1. Daniel Dennett's Darwinian Mind: An Interview with a 'Dangerous' Man

Comment #232633 by skyhook87 on August 18, 2008 at 12:17 pm

I am returning to this subject in my next book, with a more detailed theory that takes advantage of the tremendous advances of outlook in the last 15 years.

2. Workers' Religious Freedom vs. Patients' Rights

Comment #222616 by skyhook87 on July 31, 2008 at 3:39 pm

ivellios,

Can you see a distinction between procedures that are medically necessary or beneficial, and those that are not?

I see nothing juvenile about a nurse not wanting to take part in inflicting *unnecessary* pain to an infant's penis. As I understand it, nurses are there to aid in comfort and healing. Taking part in this behavior is not the grown up thing to do; taking action to raise the consciousness of others to the fact that this is religiously based and not medically based seems more prudent (for example).

Wouldn't you like to see healthcare professionals at least try to make changes toward caring for people's health rather than joining these myth based procedures or running away by leaving the department?

3. Workers' Religious Freedom vs. Patients' Rights

Comment #222513 by skyhook87 on July 31, 2008 at 1:43 pm

My partner is a Registered Nurse that works with in the postpartum ward of a local hospital. She has an issue with her workplace that kind of / sort of goes well with this topic.

She has a moral issue with taking part in circumcisions. She finds the surgery to be medically unnecessary and very unpleasant. As of now, she has not voiced her complaints in a formal manner, but she has decided to work only on the night shift as circumcision are all performed on the day shift.

She enjoys the night shift, but she feels that it will eventually take a toll on her. The strange hours tend to disrupt her sleep patterns, etc.

Do you think she should be protected by a law similar to the one being proposed?

Any advice on how she should handle this situation?

4. Daniel Dennett: Autobiography (Part 1)

Comment #220437 by skyhook87 on July 28, 2008 at 12:38 pm

@ Upgrade01A,

You might enjoy a book penned by Douglas Hofstadter and Daniel Dennett: The Mind's I: Fantasies and Reflections on Self and Soul.

5. How Anecdotal Evidence Can Undermine Scientific Results

Comment #216877 by skyhook87 on July 23, 2008 at 3:22 pm

@Edouard Pernod

No worries.

6. How Anecdotal Evidence Can Undermine Scientific Results

Comment #216797 by skyhook87 on July 23, 2008 at 2:22 pm

I was speaking to the dubious nature of the conclusions drawn. As I am sure you understand, if all variables are not held constant, it is very difficult to establish a causal relationship. In no way did I state that Thimerasol causes autism. This strawman has been knocked out.

BTW, I have read Deamon Haunted World. Your assumption that I need many valuable lessons on how to think skeptically seems a bit unwarranted.

7. How Anecdotal Evidence Can Undermine Scientific Results

Comment #216734 by skyhook87 on July 23, 2008 at 1:06 pm

Does anybody know if the preservative thimerosal was replaced by another preservative once it was removed from vaccines?

This could raise reasonable questions about the conclusions drawn from the steady autism rates.

8. Male circumcision is a weapon in the sperm wars

Comment #189519 by skyhook87 on June 6, 2008 at 12:02 pm

It might also be the case that selection works at a group level, so that societies that enforce mutilation are more stable because of less conflict over paternity, Wilson says.

9. The Stupidity of Dignity

Comment #179649 by skyhook87 on May 13, 2008 at 1:15 pm

@NJ
Thanks for noticing, I am quite a fan of Dennett's work.

I was reading the report all morning and then when I came across Pinker's article posted here, I found it to echo my sentiments as well.

10. The Neural Buddhists

Comment #179631 by skyhook87 on May 13, 2008 at 12:55 pm

Genes are not merely selfish, it appears. Instead, people seem to have deep instincts for fairness, empathy and attachment.

11. The Stupidity of Dignity

Comment #179085 by skyhook87 on May 12, 2008 at 1:54 pm

You can find the "Human Dignity and Bioethics:Essays Commissioned by the President's Council on Bioethics" here in full.

http://bioethicsprint.bioethics.gov/reports/human_dignity/

I especially enjoyed Dennett's chapter as well as his commentary.

12. The Group Delusion

Comment #110137 by skyhook87 on January 10, 2008 at 2:34 pm

It is a shame that in fighting a multi-front war, Dawkins has to be stretched thin to maintain the hard fought ground he has gained in the past.

I have been keeping up with what the Wilsons have been putting out and I am eagerly awaiting Dawkins "more lengthy" response.

13. Functional Neuroimaging of Belief, Disbelief, and Uncertainty

Comment #97628 by skyhook87 on December 12, 2007 at 12:53 pm

I feel bad commenting on the ASCII characters and not Sam's paper, but oh well.

This is one of my favorites...

( 8(1) Turn your head to the left; Homer Simpson.

14. A new website addition: Debate Points

Comment #81377 by skyhook87 on October 24, 2007 at 4:28 pm

The organization and ease-of-use would be much better if this project were in the form of a wiki instead of threads. A wiki allows for a sort of memetic sieve, thereby leaving the strongest of the counter arguments to stand.

15. Review of Richard Dawkins' new book 'The Fascism Delusion'

Comment #69056 by skyhook87 on September 9, 2007 at 3:54 pm

Yes! I enjoyed that piece very much.

16. Poll: Which religion do you associate with?

Comment #65522 by skyhook87 on August 24, 2007 at 2:54 pm

Looks as if the poll has been removed and replaced with a poll about celebrities. I wonder if not getting the results they were hoping for lead to the removal... Unscientific poll indeed.

17. Face to faith

Comment #57760 by skyhook87 on July 21, 2007 at 12:00 am

...Dennett's confident definition of religion...

18. Does God answer prayer? ASU research says 'yes'

Comment #25932 by skyhook87 on March 15, 2007 at 5:45 pm

I did a very quick search and happened upon Dr. Kevin Masters of Syracuse University. He and his colleagues also did a meta-study over 14 studies (with one controversial study thrown out) that is available for viewing below.
Some key sentences from the abstract:
"Results: A total of 14 studies were included in the meta-analysis yielding an overall effect size of g = .100 that did not differ from zero. When one controversial study was removed the effect size reduced to g = .012."
and
"Conclusions: There is no scientifically discernable effect for IP as assessed in controlled studies. Given that the IP literature lacks a theoretical or theological base and has failed to produce significant findings in controlled trials, we recommend that further resources not be allocated to this line of research."

http://chb.syr.edu/staff/k_masters/Annals_of_Beh_Med-prayer.pdf

Masters, K.S., Spielmans, G.I., & Goodson, J.T. (In press). Are there demonstrable effects of distant intercessory prayer? A meta-analytic review. Annals of Behavioral Medicine.

19. Do stop behaving as if you are God, Professor Dawkins

Comment #23211 by skyhook87 on February 26, 2007 at 9:12 pm

Mcgrath talks about this footage of him and Dawkins ending up on the cutting room floor... Does anybody know if this footage is available for viewing anywhere?

Also, does anybody know if Dennett and Mcgrath's debate that took place last weekend was recorded and available for download? I found out about the debate from www.greer-heard.com .