Details
Category: Swift
Hits: 14668

Mrs._Nixon_meeting_with_Big_Bird_from_Sesame_Street_in_the_White_House._-_NARA_-_194339Hey, speaking personally, presidential candidate Romney's recent dismissal of Sesame Street – certainly one of the major contributions that the USA has made to international education for youngsters – was quite uncalled for!  Artist Jim Henson and his co-workers created a learning vehicle that brought a string of colorful, unique, entertaining and effective characters onto The Tube so that arithmetic, reading, basic good behavior and good manners and critical thinking were presented – free! – to any kid who had a TV receiver available, and I can't imagine that there are any of us who can't sing or hum the tune that opened that wonderful show...

 

Sunny day
Sweepin' the clouds away
On my way, to where the air is sweet...

Can you tell me how to get
How to get to Sesame Street?

Dear reader, confess. You were humming along, weren't you...? Yes, you were, and Mitt Romney thinks this is a waste of my tax money? No, I'm not here to push politics, folks, but I think that we need to get our values together...

Details
Category: Swift
Hits: 10044

Here is a rundown of the top stories in pseudoscience, paranormal and news of the odd from the past week courtesy of Doubtful News.  

Many astounding stories this week...

First, a Zimbabwean official is accepting of the idea that you can find "proof" of witches. And apparently that means it's OK to persecute them for being a witch.

It's breast cancer awareness month. We can't help but wonder: is "awareness" a valid goal now and is the "pink" promotion doing anything of value?

Details
Category: Latest JREF News
Hits: 5886

If you missed The Amaz!ng Meeting 2012, you can still catch great talks, panels, and workshops on science and skepticism given live at TAM 2012 on our YouTube page. Today, we are happy to share two more exciting talks.

Michael Shermer - "The Moral Arc of Science"

Author Michael Shermer explores the intersection of science and morality.

Sara Mayhew - "A Life of Art and Skepticism"

Manga artist Sara Mayhew discusses how skepticism has influenced her life and art

Details
Category: Swift
Hits: 5650

Here is a recap of the stories that appeared last week at Science-Based Medicine, a multi-author skeptical blog that separates the science from the woo in medicine.  

The anti-vaccine lie that just won’t die: The claim that shaken baby syndrome is really due to “vaccine injury” (David Gorski) http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/index.php/the-antivaccine-lie-that-just-wont-die-shaken-baby-syndrome-is-really-due-to-vaccine-injury/ Babies who are violently shaken can develop bleeding in the brain and retina and suffer brain damage or death. Controversies remain, and campaigns to exonerate abusers have tried to blame a whole host of other factors. The most vile claim unreasonably tries to implicate vaccines.  

Details
Category: Swift
Hits: 10714

“Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.” -  John Adams  

“It is far better to grasp the universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.” - Carl Sagan  

 

At the core of skeptical philosophy is a humble respect for facts and truth. The universe does not bend to our personal desires or transform itself to suit our needs, no matter how much we may wish it to be so.  

This may be a sobering realization, but it is also empowering. Belief in magic, superstition, or comforting fantasies may give us the illusion of control but they come at the expense of the potential for some measure of genuine control through science and understanding.  

  1. The Science Of Space Monsters!
  2. A Special Notice about Carl Sagan!
  3. Dr Andrew Weil on “Weil being”
  4. This Week In Doubtful News