Bill Nye on the age of the earth, oppositional science ideas and how it affects our economy and international perception

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Bill Nye was on CNN recently discussing the age of the earth, and how science knows it’s 4.5 billion years old.

You can click the screen captured image above to watch the interview. I suggest it.

He’s not saying anything new to anyone who reads about this stuff, but the discussion about the Dover trial is a bit nuanced.

I found this video at Pharyngula, and PZ gave a great explanation about the importance of bringing up the smoke detector.

He writes:

Ionizing smoke detectors use a tiny amount of radiactive [sic] material to generate charged ions by their decay; these ions are released into the space in a capacitor, and their movement generates a constant trickle of current. If smoke particles enter the detector, they bind to the ions and block the current; that easily measured decline in current is what triggers the alarm in the detector.

This is a very simple system that depends entirely on our quantitative understanding of radioactivity. If radioactivity didn’t work like we thought it did, your smoke detector would not be very reliable, and for that matter, no one would have thought of using this function to work as a smoke detector.

Read more here.

I feel sorry for crucifying Kirk Cameron

 

In the above video, Kirk Cameron explains that he was crucified by the media for his views on homosexuality.

You know what? Cameron is right. He was dragged through the mud over expressing his loving views based on biblical principles.

He’s right.

We’re all wrong.

We should buy one of those over-sized cards that express apologies and sign it. We’ll lick a big stamp and lay it right on there.

Cameron says that his truth is a loving truth. And now I agree with him.

The same book that loves people out of the grips of hell through belief in his savior is amazing.

The same book that loves sassy children to death via stoning.

Can’t you feel the love tonight. 

The same book that loves little girls whose hymens are broken outside of marriage all the way to a pelted grave.

The same book that loves you like no other by condemning you to death by just being born in the lineage of Adam & Eve.

Phew. Love like that has no boundaries.

You know, it’s your fault that your great great great … great grandparents ate forbidden fruit.

And then a god-man came down and loved you with suicide and Frankensteining himself back to life.

Cameron’s “love” is so awesome, how could anyone (anyone!) disagree with it? Gosh, you’d have to be a complete moron.

Via

 

Bill Nye: Creationism Is Not Appropriate For Children. In other news, neither are the stories of Noah, Samson, Jonah and Jesus

 

Best quote from the above video:

And I say to the grownups, if you want to deny evolution and live in your world, in your world that’s completely inconsistent with everything we observe in the universe, that’s fine, but don’t make your kids do it because we need them. We need scientifically literate voters and taxpayers for the future. We need people that can—we need engineers that can build stuff, solve problems.

Thanks, Tina!

 

CNN appearances, dubious interview questions, death threats … it’s just another day at #SSAweek

I gotta reblog this one from Freethought Blogger Al Stefanelli. Yesterday, Jesse Galef was a guest on CNN talking about the Secular Student Alliance.

The clip and Al’s post can be found here, as I can’t embed this kind of video here at Le Café.

Make sure you read JT Eberhard’s death threat experience here, as well.

Important reblog: Pre-existing Post Rape Syndrome

I wanted to reblog this post from regular-reading Glock.

Now I’ve blogged regularly about the military’s propensity to discharge soldiers based on pre-existing conditions pulled out of their ass without proof. The basic gist is they develop mental conditions while in the service of the military, especially issues such as severe PTSD, and get kicked out without military benefits and long and often difficult fight with the Veterans Affairs Administration to get medical help.

At the end of this post is the posts on these related news items and demands my congress to address the problem. But right now I’m adding a new one to the list. Rape victims being kicked out of the military without benefits for having “pre-existing personality disorders” without any proof of such pre-existing conditions, conveniently timed after they’ve reported rape.

From CNN (Read the full article for individual cases they profiled):

Read on

Make up your mind Pat. Your deity did or didn’t do it?

Is it just me or has Pat Robertson changed his tune about deities sending weather to destroy towns? What did he say about Haiti again? Phew, it was Satan! God’s enemy that he let’s confuse you and tempt you with sex and other great sins.

Robertson says that enough people pray, they can stop a tornado.

Which I guess is where this video comes from in which a woman is praying a tornado away from her home.

Via JMG

See you next Tuesday Nooner: Democrats for Santorum

About the video:

Uploaded by TheSecondCityNetwork on Feb 27, 2012

Democrats: Vote Santorum. For now. Really enjoy it.

To any who oppose such tactics on moral grounds, one might ask if they’re part of the same group of people who oft bemoan the passive, compromise-y tactics of the current administration. Be the change you’ve been waiting for, and so forth.

To those who say Santorum is an actual threat in national polls because Rasmussen has him up by three amongst left-handed seniors or whatever: whatever. Careful observers will note that in a field of candidates this jaw-droppingly lame, everybody gets a taste of sweet sweet candy–if only for a moment. 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/26/herman-cain-2012-primary-polls_n_103…

Ooooo Newt Gingrich’s pants are on *fire*

Remember when liar, liar pants on fire Newt “I’m a liar” Gingrich told the world that he could furnish character witnesses regarding his wish for an open, swingin’ marriage?

Well, he can’t produce any witnesses.

As The Daily What wrote:

In other words, [CNN's John] King, who practically handed South Carolina to Gingrich, may have just played a critical role in taking Florida away.

In all fairness, the network in the driver’s seat is CNN, so you have to weigh in the extreme liberal bias at play (and at work) here.

Via

FOX News to its viewers, “You’re all sheep.”

FOX News sent out its Christmas cards, and you can find a photo of one above. The FOX sleigh, pulled by sheep (sheep?) is beating out the NBC, ABC and CBS. MSNBC and CNN aren’t even racing. They are looking on from the sidelines.

Isn’t it cute?

Isn’t it clever?

FOX News is winning thanks to the sheep pulling the sleigh.

Isn’t that the best way to say thanks to your viewers? Call them sheep, mindless animals with no sense, common sense or otherwise.

So the next time you find yourself helping FOX News’ ratings, be sure to say “Baaaaa” a few times. And eat from your trough. Because that’s how your news agency views you.

You bleating, mindless, cretinous sheep.

They said it, not me.

Via

@CNN, you’re grasping at straws on this one

I just watched this clip from CNN. The reporter claims to have been pushed by Michele Bachmann’s staff and by Ladybird Marcus Bachmann.

Really?

Did you see the size of that crowd? They were just trying to get through, and you were shoving your dildo boom mic in their faces.

I can’t stand Michele Bachmann, and this is nothing but contrived bullshit.

That’s like going to Lollapalooza and thinking the crowd is pushing only you.

Did you bump your wittle head Donnie Lemon? Awww … suck it up. You were going for a quote and  you got pushed out of the way. It’s your job.

If you can’t stand the heat …

The following photo, however, would have been perfectly reasonable to report on:

 

Both the vid and pic were seen at Joe My God