Darwin's Teapot

Humanist billboard vandalized in Moscow, Idaho

2009-10-22T11:04:00.003+09:00

Recently, there has been a great spat of humanist and atheist billboards across the western world. Prior to the vandalizing the billboard read, "Millions are good without God." I am curious, was their grammar so bad that they could not have just spray painted the "out" portion so that it was, at least, grammatically correct?!

Donahue slams "The Simpsons"

2009-10-22T10:59:00.003+09:00

A recent "The Simpsons" episode had this to say about the Christian rite of Communion"

"What kind of civilized people eat the body and blood of their savior?"

Donahue responded by saying, "Mocking the heart of any religion always crosses the line, and mocking the Eucharist does it for Catholics."

For the full episode head on over to the "Friendly Atheist" website.

Why we believe...

2009-10-22T05:02:00.001+09:00

Are women more religious than men?

2009-10-22T04:42:00.004+09:00

In my family I think it is safe to say the men are more irreligious than women: I am an atheist and my father is more or less an agnostic. On the other hand, my mom and sister are much more spiritual if not Christian. No one case study is ever evidence enough, but luckily a fully study has recently come out that suggests very much of the same.

In this study it is found that the number of nonbelievers that are male is skyrocketing while the number of women who are nonbelievers is holding back. Why the gender difference in faith? What makes these findings even more interesting is that all faiths favor men as not a single religion is headed by a women. The hierarchy in all religions is decidedly sexist.

As one researcher put it, "Belief relates more to how a person relates, interprets, and reconstructs the experience." It was found that when men and women had the same response on the brain it were the women that had a greater tendency to attribute it to an "out of body experience." This has led some researchers to conclude women are hardwired to believe. It has been hypothesized that the superficial kinship that religion provides might be more advantageous to a woman's reproductive needs. This would coincide with Michael Shermer's study where he found women to relate to belief with more emotional terms. In contrast, men relate to belief with more rational terms. For example, women feel an emotional connection to their god, thereby creating an emotional justification for its existence. Men justify a belief in god using logic such as "without a god there is no order or reason for living."

So, is this study sexist or accurate in your eyes?

Chicago Coalition of Reason billboard goes up

2009-10-21T15:47:00.003+09:00

The Chicago Coalition of Reason has erected the billboard shown below. Here is some blog reaction to it.

Are humans still evolving?

2009-10-21T03:47:00.003+09:00

According to a study, now in its 60th year, humans are most certainly evolving and we can expect to evolve at the same rate as other animals. It has often been thought that because of modern medicine and technology humans would be sheltered from the impact of evolution by natural selection. The Yale study followed a group of women and concluded that their offspring would be, amongst other things, shorter, bigger and have children at a younger age.

This is not the first study to come to the conclusion that humans are still evolving. This study suggests that human evolution is actually speeding up.

Lutheran Church fails

2009-10-21T03:41:00.005+09:00

Richard Dawkins interviewed on Minnesota Public Radio

2009-10-21T02:54:00.001+09:00

Texas man sentenced to death after jurors consult Bible in deliberations

2009-10-21T02:39:00.004+09:00

Amnesty International has appealed Texas' sentencing of Khristian Oliver who is sentenced to die on November 5th. Recently, it has been revealed that jurors consulted the Bible with highlighted passages. Specifically, this one was read aloud

And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

Defence lawyers argued that jurors had been improperly influenced by the Bible, but the judge rejected the claim. In 2005, a Colorado judge overturned a death sentence because jurors had consulted the Bible.

While I fully support this decision to attempt to commute the sentence, I wonder how much influence the Bible would have had even had it NOT been in the room. If the jurors were so religious as to resort to finding guidance through religious text during a capital punishment case maybe they would have used religious reasoning even if the Bible was not present.

Christopher Hitchens and Stephen Fry demolish Catholic Church in debate

2009-10-21T02:25:00.002+09:00

"I have just witnessed a rout" was the observation by journalist Andrew Brown of The Telegraph. The topic of debate was "The Catholic Church is a force for good." The debate was put on by the organization Intelligence Squared. Prior to and after the debate a tally was taken on how many people supported and opposed the proposition. After the debate 774 people had moved to the negative, against the proposition.

US scientist arrested for selling classified information

2009-10-20T19:41:00.003+09:00

It pains me what I hear stories like this as it give science a bad name. Luckily, the number of incidents such as this are few and far between in the scientific community.

Stewart David Nozette was arrested by federal agents for attempting to sell secrets to the Israeli government. Since the mid 90s Nozette has been working with classified information and has recently developed a radar experiment that found water on the moon. If convicted he faces life in prison.

While I find what he has done as detrimental and undermining to US scientific progress, do charges such as this necessitate life in prison?

Another video from Symphony of Science - featuring Carl Sagan and Stephen Hawking

2009-10-20T11:45:00.004+09:00

Jason at the website "Symphony of Science" composes this music and produces the videos. I find them inspirational and chilling. I hope you enjoy them too. For a second video of his go here.

Birds killed by trash on Midway Atoll

2009-10-20T08:42:00.003+09:00

The photographer Chris Jordan has recently produced a series of photos that depict the impact of trash on Albatross populations on the Midway Atoll that is 2000 miles away from the nearest continent.

Argument from ignorance - Neil DeGrasse Tyson

2009-10-20T08:31:00.002+09:00

DeGrasse clearly lays out the problem with eye witness testimony and the failure of argument from ignorance.

Symphony of Science- We are all connected

2009-10-20T07:41:00.006+09:00

A song about nature's ability to amaze us. It creates a song out of interviews with some of the most preeminent scientists and thinkers of our time. Carl Sagan, Neil DeGrasse, Richard Feynman and even Bill Nye. Enjoy!

Making sense out of chaos is simply chaotic

2009-10-20T07:13:00.005+09:00

Human ability make patterns out of nonsense has been well accounted for. A classic example is covered in Richard Dawkins' new book. In it he discusses the case of the Heike Genji crab. These crabs are prolific along the shores of some Japanese islands. Their carapace looks strikingly similar to that of a Kabuki warriors. It was hypothesized by a researcher in the 19th century that these crabs propagated to their current numbers as a result of their resemblance. Fisherman, in irrational fear of eating a warrior, threw them back to the sea when caught. In turn, through natural selection, this would lead to the preservation of these particular species. In fact, it was found that the carapace was a result of ligaments and tendons under the carapace that coincidentally created the Kabuki warrior resemblance.

Similarly, this recent find is a prime example of making sense out of chaos. Apparently, Jesus enjoys bathroom stalls. I've always found the tendency to find patterns fascinating. It is an acutely human device that can limit us greatly.

NPR Atheist Interviews. A Rift?

2009-10-20T07:07:00.004+09:00

The above is an interview of atheists compiled by NPR. I had a similar discussion with a theist the other day. I argued that this type of new atheism is a natural reaction to being a minority social movement. New atheists are called angry, desperate, and unruly. True, but so were every other social movement at its inception.

Publishing of Lenski Study

2009-10-20T06:59:00.004+09:00

Though it is well known by now, Lenski's study of evolution in E. coli bacteria will be published in the newest Nature journal. It is one of the seminal and most comprehensive studies of evolution in the lab. For a great dialog between Lenski and a creationist who "critiques" his study go here.

Social Competition's Impact on Brain Size

2009-06-23T15:22:00.004+09:00

The relative size of human brains as compared to their hominid counterparts has always been a point of heated debate in evolutionar biology. Many previous studies have focused on the impact of diet on brain size. These studies argue that the intake of certain nutrients impacted our intelligence. It has also been suggested that when the musculature of our jaw bones decreased immense pressure was relieved on the cranium and this allowed our craniums to increase in size. This decrease in jaw musculature was the result of the human genome discarding the gene MYH16 around 2.4 million years ago.

A new twist has been added to the mystery of brain size. An important new study shows that the more competitive and densely populated a society has been shown to have the largest impact on cranial size and, hence, brain size. This variable was shown to be the most impactful over other variables including climate change and ecological demands.

This study again brings to head the debate between which takes primacy in evolutionary theory: genetics or morphology. As a linked article in my recent post on the suggested connection between orangutans and humans, there is no theory to suggest genetics takes primacy over morphology.

Is Cancer the Cost of Intelligence?

2009-06-23T14:07:00.004+09:00

A new study suggests that humanity's higher rates of cancer, as compared to apes, may be related to our increased brain function. The study showed that humans do not "self-destroy" cells as efficiently as chimps do. Our body's ability to destroy cells - called apostosis - is one of our main defenses against cancer.

Seems like a rather odd byproduct if we are indeed made in the image of a god: biological inefficiency which leads to a painful death. Or is this just explained away as a result of our fall from Eden? How do fundamentalists explain this away? I am curious.

Carbon Dioxide Levels Could be Responsible for 200 million Year Old Biodiversity Crash

2009-06-20T02:19:00.004+09:00

A new study of plant fossils from Greenland has shown that a rise in CO2 could have been responsible for a massive crash in plant biodiversity 200 million years ago. What is more telling is that the levels of CO2 that could have been responsible for this crash were much lower than suspected. Of course, this does not bode well for our current situation. In extreme calculations, our CO2 levels will reach similar concentrations by 2100. The study acknowledges that there is no current way to test for sulfur dioxide, so it could be possible that there was not only a rise in CO2, but also a rise in sulfur dioxide.

Humans Closer to Orangutans?

2009-06-20T02:00:00.003+09:00

A new study argues that humans are actually more closely related to Orangutans than to chimpanzees. The study supports the conclusions of a previous study from 2005. The researchers argue that there is no theory that states

"...there is no scientific justification to favor DNA over morphological data. Yet the human-chimp relationship, generated by molecular data, has been accepted without any scrutiny. Grehan and Schwartz are not just suggesting an orangutan-human relationship- they're reaffirming an established practice of questioning data."

