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Science
Put a Little Science in Your Life
By BRIAN GREENE Published: June 1, 2008
A couple of years ago I received a letter from an American soldier in Iraq. The letter began by saying that, as we’ve all become painfully aware, serving on the front lines is physically exhausting and emotionally debilitating. But the reason for his writing was to tell me that in that hostile and lonely environment, a book I’d written had become a kind of lifeline. As the book is about science one that traces physicists’ search for nature’s deepest laws the soldier’s letter might strike you as, well, odd. read more here
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How to Unleash Your Creativity Experts discuss tips and tricks to let loose your inner ingenuity
By Mariette DiChristina May, 2008
In a discussion with Scientific American Mind executive editor Mariette DiChristina, three noted experts on creativity, each with a very different perspective and background, reveal powerful ways to unleash your creative self. read more here
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Fossil reveals oldest live birth
Rebecca Morelle
Science reporter, BBC News May 30/08
A fossil fish uncovered in Australia is the oldest-known example of a mother giving birth to live young, scientists have reported in the journal Nature.
The 380 million-year-old specimen has been preserved with an embryo still attached by its umbilical cord. The find, reported in Nature, pushes back the emergence of this reproductive strategy by some 200 million years. Until now, scientists thought creatures from these times were only able to develop their young inside eggs.
read more here and see video
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HIV Infection Stems From Few Viruses
ScienceDaily (May 19, 2008) A new study reveals the genetic identity of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the version responsible for sexual transmission, in unprecedented detail.The finding provides important clues in the ongoing search for an effective HIV/AIDS vaccine, said researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). The UAB team found that among billions of HIV variants only a few lead to sexual transmission.Earlier studies have shown that a ‘bottleneck’ effect occurs where few versions of the virus lead to infection while many variants are present in the blood. The UAB study is the first to use genetic analysis and mathematical modeling to identify precisely those viruses responsible for HIV transmission. read more here
Ice Cores Reveal Fluctuations In Earth's Greenhouse Gases
ScienceDaily (May 17, 2008) The newest analysis of trace gases trapped in Antarctic ice cores now provide a reasonable view of greenhouse gas concentrations as much as 800,000 years into the past, and are further confirming the link between greenhouse gas levels and global warming, scientists reported May 14 in the journal Nature. Read more here
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'Wall Paper Peeling Mystery' Explained By Physicists
ScienceDaily (May 11, 2008) When you try to remove adhesive paper from a surface, you inevitably get a pointy flap, while what you want is to remove the entire piece. A team from the Laboratoire de physique et mécanique des milieux hétérogènes (CNRS/ESPCI/Universités Paris 6 and 7), collaborating with the University of Santiago in Chile and with MIT, has explained the physics behind this frustrating experience. The work is published in Nature Materials, and could be used in testing the mechanical properties of very fine adhesive film used in industry. read more here
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New Cancer Gene Found
ScienceDaily (May 9, 2008) Researchers at the OU Cancer Institute have identified a new gene that causes cancer. The ground-breaking research appears April 28 in Nature’s cancer journal Oncogene.
The gene and its protein, both called RBM3, are vital for cell division in normal cells. In cancers, low oxygen levels in the tumors cause the amount of this protein to go up dramatically. This causes cancer cells to divide uncontrollably, leading to increased tumor formation. Read more here
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Platypus genetic code unravelled
Scientists have deciphered the genetic blueprint of the duck-billed platypus, one of the oddest creatures on Earth.
(May 7 08By Helen Briggs Science reporter, BBC News)The animal comes from an early branch of the mammal family, and like mammals it is covered in fur and produces milk. However, it lays eggs like a reptile.
Researchers say this unique mixture of features is reflected in its DNA. read more here
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Researchers Make Human Flu Antibodies at Record Speed
(By Nikhil Swaminathan April 30, 2008) - Scientific
American Fast treatment manufactured from flu survivors' antibodies could pave the way to more effectively thwarting pandemics.
A new method for swiftly producing proteins to fight infections could mean the difference between life and death during future pandemics. Researchers report in Nature today that they have perfected a way to manufacture monoclonal antibodies capable of destroying diseases such the avian flu, which have the ability to swap genes with human flu varieties and jump from birds to people. read more here
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Technological Breakthrough In Fight To Cut Greenhouse Gases
ScienceDaily (Apr. 27, 2008) Scientists at Newcastle University have pioneered breakthrough technology in the fight to cut greenhouse gases. The Newcastle University team, led by Michael North, Professor of Organic Chemistry, has developed a highly energy-efficient method of converting waste carbon dioxide (CO2) into chemical compounds known as cyclic carbonates. read more here
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Molecular Analysis Confirms Tyrannosaurus Rex's Evolutionary Link To Birds
ScienceDaily (Apr. 25, 2008) - Putting more meat on the theory that dinosaurs' closest living relatives are modern-day birds, molecular analysis of a shred of 68-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex protein - along with that of 21 modern species - confirms that dinosaurs share common ancestry with chickens, ostriches, and to a lesser extent, alligators. Read more here
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Making Environmentally Friendly Plastics
ScienceDaily (Apr. 21, 2008) Every year, more than 30 billion water bottles are added to America's landfills, creating a mountainous environmental problem. But if research at Missouri University of Science and Technology is successful, the plastic bottles of the future could literally disappear within four months of being discarded. read more here
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Infected with Insanity: Could Microbes Cause Mental Illness?
Viruses or bacteria may be at the root of schizophrenia and other disorders By Melinda Wenner April 18/08
Mental illnesses once thought to be the result of neurological or psychological defects may be caused by viral or microbial infections.
