the Journey on the Ark

Last updated on: July 24, 2011 at 7:20 pm By James F. McGrath

Via Bob Cargill and Scott Bailey. I agree with Bob that trying to think through and fill in the details of the story in this literalist manner is probably the best and most convincing argument for not taking the story as literally, factually true. Read more

LOST “Deleted Scenes” Reveals Man in Black’s Name and More!

Last updated on: July 24, 2011 at 6:53 pm By James F. McGrath

In a hilarious “deleted scenes” clip from Comic Con, we learn that Jacob and the Man in Black knew where the show was going all along. [chuckle] HT Nik at Nite and IO9. And in addition to the following trailer from the next Doctor Who episode, “Let’s Kill Hitler,” which looks awesome… …the BBC web site also has a trailer for episode 11 which will be entitled “The God Complex.” Read more

Intelligent Design Can Leave You Scarred For Life

Last updated on: July 24, 2011 at 5:53 pm By James F. McGrath

Many of us know that movements like intelligent design, and even more so young-earth creationism, can leave their adherents scarred for life if they eventually discover the extent to which they have been lied to and misled by proponents of these ideologies. But probably no such person will be scarred for life as this one. Arni Zechariassen shared the photo above of an “irreducibly complex” tattoo. What will happen if he reads Howard van Til, Ken Miller or Nick Matzke? I... Read more

Jesus: The Cold Case – Some Blog Reactions

Last updated on: July 24, 2011 at 5:21 pm By James F. McGrath

Three blogs that I know of have blogged about the TV documentary Jesus: The Cold Case. Here they are: Remnant of Giants Otagosh Say Hello To My Little Friend They represent very different reactions. Did any readers of this blog see it? If so, what did you make of it? Read more

You May Be A Geek If…

Last updated on: July 23, 2011 at 12:04 pm By James F. McGrath

You may be a geek (to say nothing of a Trekkie) if, when working on the index of a book you edited on religion and science fiction, and you wonder – even if only for a moment – whether it is OK to put a reference to imperial Spock from the parallel universe in the index under “Spock” or whether he needs a separate entry of his own. OK, if that happens to you, then you are a geek –... Read more

The Face of a Terrorist? Anders Behring Breivik and Christian Fundamentalism

Last updated on: July 23, 2011 at 10:10 am By James F. McGrath

Is this the face of a terrorist? It is perhaps too soon to say, if one takes the approach that one is innocent until proven guilty. But it is a photo of a suspected terrorist – Anders Behring Breivik, who Norwegian police have arrested in connection with the bombing and shooting that took place yesterday. His isn’t the face of someone likely to be singled out for close inspection at an airport, or to inspire a reaction of fear, suspicion... Read more