Monthly Archives: June 2009
The Antarctic Grrl
I’m very conflicted about this because I wanted to go to the Antarctic (but not for a month), but GrrlScientist has thrown her fedora into the circus, so I will tell you all to go vote for her to win … Continue reading
Filed under Administrative
Definitions of atheism
I have religious friends, and atheist friends, and they both disagree with me on one point: my claim that I am not an atheist. My religious friends note that I lack a belief in God, and therefore I am not … Continue reading
Filed under Epistemology, History, Philosophy, Religion, Truisms
The relation between physics and biology
… or, The Real Anthropic Principle… I was musing, as one does, about the relation between physics and biology. Usually we think of biology as some domain that can (or, depending on your personal position, cannot) be reduced to physics. … Continue reading
Taxonomist’s revenge
There’s a long and distinguished history of taxonomists taking revenge upon friends and enemies (sometimes simultaneously!) by naming unpleasant things after them. Linnaeus himself named an ugly useless weed after his major critic, Siegesbeck, who had attacked the “sexual system” … Continue reading
Filed under Biology, Humor, Science, Species and systematics, Systematics
Carlin’s last interview
I’m a Macintosh a guy and so Spotlight helps me a lot. I just get on Spotlight and say, let’s see, if I say “asshole” and “minister,” I then can find what I want find. I knew I liked that … Continue reading
Filed under Humor
A brainy post
AK’s Rambling Thoughts has an absolutely wonderful post on the role of glial cells in brain function. The money quote (for me) is this: In the traditional view, the brain was made up neurons, which processed data, and glial cells, … Continue reading
Filed under General Science
My cyborg name
Get Your Cyborg Name H/T Terra Sigillata and links therein.
Filed under Administrative, Humor
Apes and evolution in the news
So there are a couple of interesting developments about fossil apes. One is the retraction by the author of the claim 14 years ago to have found a jaw bone that was evidence of Homo habilis, a precursor species (arguably) … Continue reading
Obama still making the right secular noises
From today’s “prayer breakfast” press release: We can begin by giving thanks for the legacy that allows us to come together. For it was the genius of America’s Founders to protect the freedom of all religion, and those who practice … Continue reading
