Comments by Harko

1. Royal Society's Michael Reiss resigns over creationism row

Comment #248804 by Harko on September 17, 2008 at 2:03 am

Bravo MatthewL.

I feel a little bit sorry for Michael Reiss. My interpretation of his comments was that he was NOT advocating the teaching of creationism in the science class, NOT giving equal time to it and evolution. This misconception was created by the media.

I've been watching Richard Dawkins's "Growing Up In The Universe" Royal Institution Christmas Lectures (1991 IIRC). They are at great pains to mention (some might say TEACH) creationism. As we would expect, that does not mean that Richard in any way ADVOCATES creationism. In fact, exactly the opposite; it is a wonderful illumination of the scientific argument AGAINST creationism.

My impression was that Reiss was advocating just this approach which, in my view, is perfect for the classroom.

So many people are on here with comments along the lines of "what's to debate" about creationism, "how can anyone be so stupid as to believe that nonsense".

We are grown adults who have spent a not inconsiderable amount of time researching and studying science (popular science) and the problems with a religious worldview. It's easy to forget that many, children specifically, have not been exposed to that. Where else than the science class to discuss the debunking of creationism?

2. God Only SEEMS Nonexistent!

Comment #240571 by Harko on August 31, 2008 at 3:38 pm

Ed and Pat: The crack atheist tag team :-)

Quality!

3. Petrol pump pilgrims keep faith

Comment #232015 by Harko on August 17, 2008 at 12:54 pm

THIS IS ALL RUBBISH!

And definitely not proof for the existence of God, cos I was praying for prices to go up. Did he answer my prayers, no he didn't!

;-)

4. Do subatomic particles have free will?

Comment #232013 by Harko on August 17, 2008 at 12:49 pm

Will post 54 ever get read?!

It seems to me that there is a lot of physics/chemisty/biology/psychology being leapt over in applying predictions about fundamental particles to "free will" (or vice versa)!

Even without delving beyond "physics" in the list above, it strikes me that "quantum" randomness is not the only one that might need considered. Even in certain "classical" systems (ones not taking quantum effects into account), Poincare showed that determinism can be a short-lived phenomenon.

So, the complexity arises because of nonlinear interactions of vast numbers of particles, not "within" the particles themselves. The Butterfly Effect, and all that.

5. More reviews of 'The Genius of Charles Darwin'

Comment #224928 by Harko on August 6, 2008 at 3:18 am

How blinkered the view of Deborah Orr's is!

Yet he never stops himself to wonder why....

Doesn't she realise that there is very little about this topic that Richard has not "stopped himself to wonder about"?!

When journalists come up with innane arguments like she does, do they really think that they are so smart, that noone has come up with them before, and that noone else might have made a counter-argument?

Poor.

6. Religions thrived to protect against disease

Comment #221732 by Harko on July 30, 2008 at 3:46 am

....and for their next trick they go on to show an inverse correlation between television ownership and HIV/AIDS infection.....and propose a "Televisions for Africa" charity campaign!

7. 'Condoms won't change HIV rates'

Comment #212279 by Harko on July 17, 2008 at 12:59 am

This is the same Catholic Church that made the "scientific" claim that while condoms were good for birth control, they were useless for protecting against HIV.

The reason? The HIV virus is small, so it can get through the holes in the rubber while the larger sperm can't! No doubt a large percentage of those Africans told this might believe it too :-(

An experiment to try: fill a condom with water. Does it escape through the "holes" in the rubber? Is the water molecule smaller or larger than sperm?

I like the "passive genocide" phrase used above!

8. The art of the soluble

Comment #95762 by Harko on December 9, 2007 at 6:47 am

Anyone who describes the work of Daniel Dennett as "staggeringly unscholarly" obviously hasn't read a word of it!

It's so scholarly sometimes, it's painful :-)

9. Chimps beat humans in memory test

Comment #93737 by Harko on December 4, 2007 at 4:09 am

Slightly off topic.....

(btw the videos *are* amazing!!)

Did anyone have trouble playing the MOV files?
Couldn't get Quicktime player to play them. Not really an expert on these things but they seem to be using the MOV file as a container for WMV3-encoded data. This seems a bit non-standard.

The versions from the BBC website were fine :-)

10. Why Science Will Triumph Only When Theory Becomes Law

Comment #88068 by Harko on November 14, 2007 at 1:29 pm

Evolution is a THEORY. Yeah, just like gravity!

That would be catchy enough for a supplementary sticker?

11. The Religious Right's New Tactics for Invading Public Schools

Comment #77401 by Harko on October 9, 2007 at 7:55 am

phasmagigas wrote:

so maybe we'll hear some islamic prayers in texan schools, that will go down well.

Never mind Islamic prayers, it seems to me that it would be a valid use of a "limited public forum" to eulogise the Flying Spaghetti Monster and his wondrous noodly appendages :-)

That'll show them!

12. Keeping the faith at school

Comment #73476 by Harko on September 25, 2007 at 4:18 am

chauvinj wrote:

"RELIGION -- Joshua is learning to accept Jesus as his Lord and Savior more and more every day."

This was Grade 1. I was five going on six....

Disgusting.

You went to a faith-based school. My daughter, who goes to a standard, non-denominational, state-funded school here in the UK came back with a report card from Primary 1 (five years old):

Religous and moral education: ..... has learned that the Bible is a special book.

Yeah, a special book in the same way as Star Wars is a "special" film :-)

13. Out of Thin Air

Comment #73062 by Harko on September 24, 2007 at 2:56 am

PrimeNumbers wrote:

He doesn't look too bright, does he? Is he really arrogant enough to think he has "the answers"?

Interestingly though, he seems to be quite careful to not offer any answers. Only that after the presentations:

You'll have some of the tools necessary for exploring ..... on your own.

Funny how he makes it sound like he's asking the flock to be rational :-)