While the study argues that the last human-orangutan ancestor migrated between Africa, Europ and Asia between 12 million and 13 million years ago. Plant fossil records have shown that forests extended from Europe to China before the formation of the Himalayas. This was a roaming ground for the orangutans. As the Earth's ecosystem changed these hominids became geographically isolated. Geographic isolation is one of the many important variables that leads to speciation.

The authors argue that morphology proves

"the African apes are not only less closely related to humans than orangutans, but also less closely related to humans than are many fossil apes."

-----

What would the counter argument be from those that espouse an closer ancestral relationship between African apes? What would the counter argument be from those that espouse the superiority of DNA evidence over morphological evidence?

BBC Article on "Who attends Creationist Museums?"

2009-06-20T01:47:00.004+09:00

The BBC always has done a bang-up job on creationism and this is another example of its fine reporting. A while back, I blogged about this very same museum in Kentucky (there is a revealing video that I posted too, so check it out) . The BBC article looks at four individuals and their reasons for attending the museum. The profiles are very telling.

Atheist Cartoons

2009-06-20T01:31:00.001+09:00

NYC Atheist Bus Campaign

2009-06-20T01:15:00.007+09:00

This month two dozen buses will be driving through New York City with a 12-foot long 4-foot high billboard pointing out the following: "You don't have to believe in god to be a moral or ethical person."

H/T: "Friendly Atheist"

Gays in Iraq face a deadly life

2009-04-08T10:27:00.003+09:00

The New York Times has an excellent article of how freedom is allowing certain demographics in Iraq to be more open. Unfortunately, this openness has also meant gays are greater targets for reprisal in a country that is still fiercely religious. In 2005 the Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, announced that gays should be "punished, in fact, killed." Further, he said

"The people should be killed in the worst most severe way."

In the past two months 25 bodies of men and women suspected of being gay have turned up in an enclave in Sadr City, many with a note attached reading "pervert" in Arabic. The local police say that they try to keep the street free of gays and "break them up" whenever possible. The local law is they can only intervene if they are caught in a sexual act. No doubt, this is not followed.

Iraq is experiencing the societal pressures of democratization. Pluralism has always led to strife, but it is that very thing that makes democracy such a legitimate form of rule. Hopefully that country can evolve past its religious hatred and institute safeguards for its citizens. I have a feeling this will be a long time coming.

Ray Comfort "Apologizes" for his banana analogy

2009-04-08T09:51:00.003+09:00

Ray Comfort has apologized for saying the banana is evidence of a designer. Of course his apology comes with a few caveats such as distorting Dr. Dawkins' position and spewing a whole litany of logical fallacies. What I really enjoyed is the video's argument that atheists distorted Comfort's position because the video "they" circulated didn't include his discussion of the soda pop can - as if that would better support his argument. Also, I like the argument that "god tamed cats so they would fit perfectly in your wife's lap". That is comic gold. I can't take this guy seriously.

Below is the video he is apologizing for. He really needs to apologize for a lot more than that. What an embarrassment.

H/T: Hemant Mehta

Humans are still evolving and damn fast too

2009-04-08T00:19:00.004+09:00

Scientists as prominent at Stephen Jay Gould have argued that humans have stopped evolving, or at the very least slowed down. This has been the consensus of scientists for decades. Scientists argue such things as human evolution has been slowed by our medical advances. This has led to a dampening effect of evolutionary forces. A new study shows that not only is this not the case evolution in humans is happening faster than ever before.

"The new genetic adaptations, some 2,000 in total, are not limited to the well-recognized differences among ethnic groups in superficial traits such as skin and eye color. The mutations relate to the brain, the digestive system, life span, immunity to pathogens, sperm production, and bones - in short, virtually every aspect of our functioning."

The research notes such interesting findings as the fact that Australians have the thickest skulls and biggest teeth on average of any other people; that resistance to certain pathogens emerged after the Stone Age; and resistance to lactose emerged 8,000 years ago during our first domestication of animals. The list goes on.

The researchers utilized new cutting edge gene mapping technology. These methods tracked the rate of evolution using the vast amount of genetic data that is available now. This article is one of the more fascinating ones I have read lately and its too bad I hadn't seen it or heard about it earlier.

Schizophrenics are not fooled by hollow-mask illusion

2009-04-08T00:11:00.004+09:00

Interview with Obama's Science Advisor

2009-04-08T00:04:00.004+09:00

The magazine "New Scientist" recently interviewed Harold Varmus, President Obama's science advisor. He had this to say about President Obama's views on science

"He's not a trained scientist, but what we can expect from him is a deep understanding of what scientists can do for society. To solve the nation's energy problems he has named a distinguished physicist to run the Department of Energy. That's an amazing symbol of his conviction.

Why homosexuality is wrong

2009-04-07T23:43:00.002+09:00

This guy has to be a P.O.E., but if that is so his satire is genius.

Pope OK's abortion and birth control

2009-04-07T23:30:00.008+09:00

VATICAN CITY—Overturning 2,000 years of religious doctrine, an out-of-breath and visibly flustered Pope Benedict XVI announced Sunday that the termination of unwanted pregnancies was now "completely and perfectly acceptable in the eyes of God."

ENLARGE IMAGE

Following a wild night on the town, a frantic Pope Benedict XVI proclaims that "not every life is sacred."

The divine proclamation, which contradicts prior teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, was reportedly made by Pope Benedict after a late night phone call to his Vatican residence. According to witnesses, His Holiness was seen pacing back and forth, nervously wringing his hands, and cursing at himself in a hallway mirror before coming to the sudden decision.

"My friends in Christ, brothers and sisters of the cloth, having an abortion is...err...not that big a deal," announced the anxious pontiff while reading from a series of hastily scrawled edicts. "In fact, it is written, uh, somewhere, that the taking of an innocent life might even be something of a blessing in some cases."

"For example, when a mother's life is at risk," continued Benedict, wiping several beads of sweat from his forehead. "Or, say, when someone is just way too old to become a father at this point."

......continued on the link above.

H/t: Barefoot Bum

British National Party picks up The Cross

2009-04-07T23:15:00.003+09:00

The far right British National Party has taken up the cross and is using Jesus as their spokesperson - as if he wasn't used already.

The Church Times reports that the party is using the billboard in an attempt to "portray itself as the defender of Britain's Christian heritage and 'Christian' values."

The billboard also renounces the Church of England. Recently, the Church of England said that clergy association with the BNP is frowned upon.

Jonathan Bartley, a man associated with a think-tank that has been following the BNP, had this to say about Jebus and the BNP:

"This is clearly a gross misrepresentation of both Jesus Christ and Christianity. Jesus was opposed to bigotry."

Brilliant

New technology allows scientists to see single RNA strands

2009-04-07T23:07:00.002+09:00

So cool. The new technology binds rapidly to its targets and allows RNA to be imaged for hours. This will allow researchers to learn more about how RNA moves and functions. Plus, it is just really fucking cool looking.

Man who works for "Focus on the Family" caught luring teenager

2009-04-07T22:44:00.003+09:00

An employee of James Dobson's Christian group, Focus on the Family, was arrested on suspicion of internet luring. Mr. Dobson has dispensed some very sage parenting advice through his books. Mr. Juan Alberto Ovalle was no different. Mr. Ovalle thought he was chatting with a teenage girl, but it was actually a Colorado undercover cop. Looks as though Focus on the Family's vetting process is lacking.

Cooperative behavior is found to be compatible with evolutionary theory

2009-04-07T15:49:00.001+09:00

As suspected, altruism holds no place in nature.

Bart Erhman's speech on "Misquoting Jesus"

2009-04-05T11:25:00.003+09:00

This is a 10 part series, but is worth every minute.

Hyrdogen Cars - A reality?

2009-04-05T10:57:00.005+09:00

Researchers have developed a critical part of storage technology for use in hydrogen cars. The technology development allows cars to be filled up in under 5min and to be driven 300 miles. The use of metal hydride is what allowed for the breakthrough. Of course this bit of detail leave me a little concerned

The researchers have developed the system over the past two years. Because metal hydride reacts readily with both air and moisture, the system must be assembled in an airtight chamber, Pourpoint said.

Hopefully, this stuff is being stored in something better than a Tupperware.

Iowa Supreme Court rejects law to ban gay marriage

2009-04-04T14:19:00.002+09:00

I don't usually post on political issues, but I felt this one was deserving. Maybe I will include more.

Iowa suprises me at times. I never think that the mid-west United States is a bastion of progressiveness, but at times it pulls through. The state's Supreme Court unanimously voted to reject a law that attempted outlaw gay marriage. The judge ruled that the law would hurt gay couples in numerous "tangible and intangible ways". An excerpt from his ruling

"Civil marriage in Iowa is the only gateway to an extensive legal structure that protects a married couple's relationship and family in and outside the state. Iowa reserves an unparalleled array of rights, obligations and benefits to married couples and their families, privileging married couples as a financial and legal unit and stigmatizing same-sex couples.

James Randi Education Foundation Youtube account restored

2009-04-04T14:02:00.003+09:00

The JREF's Youtube account has been restored. PZ Myer's has disagreed with Randi's response to this issue. Myers believes that the account should not have been shutdown for the violation, but, instead, communication should have been made to explain the violation. I am not so sure I agree - not based on ethical grounds, but simply because I am not sure if it is practical to expect Youtube to communicate all violations (that are stipulated in the user agreement) before acting.

