Comments on: The Badass Astronomer http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/02/21/the-badass-astronomer/ Random samplings from a universe of ideas. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:28:04 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Science http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/02/21/the-badass-astronomer/comment-page-1/#comment-12510 Science Wed, 22 Feb 2006 18:01:01 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/02/21/the-badass-astronomer/#comment-12510 I can post occasionally on 'Not Even Wrong', I think! ;) I can post occasionally on ‘Not Even Wrong’, I think! ;)

]]> By: Count Iblis http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/02/21/the-badass-astronomer/comment-page-1/#comment-12509 Count Iblis Wed, 22 Feb 2006 17:37:10 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/02/21/the-badass-astronomer/#comment-12509 Science: <blockquote>I was censored off "bad astronomy" forum</blockquote> So, this is the only place where you are still allowed to post? :) Science:

I was censored off “bad astronomy” forum

So, this is the only place where you are still allowed to post? :)

]]> By: Science http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/02/21/the-badass-astronomer/comment-page-1/#comment-12508 Science Wed, 22 Feb 2006 16:14:37 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/02/21/the-badass-astronomer/#comment-12508 Yes: it is bad to be skeptical of something which does have evidence, unless there is a better theory with more evidence. Being skeptical is not synonymous with being scientific! If you want to be scientific, be constructive. The flat-earthers are dismissively skeptical of all evidence that contradicts their prejudice, but being that "skeptical" is simply pseudo-scintific. Science has to analyse evidence, not ignore it! Yes: it is bad to be skeptical of something which does have evidence, unless there is a better theory with more evidence. Being skeptical is not synonymous with being scientific! If you want to be scientific, be constructive. The flat-earthers are dismissively skeptical of all evidence that contradicts their prejudice, but being that “skeptical” is simply pseudo-scintific. Science has to analyse evidence, not ignore it!

]]> By: MobyDikc http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/02/21/the-badass-astronomer/comment-page-1/#comment-12507 MobyDikc Tue, 21 Feb 2006 21:04:38 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/02/21/the-badass-astronomer/#comment-12507 Are you saying that its "bad" to be skeptical of the Big Bang? Are you saying that its “bad” to be skeptical of the Big Bang?

]]> By: two faced http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/02/21/the-badass-astronomer/comment-page-1/#comment-12506 two faced Tue, 21 Feb 2006 20:22:33 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/02/21/the-badass-astronomer/#comment-12506 <blockquote>all the speakers were uniform in their condemnation of the literal readings of the Bible</blockquote> Careful not to let them brainwash you too much. One minute they're telling you that evolution and faith can coexist, and the bible is meant to be taken as a piece of literature, but the next minute they're telling you they still believe in the resurrection of Jesus, and the continuation of the soul after death. If you're free to pick and chose which parts are meant to be taken literally and which parts are just stories, how much truth is in their words when they say 'we don't condone the literal interpretation of the bible?' I think you'll be hard pressed to find a single religious person say that they interpret the whole bible as a piece of literature.

all the speakers were uniform in their condemnation of the literal readings of the Bible

Careful not to let them brainwash you too much. One minute they’re telling you that evolution and faith can coexist, and the bible is meant to be taken as a piece of literature, but the next minute they’re telling you they still believe in the resurrection of Jesus, and the continuation of the soul after death. If you’re free to pick and chose which parts are meant to be taken literally and which parts are just stories, how much truth is in their words when they say ‘we don’t condone the literal interpretation of the bible?’ I think you’ll be hard pressed to find a single religious person say that they interpret the whole bible as a piece of literature.

]]> By: Phil Plait, aka The Bad Astronomer http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/02/21/the-badass-astronomer/comment-page-1/#comment-12505 Phil Plait, aka The Bad Astronomer Tue, 21 Feb 2006 20:12:27 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/02/21/the-badass-astronomer/#comment-12505 And <b>Science</b>, we're not bigots at the Bad Astronomy/Universe Today forum. We just have this predilection for people who can actually back up their claims with evidence. Also, I just checked, and you are not banned from that forum. And Science, we’re not bigots at the Bad Astronomy/Universe Today forum. We just have this predilection for people who can actually back up their claims with evidence.

