1. Church of Scotland mediators to quell disputes

Comment #178850 by VanYoungman on May 12, 2008 at 6:35 am

It was like being back in a comfortable den. The wise, wise words of Paula and the zapping zephyr of Billy, Music to my ears.

2. Gene map proves platypus is part bird, mammal and reptile

Comment #176982 by VanYoungman on May 8, 2008 at 12:26 pm

Is it possible this animal could run for president of the United States?

3. How to reconcile Richard Dawkins?

Comment #172114 by VanYoungman on April 29, 2008 at 8:43 am

All you have to do is listen. The good Doctor has never hidden anything.

Mr. McKnight is definitely a potential convert.

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

Comment #169436 by VanYoungman on April 26, 2008 at 5:02 am

This would further support my theory that the genes for the lowering of the larynx and rounding of the tongue which were necessary for speech were selected because they conserved water in the human body. The process starts about 100,000 years ago and coincides with the severe drought.

5. Evolution exhibit shows why nobody's perfect

Comment #165165 by VanYoungman on April 21, 2008 at 6:47 am

The exhibition is excellent. For those of you visiting our fair city, I couldn't recommend it more highly.

6. Evolution fray attracts top scientist

Comment #162164 by VanYoungman on April 16, 2008 at 8:58 am

Will there ever be an end?

7. Cult leader Pyotr Kuznetsov tries suicide after realising he was wrong about doomsday

Comment #155043 by VanYoungman on April 4, 2008 at 5:23 am

Richard Morgan how right you are. Thank you.

8. Upside-down church sculpture on hit list

Comment #155041 by VanYoungman on April 4, 2008 at 5:20 am

I agree with Theantitheist. I like it too.

9. Pastor attacks scientist's talk

Comment #155038 by VanYoungman on April 4, 2008 at 5:15 am

Robertson may be an asshole, but logic dictates he makes a valid argument.

10. I always aim to misbehave

Comment #152085 by VanYoungman on March 30, 2008 at 4:52 am

I haven't had so much fun since the pig ate my baby brother.*




*Please, none take that seriously.

11. 'We Make Our Own Heaven'

Comment #151353 by VanYoungman on March 28, 2008 at 2:38 pm

Wouldn't it be nice if this were to catch on all over the country?

12. Iowa county board gives initial OK for ghost hunters to investigate asylum

Comment #151347 by VanYoungman on March 28, 2008 at 2:31 pm

Iowans are normally quite sane. Honest. I married one.

13. Happy Birthday, Richard Dawkins!

Comment #150547 by VanYoungman on March 27, 2008 at 5:15 am

In thith merrry month of Marth alllow me to be the three hundredth and thomthing to with you a very very happy birthday with many happy returnth.

Van

14. Expelled Overview

Comment #149682 by VanYoungman on March 26, 2008 at 5:40 am

This is all so very depressing. I feel like I'm deep in an Orwellian fantasy. Anyhow, thanks Josh and you too OBC for your enlightening comments. I will certainly not waste my money on this trash.

Now it's off to the forum for some fresh "off-topic" air.

15. First 'Rule' Of Evolution Suggests That Life Is Destined To Become More Complex

Comment #145967 by VanYoungman on March 18, 2008 at 12:13 pm

So that explains me.

16. Darwin's dangerous idea

Comment #137540 by VanYoungman on March 3, 2008 at 5:33 am

You would think that more than 10 years after Dan Dennett published the best seller "Darwin's Dangerous Idea" and the fact that he presented the argument so much better than Pevere, that he might get a little more credit.

17. A Pragmatist and a Lobbyist on Atheism

Comment #134620 by VanYoungman on February 28, 2008 at 3:45 am

Not only do I commend her, I would encourage others to let her know how much support she has.

18. The Giant Tortoise's Tale

Comment #133950 by VanYoungman on February 27, 2008 at 3:55 am

Beautiful job Josh. Bring on the next.

19. The Salamander's Tale

Comment #132678 by VanYoungman on February 25, 2008 at 5:51 am

Wow! As much as I love Dr. Who, the real thing beats it every time.

20. The Lava Lizard's Tale

Comment #131243 by VanYoungman on February 22, 2008 at 5:26 am

Thanks Josh. Beautiful job. Bring on the next two.

21. A match made on RichardDawkins.net?

Comment #128485 by VanYoungman on February 17, 2008 at 6:25 am

From one VY to two of my favorite VY's

"May the happiest days of your past represent the saddest days of your futures."

