Beware of Terrorists in Canada

 
Friday's Urban Legend: RIDICULOUS

Australia is a small country in the middle of the Pacific Ocean (see map). It is best known for its wild dogs that eat babies, race riots on public beaches, and for 1000 mile long rabbit-proof fences that don't work.

Judging by the buzz on radio stations in Canada, Australia is now becoming known for something else [Crikey! Be careful about Canada…]. It's getting a reputation for extreme stupidity.

The Australian government has a website to inform travelers about foreign countries. Here's what it says about Canada [Travel Advice for Canada].

We advise you to exercise caution and monitor developments that might affect your safety in Canada because of the risk of terrorist attack.

Pay close attention to your personal security and monitor the media for information about possible new safety or security risks.

We advise you to exercise caution and monitor developments that might affect your safety in Canada because of the risk of terrorist attack. Pay close attention to your personal security and monitor the media for information about possible new safety or security risks.

The rating for Canada is "Exercise Caution." This is the same rating that's given to Vietnam, Serbia, Malaysia, United States, United Kingdom, Belgium, Albania, France, and the Netherlands.

Countries receiving the safest rating ("Be Alert to Your own Safety") include: China, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Roumania, Hungary, Macau, Norway, and South Korea (Republic of Korea).

Apparently there are some Australians who might want to visit Canada in spite of the terrorists. Not to worry. The Australian government has some additional warnings that will discourage such a foolish trip. The weather in Canada is dangerous ...

Heavy snowfalls and ice in the winter can make driving dangerous. The wind-chill factor can also create dangerously cold outdoor conditions. Transport Canada provides detailed information on road conditions across Canada. You can also get tips for winter driving from the Canadian Automobile Association.

OK, so there's some truth to that statement. If tourists want to visit some parts of Canada in the winter (for skiing) then they should know how to cope with snow.

But the Australian government doesn't stop there. They need to inform their citizens about other common dangers in Canada.

The province of British Columbia in western Canada is in an active earthquake zone.

Alberta and British Columbia are also subject to avalanches. Information on avalanches is available from the Canadian Avalanche Association.

Tornadoes can occur in some areas of Canada between May and September. For more information on tornadoes see Environment Canada's website and the National Hurricane Centre. In the event of a Tornado you should monitor local and international weather on local television and radio.

Bush and forest fires can occur any time in Canada. You should consult local news reports and authorities before visiting forested areas and follow the advice of local authorities.

Scary stuff. I think I'll build a tornado shelter and prepare for bush fires in my neighbourhood. I wonder if there are any other countries where the threat of bush fires is severe? I seem to remember something about suburban houses being destroyed by fires in other countries but never in Canada, to the best of my knowledge.

Australians, you should be ashamed about the terrorist warning for Canada. On the other hand, the weather thingy isn't unusual. All countries have silly advisories about weather on their websites. Here's the one from Canada about Australia [Travel Advice: Australia].

Australia is located in a seismic zone. Canadians should know the address and telephone number of the High Commission of Canada in Canberra in the event of an emergency.

Severe flooding is affecting parts of the country, particularly New South Wales. Rising floodwaters may have an impact on transportation and other services. Travelers should be aware of the increased threat of water-borne disease and take appropriate precautions. Canadians should follow the advice of local authorities and maintain flexible travel plans.

The cyclone season extends from November to April. Cyclones may occur along the coastal areas of Queensland, Northern Territory, and Western Australia. Travellers should keep informed of regional weather forecasts and plan accordingly.

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Creationist Counties in Florida

 
The National Center for Science Education has been following the situation in Florida where the state board of education is revising the science standards. It looks like they will not only keep evolution in the curriculum but specifically mention the dreaded e-word and state that it is a "big idea" around which state standards in biology are organized.

That's the good news. The bad news is that nine country school boards have passed resolutions calling on the state board of eduction "to revise the new Sunshine State Standards for Science such that evolution is not presented as fact, but as one of several theories."

Here are some of the explanations for this bizarre behavior as reported in the St. Petersburg Times.

Dixie County school superintendent Dennis Bennett explained, "We just wanted to get it on the record that we're a Judeo-Christian community and we believe in academic freedom," and Ken Hall, a school board member in Madison County, commented, "We're not asking that evolution not be taught, just that it be taught as a theory, one of several. I'm a Christian. And I believe I was created by God, and that I didn't come from an amoeba or a monkey."

In case anyone wants to avoid those nine counties here they are: Baker, Clay, Hamilton, Holmes, Jackson, Madison, St. Johns, Taylor, and Washington. I've located them on a map for you.