The strongest evidence links schizophrenia to prenatal influenza infection; pregnant women who become ill with the flu are more likely to give birth to children who will develop schizophrenia. read more here
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Sperm From Skin Becoming a Reality?
By Constance Holden
ScienceNOW Daily News
15 April 2008 In as little as 5 years, scientists may be able to grow eggs and sperm from ordinary body cells, an international consortium of scientists and ethicists announced in a consensus statement yesterday. The technological advance could be a boon for infertile couples as well as for research on reproduction, providing policymakers don't ban the tools, the group says. read more here
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Case Closed for Free Will?
(By Elsa Youngsteadt
ScienceNOW Daily News 14 April 2008)
Coffee or tea with lunch? Which pants to wear to work? Which movie to watch? Your mind might be made up before you know it. Researchers have found patterns of brain activity that predict people's decisions up to 10 seconds before they're aware they've made a choice. read more here
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'Darwin chip' brings evolution into the classroom
(10:58 08 April 2008 NewScientist.com news service
Ewen Callaway) A new "Darwin chip" could make evolution as easy as pressing play.Researchers have created an automated device that evolves a biological molecule on a chip filled with hundreds of miniature chambers.The molecule, which stitches together strands of RNA, became 90 times more efficient after just 70 hours of evolution."It's survival of the fittest," says Brian Paegel, a biochemist at the Scripps Research Institute, in La Jolla, California, who led the study with colleague Gerald Joyce.The experiment could be used in the future to evolve molecules – or even cells – to sense environmental pollutants, Paegel says. Read more here
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Genes Key To Hormone Production In Plants Identified
ScienceDaily (Apr. 7, 2008)Researchers at North Carolina State University have pinpointed a small group of genes responsible for "telling" plants when, where and how to produce a hormone that is key to their development. Their findings shed light on the ways in which hormone production in plants affects both a plant's growth and its ability to adapt to changing environments. Read more here
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Why Some Smokers Get Lung Cancer - And Others Are Spared
(Scientific American April 4 08) Smoking is the most potent known cause of lung cancer. The question is: Why do some longtime smokers come down with the deadly disease whereas others escape it? New research points to a genetic culprit that also was fingered as upping a person's likelihood of becoming hooked on cigarettes.
Two new studies link a variation in a gene residing on chromosome 15 (of a person's 23 pairs of chromosomes) to a heightened risk of developing lung cancer; a third study suggests that the same mutation affects a person's tendency to become addicted to smokes and, by extension, develop the dreaded disease. Lung cancer is diagnosed in some 200,000 Americans and kills more than 150,000 each year. Read More Here
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Algae Could One Day Be Major Hydrogen Fuel Source
ScienceDaily (Apr. 2, 2008) As gas prices continue to soar to record highs, motorists are crying out for an alternative that won’t cramp their pocketbooks.
Scientists at U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory are answering that call by working to chemically manipulate algae for production of the next generation of renewable fuels -hydrogen gas.“We believe there is a fundamental advantage in looking at the production of hydrogen by photosynthesis as a renewable fuel,” senior chemist David Tiede said. “Right now, ethanol is being produced from corn, but generating ethanol from corn is a thermodynamically much more inefficient process.” Read more here
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How Color Vision Is Processed: Fly Brain Circuitry Mapped
ScienceDaily (Mar. 30, 2008) New York University biologists have mapped the medulla circuitry in fruit flies, setting the stage for subsequent research on how color vision is processed. The work, which appeared in the journal Current Biology, will enable researchers to explore how color vision is processed in the optic lobe of the fruit fly Drosophila, providing a paradigm for more complex systems in vertebrates. read more here
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Putting Human Immunity in a Test Tube
(C Gutherie Time Mag March 27/08)You've heard of artificial limbs and artificial hearts but what about artificial immune systems? Add another notch to the test tube: scientists at VaxDesign, a five-year-old biotechnology company based in Orlando, Florida, have created a simulated human immune system, called the Modular Immune In Vitro Construct (MIMIC for short). The dime-sized immune system can predict how humans will respond to new vaccines. The goal? To streamline vaccine research and hasten the eradication of global killers, such as AIDS. read more here
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Self Experimenters:Daughter of MRI Researcher Offered Her Brain for Virtual Dissection
Sasha Giedd would have been the only girl in high school with a time-lapse movie of her developing brain, until the IRB caught wind of it.
Most adolescents' fond remembrances of childhood would not include lying motionless for spans of five to 10 minutes in the narrow confines of a giant, clanging machine. For Alexandra Giedd, known in her family as Sasha, it was an eagerly anticipated ritual. Read more here
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Evolution Of New Species Slows Down As Number Of Competitors Increases
ScienceDaily (Mar. 25, 2008) The rate at which new species are formed in a group of closely related animals decreases as the total number of different species in that group goes up, according to new research. read article here
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Baby Boys Are More Likely To Die Than Baby Girls
ScienceDaily (Mar. 25, 2008) Male infants in developed nations are more likely to die than female infants, a fact that is partially responsible for men's shorter lifespans, reveals a new study by researchers from University of Pennsylvania and University of Southern California. read more here
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What Does a Plant Sound Like?
