It’s really not fashionable to call out liberals for their own problematic relationship with science on certain issues. (Trust me on that one.) It’s much safer to just blast away at conservatives, who do provide bountiful material on evolution and sex, among other well-known topics, as Michael Shermer reminds us at Scientific American. But kudos…Continue Reading…
As you undoubtedly heard, climate change was mentioned prominently by President Obama in his second inaugural speech. Greens are applauding the strong words but based on his record (or lack thereof) on the climate issue (some believe he is unfairly maligned), and his lofty (unfulfilled) 2008 promises, many are taking a wait-and-see approach. Meanwhile, what to…Continue Reading…
If I call you anti-science, which discourse might that be related to? The one on climate change, evolution, biotechnology, or vaccines? Because the term is flung around so freely, who can tell. That was the point I tried making with this recent post. More importantly, is slagging you as anti-science a constructive way to have a conversation? In fact, it’s likely…Continue Reading…
One of the biggest challenges in the sustainability arena is finding a balance between economic development and environmental protection. There is a good argument to be made that we are today paralyzed by two legacies: 1) the unfettered development legacy that helped build the bridges, dams, highways, cities and suburbs of the United States and,…Continue Reading…
What science tells us about one of life’s biggest unanswered questions is, naturally, much contested. Jim Al-Khalili, a UK physicist and president of the British Humanist Association, recently asked: “So do we have free will or not?” The question came midway through an essay on the subject, and his answer is, “Yes,” I believe we still…Continue Reading…
Flu Shots Are Damn Dangerous No, that’s not from the Huffington Post. It’s the headline to a Daily Beast story that is beyond the pale. It’s mind-boggling that the Daily Beast–a high-profile media outlet–would give space to this piece of misinformation and scare-mongering. The author’s intent is obviously to sow doubt about the effectiveness and…Continue Reading…
Earlier this week, I was dismissive of the GMO labeling movement in a way that didn’t do justice to its core concerns. I wrote: Like climate change, the crazy politics of the GMO debate trump the science. Along those lines, I view the “right to know” campaign (which is part of a larger effort to label…Continue Reading…
This tweet from the NYT green blog caught my eye: At a Protest, Science and Religion Team Up nyti.ms/13AWQo3 — NYT Green Blog (@nytimesgreen) January 16, 2013 What? Have the atheist police been alerted? This is something they ought to know about. Here’s the opener to that news item: Science and religion went hand-in-hand on…Continue Reading…
When it comes to evolution, no reputable museum would dare “teach the controversy,” a catchphrase used as a ploy by creationists some years back, when they tried to put “intelligent design” on an equal scientific footing with evolutionary biology. The biotech issue, which is a source of much controversy in environmental and food circles, is…Continue Reading…