Comments by j.mills

351. Opiate of the masses - and evolutionary aid

Comment #260100 by j.mills on October 4, 2008 at 4:09 pm

It's not obvious that religion is old enough to have a genetic basis. A Dennett-ish notion that it exploits existing tendencies with the effect of promoting itself seems more likely to me. Dennett emphasises that we should see the 'religion' meme as acting in its OWN interest, not that of its host individual, much less the host group or species.

This article assumes religion is a net benefit (else it wouldn't be selected), which is also not obvious. Whether an idea spreads is dependent on its 'spreadability', of which 'usefulness' is only one component.

352. Christian group calls for a Christian university in Britain

Comment #259939 by j.mills on October 4, 2008 at 8:37 am

This guy's report was for the Jubilee Centre, who say:

We believe the Bible describes a coherent vision for society that has enduring relevance for Britain and the world in the twenty-first century...

The Jubilee Centre is fully committed to the proclamation of the 'good news' of salvation... At the same time we affirm the intrinsic value of social justice: 'The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice... he was appalled that there was no-one to intervene.' (Isaiah 59:15-16) God is pleased wherever and whenever he sees justice and righteousness on the earth: 'For I, the Lord, love justice.' (Isaiah 61:8)

(My emphasis.) Intrinsic value, eh? An almost secular viewpoint, used here to cherry-pick supportive bits of scripture whilst ignoring, ooh, the flood, the death of the first-born, etc etc. Presumably this is the kind of thing we could expect in a 'university' that used "the Bible as a work of reference": constant trawling for compatible verses to no purpose.

353. YouTube Reinstates Pat Condell

Comment #259931 by j.mills on October 4, 2008 at 8:03 am

Heh! :) I'd never caught any of this guy's videos before, he's smart, articulate and funny. I expect he has a down-side, but another useful voice in the mix.

354. Seeing Red and Blue Can Divide a Species - of Fish

Comment #259926 by j.mills on October 4, 2008 at 7:53 am

I'm with those above who think this is geographical isolation (by depth) leading to a change in colouration and colour vision, rather than something new.

KRKBAB: It sounds like you're fussing over nothing. The Edit button always appears on your comments so long as you're logged in, so that you have the option of amending things; it doesn't mean you have to take any action.

355. Do We Live in a Giant Cosmic Bubble?

Comment #258992 by j.mills on October 2, 2008 at 4:53 pm

Ty_Webb said:

As an aside, the observable universe is presumably getting larger (by around 1 light-year per year). Does that mean that at some point in the future, the entire universe would become visible (assuming it's not expanding)? And, does it mean that new things (if they're moving towards us from outside the observable universe) will pop into view over time?

No to the first, because the inflated universe, combined with expansion, is too big for the light-horizon to catch up with before the whole universe fizzles out. (Or somebody will correct me...)

Yes to the second: every day the radius of the observable universe gets one light-day longer, and hundreds of previously unseen galaxies twinkle into being like fairy lights. :)

356. Respect for religion now makes censorship the norm

Comment #257587 by j.mills on September 30, 2008 at 5:53 pm

Diocletian, there is (as yet) no question of the Government banning this book - or indeed of anyone doing so.

(Come to think of it, I can't remember the UK Government trying to ban a book since Thatcher's lot made fools of themselves over Spycatcher, which must be nigh on 20 years ago. I think governments (at least in the West) have kinda twigged that such efforts only increase the sales.)

357. Respect for religion now makes censorship the norm

Comment #257583 by j.mills on September 30, 2008 at 5:40 pm

Those people buying it are making an admirable stand for free speech. But by the same token, if they read it and find it to be crap, they should say so on an amazon review. Giving one in the eye to the self-appointed censors doesn't mean you have to do the writer any favours. (She's already got your money!)

358. Respect for religion now makes censorship the norm

Comment #257514 by j.mills on September 30, 2008 at 2:34 pm

Amazon UK has it ranked at 278 in book sales, even though it isn't out till the end of the month. So it looks like the dork-brains' tactics have backfired as usual. :)

359. Respect for religion now makes censorship the norm

Comment #257505 by j.mills on September 30, 2008 at 2:12 pm

Jo Glanville is editor of Index on Censorship indexoncensorship.org

I used to read Index On Censorship cover to cover, the standard of journalism was superb. But every issue was packed to the gunwales with Bad News. It shouldn't be left to one little-read crusading magazine to value our rights for us (though at least this article appeared in the Guardian). Why don't we ever hear our politicians talk like this?