Also, I just checked, and you are not banned from that forum.

]]> By: Phil Plait, aka The Bad Astronomer http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/02/21/the-badass-astronomer/comment-page-1/#comment-12504 Phil Plait, aka The Bad Astronomer Tue, 21 Feb 2006 20:09:10 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/02/21/the-badass-astronomer/#comment-12504 Thanks Mark! :-) Thanks Mark! :-)

]]> By: Brad http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/02/21/the-badass-astronomer/comment-page-1/#comment-12500 Brad Tue, 21 Feb 2006 17:46:35 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/02/21/the-badass-astronomer/#comment-12500 With regards to the question of whether media should try to be balanced: Even if they feel they do need to give the "other" sides point of view, they should make sure the view they express is, in fact, the majority view on the other side. For example, with all the noise about Mr Deutsch and his masters, one is frequently left with the impression that this is a conflict between science and religion. But most mainstream religions are perfectly comfortable with the scientific perspective on the nature of reality. Last week I took part in an Interfaith symposium on Creation, here in Los Angeles. I figured I was the token atheist and was quite prepared for a pitched battle, but it turned out to be very congenial. Jewish, Catholic, Presbytarian - all the speakers were uniform in their condemnation of the literal readings of the Bible and the fundamental dishonesty inherent in the position and activities of the folks stirring things up in Kansas & Pennsylvania. We forget sometimes that this "assault on science" is coming from a vocal, but limited, section of the population. With regards to the question of whether media should try to be balanced: Even if they feel they
do need to give the “other” sides point of view, they should make sure the view they express is,
in fact, the majority view on the other side. For example, with all the noise about Mr Deutsch and
his masters, one is frequently left with the impression that this is a conflict between science and religion.
But most mainstream religions are perfectly comfortable with the scientific perspective on the nature of reality. Last week I took part in an Interfaith symposium on Creation, here in Los Angeles. I figured I was the token atheist and was quite prepared for a pitched battle, but it turned out to be very congenial. Jewish, Catholic, Presbytarian – all the speakers were uniform in their condemnation of the literal readings of the Bible and the fundamental dishonesty inherent in the position and activities of the folks stirring things up in Kansas & Pennsylvania.

We forget sometimes that this “assault on science” is coming from a vocal, but limited, section of the population.

]]> By: Sean http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/02/21/the-badass-astronomer/comment-page-1/#comment-12501 Sean Tue, 21 Feb 2006 17:34:44 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/02/21/the-badass-astronomer/#comment-12501 On the theme of "how scientists should communicate with the rest of the world," there are interesting thoughts (I've been meaning to blog about) from <a href="http://www.seedmagazine.com/news/2006/01/learning_to_speak_science.php" rel="nofollow">Chris Mooney</a> and <a href="http://framing-science.blogspot.com/2006/02/merging-models-popular-science-with.html" rel="nofollow">Matthew Nisbet</a>. On the theme of “how scientists should communicate with the rest of the world,” there are interesting thoughts (I’ve been meaning to blog about) from Chris Mooney and Matthew Nisbet.

]]> By: Science http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/02/21/the-badass-astronomer/comment-page-1/#comment-12502 Science Tue, 21 Feb 2006 17:19:04 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/02/21/the-badass-astronomer/#comment-12502 Very interesting! (I was censored off "bad astronomy" forum - not that blog, but the forum associated with it's root site - because it was run by people who stubbornly didn't "believe" in the big bang, but did "believe" that by being bigots, they were being objective.) Very interesting! (I was censored off “bad astronomy” forum – not that blog, but the forum associated with it’s root site – because it was run by people who stubbornly didn’t “believe” in the big bang, but did “believe” that by being bigots, they were being objective.)

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