By Phil Berardelli
ScienceNOW Daily News
21 March 2008 Researchers have developed a computer algorithm that can identify some plant species according to their unique sonar echoes. The experiments were meant to help biologists understand how bats find their favorite fruits or insects, but the research might also help engineers design high-speed systems to identify everything from widgets on conveyor belts to faces in crowds. Read all article here
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Scientists Set Sights on an Implantable Prosthetic for the Blind
(By Larry Greenemeier Scientific American Mar 19 08) THE VISUAL PROSTHESIS envisioned by John Pezaris would provide the patient with a special set of glasses that has a small digital camera mounted in the lens. The camera's wire communicates to an external signal processor that translates the image from the camera into neural impulses transmitted to an implanted stimulator, which delivers images to the visual system.A Boston neuroscientist is developing a device that may someday help the blind by sending images directly to the brain. Read Article here
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Writer Arthur C Clarke dies at 90
(BBC News Wednesday, 19 March 2008) British science fiction writer Sir Arthur C Clarke has died in his adopted home of Sri Lanka at the age of 90.
The Somerset-born author came to fame in 1968 when short story The Sentinel was made into the film 2001: A Space Odyssey by director Stanley Kubrick.
His visions of space travel and computing sparked the imagination of readers and scientists alike. Read more here
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Cutting-edge Computing Helps Discover Origin Of Life On Earth
ScienceDaily (Mar. 19, 2008)The UK’s national computing grid, along with their counterparts in the US (TeraGrid) and Europe have helped UCL (University College London) scientists shed light on how life on earth may have originated.Deep ocean hydrothermal vents have long been suggested as possible sources of biological molecules such as RNA and DNA but it was unclear how they could survive the high temperatures and pressures that occur round these vents.Professor Peter Coveney and colleagues at the UCL Centre for Computational Science have used computer simulation to provide insight into the structure and stability of DNA while inserted into layered minerals. Computer simulation techniques have rarely been used to understand the possible chemical pathways to the formation of early biomolecules until now.read more here
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Gold Scroll Discovered: Earliest Evidence Of Jewish Inhabitants In Austria
ScienceDaily (Mar. 18, 2008)Archaeologists from the Institute of Prehistory and Early History of the University of Vienna have found an amulet inscribed with a Jewish prayer in a Roman child’s grave dating back to the 3rd century CE at a burial ground in the Austrian town of Halbturn. Read more here
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Regrowing Limbs: Can People Regenerate Body Parts?
(By Ken Muneoka, Manjong Han and David M. Gardiner Mar 17/08) Progress on the road to regenerating major body parts, salamander-style, could transform the treatment of amputations and major wounds.A salamander’s limbs are smaller and a bit slimier than those of most people, but otherwise they are not that different from their human counterparts. The salamander limb is encased in skin, and inside it is composed of a bony skeleton, muscles, ligaments, tendons, nerves and blood vessels. A loose arrangement of cells called fibroblasts holds all these internal tissues together and gives the limb its shape. read more here
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See archives for previous articles |
News
Made miserable by too much choice Oh, The Humanities;
Even as Western nations get healthier and wealthier, happiness levels are stagnatingJenny Wagler, National Post Published: Monday, June 02, 2008
When more than 9,000 academics gather this week in Vancouver for the annual Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences, everything from gender roles, to the politics of terrorism, to the sociological significance of first names will be on the agenda. In a week-long series, the National Post showcases some of the most interesting research. Today, two takes -- one political, one typographical -- on the significance to be found in a smile. read more here
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Quarter of Canadians don't believe in any god, poll says
TIMOTHY AVERY The Canadian PressMay 31, 2008 at 11:39 AM EDT
TORONTO
— Fewer than three-quarters of Canadians believe in a god, suggests a new Canadian Press Harris-Decima survey."Religion in Canada today is not a particularly divisive subject and tolerance levels for different beliefs are high," said Harris-Decima president Bruce Anderson. "This is evident in the fact that one in four people feel comfortable saying they do not believe in a god."The poll found 72 per cent of respondents said they believed in a god, while 23 per cent said they did not believe in any god. Six per cent did not offer an opinion.Polls have told a different story in the United States. read more here
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Terror suspect wins Wilfrid Laurier University award
Updated Fri. May. 30 2008 8:47 AM ETCTV.ca News Staff
A man accused of using his university studies as a cover for terrorist activities has been awarded a $5,000 entrepreneurial prize from Wilfrid Laurier University. In 2006, Suresh Sriskandarajah was arrested in Kitchener, Ont., after U.S. prosecutors accused him of working to help Tamil Tiger fighters in Sri Lanka. Sriskandarajah is accused of money laundering, helping to buy military software and communications equipment, and using students in Canada to smuggle goods into Sri Lanka. read more here
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N.Y. to Recognize Other Jurisdictions' Gay Marriages
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, May 30, 2008; Page A02
NEW YORK -- Same-sex marriages legally performed elsewhere will be recognized in New York state, according to the office of Gov. David A. Paterson.