The role of sleep in evolutionary theory

2009-04-04T12:07:00.006+09:00

A recent study by researchers at the Washington University School in St. Louis Missouri has developed a new theory on the possible purpose of sleep. Sleep has never been fully accounted for in evolutionary terms. It is almost counter-intuitive. Daniel Dennet discusses the counter intuitive nature of sleep briefly in his masterful work "Darwin's Dangerous Idea". He quotes a sleep researcher here:

University of Chicago sleep researcher Allan Rechtshaffen asks "how could natural selection with it irrevocable logic have 'permitted' the animal kingdom to pay the privce of sleep for no good reason?" Sleep is so apparantley maladaptive that it is hard to understand why some other condition did not evolve to satisfy whatever need it is that sleep satisfies. [Raymo 1988] (Dennett, 1996, 339)

Dennett goes onto argue that it isn't sleep that is the most curious in terms of evolution, but it is being awake at all that is. He suggests this

Being awake is relatively costly, compared with lying dormant...So presumably Mother Nature economizes where she can. If we could get away with it, we'd "sleep" otu entire lives. That is what trees do, after all...But surely we animals are at greater risk from predators while we sleep? Not necessarily. Leaving the den is risky, too, and if we're going to minimize that risky phase, we might as well keep the metabolism idling while we bid our time, conserving energy for the main business of replicating. (Dennett, 1996, 339-340)

He is merely advocating that position that the "cost benefit analysis [of sleep compared to being awake] is far from obvious." Why aren't we all just sleeping? It is an interesting question. I highly recommend reading Dennett's book as well as doing your own research on sleep studies and evolutionary theory. Here are are few leads if you are interested:

Sleep and learning in flies

Genes linked to sleep

Dawkins on Harry Potter

2009-04-04T11:51:00.003+09:00

This post corresponds to the poll in the right hand column. Please, take it after reading this.

Back in October of 2008 Richard Dawkins stepped down from his position at Oxford in order to write a book on the effects of fairy tales and magic on the development of rational thinking in children. Granted, all Dawkins is doing is looking into the possible impact of fairy tale books on rational thinking, he has not yet come to any conclusions regarding them. But I find the mere implication of this correlation to be a bit troubling. I, for one, thoroughly enjoy readind Harry Potter. Or course, I would like to think that I am less impressionable than a 10 year old, but isn't there something to be said for simple pleasures rather than dogmatic rationalism? Part of me fully supports his enquiry into this matter - it is a matter of scientific interest. But what do we make of, and how do we interpret conclusions of studies like this?

Regardless, do you feel as though Mr. Dawkins is throwing his net of rationalism too far in an attempt to uphold rational thinking?

Wade Burleson's Christian blog and atheist socialists.

2009-04-04T11:17:00.006+09:00

I recently ran into this blog written by a former Baptist Minister Wade Burleson. In 2008 Burleson ran into trouble with the Baptist Church over his blog. He lives in Oklahoma and, as his profile exclaims, is "educated in Texas". Not the best way to introduce yourself. Mr. Burleson starts his recent post by showing support for Todd Lamb. Back in 2008 Burleson claimed to have over 2 million hits on his blog and that it "was in the top 10 evangelical blogs in the world." Burleson gave an opening address to a recent Oklahoma State Senate session at the request of Mr. Lamb. The address was requested in light of Richard Dawkins' recent appearance at the University of Oklahoma. Here is a brief excerpt from his "devotion and prayer":

Only those with a belief in the Creator God, the moral ruler of this universe, from whom all life springs and all life will return have the proper moral foundation and ability to lead citizens of this great state and our United States of America. Others, those with secular or atheistic belief systems are free to seek election, but it is incumbent upon freedom loving people to elect those of you who live by the principles which spring forth from a fountain of faith in God. Let the secular humanists lead the socialists, let the atheists lead the totalitarian governmental regimes, but may only believers in God lead our democracy.

The level of open ignorance in this "devotion" is not the most disturbing to me, it is the marriage of church and state that is being upheld. Mr. Burleson's address could have been taken directly out of the McCarthy era witch hunts of Communists. It is fearful, riddled with false dichotomies, and speaks in vague generalizations. But, yet, the Oklahoma Senate felt it fit to be received in their chambers. It is a scary day for American state politics.

Richard Dawkins calls the Pope "Stupid, Ignorant, and Wicked"

2009-04-02T19:25:00.003+09:00

Richard Dawkins has responded to the Pope's claim that condoms would not help solve the AIDS epidemic in Africa, but rather the solution would lie in the "spiritual awakening" of people.

Dawkins said the Pope would have blood on his hands. Let it be known, Richard did correct the "Telegraph" for misquoting him ;-)

What I think is sad is that this is news. It is still news for calling out the Pope for saying patently ignorant things. It should be expected.

Critical thinking and an open mind

2009-04-02T19:20:00.003+09:00

Thanks to Mike over at the Shmegalamonga blog for leading me towards it. This truly should be mandatory in all high school ethics classes.

Sign of the Apocalypse? 100,000 Britons file for 'debaptism'

2009-04-01T21:05:00.003+09:00

The National Secular Society launched an initiative that allows Christians to download a form that allows them to renounce their faith and 100,000 have done so. The Church of England responded with this:

The Church of England said its official position was not to amend its records. "Renouncing baptism is a matter between the individual and God," a Church spokesman told AFP

TAM 7 2009! Las Vegas

2009-04-01T20:55:00.006+09:00

I meant to post this a while back. If you can afford it and you are in the area you have got to check out TAM 7 ("The Amazing Meeting")July 9-12th 2009 in Las Vegas. Everyone from the Mythbuster crew, to James Randi himself, to the Skeptic's Guide to the Universe podcast crew.

Entertainment include Penn and Teller. That alone should be worth it. For the workshop schedule, go here.

Masturbate: Cure your allergies!

2009-04-01T20:44:00.002+09:00

Apparently, self pleasure can help in curing your hay fever ! Wow, I have wondered where my childhood affliction went. What did the Bible say about spilling seed? Damn book, was wrong again!

Superhumans one 'switch' away - breathrough in stem cell research

2009-04-01T20:37:00.003+09:00

Scientists have found a way to trigger muscle stem cells to mutate , thereby making them grow more muscle tissue. The reaction requires a special drug to make it activate. The researchers see the application of the new technique to be used from the bedridden to the athlete. Further, the researchers said the technique sheds light on tumor growth in children and more effective chemotherapy.

Lets heartlessly disregard the latter of the above because it isn't as fun to talk about.

From time to time scientists really hit the nail on the head. Now I have seen amazing studies come out and I never get too excited because the real world application of findings such as these are always never as grand as what floats around in my head. Regardless, if the treatment can do what its researchers (and my imagination) suggest, I would like to see how long something like this takes to make it from the lab, past FDA approval and then into the open arms of the public. When it does, how many of you want to wager that there will be an uproar everywhere from Major League Baseball to Olympic Swimmers. New testing guidelines will have to be established. Are there any cell biologists out there that can lend some insight into just what the limits of techniques like this might be? Can something like this be utilized on heart muscle as well that might aid in heart failure? Just some food for thought.

New Afghanistan law legalises rape

2009-04-01T16:09:00.002+09:00

Hamid Karzai has "rushed" through legislation, called The Shia Family Law, that eliminates the need for consensual sex between a man and woman. It is thought the bill was rushed through as Karzai desperately sought out political allies in the wake of an elections row

"It is one of the worst bills passed by the parliament this century," fumed Shinkai Karokhail, a woman MP who campaigned against the legislation. "It is totally against women's rights. This law makes women more vulnerable."

An Afghani woman Senator that spoke out against the legislation -that was not even brought up for debate in parliament- said they "accused me of being an unbeliever." Article 132 of the act legislates that women obey the sexual demands of their husbands.

Needless to say, the law is utterly vomitous and is a massive step backwards for a country that already has one foot in the grave. Why hasn't Karzai been removed yet? Karzai has blocked poppy field erradication and has been criticized by President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for being unstable.

Leaders such as Karzai do not aid in progressive reforms in countries where Islam is a formidable force. Instead, he falls victim to the populuses reliance upon Islam's investment in infastructure - the clerics are providing protection and goods because the government can not. Though Karzai does not run under the banner of an Islamic Party (his party is "Independent") he is most certainly, as the Shai legislation shows, at the mercy of Islam's considerable political weight. My graduate studies in anti-system parties, and peripherally Islamic parties, have shown me that there are some distinct variables that lead to the eventual moderation of lurking Islamic political parties and their factions, which will make the slow gradual move to democracy. One of those is "leverage". The United States is in a perilous position in which the stability of the country relies, partially, on a centralized government. This makes leverage a difficult task. When that leverage is applied, in the form of sanctions and public pressure, we might see a steady decline in radical legislation. The case study of the European Union's impact on Turkey's executive and judicial branches is a prime example of this.

Camp Quest - summer camp for freethinkers

2009-04-01T15:43:00.002+09:00

I thought this organization was worthyof notice. Camp Quest -UK offers summer camp for children of families that are

atheists, agnostics, humanists, freethinkers and all those who embrace a naturalistic rather than supernatural world view.

2009 will be the camp's inaugural year. If you have kids, care about supporting them in a rational environment, sign them up! The camp's activitie include evolution, philosoophy for children, critical thinking, nature games, the "Invisible Unicorns Challenge". There are also zip lines, archery, canoeing, ropes courses and all the other great outdoor activities that stimulate the mind.

