- Genie Scott receives National Academy of Sciences’ Public Welfare medal – Congratulations, Genie! Read her speech at the link.
- In defense of scientific methodology – Sam says: “NCSE’s Steve Newton neatly carves up the anti-science rhetoric of Dr. Larry Dossey. An apt summing up of the issue that science educators (and students of science) can embrace.”
- A new word for the skeptical lexicon – From Bjørnar.
- Seattle cartoonist launches “Everybody draw Mohammed Day” – “After Comedy Central cut a portion of a South Park episode following a death threat from a radical Muslim group, Seattle cartoonist Molly Norris wanted to counter the fear.” From Izzy.
I like that word. And the comic so neatly captures a number of conversations I’ve had in the past.
“Dossey concludes his essay by deploring the underrepresentation of women in the sciences.”
I wonder how NOT teaching school kids about science is possibly going to change that in any way?
I can’t help thinking that people who deplore the scientific method are secretly terrified that it will show them to be morons … Oh, wait … I just had a dumbpiphany!
Great, think of all the conservative religious idiots that are going to complain about Genie being on welfare.
Now Molly Norris has backed down on her Everybody Draw Mohammad Day. Sad.
@Andrés Diplotti: Yeah. Maybe we should create a Citizens Against Citizens Against Humor site ourselves.
While I can draw neat cartoons, though, I don’t have the webdesign skills to set up a site where people can simply upload their cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed (or other religious figures). :~(
I see the domain cacah.com has been registered by some company out of Beijing, though.
I only know basic html, so I can’t help either with the website design. But maybe we could create a blog and post submitted drawings. I’m thinking of participating, regardless of the fact the cartoonist has backed down.
Just read the Dossey article (WTF is wrong with Huff Po these days?). At the byline was this: “Author of ‘The Power of Premonitions'”. Might explain his idiocy and science-hatred. His pet woo, “premonitions”, is obviously incompatible with the scientific method.
Then the idiot even argued that scientists work alone (even though they don’t, always) because the Nobel prizes are not awarded to teams (even though they are, sometimes). So people only do science in order to win the Nobel prize? I wonder if he figured that out, or gleaned it via premonition?
I love the fact that the only person in the comments that really agreed with him was Alison Rose Levy, the Huff Po alt-med crazy.
Perhaps the cartoonist who came up with the idea of everyone drawing Mohammed is having second thoughts.
http://www.busybuzzblogging.com/2212/draw-mohammed-day-originator-finds-an-eraser/
@James Fox: She seems to be. Fortunately, a bunch of others have seemingly taken up the torch. They have a Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=113257775375783&ref=ts)
This “no depicting Mohammad” nonsense is a perfect illustration (heh) of why some religions are the antithesis of logic (and, dare I say it, skepticism).
So the remaining question is: does this apply to ALL religions?
I think skeptics should create their own Facebook page(I’m thinking about doing it, but I’d appreciate some feedback first). Looks like the creator of “Everybody Draw Mohammed Day”, the FB event, is backing down too. The page description is now a pain to read!
If we do though, it would have to be a fan page so that people can upload their pictures.
I kinda want to start “Everybody draw Mohammed Day”, but I would not be surprised if FB has rules against such things.
Perhaps a space for general poking fun at religion would be even better. The whole mohammed-thing is current, but generally I have no desire to single out islam – there’s plenty of criticism to level at christianity (whatever denomination), judaism, hinduism, asatru et.c.
@DataJack: “So people only do science in order to win the Nobel prize? I wonder if he figured that out, or gleaned it via premonition?”
I think we both know the answer to that.
@DataJack: “So the remaining question is: does this apply to ALL religions?”
I would say “probably” with the caveat that there may exist some religions of which I’m not aware that it does not apply to. I don’t have all the answers (as I’m not a religious type).
Does it count if I draw Mohammed wearing a set of fake glasses and beard?
@Rei Malebario: Perhaps a space for general poking fun at religion would be even better.
I was thinking about that too. Like a FB “Great Desecration” fan page type of thing (after PZ’s epic blog post) where nothing would be held sacred. I’ll have to find out later if something like it is already in existence.
I do not have any skills when it comes to drawing, but I’d gladly provide a terrible picture of the prophet.
However, on my blog I recently made a brilliant decision based on the Islamic model. My new faith will consider Britney Spears a prophet, and any pictures of her will result in a death sentence against the photo-takers and anyone involved in their publication. If they treat my faith like they do Islam then I just rid the world of one more obnoxious pop star diva!
I know what I’m doing on the 20th.
@DataJack:
“This “no depicting Mohammad†nonsense is a perfect illustration (heh) of why some religions are the antithesis of logic (and, dare I say it, skepticism).”
Here goes the second try …
Actually, the Islamic rule of not depicting Allah or Mohammed makes perfect sense. It originated from the idea of preventing people from idolising “graven images” rather than the concept behind them.
There’s a reason most christians in the west think that Jesus was a white dude with long blond hair, even though in reality he was anything but that (if he even existed at all).
As such, it’s actually logical to prohibit those depictions, because nobody really knows what god looks like anyway.
Of course, like with everything else, this is just another rule taken to its extreme by the fundies, to the detriment of the religion as a whole.
But it’s why we love the fundies, because every time they do something like this, we get to mock them mercilessly for their idiocy …