In response to a February state court ruling, the governor's office has directed all state agencies to revise their regulations and policies to ensure respect for same-sex marriages from states and countries where they are legal. In a videotaped message to gay community leaders at a recent dinner, Paterson (D) called the directive a "strong step toward marriage equality." read more here
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Top court reserves judgment in girl's blood transfusion
CBC News Tuesday, May 20, 2008 The Supreme Court of Canada has reserved judgment in a case involving a teenager who is seeking to overturn a law that forced her to have a blood transfusion against her will in 2006.Lawyers for the teenager, who is a Jehovah's Witness, argued that the Manitoba government violated the girl's constitutional rights when it used legislation that says minors must be at least 16 years old to make medical decisions.The teen, now 16, was 14 years old and living in Winnipeg when doctors gave her a blood transfusion to treat a flare-up of her Crohn's disease. She wanted to be treated without the transfusion. read more here
Dr. Chris di Carlo on the Humanist Perspectives Radio Show
hosted by Age Smies May 18/08
Listen here
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Texas Megachurch Minister Busted in Internet Sex Sting
(BRYAN, May 16/08 Fox news) Texas A minister from a Dallas-area Baptist megachurch was caught in an Internet sex sting and charged with online solicitation of a minor, police said Friday.Undercover officers posing as a 13-year-old girl communicated with Joe Barron, 52, of Plano for about two weeks. The online conversations were sexual in nature, police said.On May 6, Barron suggested meeting the girl in person. He eventually made the nearly 200-mile drive to Bryan on Thursday, when he was arrested. Police said they found a web-cam and condoms in his car.Barron remained in Brazos County Jail on Friday on $7,000 bail. Police did not know if he had an attorney. read more here
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Sunday services continue at three-breakaway Anglican churches
May 11, 2008 - 18:15Tobi Cohen, THE CANADIAN PRESSTORONTO - Two of three breakaway Anglican parishes in the Diocese of Niagara spurned an Ontario court ruling issued last week requiring them to share their church buildings with the diocese, opting instead to conduct Sunday services at new locations.The third parish honoured the Ontario Superior Court ruling and shared its facilities, but not without problems, said Rev. Gerry Brodie, rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd in St. Catharines. read more here
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Churchgoing on its knees as Christianity falls out of favour
Empty Pews
(May 9 08Ruth Gledhill, Religion Correspondent)
Church attendance in Britain is declining so fast that the number of regular churchgoers will be fewer than those attending mosques within a generation, research published today suggests.
The fall - from the four million people who attend church at least once a month today - means that the Church of England, Catholicism and other denominations will become financially unviable. A lack of funds from the collection plate to support the Christian infrastructure, including church upkeep and ministers’ pay and pensions, will force church closures as ageing congregations die. Read more here
Is Liberal Catholicism Dead?
(Time Magazine May 2008) He may not have been thinking about it at the time, but Pope Benedict, in the course of his recent U.S. visit may have dealt a knockout blow to the liberal American Catholicism that has challenged Rome since the early 1960s. He did so by speaking frankly and forcefully of his "deep shame" during his meeting with victims of the Church's sex-abuse scandal. By demonstrating that he "gets" this most visceral of issues, the pontiff may have successfully mollified a good many alienated believers — and in the process, neutralized the last great rallying point for what was once a feisty and optimistic style of progressivism. read more here
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CarnivUL of The fraudless: exposing the CULT
(The Frame Problem - Ron Brown May 1 08)CarnivULT is the Net's first carnival dedicated to Scientology - positive or negative. This first edition is devoted to chronicling the events surrounding the Cult and the international protest efforts since mid-January when the big commotion began, discussing why the protest is happening and how it has changed form from its beginnings, discussing who Anonymous is, and bringing together some of the best video footage from YouTube and major media that has been released on these issues during the past 3+ months. read more here
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Gap between rich and poor growing:
StatsCanEric Beauchesne, Canwest News Service Published: Thursday, May 01, 2008
OTTAWA - Income inequality in Canada has increased, creating a widening gap between the rich and the rest and one that is only partially offset by the tax system.
But overall, there's been little growth in the after-inflation earnings of Canadians over the past quarter century, Statistics Canada said Thursday in its latest report on its findings from the 2006 census.
And that's despite a period that witnessed strong economic growth as well as substantial increases in both the educational attainment and experience of the workforce, it added. read more here
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Soldier Sues Army, Saying His Atheism Led to Threats
Published: April 26, 2008 NY times
FORT RILEY, Kan. When Specialist Jeremy Hall held a meeting last July for atheists and freethinkers at Camp Speicher in Iraq, he was excited, he said, to see an officer attending. But minutes into the talk, the officer, Maj. Freddy J. Welborn, began to berate Specialist Hall and another soldier about atheism, Specialist Hall wrote in a sworn statement. “People like you are not holding up the Constitution and are going against what the founding fathers, who were Christians, wanted for America!” Major Welborn said, according to the statement. read more here
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China to meet Dalai Lama aideAssociated PressApril 25, 2008 at 6:00 AM EDT
BEIJING
-The Chinese government plans to meet with a private representative of the Dalai Lama in the coming days, state-run media reported, after weeks of pressure from world leaders.The official Xinhua News Agency said it had learned of the development “from official sources.” It quoted an unnamed official as saying there had been requests repeatedly made by “the Dalai side for resuming talks.”China has faced repeated international calls, including from U.S. President George W. Bush and the European Union, to open a dialogue with the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader since anti-government riots rocked the Tibetan capital of Lhasa in mid-March. read more here
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Tracing the Polygamists' Family Tree
By HILARY HYLTONTime Mag. April 20/08
Texas social workers will begin conducting DNA tests today to identify the 416 children taken into custody from the fundamentalist Mormon ranch near Eldorado since April 3. A district court judge granted the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (TDFPS) permission to test the children last Friday, as the agency's custody workers continued to struggle with the serious, complicated task of determining which children belong to whom- a task further clouded by the fact that children and mothers gave evasive, shifting answers during interviews. read more here ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In Speech, Pope Urges Promotion of Human Rights
Published: April 18, 2008
UNITED NATIONS — Benedict XVI, who was a young German prisoner in the war that forged the United Nations, addressed that body Friday as pope, insisting that human rights — more than force or pragmatic politics — must be the basis for ending war and poverty. read more here
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The Future of the Polygamist Kids
time magazineBy HILARY HYLTON/AUSTINThe raid on the Yearning for Zion Ranch in Eldorado, Texas produced haunting images: 416 children, the girls in calico dresses, removed from log cabin homes, looking questioningly into nowhere as they were led from their polygamist enclave into a secular world they have always been taught to fear. They sang hymns as they were driven away along with 139 adult women from Eldorado's Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a renegade branch of the Mormon faith. read more here
Previous related article :
The Echo of an Earlier Polygamist Raid
The raid on their Eldorado ranch has revived historic memories for members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Days Saints (FLDS). It has reinforced their belief that government is a Satanic force bent on destroying them, using the guise of enforcing sex abuse laws to destroy their constitutional right to practice a tenet of their religion: polygamy. read more here
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Ontario's Best Lecturer 2008 The votes are in!