New study shows Darwin was wrong

2009-04-01T07:59:00.005+09:00

As noted on Pharyngula. The full post:

A new study into the transfer of genetic material laterally, or across taxonomic divisions, has shown that evolution does not proceed as Darwin thought, and that in fact the present theory of evolution is entirely false. Instead, it transpires that lateral genetic transfer makes new species much more like Empedocles' "random monster" theory over 2000 years ago had predicted.
Publishing in the Journal of Evolutionary Diversions, the major journal in the field, Professor Augustus P. Rillful and his colleagues of the paragenetics laboratory at the University of Münchhausen in Germany have shown experimentally that the ability of DNA to cross species boundaries at any distance makes the origin of species a solved problem, only it is solved in a way that Darwin never envisaged. This new theory, called Empedoclean Evolution, explains why novel traits can be found in many different taxonomic groups independently. Instead of being "discovered" by natural selection and then passed on to descendants, a solution can be "found" entirely by chance and shared throughout the living world, even between single celled organisms and plants or animals.
Prof. Augustus P. Rillful
Empedocles, who was mocked by Aristotle for his theory of "man-faced oxen", held that organic parts randomly assorted to form random monsters until a viable form was found, after which it remained more or less constant. While his mechanism was crude and unrealistic (organs floating about separate from their organisms), the basic idea is now seen to be solid, with DNA packets replacing of organs. A similar view appears to have been held by the famous French naturalist Georges Cuvier, who knew that there were successive faunas, but rejected evolution (in the transformation of species sense) as an explanation. New faunas, according to Prof. Rillful and his team, occur when genes for new traits appear by accident, and cause a knock-on effect throughout the ensemble of species as viruses and bacterial transfer of genes spreads them throughout all the major species. Consequently, any gene that happens to code for a trait to deal with these novelties also gets widely spread, until an entirely new set of organisms now exist, as a new fauna.
Rapid faunal succession, as Rillful has called it, is "like punctuated equilibrium on steroids"; instead of single species remaining stable after they appear, entire faunas do. The role of natural selection is almost entirely eliminated in favour of the spread of chance useful variations. The Empedoclean theory also removes the need for sexual selection as an explanation of such traits as the peacock's tail - these are unwanted side-effects of genes hopping across the boundaries of species, and even phyla or kingdoms, in which rather than being nonviable as most chance combinations are, some combinations can form species with a burden of less-than-optimal traits.
In the paper, Rillful says "Darwin's theory of evolution as a purposive process, in which chance is balanced by the pseudodesign of natural selection, is no longer a necessary hypothesis to explain all of life. And the intelligent design argument is entirely shown to be false. Darwin was wrong, and so was Paley. The consensus is moving even further away from the Design hypothesis than even the modern Darwinians expected. Adaptation is an accident."
Rillful says that humans appear to be the first organisms to develop intelligence, quite by accident, and that he expects other species will start to become intelligent over the next few thousand years, as the gene for this is spread by infection to other species.
A summary of this work will soon be found in the cover story of the April 1 issue of New Scientist. It looks to revolutionise modern biology in ways that can only be imagined.
Reference
Rillful, A. P., Metonym, P., Hebe, P., Samsa, G., et al., 2009. "A new theory of evolution based upon the ubiquity of lateral genetic transfer". J. Evol. Div. 23 (2):69-136.

Youtube suspends James Randy Educational Foundation account

2009-04-01T06:36:00.004+09:00

Youtube has suspended the James Randy Educational Foundation's account. The JREF is an integral cog in the fight for rational thought.

New theory of extinction

2009-04-01T06:14:00.003+09:00

A new theory of extinction suggests that the largest mass extinction could have been triggered by salt lakes. The lakes could have released halogenated gases that dramatically altered the atmosphere, killing off vegetation. At the Permian-Triassic boundary, around 250 million years ago, 90 percent of land animals and flora became extinct.

For more reading on extinction go here.

Pope Condom Cartoon

2009-04-01T06:03:00.005+09:00

It should be noted that my computer crashed whilst attempting to post this. Perhaps His holy spaghetti tentacle reached out and denounced my attempt to slander his messenger. This cartoon was drawn in reaction to these recent statments by the Pope.

Melbourne Catholic Church on Gay witch hunt

2009-04-01T05:32:00.003+09:00

It look as though the Catholic Church is at it again; this time in Australia. The Vatican Commitee has decided to invoke a type of vetting process on any ministers that "appear gay". If the minister is found to be gay (using what type of scientific process, I am not sure) the minister will be removed from service. It will also apply to celibate gays because being gay is "a type of deviation".

The Catholic Church is racking up points lately. I know religion is out of touch, but the Catholic Church seems to be so completely removed from reality. Was there ever a "good" Pope? Regardless, the actions taken by the current pontiff smack the face of reason and are a disturbing trend for the progress of rationalism.

US Catholic church bans practice of reiki

2009-04-01T05:21:00.003+09:00

United States Catholic Bishops have banned the use of reiki, which is an alternative Japanese "therapy". A Reiki master named Judith White, who is a Christian, responded by saying the bishops misunderstood reiki therapy and that there was no incompatibility with Christianity. I think it is very important to note the massive hypocrisy in the following statement found the church's new guidelines regarding reiki:

A Catholic who puts his or her trust in reiki would be operating in the realm of superstition, the no man's land that is neither faith nor science. Superstition corrupts one's worship of God by turning one's religious feeling and practice in a false direction.

Wow, could the set up have been any better? I would like to hear the church's distinguishing guidelines for how this differs from religious faith and belief in YHWH. Further, am I the only one that was unaware of the apparent marriage that previously existed between reiki and Catholicism? When did this happen? I guess irrationality attracts.

Taliban blocks Polio vaccinations

2009-04-01T05:09:00.003+09:00

Taliban leaders in Afghanistan have blocked the vaccination of 300,000 children in the Swat Valley. Originally, militants agreed to let the vaccinations occur, but have since reneged on that agreement. Polio vaccinations are effective in the first three months of the year, so the militants decision to bar vaccinations could have catastophic impacts. Clerics in the area are using loud speakers to propagandize that the vaccines will cause fertility and are part of an American anti-Muslim campaign.

Its a US tool to cute the population of the uslims. It is against Islam that you take medicine before disease", said, Muslim Khan, Swat's Taliban spokesman, speaking by telephone.

Apparently, Allah, in all his great wisdom does not believe in preventative medicine. It is a shame, I thought the big guy had more foresight.

11 myths and truths about atheism

2009-04-01T04:59:00.003+09:00

Blogger Greta Christina lists her 11 myths and truths about atheism. She explains each of them, in depth and clearly thought out. Her piece plays off of Sam Harris' "10 Myths About Atheism" that was published in the LA Times. Greta's list of 11:

1: Atheists are 100% convinced that there is no God, as blindly faithful as religious fundamentalists.
2: Atheists are immoral: without religion, there’s no basis for morality.
3: Atheists are angry and unhappy, with no meaning to their lives, and no hope.
4: Atheists are disrespectful, intolerant, and mean.
5: Atheists are whiny.
6: Atheists are just being trendy.
7: Atheists are just angry with God, or with religion. They’re angry about abuses in religious organizations; about actions of God that they don’t understand; or because God puts restrictions on them that they don’t like.
8: Atheists are arguing with straw men: they criticize the ugliest, stupidest, most simplistic, most outdated versions of religion, and ignore the thoughtful, complex forms of serious modern theology.
9: Atheists are responsible for the worst crimes in history: Stalin, Mao, etc.
10: Atheists think science belongs to them; atheists treat science as their religion.
11: Atheists think they’re superior.

Essentially, like Harris' list, Greta's describes the many logical fallacies that we all are capable. Anyone have anymore to add to this list?

Creationists win one in Texas - "Son of Strengths and Weaknesses"

2009-03-31T15:12:00.001+09:00

From the National Center for Science Education

"Somebody's got to stand up to experts!" cries board chair
Don McLeroy.

OAKLAND — After three all-day meetings and a blizzard of amendments and counter-amendments, the Texas Board of Education cast its final vote Friday on state science standards. The results weren't pretty.

The board majority amended the Earth and Space Sciences standards as well as the Biology standards (TEKS) with loopholes and language that make it even easier for creationists to attack science textbooks.

"The final vote was a triumph of ideology and politics over science," says Dr. Eugenie Scott, executive director of the National Center for Science Education (NCSE). "The board majority chose to satisfy creationist constituents and ignore the expertise of highly qualified Texas scientists and scientists across the country." NCSE presented the board with a petition from 54 scientific and educational societies, urging the board to reject language that misrepresents or undermines the teaching of evolution, which the board likewise ignored.

Although the "strengths and weaknesses" wording that has been part of the standards for over a decade was finally excised — wording that has been used to pressure science textbook publishers to include creationist arguments — a number of amendments put the creationist-inspired wording back in.

"What we now have is Son of Strengths and Weaknesses," says Josh Rosenau, a project director for NCSE. "Having students 'analyze and evaluate all sides of scientific evidence' is code that gives creationists a green light to attack biology textbooks."

For example, the revised biology standard (7B) reflects two discredited creationist ideas — that "sudden appearance" and "stasis" in the fossil record somehow disprove evolution. The new standard directs students to "analyze and evaluate the sufficiency of scientific explanations concerning any data of sudden appearance, stasis and the sequential nature of groups in the fossil records." Other new standards include language such as "is thought to" or "proposed transitional fossils" to make evolutionary concepts seem more tentative.

The changes will not immediately affect curricula in Texas high schools, but "the standards will affect standardized tests and textbooks," says Rosenau. Thanks to such laws as No Child Left Behind, ubiquitous standardized tests are central to measuring student progress and proficiency. Teachers teach to the test, notes Rosenau, and textbooks have to reflect this.

"Will publishers cave in to pressure from the Texas board to include junk science in their textbooks? It has happened before," says Scott. "But textbooks that please the Texas board will be rejected in other states. Publishers will have to choose between junk science and real science."

"Let's be clear about this," cautioned Scott. "This is a setback for science education in Texas, not a draw, not a victory. The revised wording opens the door to creationism in the classroom and in the textbooks. The decisions will not only affect Texas students for the next ten years, but could result in watered-down science textbooks across the U.S. There's a reason creationists are claiming victory."

NCSE's Josh Rosenau summed up the frustration of scientists and educators alike: "This is a hell of a way to make education policy."

Congrats Texas, you have now followed Louisiana down the "irrational rabbit hole". Enjoy!

Obama inspired Darwin shirts

2009-03-31T09:48:00.000+09:00

Mike Rosulek designs these amazing Darwin shirts, stickers and posters that are inspired by the recent "change" with the Obama administration and Darwin's recent birthday. Check them out and buy one. They come in many colors, with various written text. As he notes on his site, all proceeds will go to the National Center for Science Education.