360. Coming soon: 'In God We Trust' tags

Comment #257293 by j.mills on September 30, 2008 at 9:36 am

Layla said:

Perhaps the US should adopt "My Country 'Tis of Thee" as the national anthem, as it's easier to sing and has the same melody as the British anthem, "God Save The Queen"!

Don't do that. The tune is a miserable dirge, and "God Save The Queen" mentions two insupportable institutions in the title alone! :(

361. Debate erupts over proposal to teach creationism in Brunswick schools

Comment #257273 by j.mills on September 30, 2008 at 9:08 am

...said Fanti, who identifies himself as a chemical engineer.

That may well be the scariest bit. All the school board people, and this guy, have probably been educated in the very school system they're now controlling, and look how they came out. And this guy is in a job built on science, with obviously no understanding of what science is. Would you buy a used chemical off this man? [Shudder.]

362. Brunswick school board to consider creationism teaching

Comment #256950 by j.mills on September 29, 2008 at 7:22 pm

If you click on the original article link (dated 16/9/08) there's a link to a follow-up (17/9/08) in which Edd Dunlap, science section chief for the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, shoots them down.

"They must make sure they're teaching the standard course of study and not stray from it, and also not impose their beliefs on their students," Dunlap said.

http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20080917/ARTICLES/809170272/1018/letters

363. Mathematics and faith explain altruism

Comment #255444 by j.mills on September 27, 2008 at 2:47 pm

Isn't it depressing that garbage like this is published in an unchallenged form? Why don't professional journalists give a damn?

364. Cartoons from Turkey

Comment #255332 by j.mills on September 27, 2008 at 10:19 am

Calling RD "Hawkins" violates his personality. He should go to court and get Turkey banned. :)

365. Pope: Religion has a place in politics

Comment #254513 by j.mills on September 25, 2008 at 7:47 pm

"The presence of Christian values is fundamental for the survival of our nations and our societies," he said.

What does this kind of specious rhetoric even MEAN? Put aside that nobody can agree what Christian values are, or why they should be regarded as exclusive to Christianity. What would it mean for "our nations and our societies" to not survive? Without Christianity we'd all just kill each other, would we? Idiot - but, note, an idiot unchallenged by journalists.

366. Mysterious New 'Dark Flow' Discovered in Space

Comment #254030 by j.mills on September 25, 2008 at 7:00 am

A 'humorous' view from a friend of mine:

My view - our bubble universe has been punctured and we are leaking out (makes Hubble's constant seem a bit pointless). The strange structures outside could be the lab we were created in and the outflow is being performed by a biopsy needle.

NewEnglandBob - now you're telling me that space-time isn't suspiciously flat these days? Oh, I can't keep up! Look, just let me know when it's all settled, okay? :)

367. It Takes Just One Village to Save a Species

Comment #254026 by j.mills on September 25, 2008 at 6:49 am

I've heard what Mango's heard, that global population growth is slowing. Still, 10 billion is not the ideal number for a sustainable future - we could do with at least half of those choosing euthanasia for the greater good. Volunteers? :)

368. Mysterious New 'Dark Flow' Discovered in Space

Comment #253677 by j.mills on September 24, 2008 at 6:32 pm

"The structures responsible for this motion have been pushed so far away by inflation, I would guesstimate they may be hundreds of billions of light years away, that we cannot see even with the deepest telescopes because the light emitted there could not have reached us in the age of the universe," Kashlinsky said

See, there's yer trouble. As Steve Z points out, inflation flattens everything - that's why the theory exists, to explain the apparent flatness of the universe. So how can this effect be caused by structures predating inflation?

Certainly stuff outside the observable universe can influence stuff inside it, but only to a distance determined by the age of the universe. Yet this astrophysicist is suggesting massive influence over much greater distances.