22. Charles Simonyi Professorship in the Public Understanding of Science

Comment #125226 by VanYoungman on February 11, 2008 at 5:13 am

Richard's next title after "Emeritus" is obviously "Nobel Laureate".

23. Happy Birthday Josh Timonen!

Comment #118841 by VanYoungman on January 31, 2008 at 3:56 am

Happy Birthday Josh and many happy returns.

To paraphrase a famous quote, "Never have so many owed so much to Josh Timonen."

24. The Science behind the Large Hadron Collider

Comment #117112 by VanYoungman on January 28, 2008 at 9:26 am

13,670,002,008 years ago in a universe composed entirely of anti-matter, a group of scientists were very excited over the starting up of the Harge Ladron Collider. It would, once and forall, prove the existence of the Biggs Hosun and that would explain the origins of their universe. The experiment was successful.

25. What Religion's Blind Stranglehold on America Is Doing to Our Democracy

Comment #113605 by VanYoungman on January 20, 2008 at 6:53 am

Why do you slander the munchkins?

26. The New Theology

Comment #113601 by VanYoungman on January 20, 2008 at 6:47 am

Many years ago I was taught this was called "naming the void". I wish the essay didn't take so many words to do that.

27. Could there be a Darwinian Account of Human Creativity?

Comment #105298 by VanYoungman on December 31, 2007 at 7:16 am

IanD. Per your Post #84. Indeed "Elbow Room" is very appropo here. It happens to be one of Dan's favorites of all his marvelous books.

But I would also add "The Mind's I" co-authored with Doug Hofstaedter presents a series of essays on the free-will issue that would enlighten this thread's discussion immeasurably.

28. Man and God

Comment #103412 by VanYoungman on December 25, 2007 at 1:30 pm

Wise Paula,

The only thing you may be wrong about is the 40%. It may be much higher. Whatever, count me in that group.

The article simply made the same old errors. De j' vu all over again as our Yogi would put it.

29. Whale 'missing link' discovered

Comment #101238 by VanYoungman on December 20, 2007 at 6:16 am

No. It means the gap is filled.

30. God rest you merry atheist

Comment #100027 by VanYoungman on December 18, 2007 at 5:17 am

Having heard Richard speak, I'm wondering if his singing voice is a baritone or tenor?

31. Synthetic DNA on the Brink of Yielding New Life Forms

Comment #99619 by VanYoungman on December 17, 2007 at 7:47 am

A car running on shit. Will wonders never cease?

32. Fox: 'Atheist Outrage' over holiday 'Tree of Knowledge'

Comment #94748 by VanYoungman on December 6, 2007 at 12:24 pm

Right on, Margaret. Give 'em hell.

33. Double-checking Dawkins

Comment #93208 by VanYoungman on December 2, 2007 at 12:31 pm

Mac users display the ultimate in cognitive dissonance, except, of course, for a few retarded graphic designers.

34. Can we at least demand 'Secular Communion'?

Comment #87097 by VanYoungman on November 11, 2007 at 7:51 am

As usual, an excellent essay by PZ. Sharp and to the point. Pythagoras does make a good observation about 9-11 however. If you want solid evidence from a rather important source, read Ayaan Hirsi Ali's "Infidel".

35. I Am, Therefore I Rationalize

Comment #87093 by VanYoungman on November 11, 2007 at 7:22 am

The fascinating thing about cognitive dissonance in human beings is how coumulative it is. We start lying to ourselves very early on and to ignore that dissonance we lie still more eventually compounding the lies until they reach the ultimate lie, namely "there is an afterlife and a loving father type to fogive all our lies."

That lie seems of alleviate all our other lies and if we're real good, we become the super liars which comprise the Pat Roberstons, Ted Haggarts, Jerry Falwells and Osama Bin Laden's of this world.

36. The New Atheism rocks

Comment #85769 by VanYoungman on November 7, 2007 at 4:05 am

What's to criticize? You have now legitimized all of us bastards. Thank you Russell!

37. Mother dies after refusing blood

Comment #85216 by VanYoungman on November 5, 2007 at 9:55 am

Could someone please post the biblical references which forbid blood transfusions?

38. Believe it or not, courtesy counts

Comment #84040 by VanYoungman on November 1, 2007 at 4:06 am

Alphonso and Veronique;

How about, "Please keep your fucking bible off my coffee table." ?

39. AAI 07

Comment #82922 by VanYoungman on October 28, 2007 at 9:08 am

Once again Veronique comes in and gives everyone crystal clear reasons why we should adopt reason instead of standing on soap boxes and espousing our selfish philosophies that may work under limited situations but are useless in our diverse perverse world.

