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Comments by Geoff


651. Charles Simonyi Professorship in the Public Understanding of Science

Comment #125573 by Geoff on February 11, 2008 at 3:53 pm

Teratornis, just a small, slightly off-topic, question, if I may?


Among the largely inherited traits which determine a person's prospects in life, two are especially important:

1. Intelligence...


Has this been demonstrated as "largely inherited"? I was under the impression that the jury was still out on the nature/nurture issue, if not coming down on the "nurture" side. I have to admit I'm probably not up-to-date on the issue.

652. Why multiculturalism must be abandoned

Comment #125537 by Geoff on February 11, 2008 at 2:48 pm

al-rawandi:

floccinaucinihilipilificatiousness

A useful addition to anyone's vocabulary; often used to describe a creationist's intellect.

653. What he wishes on us is an abomination

Comment #125391 by Geoff on February 11, 2008 at 9:59 am


The sacred weed should be allowed to be smoked freely if we are to be tolerant of other religions. I don't think this is the case.


Certainly isn't the case in the UK, where there is a move to upgrade it from a Class 'C' to a Class 'B'drug (which is what it used to be).

(that makes it "more illegal", for those outside the UK who might not know the classifications!)

654. Exorcism undergoes a revival across Europe

Comment #125352 by Geoff on February 11, 2008 at 9:16 am

You internet addicts should really read this:

http://www.atheistalliance.org/aaw/Compossessed.htm

Edit: Do note the source url, though!

655. Why multiculturalism must be abandoned

Comment #125190 by Geoff on February 11, 2008 at 3:51 am


I can only pressure that Mr Hari is innocently unaware of the colloquial use of this term.


I think he sneaked it in (perhaps past his editor?) quite knowingly, judging by some of his other great one-liners.

Excellent article.

gcdavis #10: I for one, agree completely with your points, I said something similar in the comments to the original article.

656. Battle of the Chambersburg billboards

Comment #124990 by Geoff on February 10, 2008 at 3:22 pm

It's getting better! There's now an editorial about the comments, and comments on the editorial on the comments...

http://www.publicopiniononline.com/opinion/ci_8220539

I wrote:
A much more balanced piece, thank you. That still doesn't excuse how the original, one-sided article by ROSCOE BARNES III passed editorial scrutiny. As the author of books like "The Guide to Effective Gospel Tract Ministry" and "Mighty Through God", surely his work should have been checked for jounalistic integrity and balance, as a matter of course?

657. Conservative Rabbis to Vote on Resolution Criticizing Pope's Revision of Prayer

Comment #124811 by Geoff on February 10, 2008 at 10:05 am

Snap!

658. Conservative Rabbis to Vote on Resolution Criticizing Pope's Revision of Prayer

Comment #124810 by Geoff on February 10, 2008 at 10:04 am

tieInterceptor:


I don't think the Vatican has embassies do they?


They do indeed.
http://www.embassyworld.com/embassy/Vatican/Vatican1.html

659. The challenge of finding peace in Lourdes

Comment #124691 by Geoff on February 10, 2008 at 4:40 am

Sam Harris has written an excellent book about the demise of the rabbit god from "Watership Down".

660. The challenge of finding peace in Lourdes

Comment #124536 by Geoff on February 9, 2008 at 6:26 pm

Awww, noodly, now you've done it!

"The extensive fiendish type"?

661. Battle of the Chambersburg billboards

Comment #124511 by Geoff on February 9, 2008 at 4:33 pm

There's a comments section in the original.

http://www.topix.net/forum/source/chambersburg-public-opinion/TS2OFVJK2F69MIKFJ

Edit: you don't have to register to comment, either!

Hint Hint...

662. Christopher Hitchens Debates Timothy Jackson

Comment #124507 by Geoff on February 9, 2008 at 4:30 pm

Inevitably.

663. The challenge of finding peace in Lourdes

Comment #124505 by Geoff on February 9, 2008 at 4:29 pm

That's sick on just so many levels.

664. Battle of the Chambersburg billboards

Comment #124500 by Geoff on February 9, 2008 at 4:23 pm

Deliverance II : duelling billboards.