If you live in one of those counties you have my deepest sympathy. Be sure to vote in the next school board elections. In case you're interested, the Canadian counties are all in the south on the west coat below St. Petersburg.

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Tangled Bank #97

 
The latest issue of Tangled Bank is #97. It's hosted at The Inoculated Mind [Tangled Bank 97: The Frozen Bank].

It is interesting to contemplate a frozen bank, clothed with ice of many kinds, with birds not singing on the bushes, with various insects nowhere to be seen, and with worms crawling under the earth, and to reflect that these elaborately constructed forms, so different from each other, and dependent upon each other in so complex a manner, have… aw hell, it’s fricken freezing and there’s nothing but ice, snow, and cold air on the banks of Madison, Wisconsin.

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If you want to submit an article to Tangled Bank send an email message to host@tangledbank.net. Be sure to include the words "Tangled Bank" in the subject line. Remember that this carnival only accepts one submission per week from each blogger. For some of you that's going to be a serious problem. You have to pick your best article on biology.

Science in an Age of Endarkenment

 
The University of Toronto Secular Alliance is one of the hosts of tomorrow's talk by David Colquhoun [University of Toronto Secular Alliance].

If you live anywhere near Toronto you should come and hear him speak and support the various groups that are sponsoring the event (University of Toronto Secular Alliance, Centre for Inquiry, Skeptics Canada)

U of T Secular Alliance Presents Professor David Colquhoun, FRS - Friday, January 25th, 2008

SCIENCE IN AN AGE OF ENDARKENMENT - SOME EXAMPLES FROM SCIENTIFIC FRAUD, QUACKERY, RELIGION AND UNIVERSITY POLITICS

Should complementary and alternative medicine be considered alongside evidence-based medicine? What role does it play in today's society? Should unscientific medicine be taught in universities? David Colquhoun tackles these issues and more.

Eminent UK scientist and noted skeptic David Colquhoun, FRS is a professor of Pharmacology at University College London, fellow of the Royal Society, and blogger (Improbable Science). He was recently the centre of controversy surrounding his popular blog, dedicated to exposing alternative medicine and pseudoscientific claims, after criticizing a herbal medicine practitioner about her questionable practices. This herbalist threatened legal action and Prof. Colquhoun was forced to remove his site from the UCL server. After much backlash from the scientific community, his website was revived. A leader in the skeptical community, Prof. Colquhoun will be speaking on issues surrounding alternative medicine, academia, and the intersection between the two.

Dr. Colquhoun's website: http://www.dcscience.net

Friday, January 25th 2008, 7pm-9pm
McLeod Auditorium, Medical Sciences Building, University of Toronto (1 King's College Circle, Toronto)
$7, $4 for students
Tickets available at the door.

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Nobel Laureate: Tom Cech

 

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1989.

"for their discovery of catalytic properties of RNA"



In 1989, Thomas R. Cech (1947 - ) was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for discovering that the ribosomal RNA precursor from Tetrahymena catalyzed its own self-splicing reaction. [Ribosomal RNA Genes in Eukaryotes]. He shared the prize with Sydney Altman who worked RNase P.

The presentation speech was delivered by Professor Bertil Andersson of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
THEME:

Nobel Laureates

Your Majesties, Your Royal Highnesses, Ladies and Gentlemen,

The cells making up such living organisms as bacteria, plants, animals and human beings can be looked upon as chemical miracles. Simultaneously occurring in each and every one of these units of life, invisible to the naked eye, are thousands of different chemical reactions, necessary to the maintenance of biological processes. Among the large number of components responsible for cell functions, two groups of molecules are outstandingly important. They are the nucleic acids - carriers of genetic information - and the proteins, which catalyze the metabolism of cells through their ability to act as enzymes.

Genetic information is programmed like a chemical code in deoxyribonucleic acid, better known by its abbreviated name of DNA. The cell, however, cannot decipher the genetic code of the DNA molecule directly. Only when the code has been transferred, with the aid of enzymes, to another type of nucleic acid, ribonucleic acid or RNA, can it be interpreted by the cell and used as a template for producing protein. Genetic information, in other words, flows from the genetic code of DNA to RNA and finally to the proteins, which in turn build up cells and organisms having various functions. This is the molecular reason for a frog looking different from a chaffinch and a hare being able to run faster than a hedgehog.


