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Sunday, June 7, 2009
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Monday, May 11, 2009
Halftime
That's "Dr. Meyers" to you
Sonya graduated from UIC, an event which marks the halfway point of her journey toward being an Anesthesiologist. Four years of residency at nearby Loyola begin for her later this summer.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Backwards Reasoning on Science Friday
I often listen to NPR's Science Friday podcast; the show covers a wide variety of science topics, without a lot of nonsense. Every once in awhile though, something like last Friday's episode is released..
In a segment about whether science and religion can "get along," a caller stated as fact the Anthropic Priniciple, basically that the universe was "tuned" to support life, and the Science Friday host let this assertion go unchallenged. This is backwards reasoning, much like noting a hole in the ground being "tuned" to hold the water which fills it.
We know from observation that most of the universe does not support life, that there are only small regions which might contain a planet which itself might have some kind of life. Organisms evolved over millions of years to fit their environment. Similarly, water fills a hole in the ground to make a puddle, it's no coincidence that the hole "fits" the puddle.
As to the idea of science and religion getting along, they can't. Religion rests on faith, or accepting as truth assertions not based on (or in the face of) evidence. Science is based on evidence and reason, claims you can observe and test. These two ideas do not overlap; there is no common ground. If a claim is supported by evidence, you don't need faith to "believe" it. If a claim is not supported, there is no reason to accept it.
Update: The geologic column shows ample evidence of life adapting to the environment, rather than the other way around. As the environment changed (grew warmer, colder, etc), life forms either adapted or perished. Humans change their environment; heated homes in the winter, AC in the summer, etc; to make more of the world habitable. Ask a homeless person in the midwest in winter, when temperatures can reach -30F, how well his environment is "tuned to support human life."
In a segment about whether science and religion can "get along," a caller stated as fact the Anthropic Priniciple, basically that the universe was "tuned" to support life, and the Science Friday host let this assertion go unchallenged. This is backwards reasoning, much like noting a hole in the ground being "tuned" to hold the water which fills it.
We know from observation that most of the universe does not support life, that there are only small regions which might contain a planet which itself might have some kind of life. Organisms evolved over millions of years to fit their environment. Similarly, water fills a hole in the ground to make a puddle, it's no coincidence that the hole "fits" the puddle.
As to the idea of science and religion getting along, they can't. Religion rests on faith, or accepting as truth assertions not based on (or in the face of) evidence. Science is based on evidence and reason, claims you can observe and test. These two ideas do not overlap; there is no common ground. If a claim is supported by evidence, you don't need faith to "believe" it. If a claim is not supported, there is no reason to accept it.
Update: The geologic column shows ample evidence of life adapting to the environment, rather than the other way around. As the environment changed (grew warmer, colder, etc), life forms either adapted or perished. Humans change their environment; heated homes in the winter, AC in the summer, etc; to make more of the world habitable. Ask a homeless person in the midwest in winter, when temperatures can reach -30F, how well his environment is "tuned to support human life."
Monday, April 20, 2009
"You will be shot"
Two posts, from unconnected blogs..
Over at Atheist Revolution, the Idiot of the Week is republican/Fox News "journalist" Joe the Plumber, with this incredible quote:
What parts of the country are these? In this country, non-Christians (especially atheists) are vilified and wrongly blamed for all manner of tragedies. A Christian student takes a gun to school and shoots dozens of kids? Must be because of atheists! Muslim terrorists fly planes into buildings? It was brought on by the ACLU!
In the real world, however, Alonzo Fyfe on Atheist Ethicist pointed out a real ad from a Christian group calling for violence against atheists. It's chilling. Mr. Fyfe correctly notes that:
Here is the ad:
Over at Atheist Revolution, the Idiot of the Week is republican/Fox News "journalist" Joe the Plumber, with this incredible quote:
"Let me give you another extremist view, 'In God We Trust.' Say that too loud in some parts of America and you will be shot. It's terrible."
What parts of the country are these? In this country, non-Christians (especially atheists) are vilified and wrongly blamed for all manner of tragedies. A Christian student takes a gun to school and shoots dozens of kids? Must be because of atheists! Muslim terrorists fly planes into buildings? It was brought on by the ACLU!
In the real world, however, Alonzo Fyfe on Atheist Ethicist pointed out a real ad from a Christian group calling for violence against atheists. It's chilling. Mr. Fyfe correctly notes that:
"It grants a moral permission to kids with guns to go ahead and kill atheists.
If it is morally permissible to kill atheists, then other activities less likely to bring the police and courts into the matter, must also be permissible. Assault, vandalism, bullying, intimidation, theft, an "accident" in the school yard, some name-calling, withholding honors and inviting ridicule . . . if the use of a gun is permissible, these must be acceptable as well."
Here is the ad:
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Tea Bagging Protest
I had the misfortune of walking passed the "Tea Party" protest, filled with people angry as hell about a black Muslim foreign socialist spending government money (but who were all strangely silent when it was a white Christian republican running up a huge deficit).
Even to my untrained eye the group in Chicago didn't appear all that organized, and as far as protests go their numbers were a tiny tiny fraction of the number of people who marched in protest of US Immigration policy. The best comment I've seen:
Even to my untrained eye the group in Chicago didn't appear all that organized, and as far as protests go their numbers were a tiny tiny fraction of the number of people who marched in protest of US Immigration policy. The best comment I've seen:
I’ll bet they’re wishing they had a COMMUNITY ORGANIZER now.
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