December 20, 2010
A note in an Analog science fiction magazine from the 1960’s referred to the word “mumpsimus” as a word that doesn’t mean what people are likely to think. And what a delightful word it is: mumpsimus noun ( pl. -muses) A traditional custom or notion adhered to although shown to be unreasonable; a person who […]
December 15, 2010
An interesting report on technological progress in Biblical archaeology in Sciencemagazine, on the American Schools Of Oriental Research Annual Meeting: At the meeting, a series of biblical archaeologists came to the podium for 2 hours of data-rich presentations—and put their colleagues on notice that their field is in the midst of […]
November 26, 2010
A day at home. The sun is shining. < Knock, knock> Two ladies with umbrellas appear at my door. Robin (innocently, looking them up and down): Hello. Are you selling umbrellas? Ladies: No, they’re just for protection. Robin (stalling): I don’t blame you, it is very hot today. Ladies (still […]
November 26, 2010
At a scientific conference dinner the other night, a young woman named Eliza across the table was describing her family and how on the male side they first came to Australia in the 1700s – her great-etc-grandfather having been transported as convict for stealing a few yards of hessian. She […]
November 21, 2010
A Dave Allen classic on YouTube relates the story of Allen’s first encounter with The Church as a four year old boy. I have written before that if your starting point is reality, you’ll never derive the concept of God. Allen’s picture of religion through the eyes of such a […]
November 12, 2010
I was reading my pre-release copy of The Australian Book of Atheism on a plane flight on Wednesday when I noticed that verily had the plane become quite dark: except for a single bright beam of light, shining down upon The Book in my hand! I’m pretty sure I also […]
November 4, 2010
This excellent video on YouTube by “philhellenes” really concretises Douglas Adams’ sentiment (reprinted in The Salmon of Doubt) when describing his reaction to realising the explanatory power of evolutionary biology: It was a concept of such stunning simplicity, but it gave rise, naturally, to all of the infinite and baffling complexity of […]