Congrats to Phil Plait 4 Aug 2008 Phil, of Bad Astronomy fame, has been offered and accepted the chairmanship of James Randi’s Educational Foundation. I think that’s a great choice by Randi and a great honour for Phil. Couldn’t happen to a better guy. General Science
Evolution Expectorated! 16 Feb 2008 A real journalist reviews a media conference held for the new pro-ID film Expelled: Freedom of expression is unseemly at an Expelled press conference. There was no give-and-take, no open marketplace of ideas, in fact, scarcely any questions at all. Ruloff and Stein batted one softball after another out of… Read More
Academe Attack of the Unlibrarian 15 Dec 201115 Dec 2011 I am generally fairly IT savvy (I even have an ancient IT degree), but at the same time I am rather unconvinced that the future is as digital as everyone says. In particular I have been appalled at the constant destruction of physical books by university libraries. Now I am… Read More
Biology Downward Causation 9 Aug 201122 Jun 2018 The final claim for there being an ontological sense to emergence is “downward causation“, a phrase coined by the evolutionary epistemologist Donald Campbell in the 1970s. The idea here is that emergence is real because higher-level (or bigger, composite) entities cause changes in the properties and dynamics of their parts…. Read More
For many years now I have been nursing the angst that is born of wondering what was going to happen when Randi stopped creaking along the path of enlightenment and abandoned us all to a world of darkness and obscurantism. Now I can sleep in peace.
For many years now I have been nursing the angst that is born of wondering what was going to happen when Randi stopped creaking along the path of enlightenment and abandoned us all to a world of darkness and obscurantism. Now I can sleep in peace.
I don’t know why James Randi gets and entire foundation for education and I had to take out loans or mine. It’s not fair, man.
I don’t know why James Randi gets and entire foundation for education and I had to take out loans or mine. It’s not fair, man.