If these results are correct it's a fascinating new mystery; but if this guy's (speculative) answer is correct, it would surely require substantial rethinking of existing physics.

369. Christian review of the Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing

Comment #253666 by j.mills on September 24, 2008 at 6:12 pm

Tut! As a Christian's assessment of Dawkins and science, it's fair comment. But as a book review it's poor, because very little of that windy article actually talks about the book.

370. Secular schools of thought tainted

Comment #252420 by j.mills on September 23, 2008 at 4:18 am

With regard to the Gideon Bibles, I wonder if it might be more constructive to go at them with a highlighter pen, marking some of the more juicy and deplorable bits: Lot screwing his daughters, the Levite and his Concubine, Jehovah gambling with Satan over Job, etc.

371. Secular schools of thought tainted

Comment #252199 by j.mills on September 22, 2008 at 3:15 pm

Carbonman said:

People deserve respect. Beliefs and opinions do not, unless they can be justified.

Right on. You hear human rights erroneously trotted out as a reason why 'beliefs' should be respected. No: the most you are entitled to expect from me is respect for your right to HOLD bonkers beliefs, not respect for the beliefs themselves.

Greyman said:

the act would allow satanism and wiccan beliefs to be taught

Point of order: devil-worshippers do worship the devil (duh!), but the (separate) Church of Satan denies there are any supernatural beings at all. To them, Satan is a symbol of the rebel, the adversary, a role they aspire to; he's not an actual entity, so logically it's not a religion, it's a philosophy.

372. Turkish edition of The Ancestor's Tale sells out within a day!

Comment #251542 by j.mills on September 21, 2008 at 3:31 pm

I expect TurkishAtheist knows the level of risk he's taking better than we do outside Turkey. And it sounds like he's fed up of being pressured to keep his mouth shut. So respect and good luck to him!

- And I too found some bits of The Ancestor's Tale difficult (Gibbon's Tale springs to mind), but well worth the effort. Brilliant read.

373. Look Who's Irrational Now

Comment #250484 by j.mills on September 19, 2008 at 6:47 pm

21% of self-proclaimed atheists believe in either a personal God or an impersonal force. Ten percent of atheists pray at least weekly and 12% believe in heaven.

Ya, as others point out, if you believe in gods you're not an atheist, however you label yourself. Reminds me of a meat promotion that gleefully reported a study of 'vegetarians' that found that some of them ate meat. All it showed was that some meat-eaters had lied.

Likewise the figures here, if correct, only show that some theists don't understand the word 'atheist'.

Meanwhile, we know that far from religion reducing superstition, 100% of theists are superstitious. (Less if you allow for the lying atheists among them.)

But even if the hypothesis presented were correct, what of it? Who goes to war over horoscopes? Who mutilates their child's penis because they think the pyramids were built by Atlanteans? Unfounded beliefs are dangerous, but there are degrees and religions are at the high end.

374. Genes might not be so selfish after all

Comment #249949 by j.mills on September 18, 2008 at 6:44 pm

Why would a responsible editor permit such confessedly ill-informed junk in her newspaper? Conclusion: editor is irresponsible.

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

Comment #248745 by j.mills on September 16, 2008 at 6:55 pm

Limerick Summary News Service!

"The creationist world-view is wrong.
Nonetheless," says Prof Reiss, "just as long
As you truly believe
In the serpent and Eve,
Science teachers must speak with forked tongue!"

376. Faith schools may be Blair's most damaging legacy

Comment #243320 by j.mills on September 5, 2008 at 12:31 pm

Just this week I finished my job. The secondary school I worked at has just closed and immediately reopened as an academy. I think the entire academies scheme is lunacy for a hundred reasons, and in this case the 'sponsor' (which has actually contributed not one penny) is United Learning Trust - an arm of the C of E.

Fortunately I applied for and was given a severance package. A few other people left too. But these establishments just roll along, entirely state-funded but with far less scrutiny than state schools. ULT already have a dozen academies, more than most local authorities, and this is all taking place nationwide with virtually zero public discussion. (The 'consultation' for this particular academy was laughable.)

