Argumentum ad hominem

It’s logical fallacy time, here in Skeptictionary corner. An argumentum ad hominem might look like this: Is a convicted drunk driver really qualified to comment on a matter of such importance? Since when did we start listening to suggestions from communists on how to improve our healthcare system? You’re wrong because you’re an idiot. It’s [...]

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Praise Darwin, the economy is saved!

So, the US House of Representatives rejected the government’s plan to spend $700 billion bailing out the country’s financial institutions. I’m still not nearly intelligent or informed enough to know what this means, what’s going to happen now, whether this is good, or how screwed we are. I think the only thing that differentiates me [...]

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Derek Ogilvie – Baby Psychic Imagineer

A couple of days ago, Channel 5 aired a documentary about Derek Ogilvie, the star of a show (aired on the same channel) called The Baby Mind Reader. His supposed abilities are pretty much explained by the title. His general routine is to meet with a parent/parents and young child, and tell them what’s on [...]

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Science

Being wrong about stuff is both fun and easy. There’s a unicorn in my garden who brings me ice cream every day! See, you can’t tell me that’s not an improvement in every way over the sad reality of my actual life. However, some people aren’t happy with this idea. Some people don’t want me [...]

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Weapons of *fabulous* destruction

Hoping to have a lengthy essay about SCIENCE up tomorrow. In the meantime, that whole Two Minutes Hate thing sometimes seems like a rather fun idea. Especially when people are using a “dirty bomb” as an entirely unironic metaphor for legal rulings in favour of gay marriage. I’m still yet to hear a single reason [...]

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Oh, right, this thing

Kinda forgot I had a blog I’m supposed to be posting to today. Got distracted by all those jobs I’m applying for and totally not slacking off. D’oh. Well, Greta Christina is not so quick to shirk her duties, and is busy writing stuff I wish I was awesome enough to come up with, and [...]

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Logical fallacies

Isn’t it annoying how, when you’re having an argument with someone, they keep demanding that you make sense, or expecting you to explain yourself, or telling you that your position has no basis in reality? Like, when you’re pointing out how that Obama guy’s definitely a Muslim, but people keep bringing up those Christian churches [...]

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An example to us all

Penn Jillette is my hero. I really, really hope that if I ever find myself in need of open brain surgery, I turn out to be the kind of person who will use it as an excuse for doing a disgusting magic trick.

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On Hell

Hell has been imagined in various different ways, but let’s just start with the premise that God loves us, and also that he has the power to do pretty much whatever he wants. (Common enough religious tropes, though the specifics I use will probably stay somewhat Jesus-centric.) Why, then, would he choose to send some [...]

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Do humans need God in order to be moral?

No. Well, thanks for reading, I hope I’ve enlightened and enriched a few more lives. Oh, alright, I’ll elaborate for anyone not quite convinced. One of the most prevalent and slanderous rumours about atheists, and others who live a largely secular life with little god-influence in particular, is that we have terrible oral hygiene and [...]

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