1. 'Reverse Evolution' Discovered in Seattle Fish

Comment #183491 by rodviking on May 22, 2008 at 7:20 am

Terms like "reverse evolution" are misleading, as it implies that evolution has some kind of direction, or is some kind of ladder to be climbed up and down; wouldn't it would make more sense to say something like "reversed characteristic"?

A lot of creationists use this widespread idea of evolution meaning "improvement" to justify some of their misconceptions, so I think it's a good idea repeat over and over again that evolution simply means "change", it has no direction, purpose or intention.

2. Sex for diploma offer caught on tape

Comment #164306 by rodviking on April 20, 2008 at 3:17 am

I second those who question why this news story should be here; linking the acts of the guy with religion is falling into the exact same fallacy that religious people do when they associate atheism with the acts of one or another bad person that happens to be an atheist. This site should be above this kind of silly finger pointing.

3. Religion 'linked to happy life'

Comment #145986 by rodviking on March 18, 2008 at 12:54 pm

The fact that a believer is happier than a sceptic is no more to the point than the fact that a drunken man is happier than a sober one.
- Bernard Shaw

4. Eight-million-year-old bug is alive and growing

Comment #62029 by rodviking on August 8, 2007 at 1:18 am

Actually, I haven't, DavidMcC..thanks for the tip, I'll check it out.

5. Eight-million-year-old bug is alive and growing

Comment #62019 by rodviking on August 8, 2007 at 12:37 am

I agree with your opinion about which kind of articles I'd like to see more here.

6. OUT Campaign Launched, 'Scarlet Letter' Shirts Now Available!

Comment #59260 by rodviking on July 28, 2007 at 3:00 pm

"I see the T-shirt models don't have their faces in the frame. Perhaps you should look for people who are willing to wear the T-shirt and not afraid to show their faces."

Those pics are clearly stock blank t-shirt pics on which the site just slapped the art on top, with Photoshop (and didn't do a very good job at that).

7. OUT Campaign Launched, 'Scarlet Letter' Shirts Now Available!

Comment #59232 by rodviking on July 28, 2007 at 12:45 pm

I would love to wear one of those (I live in an extremely catholic city in Belgium) but the store won't accept my credit card...oh well.

Regarding the OUT campaign, I would prefer if they had something concrete already for launch. To launch a site/campaign that pretty much says "watch this space for some stuff in the future" is not that appealing, most people will just not remember to return, and you usually just get people's attention once, so it's a bit of a missed opportunity.

8. Hitchens' flat world

Comment #41446 by rodviking on May 16, 2007 at 6:11 am

Here are some unimportant questions for which a microscope is rather unhelpful in answering: Why are we here? Why is there something instead of nothing?

I have a friend who's an artist and he's some times taken a view which I don't agree with very well. He'll hold up a flower and say, "look how beautiful it is," and I'll agree, I think. And he says, "you see, I as an artist can see how beautiful this is, but you as a scientist, oh, take this all apart and it becomes a dull thing." And I think he's kind of nutty.

First of all, the beauty that he sees is available to other people and to me, too, I believe, although I might not be quite as refined aesthetically as he is. But I can appreciate the beauty of a flower.

At the same time, I see much more about the flower that he sees. I could imagine the cells in there, the complicated actions inside which also have a beauty. I mean, it's not just beauty at this dimension of one centimeter: there is also beauty at a smaller dimension, the inner structure…also the processes.

The fact that the colors in the flower are evolved in order to attract insects to pollinate it is interesting – it means that insects can see the color.

It adds a question – does this aesthetic sense also exist in the lower forms that are…why is it aesthetic, all kinds of interesting questions which a science knowledge only adds to the excitement and mystery and the awe of a flower.

It only adds. I don't understand how it subtracts.

9. God . . . in other words

Comment #39102 by rodviking on May 10, 2007 at 2:02 am

"At the beginning of the 21st century, humanity is approaching a staggeringly impressively near-to-complete understanding. It's hugely exciting to be a member of this elite species at this time when our understanding of physics, biology and cosmology are so exciting and near complete."

Hmm...I admire Richard Dawkins as everyone else around here, but this sentence sounds quite naïve to me..lots of scientists fell for this "end of history" trap before, and were always proved wrong.

10. Space tourist makes safe return

Comment #33844 by rodviking on April 22, 2007 at 6:07 am

I guess the "first nerd in space" title rightfully belongs to Mark Shuttleworth, founder and leader of the Ubuntu project.