Social Scientists Need To Be More Public

" - - - as Bloomberg reporter Brendan Greeley recently pointed out, more and more of America’s problems look sociological rather than economic."

One point of caution here:  social science is a "soft" science, in that its findings are not as certain as those in the "hard" sciences of chemistry, physics and biology.

Calling All Sociologists: America Needs You

This Explains Religion

Yes, I know.  Most religious people are good and honest.  However, why are so many people attracted to leaders who have absolutely no legitimate authority?  There is something inside of most of us that allows us to be manipulated for good or bad by people.  This documentary film by CNN nails the psychology behind all religions, not just the cult depicted here.  Be skeptical, my friends.

Holy Hell

It Is Not As Bad As You Think

But the USA does have a real problem.

Proof The World Isn’t Falling Apart

How The Brain Created Experience

On the most recent Brain Science Podcast, Dr. Ginger Campbell, MD interviewed Jon Mallatt, who co-authored the book,  The Ancient Origins of Consciousness.  The main focus of the interview and the book is on primary consciousness, the most base form of consciousness.

The Elusive Dark Matter

"Physics has missed a long-scheduled appointment with its future—again. The latest, most sensitive searches for the particles thought to make up dark matter—the invisible stuff that may comprise 85 percent of the mass in the cosmos—have found nothing."

Physics Confronts Its Heart of Darkness

Apeirophobia: The Fear Of Eternity

"Woody Allen once said, “Eternity is a very long time, especially toward the end!” Eternity sounds great on the surface, but actually experiencing it may be an entirely different matter. For some people, the very notion of infinity sends chills up the spine. In fact, for many who suffer from “apeirophobia”—a term for the fear of eternity—the thought of an existence that goes on forever amounts to torture.

Which is scarier, death or everlasting life?

Human Capital, The Greatest Resource

Human Capital

Somehow, "Human Capital" seems to be overlooked in political and economic discussions.

If You Don't Vote, None Of This Matters

"The secularizing trend seems unstoppable. It gradually bolsters progressive values of the Democratic Party. White evangelicals remain the heart of the GOP - but they're losing ground as "nones" slowly outnumber them."

Religion decline helps the Democratic Party

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/living/religion/article99472482.html#storylink=cpy

A Lot Of Us Are Doing Just Fine Without it

"In my own study of apostates (people who were once religious but then rejected their religion), I interviewed many people who once believed, then seriously thought about the content and nature of that belief – and realized it didn’t add up."

Why More Americans Are Doubting The Existence Of God

Another Chemical Factor In Some Homosexuals

"One of the most consistent environmental explanations for homosexuality is called the fraternal birth order effect. Essentially, the more older brothers a man has, the more likely he is to be gay. The effect doesn't hold for older or younger sisters or younger brothers, or even for adoptive or step-brothers. - - - According to Ray Blanchard, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto, the reason could be that the mother’s body mounts an immune attack on the fetus of her unborn son."

How Older Brothers Influence Homosexuality

The Odds Of Dying From Events

"The National Safety Council publishes an “Odds of Dying Chart” that affirms we are more likely in our lifetime to be killed by everyday activities - and they would like to prevent that, which is why they publish a probability of events.  Accidental death is far more likely than being murdered by a gun. There is a 1 in 144 chance of dying from a fall compared to 1 in 6780 from severe thunderstorm, and a 1 in 470 chance of dying in a car as opposed to 1 in 164,968 chance of a lightning strike."

We Are Killing Ourselves

Research Fraud At Duke Piles Up

"Duke officials took a closer look at her work and didn't like what they saw. Fifteen of her papers, mostly dealing with pulmonary biology, have now been retracted, with many notices citing "unreliable" data. Several others have been modified with either partial retractions, expressions of concern, or corrections. And last month, a U.S. district court unsealed a whistleblower lawsuit filed by a former colleague of Potts-Kant."

Whistleblower sues Duke, claims doctored data helped win $200 million in grants