by Carl Howard | Aug 21, 2012 | Atheism and Religion, Biases and Fallacies, Blog Topics, Travel
The next country I went to after Turkmenistan is Iran. There are plenty of misconceptions about Iran in all countries (not just developed Western ones). Given that the situation has deteriorated a lot since my visit in Oct 2011, there will probably be even more...
by Carl Howard | Aug 17, 2012 | Blog Topics, Links
Nice [alleged] quote I just learned about from Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881) on whether other worlds are inhabited: “A sad spectacle. If they be inhabited, what a scope for misery and folly. It they be not inhabited, what a waste of space.” [Source] Amazing science bit I...
by Carl Howard | Aug 16, 2012 | Biases and Fallacies, Blog Topics, History, Mind, Psychology and Consciousness, Science and Skepticism, Society
A few weeks ago, I was out with 3 friends and the conversation turned to the increasing prevalence of technology especially with smartphones being so common. I believe that all three of them agreed that this was a definite negative. People would turn increasingly...
by Carl Howard | Aug 10, 2012 | Blog Topics, Links
A particularly spectacular bit of the world I’ve just seen for the first time Horseshoe Bend, Arizona Via Jerry Coyne, an unintentionally accurate German ad for the Quran Natalie Reed on trigger warnings, their philosophy, use, misuse and abuse. What’s it like to be...
by Carl Howard | Aug 9, 2012 | Atrocities and Oppression, Blog Topics, Society, Travel
In my last post on Central Asia, things got a bit cynical about just how invisible the region is on a world stage. This post was scheduled a few weeks ago, before the almost-unreported outbreak of what could be the start of another civil war in Tajikistan. Yes, there...
by Carl Howard | Aug 3, 2012 | Blog Topics, Links
Is This Feminist?: a great Tumblr about…well, I’d rather not describe it, best see for yourself. It’s the 200th anniversary of the New England Journal of Medicine! To celebrate, they have an online edition with free articles that focus on the history of medicine for...