Life would be impossible without enzymes, the task of which is to catalyze the diversity of chemical reactions which take place in biological cells. What is a catalyst and what makes catalysis such a pivotal concept in chemistry? The actual concept is not new. It was minted as early as 1835 by the famous Swedish scientist Jöns Jacob Berzelius, who described a catalyst as a molecule capable of putting life into dormant chemical reactions. Berzelius had observed that chemical processes, in addition to the reagents, often needed an auxiliary substance - a catalyst - to occur. Let us consider ordinary water, which consists of oxygen and hydrogen. These two substances do not react very easily with one another. Instead, small quantities of the metal platinum are needed to accelerate or catalyze the formation of water. Today, perhaps, the term catalyst is most often heard in connection with purification of vehicle exhausts, a process in which the metals platinum and rhodium catalyze the degradation of the contaminant nitrous oxides.

As I said earlier, living cells also require catalysis. A certain enzyme, for example, is needed to catalyze the breakdown of starch into glucose and then other enzymes are needed to burn the glucose and supply the cell with necessary energy. In green plants, enzymes are needed which can convert atmospheric carbon dioxide into complicated carbon compounds such as starch and cellulose.

As recently as the early 1980s, the generally accepted view among scientists was that enzymes were proteins. The idea of proteins having a monopole of biocatalytic capacity has been deeply rooted, and created a fundamental dogma of biochemistry. This is the very basic perspective in which we have to regard the discovery today being rewarded with the Nobel Prize for Chemistry. When Sidney Altman showed that the enzyme denoted RNaseP only needed RNA in order to function, and when Thomas Cech discovered self-catalytic splicing of a nucleic acid fragment from an immature RNA molecule, this dogma was well and truly holed below the waterline. They had shown that RNA can have catalytic capacity and can function as an enzyme. The discovery of catalytic RNA came as a great surprise and was indeed met with a certain amount of scepticism. Who could ever have suspected that scientists, as recently as in our own decade, were missing such a fundamental component in their understanding of the molecular prerequisites of life? Altman's and Cech's discoveries not only mean that the introductory chapters of our chemistry and biology textbooks will have to be rewritten, they also herald a new way of thinking and are a call to new biochemical research.

The discovery of catalytic properties in RNA also gives us a new insight into the way in which biological processes once began on this earth, billions of years ago. Researchers have wondered which were the first biological molecules. How could life begin if the DNA molecules of the genetic code can only be reproduced and deciphered with the aid of protein enzymes, and proteins can only be produced by means of genetic information from DNA? Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Altman and Cech have now found the missing link. Probably it was the RNA molecule that came first. This molecule has the properties needed by an original biomolecule, because it is capable of being both genetic code and enzyme at one and the same time.

Professor Altman, Professor Cech, you have made the unexpected discovery that RNA is not only a molecule of heredity in living cells, but also can serve as a biocatalyst. This finding, which went against the most basic dogma in biochemistry, was initially met with scepticism by the scientific community. However, your personal determination and experimental skills have overcome all resistance, and today your discovery of catalytic RNA opens up new and exciting possibilities for future basic and applied chemical research.

In recognition of your important contributions to chemistry, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to confer upon you this year's Nobel Prize for Chemistry. It is a privilege and pleasure for me to convey to you the warmest congratulations of the Academy and to ask you to receive your prizes from the hands of His Majesty the King.

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[Image Credit: Structure of the self-slicing ribosomal RNA precursor from Tom Cech Lab]

Ribosomal RNA Genes in Eukaryotes

 
The "genes" for ribosomal RNAs in eukaryotic genomes are found in separate clusters. One cluster consists of hundreds of copies of the 5S gene. These genes are transcribed by RNA polymerase III [Eukaryotic RNA Polymerases].

The other ribosomal RNA genes are found in an "operon"-like structure that's similar to the bacerial operons [Ribosomal RNA Genes in Bacteria]. Unlike bacterial transcription units, these ones are found in large tandem arrays on eukaryotic chromosomes. There can be hundreds of individual transcription units in a cluster and there can be several clusters. In humans, for example there are five clusters on five different chromosomes and each one has between 50 and 100 transcription units. The large eukaryotic ribosomal RNA genes are transcribed by RNA polymerase I.



There is considerable variation in the size of a transcription unit from one species to the next. This variation occurs in the length of the external transcribed sequences (ETS) that are found at either end of a cluster (open rectangles). There can also be substantial variation in the length of the internal transcribed sequences (ITS)—the ones that will be removed when the precursor is processed. The distance between transcription units can also vary. This region is referred to as the non-transcribed spacer (NTS).