All staff are required to uphold 'Christian values'. These include tolerance, respect, compassion and hard work, though how those ended up being monopolised by Christianity is not explained. Religious Education lessons will be 'mainly Christian'. It's very depressing.

377. Evolution as Described by the Second Law of Thermodynamics

Comment #230787 by j.mills on August 15, 2008 at 6:17 am

Steve said:

This isn't saying that thermodynamics explains everything about evolution, but that evolution seems to be a natural consequence of thermodynamics.

This is my problem with this article: what in physics 'prefers' a faster rate of energy dissipation? Of course entropy will increase, but why should a system 'seek' the FASTEST way to increase it? Phil Rimmer above quotes the paper:

...in the quest for a stationary state. The driving force makes no difference between abiotic and biotic mechanisms of energy transduction but favours all those that are dispersing energy more and more effectively.

My emphasis: whence cometh that 'favours'? What is this 'quest' whereof they speak?

And whilst a cheetah may get through lots of energy, a bush-baby sleeps 19 hours a day - it's not obvious we should regard that as 'maximally entropic'.

(Btw, like mdhutton1949, I'm seeing some posts with only a header. What gives?)

378. Kung poo panda 'The Sex Lives of Animals' exhibit digs deep.

Comment #221790 by j.mills on July 30, 2008 at 6:12 am

I saw two dogs at it for quite some time once. Each of them seemed to want to get on top. Whilst there is a broad wealth of 'unorthodox' sexual behaviour among animals, I think those two dogs were actually just confused... (Certainly I was!)

379. Daniel Dennett: Autobiography (Part 1)

Comment #221766 by j.mills on July 30, 2008 at 5:09 am

Perhaps we could think of philosophy as 'speculative science' - exploring the possible answers to questions we have as yet no direct means of investigating. As such, philosophers may take a wider view than specialists in any other field and act as 'integrators' of knowledge.

If that sounds suspiciously close to theology, I suggest that philosophy is parsimonious, conscious of its own limitations and giving way to science when science catches up. There's the old rubric:

Philosophy is questions that can't be answered.
Religion is answers that can't be questioned.

380. Brain That Changes Itself: into the abyss

Comment #220899 by j.mills on July 29, 2008 at 7:03 am

Like, wow, man!

381. Daniel Dennett: Autobiography (Part 1)

Comment #220771 by j.mills on July 29, 2008 at 3:22 am

An engaging bio from Dennett and an unusually interesting thread to follow. You've all done very well! :)

I wasn't so impressed by Freedom Evolves as by his other books (Consciousness Explained was a doozey!). The bit where Dennett really addressed the determinists' objection to free will was the most interesting for me, but he was almost dismissive of the argument. He pointed out that to make choices we must be able to judge consequences, and if this did not require determinism, it certainly wasn't hindered by it: an indeterministic universe would by definition be unpredictable. I would have liked to have seen that startling idea developed more.

But every Dennett book is a splendid treat.

382. Good Science Writers: Richard Dawkins

Comment #218211 by j.mills on July 25, 2008 at 4:22 am

I think your avatar provides a clue, Doc... :)

383. Good Science Writers: Richard Dawkins

Comment #218161 by j.mills on July 25, 2008 at 1:19 am

Steve Zara said:

I have to say first I am a bit puzzled by questions about whether or not I am still here

It was only that you'd said you'd continue the discussion on your blog and this is an aging thread - it's not that anyone wants you to go! :)

I had not the slightest concern or obsession about the title.

I don't think RD was commenting about anybody in particular - there'd been a few posts about the title, is all.

Anyone remember what the article was about? :)

384. Good Science Writers: Richard Dawkins

Comment #217254 by j.mills on July 24, 2008 at 5:27 am

There is more to a book than its ------ title! The Blind Watchmaker and Climbing Mount Improbable could swap titles and you wouldn't know the difference. Leave off this obsession with the title already! It's the book that matters, not its title. I had a bellyfull of that with The Selfish Gene where it seemed that half the critics read it by title only.
Richard

Heh! Now, was is inevitable that Richard would lose his rag, or was it merely improbable? :)

Steve, if you're still there, would you be happier with 'expenditure' or 'work' rather than 'effort'? The point being that, in the absence of intention, some developments still take more time and resources to achieve. (I like the idea of eyes as strange attractors - I see another, more romantic metaphor there already!)

