1. 'Armored' fish study helps strengthen Darwin's natural selection theory

Comment #239182 by samratpathania on August 29, 2008 at 8:04 am

Titles like this one tend to suggest the theory needs strengthening at all.

IDer: "See! How can evolution be a fact!? How can you strengthen a fact!?"

2. Science Has No Place in Politics

Comment #238937 by samratpathania on August 28, 2008 at 6:52 pm

someonefree,
I personally have never heard Nader speak about separation of Church and State but I am sure it can be found in one of his interviews.
All praises for his 2004 campaign issues mention his support for the separation of church and state.
Here is a link to his 2008 campaign's stand on Civil liberties, including Equal rights for Gays and Lesbians, Access to safe and legal abortion etc. http://www.votenader.org/issues/social/civil-liberties/

And this link proves conclusively his support for Stem Cell research.
http://www.webmd.com/election2008/cp-ralph-nader-2

Issues that he stands for should really leave no doubt as to where would he stand as far separation of Church and State is concerned though it is not stated explicitly on his campaign website.

Alas, if only the mainstream media was interested in giving Ralph Nader the forum to discuss these issues.

squinky:
Re-reading my previous message made me realize how arrogant and insulting I sound.I apologize if I come across as rude.I did not intend it to be that way

3. Science Has No Place in Politics

Comment #238573 by samratpathania on August 28, 2008 at 11:33 am

#238401 by someonefree
I met Matthew Chapman,the President of Science Debate 2008 at a NYC atheists meeting and upon asking him as to why do they not invite other candidates to this debate, he replied that he would like to but getting Obama and McCain to debate on science is difficult enough.
Given the monopoly of the Debate commission on the Presidential debates and their exclusion of the third party candidates, I think that the Demoblicans would never give the other candidates a chance to debate them that too on a science forum.

#238406 by squinky
Again, you show terrible narrow mindedness in making big claims and using big words.
Though this is not the forum for it, I would still like to address your claim of Ralph Nader being a "raving egotist so left-tilted".
Go to his website http://www.votenader.org/issues/
and go through the issues that his campaign addresses.
I am tired of these ad hominem attacks on Nader.
Take a look at what his campaign in 2008 represents and then form your opinion.
Use the scientific method, get the facts straightened out and then come to a conclusion.
Do not let the media make you think that you have made a choice.
Make that choice yourself, expend some energy in doing that.
And yes, do not vote for a candidate to merely perform a simple political experiment.
Vote for a candidate who you feel addresses issues that matter to you.
Please send me a private message if you want to continue this discussion.

PS: Re-reading my message made me realize how arrogant and insulting I sound.I apologize if I come across as rude.I did not intend it to be that way

4. Science Has No Place in Politics

Comment #238167 by samratpathania on August 27, 2008 at 5:01 pm

It's a pity that most people consider only the Democratic and Republic nominations as viable presidential candidates. "Scientifically astute" americans will fret about how unscientific policy making is becoming and how the two main parties keep pandering to the religious and yet they will not look at viable alternatives.
People will continue complaining about the leading two candidates and yet will not put their weight behind third party presidential candidates like Ralph Nader or Cynthia McKinney (Green party). (Please don't present the spoiler argument, it is the pet argument of supposed "liberals" just like the religious have theirs)

Making sweeping statements like "Presidential candidates dont know shit" merely reflects a
lack of understanding of our options as American citizens.
If we want a scientific debate we must bring the right kind of people to those debates, people willing to discuss real issues , which I am afraid the "Demoblicans" are incapable of.

5. On TV: The Genius of Charles Darwin: Presented by Richard Dawkins

Comment #230090 by samratpathania on August 14, 2008 at 8:47 am

I really enjoyed the two documentaries.

I found Richard's encounter which the pastor/priest in Kenya absolutely hilarious.
On one side is Richard( who really does not look like a chimpanzee or a gorilla) saying "I am an ape".
On the other side is the pastor, who has more resemblance to an ape, saying "I am not an ape. I am a human being".
It was just priceless.
Wonder if it was meant to be that way.

PS: I am not a racist by any means. PLEASE do not try to misunderstand me

6. 'Framing Science' and The Dawkins Effect

Comment #180536 by samratpathania on May 15, 2008 at 7:11 am

I'm using Firefox. PDF links have never worked for me, btw. Always with the blank white page.

