The video of the panel on “Is science the new religion?” at QED last April is now available, so you can see Robin Ince expostulating with Brendan O’Neill. I enjoy seeing Robin Ince expostulating with Brendan O’Neill.
Tickets for QED 2014 are now on sale. Only £99!
I love Robin Ince. He’s a brilliant man, but much under-appreciated.
Robin has worked as hard as anyone to develop this new ‘movement’ of science, skepticism and atheism. Organizing, creating, devising, and bringing people together for several years.
Another thing about Robin: while many public figures of skepticism and atheism reveal themselves to be unpleasantly ignorant and obnoxious, Robin remains generous and thoughtful. There’s no chance of Robin launching into a plainly bogus rant about Muslims or feminism.
He’s a really good guy. I highly recommend Robin’s blog.
Thanks. I just finished listening. And, of course, I agree with Robin Ince.
I’m wondering where Brendan O’Neill gets his ideas. In my experience, most scientists would prefer that they just do the science, and somebody else set the policy. Okay, O’Neill does put part of the blame on the politicians. But I wonder why it doesn’t occur to him that the politicians are actually listening to their constituents, and many of their constituents are pushing for action on global warming.
On second thought, I don’t really wonder. He is seeing the waning of religious influence, and is trying to find a group to blame instead of recognizing where the real problem lies.
What everyone was too polite to say, was that Brendan O’Neill was defending his own ignorance, and his right to lie. Specifically, his right to lie to an uninformed constituency for political and monetary gain–precisely his charge against scientists.
What an incoherent mess, the moderator did a terrible job. I hate when people say, “ah, erm, uh, hum” to occupy verbal space to keep from being interrupted. Brendan is the worst kind of, “not a scientist and proud”, while the theoretical physicist is the worst kind of stereotype.
The best and clearest was the woman, was her name Helen, the audio on my feed is a bit garbled – but, say, she was the most interrupted and cut off. Funny that.
Debate is such a stilted stupid form, particularly if the moderator is a weak presence.
Watched 35 minutes, couldn’t take any more.
The woman in the panel is Dr Helen Czerski, physicist and BBC TV presenter.
Here’s Helen presenting the BBC series ‘Orbit: Earth’s Extraordinary Journey’.
“I’m wondering where Brendan O’Neill gets his ideas.”
I can tell you: from the Revolutionary Communist Party (RCP). Now defunct as an organised body, but its members are thriving in the meeja. Some of them are very good too, like Kenan Malik. I think Brendan O’N is right about half the time.