Note that the order of the small (18S) and large (28S) RNAs is the same as in bacteria. Note also that the 5.8S eukaryotic ribosomal RNA is found at the 5′ end of the large RNA. The homologous part of the bacterial RNA is found at the end of the 23S RNA. What's happened in eukaryotes is that a new cleavage site has evolved so that the largest RNA is now expressed in two pieces.

RNA precursors derived from typical transcription units like the one shown above are processed by cutting the RNA at various points to release the mature 18S, 5.8S, and 28S RNAs. The processing steps are well understood. In bacteria, some of the cleavages occur before transcription is terminated but eukaryotic nuclei usually accumulate long precursors that are only processed when transcription terminates. In those species that have nucleoli the nucleolus represents the location of ribosomal RNA genes that are being transcribed.

The electron micrograph shows clusters of ribosomal RNA transcription units being transcribed a high rates in nucleoli. The RNA molecules are splayed out from the DNA like the branches of a Christmas tree. RNAs near the beginning of the gene are short and as transcription proceeds the RNAs get longer and longer until the complete precursor is released at the termination site.

In some species the 28S ribosomal RNA gene contains an intron near the 3′ end. In this case the intron sequence is removed and the two ends of the 28S RNA are joined together to produce the mature ribosomal RNA. The remarkable thing about this splicing event is that it is often autocatalytic. In other words, the precursor RNA folds up all by itself, cuts itself in two places, and rejoins its own ends. No proteins or other molecules are needed for this reaction to occur.



The classic example is the ribosomal RNA transcription unit from the protozoan Tetrahymena thermophilus shown above [Monday's Molecule #59]. The self splicing reaction was characterized by Tom Cech who received the Nobel Prize in 1989 along with Sydney Altman for discovering catalytic RNAs. This particular type of intron is called a group I intron and the mechanism of self-splicing requires a guanosine cofactor. Remarkably, the excised fragment of RNA also has catalytic activity; it can act as an endonuclease cleaving other RNAs.

RNA genes in most species do not have introns.

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Ribosomal RNA Genes in Bacteria

 
Ribosomal RNA is the major component of ribosomes [The Compositon of Ribosomes]. This RNA, by itself, is capable of catalyzing the amino acid joining reaction (peptidyl transferase) during translation but inside the cell the RNA is closely associated with many proteins to form the complete ribosome.



In bacteria (prokaryotes) there are three different ribosomal RNAs called 5S, 16S, and 23S. Eukaryotes have homologous RNAs called 5S, 28S, and 18S ribosomal RNAs. In addition, they have a 5.8S RNA that is homologous to one end of the prokaryotic 23S RNA. (The sizes of eukaryotic RNAs vary considerably and different species might have slightly different names.)

The 5S, 16S and 23S ribosomal RNAs are produced from a single operon in bacteria. An operon is a group of genes that are cotranscribed; that is, they form part of a single transcriptional unit. In this case the parts of the genome that specify each of the ribosomal RNAs are contiguous and the "genes" are transcribed into a single precursor RNA beginning at the promoter (P) and ending at the terminator (t). This large precursor RNA is then cleaved to make the smaller mature ribosomal RNAs. This is one of the problem cases when one is attempting to define a gene [What Is a Gene?].



Bacterial cells need a lot of ribosomal RNA so they usually have multiple copies of the ribosomal RNA operon (rrn). In E. coli for example, there are usually seven different rrn operons called rrnA, rrnB, etc.

In bacterial genomes the operons are located in different parts of the genome—they are unlinked. (By contrast, in eukaryotic genomes they cluster in large tandem arrays.) The example shown above is the rrnC operon in E. coli. The rectangular boxes represent regions that are transcribed into the large RNA precursor. Open boxes are pieces at the ends that are removed by direct cleavage. The purple boxes are internal regions that removed by making two cuts, one on either side.

In this operon there are four transfer RNA genes (tRNA) embedded in the transcriptional unit. These are processed as described in Transfer RNA: Synthesis. The parts of the transcription unit located between the "genes" (i.e., the purple regions) are called "transcribed spacers." When processing is complete the mature 5S, 16S and 23S RNAs are ready to be incorporated into ribosome and the four tRNAs are ready to act in translation.

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Skeptical About Adaptationism

 
Over on Evolution News & Views (a creationist blog) Robert Crowther writes.