385. Good Science Writers: Richard Dawkins

Comment #216723 by j.mills on July 23, 2008 at 12:54 pm

I suggest that the reason for slower sales of "Mt Improbable" is more prosaic: readers already familiar with TSG and TBW might be inclined to see it as more of the same. The next book was "Unweaving The Rainbow", which was more of a change of subject. (I think I got round to Improbable late for that reason.)

But as somebody else said, it's "The Extended Phenotype" that really deserves more attention. I had to read it with a squint and my tongue stuck between my teeth, but it was well worth the brain-ache. A wow of a book!

386. Good Science Writers: Richard Dawkins

Comment #216376 by j.mills on July 23, 2008 at 4:40 am

where are the other Biology books (not TGD) books polemical ?

Polemical - as in pushing a particular point of view (Selfish Gene, Extended Phenotype) - not necessarily controversial or political.

On this business of going up (or down, to taste) the mountain: I wonder how contiguous the landscape is? In particular, are there biological solutions that are possible (ie. would be viable) but cannot be reached because there is no pathway of viable and accessible mutations? (I'm assuming a practical limit on the magnitude of a mutation.)

If so, the mountainside could have inaccessible 'pits' or 'ravines'. We might even imagine peaks with no base, which could never be climbed - Godel organisms, possible but unattainable...

387. Good Science Writers: Richard Dawkins

Comment #216374 by j.mills on July 23, 2008 at 4:26 am

A lot of this chat seems to conflate common with probable. Clearly eyes are common in terms of the number of species and individuals that have them, and more importantly the number of times they have separately evolved. But, a la Paley, you'd still be astonished to find one sitting on a rock on Ganymede.

Surely the 'improbable' that RD sought to explicate was the existence of complex stuff at all? There may be some bacterium carrying a simple but unique biological feature: it may be very uncommon without being very complex ('improbable').

388. Losing Sight of Progress

Comment #215487 by j.mills on July 22, 2008 at 2:29 am

Limerick Summary News Service!

That the cave salamander is blind
Shows the merciful turn of God's mind,
For who'd want to see
Creepy-crawlies for tea?
Keeping Sal in the dark is so kind!

389. Lourdes fears priestly scandal will make profits dry up

Comment #210331 by j.mills on July 14, 2008 at 9:14 am

Putting aside whether Bernadette saw anything at all, I was intrigued to read in the Fortean a while back that her 'visions' went on for months before it was 'decided' who or what it was that she was 'seeing': a ghost? a fairy? an angel? The area was rife with superstition: the visions began in 1858, and as recently as 1851 a nearby town had burned a witch!

I'm inclined to think that people tend to go to Lourdes AFTER medicine has done all it can, rather than BEFORE...

390. Ants, terrorism, and the awesome power of memes

Comment #210301 by j.mills on July 14, 2008 at 8:26 am

I have this wet dream that one day Dennett will do one of those sprawling documentary series, like The Ascent of Man or Civilisation or Cosmos. On the history of philosophy or genes, memes and AI, or something. Somebody make it so.

391. Thousands Flock to Revival in Search of Miracles

Comment #208716 by j.mills on July 11, 2008 at 7:14 am

But she is deaf.

"She was onstage last night around 11 o'clock," Carter said. "Todd prayed for her, and she said she actually felt fire and heat in her right ear."

Darn it! If only they'd prayed just a little bit harder, God might not have been such a teasing bastard.

"Even if we don't see any change, in the immediate run here, sometimes prayer is cumulative," Wise said.

Like Hitchens said, you can't refute it, only underline it.

392. Religious bigotry upheld in court

Comment #208632 by j.mills on July 11, 2008 at 5:17 am

Spinoza said:

The Bible says "Do not lie with another man as you would with a woman."

Does it say it in those words? That's probably good advice, 'cos the hole's on the other side. :)

393. Bisexual Species: Unorthodox Sex in the Animal Kingdom

Comment #208588 by j.mills on July 11, 2008 at 4:00 am

Bruce Baghemil's book of a few years ago, Biological Exuberance, catalogued in eye-popping detail the huge range of homo- and bi-sexual behaviours observed in over 300 species. (Sage grouse engage in lesbian orgies, zoo dolphins masturbate on the wall of the tank - and don't even ask what they do with their blowholes...)

