Comments on: BA/Pharyngula/Skepchick meetup in Alaska http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/12/bapharyngulaskepchick-meetup-in-alaska/ I am an astronomer, writer, and skeptic. I likes reality the way it is, and I aims to keep it that way. My real name is Phil Plait, and I run the Bad Astronomy blog. Sun, 05 Jul 2009 03:14:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: Blue Collar Scientist » Blog Archive » Anchorage Science/Skeptics Meetup http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/12/bapharyngulaskepchick-meetup-in-alaska/#comment-76427 Blue Collar Scientist » Blog Archive » Anchorage Science/Skeptics Meetup Mon, 24 Mar 2008 21:03:46 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/12/bapharyngulaskepchick-meetup-in-alaska/#comment-76427 [...] We had 14 people there at the peak, and at least three different conversations going on at any given time. Several people in attendance had heard about it from the announcement on Pharyngula, and a couple each from the announcement on Skepchick and Bad Astronomy. [...] […] We had 14 people there at the peak, and at least three different conversations going on at any given time. Several people in attendance had heard about it from the announcement on Pharyngula, and a couple each from the announcement on Skepchick and Bad Astronomy. […]

]]> By: Blue Collar Scientist » Blog Archive » Science Meetup TONIGHT http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/12/bapharyngulaskepchick-meetup-in-alaska/#comment-76426 Blue Collar Scientist » Blog Archive » Science Meetup TONIGHT Thu, 20 Mar 2008 08:05:57 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/12/bapharyngulaskepchick-meetup-in-alaska/#comment-76426 [...] the skeptical movement, or rational thinking; if you read and enjoy Pharyngula (see also here), the Bad Astronomy Blog, or Skepchick; and if you want to meet other such people, here’s all you have to [...] […] the skeptical movement, or rational thinking; if you read and enjoy Pharyngula (see also here), the Bad Astronomy Blog, or Skepchick; and if you want to meet other such people, here’s all you have to […]

]]> By: marian call http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/12/bapharyngulaskepchick-meetup-in-alaska/#comment-76425 marian call Tue, 18 Mar 2008 22:26:10 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/12/bapharyngulaskepchick-meetup-in-alaska/#comment-76425 What a lively bunch you are. Of course, something intellectually stimulating WOULD happen in Anchorage while I'm in Texas. And Phil Plait WOULD demand my presence there while I'm too busy touring to keep up with the blog. I'll be very sorry to miss this, gentlemen and skepchicks! But should you meetup again, I'll be happy to make an appearance and serenade you with some of the better songs that have been written about protons, primatology, and/or the Pythagorean Theorem. Plus my usual tunes about coffee and beer. MC (Happy Equinox soon, all -- you mythical Alaskans will understand why it's worth celebrating.) What a lively bunch you are. Of course, something intellectually stimulating WOULD happen in Anchorage while I’m in Texas. And Phil Plait WOULD demand my presence there while I’m too busy touring to keep up with the blog.

I’ll be very sorry to miss this, gentlemen and skepchicks! But should you meetup again, I’ll be happy to make an appearance and serenade you with some of the better songs that have been written about protons, primatology, and/or the Pythagorean Theorem. Plus my usual tunes about coffee and beer.

MC

(Happy Equinox soon, all — you mythical Alaskans will understand why it’s worth celebrating.)

]]> By: James D. Newman http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/12/bapharyngulaskepchick-meetup-in-alaska/#comment-76424 James D. Newman Mon, 17 Mar 2008 01:50:19 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/12/bapharyngulaskepchick-meetup-in-alaska/#comment-76424 Drew Terry, Above all I found the alliteration and the tone of your post to be fascinating. I could feel a strong emotional flow to your writing -- as if that was the clear core to the coherence of the piece. Having that emotion and the gift of the sense of sound in language makes for a powerful presentation, but it can be just as easily applied to logical fallacy and misdirection as argument. You could do a lot of good if you would create a place in your mind (and you don't have to admit to anyone else that you are doing this) where you break down your own arguments into simple and clear statements and evaluate for yourself if what you are saying is true. Any talented speaker can get a room full of monkeys to chant and cheer along with them, regardless of the actual content of their arguments. (and we are all very closely related to monkeys -- weather we were created so or evolved that way.) And have the faith in your own strength to not need to be contemptuous with people that you disagree with. Even someone who is mostly wrong has something to offer you, and you may come to see that the concepts of "right" and "wrong" are more fluid and interpenetrating than you currently believe them to be. James Drew Terry,

Above all I found the alliteration and the tone of your post to be fascinating. I could feel a strong emotional flow to your writing — as if that was the clear core to the coherence of the piece. Having that emotion and the gift of the sense of sound in language makes for a powerful presentation, but it can be just as easily applied to logical fallacy and misdirection as argument.

