Oldest known dinosaur nesting site discovered in South Africa
A fantastic discovery has been made in early Jurassic strata at the Golden Gate Highlands National Park, South Africa. The area has previously revealed many excellent fossils, including skeletons of prosauropod (early dinosaurs preceding Sauropods, and often bipedal) Massospondylus. In 1976, a block of siltstone was found to contain a partial egg clutch of this species with in ovo embryonic remains. A study led by Prof. Robert Reisz (University of Toronto), began in 2006 to investigate the site further and has uncovered a nesting site with several complete nests and fascinating evidence of complex reproductive behaviours. The nesting site is approximately 190 million years old, making it the oldest vertebrate nesting site of its kind, and 100 million years older than the previously oldest known nesting site with in ovo embryonic fossils. Read the rest of this entry
Science Showoff (24/1/12)
Update: Thanks to everyone who came along. I had a wonderful night and thoroughly enjoyed the other performances. Feel free to tweet or FB message me if you want a copy of the slides from the presentation.
Londoners! The date for this month’s Science Showoff has been changed and it just so happens I’ll be in the area on the day (21/1/12). If you want to see me stand on a stage and link taxonomy, Darth Vadar, a rigid penis, and Boris Becker, then come along! It’s at the Wilmington Arms, from 1930 until 2200. Don’t worry, I’ll only be on for a little while.
More info can be found on the Science Showoff website.
Beautiful Mars in HD
Also, the blog is now 2 years old. Huzzah. I’ve been taking an enforced break from blogging, but this place will be active again from February onwards.
Christopher Hitchens 13/04/1949 – 15/12/2011
Christopher Hitchens has died at the age of 62. I don’t have much to say. I raise a glass of whisky in his memory, and intend to continue enjoying the works this fantastic author/journalist/debater left us. He won’t be forgotten by anyone (friends or enemies) anytime soon.
Enjoy some Hitchslaps.
The 21 g soul: Do our bodies become lighter after death?
The immaterial soul. How much does it weigh? Well, nothing if it’s immaterial. If something has mass, can it be defined as immaterial? Maybe not by someone reasoning normally. In far too many a few debates with theists I’ve had to listen to absurdly contradictory claims that scientists have confirmed and proven the existence of the immaterial soul since the human body weighs less after death. 21 g less to be precise. I am not convinced that the there is evidence of a soul, let alone that it has a quantifiable weight. But this is a belief held by many, and a “fact” that is occasionally brought up in discussions I have with theists. Read the rest of this entry
Petition the Burzynski Clinic to release their clinical data
It has to be said, everything about the Burzynksi Clinic is a little odd. Donations/payments have to be made to Dr Burzynksi personally (like all reputable organisations?), they have a lawyer who prefers typos and creepy intimidation over any real professional conduct, and they rely on a cancer treatment “breakthrough” they made over thirty years ago but still refuse to publish any randomised and controlled clinical trials in a reputable peer-reviewed scientific journal.
The more we learn about the Burzynksi Clinic, the more we see false hope being used as bait, easy cash being made, and lack of results. If Burzynksi’s treatment isn’t doing any good, it would be worth knowing for sure. That way, people wouldn’t waste so much money on him (and I do mean him, the cheques are payable to him). But even better, what if he really has discovered a cure for cancer? Then isn’t that an even better reason to have the data from his trials? Bogus treatment, or miracle cure, either way the data obviously needs to be shared so it can be evaluated. A petition has been created in order to challenge the Burzynksi Clinic to actually release the data on its clinical trials. Over thirty years since the discovery of their cancer treatment and still no published and peer-reviewed clinical trails in reputable scientific journals demonstrating the efficacy of their expensive treatments. Surely it’s about time they show us what they’ve got?
You can sign the petition here.
Atheist Society in St Andrews
Now that I spend most of my time in the beautiful and impossibly windy town of St Andrews, I’ve noticed a lot of visits coming to the blog from St Andrews-based readers and websites. I’m not exactly sure why, as my blog-pimping habits have been reduced in recent months. Regardless, it’s probably worth pointing out that a new society has formed for students of the University of St Andrews. They just started this semester and already have some great things planned. If you’re reading my blog because you’re interested in atheism and you study in St Andrews, definitely consider checking out the Atheist Society. A great bunch of people in my opinion, and definitely an interesting group situation considering the size and influence of the Christian Union in St Andrews.
You can find their Facebook group here. Don’t be shy.
US cancer quacks threaten 17 year old schoolboy in Wales
I know this bright young chap named Rhys Morgan. He’s your average teenage boy playing videogames, mastering social media, obsessing over technology, studying for exams, and similar activities that I pretend I’ve outgrown. Oh, I forgot to mention, he’s also the scourge of fundamentalists, bullshit-merchants, and woo-purveyors everywhere. You’ve probably seen his name in the news a few times or read about him on other blogs. He was diagnosed with Crohn’s and last year stood up against quacks attempting to sell a miracle cure for Crohn’s, which was literally bleach. Search for “Bleachgate” if you want to know more. It was very refreshing to see someone his age standing up, questioning wild claims, and understanding robust and valid evidence (or the lack of it).
The History Of Man
I love this (although I do still cringe a little whenever I see “man” rather than humanity or similar).
Spirit’s Photo Diary
As part of the Mars Exploration Rover Mission, NASA sent two rovers (Spirit and Opportunity) to Mars. They landed in January 2004. The following video shows some of the most memorable snapshots taken by Spirit. The mission was designed to last 92 days. Spirit continued to function for 2269 days. A ridiculously successful mission, and a fantastic short video. I am shocked it still has less than 14000 views.
Video by JPL, California Institute of Technology.
Scientific classification: What’s in a name?
Throughout modern history, scientists have had to create countless names for the litany of natural phenomena discovered. Naming systems have been required for galaxies, planets, rocks, molecules, plants, diseases, and some scientists have built careers around classifications and naming what we observe around us. Classification plays an important role in science, allowing us to keep track of what is known, and organize this knowledge in such a way that makes sense. As vital as classification and naming systems are for scientific knowledge, they are also hated by school children throughout the world. When asking people (especially children) what they dislike about science, the response I often receive is; “having to remember all the boring names”. But are they all boring?
Can brain-parasites influence human culture on a global level?
From now on I’ll be keeping a track of guest blog entries and podcast appearances here on this blog. So here’s a link to my most recent article, hosted over at the brilliant Birmingham Skeptics blog.
Can brain-parasites influence human culture on a global level?
Why I Celebrate Death
I am a skeptic. I will accept any claim, regardless of how insane it might initially sound, if it is supported by robust and valid evidence. And for that reason, I am also an atheist. I have access to the internet and I am fairly outspoken. All of these facts together mean that I occasionally get into discussions and debates with theists on various topics. Recently, I had an email conversation with a theist (with slight creationist leanings) that eventually drifted to a discussion about death and the fact that I’m not afraid to die. To paraphrase, he saw death as a wholly tragic event with absolutely no positive aspects at all except that it acts as the point between this life and the afterlife.
A very short letter to creationists
The Bible contradicts reality. It claims that things happened when they didn’t really, and it also claims that things didn’t happen when they did. This isn’t mere opinion, this is demonstrable. And at the same time, the Bible contradicts itself with the details anyway. When the Bible makes a claim that contradicts reality, we have to decide what we want to believe… Reality or Scripture? One of the many examples is biological evolution. We observe evolution taking place in the wild and in the lab. Every line of evidence points to the conclusion that we are evolving and that we have evolved from non-human ancestors. No evidence indicates otherwise. Scripture is the onlything denying this observable and demonstrable scientific fact.
Peter Harrison