According to Nedd, the leaders of FFRF have repeatedly stated that "merely having to hear the Pledge of Allegiance is offensive and should be banned.


No, just take out the words "under god", that were sneaked in in 1954.

665. Christopher Hitchens Debates Timothy Jackson

Comment #124498 by Geoff on February 9, 2008 at 4:19 pm

I was trying to be facetious, although etymologically, I'm still right! Valuable can also be "able to be valued"

value (v) "estimate the worth of"

suffix -able

invaluable, of course, is then the opposite.

;)

666. Christopher Hitchens Debates Timothy Jackson

Comment #124491 by Geoff on February 9, 2008 at 4:04 pm

Diacanu:

Sorry, but invaluable is not valuable, in the same way that invisible is not visible.

667. Why Darwin matters

Comment #124486 by Geoff on February 9, 2008 at 3:47 pm

Ah, so it isn't religion that is blocking the understanding of science (such as Evolution) in schools in the USA. It is Jerry Springer.


Can't it be both?

668. Why Darwin matters

Comment #124484 by Geoff on February 9, 2008 at 3:46 pm


So tell me...what is the big deal about this thing we call "life?"


To an extent, it's simply a definition of a state of matter. Furthermore, it's not clear that there's a sharp divide between the two states, more of a fuzzy boundary. Is a virus "alive"? Is a prion?

I'm not sure that there's even a generally agreed definition.

669. The Passion of 'Anonymous'

Comment #124398 by Geoff on February 9, 2008 at 10:53 am


Is there any 'science' at all in scientology?


Oh yes, definitely. They use a scientific piece of apparatus called an "E-Meter" for their "auditing".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-meter

Important Note: do not, under ANY circumstances, have a mouthful of coffee (or other liquid) when reading the above linked article. I take no responsibility for the state of your keyboard if this advice is ignored...

I was going to say "you couldn't make it up", but he did!

670. Ad 'likely to offend gay people'

Comment #124394 by Geoff on February 9, 2008 at 10:32 am

Interesting, though not necessarily correct, assumption at the end.

I don't really understand the "queasiness" aspect, although I realise it's quite common. Personally, I don't find it the least bit...errr..."queasing"? I don't find male/male sex the least bit erotic (unlike female/female sex, which, perhaps inexplicably, I do find erotic), but it doesn't make me feel queasy. Similarly, I don't find outward dislays of affection between two men in public the least bit ...errr.... "queasemaking"?, though, again, I accept that there are many that do find it so.

I'll try to resist the temptation to say "blessed are the queasemakers".

671. The Passion of 'Anonymous'

Comment #124389 by Geoff on February 9, 2008 at 10:08 am

gd_edi: Depends exactly how the "severing" is done.

672. The Passion of 'Anonymous'

Comment #124382 by Geoff on February 9, 2008 at 9:45 am

I know it's a well-known one, but:


"If you want to make a little money, write a book. If you want to make a lot of money, create a religion."

L. Ron Hubbard

673. Letters: Theology has no place in a university

Comment #124194 by Geoff on February 8, 2008 at 5:04 pm

Has "he's a 2@" gone again? I was enjoying that...

674. Why Darwin matters

Comment #124108 by Geoff on February 8, 2008 at 11:25 am

I don't normally read the Guardian, but I'll be buying tomorrow's edition.

675. 'Irrational Atheist' trounces God-deniers

Comment #124049 by Geoff on February 8, 2008 at 8:22 am

Awww, steveroot beat me to the "Cool Hand Luke" quote, except that it wasn't Luke who said it, but one of the guards, as I recall.

Steve Zara: If your book's anywhere close to the quality of Azimov's non-fiction, you've sold me already. Are you as good with puns as he was?

Mind you, I think you underrate his sci-fi, especially the early stuff. I've recently bought the "Second Foundation" trilogy by Benford, Bear & Brin, but not had chance to read them yet. (So many books, so little time...)

I still love "The World Ceres", both for the content and the title.

676. 'Irrational Atheist' trounces God-deniers

Comment #123600 by Geoff on February 7, 2008 at 11:39 am

Steve, I look forward with anticipation to the debate, the blog and the book!