Your Winner Humanist Dr. Christopher diCarlo
TVO info
UOIT Press Release
Thanks to everyone who voted for Chris.
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German Church admits aiding Nazis
By Paul Legg
Europe Editor, BBC News April 9/08
Germany's Roman Catholic Church has acknowledged the extent of its involvement in the use of forced labour during World War II.
A 700-page report says 1,000 prisoners of war and some 5,000 civilians were forced to work for the Nazis in support of the German war effort. They were drafted from 800 Catholic-run institutions across the country. read more here
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Scientists Find A Fingerprint Of Evolution Across The Human Genome
ScienceDaily (Apr. 9, 2008)-The Human Genome Project revealed that only a small fraction of the 3 billion “letter” DNA code actually instructs cells to manufacture proteins, the workhorses of most life processes. This has raised the question of what the remaining part of the human genome does. How much of the rest performs other biological functions, and how much is merely residue of prior genetic events? Read more here
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Catholic school quiz sparks controversy
Unique test measures GTA Grade 4 students' knowledge of religion
(Apr 07, 2008 04:30 AM Kristin Rushowy
Education Reporter)Toronto's Catholic board will be testing the faith of its Grade 4 students – or at least their knowledge of it – in a controversial new religious exam.The unique "religious knowledge test" was piloted in five schools last year and was to be rolled out in all Grade 4 classrooms this May, although half of the board's 12 trustees have already opted out.The test asks students to fill in the missing words to the Lord's Prayer or explain why "Jesus is the light of the world," among other things. Read more here
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Gallup survey explores what 1.3 billion Muslims think
(LUKE BAKER Reuters April 7, 2008 at 10:49 AM EDT
LONDON) In the years since the September 11 attacks on the United States, much has been said about the Muslim world, but little, it is argued, has been gathered on what Muslims truly think of the West. Now Gallup, the global polling group, has conducted research in 35 Muslim countries, interviewing more than 50,000 people over a six-year period, to come up with what it is calling the first comprehensive survey of Muslim world opinion. The results, published in a book called "Who Speaks for Islam? What a billion Muslims really think", provide often surprising clues as to how Muslims perceive the West and how misunderstanding on both sides often perpetuated by politicians and the media can fuel suspicion and conflict. read more here
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'Butchers and monsters'
The brutality in Tibet is no surprise. Communist China will never change
JOHN FRASER | March 26, 2008 It's always the same questions, whether it is about Tibetan protests, or democracy activists, or Falun Gong demonstrators, or whatever: why does China overreact so badly? Why does the government care so much about such small and insignificant groups? Why does China never get it, never seem to understand what our inevitable reaction in the West will be? Read more here
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End of days for 'Africa's Hitler'
Rumours of Mugabe's political demise swirl Peter Goodspeed, Canwest News Service Published: Tuesday, April 02, 2008
Africa's Hitler may finally be losing his nerve.Tuesday night, Zimbabwe was abuzz with rumours that Robert Mugabe's security henchmen are deep into negotiations with opposition leaders and South African diplomats to push the 84 year old President into a face-saving and prosecution-free retirement.As it becomes increasingly evident that opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai may have won last Saturday's presidential election, some of his top advisors are said to have made informal contacts with Mr. Mugabe's security officials to discuss a transition of power. read more here ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Provocation in the public square
By baptizing an outspoken Muslim on Easter Sunday, the Pope was trying to send a challenge to Islam and a blow to secularism
Charles Lewis, National Post Published: Saturday, March 29, 2008 As the leader of the world's one billion Catholics, there is likely little Pope Benedict does that is not scripted for effect, his every word and gesture scrutinized for interpretation.When he spoke at an academic meeting in Regensburg, Germany, two years ago about the possible intrinsically violent nature of Islam, it caused outrage and led to riots that resulted in the death of one nun and the destruction of several churches. read more here
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Number of organic farms climbing: Statscan
Workers harvest organic cranberries in Quebec. (Reuters)
(The Canadian PressMarch 28, 2008 at 9:44 AM EDTOTTAWA) The number of organic farms in Canada increased by almost 60 per cent in five years and continues growing, though they still fill only a tiny part of the food supply, Statistics Canada says.The agency reported Friday that Canada had 3,555 farms offering certified organic products in 2006-largely grain, oilseeds and hay- up from 2,230 in 2001.Another 640 farms were in transition, and 11,937 were producing food described as organic but not formally certified, largely meat. read more here
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Superbug infections climbing in Canadian hospitals
Last Updated: Thursday, March 27, 2008 At least 2,300 people died in 2006 as a result of an MRSA superbug and nearly 12,000 new patients were infected, as rates of the antibiotic-resistant bacteria continue to climb in Canadian hospitals, according to new figures released by the federal government. read more here
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Halt beheading, Day to tell Saudis
(Canwest News Service Published: Tuesday, March 25, 2008 OTTAWA) Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day, who is travelling in the Middle East, will raise with Saudi Arabian authorities the case of Mohamed Kohail, a Canadian man sentenced to death by beheading. read article here
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Muslim's conversion conflict hits Vatican on Easter
Sun Mar 23, 2008 1:27pm EDT By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict called in his Easter message on Sunday for an end to injustice worldwide and expressed joy at continuing conversions to Christianity hours after he baptized a prominent Italian Muslim convert.
