1. 'Telepathic' Genes Recognize Similarities In Each Other

Comment #116850 by Tatarize on January 27, 2008 at 3:32 pm

It doesn't matter how quickly the gap is filled. How many instantly filled gaps are still propped up as problematic.

The dust on the moon will be miles thick!

2. Atheists don't believe in anything

Comment #82036 by Tatarize on October 25, 2007 at 3:20 pm

I believe this commenter is on to something. Atheists don't believe in anything. And, as an atheist I believe in nothing. Wait, then I can't really believe the comment is true if it is true.

If you don't believe in Santa Claus you don't believe in anything.

3. The God Delusion One-Year Countdown

Comment #70815 by Tatarize on September 17, 2007 at 2:18 am

35/35 with a week to go. That might suck. Though... yeah... thinking good thoughts... because we all know changes reality.

4. Stephen Colbert Interviews Richard Dawkins

Comment #33950 by Tatarize on April 22, 2007 at 8:11 pm

Oddly enough, the Colbert line of "95% of Americans believe there is a God." -- that statistic comes from the Baylor study which was published several days earlier (September 2006) than that interview takes place. Though, the study was probably quite valid in the gathering of information, though 56% response rate is rather low, it was a little skewed with the information processing.

The real problem I have with it is how it got that 95%. An actual glance at the study itself will quickly show you this:
http://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php/33304.pdf

The study makes it clear "Atheists are certain God does not exist." It lists atheists as the exception to their four gods listing at 5.2% of respondents. Ergo, 95% believe in one of the four gods they list Critical, Benevolent, Critical, or Distant (depending on their religious views).

Now, a quick glance at the survey (they appended it the end of the study to their credit) will reveal something odd about that. They don't ask the question. They ask one question at #26:

In your opinion, does each of the following exist.
a) God --- Absolutely, Probably, Probably Not, Absolutely Not

That's how they determine atheists, those who chose "Absolutely Not". This wouldn't be that odd, except that Dawkins would have said "Probably Not", and thus would have been lumped into the 24% of respondents in the Distant God category ("theists" who think god neither interacts or is angry), rather than get classified with the atheists.

So who would fund this hackjob? -- The last page says "A Research Project Funded by the John M. Templeton Foundation" -- As if it was going to be a grand mystery.

5. Reading of The God Delusion in Lynchburg, VA

Comment #6322 by Tatarize on November 13, 2006 at 4:00 pm

The 23 feet answer is correct.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&saddr=San+Francisco,+CA&daddr=New+York,+NY&ie=UTF8&z=4&om=1
Looks up the missing data for distance.

http://www.google.com/search?num=100&hl=en&lr=&safe=off&q=2%2C915+miles+%2F+%284+billion+years+%2F+6000+years%29+in+feet&btnG=Search
Google search:
2,915 miles / (4 billion years / 6000 years) in feet

6. Reading of The God Delusion in Lynchburg, VA

Comment #6285 by Tatarize on November 13, 2006 at 1:30 pm

It is actually acceptable to allow people to download large files as via bittorrent and save your bandwidth. You should still have the static link, just also have other methods of download that aren't so draining.

Another interesting thing is that it would get placed on bittorrent tracker search sites after a short while and could easily get tens of thousands more downloads.