Suspension of Disbelief: Man of Steel
Eddy is not impressed with the new Superman movie.
The Ten Best Things About CFI’s Student Leadership Conference
Avery went to the CFI Youth Leadership Conference and provides a rundown of the event.
On Vaccinations
Beccy laments the increase in preventable diseases in the UK, but also provides some good news.
Hot! Capsaicin, Chili Pepper, and Jalapeño Jelly
What makes peppers so hot, and how can I get that fix at home? Anne provides the answers.
Kitchen Lab: Stuff White People Like
Do you want a salad, but not green things? Beth has just the recipe for you.
Cursebrand – Chapter 2
Ryan is releasing his second novel on MAL, chapter by chapter. Here is chapter two.
Skeptical Vacationing (en español)
What do you do with your skepticism while on vacation?
Eco-illogical (en español)
The surprising lack of critical thinking behind people’s well intentioned efforts to save the planet.
It’s Not New, It’s Not Exciting
Stop giving the Pope props for his comments on gay people.
AI: Showing Support
How do you show support for people who are doing or saying hard things on the Internet?
On August 4th, Come See Scenic #Twitter!
Anna initiates the uninitiated to Twitter and discusses the new abuse policy.
Pope Francis Speaks at World Youth Day: Gay Clergy Good. Women Bad.
Richard is dismayed at the message the Pope is sending to Catholic youth.
Surprise! Academia is Not the Same as Hockey
Sorry, but getting an advanced degree isn’t the same as pursuing a weekend hobby.
The Atheist Academic VIII: Hope is My God
How do you instill hope in your classroom?
The Pathfinders and You: How to Get Involved
Do you want to help spread humanism abroad? The Pathfinders might be something for you.
Secular Student Alliance East Conference 2013
Kelley reveiws and grades SSA Con East.
Rapid Response for Secular Students
The Secular Student Alliance is hiring a Rapid Response Organizer to help secular students across the country.
Featured image credit: liz west
On vaccines, there have been several articles in Pediatrics that I found interesting, though I don’t have a printout with me to give a proper citation and don’t feel like searching PubMed right now. Mostly because it puts lie to the myth that anything other than antivaccine woo is responsible for the current drop in immunization rates. Essentially, it compares immunization rates from 2006~2010. In the early 2000s, American Indian children achieved parity with white children wrt: immunizations because of 1) an increasing sense of trust with the IHS which hasn’t always been there (Just ask Dr Connie Pinkerton-Uri why it hasn’t always been there.), and 2) the antivaccine movement in suburban middle-class communities. Since 2006, that’s gone from parity to a higher immunization rate because of (again) the antivaccine movement’s diseased tendrils.
The interesting thing about the IHS model, though, is that it demonstrates how we can spread modern medicine to a variety of cultures, what with memetics being the biggest complication in public health these days. I’d say, it’s a good beginning. But maybe I’m just thinking too “big picture” here.