Every so often the Darwinists get all riled up about the Scientific Dissent From Darwin list, which lists over 700 PhD scientists who publicly affirm: “We are skeptical of the claims for the ability of random mutations and natural selection to account for the complexity of life. Careful examination of the evidence for Darwinian Theory should be encouraged.” As statements go, it’s simple and straightforward. And that perhaps is what concerns Darwinists. People instantly understand what it is saying, what the scientists are courageously endorsing, and why it matters. [Doubts About Darwin Stem from Science Not Religion]

Hmmm ... let's test that claim. I agree with the two statements that are quoted. Does everyone understand why?

I do not agree with the title of the list Scientific Dissent from Darwinism because I don't dissent from Darwinism. In fact, I think that natural selection is a proven mechanisms of evolution and it is immensely important in the evolution of life on Earth. What I don't agree with is the idea that random mutation and natural selection alone can account for the complexity of life.

I suppose that's what Robert Crowther means when he says, "People instantly understand what it [the statements] is saying, what the scientists are courageously endorsing, and why it matters." Right?

Of course not. All intelligent people understand that the purpose of the list is to reveal the ignorance of Intelligent Design Creationists who think that questioning one aspect of evolution is equivalent to belief in God. Some of those 700 people may have been tricked into signing the "Dissent" because they did not instantly understand what it meant to a creationist.

I'm glad we've cleared that up.

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100% Un-deluded

 
One of my readers has designed a T-shirt for atheists. You can buy one at Zazzle.

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Atheism Is Going Out of Business

 
Denyse O'Leary was on the radio this morning on some religious show from Alberta. She was asked how she deals with all the abuse she gets from people who recognize that she's an IDiot. (That's not exactly the way she puts it.)

You can read all of her response on Uncommon Descent, and presumably on three or four other blogs as well [The old order changes, … amid a storm of abuse!].

Canadian Cynic says "I'm just plain running out of punchlines." That's saying a lot.

For those of you who refuse out of principle to view the IDiot's websites, here's part of her insane view of the world.

Look, the fine tuning of the universe for life and discovery has nothing to do with me. Nor am I personally responsible for the fact that the history of life is nothing like what a no-design theory like Darwin’s needs. And a huge freakout of atheist books/blasphemy campaigns won’t change any of that.

Actually, it looks to me like atheism’s Going Out of Business sale. And imagine, that happened in my lifetime …

It’s no surprise if they’re going out of business. They lost an intellectually respected atheist like Antony Flew and their best asset was Richard Dawkins, of whom even atheists tire - in droves now, apparently.

It is true that I benefit from this situation, insofar as my friends’ lives and my life are much less likely to be blighted by religious persecution. But I did not cause the situation. I didn’t fine tune a single aspect of the universe and have never created anything more worthy of note than books and articles, about whose quality critics vary rather widely.

So when anonymous people write abuse, I assume they are venting their own anxiety about a changing order of things, on which it is my job to report. Media pros call what those people do ”shooting the messenger”. Is that caused by poor coping skills and possibly, unhappy lives?

Now do you see why Canadian Cynic has run out of punchlines? What can you say about someone whose view of the world is 180° out of alignment?

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Permission Denied

 
I used to be able to read Shalini's blog Scientia Natura: Evolution And Rationality but now when I try to read a posting I get ...

This blog is open to invited readers only
http://shalinisehkar.com/

It doesn't look like you have been invited to read this blog. If you think this is a mistake, you might want to contact the blog author and request an invitation.

Does anyone else get this message or is it just me? It was one of the best blogs and it would be a real shame to restrict it to invited readers only.

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Out-of-Date Textbooks

 
Linzel of No More Walls is a Canadian high school science teacher. The latest posting is Provincial Curricula - Always behind the Times?. It begins with,

I've always found textbooks to be behind the times. Because of the amount of time it takes to write, edit, publish and distribute textbooks, by the time teachers and students have them they are years out of date. Not to mention the number of years they remain in circulation. I'm not suggesting we move entirely towards the most current thoughts on subject material. Quite often the most recent science research is plain wrong. Fact is students could not comprehend the level of writing and knowledge required.

The fact is though that the material is on the net and is available to be updated immediately. Old webpages can be identified and steered away from. Old textbooks tend to be handed off to other districts and hang around like a bad disease. [Thats overly harsh but it sounded good]

This criticism is directed at high school textbooks and not university textbooks. On another occasion we can discuss whether it applies to my book but for now let's look at the high school textbooks. I think Linzel has misidentified the problem. It's not the fact that textbooks are four or five years old by the time many students are reading them. Basic scientific principles and concepts just don't change quickly enough to make this a problem at the high school level. What we're concerned about is material that's ten or twenty years out-of-date.

