I reported a while back that the University of Wyoming geology museum was in danger of extinction: it has been pulled back from the brink by a generous private donation of over half a million dollars, with matching funds from the state. I don’t like to see significant public institutions’ survival depending on the whim of individuals, but we take what we can get, and are grateful for it.
(via Wonkette)
When I was in New York a while back, I got to meet Ben Fry, a clever fellow who has been doing some amazing things with data visualization. One of the things we played with was a a new toy he’d worked out, or rather, a new application of some old tools. One of the things biologists are interested in is change over time, and we compare genomes to see where changes have occurred between two or more species; one of the reasons we’re interested in the chimpanzee genome, for instance, is that it is close to ours, and what scientists are doing is comparing the two, looking for the key differences.
There are other things that change over time that lend themselves to these sorts of analyses. Darwin’s On the Origin of Species went through six editions during his lifetime, and it wasn’t a static document at all — he revised, sometimes extensively, and he added new material, sometimes in response to new data, sometimes in reaction to public and private concerns.
What Fry has done is taken the text of all six editions, compared them, and color-coded the words by when they were added. Then he rendered them in teeny-tiny print and splashed them up on the screen so you can see when and where changes occurred in Darwin’s text. It takes a while to load, since it is loading the full text of six editions of the Origin, plus annotations, but then you can just move your cursor around over the blocks to read and see what he was thinking. For instance, one thing that jumps out at you is the huge block of red in the middle of the document, a whole large section that was added in the sixth edition. Mouse over it, and you’ll see how it starts:
I WILL devote this chapter to the consideration of various miscellaneous objections which have been advanced against my views, as some of the previous discussions may thus be made clearer;
That makes sense; this is a piece of the story that Darwin added late, after the book had drawn a lot of criticism, to address specific problems.
It’s a fun gadget. Go explore the evolving mind of Darwin!
The lucky people near George Washington University get to learn all about godless sex on 16 September.
Fred Edwords
“The Joy of Godless Sex”
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
The George Washington University
Marvin Center AmphitheaterWhen it comes to sexuality, two sizes don’t fit all. Nor does one institution. That’s why a nontheistic, humanist approach recognizes sexual diversity, individuality, freedom, and responsibility. And that’s why humanists continue to work for an end to needless guilt and repression and actively call for a broadening of human possibilities and pleasures.
Hosted by SKEPTIC (Science and Knowledge Empowering People to Intelligently Choose), an affiliate of the Secular Student Alliance.
Hang on there…this is a trick. All sex is godless, peculiar Catholic prayer books notwithstanding. It’s just that we can be far more inventive without an imaginary phantasm hanging over our shoulders.
For example, behold: the four-headed spiny anteater penis. The universe is a far weirder place than the godly can imagine.
Fargo, North Dakota has declared 24 September to be Freethought Day, thanks to the Red River Freethinkers.
We’re definitely going to have to have a party up North that day.
The new Molly winner for the month of July has been determined: give ‘Tis Himself hearty congratulations and many backslaps. Now we need to figure out who the hot commenter for the month of August was — leave your suggestions in the comments.
Now some terrifying news: I’m supposed to talk with a publisher next week, which of course has me staring fixedly at text and seeing all the huge and awful flaws in it. I’m going to be frantically polishing all weekend, so you may not see much of me for a while.
I’m thinking if I go through everything carefully and dot all my ‘i’s with smiley faces*, and put it all in a shiny clear plastic cover, it’ll look much more impressive.
*Wait…would dotting them with hearts be better? Oh, decisions, decisions.
This is the start of a big film project by Conceptual Guerilla: he’s attending events by acolytes of Rush Limbaugh and Glen Beck, teabagging (just the name is good for a giggle) parties and such, and simply recording their own words. It’s a weird combination of certainty and ignorance, and as you’ll see, these are ordinary people, Americans just like your neighbors and co-workers, and they’re nuts.
Formally, I suppose this is going to be a documentary, but the effect is somewhere between a bad comedy movie and a psychological horror film.
I’m going to be on the radio tonight, at 10pm Central time, on a program radiating out of Missouri State University called the All-American Gun Show. The host is JT Eberhard, a dangerous rascal, and I think he’s planning to harrass me fiercely. Here’s the blurb for the show:
PZ Myers, biology professor at the University of Minnesota Morris and the author of the science blog Pharyngula. Myers is known for his criticism of creationism and religion, including an appearance at Skepticon I on the Missouri State campus last October and a return to the campus this November for Skepticon II.
   The notorious Dr. Myers, a liberal by admission, is famous for his atheist shennanigans that include throwing crackers in the trash. We plan to pin this kingpin of the secular mafia down with fine-tuning arguments and universally accepted facts of science like the absence of any transitional fossils in the fossil record. Pwnd.
Tune in if you’d like to hear me raked over the coals.
My evil plan worked. They thought they were drawing me into a trap, but I knew that all I had to do was link to them and my henchpersons would bring their servers to their knees. Mission accomplished.
They were recording, and said the interview will be up on their website in a few hours…at which time you will all crash that! Bwahahahahahaha!
This is how to design an online poll to stymie the Pharyngulistas: make sure it makes no sense and limits the options to only unpalatable choices. Go ahead and try and figure this one out…although it does say it is for creationists, and it is for Christians only.
Why Creationist is your favorite?
15% (3) Kent Hovind
5% (1) Ken Ham
36% (7) Both
42% (8) Neither… someone else
“Why creationist,” indeed.