The pope celebrated an Easter Mass for tens of thousands of people in driving rain in St Peter's Square as Christians around the world commemorated Christ's resurrection. Read all article here
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The Origin of Obama's Pastor Problem
By JAMES CARNEY AND AMY SULLIVAN
Time Mag. Mar 20 2008 Long before the sermons of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright became instant hits on YouTube and talk-show fodder for the cable news channels, Barack Obama knew he had a preacher problem. On the eve of launching his campaign for the White House in February 2007, Obama abruptly withdrew an invitation to Wright to deliver the invocation at his announcement speech in Springfield, Ill. Wright had been Obama's pastor for nearly 20 years. He had brought Obama into the church, helped him find his faith in God, officiated at Obama's wedding and baptized both his children. But Wright had also said a lot of incendiary things from his pulpit about America over the years, things that would be awkward to explain away for a politician hoping to unite the country and become the first African-American President of the United States.
read more here
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|
Events
Darwin Exhibit @ the ROM
From March 8th to August 4th 2008 Toronto Ontario Canada
sponsored by HAC
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"An Introduction to Understanding Science"
Friday June 6th, 2008 7pm to 9pm
Presented by The Durham Region Science Club
"Come and build models with real hydraulic's"
OurSecond Meeting - A family event that is free in your
community An evening for all ages
John M. James Public School
175 Mearns Avenue
Bowmanville, Ontario Canada
L1C 5C6
Meeting will take place in the Library
Map for info contact 905 243 2303 Email
visit our Website
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CFI Ontario Presents:
APPRECIATING THE HUMAN PERSPECTIVE, with John Novak (Voices of Reason series @ CFI)
Friday June 6th 7pm to 9pm
Ever wonder what secular humanists actually believe?
Brief Description:
If we cannot get out of the human perspective, then how can we get into it with deeper feeling, thought, and responsible action? Based on his article from Free Inquiry (April/May 2007), this talk will look to what humanists are saying 'yes' to in their personal lives, their relationships, their understandings of the world, their work, and their commitments to the larger social good. An Educational LIVES Model will be offered as a framework for experiencing the connections, complexity, and creativity needed to appreciate, comprehend, and extend the human perspective. A lively and informative session is planned.
216 BEVERLEY ST (major intersection : St. George St. and College St. - south of College, between Spadina and University)
TORONTO ON M5T 1Z3
(416) 971-5676 (tel and fax)
all details can be found here
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HAT - Humanist Association of Toronto events
(1) Saturday Forum -- free and open to the public
An informal discussion of a topic chosen weekly, every Saturday from 11:00-1:00.
Saturday, June 7
Topic: Happiness
Facilitator: Cecilia Rayo
Location: OISE, 252 Bloor St. W. (at St. George), Room 10-200.
(2) Monthly speaker meeting -- free and open to the public
Sunday, June 8, 1:00-3:00
Speaker: Ronald de Sousa, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at University of Toronto
Topic: Evolution and Rationality
Location: OISE, Room 2-212
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We are pleased to announce: Niagara Secular Humanists are preparing for the second combined annual picnic with the Unitarian Congregation of Niagara at the Queenston Heights Park facilities. The picnic has been an annual event for the Unitarians, but we have been invited to join them again.
The pot-luck lunch will begin at 12:00 pm on Sunday, June 8/08 and is held in one of the large pavilions.
Take the last exit off HWY 405 before the Queenston Lewiston border crossing. The pavilions are on the left side, accessible from the service road. No charge, bring your own food and refreshments. For details call 905 641 2603
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The Halton-Peel Humanist Community presents
TASTE OF JUSTICE COCKTAIL PARTY
Thursday, June 12
6:00 - 9:00 pm
Paradiso Restaurant
125 Lakeshore Road East
Toronto, Ontario
$25 admission *
* includes food and beverages (wine, beer, coffee, tea, juice)
This is an AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
and Paradiso Restaurant collaborative event
with proceeds going to Amnesty International to build a safer world for women
RSVP Elka at: ere@sympatico.ca, or 905.257.7075
Please mention this online advertisement when making your reservations
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With or Without God: Why the Way We Live is More Important than What We Believe, with Gretta Vosper
Friday June 20th 7pm to 9pm
Lecture and Book Launch:
Gretta Vosper, United Church Minister at West Hill United Church, Toronto, and founder and Chair of the Canadian Centre for Progressive Christianity
In Gretta Vosper's church there are no prayers, no miracles-performing magic Jesus and no omnipotent God at all. Vosper's book argues that the Christian church, in the form in which it exists today, has outlived its viability and either it sheds its no-longer credible myths, doctrines and dogmas, or it's toast. With a humanist worldview, Vosper proposes a radical change at the heart of faith. The new church she envisions will play a viable and transformative role in the shaping of a future society. What will save the church from certain demise, Vosper argues, is a new emphasis on just and compassionate living.
A catered receptions shall precede the talk at 6pm exclusively for Friends of the Centre.
