Pharyngula discusses the latest antics of disgraced Andrew Wakefield:
I just gotta post this again from 2010 that explains the background behind the fall of Wakefield and the problems of scientific illiteracy in the media:
Article by Kulvinder Singh Matharu – 2012
Pharyngula posts a YouTube link of Terence McKenna, about the dangers of “relativism” where equal respect is paid to all ideas. McKenna is right. We need to call “Bullshit” when we see it, and fight the “politically correct” sensitivities of our society so that reason can be taught. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not so keen on McKenna’s other ideas but here he gets it right.
Now, I can see some people being uncomfortable with what they perceive as stridency. Such stridency can appear rude and off-putting to those who are genuinely seeking knowledge. It is not normally my intention to be rude but sometimes, when one is engaged in discussion to explore and consider ideas, the other side abandon reason, abandon knowledge and seek refuge in ignorance. This does not foster an environment conducive to polite discussion. However, I try not to be rude to anyone in particular unless they’ve demonstrated their idiocy. I have no qualms at all in condemning ideas and intuitions which peddle bullshit. And if someone does delight in their own ignorance and refuses to engage in reason then I will be rude.
Kate Smurthwaite was right on the money here; these people are idiots and well done for her to say so:
More at her blog article and the vile response from some people:
And some good stuff here from Pharyngula:
Can I call Deepak Chopra and Bill O’Reilly a couple of idiots?
Carl Sagan was one of the great explainers and he is not known for being rude. His Baloney Detection Kit is a wonderful tool to use in the fight against unreason, superstition and other bullshit. And when I use that kit to analyse what Chopra and O’Reilly are saying then I can come to only one conclusion. Actually, I didn’t have to use Sagan’s Baloney Detection Kit at all…the conclusion is self evident.
Too many idiots in too many places. But that’s why I increasingly use my blogs to highlight idiocy in the hope that people are exposed to reason and understand the bullshit being spread far and why by the idiots. And I hope that not too many reasonable people get put off by the stridency in these posts.
Article by Kulvinder Singh Matharu – 2011
Found this via Pharyngula.
Tracy Spicer takes Meryl Dorey and the fraudulent anti-vaxers to task.
http://www.2ue.com.au/blogs/2ue-blog/to-vaccinate-or-not/20110107-19i9a.html
“…dangerous, disgusting, disgraceful information from people like Meryl Dorey”. Thank you, Tracey, for bring this issue to the attention of your listeners and to the wider world.
Article by Kulvinder Singh Matharu – 2011
Is that Pharyngula being nasty to you again? There, there. Have a cookie.
Here’s a man basing his morality, his way of live, on that hilariously hideous book called the Bible. The more I look at that book, the more I find it incredible that anyone can take it seriously (the Koran is just as bad). It’s just plain bonkers in many places with a monster ruining people’s lives.
The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.
Richard Dawkins, “The God Delusion”
The Pope and his friends do not have any moral high-ground and no rights to be immune from criticism. So I and others will call it as we see it. And if that means being “nasty” then so be it. Religion deserves no special privileges.
I’ve added some links here that some may find amusing:
Article by Kulvinder Singh Matharu – 2010
Pharyngula posted an article on this video. So pretty and so…grotesque!
Pharyngula is right. The religious will see this video as an affirmation of their beliefs. The more I see the more I find it incredible that people can believe in the junk that forms many religions such as Judaism, Christianity, Islam, etc.
I’ll need to add The Thinking Atheist to my blogroll.
Article by Kulvinder Singh Matharu – 2010
Horrific tale from Kerala, India:
What?! What?! WHAT?!
Well, at least this is a criminal action according to the laws of India (even if the police are accomplices as seems likely) unlike Iran sentencing a woman to “death by stoning” for adultery!
Article by Kulvinder Singh Matharu – 2010
The excellent QuackWatch is being sued by Doctor’s Data after QuackWatch exposed Doctor’s Data as a scam.
Attempted intimidation by a quack
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/07/attempted_intimidation_by_a_qu.php
QuackWatch offers a rich resource on all matters related to fighting nonsense, scams and other quackery. Well worth visiting. Their mission statement:
Quackwatch is now an international network of people who are concerned about health-related frauds, myths, fads, fallacies, and misconduct. Its primary focus is on quackery-related information that is difficult or impossible to get elsewhere. Founded by Dr. Stephen Barrett in 1969 as the Lehigh Valley Committee Against Health Fraud (Allentown, Pennsylvania), it was incorporated in 1970. In 1997, it assumed its current name and began developing a worldwide network of volunteers and expert advisors. Our activities include:
- Investigating questionable claims
- Answering inquiries about products and services
- Advising quackery victims
- Distributing reliable publications
- Debunking pseudoscientific claims
- Reporting illegal marketing
- Assisting or generating consumer-protection lawsuits
- Improving the quality of health information on the Internet
- Attacking misleading advertising on the Internet
- Consumer Health Digest, a free weekly e-mail newsletter
- The healthfraud discussion list, which has about 600 members
Article by Kulvinder Singh Matharu – 2010
I nearly wet myself when I read this at Pharyngula:
Then I stopped laughing; this is a crime and an abuse against our children.
Idiot educators need to be rooted out and exposed to the world.
Article by Kulvinder Singh Matharu – 2010
The Northern Ireland Culture Minister Nelson McCausland comes under the withering gaze of Pharyngula…Northern Ireland culture is apparently cuckoo. Hilarious!
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/05/northern_ireland_culture_is_ap.php
I suppose that it’s inevitable to get the odd person in some responsible position. But it does allow one to start questioning the judgment of those that put these people into such positions.
Article by Kulvinder Singh Matharu – 2010
A recent article at Pharyngula reports that the American Academy of Pediatrics has compromised itself with its “political correctness gone wrong” decision. Such accommodationist principles will NOT make mutilation stop but will, instead, help to legitimise the barbaric practices of Female Genital Mutilation (or FGM)..
My position is clear…a child should not be subjected to body mutilations, or modifications if you prefer, unless for strong medication reasons. Yes, this extends to male circumcision too, and the “”it is cleaner” is not justification enough. This is human rights violation. When a child becomes an adult they can do what they want with their bodies without undue interference from parents/society/traditions; but until then these barbaric practices, these barbaric traditions, these barbaric rituals must be fought. No compromise.
Article by Kulvinder Singh Matharu – 2010