When a scientist doesn't know the answer to a
problem, he is ignorant. When he has a hunch as to what the result is,
he is uncertain. And when he is pretty darn sure of what the result is
going to be, he is still in some doubt. We have found it of paramount
importance that in order to progress we must recognize our ignorance and
leave room for doubt. Scientific knowledge is a body of statements of
varying degrees of certainty -- some most unsure, some nearly sure, but none
absolutely certain.
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Two logical fallacies that we must avoid | Psychology Today Blogs
It is not possible to make either the naturalistic or the moralistic fallacy if scientists never talk about ought. Scientists – real scientists – do not draw moral conclusions and implications from the empirical observations they make, and they are not guided in their observations by moral and political principles. Real scientists only care about what is, and do not at all care about what ought to be.
more fromblogs.psychologytoday.com
Mainstream Science on Intelligence
Apparently taken from The Wall Street Journal, Dec. 13, 1994.
more fromwww.psychpage.com
Without God - The New York Review of Books
Brilliant, brilliant essay on the advance of science and the consequent weakening of religious belief. Written by Nobel Prize winning physicist Steven Weinberg.
more fromwww.nybooks.com
Born To Run | Human Evolution | DISCOVER Magazine
Biomechanical research reveals a surprising key to the survival of our species: Humans are built to outrun nearly every other animal on the planet over long distances.
more fromdiscovermagazine.com
Ben Goldacre on the medicalisation of everyday life | Business | The Guardian
As the pace of medical innovation slows to a crawl, how do drug companies stay in profit? By 'discovering' new illnesses to fit existing products. But, says Ben Goldacre, for most problems the cure will never be found in a pill
more fromwww.guardian.co.uk
Important work can be done while daydreaming - The Boston Globe
Many scientists argue that daydreaming is a crucial tool for creativity, a thought process that allows the brain to make new associations and connections. Instead of focusing on our immediate surroundings the daydreaming mind is free to engage in abstract thought and imaginative ramblings. As a result, we're able to imagine things that don't actually exist.
more fromwww.boston.com
Seed: A New State of Mind
Research indicates the importance of neurotransmitter dopamine to learning, social interaction, addiction...
more fromwww.seedmagazine.com
Climate Skeptic
more fromwww.climate-skeptic.com
The Moral Instinct - New York Times
Excellent, thought-provoking essay on psychology of morality.
Nice comment on moralization of human-induced climate change debate in penultimate paragraph.
more fromwww.nytimes.com
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The Value Of Science - By Richard P. Feynman
When a scientist doesn't know the answer to a problem, he is ignorant. When he has a hunch as to what the result is, he is uncertain. And when he is pretty darn sure of what the result is going to be, he is still in some doubt. We have found it of paramount importance that in order to progress we must recognize our ignorance and leave room for doubt. Scientific knowledge is a body of statements of varying degrees of certainty -- some most unsure, some nearly sure, but none absolutely certain.
more fromwww.hal.rcast.u-tokyo.ac.jp
How Prozac sent the science of depression in the wrong direction - The Boston Globe
In recent years, scientists have developed a novel theory of what falters in the depressed brain. Instead of seeing the disease as the result of a chemical imbalance, these researchers argue that the brain's cells are shrinking and dying. This theory has gained momentum in the past few months, with the publication of several high profile scientific papers. The effectiveness of Prozac, these scientists say, has little to do with the amount of serotonin in the brain. Rather, the drug works because it helps heal our neurons, allowing them to grow and thrive again.
more fromwww.boston.com
Gristmill: How to Talk to a Climate Skeptic
Useful, if only to rebut the rebuttals.
more fromgristmill.grist.org
Scientists find bugs that eat waste and excrete petrol - Times Online
Genetic alteration of bugs – very, very small ones – so that when they feed on agricultural waste such as woodchips or wheat straw, they do something extraordinary. They excrete crude oil.
more fromwww.timesonline.co.uk
Big fat lie - Telegraph
Expending more energy than we consume – exercising more or eating less – does not make us lose weight. It makes us hungry.
Dietary fat is not a cause of obesity or heart disease. The problem is the carbohydrates in our diet, and their effect on the hormone insulin.
Insulin makes us store calories as fat. Simple carbohydrates – starches and sugars – raise insulin levels and so lead to excessive fat storage.
The smaller the amount of fattening carbs you eat, the leaner you’ll be.
Obseity is not a disorder of overeating – it’s a disorder of excess fat accumulation. We overeat because we are hormonally driven to grow fat; we don’t grow fat because we overeat.
more fromwww.telegraph.co.uk
Are we too clever for our own good? | Art & Architecture | guardian.co.uk Arts
more fromarts.guardian.co.uk
Sorry to ruin the fun, but an ice age cometh | The Australian
more fromwww.theaustralian.news.com.au
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