I told the story of the Ivory Door at dinner tonight with the partners of the firm, both of whom are smart and perceptive. One of them quickly asked the question, “Well, would you really want to be Prometheus?” I… Continue Reading
We’ve seen this story before; the only “news” in it is that the study demonstrating that there was no appreciable effect of prayer on patients undergoing heart surgery (indeed, in terms of raw numbers, the prayed-for patients actually did worse)… Continue Reading
A sweet, herb-laden concoction sipped through a straw out of and old pancake syrup bottle may help you gain weight and put nutrients in your body. It might even make you feel stronger for a little while. But I seriously… Continue Reading
Is it a relief to see that fuzzy thinking and antiscience are not confined to the United States? No. No, it turns out to be only moderately less infuriating because my tax dollars were not wasted on this boondoggle. (They… Continue Reading
A lot of you Loyal Readers may question why I crusade against the contamination of science with befuddled religious thinking and intellectual laziness. This is a good example of how the confusion of science, religion, and prejudice can be dangerous… Continue Reading
An attorney at the firm asked me today if I’d found any groups in the area since moving here that I wanted to join. The Wife has done well in this regard, having found a Toastmasters group that she likes.… Continue Reading
Turns out, cloned beef tastes just like the beef it was cloned from. Same thing for the milk that is drawn from the cloned cows. Kind of obvious that it would be that way, when you think about it. You… Continue Reading
Once upon a time (well, actually just a few years ago), two male penguins — the father and another male named Roy and Silo by the zookeepers — were observed trying to “hatch” a rock with, obviously, no results. Now,… Continue Reading
This week’s cover article in Time magazine and the results of a recent survey on the extent of religious faith in America got me thinking. I I’ve been critical of anti-scientific thinking for some time now. One of the books… Continue Reading
I realize that people who make their living selling political pornography (both on the right and on the left) have to be outrageous sometimes, and unafraid to take on the conventional wisdom, in the hopes of scoring a big hit.… Continue Reading