Mars One debunked

When I’ve previously written about Mars One, the Dutch proposal to send people there on a one-way trip, I’ve expressed a considerable degree of doubt that the entire enterprise was in any way a realistic proposition, and while I would truly love it to be real, I’ve never thought it was, there are simply too … Read more

MP on select committee proposed Astrology as an NHS cure in the UK

Last month the Conservative MP David Tredinnick, a well-known alternative medicine and astrology nut, gave an interview to the Astrological Journal, in which he suggested that prophecy could be used to treat patients in the NHS. He wrote … “There would be a huge row over resources. However, I do believe that astrology and complementary medicine would help take … Read more

Daft Claim: Atheism will decline (prepare to be amused)

So an article on News24 caught my eye that claims that it is inevitable that Atheism will decline. Now when faced with such articles I do wonder if the author is serious, or if he is simply trolling for a reaction – in this instance, I truly do think that he is serious. So let’s take a look … Read more

Cartoons of Mohammed – needlessly provocative or a defence of free expression?

Let’s start this thought experiment with a small scenario. Suppose you lived in a small town that contained buildings for the various religious beliefs to meet in, a Mosque, a synagogue and a Catholic Church. How would you feel if things played out like this. Each friday, the catholics and Jews would gather outside the … Read more

You can be fooled by Sciencey sounding stuff

So I attended a great talk last night that took place at Reading Skeptics in the Pub by Matt Parker, a mathematician, stand-up comedian, and skeptic. It sounded fun, and even if the maths went zooming over the heads of all, the standup comedy would still make it worth attending. It was indeed great fun, and Matt … Read more

Claim: Without god you have no morality

In response to various stories that criticise belief I’ve seen the moral argument pop up. For example, David Quinn writes in the Irish Independent a response to Stephen Fry’s observation that the God of the bible is quite immoral.. But matter cannot produce a moral law. It cannot produce ‘justice’. If matter and its emanations … Read more