Bill Nye: The Science Guy - Pseudoscience (1996)

I think its going to be a good year for popular science promotion. Cosmos is being rebooted with Neil deGrasse Tyson, Bill Nye is debating Ken Ham, and I'm sure there's much more to be had considering the year is just starting. This old Bill Nye: The Science Guy episode is a classic, still watchable and relevant.

Kent Hovind vs Dr. Matthew Rainbow (Unknown)

So the laptop fund was successful, I've purchased a new laptop and I can begin updating again. So here we have another debate with the creationist felon Kent Hovind verses Dr. Matthew Rainbow. Rainbow has a lot of technical hiccups which takes away from the strength of his presentation, but shows a prodigious amount of patience for the creationist standpoint. He often takes the stance that God could be inserted into the process and denialism of an Old Earth simply doesn't match up with the evidence, but the two ideas are not mutually exclusive.

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The Eyes of Nye - Genetically Modified Foods (2012)

Really, the term Genetically Modified Food or Organism is a bit of a misnomer. Ever since the dawn of agriculture (even as hunter-gathers, unconsciously) we've been artificially selecting for traits that we found desirable in our food. Since the 1920s, we've taken control even further, "engineering" particular desirable traits. The term would be more scientifically accurate as "Genetically Engineered Organism". I've found that, usually, the most fervent anti-GE believers are usually the ones that don't understand the underlying science around the issue.

I usually upload the audio from videos I post—for those hungry iPods—but I feel like this one should be watched for full effect, so have at it and share with your friends.

Louann Brizedine - The Female Brain (2006)

 

One day, I was doing my usual pursuing of the Powell's technical books building. My girlfriend was selling clothes and I was disinterested in waiting in line with her. Floating around the physics books, I made my way over to the neurobiology section. Suddenly, my phone bleeped. Epinephrine flooded my body as I received the dreaded coup de grace text. I must pick a book now, or leave empty handed. There it was, with a little placard espousing its bestseller status.

Unfortunately, I found the text to be, frankly, unscientific in its wording and presentation. While the introduction was solid and laid a great opening framework for a scientific text, the actual meat and potatoes of the book felt like one long introduction, fraught with undue certainty when it came to its subject matter. I get it though, this is not a hardcore science book. Its a popular science book that is attempting to greatly simplify a vastly complex subject that is still an emerging field. The problem was in the way the simplification was achieved.

While the end of the book had a substantial number of references, individual scientific statements were made without individual citations or footnotes. This just makes me uneasy when reading a science book. How much of the statements are extrapolations of studies from the author? On what foundation is the author standing on? While I could check the back references for many statements, swaths of information did not have backing references.and statements were made that gave such certainty to their validity. While there is much we do understand about how neurotransmitters and different areas of the brain function, there is also a lot that we don't know and good science writers are adept at wording their books to reflect that.

The book forces a very dualistic viewpoint on male-female brain functions and focuses very little on the many ways that they are similar, to an absurd level. The functions of both testosterone and estrogen in the book are greatly simplified, when recent data has shown that both have more complex interactive functions in both male and female anatomy [1] [2]. Finally, at the end of the book, the author endorses acupuncture as a possible alternative to hormone therapy in postmenopausal women. As an aside, I'd also recommend foot rubs, but I wouldn't seriously suggest it in a scientific book about possible alternatives to hormone therapy.

With all its flaws, the best part of the book is the introduction. While its status as a scientific book should be questioned, the anecdotal stories of psychoanalytical tribulations by the author are, at least, entertaining and the book is written fluidly with an obviously unabashed dumbing down of its scientific content for a presumably unscientific audience. If you know anything about neurobiology, pass over this book.

Sources:
[1] http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-11/male-sex-drive-depends-on-both-estrogen-and-testosterone.html 
[2] http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/12/science/middle-aged-men-can-blame-estrogen-too.html?_r=0

James Watson - How We Discovered DNA (2005)

Today, the theory of evolution is an accepted fact for everyone but a fundamentalist minority, whose objections are based not on reasoning but on doctrinaire adherence to religious principles.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/j/james_d_watson.html#ISDwkAH5LJj7EvYY.99

Today, the theory of evolution is an accepted fact for everyone but a fundamentalist minority, whose objections are based not on reasoning but on doctrinaire adherence to religious principles.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/jamesdwat182864.html#JWhUJBLvDAVWmmd0.99

Today, the theory of evolution is an accepted fact for everyone but a fundamentalist minority, whose objections are based not on reasoning but on doctrinaire adherence to religious principles.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/j/james_d_watson.html#ISDwkAH5LJj7EvYY.99

"Today, the theory of evolution is an accepted fact for everyone but a fundamentalist minority, whose objections are based not on reasoning but on doctrinaire adherence to religious principles." - James Watson

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Michael Specter - Denialism (2009)

Denialism, Wikipedia defines it as human behavior where individuals choose to deny reality as a way to deal with an uncomfortable truth. Science is the ever-growing body of knowledge which seeks to test and measure reality in the—thus far conceived—best possible way, the scientific method. It operates with emotionless impunity, stripping away bias and unrepeatable findings, until the best possible theory to explain observed natural phenomenon is reached by peer-review and consensus. Sometimes science gets corrupted by bias, capitalism, or any number of factors, and we can point to certain instances in history or current events where this is so (take tobacco safety for instance). Even with error, the method razors through, who do you think discovered the harm tobacco actually does, in the end? It certainly wasn't the science denialists or the alt-med quacks. It was the persistence, in the face of substantial corporate pressure, of scientists studying the effects of cigarettes on health and loudly protesting the consensus until it changed.

