Pharyngula

Mary's Monday Metazoan: It's the teeth

Category: Organisms

Sea urchins are cool and beautiful animals:

But it's the closeup of the self-sharpening teeth in a radial mouth that grabbed me.

Posted by PZ Myers at 9:30 AM • 9 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Were entrails read, or the flight of birds observed?

Category: Religion

The CNN Belief Blog continues to blaze a vapid trail of inanity through the wilderness of insanity called religion. They have just published 11 faith-based predictions for 2011. Why? I don't know.

To open 2011, CNN's Belief Blog asked 10 religious leaders and experts - plus one secular humanist - to make a faith-based prediction about the year ahead.

Have a faithy prediction of your own? Share it in comments.

Here's what those in the know are predicting:

Wait, what? "Those in the know"? Don't they mean "those who don't know, but believe really, really hard"?

What follows is a lot of empty noise and wishful thinking. Some of it is pretty funny, though, like the first prediction:

With the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" there will be a more concerted effort by the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community for gay marriage, uniting conservative evangelicals, Roman Catholics, Muslims and Orthodox Jews in a much more civil but principled resistance. Respectful debate will produce more precise and pluralistic solutions.

-Dr. Joel C. Hunter, senior pastor of Northland, a Church Distributed, in Orlando, Florida

Clearly, Mr Hunter is not a member of the evidence-based community, because if history is any guide, a political decision promoting greater tolerance will be followed by more shrill, lunatic posturing for extremist positions by the rabid religious right.

The rest are just as self-serving and unfounded — I really don't know why they bothered. I guess CNN is just following the money like the tabloids do; they might as well throw in an article that asks a bunch of famous psychics to make predictions for 2011. It's all the same.

Posted by PZ Myers at 9:16 AM • 22 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

The science vs. creationism debate exemplified on a facebook page

Category: Creationism

This brief exchange captures it all.

Just to put it in text: creationist ignoramus posts amazing "fact" in his status:

** Fact- if the earth was 10 ft closer to the sun we would all burn up and if it was 10 ft further we would freeze to death... God is amazing!

Someone politely replies, stating the actual astronomical facts.

to anyone wondering, that's not true. 1) Earth's orbit is elliptical and the distance from the sun varies from around 147 million kilometers to 152 million kilometers on any given year. 2) Every star has a habitable zone that is affected by the size of the star and its intensity. The Sun's habitable zone is about 0.95 AU to 1.37 AU. An AU is the Earth's average distance from the sun, 93 million miles, so Earth's orbit could decrease by 4,500,000 miles or increase by 34,000,000 mises and still be in the habitable zone. 3) If your claim was true any moderately sized earthquake could take us out of the habitable zone. sorry.

The facebook status was hilarious enough, but his reply is simply perfect.

Okay thats cool and alll but dont ever comment on my status telling me that i am wrong everrrr again. I didnt ask you did i? Answer: NO

LALALALALA — I CAN'T HEAR YOU!

Posted by PZ Myers at 8:03 PM • 177 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

How innumerate are Americans, anyway?

Category: Skepticism

I just saw a commercial peddling gold coins, going on and on about how the price of gold was soaring above $1300 per ounce, and showing this fancy glinting well-lit shiny gold coin and telling everyone the cost of gold meant the $50 price could only be guaranteed for 7 days. This coin is 14 karat 0.9999 pure gold clad! A little deeper in to the spiel, they mention that it contains 14 milligrams of pure gold.

Using their own numbers, by my calculation that means the $50 coin contains about 64¢ worth of gold.

It sounds like a tax on dumb people, to me. They're probably snaring people who watch Glenn Beck and read the Wall Street Journal.

Posted by PZ Myers at 7:32 PM • 67 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

The 7th day of beer

Category: Personal

Tonight was a minimalist night — I just had a salad for dinner. So when I read the label on Blue Star wheat beer, which said "Water, malt, hops, yeast, & that's all," I figured it would go well…and it did.

Posted by PZ Myers at 7:18 PM • 17 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

We are so screwed

Category: Politics

I hadn't realized how bad the economy was until I saw the front-page headline in the Wall Street Journal — that sober, serious financial paper read by bankers and economists.

Need a Job? Losing Your House? Who Says Hoodoo Can't Help?
Tough Times Boost Sales of Spider Dust, Spells for Good Fortune, Mojo Powders

There isn't one word of criticism, not one objection or reservation…the WSJ simply reports this as a "good business" and that "sales are booming". When the WSJ is promoting dried spiders, goofer dust, and corpse powder…I think we're in big trouble.

(via Hank Fox)

Posted by PZ Myers at 6:16 PM • 37 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Sunday Sacrilege: Simple things

Category: Godlessness

Have you noticed how religion is always telling you how simple the answers are, yet at the same time claims that the universe is too complex for science to explain?

Read on »

Posted by PZ Myers at 6:11 PM • 106 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

The 8th day of beer

Category: Personal

After a wearying day of snow excavation and household chores, I didn't even look—I just reached into the refrigerator and grabbed the first thing to come to hand, Gordon Biersch Czech Style Pilsener.

Posted by PZ Myers at 8:51 PM • 37 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

My first podcast of 2011

Category: Personal

I was interviewed by Wendy Stanley just yesterday, and presto, the podcast is already up!

Also, if you're looking for more to listen to, Hank Fox was interviewed on Living After Faith.

Posted by PZ Myers at 5:00 PM • 67 Comments • 0 TrackBacks