7. Inventor Doesn't Dare Say 'Perpetual Motion Machine'

Comment #124079 by samratpathania on February 8, 2008 at 9:55 am

What saddens me when I read the comments with regard to this post is that people are resorting to personal attacks to dismiss this person.
This person may be a college dropout (Bill Gates was one wasn't he) and he may have a ruined marriage.
But what does that have to do with the credibility of his invention.
I am surprised at the ease with which people dismiss other people's ideas/ inventions without giving them any credit for their efforts.
It reminds me of an German philosopher/astronomer who proposed that the earth came out of Jupiter.
Carl Sagan talks about this in Cosmos and he was shocked not at the this idea itself but at the vehement dismissal of this idea by learned people.

Prove the man wrong. That is all we have to do.

8. Bill Moyers interviews Jonathan Miller

Comment #87442 by samratpathania on November 12, 2007 at 6:18 am

It is such a privilege to listen to such intelligent people. I always thank Richard Dawkins and others in this effort , for starting something which adds such immense value to my intellectual life.

BTW: I was always wonder why are most of these intellectuals Brits or European and not American.
Is america really that intellectually impoverished

9. Dan Dennett award and speech at AAI 07

Comment #79745 by samratpathania on October 18, 2007 at 11:59 am

My wife had a very difficult pregnancy and if it wasn't for the miracles of modern science, neither her nor my lovely daughter would be with me today.
I felt exactly what Dan Dennett stated after his recovery.
I did not know about him or Richard Dawkins back then. But it gives me great happiness and strength to see that there are men like them who have made modern science what it is today.

10. CBC Atheism and Humanism Documentary

Comment #77080 by samratpathania on October 8, 2007 at 11:55 am

I thought overall this was a fairly unbiased documentary.

11. Fallen Pastor Seeks Aid to Pursue Studies

Comment #65887 by samratpathania on August 27, 2007 at 8:53 am

Hey Ted,
there's something called "Student Loans" that are used by honest and hardworking people to manage their finances while they study.
Ever heard of them??

12. In Games, an Insight Into the Rules of Evolution

Comment #64689 by samratpathania on August 21, 2007 at 10:34 am

"Like mathematics, many theological statements do not need scientific confirmation".
Isnt that the same old bulls***.
Do I need to ask again as to why dont religious claims require proof?
It was as such an interesting read till the last two paragraphs.
How do these people compartmentalize their brains to believe in such absolutely contradictory things?

13. God in the Military - The Pentagon and its Christian Embassy

Comment #61843 by samratpathania on August 7, 2007 at 5:45 am

So what's coming next ???
Weekly Bible studies at NASA !!!
These soldiers need to take some elementary
biology courses , not weekly Bible studies.

14. Reporter's Religion Beat Leads to Faith Crisis

Comment #58783 by samratpathania on July 26, 2007 at 5:47 am

I think what he said at the end made a lot of sense.
The reason why a lot of people choose to believe is because it is comforting , one feels protected, a part of something.
However like Dawkins says just because it is comforting does not make it true.If people honestly questions their religious beliefs , ask the most difficult questions, then in all probability they would repelled by the hogwash that religion is.
Btw I have been watching Cosmos by Carl sagan http://www.carlsagan.com/ recently with my wife and she was surprised by the fact that there is so much about our universe that she does not know (she is a very well educated woman and an atheist).So much beauty that we are blinded to, so many magnificent facts that science has uncovered, things which truly would make us appreciate the life that we have and our ability to comprehend these facts.If only all people , from a young age could be exposed to these facts and given the gift of science.

15. Comic in US 'hate speech' row

Comment #44650 by samratpathania on May 25, 2007 at 6:26 am

Wow , Is that being Racist?
Is that hate speech?
I thought it was very well worded and spoken.
Some People in America really need to start thinking
clearly. It seems their minds are too muddled by religious propaganda

16. The root of all evil?

Comment #43668 by samratpathania on May 22, 2007 at 8:50 am

"As a Lourdes priest, a Colorado Springs evangelical pastor and a Jew-turned-Muslim leader discover in Dawkins's uncompromising interviews, his inquisition is just as persistent, his version of "the greatest story ever told" just as offensive. Yet he seems on the surface such a nice man."


So does that mean that just because Dawkins is persistent in his inquisitions and refuses to believe in fairy tales, he ceases to be a nice man.