Right on Veronique, as usual. And oh, I think I can show you a few places in the ole US of A that just might genuinely please you.

40. Neanderthals May Have Had Gene for Speech

Comment #80146 by VanYoungman on October 20, 2007 at 7:43 am

They may have "spoken" but the speech would have been very nasal and primitive. They simply don't have the lowered larynx and rounded tounge to phonate vowels like o and e and a or for that matter reproduce our glide consonants like k and g. In short their speech would have been very simple and superficial.

Homo sapiens started the process of lowering the larynx and rounding the tongue only about 100,000 years ago. We can see it in the fossil record. This of course means modern speech is quite new, perhaps only 10,000 to 30,000 yeas old or "yesteday".

41. Debate between Christopher Hitchens and Alister McGrath

Comment #79701 by VanYoungman on October 18, 2007 at 8:49 am

Kieth, you totally missed my point. Hitchens would make mincemeat of the flea and that I would enjoy watching.

42. Debate between Christopher Hitchens and Alister McGrath

Comment #79650 by VanYoungman on October 18, 2007 at 4:27 am

A Scotland debate is no HaHaHa.....

This is one debate I would relish.

And thank you, Wee Flea. This is the first post of yours I absolutely agree with.

43. Richard Dawkins receives the Deschner Prize

Comment #78880 by VanYoungman on October 15, 2007 at 8:25 am

Add my voice to some of these wonderful congratulatory posts and let me beat my horse one more time, "I shall not rest until Richard Dawkins has been awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature."

44. In honour of Dan Dennett

Comment #78501 by VanYoungman on October 13, 2007 at 9:37 am

They may or may not have anything to do with neuropsychology. I'm not sure what that is. But they have everything to do with neurophysiology.

45. In honour of Dan Dennett

Comment #78477 by VanYoungman on October 13, 2007 at 5:58 am

I'm a professional and am much impressed by "The Extended Phenotype".

Next memes are very real in that they represent the neural assemblies as put forth in the cell assembly theory of Donald Hebb and because they impact the anterior cingulate and fusiform-gyrus well studied by Damasio, any competent brain scanner can see them.

And how they hop.

46. Richard Dawkins and Alister McGrath

Comment #78476 by VanYoungman on October 13, 2007 at 5:42 am

It's a tad early in my morning to be dealing with the thoughts still haunting this thread but one thing is clear. Veronique please continue to live until I have had the profound pleasure to meet you. Your mind is priceless. It is reminiscent of some of the most beautiful crystal I have ever seen.

47. Sam Harris seems like a nice fellow, but very confused

Comment #77406 by VanYoungman on October 9, 2007 at 8:07 am

For what it's worth IanG, me too.

48. Searching for God in the Brain

Comment #77073 by VanYoungman on October 8, 2007 at 11:22 am

Bluebird.

Thank you for your interest in my avatar. I have been on this site for over a year now and for most of the time, just didn't know what to choose. However, staring me in the face for the past 50 years or so, were 3 branches of a hemlock growing in front of the cabin my grandfather built in 1888. The tree sits right over a natural limestone trout stream. I always knew the branches formed an "A" but it wasn't until a month or so ago it dawned on me that here was my avatar. So I snapped it with my Powershot Canon and got a friend to shrink the pixels and voila. I prop my feet up on the railing as I sit on a comfortable front porch sofa, sip some Tullamore Dew and gaze at my "A".
My blessings on Richard Dawkins and all who enjoy this site.
Unfortunately, the cabin is not winterized so this next weekend will be my last until the opening of trout season in April 2008

Judging from your avatar, I'm going to guess you're from Copenhagen or at least somewhere in Denmark.

49. Searching for God in the Brain

Comment #77008 by VanYoungman on October 8, 2007 at 6:56 am

If you want some drivel on the Beauregard work, check out this crap.

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/entertainment/books/20070930_A_response_to_atheists__materialists_.html

50. In honour of Dan Dennett

Comment #77006 by VanYoungman on October 8, 2007 at 6:43 am

Good Friends All;

A suggestion. Please read Dan's "Elbow Room" and when you have completed that, "Freedom Evolves" a treatise on "Kinds of Free Will Worth Having", the latter which follows naturally from the former. Dan had once mentioned to me that "Elbow Room" in many ways was his favorite.

Dan Dennett is truly one of the most remarkable human beings ever to exist on this planet. Richard Dawkins tribute makes this abundantly clear.