Brian from "Family Guy" comes out of the atheist closet

2009-03-30T21:54:00.002+09:00

Well, I suspected it and hoped for it and it is true! Brian the dog on Family Guy is an atheist, so watch it before it is removed!

If atheists ruled the world

2009-03-30T21:40:00.007+09:00

The dialouge in this video is taken directly from what fundamentalists have written on online forums. The acting by the guy in the stocking hat is spot on - he truly nails the frustrated and irrational theist.

John Shimkus and the infallible word of God

2009-03-30T15:13:00.002+09:00

Representative John Shimkus of Illinois recently testified at a House hearing on global warming. Shimkus testifed that he fully believes man cannot destroy the Earth, as he so lucidly displays in this segmented portion of his testimony,

The Earth will end only when God declares it's time to be over. Man will not destroy this Earth. This Earth will not be destroyed by a flood… God's word is infallible, unchanging, perfect.

He goes onto discuss how God's word is infallible and continues to expound on the reasons global warming is really not that big of a deal. Okay, for the most part I don't have an issue with those that say global warming is not occurring. I don't have an issue with it because these are things that can be discussed and information can be traded and issues reasoned. But if an elected Congressman gives testimony that apathy is the best solution to any problem because God will take care of us, then I have a problem. What started out as a scientific hearing to discuss global warming turned into a representative's chance to parade his irrational (not to mention irrelevant) perspective. His opinion got the discussion no where other than a dead stop. There is no discussion when religious fanatics start to bandy about their faith. How is this productive in producing sound legislation? I highly suggest writing Mr. Shimkus and telling him how you feel.

If it wasnt' so scary, it would be funny. I think it is also important to note the smirking office aide sitting behind him to his left. Maybe I am projecting, but she seems to look down the instant he starts to discuss his religious views and continues to avert her eyes from there on. I too am embarrassed Ms. Office Aide.

Planet Atheism

2009-03-30T14:50:00.001+09:00

There is now one site that combines all of our favorite atheist sites into a single blog. Check it out!

Case begins for cult that starved child to death for not saying "Amen" after prayer

2009-03-30T13:39:00.001+09:00

A horrifying case of cultism is beginning trial in Baltimore. Back in 2006 when the murder occurred, "1 Mind Ministries" leader "Queen Antoinette" denied a 16 month old child food and water because he refused to day "Amen" after lunch. It was concluded that the boy had become a demon and needed to be cleansed. This "cleansing" led to the boys death. The cult prayed over the child's body for days attempting a resurrection. The cult believed the body was not resurrected because one among them was not a true believer. The body of the child was placed in a blanket and then in a suitcase where is was to leave Baltimore because they thought he could be raised at a later date. Psychiatrists said they could not distinguish Ramikssoon's religious beliefs from her personal beliefs and concluded she was not criminally insane. The case will try 5 of the cult members on murder charges, including the mother of the deceased, Ria Ramikssoon. Ramikssoon agreed to plead to lesser charges on one condition: that if her son is resurrected the charges should be dropped. Ramikssoon immigrated as a Hindu from India, but embraced Christianity.

The defendant's lawyer had this to say:

"She wasn't delusional, because she was following a religion," Silverman said, describing the findings of the doctors'

Once again, religion gets the trump card. Religion becomes the scapegoat once again. This needs to stop. Does anyone else have a problem with this? If you claim to be following a religion you are not delusional. You can kill a child because you are commanded to by a "prophet of God" and you are not delusional. You can starve your only child because he "developed a demonic spirit" and you are not delusional. What are you? Simply following your religion. She allowed herself to believe in a cult that told her that if a one-syllable word was not uttered after a seance food and water would be refused. More so, this refusal would continue until death. How is this not delusional? How does this not speak to the horror that is religion? I have said this before, but people like the followers of "1 Mind Ministries" are being intellectually honest. They are truly practicing their religion. All those that say they are "good Christians" are cherry picking their way through the moral train wreck that is the Bible. All those that claim to be "good Muslims" are cherry picking their way through the abomination that is the Koran. These people's actions are the end result of what true religion teaches. 1 Mind Ministries claimed to find its justifications for its actions in the Bible. This, I have no doubt of.

An expert on cult activities said this in regards to the case

"At times there can be an overlap between extreme religious conviction and delusion," said Robert Jay Lifton, a cult expert and psychiatrist who lectures at Harvard Medical School. "It's a difficult area for psychiatry and the legal system."

I find it interesting how he says "sometimes" there is an overlap. Does he not think that believing in deities, heaven and hell is delusion enough? Was she brainwashed as her attorney argues? What does it mean to be "brainwashed"? How much personal responsibility should be laid out? How much do you blame religion and the powerful force of fear and irrationality?

For background on the case go here.

Freeman Dyson and Global Warming

2009-03-30T09:37:00.001+09:00

The New York Times Magazine published an excellent article discussing Freeman Dyson's opinions on global warming. It frames this discussion by also reviewing what Dyson has accomplished during his 60+ years as a member of the scientific community. Read it.

The Continuing Tragedy of Faith

2009-03-29T22:22:00.000+09:00

Please take the poll on the right hand side after reading the article.

A few weeks ago there was a horrific plane accident where 14 people were killed in Montana, United States. Half of those killed where children ages 6 to 10 years old and a total of three families where effected. Within this tragedy lies another tragedy.

Irving Feldkamp was the father of two and the grandfather of five of the plane crash victims. The level of tragedy for him must have been unimaginable. Mr. Feldkamp is also the owner of Family Planning Associates, which is an organization of clinics that performs abortions.

Following the crash a woman by the name of Gingi Edmonds wrote this despicable article for the "Christian News Wire" where she openly, but passively, states her assurance that divine justice was done. The level of blind arrogance, delusion and hatred is palpable and it makes me sick. PZ Meyers has a similar take on this latest act of hate from religious fanatics

Hear is the article in full:

MEDIA ADVISORY, Mar. 24 /Christian Newswire/ -- Some of you may have seen the major news story of the private plane that crashed into a Montana cemetery, killing 7 children and 7 adults.

But what the news sources fail to mention is that the Catholic Holy Cross Cemetery owned by Resurrection Cemetery Association in Butte - contains a memorial for local residents to pray the rosary, at the 'Tomb of the Unborn'. This memorial, located a short distance west of the church, was erected as a dedication to all babies who have died because of abortion.

What else is the mainstream news not telling you? The family who died in the crash near the location of the abortion victim's memorial, is the family of Irving 'Bud' Feldkamp, owner of the largest for-profit abortion chain in the nation.

Family Planning Associates was purchased four years ago by Irving Moore "Bud" Feldkamp III, owner of Allcare and Hospitality Dental Associates and CEO of Glen Helen Raceway Park in San Bernardino. The 17 California Family Planning clinics perform more abortions in the state than any other abortion provider - Planned Parenthood included - and they perform abortions through the first five months of pregnancy.

Although Feldkamp is not an abortionist, he reaps profits of blood money from the tens of thousands of babies that are killed through abortions performed every year at the clinics he owns. His business in the abortion industry was what enabled him to afford the private plane that was carrying his family to their week-long vacation at The Yellowstone Club, a millionaires-only ski resort.

The plane went down on Sunday, killing two of Feldkamp's daughters, two sons-in-law and five grandchildren along with the pilot and four family friends. The plane, a single-engine turboprop flown by Bud Summerfield of Highland, crashed into the Catholic cemetery and burst into flames, only 500 ft. from its landing destination. All aboard were killed.

The cause of the crash is a mystery. The pilot, who was a former military flier who logged over 2,000 miles, gave no indication to air traffic controllers that the aircraft was experiencing difficulty when he asked to divert to an airport in Butte. Witnesses report that the plane suddenly nosedived toward the ground with no apparent signs of a struggle. There was neither a cockpit voice recorder nor a flight data recorder onboard, and no radar clues into the planes final moments because the Butte airport is not equipped with a radar facility. Some speculate that the crash was due to ice on the wings, but this particular plane model has been tested for icy weather and experts have stated that ice being the cause is unlikely.

In my time working for Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust, I helped organize and conduct a weekly campaign where youth activists stood outside of Feldkamp's mini-mansion in Redlands holding fetal development signs and raising community awareness regarding Feldkamp's dealings in child murder for profit. Every Thursday afternoon we called upon Bud and his wife Pam to repent, seek God's blessing and separate themselves from the practice of child killing.

We warned him, for his children's sake, to wash his hands of the innocent blood he assisted in spilling because, as Scripture warns, if "you did not hate bloodshed, bloodshed will pursue you". (Ezekiel 35:6)

A news source states that Bud Feldkamp visited the site of the crash with his wife and their two surviving children on Monday. As they stood near the twisted and charred debris talking with investigators, light snow fell on the tarps that covered the remains of their children.

I don't want to turn this tragic event into some creepy spiritual 'I told you so' moment, but I think of the time spent outside of Feldkamp's - Pam Feldkamp laughing at the fetal development signs, Bud Feldkamp trying not to make eye contact as he got into his car with a small child in tow - and I think of the haunting words, 'Think of your children.' I wonder if those words were haunting Feldkamp as well as he stood in the snow among the remains of loved ones, just feet from the 'Tomb of the Unborn'?

I only hope and pray that in the face of this tragedy, Feldkamp recognizes his need for repentance and reformation. I pray that God will use this unfortunate catastrophe to soften the hearts of Bud and Pam and that they will draw close to the Lord and wash their hands of the blood of thousands of innocent children, each as precious and irreplaceable as their own.

"I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then." (Deut. 30:19)

It is this portion that I find the most disturbing

I don't want to turn this tragic event into some creepy spiritual 'I told you so' moment, but I think of the time spent outside of Feldkamp's - Pam Feldkamp laughing at the fetal development signs, Bud Feldkamp trying not to make eye contact as he got into his car with a small child in tow - and I think of the haunting words, 'Think of your children.'

