Free Will Is An Illusion: A Summary

"Although the existence of free will is treated as a self-evident fact by most, neuroscientific research suggests that there may be a more complex explanation to your wink and to the notion of free will than there appears at first glance."

Illusion of Choice: The Myth of Free Will

British Skeptics Lead the Charge against Contra-Causal Free Will

Sam Harris: The Illusion of Free Will

Homeopathy Successfully Attacked In The UK

"We are hopeful that NHS Wirral CCG, like their counterparts in Liverpool, are able to take this as an opportunity to make a sensible decision to end support for pseudoscience and free up limited resources for treatments that actually work."

Good Thinking Society’s successful challenge to NHS homeopathy

Right To Try Movement Is Harmful

"Basically, the whole right-to-try movement is built on a delusion, namely that there is a river of cures to serious and fatal disease in the pipeline, but that the only reason they aren’t flowing to the people is because of the overly cautious bureaucracy and excessively burdensome regulations of the FDA. If the people could just get the FDA out of the way—or so the delusions go—cures would flow to the people, all courtesy of the magic of the free market, which will sort out problems with safety and efficacy."

The cruel sham that will not die: Right-to-try marches on in California and beyond

Push Polling

"This is a technique called “push polling,” and it’s actually far more of an advertising campaign than an attempt to discern the will of the voters. Nobody would take the results of such a poll seriously."

Gallup Poll: Great Example of How to Bias a Social Science Study

The Placebo Effect Gets More Scrutiny

"Hype about the 'amazing' placebo effect says more about the cultural appeal of the idea than it does about solid evidence supporting it. This is a troubling sign that an idea that resonates with experience and cultural meaning may be alluring enough to evade scrutiny, even among scientists. The best evidence indicates that the placebo effect is not a general phenomenon. But at some level it seems that evidence is beside the point; we simply want to believe. Perhaps belief in the placebo effect is itself the ultimate placebo effect."

The Myth of the Placebo Effect

The Subtleties Regarding Radical Religion

"I do not like any religious people who adopt religious doctrines that call for bigotry against women, gays, nonbelievers, or members of other faiths. That goes for Christians and Jews as well as Muslims."

Yes, there ARE times to hate the person

Religion Is NOT Compatible With Science - - - PERIOD

A trick some religious will use to deflect a challenge to their statement that religion and science are compatible is to say that there are many religious scientists.  Yes, there are many religious SCIENTISTS, but we are not talking about religious people and people of science:  we are talking about the objective findings regarding the entities of religion and science themselves.

Many Factors Involved With Today's Political Polarization

"So, what might be driving this tribalism? Psychological research reveals subconscious forces, which – in the face of facts, experience or better judgement – prevent people seeing alternative points of view and push them into ever-more-partisan camps. And some scientists believe that many aspects of 21st Century living could be creating the perfect conditions for falling victim."

THE Challenge For Christians

At its base, Christianity sinks or swims on the validity of the Story of Adam and Eve, and Original Sin.  Even the most pro-science branch of Christianity, Catholicism, dogmatically states that there was a literal single pair who founded humanity, Adam and Eve, and who gave all of us Original Sin.  This 4-min  teaching video, aimed at the layperson, clarifies the reality surrounding evolution and the beginning of the human species.

There was no first human.

More details supporting humans originating from a group, not a pair. *

The Problems With Biofuels

"No one study is ever going to be the final word on a complex question like the net effects of using biofuels. This is also a moving target as production methods are slowly improving over time. Further, researchers are looking into using different feedstocks and different methods of production. This analysis, for example, would not apply if we figure out a way of using algae for feedstock and bacteria to convert it to biofuels."

Biofuels and the Law of Unintended Consequences

A Sermon We All Should Applaud

This editorial from a pastor presents the real problem with USA politics, and its solution.  Take out the god parts, it is near-perfect.

God want us to fix our broken politics

The Truth About Education In Republican-Controlled States

Here in North Carolina, we are deluged with ads from our Republican governor praising what he has done for teachers and education.  Here is the truth:

It's hard to celebrate what schools face