- The World Health Organization warns against homeopathy. (Thanks to MiddleMan.)
- The kilogram’s weight problem: “If somebody sneezed on that kilogram standard, all the weights in the world would be instantly wrong.”
- As Japan’s mediums die, the tradition of their superstitions fades. (Thanks to Kitty.)
- Apparently the Vatican thinks American nuns are all “accepting of same-sex love, supportive of feminist ministry, and embracing of persons of many and no faiths.” The horror! (Thanks to Tina.)
- If you’re planning on attending Dragon*Con and are interested in helping out at the Skepchick table, please let us know via the contact form. Thanks!
So, the vatican has found evidence of lesbian nuns. Perhaps they should turn Safe Search on?
I would totally go see the Mediums (I dearly want the plural to be Media) in the volcano, both because the setting sounds awesome and because it would be nice to see some form of woo die off.
Regarding the nuns, I’d say that one of the downsides of joining a club (in this case Catholicism) is that you have to follow their rules. If their rules are too narrowminded for your taste, then you should join another club, rather than doing your own thing behind their back.
This would allow Catholicism to slowly die the death it’s been refusing to for decades or even centuries …
Most people I’ve talked to don’t know what homeopathy is about. They usually think its deals with “natural” products such as measurable amounts of zinc or herbal remedies.
I read the standard kilogram problem years ago. I also thought that I read something about them changing it to be defined as a certain number of molecules of a certain element. Maybe that idea was just proposed and not actually implemented.
Yes, and the homeopatists don’t seem too eager to dispel that misconception, because they probably realise that the majority of the people who find out will never buy into their crap again, no matter how good their “memory of water” spiel is. And with good reason.
@catgirl: I think the Mole actually uses planck’s constant?
But I could be way off here. It’s been at least 10 years since I took a highschool chemistry class and this is digging deep from memory.
Nope, duhh, speaking of homeopathy, that was Avogadro of course …
@exarch:
I know what a mole is, and it’s not a measure of mass. The idea I remember might be conveniently described in moles rather than atoms, but other than that it’s not related in any way.
@exarch:
It’s like taking the foundation out of a building. Once this important demographic of the church begins questioning authority, the heads risk losing that authority. (And they know it!)
This is not unlike the hope we have for Islam… I think.. That people will have to make their own discoveries about the invalidity of religious dogma.
Just waiting for the disclaimers in front of Catholic Churches: “The views expressed by the nuns are not necessarily those of the Church, the Pope, or God. We in no way claim that the views expressed will guarantee passage into heaven.”
Either that or wait until the clergy have to sign a terms of service.
It’s a slippery slope. It starts with same-sex love, feminist ministry and interfaith outreach. Next thing you know, these nuns will be card-carrying skepchicks.
@catgirl: I seem to recall something like that, too.
Maybe there was a problem with isotope ratios, which change over time.
@catgirl:
I have some of the little diggers in my back yard once in a while. How many moles must I collect to have a mole of moles?
@NoAstronomer: COTW
Okay, NOW I’m trying out the new gravatar. Pay no attention to the spirits that haunt this realm.
From the kilogram article (my emphasis): “Lawnmowers, the tides, and even earthquakes on the other side of the world are able to upset the balance.”
Yes, that’s how I’d order them in terms of amazementness, too.
And what does the writer even mean by putting lawnmowers on the list? “Yes, it’s an incredibly accurate measuring device. If you let out a fart while on the scale we can measure the thrust. But for some reason, all lawnmowers weigh in at three dollars and change. We’re a bit puzzled by that.”
Also, when the point of the the device is that it doesn’t compare a mass to another, known, mass, “upset the balance” is a poor choice of words.