There are only two Grade 12 biology textbooks that have been approved by the Province of Ontario [Trillium List]. They are McGraw-Hill Ryerson Biology 12 (2002) published by McGraw-Hill Ryerson, and Nelson Biology 12 (Student Book) (2003) published by Nelson Education Ltd.

Let's look at the first one in order to illustrate the problem. If we check the website [Biology 12] we can find the list of authors. Here they are ...

Leesa Blake
Malvern Collegiate Institute
Toronto, Ontario

Nancy Flood
University College of the Cariboo
Kamloops, British Columbia

Adrienne Mason
Science and Education Writer
Tofino, British Columbia

Meaghan Craven
Professional Writer
Calgary, Alberta

Gord Jasper
Dr. E.P. Scarlett Senior High School
Calgary, Alberta

Grace Price
L'Amoreaux Collegiate Institute
Agincourt, Ontario

Darcy Dobell
Professional Writer
Tofino, British Columbia

Catherine Little
Toronto District School Board
Toronto, Ontario

I think we've identified the problem. How can you have an up-to-date biology textbook if it's not written by biologists? Now, don't get me wrong. I agree that you need to have high school teachers involved in order to make sure the curriculum is being followed, but surely there's more to writing a good biology textbook that just hiring a bunch of high school teachers and professional writers?

Judging by the Table of Contents there's nothing wrong with the material that's covered. There are three chapters on evolution, for example. However, from my experience with university textbooks I can appreciate the complaint voiced by Linzel. It often takes years for modern concepts to reach the second tier of textbooks and the second tier unfortunately includes typical high school textbooks.

There are two obvious solutions.

1. Get more university professors on the textbook writing team, especially those who are teaching introductory university courses.


2. Offer upgrade courses for high school teachers so they can stay on top of the latest principles and concepts. Some people in my department are thinking about this. We'd like to run summer courses for high school teachers.

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Unconvincing Atheist Arguments

 
Not a Blog has a short list of arguments against God that atheists should avoid [Bad Atheist Responses to Christianity]. I've listed them below but you'll have to visit the blog for an explanation. Personally, I'm not convinced that all of them are worthless.

1. There are a lot of gods Christians don’t believe in.


2. If there is a god, He’s obviously not an intelligent designer.


3. The Bible contains numerous inconsistencies.


4. Quoting Isaiah 55:8, “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the LORD.” [NIV] is a pretty lousy cop-out.


5. You can’t prove God exists.

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[Hat Tip: Friendly Atheist]

Use the LPC Code to Speed Up Mail Delivery

 
This is a fascinating video. Watch it and learn. Then get yourself on over to Friendly Atheist [Amazingly Helpful Tips] and participate in the discussion. This is related to a number of issues that come up on Sandwalk about how to process information.

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Bias Against Women?

 
GrrlScientist claims that women scientists publish fewer papers than men. She then goes on to offer an explanation [Women, Science and Writing].

The fact is that female scientists do not publish as often as male scientists. Why? Some people have told me that women do not produce scientific results that are of the same high quality as those produced by men (nor do they write life science blogs as well as men, apparently) and that male reviewers can readily recognize when a woman is the lead (or sole) author of an article because "women do science differently from men." Basically, science is still a very sexist community where its female practitioners publish less frequently than men at least partially because of the peer-review system that is in place. I think the commonly used single-blind peer review process is biased against papers whose lead (or sole) author is female, just as the field of science is biased against women in general.

She discusses a scientific study that supports the claim that reviewers are biased against women.

This does not sound right to me. There may be all kinds of reasons why women don't publish as much as men (if it's true) but I doubt very much that reviewers are more likely to reject a paper by a women scientist. For one thing, lots of reviewers are women. For another, why in the world would a male reviewer reject a paper just because the work is done by a female scientist? Do you think this is common practice among the scientists you know? Do you really think that in 2008 there are significant numbers of male scientists who are that biased against women? I don't.

UPDATE: Skepchick joins in with [Are women discriminated against in science?]. Let's not forget that this is the important question. There's no denying that some scientists are sexist, just as there's no denying that some are racist and homophobic. Some of them are even (gasp!) Christians! Does that justify saying that science is racist or science is religious? Of course not. What we should be trying to do is decide whether sexism is rampant among scientists or not. If it is, then we can justify saying that women are discriminated against in science even though we might hesitate to say that gays are discriminated against in science in spite of the fact that some scientists are homophobic.

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