Terry Pratchett on Religion - 'I'd Rather Be a Rising Ape Than a Fallen Angel'

Carl Sagan - 'A Glorious Dawn' ft Stephen Hawking (Cosmos Remixed)

There's not much to say except this is a fantastic video for all Carl Sagan fans.

Like Tears In Rain

P W Fenton is a talented story teller and musical historian whose Digital Flotsam podcast has been my favorite for over 4 years. An offhand comment one day resulted in a most remarkable collaboration, and a tribute to my greatest influence - my father.

Radio Free Radio's - Digital Flotsam Blog » Blog Archive » Digital Flotsam #74 – Like Tears In Rain

AirVenture 2009

This is the best independent video of AirVenture 2009 I've seen so far. And since the airshow was canceled on the day I was there, this will have to suffice.

And Like That, A Once Proud Airline is Gone

What started as a corporate flying department for a paper products manufacturer, then grew into a first-class, high service business airline, is now but a ghost of its former self. What Republic Airways Holdings completed this week was the culmination of a 5+ year self destruction process by a once proud airline into nothing more than a brand name. Forget all the talk of opportunity, this was a very sad day for the industry, and for Milwaukee.
.:: Aero-News Network: The Aviation and Aerospace World's Daily/Real-Time News and Information Service ::.
Technorati Tags: midwest airlines, republic airways, travel, aviation

This is Quite Depressing

Whether you came down for or against Keith Olbermann, at least there was some semblance of journalism in his reportage. Well, turns out not so much. It really is impossible anymore to take anything from a news outlet as completely transparent. The revolution in journalism continues...
GE's silencing of Olbermann and MSNBC's sleazy use of Richard Wolffe - Glenn Greenwald - Salon.com

Need Any More Convincing that Scientology is a Cult?

Moew like an extortion operation working at the fringes of the law. Unbelievable evil.
Scientology: The Truth Rundown, Part 1 of 3 in a special report on the Church of Scientology - St. Petersburg Times

The Quintessential Takedown of Homeopathy

Skepticblog » Homeopathy Awareness Week

Children Are Dying Over Ignorance

Back when I was a young man, a study by epidemiologists suggested that persons living near power transmission lines experienced an elevated risk of developing cancer and several other conditions. There was an outcry, and thorough scientific studies commenced. The studies were of the highest standard: double blind with controls. As the results were published and peer review confirmed those results, the concerns over the safety of power transmission lines abated as it was determined that there was no increased risk of disease from living in proximity to them.

But oh how the times have changed. The short attention span news cycle and the failure to educate our citizens in the basics of critical thinking have resulted in segments of the population that will believe whatever they see on the television or on the internet. And somehow the marginally educated celebrity has replaced the career scientist/specialist as the source of "reliable" information. And because the information available on the internet can be accessed indefinitely, long debunked stories are allowed to persist forever.

This is the case with the anti-vaccination movement. A "study" was published about 10 years ago by a doctor that suggested a failure to ensure the safety of certain vaccines, suggesting that they cause serious neurological disorders such as autism. Never mind that the study itself, and the doctor behind the study were long ago debunked as frauds, a certain celebrity decided that this (lacking any other explanation) was the cause of her child's autism. She uses her celebrity to pose as an activist for the cause of autism, but she is really nothing more than an opportunist trying to profit from the hysteria she is creating. It really is disgusting.

And children are dying.

Dr. Phil Plait is a scientist, father, and president of the James Randi Education Foundation. He has been vocal in his blog on this very topic. Today he posted a link to one of the most heartbreaking stories of a tragedy that could have been prevented. Please check out the link below.

The Australian antivax movement takes its toll | Bad Astronomy | Discover Magazine

The antivaxxers claim to be concerned about children… but their total lack of critical thinking, their denial of the research, and their wholesale belief in conspiracy theories and antiscience rhetoric is making children sick. And some of these children are dying.

Technorati Tags: science, antiscience, debunking, antivax

Open-mindedness

This video should be watched by every child in every school....oh hell, this should be watched by EVERYONE.