Category Archives: Science

Mass Deception Without Conspiracy

Posted on December 13, 2021 by Matt

One of America’s most common mistakes these days is blaming everything on conspiracies. But I don’t mean people who are dubious about the official narratives for things like election integrity, vaccine safety, Jeffery Epstein’s death, and the like. Neither do … Continue reading →

Posted in Musings, Politics, Science | 3 Comments

Why You Shouldn’t Implicitly Trust Experts

Posted on December 14, 2020 by Matt

Awhile back, I used to work as a “software application architect” at an aerospace company. And while this company wasn’t the biggest name in the business, neither were we some unknown. If I listed some of the projects going on … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Musings, Politics, Science | 1 Comment

A Brief History of Gender

Posted on November 14, 2017 by Matt

In 1955, sexologist John Money borrowed a term from linguistics and used it for a new concept in the study of human sexuality. “Gender” thereby became the go-to label for what is essentially a bundle of stereotypes associated with biological … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Feminism, Science | 2 Comments

Science Is Trustworthy When It Becomes Engineering

Posted on March 17, 2017 by Matt

Why do we trust science? Richard Dawkins answers in this video a friend shared on Facebook the other day. In it, Dawkins is asked how how one justifies the belief that evidence and logical reasoning are required for justified belief … Continue reading →

Posted in Science | 6 Comments

The Question No One Asked

Posted on November 11, 2015 by Matt

All sorts of stories are circulating the internet about a recent study by Jean Decety, a developmental neuroscientist at the University of Chicago, which argues that religion makes children less altruistic. Of course, the flavor of the headline will vary … Continue reading →

Posted in Atheism, Science | 1 Comment

Apologetics: Doing the Job the ELCA Won’t Do

Posted on February 20, 2015 by Matt

Well, one of them, at any rate. My wife alerted me to a recent question on the ELCA’s official Ask a Pastor [or Pastrix] page: It’s evident that violations of the laws of nature do not occur in our universe. … Continue reading →

Posted in Apologetics, Science | Leave a comment

What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

Posted on August 9, 2014 by Matt

Alfred Lord Tennyson famously observed the unfortunate fact that nature is “red of tooth and claw.” But soon, according to British philosopher David Pearce, there will be an app for that. In an interview with futurist blog io9, he has … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics, Science | 2 Comments

Atheism Caused By Genetics

Posted on August 21, 2013 by Matt

I don’t like cilantro. It’s not merely a matter of personal taste, either. I’m one of about 20% of Americans who lack a certain enzyme in our saliva, the result of which is that the popular herb tastes like soap … Continue reading →

Posted in Atheism, Science | 1 Comment

The Perils of Trivia & Ignorance

Posted on October 23, 2012 by Matt

So the Italian scientists have been found guilty of manslaughter for their conduct during the 2009 earthquake in L’Aquila.  The usual narrative is that they were unfairly found guilty for failing at an impossible task:  predicting when an earthquake would … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics, Science | Leave a comment

When Science Isn’t the Best Method

Posted on September 10, 2011 by Matt

Although science does have it’s worshipers–those who see it as the absolute high point of existence from which all good things proceed–most people recognize it as one tool among many.  It has been extremely useful to humanity in many respects, … Continue reading →

Posted in Apologetics, Science | 1 Comment