Quickies
Skepchick Quickies 11.16

- Dogs teaching chemistry – So cute! Learn about chemical bonds from adorable pups.
- The evil temptresses who ruined Petraeus – Because clearly, he was lured into having affairs and is at no fault himself.
- Volokh on Muslims and civil liberties – “Eugene Volokh is one of the top First Amendment scholars in the country and he was asked to testify at a hearing for the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights about the civil liberties environment for Muslims and Arabs in America after 9/11.” From CriticalDragon1177.
- Pterosaur takeoff tussle highlights science news fumble – From cerberus40.
- Cute Animal Friday! From Heliconia, baby tentacled snakes. Daniela introduced me to Japanese dwarf flying squirrels.
Featured image is Jacqueline’s adorable puppy, Science.
Amanda,
I didn’t even know there was a controversy surrounding how Pterosaurs Took flight.
I didn’t know that science journalists generally fail to read the primary source – that blows me away – but it also explains a few things!
I’m not sure I believe that the rhetoric in the Petraeus scandal wouldn’t just be reversed if it was a lauded female public official having an affair with a married man. Of course the hardcore misogynists like Pat Robertson would still blame the woman, but I suspect that the media and government officials would treat, say, Condoleezza Rice or Nancy Pelosi in just the same way. Paraphrasing Chris Rock, that shit’s not about gender. It’s about power. The American tradition is that it’s always some slutty underling tempting their moral betters into sin and debauchery.
I loved the dogs – posted the link to friends, family and grandchildren!
Wonder how many takes it took to make this video? It would have taken a lot of patience.
As one absent friend once said, to achieve great communication and make it look simple and easy, is in fact extremely hard.