Just released on DVD, Nova’s show “Intelligent Design on Trial” chronicles the trial in Dover, Pennsylvania where parents and science teachers fought the edict of a religiously driven school board to read a 1-minute statement that Intelligent Design (ID) is an alternative theory to evolution. The show explains in good-old Nova fashion the background of evolution while recreating parts of the trial. The witnesses on the side of evolution present their case first. One of their key witnesses was biologist Ken Miller who educated the judge and the journalists covering the trial about the breath-taking facts of the theory of … Continue reading »
Feb 292008
The Pew Forum has published their results of their U.S. Religious Landscape Survey. The survey results are based on a sample of about 35,000 adults, which, since they used random digit dialing, should be representative of the U.S.. Here is my summary of the survey highlights (or lowlights…). Of course, my first interest is in looking at overall religious affiliations. The top 4 religious affiliations in the U.S.: 26.3% Evangelical Protestant Churches 23.9% Catholic 18.1% Mainline Protestant Churches 16.1% Unaffiliates Now, what might that “Unaffiliated” category be?
Feb 282008
Chip Conley’s book “Peak: How great companies get their Mojo from Maslow” applies Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to the world of work. He summarizes Maslow’s famous pyramid: “Maslow believed that each of us has base needs for sleep, water, and food (physiological), and he suggested we focus in the direction of fulfilling our lowest unmet need at the time. As those needs are partially fulfilled, we move up the pyramid to higher needs for physical safety, affiliation or social connection, and esteem. At the top of the pyramid is self-actualization, a place where people have transient moments called ‘peak … Continue reading »
There is a Buddhist distinction between pain and suffering: a tooth ache is a pain, the suffering is created by her mental processes around the pain. But isn’t that distinction a luxury? To tell a person who is starving that they’re suffering because they’re attached to food (or worse, it’s their bad karma) just seems plain ridiculous and arrogant. Yet, there is something attractive about that distinction: is it because it allows us to blame the victim? I think so: As long as suffering is defined as happening when we create it ourselves by being attached to something, nobody else … Continue reading »
Feb 262008
“Given the many urgent scientific and technological challenges facing America and the rest of the world, the increasing need for accurate scientific information in political decision making, and the vital role scientific innovation plays in spurring economic growth and competitiveness, we call for a public debate in which the U.S. presidential candidates share their views on the issues of The Environment, Health and Medicine, and Science and Technology Policy. This started as a concerned citizens initiative and is now cosponsored by the AAAS, the Council on Competitiveness, the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute … Continue reading »
Feb 242008
In another twist to make an insult into a compliment – similar to Richard Dawkin’s out campaign – Tina Fey on Saturday Night Life turned the accusation that Hillary Clinton is a bitch into a slogan: “Bitches get things done!” She deflates other snide remarks made against Clinton as well but this one is most certainly the crown. Since we can’t seem to reason with the Right, we might as well redefine their terms. It worked with “queer,” there is no reason it can’t work with atheist or bitch! You can watch the video here at Gigglechick. She also offers … Continue reading »
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