1. A New Debate

Comment #75527 by mpbrockman on October 2, 2007 at 11:58 pm

Beautiful idea. Unfortunately, it requires both that a significant portion of the American electorate be scientifically literate, and that the candidates perceive that this bloc is worth courting. I am sadly convinced that neither is the case.

Still, I'd have loved to see Sagan host this.

2. CNN Request for 'I-Reports' on religion

Comment #65521 by mpbrockman on August 24, 2007 at 2:52 pm

CNN now has a compendium posted of some of the written responses to the I-report request. I am encouraged by the number of nontheist responses.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/08/23/faith.reader.feedback/index.html?iref=newssearch

3. Charles Brooker's screen burn

Comment #62787 by mpbrockman on August 11, 2007 at 12:29 pm

Darwin2,

The unspoken plaint behind your post is "If only everyone was as open minded as meeeeeeee...". There is such a thing as being so open minded that your brains fall out.

Perhaps you could acquaint yourself with the the numerous scientists who have attempted to treat god and "the soul" as legitimate objects of inquiry (I might suggest V. Stenger's "God: The Failed Hypothesis"). It is my observation, however, that directing serious scientific inquiry towards answering the "god question" is generally about as productive as directing serious scientific inquiry towards the "leprechaun question".

4. Unreasonably superstitious

Comment #62777 by mpbrockman on August 11, 2007 at 11:57 am

Automath: Mr. Lynch's sudden interest may be based on the realization that his profession could soon be facing obsolescence and downsizing.

To Cartomancer: Do you think we could get Hitch to do a "my favorite low-cal hangover cures" segment? I'd watch that.

5. New age therapies cause 'retreat from reason'

Comment #61802 by mpbrockman on August 7, 2007 at 12:53 am

For further reading: Sagan's "Demon Haunted World" dealt with new age nitwittery and other forms of pseudo-science in about '96.

6. Don't Know Much Biology

Comment #49019 by mpbrockman on June 10, 2007 at 2:54 am

How do I quote on this forum?

Never mind. In response to the idea that America is a failed experiment. I would re-label it an experiment derailed. The writings of Paine, Jefferson, Madison and other founders remain thoughtful, brilliant and relevant. Much like the writer of the article above.

To paraphrase Chesterton on (of all things) Xtianity. Perhaps the democratic ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been hijacked by people ignorant of what that ideal was, proud of their ignorance, and sure that God wants it that way.

Tom Paine would have spit.

7. Should Science Speak to Faith? A dialog between Lawrence Krauss and Richard Dawkins

Comment #47287 by mpbrockman on June 4, 2007 at 1:15 am

"Science will destroy religion within the next 15 years" ???

In the rarefied intellectual atmosphere of this forum. It seems forgotten that many simply cannot understand the basic tenets of science. Dawkins, Sagan, Hawkings et.al. have done a wonderful job of popularizing science; but logical, well constructed argument is lost on a huge segment of the population. So I think the above quote is purely fantasy.

By way of illustration, a Xian friend of mine used as part of a recent argument for God the fact that "she didn't know what made the seasons change". Losing my temper I said "Get me an effing orange and a flashlight and I'll explain it to you". Funny, maybe, but bad form. I shut down someone who appeared to at least be interested in my point of view.

How then, to dissuade those who cannot (or will not - lots of those here in the U.S.) grasp the basic precepts involved?