216 BEVERLEY ST (major intersection : St. George St. and College St. - south of College, between Spadina and University)
TORONTO ON M5T 1Z3
(416) 971-5676 (tel and fax)
all details can be found here
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I Sold My Soul on Ebay: Faith Through an Atheist’s Eyes
Friday June 27th 7pm to 9pm
Co-Hosted by the University Guelph Skeptics and University of Toronto Secular Alliance.
6 - 7pm: Reception & Meet and Greet
7 - 9pm: Lecture + question period
Hemant Mehta comes to Toronto to talk about faith and his experience with "selling his soul".
In January 2006 Hemant Mehta, once Jain now atheist, created an auction on eBay offering up his atheist mind&body to go to the worship service of whatever the winning bidder chose. Every $10 would equal one hour in that particular place of worship.
The bidding ended on February 3, 2006 with the final bid sitting at $504 from Jim Henderson, a minister from Seattle, Washington. The money was later donated by Hemant to the Secular Student Alliance, a non-profit organization.
The agreement was for Hemant to visit a variety of churches and to write about his experiences at them at the web-site off-the-map.org, and later developed into his book "I Sold My Soul On eBay". He continues to open up dialogue at his personal blog friendlyatheist.com
- Location
- University of Toronto Multifaith Centre, 569 Spadina Ave
- all details can be found here
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Humanist Retreat
July 12th 2008
at Presqu’ile Park which is located near Brighton . Map
Presqu'ile is French for "almost an island". The park is a haven for migratory birds and monarch butterflies. There is a large picnic area, two interpretation centres, and flush toilets.
The idea is to meet for a picnic lunch around noon in the Park and participate in a discussion on how to develop a Humanist community. Representatives from each group in attendance (we will invite the Quinte Group and other groups and put the word out to people who would like to form a group in their towns as well) will talk about their experiences.. We’ll mix and match members of each group to discuss specific issues such as promotion, event and meeting coordination, partnering with other community groups, dealing with controversy, etc
After the meeting, everyone can enjoy the park – a list of activities will be supplied – and we’ll meet up in the late afternoon (around 4 or 5 p.m. ) to sum up and perhaps decide on an event all the groups could collaborate on in the coming year.
Those interested in staying overnight can camp (information on camping reservations will be provided) or stay at a B & B in nearby Brighton . The Big Apple theme park is also nearby – one of my favourite places to stop when driving between Toronto and Kingston – great pie – miniature golf – a mini-train and bumper cars for kids.
for more info please email us here
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Friday, July 25 2008 7 pm
For the first time The Mangalorean Community and our Goan Theatrical troupe have collaborated to bring you this performance....a stunning love story...being held as part of the 2008 Goan Convention Social events, and to help raise awareness and funding for "The Goan Charitable Organization".
It will be held at the Living Arts Center in Mississauga, a prestigious and classy Center, that hosts some of the world's best known entertainers and performances.
http://www.livingartscentre.ca/
All seats at the Living Arts Center have great visibility and sound. Please call me or email me for information and tickets. Tickets are already on sale through specific contacts.
Tickets are priced at $ 25.00, $ 35.00, and for the more ardent fans a few tickets are on sale for $ 50.00, and $ 65.00 .
Following are what seats are priced at
Dress circle...25/= tickets
Orchestra Rows N-T ...25/=
orchestra Rows G-M...35/=
Orchestra Rows C-F...50/=
Orchestra rows A,B...65/=
Please note that we will be having English sub-titles, so anyone can enjoy this production. This has been designed to encourage Goans who do not speak Konkani to still come out and experience their traditions and culture through the use of drama.. It also allows the community to invite their non-Goan friends to share an evening in a classy atmosphere and glimpse the art world of our ancestors. We are hopeful that this event will unite three generations or more to attend this event as a family...grandparents, their children and their grand-children. It is also an excellent chance to introduce the tiatro to our Canadian community and friends.
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On Going Weekly Events
Clarington Durham Region Coffee nights
Mondays - East Oshawa : Tim Hortons -Townline & Hwy 2 south east corner 8:30pm Contact host Mark Robinson - email first to confirm event is still on.
Wednesdays -North Whitby : Tim Hortons -Taunton Rd & Thickson north east corner @ A&P plaza 7:40pm Contact host Mark Robinson - email first to confirm event is still on.
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Humanist Association of Toronto upcoming events;
Saturday discussion forum
11:00-1:00 every Saturday
An open discussion on a topic chosen weekly.
Free and open to the public
Saturday, April 5 in OISE (252 Bloor St. W.) Rm 11-200
Topic: Civility
Facilitator: Norine Earl
Sunday discussion forum
11:00-1:00 every Sunday
An open discussion, usually less structured than the Saturday forum
Free and open to the public
Sunday, April 6 in OISE (252 Bloor St. W.) Rm 11-200
For more information about any of these activities, or about HAT, see http://www.humanist.toronto.on.ca
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CFI - Ontario
Visit the website for all weekly events available.
