Enemies of Reason

Howdy all! I'm a new contributer to this blog; I'll be joining the current team of skepkids in working on ensuring that your daily dose of skepticism gets spread around.

For my first post, I'm going to mention that in the UK, evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins' two part series, The Enemies of Reason has just been shown on Channel 4. This documentary aims to demonstrate that in a Western world full of technological and scientific breakthroughs, a market for superstition is running rampant. The series is wholly amusing, and lighthearted in a Richard-Dawkins-is-getting-his-chakras-energized type of way. He talks with all sorts of pseudoscientists, and even attends sessions with many, listening patiently to the "mumbo jumbo" that pervades the interviews.

The first part, Slaves to Superstition, emphasizes how various dogmas are able to corrupt our way of life (though he scarcely touches on one of his favorite topics, religion). He studies horoscopes, palm readers, spiritualist churches, and other non-evidence based belief systems. He speaks with lots of crazy folks at the new age fair that he attends, and speaks very enthusiastically with a crystal ball named George.

In the second segment, The Irrational Health Service, Dawkins takes on even more superstitions, though this time the theme is the alternative medicines and treatment that patients regularly make use of. He speaks with homeopaths, who don't seem to mind the fact that they are prescribing water as medicine, as well as various breeds of faith healers, many of whom rationalize their practice by means of scientific words which have absolutely no relation to the topic at hand, such as "vibrations", "black holes", and most of all "quantum mechanics". I'm taking physics now, so I think that the awesome non sequiturs of the healers trying to argue a point is pretty hilarious...and certainly faulty. I think that an appropriate name for this second half could easily have been Alternative Medicines: The Placebo Effect and You.

You can find these videos on Google, or just click the links from Dawkin's site.

*V

Perry DeAngelis 8/22/1963 – 8/19/2007

Last night Perry DeAngelis , one of the rouges on The Skeptics Guide podcast,passed away after a few weeks in the hospital. Me and my fellow bloggers send our condolences to the friends and family.I would like to give my three favorite quotes from Perry as a memorial.

3.Any monkey worth his salt would give any bird a beak flip.

2.I have monkeys in my pants.

1.The amount of time that she will live longer than us because of the diet is directly proportional to the horror of her existence.(about Rebecca's vegetarinism)

We have lost a great man and fellow skeptic.Perry, the skeptical world will never be the same.We will remember you.

Surprise,Surprise Sex Ed Doesn't Help!

It was found that the ABC (abstinice,be faithful,condoms) form of sex ed "is unclear", but it also fails to cut the risk of HIV. Now in my mind if it fails to cut the risk, that means that it doesn't work. The ABC form of sex ed is mostly taught in the south and alot in my state, Texas, Also the teen pregnacy rate is highest on average in the south,coincedice? I can only hope in 2008 when we get a new president that he or she pushes better sex ed.

By the way, maybe sex ed doesn't work becuase half the class is asleep and the other half is laughing at the teacher stumbling over all their words.

NOVA To Air Re-enactment Of The Dover Decision

NOVA, the PBS show will air ,on Nov. 1, a 2 hour program with re-enactments of the Dover Decision. The Dover Decision was the court case were a Dover judge,Judge John E. Jones III, made the ruling that Intelligent Design is not science and ruled against it being taught in school. Jones said "I thought in retrospect that the lawyering was so good and the witnesses were so impactful, positive and negative, that the public should have seen it," He has agreed to be interviewed on the show and the 2 hour program will include re-enactments and interviews with Jones, former school board members and reporters who were at the hearing.

I can't wait to see the ID proponents proven wrong on national TV.

Creationist Heading Texas School Board

Rick Perry has decided to have a outspoken creationist to head the Texas school board,oh my effing god. The creationist, Don McLeroy, has written a letter talking about evolution, which is filled with the usual misconceptions, lies, logical fallacies and twisting of facts. I won't go into detail because it is too long, but here is a quote

"Thus, the most amazing "orthodoxy" which dominates the educational establishment "leviathan" today is the slighting of "facts and knowledge" for emphasis on problem-solving and critical thinking. Problem solving and critical thinking are secondary skills. Before one can think and solve he must first have something to think about." (bolding mine)

He thinks that we should go back to the "cookbook" days where we just learn facts and not the actual process of science. This is one of the worst things the education system could do besides just becoming the next Kansas. This will also hurt me and my fellow Texans who are going to college in a few years, if we go out of state the college will look down upon our education.

Figures this happens the year I'm taking biology.

thank you Phil Plait and Dr. Steven Novella

UFO Hunters

From the creators of the horrible series Ghost Hunters comes a new reality TV show about the ridiculous, introducing UFO Hunters. Now there have been about 60 years of searching and not one piece of credible evidence but sure a reality show will find it(note the sarcasm). By the way now when I get into an argument with UFO belivers they can say "dude, their just like Einstein the're being repressed by those close-minded scientist."Great.

Cancer-Fighting Virus Shows Promise

A new cancer fighting virus, called NV1020, is a type of herpes simplex virus.It is designed to be safe for normal cells but will replicate in virus cells so it should have virtually no side effects.

A patient who had 10 liver masses and 4 in the lungs was given 4 weekly treatments and 2 treatments of chemotherapy, in six months the liver masses disappeared. The patient then lived for one year.For a full explanation of this go here, because I know I got something wrong.

By the way; 3 post in one day, I'm on a roll.