1. Children Are Naturally Prone To Be Empathic And Moral

Comment #210391 by arogop on July 14, 2008 at 12:44 pm

60. Comment #210111 by Mitchell Gilks

I know of a nice little ghetto one that floods in the spring!

2. Sir John M. Templeton, Philanthropist, Dies at 95

Comment #207993 by arogop on July 10, 2008 at 12:12 pm

50. Comment #207042 by curlyqlink on July 9, 2008 at 5:45 am

I'm disturbed at the overwhelmingly positive tone in the coverage of Mr.Templeton's legacy.

3. Religion's role in the climate debate

Comment #207944 by arogop on July 10, 2008 at 10:30 am

Comment #206634 by pewkatchoo

What a nasty smug wee creature you come across as Decius.


Whatever the true smugness-level... to paraphrase Peter Atkins, there is nothing wrong with being smug if you are right.

4. Religion's role in the climate debate

Comment #207938 by arogop on July 10, 2008 at 10:25 am

locri and pewkatchoo-

Right or wrong, whatever you do please keep posting. Debate is what moves this forward.

There are too many "Yes Men" on this site and in life in general.

Steve Zara-

I love your insight on most issues, but remember, some of us are a little slow, ;) so be kind as we learn this stuff. I do not have nearly enough free time to research as you do, and I count on the debates and links to educate me. ie. I want people to disagree with you.

Andrew

5. The Boundaries of Belief

Comment #206402 by arogop on July 8, 2008 at 10:41 am

73. Comment #206029 by JAMCAM87

The results from the psychology section are totally useless and no conclusions should be drawn from them.

6. An Interview with Prof. Richard Dawkins

Comment #203662 by arogop on July 3, 2008 at 10:33 am

101. Comment #202519 by interested observer

Welcome... and please, please don't be put off by the foul mouths that like to lurk here. I for one would like to continue to hear what you say.

7. Former state science director sues over intelligent design e-mail

Comment #203653 by arogop on July 3, 2008 at 10:14 am

20. Comment #203434 by King of NH

Here here. I will help pay the fuel cost.

Or a cheaper method would be to tie a rock to their legs and see if they float. I'll provide the rock!!

8. Obama Wants to Expand Role of Religious Groups

Comment #203650 by arogop on July 3, 2008 at 10:04 am

73. Comment #203480 by mordacious1

and was a better president than any republican I can think of

9. Obama Wants to Expand Role of Religious Groups

Comment #203176 by arogop on July 2, 2008 at 12:43 pm

29. Comment #203167 by Thelonious

Then again, maybe this is wishful thinking on my part

we shoot nothing but blanks no matter what we do

10. Obama Wants to Expand Role of Religious Groups

Comment #203154 by arogop on July 2, 2008 at 12:19 pm

19. Comment #203131 by BurningSky

Obama's heart is looking at the political ramifications only. He could just as easily have announced support for non religious groups that do the same work.

I have no problem with "outsourcing" as it can be less costly. I do have a problem with groups doing this to buy more new members.

11. Spanish parliament to extend rights to apes

Comment #202419 by arogop on July 1, 2008 at 1:17 pm

On the IQ debate,

Parents tend to have a child that is within 10 IQ points of one of the parents. I think the stat is like 80-90% of the time. (propably James Webb, Gary Davis, or L Silverman)

However, high IQ does not neccesarily imply intelligent or smart, just a greater potential.

Most people would observe that a optimal IQ child (120-140ish) seems to be more intelligent that someone in the 180 (profoundly gifted) range. They are certainly the higher "acheivers".

Being born with a high IQ is just a start. The enviroment that you grow up in and what you do with it is what really makes you intelligent. My wife is probaly more intelligent than me even though my IQ is likely many STD's higher. Thank the FSM that I found her!!!

Andrew

12. An Interview with Prof. Richard Dawkins

Comment #201790 by arogop on June 30, 2008 at 9:14 am

60. Comment #199564 by ghost9

and was fortunate enough to be able to be "live" at Prof. Dawkins' recent talk at the University of Wisconsin.

13. 16% of US science teachers are creationists

Comment #183053 by arogop on May 21, 2008 at 9:43 am

dragonfirematrix

The GOP (Christian right) promotes the Neanderthal religious beliefs of Christians. That is why Ameirca cannot advance anymore.

14. Surviving an unholy school war

Comment #182504 by arogop on May 20, 2008 at 9:26 am

I went to a public school in rural Wisconsin and the teachers would hit kids from '78 to '82. They stopped mostly cause at the older grade levels the teachers were old and too feeble.

