1. What really goes on at the Large Hadron Collider

Comment #175832 by Sharrow on May 6, 2008 at 6:13 am

Rod-The-Farmer writes...

Now I am a big fan of science, in all its' forms and varieties. But this guy annoys me something fierce. We are supposed to believe he is a 'real' scientist, not just a TV personality who would not know better. And there he is, in living colour, and the man cannot even pronounce units of distance properly.

Sorry Rod, I am usually a fan of your quotes but in this case you are way off the mark. Brian Cox is one of the best - a leading expert in high energy physics and an all-round role model for science. I should know, we interviewed him once for our site (www.scenta.co.uk) when he was scientific advisor for the movie Sunshine.

He is going places and deservedly so. He is certainly no spokesmodel. We shold be grateful. It's people like him who will help get more talent into science.

2. Church exhumes Padre Pio

Comment #138297 by Sharrow on March 4, 2008 at 7:07 am

The phrase 'where did they dig him up' takes on a whole new meaning!

And how convenient! The stigmata disappeared before he died leaving not a trace.

And a self-harmer too. Was he the Amy Winehouse of his era?

3. Interview with Richard Dawkins

Comment #116989 by Sharrow on January 28, 2008 at 1:30 am

Oh, come on guys, you've heard worse! At least John in Middleton (the Fundie) didn't rant and quote scripture! And he said 'OK' when told to go to a museum. I can't imagine he left his bedroom in his parent's house to do so though!

It was nice to hear the people of my home town being so skeptical! Did any say they believed in god?

4. Interview with Neil Shubin, author of 'Your Inner Fish'

Comment #112714 by Sharrow on January 18, 2008 at 1:01 am

On Dinesh D'Souza....Fantastic!

It's about time that D'Souza was finally made to look the fool that he is. I sat amazed watching Dennett let him get the better of him and then was staggered to see Hitchens of all people lose on points to such a lightweight.

I guess the trick is ridecule and attack!

5. Richard Dawkins on The Late Edition with Marcus Brigstocke

Comment #109863 by Sharrow on January 10, 2008 at 1:01 am

I agree that it was a trivial piece - but good from the point of view of reaching a mass-audience - if such a term can be applied to BBC's Late Edition!

6. Christopher Hitchens appears on the Hugh Hewitt Radio Show

Comment #97493 by Sharrow on December 12, 2007 at 7:35 am

Copernic,

Now you are asking! I could dig out a few learned texts on the subject but they would probably bore you! However, if you want a really good and entertaining source (one which is still historically accurate) I can highly recommend Neal Stephenson's masterpiece 'The Baroque Cycle'. This is a novelised view of that period in time - I think most of what you seek will be in book 1 -'Quicksilver'

7. Christopher Hitchens appears on the Hugh Hewitt Radio Show

Comment #97410 by Sharrow on December 12, 2007 at 3:27 am

Well this was going quite well until the end. Then the interviewer managed to jump to accusing Hitchens of wanting to stir up religious hatred 'like there was in England'. I can't for the life of me work out where this came from.

And this reminds me, like many Americans, Hugh Hewitt has the romantic view that the Pilgrim Fathers came to their shores in order to flee religious intolerance in England. This is not true. It was religious tolerance they were escaping from not intolerance. Charles II on his ascencion to the throne announced an end to religious strife and decreed that all citizens were equal. The sect which formed the Pilgrims could not stand to see Catholics let off the hook and left - first to Holland where their views pissed the Dutch off, then back to England and then by ship to America. Good riddence!

8. Atheists' sign sparks controversy

Comment #96246 by Sharrow on December 10, 2007 at 8:22 am

The're under attack! THIS is an attack? They really need to get into the real world!! And didn't you detect a certain amount of enthusiasm on their part now that they can be called persecuted?

Besides, didn't some US radio stations dub the John Lennon song to include the line 'and one religion too...' rather than 'and no religion too...'?

9. Malaysia firm's 'Muslim car' plan

Comment #87741 by Sharrow on November 13, 2007 at 2:20 am

Will the sat-nav automatically list the best routes to paradis and the 70 virgin (dates)?

10. Malaysia firm's 'Muslim car' plan

Comment #87740 by Sharrow on November 13, 2007 at 2:19 am

I know it's bad taste....and I am not sure if it's already been written....

But does it has a special compartment underneath for the Cemtex in case the owner feels the urge to become a martre mid-journey? There might be a really juicy group of infidels by the road...Or would that affect the resale value?

11. Bill Moyers interviews Jonathan Miller

Comment #87363 by Sharrow on November 12, 2007 at 1:25 am

It good to see that this fantastic series of programmes is making it to the US screens. For me, it was one of the best, most eloquent and amusing documentaries on disbelief I have seen. The inserts with Bernard Hill quoting to camera were brilliant. Well done Jonathan. Enjoy!

For those who haven't seen it, it is available on Youtube in its entirety.

12. Debate between Christopher Hitchens and Alister McGrath

Comment #79666 by Sharrow on October 18, 2007 at 5:29 am

Let's face it, this was an immensely enjoyable bit of video - but a debate it was not! You can't have a debate when only one person turns up with an argument. The other person, in this case, did a great impression of an awfully nice English vicar. His speeches even resembled sermons. And didn't he talk bollocks (as we Brits say)?

If this had been a boxing match, the ref would have stopped it round 1 and then there would have been an enquiry into why such a mismatch had been allowed.

Speaking of mismatches....has Hitch ever gone head-to-head with Ann Coulter? Now that would be worth seeing - just for a laugh!

13. Muslims tell Christians: 'Make peace with us or survival of world is at stake'

Comment #78164 by Sharrow on October 12, 2007 at 3:02 am

I have a cunning plan.
All rational people relocate, lock, stock and barrel to some sunny isle. Let's go and take over Australia and New Zealand. It's a bit out of the way but that's part of the plan. There should be enough room, sunny weather and resources for us. The locals can stay as long as they renounce their faiths. Those who can't have to stay quiet or leave. They could have our places in Europe and North America.

We exist on the basis of rational thought and science. It may take a couple of generations but after that, the rest of the world will have killed each other off. In time we can recolonise the rest of the planet.

It sounds a bit extreme but I can't think of a better way....it's a bit like 'On The Beach' in reverse.

14. Fiction or prediction?

Comment #77888 by Sharrow on October 11, 2007 at 2:59 am

My favourite quote from a good article...

Religions developed as defences against the virus of chance. Prayer had so often proved a false hope, destroying rationality. When the Romans left these shores, the inhabitants killed off all cats, suspecting them to be companions of witches. Rats multiplied. Rats brought in the Black Death. Thousands died. Thousands prayed. Cats did not return.

Priceless!

15. Fiction or prediction?

Comment #77886 by Sharrow on October 11, 2007 at 2:56 am

fatcitymax said

"Asimov also regarded himself as a prophet, his robots freely walking the land. That has yet to come about..."

That has indeed come about. They're called 'Republicans'.

Not true! Republicans are not First Law compliant!

16. Ayaan Hirsi Ali: abandoned to fanatics

Comment #77702 by Sharrow on October 10, 2007 at 8:23 am

Having read Infidel and seen her in the media I am so impressed by this woman's courage and lucidity. Pressed once by a Canadian journalist who sneered at her 'buying the American dream' she responded that those born and grow up in a free country are able to 'spit on freedom'. Those who were not enjoy it in all of its forms.

I do rather find the debate on who should pay for her protection and where she should live and whom she should work for rather tedious. I have the strong impression that, if the unspeakable does happen, and some fanatic gets to her, all those issues will become somewhat trivial and petty.