McGill University study finds mercury-based vaccines do not lead to increased risk of autism.… Read the rest
All entries by this author
Fighting Less Stressful Than Peacekeeping 
Jul 5th, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Peacekeepers sometimes have to stand by and watch horrors.… Read the rest
Jahanbegloo Barred From Access to a Lawyer
Jul 5th, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Official linked arrest of Jahanbegloo to US efforts to start ‘soft revolution’ in Iran.… Read the rest
Iran Ignores Canada Over Jahanbegloo Case
Jul 5th, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Iran sent a delegation to UN HRC headed by prosecutor responsible for Kazemi’s arrest and detention.… Read the rest
Richmond Library Gets Makeover
Jul 5th, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Best hope of stopping Britain’s 154-year tradition of free libraries from becoming extinct.… Read the rest
Iran Urged to Release Ramin Jahanbegloo
Jul 5th, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘This is difficult to understand since all he goes on about is Hegel.’… Read the rest
T Shirt Maker Accuses Police of Overreacting
Jul 5th, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Police said the shirts were distressing the public.… Read the rest
T Shirt Sellers Fined Under Public Order Act
Jul 5th, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘The language was deemed to cause harassment, distress or alarm.’… Read the rest
Einstein’s Wife: A challenge to PBS
Jul 5th, 2006 | By Allen EstersonIn March 2006 I submitted to the U.S. Public Broadcasting Service Ombudsman a complaint about the numerous errors and misconceptions that permeate the PBS Einstein’s Wife website material and associated Lesson Plans purporting to present evidence that Mileva Marić made substantive contributions to (or even co-authored) Einstein’s celebrated 1905 papers on special relativity, the photoelectric effect and Brownian motion. PBS is currently considering the complaint, based on my detailed analyses of the Australian Einstein’s Wife documentary
[1] and of the PBS website material. (See Mileva Marić 1
and Mileva Marić 2.)
Gerald Holton, who played a major role in the inaugurating of the Einstein Archive, is one of several physicists who have concluded on the basis of the documentary … Read the rest
God’s Will Be Done
Jul 4th, 2006 10:29 pm | By Ophelia BensonThere is an alarming thought in this article on Barack Obama and religion.
For the past six years, the most prominent Christian in America has been the president. His belief is not of the “God said it. I believe it. That settles it,” sort that fundamentalists embrace. Rather, Bush subscribes to a syllogistic doctrine of presidential infallibility: God works through Christians; I am a Christian; I have decided to do X; therefore, X is God’s will.
For one thing, that sounds like a syllogistic doctrine of infallibility period, never mind the presidential part. But leave that aside. Since it’s Bush who is the subject and Bush is in fact, incredibly enough, the president, it’s the syllogism itself that is … Read the rest
Words
Jul 4th, 2006 10:04 pm | By Ophelia BensonA few randomly-assorted thoughts for the day.
From Charles McGrath again, Charles McGrath of the pessimistic view of Harry Potter’s geriatric years; this time he’s talking about Beowulf:
Far more entertaining than a lonely troll with grief issues, or one working through identity questions, is the thing from the night who (to adapt Mr. Heaney) bites into your bone lappings, bolts down your blood and gorges on you in lumps.
Yup. Don’t wanna hear about the troll’s identity questions (or why it’s clutching that Volkswagen) or grief issues, wanna hear about the munching thing from the night. Next from PZ commenting on some fundamentalist silliness about why ‘Homosexuality is sin’:
… Read the restI wish someday someone could explain to me
Michael Tomasky on Lakoff on Whose Freedom?
Jul 4th, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Freedom is a concept that needs thinking about, but Lakoff is not the ideal thinker for the job.… Read the rest
Fun With Google and Diversity
Jul 4th, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Methodological problems, context, meaning, Berkeley, Halliburton; it all adds up.… Read the rest
Dalits Face Caste Discrimination in UK
Jul 4th, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Dalit Solidarity Network publishes a new report.… Read the rest
Ya Think?
Jul 4th, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘In many respects the phrase “Muslim community” is itself misleading.’… Read the rest
The Pain of Female Genital Mutilation
Jul 4th, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
“While the pain was convulsing me the woman there said, ‘Stop crying, your case is still tolerable’.”… Read the rest
Pope Pitches Yet Another Fit About Gay Marriage
Jul 4th, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
On account of how it will destroy the family.… Read the rest
The Community Must Communicate to the Community
Jul 4th, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Blair cannot go into the community, but the community can go into the community and commune with it.… Read the rest
Hey is God Still Dead? [audio]
Jul 4th, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Peter Atkins and Keith Ward discuss on Today.… Read the rest
On Ann Coulter on Evolution
Jul 4th, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
A detailed look at what she gets wrong. Strap in, there’s a lot of that.… Read the rest