15. Face to faith

Comment #182493 by arogop on May 20, 2008 at 8:55 am

PJG

Atheism is amoral. Amoral = Without morals

16. Texas Megachurch Minister Busted in Internet Sex Sting

Comment #182487 by arogop on May 20, 2008 at 8:35 am

58 al-rawandi

"Prominent Atheist arrested at airport with salamander in pants."

17. Humans nearly wiped out 70,000 years ago, study says

Comment #168772 by arogop on April 25, 2008 at 10:42 am

13. Comment #168565 by blasphemer

I thought 10,000 was at least ok. It did have as the central theme a group of people going from hunter-gatherers to an agricultural society.

At least it got some people interested in knowing more.

18. Tyrannosaurus rex protein proves dinosaurs evolved into birds

Comment #168614 by arogop on April 25, 2008 at 8:30 am

Is anyone aware of any other "preserved proteins" from any other species that is at least 1 million years old? Or is this a fairly unique find?

19. Resentment Over Darwin Evolves Into a Documentary

Comment #167838 by arogop on April 24, 2008 at 11:18 am

One of your parents may have had a higher IQ when they were younger than anyone realizes. Growing up I thought my father was very stupid. He was a slow and deliberate reader and did not seem to care to learn anything. My mother on the other hand was a national merit finalist. I assumed that my father just did not have the ability. However he could read a complete tractor manual (slowly) and never had to pick it up again. He just knew what was in it.

My father barely graduated. Looking back after reading the research the problem probably was that he never got engaged and could not get jacked up to learn. This is the problem with my oldest daughter.

Learning disabilities can cause a tremedous drop in IQ scores. Its not that the ability is not there its just that we can't get it to test out.

At one point in time both myself and my father were told we may be dyslexic. However it probably was that our brains processed things much faster than we could read. When I read something that I am interested in to myself, I am looking about 10 to 15 words ahead of what I am saying in my mind, or aloud. That is also why I have horrible penmanship. I think much faster than I can write and so writing is very fustrating for me.

Andrew

20. Resentment Over Darwin Evolves Into a Documentary

Comment #167257 by arogop on April 23, 2008 at 7:29 pm

Mitchell Gilks -

Thats point three. All total the highly gifted range and up is about 1.1% of the population.

The term genius is subjective. The different tiers of intellectual giftedness are a research defenition that came out of the research with the Stanford Binet series of tests. It is one of the few tests that is capable of being used in the 140 range. That is usually why people just say you are a genius if you cap out the normal IQ tests.

Really good researchers on the subject are Marraca Gross (Australia), Linda Silverman (Denver CO), Gary Davis (UW-Madison). Also some good websites are Hoagiesgifted.org, NAGC site, and the gifted institure in Denver.

Different tests test things... well differently. Hogies has a good conversion between the major IQ tests.

With your test result you are certainly intellectually gifted (not superior), and probably think about things alot different than the average Joe. You are also more likely to be an athiest or agnostic and have a higher degree. Does that make you smart... sure I like to think so, but in reality you connections are just different.

Higher IQ probably means your have a denser pack of nerons than normal or more connections between them.

IQ is also highly genetic. Kids tend to fall within 10 points of one of there parents. That is not saying much in the normal range, but when you look at the profoundly gifted range thats saying something.

I also think that having a higher IQ means you have pictures of Lesbians in your avatar. You rock!!!

21. Resentment Over Darwin Evolves Into a Documentary

Comment #166722 by arogop on April 23, 2008 at 11:51 am

huzonfurst -

50% of us can be neither below nor above average, because lots of us must be right at 50%

22. Resentment Over Darwin Evolves Into a Documentary

Comment #166569 by arogop on April 23, 2008 at 10:02 am

43. Comment #166157 by Mitchell Gilks


I think I can help you understand IQ a little bit. The first thing you have to realize that the new IQ scores are not on the same scale as the SBLM standards that we are used to.

180 plus = Profoundly gifted about .3% of the population
160 to 180 = Exceptionaly gifted .3% of the population
140 to 160 = Highly gifted about .4% of the population
125 to 140 = Gifted

These are approximations and are very subjective.

The term Genius was overapplied by many and is not based on any particular numbers that we can point to.

As for yourself you will need to know which test you got the score on. Most tests have a ceiling which causes you to "cap out". If your scores were on the WISC series of exams then you almost definitely hit that ceiling. For instance when I was in Elementary school I got a 136/139 on the WISC-R and its highest score was a 130. But by arranging the subtest like so you can guess as to the level of "g" (giftedness).

You are also likely to be a visual spatial learner. I would suggest looking that term up and it may tell you a lot about yourself and how you learn.