You could do a lot of good if you would create a place in your mind (and you don’t have to admit to anyone else that you are doing this) where you break down your own arguments into simple and clear statements and evaluate for yourself if what you are saying is true.

Any talented speaker can get a room full of monkeys to chant and cheer along with them, regardless of the actual content of their arguments. (and we are all very closely related to monkeys — weather we were created so or evolved that way.)

And have the faith in your own strength to not need to be contemptuous with people that you disagree with. Even someone who is mostly wrong has something to offer you, and you may come to see that the concepts of “right” and “wrong” are more fluid and interpenetrating than you currently believe them to be.

James

]]> By: blf http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/12/bapharyngulaskepchick-meetup-in-alaska/#comment-76423 blf Sun, 16 Mar 2008 13:55:31 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/12/bapharyngulaskepchick-meetup-in-alaska/#comment-76423 Tommy Gold did indeed propose a non-biological origin of oil (in the late 1970s?). I believe the idea was later altered somewhat and published as <em>The Deep Hot Biosphere</em>. An experimental borehole was drilled in Sweden to test one of these two ideas (I cannot recall which one). The results were inconclusive. Tommy Gold did indeed propose a non-biological origin of oil (in the late 1970s?). I believe the idea was later altered somewhat and published as The Deep Hot Biosphere. An experimental borehole was drilled in Sweden to test one of these two ideas (I cannot recall which one). The results were inconclusive.

]]> By: Blue Collar Scientist » Blog Archive » Science and Skepticism Omnibus Meetup Publicity http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/12/bapharyngulaskepchick-meetup-in-alaska/#comment-76422 Blue Collar Scientist » Blog Archive » Science and Skepticism Omnibus Meetup Publicity Fri, 14 Mar 2008 17:03:36 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/12/bapharyngulaskepchick-meetup-in-alaska/#comment-76422 [...] Bad Astronomer has also blogged about it, which has the effect of getting the announcement into the USA Today Alaska-edition feed, which I [...] […] Bad Astronomer has also blogged about it, which has the effect of getting the announcement into the USA Today Alaska-edition feed, which I […]

]]> By: Don Wiseman http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/12/bapharyngulaskepchick-meetup-in-alaska/#comment-76421 Don Wiseman Thu, 13 Mar 2008 21:13:48 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/12/bapharyngulaskepchick-meetup-in-alaska/#comment-76421 1. When I worked with Tommy gold, he was Sagan's boss at Cornell. If said anything about petroleumm I am unaware of it. He was initiallykown for Pulsars, which initially created a bit of to do. During Apollo he put forth the theory that lunar soil/dust could migrate via pietzo electric forces caused by cracking rocks on the terminator. I had quite a discussion with the lead Apollo scientist (Paul - I don't recall last name) who dismissied it out of hand. Then, in the early 90's that very migration was photographed. 2. As for my time on the continental drift, another conversation with Aplollo scientists (of whom I am not one but with whom I worked in Apollo) back around the Apollo 12 mission agreed that even 10 years before, 90% of all scientists dismissed it. Glad my comments on like-mindedness got some people a bit upset. 1. When I worked with Tommy gold, he was Sagan’s boss at Cornell. If said anything about petroleumm I am unaware of it. He was initiallykown for Pulsars, which initially created a bit of to do. During Apollo he put forth the theory that lunar soil/dust could migrate via pietzo electric forces caused by cracking rocks on the terminator. I had quite a discussion with the lead Apollo scientist (Paul - I don’t recall last name) who dismissied it out of hand. Then, in the early 90’s that very migration was photographed.

2. As for my time on the continental drift, another conversation with Aplollo scientists (of whom I am not one but with whom I worked in Apollo) back around the Apollo 12 mission agreed that even 10 years before, 90% of all scientists dismissed it.

Glad my comments on like-mindedness got some people a bit upset.

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