Just a thought though;


a "beginner's guide to the universe"... where I set myself a challenge, and attempt to explain scientific ideas as concisely and simply as possible, say in no more than one page for any given idea.



sounds perhaps a little too close to Bill Bryson's "Short History"?

677. Scientists Say Mummies' Lice Show Pre-Columbian Origins

Comment #123576 by Geoff on February 7, 2008 at 11:10 am

More evilutionist lice! The truth is that goddidit!

Whatever it was....

678. Sharia law in UK is 'unavoidable'

Comment #123572 by Geoff on February 7, 2008 at 11:07 am

If I go to another country, I expect to have to follow their laws; if it's a country whose laws I don't like or agree with, I don't go. Similarly, I don't expect them to speak English (or provide translators) for my benefit; I learn their language.

If that sounds racist, then fair enough, but I'm not suggesting any different treatment for them than I would expect for myself in any foreign country.

What the Archbishop is suggesting is not integration but disintegration.

679. Ad 'likely to offend gay people'

Comment #123362 by Geoff on February 7, 2008 at 3:27 am

david: thank you for allowing me to use, for the first time ever, the "offensive" flag.

680. Exploding black holes could expose hidden dimensions

Comment #123358 by Geoff on February 7, 2008 at 3:12 am

Most of it whooshes happily over my head, but Steve, is it really a "Theory" or just a hypothesis?

"No testable predictions", "not falsifiable"...

My concern is the "just a theory" crowd using it as an example.

681. Letters: Theology has no place in a university

Comment #122502 by Geoff on February 5, 2008 at 11:03 am

epeeist, you've had a haircut!

Actually, looks more like the Witchfinder General to me...

but...back to "teh flud".

682. Are Darwin's Theories Fact or Faith Issues?

Comment #122475 by Geoff on February 5, 2008 at 10:12 am

He goes on to say that the ID proponents would never be foolish enough to try to have their nonsense published in a reputable scientific peer reviewed journal because at least they know better than to do that!

Ah, but that's because of the conspiracy of scientists wanting to suppress their research. It says so in "Expelled" so it must be true...

683. Science Debate 2008

Comment #122464 by Geoff on February 5, 2008 at 9:45 am

I do hope that goes ahead! I wonder if they'll get away with a question on stem cell research.

684. Letters: Theology has no place in a university

Comment #122457 by Geoff on February 5, 2008 at 9:33 am

Annabanana (and others), did you ever come across the (now infamous) afDave "flud" debate?

685. Letters: Theology has no place in a university

Comment #122438 by Geoff on February 5, 2008 at 9:05 am

So much fun! I'm still laughing at the "staff infection" from a few pages back...


2@

686. Are Darwin's Theories Fact or Faith Issues?

Comment #122403 by Geoff on February 5, 2008 at 8:31 am

Lorien, thanks for that link. One comment stood out for me, though:

"One scientist cannot create a theory; he can only create a hypothesis."

Does that mean that, originally, Einstein proposed a "general (and a special) hypothesis of relativity"? I've never really looked at the development of the theory of relativity in that sense, I always, perhaps naively, thought of the whole thing as Einstein's from the start.

687. Atheists to celebrate at Darwin Day in Coconut Creek

Comment #122362 by Geoff on February 5, 2008 at 8:00 am

Slightly off on a tangent, but has anyone noticed that St Patrick's day isn't officially on March 17th this year?

http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/world/st patricks day to be moved in 2008/608847

Bollocks to them, every pub round here is still doing it on the 17th!

"I wouldn't imagine too many people are aware of the religious aspect."


Indeed!

688. Some non-Christians feel left out of election

Comment #121985 by Geoff on February 4, 2008 at 12:54 pm

quill:


Liberalism:
1. A political orientation that favors change.

Conservatism:
1. A political orientation opposing change.

That's what it's all about. Sometimes conservative-minded people like to describe themselves as upholding tradition rather than opposing change, but regardless of the language, it is simply a question of keeping things where they are or moving forward.


You seem to be assuming that all change is for the better. Remember most mutations are detrimental to the organism's fitness...