Remember high IQ does not mean you are smarter. It just means you think differently.

I have learned a lot about this lately because my oldest daughter hit the ceiling on the WISC IV and we are now trying to find testing that lets us know what her "g" level is. She has unfortunately been very bored in school and has now disengaged from the academic parts of it.

Andrew

23. A Conversation with Expelled's Associate Producer Mark Mathis

Comment #166453 by arogop on April 23, 2008 at 8:55 am

Kudoos to SCI AM. They are the reason I found this site.

24. Get out of here, atheists!

Comment #156418 by arogop on April 7, 2008 at 1:58 pm

I sent a polite email from a Wisconsin Republican atheist. It does not do any good to berate her. Just show her that there is a path for her and let her follow it herself.

Andrew

25. Anti-gay Okla. lawmaker attracts 1,000 backers

Comment #154670 by arogop on April 3, 2008 at 2:56 pm

al-rawandi

First let me point out that not all Republicans believe in an anti-christ. You could have said rightwing-extremist-wacko nutjob Republicans and your point would have been well taken. As you know I am a Republican and an atheist. So try not to lump me in with the anti-christ believing nutjobs. I may be a nutjob but not for that reason!

I am not sure that any party in the US is a good place for a freethinking rationalist, including Republican, Democrat, Libertarian Etc.

Their general policies have been a restriction of my rights and the rights of others. I hope you like "Under God" and want the 10 Commandments engraved on a huge rock in the county courthouse.

26. Anti-gay Okla. lawmaker attracts 1,000 backers

Comment #154600 by arogop on April 3, 2008 at 1:41 pm

al-rawandi -

Gay Baby-killing Mexican Terrorists.


The anti-Christ as far as Republicans are concerned.

27. Oklahoma: One Step from Doom

Comment #141440 by arogop on March 10, 2008 at 12:19 pm

65. by TranshumanAtheist

Ugh. The Speaker for Oklahoma's House of Representatives, Chris Benge, is my first cousin (son of my mom's sister). That could make for an awkward family reunion some day.

28. Oklahoma: One Step from Doom

Comment #141307 by arogop on March 10, 2008 at 8:55 am

3. Comment #141055 by JD Cherry

Is that a ragged fringed orchid in your avatar?

29. When blasphemy bit the dust

Comment #140506 by arogop on March 7, 2008 at 3:05 pm

1. Comment #140487 by Quetzalcoatl

What irritates me is that 87 of the Lords voted against it. I am so glad that we have an unelected body of rich toffs approving the laws in my country.

30. Richard Dawkins' US Tour begins this week

Comment #140502 by arogop on March 7, 2008 at 2:51 pm

163. Comment #140471 by Teratornis

"(Actually the worst case would be to fly your personal jet to see Prof. Dawkins. People who do that sort of thing might as well be strapping explosives on themselves and blowing up infidels.)
"

I will have to disagree with the analogy. I tend to value human life a little more.

I also think air travel will face very few issues. They are already adapting airplanes with flex fuel engines. The cost of air travel is so high to begin with that the cost of converting over will be mostly insignificant.

Otherwise, I love to read your thought process. Well thought out.

Andrew

31. Richard Dawkins' US Tour begins this week

Comment #140427 by arogop on March 7, 2008 at 9:42 am

F'in !@#$%^&*(&^%$#@ Sold out in Madison

Proof that God (Thor) hates me!

32. Lords Approve Abolition Of Blasphemy

Comment #139827 by arogop on March 6, 2008 at 2:32 pm

35. Comment #139819 by jshuey
The news is even better than that: In this week's Republican Primary a pro-evolution Republican beat a Creation Science nutter even though he outspent her 12 to 1! IN TEXAS!

33. Contribute to science directly by volunteering some of your computer's processing power!

Comment #139719 by arogop on March 6, 2008 at 12:32 pm

5. Comment #139713 by bentleyd

I think ScooterNYC says liberal facist.

34. State Approves Evolution As 'Scientific Theory'

Comment #130304 by arogop on February 20, 2008 at 8:48 am

20. Comment #129670 by liberalartist

Wisconsin has some pretty irrational parts as well. I grew up in rural Wisconsin and was kicked out of my PUBLIC high school for being "amoral and unchristian".

From Madison,

Andrew

35. Pleas for condemned Saudi 'witch'

Comment #127667 by arogop on February 15, 2008 at 1:57 pm

I agree, a third and more firendly alternative would be great. However ethonal is a great place to start if you are talking about affecting Saudi policy.

