Friday Link Dump 2/4/11

Raptor Jesus Camp! 

HOMEOPATHY PSEUDOSCIENCE AT THE HUFFPO -  I read the Ullman article at HuffPo, rolled my eyes and moved on.  Here is the less lazy reaction.  

HOW NOT TO ARGUE - We all should study this.  

Stumbling Through History: Discovering Unsung African-American Chemists

Scientists find 5 new Parkinson's genes

Human Handedness Is for the Birds

Why are you an atheist? - PZ makes some great points here and I largely agree with him.  My half-hearted defense of some atheists is this: I think some atheists get caught up in the “atheism is a religion” debate with theists and apologists and hence the hardened stance of “dictionary atheists.”  There are better ways to say that atheism is not a religion, but the easiest is state the "Atheism means you lack a belief in gods. Nothing more. Quit trying to add meaning to the term."

Christopher Hitchens on the Tea Party - Once again, Hitchens hits the nail on the head.  

The universe is at least 250 times bigger than it looks

Arizona Tea Party Gone Wild: New Bill Gives State Right to Overthrow Federal Laws? - Get ready for this...

Section 2. Legislative intent, paragraph 4. Emphasis mine

4.  The ninth amendment to the United States Constitution secures and reserves to the people of Arizona as against the federal government their natural rights to life, liberty and property as entailed by the traditional Anglo-American concept of ordered liberty and as secured by state law, including their rights as they were understood and secured by the law at the time the amendment was ratified on December 15, 1791, as well as their rights as they were understood and secured by the law in this state at the time the Arizona Constitution was adopted.  The guarantee of those rights is a matter of compact between this state and the United States as of the time Arizona was admitted to statehood in 1912.

W....T....F
Why we have to get rid of pi for the sake of good math

Defending Egypt’s Autocracy, Huckabee Warns of the “Cascading Effects” of Democracy Across the Middle East & Huckabee: Opposing Israeli settlements is “Racism” and “Apartheid.”  - A self-serving, theocratic hypocrite.  The perfect GOP candidate?

A Physicist Explains Why Parallel Universe May Exist

'Cyclone no time for atheist PM' - Australia has its very own Pat Robertson.  

An explanation for the shape of the human penis. - Quit giggling.  This is science.  

Kepler Telescope discovers 1200 new worlds…and at least five potentially Earth-like planets

A really, really cool model of the solar system - Make sure you try toggling between the Copernican and Tychonian models (lower right corner).  

Get a sense of scale for planets

Afghan Stoning Video Rekindles Outcry - Good thing the U.S. has made such progress there.  /s

Six strange, tightly packed exoplanets baffle astronomers

You'd beat a Neanderthal in a race - Which is good because he would beat you to a pulp if he got his hands on you.  

Beck Predicts New Muslim Caliphate Will "Control The Mideast And Parts Of Europe" - Oh C’mon.  At this point he is just cribbing off of Orwell.  

Right Wing Reacts To Egypt Protests: Obama Is In League With The Muslim Brotherhood - There it is!  I knew they couldn't resist for too much longer.  

Now you know how you sound to an atheist.  

Congrats to Atheist News Podcast for winning the PodCast Awards!

Republican Sponsors Legislation to Reaffirm Godly Motto - Yay! It’s the 1950’s all over again!

The House GOP's Plan to Redefine Rape - …...............*grinds teeth*   *something resembling guttural sound emerges*   *risks aneurysm*

PZ Myers on Science and Atheism: Natural Allies

Britons who HATE Britain: The Muslim extremists hell-bent on segregation rather than integration

Yes, Chick-fil-A Says, We Explicitly Do Not Like Same-Sex Couples - Chick-fil-A sucks anyway, but this will ensure I never halfheartedly eat there again.  

HUMANS LEFT TREES 4.2 MILLION YEARS AGO

Free Pakistani teen jailed for blasphemy, Human Rights Watch says

OCEAN ON SATURN'S MOON FULL OF GAS

Republican Jack Kingston On Evolution: I'm Not From A Monkey! - No, a monkey has a modicum of critical thought.  

Tools Suggest Humans Left Africa Earlier Via Arabia

Scientists want to probe pyramid

Ken Ham vs. Rev. Barry Lynn Over Tax Funded Bible Theme Park - It is a violation of the separation of church and state.  In any event the tax exemptions themselves violate the First Amendment.  I’m working on that post now.  Hopefully I’ll have something up within the week.  

RESEARCH FINDS THAT ATHEISTS ARE MOST HATED AND DISTRUSTED MINORITY

Bill Maher To “Teabaggers”: “The Founding Fathers Would Have Hated Your Guts”

Hitchens gets waterboarded

Oklahoma Bill That Forces Teachers to Question Evolution - So we have lawmakers openly denying science, trying to legislate that denial and theist teachers challenging evolution. This is why we have a Failure of Science Education in the U.S.

Tom Ritter has figured out the path to scientific credibility

Brian Dalton on Mr. Deity Podcasts & the Morality of Atheism

The face of evil: The hatred of Palin irrational, mindless, demonic - Spare my eyes from the evil!  Please.  Bill O’Reilly also recently used comments on a blog and tweets as evidence of godless, liberal evil.  If you are reading comments on a news site, blog, or youtube prepare to see some horrible, horrible things and idiocy.  This goes for everyone on all sides of every issue.  There are just assholes everywhere.  Do we really want to get into an Internet flame war using comments as the center of a position’s base?

Speaking of Bill O’Reilly: tidal bore - What you hear  is the Flintstones running in place sound effect as Bill back peddles.  

Judgement Day!

Vatican To Reach Out To Atheists - 1) fffffffffuuuuuuuuuuu and 2) “The events will conclude with a party for youth in the courtyard of the Cathedral of Notre Dame, followed by prayer and meditation inside the cathedral.” RUN KIDS! RUN AWAY AS FAST YOU CAN!