689. Atheists to celebrate at Darwin Day in Coconut Creek

Comment #121978 by Geoff on February 4, 2008 at 12:46 pm

Fara days are still my favourite...

690. Sprinting down the evolutionary highway

Comment #121976 by Geoff on February 4, 2008 at 12:42 pm

al-rwandi, it would be delightfully ironic if that bible landed on a fundy...

691. Are Darwin's Theories Fact or Faith Issues?

Comment #121968 by Geoff on February 4, 2008 at 12:31 pm

I had that problem earlier, was it the part immediately after the hyperlink?

692. Sprinting down the evolutionary highway

Comment #121863 by Geoff on February 4, 2008 at 9:15 am

Steve:


Mutation alone is not evolution. There has to be selection pressure.


Not necessarily. What about "neutral" mutations (such as, perhaps, the recent discovery of the ancestral "blue eye" mutation)?

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080130170343.htm

693. God vs. Gridiron

Comment #121853 by Geoff on February 4, 2008 at 8:58 am

Goldy: Rugby league? Now you're talking!

I'm a Wiganer, and I went to all three GB v NZ games last October/November. Tremendous results for the sport, wouldn't you agree?.

694. Atheists to celebrate at Darwin Day in Coconut Creek

Comment #121849 by Geoff on February 4, 2008 at 8:44 am

I'm in favour of a "Darwin Day", although I take the point that there could be accusations of "worship" from the cretinists. I'd go further, though, and also have a "Newton day", an "Einstein day", a "Fara" Day (sorry!), etc. etc. Maybe then we'd be accused of being pantheists instead, though?

I think Steve's right, though, (with his biologist comment) in that we'd be better using other descriptions than "atheist" in this particular case.

695. Are Darwin's Theories Fact or Faith Issues?

Comment #121830 by Geoff on February 4, 2008 at 8:02 am

There's an interesting discussion going on in this thread in the fora:
http://www.richarddawkins.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=46

Edit: just noticed half my post is missing!

I went on to say:

Teratornis, I think you'll find it particularly interesting (as suggested by Calilassea).

696. Sprinting down the evolutionary highway

Comment #121731 by Geoff on February 4, 2008 at 3:40 am

Fascinating! I have to admit I've always tended towards Gould's argument that the effect of natural selection must be lessened with increased control of the environment (houses, clothes, medicine and the like).
I wonder if some of the things that we've done to the environment are actually causing the increased mutation rates? I'm thinking of things like increased exposure to radiation/pollution.

697. 'Telepathic' Genes Recognize Similarities In Each Other

Comment #121503 by Geoff on February 3, 2008 at 2:02 pm

Thanks for that clarification, Geoff, I rather suspected that.

My congratulations to you and your colleagues on a fascinating piece of research (oh, and welcome to RDF, by the way!).

I'd expect such inappropriate sub-editing in a general newspaper; it's more disappointing on a popular science website.

Having looked at some of the other articles, they don't always seem to change the titles that much - perhaps 'DNA Double Helices Recognize Mutual Sequence Homology in a Protein Free Environment' wasn't catchy enough for them?

Apart from that, though, I do recommend the sciencedaily site (for non-experts, at least)

698. God vs. Gridiron

Comment #121461 by Geoff on February 3, 2008 at 12:52 pm

Ashton Black:


Here in the UK, pubs that want to show live football (soccer, for all our colonial cousins), they must pay. I assume, so please correct me if I'm wrong, that "sports" bars must pay a licence fee of some sort to the NFL?


Slightly different, in that the license money is paid to the broadcaster (eg SKY) or cable company, not to the sports organisation.

The F.A. (for example), has no influence over when or where its matches are shown on TV.

699. Some non-Christians feel left out of election

Comment #121458 by Geoff on February 3, 2008 at 12:39 pm

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/poll_bullshit_is_most_important

700. Are Darwin's Theories Fact or Faith Issues?

Comment #121456 by Geoff on February 3, 2008 at 12:34 pm

That whale clip is great; how did they manage to keep straight faces?

"I remember learning that song at school"

ROFLMAO

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