It has not been shown that increased ethanol production drives up the cost of most food very much. It does affect beef and pork strongly though.

Remember that at this point there is still plenty of surplus land to get put into production.

And remember from economics the trade off effect. If corn is expensive then people will trade off and eat something cheaper, like green beans.

36. US military accused of harboring fundamentalism

Comment #127492 by arogop on February 15, 2008 at 10:45 am

7. Comment #127411 by rod-the-farmer

Truly scary. Not sure I ever want to visit the U.S. ever again

37. Dumb and Dumber: Are Americans Hostile to Knowledge?

Comment #127474 by arogop on February 15, 2008 at 10:29 am

14. Comment #127407 by aquilacane

Your my hero. I love the irony, and for Anna the optimistic way you present it!

38. Pleas for condemned Saudi 'witch'

Comment #127438 by arogop on February 15, 2008 at 9:43 am

Where we get the oil from is mostley irrelevant. It is a global marketplace. If we did not buy Saudi oil someone else would and we would buy from the country that they are no longer buying from.

What really matter is how much oil we use. If Saudi law bothers you then try to conduct your life so you use less oil. Start by using E85 fuel for example.

The most important thing though is to keep the pressure up. Make sure everyone knows what is going on inside the country. Even evil dictators care what their image is.

39. My Saudi Valentine

Comment #127425 by arogop on February 15, 2008 at 9:10 am

14. Comment #126661 by dragonfirematrix

Have you cut the oil out of your life? Is your doorstep clean?

There is some saying about people in glass houses.

Andrew

40. Earliest bats did not 'see' with sound

Comment #126512 by arogop on February 13, 2008 at 11:40 am

How many of these fossils have been found? Could this have been just a one time mutation that did not pan out?

41. Council pays psychic for exorcism

Comment #126510 by arogop on February 13, 2008 at 11:37 am

Never a good idea to play into peoples supernatural fears. Make them confront reality.

42. A Tyrannical Romance

Comment #126499 by arogop on February 13, 2008 at 11:22 am

I guess I know why I am in a monogamous relationship. For those who prefer multiple partners, could it be that they are much better endowed?

43. Dusty Clues: Study suggests no dearth of Earths

Comment #122581 by arogop on February 5, 2008 at 2:00 pm

32. Comment #122290 by epeeist

"There are two kinds of people in the world, those who do the work and those who take the credit. Be one of the former, there is less competition."

44. Atheists to celebrate at Darwin Day in Coconut Creek

Comment #122575 by arogop on February 5, 2008 at 1:50 pm

I also support the OUT campaign and using the Atheist label. I know what it is like to be different and to be surrounded by those who despise you. It's good to know that you are not alone.

45. Atheists to celebrate at Darwin Day in Coconut Creek

Comment #122571 by arogop on February 5, 2008 at 1:45 pm

I celebrate Darwin Day!

The reason, to give my two daughters science related gifts. To encourage them to think for themselves and explore life's mysteries.

Andrew

46. Some non-Christians feel left out of election

Comment #122542 by arogop on February 5, 2008 at 12:24 pm

#31 Recalcitrant

I'm an atheist Republican

47. Creation 'Museum' honored

Comment #109987 by arogop on January 10, 2008 at 8:49 am

Alley oop had the benefit of a time machine.

48. US 'doomed' if creationist president elected: scientists

Comment #109049 by arogop on January 8, 2008 at 8:22 am

I took the Electoral Compass survey mentioned here and it came up with Rudy. Any other takers?

49. US 'doomed' if creationist president elected: scientists

Comment #109047 by arogop on January 8, 2008 at 8:19 am

Comment #109038 by Epinephrine

Canada?... You mean Northern Montana right? I love to visit there. Great Orchid hunting!!!!! Cypress Hills ROCKS!!! (The Alberta side)

50. US 'doomed' if creationist president elected: scientists

Comment #108738 by arogop on January 7, 2008 at 1:44 pm

al-rawandi - I have been reading your posts for awhile, and I like your style. Strong, but interesting.

I like about 50% of what Ron Paul says... The rest really scares me.

I do not mind the idea of moving many of our troops home from friendly countries like Germany etc. The need for them to be there has gone away. I do think we need to maintain troops in Korea and the handful in the old east block though. If Japan is allowed to defend itself soon then lets bring them home too.

Ron Paul is really out there with his religious stance. Too much for even me to ignore. I am not a one issue voter so I can tolerate some of that, but in the last two years religion has moved up my ladder to my #3 issue. Since I am an anti-fudamentalist I do not think I can support him.

Sometimes he tends to come across as... well... stupid.

Andrew