Critical Thinking

#TAM9 – Some Images

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I’ve plucked out a few of my favorite pictures that I captured while at TAM and added a few thoughts. Oh, and least you wonder, yes you can indeed click on any of the pictures to see a larger copy.

I’ve also been advised that all the talks will be made available for free, so as they become available, I’ll post the links.

Where is Randi?

You know the game “Where is Waldo?”, well here is the TAM equivalent called “Where is Randi?”. OK, its a bit of fun, but a serious point can still be drawn from this.

James Randi has an international reputation as a magician and escape artist, but today he is best known as the world’s most tireless investigator and demystifier of paranormal and pseudoscientific claims. In this role over many years he has had a profound influence on countless lives.

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#Elevatorgate and similar – Is It Cold in Here?

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Many others are blogging or tweeting about an article by the science writer Jennifer Ouellette in Scientific American, and I also will do the same. Why? well because it is a truly fabulous take on the entire issue of sexism within a scientific context. It is a clear rational piece, especially in the context of … Read more

#TAM9 – Saturday bytes

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And today’s TAM9 live feed can be found here … all done by a couple of folks who are far better at live blogging than I am, so go check it out. As for me, well, I’m back to my collection of tweets and quotes that I, for some bizarre reason, like to filter and collect … as always … enjoy …

Oh, and for all you Pharyngula folks, PZ has announced the meetup at  6pm, in the Garden Buffet tonight.

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#TAM9 – Friday Echo

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Tempting as it might be to live-blog, there are folks out there doing a far better job than I ever cold, so I’ll simply point you in their direction ..

  • Friendly Atheist has been live-blogging the sessions here … with some help from some friends, and also some cool pictures as well, plus a link to that Tyson vs Dawkins video.

Twitter has of course been in full swing, to tune in, you can tap the #TAM9 Twitter feed here. But if not bothered, then to help bring back the day, here are a few of the tweets that I liked … enjoy

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#tam9 – Thursday soundbites

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There is too much going on, and I’m also in the middle of it all, so I can’t create a generic 30,000 ft view. However, what I can do is attempt to capture a few sound bites that I’ve mined from twitter … enjoy …

  • Dr. Atlantis’ Bad Pun Of The Day: “…your Ogopogo shtick.” – Maria Myrback
  • Only a panel on evolution could wake me up – Jennifer McCreight

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Science is the only road to truth

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Andrew Brown has written within his Guardian blog that it is simply absurd to claim that science is the only road to truth.

Basically he rips into a speech given by Nobel prize-winner Harry Kroto. I’ll not bore you with the details, but basically he claims that apart from science there are other ways for determining truth. Really!! … How about Astrology, voodoo, palm reading, crystal gazing, tea leaves,rituals , meditation, prayer, etc.

OK then lets think about it for a moment. Quite clearly Mr Kroto is using the word ‘science’ as a shorthand for what might better be termed ‘rational inquiry’. Now I will indeed grant Mr Brown one key point, there are indeed other forms of inquiry that lie outside the domain of rational inquiry, we have a special term to describe them – irrational inquiry, but is this what he is getting at? You bet it is.

What is indeed curious is that Mr Brown tends not to be explicit and actually explain what other ways he has for arriving at truth, but given all the shoe shuffling and hand waving going on, I’m sure you can guess, it is a rather familiar pattern. OK, here is a not so subtle clue, his blog on the Guardian falls into the context of “Comment is Free – Belief” context. “Ah ha” you say … yes exactly, now you get it, and can grok what he is implying about ‘other’ roads to ‘truth’.

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