Her shameless almost playful tone when she discusses the "creepy spiritual 'I told you so' moment" is perfectly indicative of what kind of person Ms. Edmonds is: A spiteful, angry woman, who is happy to watch a family be destroyed if it justifies her irrational beliefs. Faith in action once again.

If anyone has anything to say to Gingi Edmonds, here is her site: www.gingiedmonds.com and her phone number in the states is 559-772-7911.

The "Power" of Prayer

2009-03-29T13:59:00.000+09:00

A straightforward opinion of the power of prayer.

Florida senator sneaks in creationism bill to Senate

2009-03-28T08:58:00.003+09:00

Florida Senator Stephen Wise has craftily altered a Florida State law that is mostly about teaching ethics, so that it is more possible for creationism to be taught in the classroom. Wise altered the bill so that evolution becomes the only subject that is to receive critique. Of course, the bill has not been passed, but has merely been proposed, so there is still time to stop it. Nearly two months ago Senator Wise discussed his hopes of creationist legislation, which may come back to haunt him, in light of the litany of judicial precedents that have been set up against teaching the subject.

As the blogger, the Sensuous Curmudgeon, has noted, Smith is attempting to pass creationist legislation by "wrapping it in the flag". Smith has hijacked a bill where is discusses things such as the Declaration of Independence and other highly "emotional" American issues.

Here is a snippet from the proposed legislation:

Senate 2396: Relating to Educational Instruction
Educational Instruction; Requires that the instructional staff of a public school teach a thorough presentation and critical analysis of the scientific theory of evolution and certain governmental, legal, and civic-related principles. EFFECTIVE DATE: 07/01/2009.

In Ohio the same language of "critical analysis" was utilized, but was snuffed out and revealed for what it was: a euphemism for "teaching creationism". The organization Florida Citizens for Science is already aware of Wise's attempts. Let's hope Florida isn't the next Louisiana.

New species of spider found

2009-03-27T17:35:00.003+09:00

In Papua New Guinea a new species of spider has been found that gives scientists a glimpse of the evolutionary tree that they thought was sparse. The research team identified 130 species, of which 30-50 where previously unknown.

Split vote in Texas upholds ruling to axe evolution's "strength and weakness" rule - School Boards, what are you doing?!

2009-03-27T14:08:00.001+09:00

In a split vote, 7to7, the Texas' State Board of Education narrowly upheld a rule that will axe legislation to teach evolution's 'strengths and weaknesses'. While the win was narrow it is a huge victory for supporters of evolution because Texas is one of the nation's largest purchasers of textbooks, so it has an impact on what goes into biology textbooks.

What I always find funny is that the attempts to do this in many states are simply a way to bypass judicial precedents set numerous times that shows the teaching of Intelligent Design is patently NOT science. Court proceedings like the recent Kitzmiller decision show that Intelligent design is nothing more than Creationism dressed up with vague verbage that attempts to sneak religion into the classroom. It is NOT science and has been shown not to be multiple times. Not only has it been shown not to be the decisions literally trounce the idea that creatonism and Intelligenct Design are science. Courts have proven creationism and intelligent design to be crap. Scientists have proven it to be crap. So why do these school boards and state legislator's (such as Lousiana's legislature) keep pushing to pass these laws? Mmmm, I wonder why? Religion, probably has something to do with it.

In 2009 the creationist "think tank" (there is obviously little thinking done there) the Discovery Institute had various versions of its "academic freedom" bill active in seven different states: New Mexico, Oklahoma, Iowa, Alabama, Missouri, Florida, and Texas. Three of those, Oklahoma, Iowa, and New Mexico, are now dead. What is even scarier is that in Louisiana, when the bill was passed in 2008, the vote was 94-3 in favor of the act. This "academic freedom" act is literally tantamount to allowing astrology to be taught in astronomy classes, or the stork idea to be taught in sex ed.

I think judge William Overton's ruling in McLean v. Arkansas really puts the attempts of schoolboards into focus and lays out what science is and what creationism is not:

It is guided by natural law;
It has to be explanatory by reference to natural law;
It is testable against the empirical world;
Its conclusions are tentative, i.e. are not necessarily the final word; and
It is falsifiable.

and found that "creation science" failed to meet these essential characteristics for the following reasons.

Sudden creation "from nothing" is not science because it depends upon a supernatural intervention which is not guided by natural law, is not explanatory by reference to natural law, is not testable and is not falsifiable.
"insufficiency of mutation and natural selection" is an incomplete negative generalization.
"changes only within fixed limits of originally created kinds" fails as there is no scientific definition of "kinds", the assertion appears to be an effort to establish outer limits of changes within species but there is no scientific explanation for these limits which is guided by natural law and the limitations, whatever they are, cannot be explained by natural law.
"separate ancestry of man and apes" is a bald assertion which explains nothing and refers to no scientific fact or theory.
Catastrophism and any kind of Genesis Flood depend upon supernatural intervention, and cannot be explained by natural law.
"Relatively recent inception" has no scientific meaning, is not the product of natural law; not explainable by natural law; nor is it tentative.
No recognized scientific journal has published an article espousing the creation science theory as described in the Act, and though some witnesses suggested that the scientific community was "close-minded" and so had not accepted the arguments, no witness produced a scientific article for which publication has been refused, and suggestions of censorship were not credible.
A scientific theory must be tentative and always subject to revision or abandonment in light of facts that are inconsistent with, or falsify, the theory. A theory that is by its own terms dogmatic, absolutist, and never subject to revision is not a scientific theory.
While anybody is free to approach a scientific inquiry in any fashion they choose, they cannot properly describe the methodology as scientific, if they start with the conclusion and refuse to change it regardless of the evidence developed during the course of the investigation. The creationists' methods do not take data, weigh it against the opposing scientific data, and thereafter reach the conclusions stated in [the Act] Instead, they take the literal wording of the Book of Genesis and attempt to find scientific support for it.

Further, Judge Jones' decision in Kitzmiller should also be noted for emphasis:

The evidence at trial demonstrates that ID is nothing less than the progeny of creationism.

The overwhelming evidence at trial established that ID is a religious view, a mere re-labeling of creationism, and not a scientific theory.

Throughout the trial and in various submissions to the Court, Defendants vigorously argue that the reading of the statement is not 'teaching' ID but instead is merely 'making students aware of it.' In fact, one consistency among the Dover School Board members' testimony, which was marked by selective memories and outright lies under oath, as will be discussed in more detail below, is that they did not think they needed to be knowledgeable about ID because it was not being taught to the students. We disagree.

Gingi Edmonds' God Aborts Babies

2009-03-27T07:04:00.006+09:00

The irony of Gingi Edmond's enraged and hate-filled letter was that one of the victims in the Montana plane crash that killed 14 people was 5-months pregnant. So how is the deaths of 14 people divine justice for anti-abortionists? Irony?

For my recent article on teh Gingi Edmonds story, go here.

World's Oldest Living Organism

2009-03-26T19:07:00.005+09:00

Off the coast of Hawaii researchers have used new and more accurate radiocarbon dating to determine the age of one of what was thought to be one of the oldest organisms known. This deep sea coral, specifically gold coral, was gauged to have been alive for over 4,000 years. This new measurement makes it the oldest organism on Earth.

The Largest Star Ever Observed Exploding

2009-03-26T18:57:00.004+09:00

Scientists have for the first time made an observation of a star, 50 times the size of the sun, explode. The star exploded -creating a supernova- and its mass collapsed on itself, creating a black hole.

Asteroids Provide More Understanding of Meteorite Origins and Early History

2009-03-26T18:21:00.002+09:00

Last year a rare F-class asteroid barreled through the Earth's atmosphere. Usually, it is a mystery as to where meteorites come from because it is so rare to spot them prior to their entry into our atmosphere. This time was different. A day before the asteroid entered our atmosphere (making it a meteorite) it was spotted by an obervatory, which sent out notifications to amateurs and experts alike. Because of this the meteorite was tracked and logged making it a rare discovery. Millions of meteorites zip through the solar system but scientists have no idea where they come from.

A scientist from SETI recently organized a search team to recover the F-class asteroid. The team located 280 pieces totalling 10lbs of the rare meteorite type known as a ureilite. These types of meteorites are composed of minerals that are not fully melted, which lead researchers to believe it was apart of a larger asteroid that had planetlike geological activity.

...the hope is that scientists can now determine the history of asteroids, which contain some of the most primitive materials left over from the early solar system.

For a slide show of the asteroid and closeups of its contents, go here.

Rock Core Samples Suggest an Oxygen Rich Earth at 3.5 Billion Years Ago

2009-03-26T14:09:00.002+09:00

Recent rock core samples of jasper rock from Western Australia, dated to 3.46 Billion years old, show that not only was the ocean rich with oxygen, but that the earth's atmosphere was as well.

It also means that there was oxygen in the atmosphere 3.46 billion years ago, because the only mechanism for oxygen to exist in the deep oceans is for there to be oxygen in the atmosphere."

It has been hypothesized that Jasper (Hematite) formed via oxidation from siderite in the atmosphere. But researchers also believed that this has been concluded because samples have not been taken from a deep enough source. The new samples were much less likely to have been exposed to the atmosphere or water. A multitude of tests determined that the hematite was not formed from ultraviolet light, which could lead it having been formed at the surface, thereby leading to its oxidation from the atmosphere. The study determined that, indeed, the hematite was not formed at the surface.

This study is also inline with the recent findings from the study of zircon crystals in Greenland. Here the crystals suggested that the earth was indeed hospitable. Those crystals dated back to around 4.1 billion years ago. Findings such as these are slowly dispelling the idea that the earth had a Hadaen period, which is often argued to have been a major hurdle for life to have begun in.

