Promoting Science and Critical Thinking
The “Moon Landing was a Hoax” claim is a very old trope these days, so much so, that it is a popular bit of cultural mythology. Are there really people who seriously embrace such conspiracy thinking? Very much indeed yes. To grasp that you need to remember that we live in a world where some … Read more Did we really go to the Moon?
The 12th February is officially International Darwin day. I tend to have a Charles Darwin posting up to mark the occasion, and so here are a few samples from previous years … 2015: Was Darwin a racist, and does evolution promote racism? – #DarwinDay (Hint … No) 2016: Why is Today Darwin Day and what is … Read more Today is Darwin Day
It was my privilege to visit the John Day Fossil Beds in east-central Oregon. As part of that visit, one specific question arose that has an answer that is simply hilarious. Who is John Day? My daughter’s immediate suggestion is that he was most probably some “privileged rich white guy” who made a large enough … Read more Who is John Day?
When it comes to utterly bizarre claims then the “Phantom Time Hypothesis” is one of those that does indeed stand out. Basically this was dreamed up historian Heribert Illig and first published in 1991. In summary, the idea is that roughly about three centuries of history (AD 614 to 911) never actually happened and that … Read more Weird Ideas: The Phantom Time Hypothesis
Right now I’m in Ireland on the North Antrim coast. Its a very interesting area. OK, yes I’ve been to the Bushmills distillery to sample the water of life, thats where you take the tour, then get to sample the product afterwards, but thats not what I’m on about. All along the coast there exists … Read more Life’s a Beach