Category Archives: Skepticism

The Most Important Issue

Posted on 21 October 2012 by Joseph

I’ve seen some political surveys recently that ask respondents to pick the most important issue to them from a predefined list, and I’ve never had any of these lists include what I think is the most important issue facing our … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Science, Skepticism, Social commentary | Leave a comment

Why to be Skeptical of Mars One

Posted on 8 June 2012 by Joseph

Dutch company Mars One offers a plan to start colonizing the Red Planet by, ostensibly, 2023 – starting with a “colony” of four and growing the base every year. There are a lot of reasons to be skeptical of this plan. … Continue reading →

Posted in Skepticism, Space | 2 Comments

Planetary Resources: Prospects and Challenges

Posted on 24 April 2012 by Joseph

A number of well-funded and well-connected entrepreneurs are kicking off Planetary Resources, a company devoted to harvesting materials from near-Earth asteroids. Now before you go scoffing (or wondering how to “greatly enable” things) – this is by no means a … Continue reading →

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Antitechnocracy

Posted on 14 January 2012 by Joseph

A reporter from This American Life did something interesting for today’s broadcast: she brought together a ninth-grade global warming skeptic and the executive director of the National Earth Science Teachers Association together in the show studio for a discussion. (Audio available here.) … Continue reading →

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The Science is Real

Posted on 18 August 2011 by Joseph

It worries me when I see public figures, or aspiring public figures, disparaging scientific work because it is not compatible with their personal positions. The public gets to hear phrases like, “that’s only a theory,” or “that scientific theory has … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Science, Skepticism, Social commentary | 1 Comment

The Drive

Posted on 16 May 2011 by Joseph

Imagine, if you will, that a US government agency invented the automobile. And for forty-five years, nobody else but the National Automobile Sales Agency produces any cars in this country. Not because of any particular regulation, you see – but … Continue reading →

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To the Moon, Again?

Posted on 27 April 2011 by Joseph

During a quick lunch break today, I read about H.R. 1641 on Bad Astronomy: To direct the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to plan to return to the Moon and develop a sustained human presence on the Moon. (Hilariously, this … Continue reading →

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House Republicans Hate Science

Posted on 11 December 2010 by Joseph

I wish I were kidding. I really, really, do. I recognize that the way political parties supposedly work is to offer different solutions to problems – not “good” or “bad” solutions: they are all patriotic, and none of them are … Continue reading →

Posted in Graduate school, Politics, Science, Skepticism, Social commentary | 8 Comments

Atheist Vuvuzelas Making Noise in Texas

Posted on 7 December 2010 by Joseph

I sometimes find myself a visitor to College Station, TX and have, over the course of those visits, made a few acquaintances. Today, I checked out an item from the Bryan/College Station local news that involved one such acquaintance: Keri … Continue reading →

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Did NASA Discover Life in the Saturnian System?

Posted on 30 November 2010 by Joseph

Um, no. NASA put out this press release, which inspired a blogger to post some speculation based on the credentials of the participants in the press conference: if I had to guess at what NASA is going to reveal on … Continue reading →

Posted in NASA, Science, Skepticism, Space | 2 Comments