__________________________

For more on early earth studies follow these links:

Breathable Primordial Air

Clues to the Origins of Oxygen on Earth

The Evolution of Gills and Fins are Found to be Connected

2009-03-25T16:27:00.002+09:00

The evolution of limbs from fins has been heavily researched by evolutionary biologists. It has been hypothesized that limbs grew from fins and limbs grew out of gills. A new study has supported that hypothesis. The study's senior author, Neil Shubin, was the co-finder of Tiktaalik and this most recent study builds off his work. Tiktaalik is considered to be one of the fossils that explains how animals of the sea evolved to become tetrapods. The study showed how evolution "uses" common developmental programs to pattern different anatomical structures". What does this mean? Their research shows that the same developmental architecture that is present in fins and limbs is also present in gills. The researchers manipulated the embryos of skates (a living relative of sharks) and found this:

The research also showed for the first time that the gill arch skeleton of embryonic skates (a living relative of sharks that has gill rays) responds to treatment with the vitamin A derivative retinoic acid in the same way a limb or fin skeleton does: by making a mirror image duplicate of the structure as the embryo develops. According to the researchers, the genetic circuitry that patterns paired appendages (arms, legs and fins) has a deep evolutionary origin that actually predates the origin of paired appendages themselves.

The researchers concluded that perhaps gills should be thought of as "another appendage". To read the study's abstract click here.

For more information and background on fin and limb development see these links:

Origin of Fin and Limb Development

Going From Water to Land Began in Sharks

The Acquisition of Limbs Started in Fish.

More on the Compatibility (or Incompatibility) of Science and Religion

2009-03-25T12:05:00.002+09:00

Over on the esteemed Pharyngula blog, PZ Meyers has brought up another discussion of the often discussed issue of compatability between science and religion. Considering my recent posts and the poll of whether creationism and evolution should be taught side-by-side, I felt the following opinion from Jerry Coyne was fitting:

It seems to me that we can defend evolution without having to cater to the faithful at the same time. Why not just show that evolution is TRUE and its alternatives are not? Why kowtow to those whose beliefs many of us find unpalatable, just to sell our discipline? There are, in fact, two disadvantages to the "cater-to-religion" stance.

By trotting out those "religious scientists", like Ken Miller, or those "scientific theologians," like John Haught, we are tacitly putting our imprimatur on their beliefs, including beliefs that God acts in the world today (theism), suspending natural laws. For example, I don't subscribe to Miller's belief that God acts immanently in the world, perhaps by influencing events on the quantum level, or that God created the laws of physics so that human-containing planets could evolve. I do not agree with John Haught's theology. I do not consider any faith that touts God's intervention in the world (even in the past) as compatible with science. Do my colleagues at the NAS or the NCSE disagree?

The statement that learning evolution does not influence one's religious belief is palpably false. There are plenty of statistics that show otherwise, including the negative correlation of scientific achievement with religious belief and the negative correlation among nations in degree of belief in God with degree of acceptance of evolution. All of us know this, but we pretend otherwise. (In my book I note that "enlightened" religion can be compatible with science, but by "englightened" I meant a complete, hands-off deism.) I think it is hypocrisy to pretend that learning evolution will not affect either the nature or degree of one's faith. It doesn't always, but it does more often than we admit, and there are obvious reasons why (I won't belabor these). I hate to see my colleagues pretending that faith and science live in nonoverlapping magisteria. They know better.

Coyne is the author of the book "Why Evolution is True". He is a Professor of Ecology and Evolution and the University of Chicago and runs his own blog that goes by the same name as his book. Coyne's use of "nonoverlapping magesteria" was a phrase coined by paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould. Gould was the face of evolutionary theory from the 80s to 90s and he paved the way for many issues of evolutionary theory. He was also very controversial in his points of view. He argued that religion and science discuss two different subjects and are not in conflict because of it: science has nothing to say about religion and vice versa. Daniel Dennett breaks down Gould in at least one chapter (specifically "Bully for Brontosaurus") on these issues in his brilliant book (a finalist for the 1996 Book of the Year award) "Darwin's Dangerous Idea".

Pictures of the World's First flying car

2009-03-25T10:29:00.002+09:00

Fueling up the flying car. It is actually quite stylish!

Taking off before one of its massive 37 second flights.

Here Come the Jetsons! World's First Flying Car

2009-03-25T10:26:00.002+09:00

Flying cars have been perceived as a novelty by the general public, but engineers have always sought to make it a reality. The new "Transition" plane-car is making this a reality. Coupled with the creation of a new pilot's license by the Federal Aviation Administration - the "Light Sport Aircraft" that takes only 20 hours of training -flying cars are becoming more of a reality. On March 5th the flying car had multiple 37 second flights. On the ground the street-legal transition gets 30mpg and in the air it gets 450 miles on a 20 gallon tank and a 115 mph cruising speed.

A quote from the pilot who took the inaugural flight:

A retired U.S. Air Force colonel, Meteer said the plane handled so smoothly in the test flights that all of the possible contingencies he had practiced became irrelevant. "You're in a hypervigilant state" during the initial takeoff, he said, but as he saw how smoothly the flight was going he had a "wahoo moment: none of this is happening!"

I just want to know when we will be able to land and take off from I-5 during rush hour.

Lemur Fossils Shed Light on the Origins and Evolution of HIV

2009-03-24T21:16:00.004+09:00

Researchers have utilized fossils of Lemurs to track the evolution of the prosimian immunodeficiency virus (pSIV). They concluded that pSIV (the precursor to HIV) infiltrated indemic Lemurs on Madagascar as far back a 4.2 MYA.

For more information on the evolution of HIV and its evolution of resistance to drugs go to UC Berkley's site, here.

The Evolution of Flight in Insects

2009-03-24T16:49:00.008+09:00

A recent study of the Amazonian bristletail has possibly aided scientist's understanding of the evolution of wings in insects and flight in general. The Bristletail is a flightless member of the insect order Archaeognatha and is one of the least evolutionary changed insects. It appeared in the fossil record during the Mid-Devonian some 390 MYA. Instead of using traditional wings it utilizes elongated median caudal filaments that they may play a role in Directed Aerial Descent (DAD). These filaments aid in the pitch and yaw of the body which helps to direct it. There are two hypothesis for the development of wings in insects:

(i) insect wings evolved terrestrially, as extensions of the thoracic pleura of primitive hexapods gliding from tall vegetation, and (ii) insect wings evolved in an aquatic setting, derived from gills or gill plates of primitively aquatic forms

The study showed that when dropped from a tree branch 90% of the specimen directed themselves to the next tree branch. But when the median caudal filament was ablated (a euphemism for "cut") the percentage of success dropped significantly. The study's conclusions have bolsterd the hypothesis that winged flight originated terrestrially and that this specie's mode of gliding is a precursor to winged flight in insects. Extrapolating from this, it might help to explain the musculature and biomechanics that led to flapping winged flight in the other three species that flight has evolved in: pterodactyls, birds, and bats. It is believed that winged flight occured first in insects and that this happened in the late Paleozoic around 300 to 350 MYA.

To read the study on bristletails click here.

I have been reading the study in the above link and am finding it fascinating. I found some more literature on flying insects, or pterygotes. The link takes you to a Cornell entymology lab that looks at the muscular structure of dragonflies and explains some very fascinating aspects of biomechanics.

What is the Most Important of the Given Scientific Fields?

2009-03-23T21:31:00.004+09:00

Dickheaded Leopard Slugs

2009-03-23T20:55:00.003+09:00

This video manages to be hilariously narrated, disgusting, and extremely fascinating. The video shows how the leopard slug of the Pacific Northwest United States and Canada mates. It is bizarre.

The Lyrebird Mimics a Chainsaw as David Attenborough Watches

2009-03-23T20:44:00.007+09:00

The lyrebird of Southern Australia has to be the most amazing songbird. In this clip you will hear the lyrebird mimic a handful of species of birds as well as a car alarm, chainsaws, and two types of camera shutters. It is an amazing display of adaptation, sexual selection and mimcry. This clip was voted as the number one David Attenborough TV moment by BBC viewers.

Amazing Lyre Bird Mimics Everything - The funniest movie is here. Find it

World CO2 Counter

2009-03-23T18:21:00.003+09:00

Spurred by the most recent allegations of the Bush Administration's suppression of science at NASA. I wanted to do what I could to inform people of the imminent hazards of global warming. The counter will remain to the right. It is updated monthly by readings from Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii. I found this counter at the very informative site CO2 Now. I highly recommend going to the site to learn more about the accumulation of CO2 in our atmosphere. In light of news reports such as this I recommend learning as much as you can.

New Scientist Pulls Article and Continues to think Marketing Trumps Science

2009-03-22T23:25:00.008+09:00

As noted on Jerry Coyne's blog the magazine, New Scientist has recently pulled an article from its online magazine. The article was entitled "How to Spot a Religious Hidden Agenda." Thanks to Lamda Delta for archiving the piece. The magazine said it removed the piece because of a "legal complaint." Here is a response to Dr. Coyne's question regarding the removal from New Scientist's online magazine:

Subject: RE: Amanda Gefter’s piece
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 2009 14:05:39 -0000
Thread-Topic: Amanda Gefter’s piece
New Scientist has received a legal complaint about the contents of this
story. At the advice of our lawyer it has temporarily been removed while
we investigate. All the best, Roger

I will echo similar sentiments of the Why Evolution is True blog and ask, "Why the kotow to the creationist kooks?"

This occurence comes at the tailend of New Scientist's recent spat with Jerry Coyne and Pharanuglya over their sensationalist recent cover entitled "Darwin Was Wrong". The magazine admitted the intent was to sell magazines. Of course the magazine has been touted by creationists as evidence of their argument when, in fact, the article was merely discussing how new discoveries in cross breeding are blurring the phylogenic tree.

As we celebrate the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth, we await a third revolution that will see biology changed and strengthened. None of this should give succour to creationists, whose blinkered universe is doubtless already buzzing with the news that "New Scientist has announced Darwin was wrong". Expect to find excerpts ripped out of context and presented as evidence that biologists are deserting the theory of evolution en masse. They are not.

