googlebar :: Firefox Add-ons

googlebar :: Firefox Add-ons

Patent to Craig?

This comes just after CV said he could do it!

clipped from news.bbc.co.uk Medical research using hybrid embryos that are a mixture of human and animal is "vital" in the fight against disease, scientists have said. The Academy of Medical Sciences said it backed the draft Human Tissue and Embryos Bill allowing embryos that were 99.9% human and 0.1% animal. Under plans, it would be illegal for embryos to grow for more than 14 days. The report says that, in the future, the "true" hybrids - containing more animal DNA - may be vital for research.

the magic of language

Do, please, associate

clipped from en.wikipedia.org Apophenia is the experience of seeing patterns or connections in random or meaningless data. The term was coined in 1958 by Klaus Conrad, who defined it as the "unmotivated seeing of connections" accompanied by a "specific experience of an abnormal meaningfulness". In statistics, apophenia would be classed as a Type I error (false positive, false alarm, caused by an excess in sensitivity). Apophenia is often used as an explanation of some paranormal and religious claims. It has been suggested that apophenia is a link between psychosis and creativity. Conrad originally described this phenomenon in relation to the distortion of reality present in psychosis, but it has become more widely used to describe this tendency in healthy individuals without necessarily implying the presence of neurological or mental illness. The identification of a face on the surface of Mars is an example of pareidoliac apophenia.

when will this nightmare end?

clipped from www.latimes.com Last week's presidential tour featured lots of protest and precious little adulation. In the Czech Republic, demonstrators greeted Bush with signs reading "Bush number one terrorist." In Italy, where more than two dozen CIA agents face criminal trial for the illegal "rendition" of terror suspects, tens of thousands of anti-Bush protesters took to the streets. At the Vatican, the pope took Bush to task over the Iraq war. Only in Albania did Bush receive a rapturous welcome — though video footage led to speculation that in the celebration an Albanian Bush "fan" may have relieved the president of his watch. Come to think of it, there is one thing for which we should all give the president credit. Bush famously promised to be a uniter, not a divider — and at long last, he may have managed to keep that promise. Though there's still much that divides us, the nation and the world are increasingly united on at least one issue: We're sick and tired of the presidency of George W. Bush.

USA: A Nation of Uneducated Morons

So tell me, everyone: why are scientists supposed to respect religion, this corrupter of minds, this promulgator of lies, this damnable institution dedicated to delusion, in our culture?
Maybe we need to start picketing fundamentalist churches. Maybe it's about time that we recognize religious miseducation as child abuse.

clipped from scienceblogs.com These results tell us that the population across the board is messed up, confused, lied to, and festering in ignorance—it's just that right now the Republican party is a magnet for the stupid going to church every week since childhood probably induces brain damage. This is just a correlation, of course, so how about asking those people who reject evolution why? % I believe in Jesus Christ 19 I believe in the almighty God, creator of Heaven and Earth 16 Due to my religion and faith 16 Not enough scientific evidence to prove otherwise 14 I believe in what I read in the Bible 12 I'm a Christian 9 I don't believe humans come from beasts/monkeys 3 Other 5 No reason in particular 2 No opinion 3 The overwhelming majority credit their religion; the two secular excuses ("not enough scientific evidence" and "we didn't come from no monkeys") are common enough phrases among the creationists that I expect a majority of those are ultimately due to religion, too

Is the next EU meeting pretending this is no longar a problem?

clipped from www.guardian.co.uk The CIA operated secret prisons in Europe where terrorism suspects could be interrogated and were allegedly tortured, an official inquiry will conclude tomorrow. Secret CIA prisons confirmed by Polish and Romanian officials

Religious fundamentalisms

Try to gel the pig picture

clipped from today.reuters.com NEW YORK (Reuters) - Violent Muslim, Christian and Jewish extremists invoke the same rhetoric of "good" and "evil" and the best way to fight them is to tackle the problems that drive people to extremism, according to a report obtained by Reuters. It said extremists from each of the three faiths often have tangible grievances -- social, economic or political -- but they invoke religion to recruit followers and to justify breaking the law, including killing civilians and members of their own faith. The report was commissioned by security think tank EastWest Institute ahead of a conference on Thursday in New York titled "Towards a Common Response: New Thinking Against Violent Extremism and Radicalization." The report will be updated and published after the conference.

Rorty passed away

3quarksdaily