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Weekly Features
The Boy Scouts' Free-Speech Fight
(Time Mag By SEAN SCULLY/PHILADELPHIA - May 29) The City of Philadelphia wants the Boy Scouts to be prepared — prepared, that is, to change their views on homosexuality or get out of the city-owned building they have occupied for 80 years. "As a city government we cannot allow discrimination in the delivery of services on public property; that is the issue," said Mayor Michael Nutter. "The Boy Scouts, they have some options here — they can change their policy, they can pay full-market rent, or they cannot be on public property." read more here
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A dream vacation in Baghdad
The green zone's tourist hub will have a country club and cafés
(ALEXANDRA SHIMO Macleans May 14, 2008) Fancy vacationing in Baghdad? The U.S. government has come up with a plan to turn the Green Zone into a tourist destination complete with hotels, fashion boutiques, a country club, cafés, and a leisure park. The $5-billion development project has the backing of the Pentagon, and interest from several international investors, says Thomas Karnowski, a U.S. Navy captain who is leading the development team. read more here ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vote for the Humanist of the Year 2008
File out the online form here
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Charles Darwin and the Evolution of the Human Mind - April 08
Charles Darwin, a great biologist and philosopher, offered a scientific and secular explanation of the process of human evolution and challenged the traditional religious beliefs of his time. His ideas were so provocative that they were either completely rejected or seriously challenged by the clergy, the traditional organizations, and the conservative institutions of the nineteenth century. While Darwin's admirers and followers got involved in bitter public debates with the representatives of the church, Darwin quietly did his scientific work and continued to light the candles of science and reason in the dark alleys of blind faith. read more here
By Dr. Khalid Sohail
View article here on The Secular Web
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Chowk.com- Mind Space
The Psychology of Mothering Apr 13, 2008 - Dr. Sohail
It is interesting that as our culture is changing and many women are reluctant to take on motherly duties, more men are becoming motherly and nurturing. read more here
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Darwin's Original Theory goes online April 18/08
view the private papers here
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The cults that went Wacko by Time Magazine April 18 08
17 pictures thru the years of what we have witnessed by cults that went wacko view here
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Song of the week
critical thinking music
A song from one of Canada's best rock bands
Freewill by Rush
Lyrics
Offical band website
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Video of the Week
Bill Maher compares Texas polygamist cult to Catholicism
April 15/08 View Video here
Thanks to Ron Brown of The Frame Problem for this.
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An Evangelical at Armageddon
(Time Mag April 7/08)It's quiet at Armageddon, these days, with only the wind racing like invisible war chariots across its grassy plains. But lately, the northern Israeli site — also known as Tel Meggido — designated in the New Testament as the field of the final battle has become a popular tourist destination. Christians arrive by the busload eager to see the battleground where the world as we know it will end. At the souvenir shop, they flock to buy maps of where Jesus walked, and tiny vials of water from the Jordan River. The river may now be mostly a murky rivulet, but thousands of Evangelical Christians insist on being re-baptized in its waters. read more here
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The Jesus problem
The newest view of Christ-activist, politician, not very Christian-is hard to square with the Bible's. Now some believers even say the faith might be better off without him.
BRIAN BETHUNE March 19, 2008"Whom do men say that I am?" Jesus's own query to his disciples, asked in the oldest Gospel (Mark 8:27), has always been the ultimate question of the faith founded in his name. The answer has determined everything from core doctrine to the authority of the clergy. Even during his lifetime, Jesus's followers had differing answers: he was a rabbi with a new approach to Jewish law; he was the rightful claimant to the throne of David. Read More Here
More articles on this topic from Macleans:
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HELP SUPPORT CHRIS DICARLO TO BE
ONTARIO’S NO.1 PROFESSOR OF THE YEAR
Chris diCarlo has been chosen as one of Ontario’s top 10 professors. On the weekend of March 29/30, his lecture will be aired on TV Ontario at 4:00 p.m. People all over Ontario can, if they wish, support Chris in becoming the Number 1 professor for 2008. His lecture will be viewed between 4:00—6:00 on both Saturday and Sunday. Voting starts at 5:45 p.m. on Saturday the 29th of March and goes until 12:00 noon on Monday March 31. You may vote as many times during this time period as you like. Those who vote online are registered to win a 50” plasma television and home theatre. You can dial: 1.866.281.3536 or
You can vote online: www.tvo.org (click on ‘Vote’)Please note that the TV Ontario computer is programmed to eliminate all votes for any professor which give 100% in all three categories.
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How secular can religion get?
Boy says "you first"
The Catholic Church's seven new deadly sins hint at a not-so-divine future
(Philippe Gohier | Mar 20, 2008 | 12:57 pm EST) Odds are pretty good you’ve committed a sin today. Maybe you had a bigger lunch than usual (gluttony). Maybe you played hooky this morning and are sitting at home, surfing the Net (sloth). Or maybe you secretly resent your neighbour for having a newer, faster car than you do (envy).Or, perhaps you just forgot to shut off the bathroom light on your way out the door this morning. Because that too is now a sin. read all article here
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Website of the week
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
http://www.hhmi.org/
FREE videos are available from the institute. More here
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Quote of the week
“A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.
Charles Darwin
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Laugh of the Week
Ricky Gervais on Creationism
view here
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See archives for previous articles |
Blogs, Sites & A/V
Humanist Association of Canada
Official sponsor of the Darwin exhibit at the ROM
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The Humanist Perspectives Radio Show
Every Sunday at 1pm
Host Age Smies Tune in here
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The Frame Problem
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Strolling with a skeptical biochemist
The Sandwalk is the path behind the home of Charles Darwin.
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Learn to live in your green zone
Dr. K. Sohail MB BS FRCP(C)
Bette Davis RN BN MN
Dr. Sohail on Chowk & Web
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Petitions
Sign NAF's Petition: Support Dr. Morgentaler
The Order of Canada, the highest civilian honour, was established to recognize outstanding lifetime achievement and service. Please sign this petition to the Advisory Council of the Order of Canada, which has repeatedly overlooked Dr. Morgentaler for this distinguished award.
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www.skeptics.ca
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CDRH Darwin Day presentations now available listen online |