The cover also led to a joint letter of condemnation from the likes of Daniel Dennet, Richard Dawkins, Jerry Coyne, and PZ Meyers. New Scientist seems to be in a world of discredit amongst scientist lately. But what do they care, they are probably being talked about more now than ever before. Apparently marketing trumps the science of New Scientist.

D'Espagnat Speaks about Templeton Prize

2009-03-22T14:15:00.005+09:00

Bernard d'Espagnat recently received the Templeton Prize for his research on quantum physics. I do not have the highest regard for the organization as they claim to be impartial, but have proven not to be. D'Espagnat had this to say when he received the prize and I felt much better about his acceptance of it:

"I feel myself deeply in accordance with the Templeton Foundation's great, guiding idea that science does shed light [on spirituality]. In my view it does so mainly by rendering unbelievable an intellectual construction claiming to yield access to the ultimate ground of things with the sole use of the simple, somewhat trivial notions everybody has."

Teaching the Controversy: Evolution and Creatioinism in the Classroom

2009-03-22T13:30:00.000+09:00

This is a supplement to the poll on the right. Please, leave comments and opinions in the "Comments" section.

____________

Since the early 1980's, in cases such as McLean vs. Arkansas Board of Education and Edwards vs. Aguillard creationism in the classroom has been routinely trounced by scientific fact. This has barred it from entering public classrooms. In McLean it was shown that creationism was religious in nature and therefore could not be taught in classrooms, or it would be breaking the separation of church and state. It was further ruled that "creation-science" was "simply not science". In Edwards, it was proven the new term "Intelligent Design" was merely a replacement for the term creationism. In fact the creationist book "Of Panda's and People" simply replaced the word "creation" with "Intelligent Design", like a simple copy and past job. The creationism camp had simply changed its name in order to try to sneak back into the classroom. In 2005, Kitzmiller vs. Dover again knocked down creationism attempts to be taught alongside evolution in the classroom. The judge handed down a scathing assessment of creationism and more than a few creationists, namely Michael Behe, were discredited in the trial in cross examination

Organizations such as the Discovery Institute, based out of Seattle, WA, have recently tried to resurrect arguments against evolution. Arguing that "irreducible complexity", a term that Behe coined and was shown to be false, is actually a valid argument against evolution. Recently, the North Carolina New Brunswick school board attempted, and failed, to pass an amendment that would change language within biology books. These changes would have brought doubt on some of the most sound tenets of evolutionary theory.

It would be tantamount to casting doubt on heliocentricity or the theory of gravity (BOTH are theories, mind you).

In Texas similar language was recently rejected, by a slim majority, that would have brought the same questions to the fore. In Louisiana, legislation was passed last year that allows creationist materials to be brought into the classrooom. In a recent Pew research poll 64 percent of Americans favored the teaching of creationism alongside evolution in the classroom. While courts and academia keep winning battles it would seem as though the populace wants to "controversy" to play out in our public schools. Should it?

So I ask you, should the "controversy" be played out in classrooms? Should creationist ideas be taught in the classroom in order to appease the populace and end controversy? Would this only create a greater divide in our country? Would teaching creationism in classrooms benefit evolution or harm it?

Journal of Imaginary Sciences

2009-03-22T12:32:00.004+09:00

A new satirical science site entitled "Journal of Imaginary Sciences" just went up. The site is described like this:

This blog is dedicated to satirising the claims of pseudo-science institutes such as Homeopathy, Creationism, Intelligent Design, Psychics, Astrology and all those little things people use to con those with a limited understanding of the scientific method.

Its author is well schooled in the sciences and the scientific method. That being the case, it should offer an interesting perspective when science is abused in the search for truth. It will be an excellent source of not only information, but also a source of satire regarding the misapplication of science and its method of inquiry.

Salt water possibly found on Mars

2009-03-21T10:35:00.003+09:00

New thermodynamic and physical analysis of pictures of droplets on the legs of a lander suggest that there may be salt water on Mars. Scientists onces that water only existed as ice or water vapor.

500-Million year old Predator

2009-03-21T09:49:00.004+09:00

For nearly 100 years scientists had thought that fragments of the fossil Hurdia Victoria, which was found in the Burgess Shale, were actually crustacean like. New research has combined many fossil pieces to show that, in fact, Hurdia was a predator that gives important clues to the origins of arthropods, the largest living group of animals.

Tuatara, "living fossil", found in New Zealand

2009-03-19T22:17:00.004+09:00

Once thought to be extinct in the wild for over 200 years, a tuatara baby, was found during a routine search of Kaori Park Ground in New Zealand. Since 2005 200 of the species had been reintroduced from offshore islands. The discovery of the 1 month old proves that the re-establishment was a success. The tuatara's lineage extends to over 200 million years ago when it walked with dinosaurs.

While this is an amazing discovery it should be noted that there are other "living fossils" in our midst. Ranging from koalas, to crocodiles to an assortment of crustaceans and plants. For more on living fossils go here.

Rainbow Jellyfish

2009-03-19T17:30:00.000+09:00

A new species of jellyfish that reflects a rainbow hue was located off the coast of Tasmania. Its color is not a form of bioluminescence, but rather a reaction to light reflecting off its cilia.

Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life

2009-03-19T15:28:00.002+09:00

The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life is an invaluable source of information on the public's evolving perspectives on religion and science.

"Hairy" dinosaur sparks new ideas about the evolution of feathers

2009-03-19T14:58:00.002+09:00

In China an amazing discovery was made. The new 150million year old dinosaur fossil, named Tianyulong confuciusi, showed filaments on its body plan. These filaments are known as "protofeathers". It has long been thought that dinosaurs were scaly, but recent discoveries has shed light on the development of protofeathers of the Saurischia family of dinosaurs. These dinosaurs are thought to be the ancestors to birds, but this newest discovery shows that the other family of dinosaurs, Ornithischia, also has protofeathers. It has long been thought that Ornithischia had strictly scales. This finding is making researchers rethink what dinosaurs actually looked like and where birds evolved from.

During what is known as the Cretaceous-Tertiary Extinction Event all non-avian Saurischia became extinct and as a result their fossils exist only below what is known as the K-T Boundary. The boundary is denoted by a layer of sediment that is rich in iridium. Iridium is found deep within the earth, or within asteroids. Dinosaurs such as Tianyulong confuciusi were most likely killed by a catastrophic event such as an asteroid impact or increased volcanic activity. Tianylong's evolved progeny were killed off in this event only if they were of the non-avian form. At the end of the Cretaceous period there were no more strictly herbivorous animals. They died off because the plants that they were eating, and relied on photosynthesis, had died. Nor were there stictly carnivores as their prey, herbivores, had died off. Only omnivores, insectivores, carrion-eaters and birds that ate molluscs survived.

95-million year old Octopus fossil

2009-03-19T14:17:00.003+09:00

The probability of finding an octopus fossil is so large that none, up until this point, had ever been discovered. The octopus has a very undeveloped bone structure, the characteristic that aids in fossil preservation. The bodies turn into gelatonous blobs soon after dying and two days later almost nothing is left. A fossil dated at 90-Million years was found in Lebanon and shows how the octopus' structure has almost not changed at all in that period. To make the find even more improbable five specimen were recovered. Three of which were new species. This discovery pushes the evolution of the octopus even further back and opens up the doors for evolutionary biologists to understand how the octopus evolved.

Secret of life found in "left handed" amino acids

2009-03-19T13:30:00.002+09:00

A recent study done on meteorites has concluded that life is left handed. Amino acids develop in mirror images of themselves: dubbed "left" and "right". The only way for life to develop is when left-handed amino acids combine with one another. If right and left amino acids combine the result is a sort "scrambled eggs", according to the study's author. Theoretically, it is possible for life to function by combining right-handed amino acids, but on earth this isn't the case. So, why the aversion to right handedness? The study builds on a decade old finding that found a prevalence of the amino acid isovaline on the meteorite Murchison, which is called a carbonaceous chrondite for its abundance in organic materials and carbon. In the newest study, done meteorite dust, there was found to be an incredible 18 percent more of the isovaline. The amino acid isovaline does not produce life and was searched for because it is extremely stable over billions of years, thereby making the likely hood that it was a terrestrial microbe very unlikely. When exposed to water or certain temperatures most amino acids, besides isovaline, can change their "handedness". It it thought that isovaline changed the "handedness" of other amino acids to a left handed bias (explaining the 18% differential) and further supporting the fact that life on earth is left handed biased.. This bias towards the abundance of this particular amino acid supports the theory that life on earth could have been populated from meteorites as life on earth is bound by the principle of the "left handed" bias.

For further information, research chrondites, and ogranic globules. Here is a quote from a recent study (2006) on the possibility of meteorites brining organic material to earth:

The type of meteorite in which the globules were found is also so fragile that it generally breaks up into dust during its entry into Earth's atmosphere, scattering its organic contents across a wide swath. "If, as we suspect, this type of meteorite has been falling onto Earth throughout its entire history, then the Earth was seeded with these organic globules at the same time life was first forming here."

and from the same article

Organic matter in meteorites is a subject of intense interest because this material formed at the dawn of the Solar System and may have seeded the early Earth with the building blocks of life.

The idea of life originating from outer space came from Fred Hoyle's idea of "panspermia". Panspermia is the more popularly known name for what is actually "exogenesis". The popularized version of panspermia predicts that life was directed towards earth from other living organisms. It has broadened to encompass various hypothesis about exogenesis.

New microorganisms discovered in the Earth's stratosphere

2009-03-19T08:00:00.003+09:00

Three new species of bacteria have been discovered in Earth's atmosphere. These bacteria are highly resistant to ultraviolet rays. In total 12 species were detected. 9 of which were found to be 98% similar to bacteria on Earth. The other 3 were completley new. The safety precautions undertaken by the team do not definitively determine that the bacteria were of extraterrestrial origin, but it is encouraging the in the continuing search.

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