Everything that you could think to say on the subject, he said, addressed and demolished. The take-home message for me is that these are complex behaviours that arise for many reasons. Any simple explanation you come up with will almost certainly be inadequate. The fundie idea that homosexuality is 'unnatural' is just laughable in the light of all this.

394. PLEASE WRITE IN SUPPORT OF PZ MYERS

Comment #208555 by j.mills on July 11, 2008 at 3:15 am

Doubt if anyone's reading this far, but for the record:

Dear President Bruininks

You will be aware of criticism from some Catholics and others of PZ Myers' recent blog concerning the communion wafer incident.

I would only urge you to focus on the central issue here, which is free speech. No religious freedoms have been curtailed, nobody has been harmed, no property damaged. Myers has simply commented on a topic of public interest in his usual uncompromising style.

If some people find the comments disagreeable, their recourse in a free society is to respond. You would not be serving democracy, free speech or even religious freedom by doing anything to silence or sanction Mr Myers, and I hope you will say as much to his critics.

Thank you for your time.

395. The BBC announces a major season marking the life and work of Charles Darwin

Comment #207616 by j.mills on July 10, 2008 at 4:00 am

Some people above asked how they could see this stuff outside the UK. Lots of BBC programmes are now made available online for a week(?) after broadcast, through their iPlayer facility. You don't even need a TV! (Much less a licence...) And you can listen to the radio stuff live over the net or (for the following week) on their Listen Again facility. All hail Auntie Beeb!

(They're doing a natural history show called 'Life'? One of these days they're gonna run out of titles.)

396. Susskind Quashes Hawking in Quarrel Over Quantum Quandary

Comment #207606 by j.mills on July 10, 2008 at 3:50 am

I expect they used 'quashes' for the alliteration. Could have gone with 'queries' though.

397. Susskind Quashes Hawking in Quarrel Over Quantum Quandary

Comment #207594 by j.mills on July 10, 2008 at 3:32 am

Shame to do all that teasing and then say so little about the holographic projection business. Hopefully someone will tell us more in the Book Nook! :)

Limerick Summary News Service!

Susskind swats Hawking with zeal!
(You'd think they could just make a deal.)
Radiation's ejected,
Information's projected,
And the universe isn't quite real.

398. Atheist soldier sues Army for 'unconstitutional' discrimination

Comment #207147 by j.mills on July 9, 2008 at 8:45 am

Deputy Undersecretary Bill Carr said complaints of evangelizing are "relatively rare."

Relative to what? And the question is not whether they're rare, but whether they're justified.

I wonder if the guy who said "Do you believe in Jesus now?" was wearing body armour. Reminds me of a letter in Viz! - "The Pope-mobile is surrounded by 3-inch thick bullet-proof glass. There's f*cking faith for you."

399. Group Asks for Divine Intervention to Ease Oil Prices

Comment #204151 by j.mills on July 4, 2008 at 8:39 am

If Yanks pray for lower prices, and Saudis pray for higher prices, how does god decide? I'm inclined to think he'll camouflage his intervention so cunningly that it will be indistinguishable from the normal operation of the markets...

(What happens if enough people pray for there to be no god?)

400. Sharia law 'could have UK role'

Comment #204144 by j.mills on July 4, 2008 at 8:31 am

As I understand it, voluntary mediation under Sharia law already exists and so long as it IS voluntary and doesn't conflict with the REAL law, it seems no more objectionable than going to counselling or arbitration.

That seems to be all that Lord Phillips and Rowan Williams mean, and if so, rather than it going too far, I'm wondering why they bothered opening their mouths and causing a storm in a teacup. The obvious backlash to their comments means they've probably done more harm than good.

Incidentally, Nova, many British Muslims were born here - probably most by now. They're as entitled as any other citizen to seek a change in the law, and since they generally AREN'T seeking that and represent only about 4% of the UK population anyway, it's not going to happen. Islam may present stuff to worry about, but this isn't it.