In Michael Specter's book, Denialism, he takes on several strains of anti-science thinking. Fear of science and critical thinking, the anti-vaccination movement, organic food myths and anti-GMO activism, nutritional supplements and homeopathy cures, and genetics in regards to racial ethnicity. Each topic is well argued with plenty of entertaining interviews, quips, and Specter's personal insights. I could write a lengthy article in agreement with each of these topics, but Specter covers each point quite well already in his book, which I of course highly recommend. This is a strong first book for a writer who's future work I highly anticipate.

Portland is Epically Failing at Science

I have to hand it to Portland, its a nice place to live. It's arts and culture are a vibrant and welcome change of scenery compared to other large metropolitan areas. Its nearly a universal fact here that everyone either plays in a band, is an artist, or has a bohemian lifestyle. Progressive and intellectual thought is encouraged here in Woolandia, just don't go around challenging our tightly-held naturalistic beliefs or there will be hell to pay. We have one of the largest bookstores in the country (it takes up an entire city block for shit's sake) with small independent bookstores catering to all sub-genres and all tastes that can be found everywhere. So, why do we embrace so many anti-science and scientifically illiterate stances? It goes against all common sense. So lets go through all of the things this science class failing city embraces!

#1 - Anti-Fluoridation

Despite being the last of the U.S. top 30 most populated cities to not fluoridate its drinking water [1], Portland defeated (by a substantial margin) the recent measure to fluoridate this year and its been defeated here four times before (once voting in favor, then shortly after reversing the decision). Why would Portlanders defeat such a simple health measure when all of the scientific consensus is firmly in favor of fluoridation? Rampant "chemophobia" (or the irrational fear of chemicals), the appeal to nature (the logical fallacy that because something is natural it is inherently better), manipulative political campaigning combined with internet misinformation (Clean Water Portland, the anti-fluoride lobby here, has a name which contains a fallacious appeal), and—to beat a dead horse—a lack of scientific knowledge by the general public. In defiance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Dental Association universally hailing water fluoridation as one of the top 10 public health achievements of the 20th century [2], the 65 years of studies in which the overall scientific consensus is that community water fluoridation is as safe as can be measured [3], and its incredibly low cost to high benefit ratio [4], Portland remains fluoride-free (except, of course, the level that already naturally occurs) and has no sign of swaying in favor anytime soon.

I consider anti-fluoridation to be number one on this list because of its widespread acceptance. The last time we voted, the measure was struck down by a 20-point margin [5]. Selected articles for further reading on the topic: Why Portland Is Wrong About Water Fluoridation, Water fluoridation controversy, and The Sanest Arguments Against Fluoride... And Why They're Still Wrong

#2 - Anti-GMOs

If there's something else that can inspire a knee-jerk emotional reaction (MONSANTOOOO!) out of people here, just mention GMOs. Thanks to a rigorous campaign of misinformation and fear-mongering from grocery stores like Whole Foods [6] and New Seasons [7], if there's one thing people fear ingesting more than trace amounts of fluoride, its genetically modified organisms. Sure, who doesn't want to conserve the environment and eat good, healthy food? But how does organic food address these issues? Environmentally, growing organic food is a less efficient use of land (numbers are varied, but a fair estimate is that organic food is somewhere around 25% to 35% less productive [8])—food production takes up a substantial portion of the Earth's surface (with estimates as high as 40% [9]). Land use and its maximization is something that organic food will be unable to match with modern agriculture. The fact shatters the idea that organic farming is more environmentally friendly, especially since more and more arable land will be needed for food production due to an ever increasing human population. Are GMOs dangerous or have they caused a single illness or fatality? Are they less healthy than organic food? Its an unequivocal no on all counts, hippies. There is no evidence whatsoever that any GMOs are any more dangerous or unhealthy than organic food [10]. The scientific consensus is broad and clear on this [11].

Often the same companies that mass produce organic food also have products which are produced conventionally so the idea that buying organic is some sort of consumerist rebellion against large corporations and conventional agriculture is a myth. I consider myself to be an environmentalist and I'm strongly interested in preserving the Earth's extremely fragile and varied ecosystem. However, our current methods of organic food production are wasteful and costly to the environment. Its also important to note that I am not entirely arguing against organic food, rather the false modern science verses organic food ideological dichotomy. Obviously, using technology and engineering to splice genes together can have negative consequences and should be researched carefully, but its an option that needs to be explored if we're going to feed the planet and stop global warming. Every technology has risks, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't take them, especially when the stakes are so high.

Selected articles for further reading: What scares you about GE foods?, More bad science in the service of anti-GMO activism, and Fruitless Endeavors: The False Promises of Organic Agriculture

#3 - "Alternative" Medicine

Welcome to Woolandia, where you can't throw a rock into a crowd without hitting someone who's studying acupuncture, naturopathic medicine, or reflexology. Everyone here is so healthy and supplements their organic, non-GM food with delicious multivitamins, echinacea, and homeopathic wellness pills. Acupuncture doesn't work [12], naturopathic medicine is pseudoscience [13], reflexology is not an effective treatment for any medical condition [14], most people who eat a balanced diet don't need nutritional supplements (they're basically expensive urine coloring) [15], and homeopathy is outright unethical quackery (you're buying pills that have nothing in them) [16]. But never mind all of that science stuff. Evidence doesn't mean anything in Woolandia!

Further reading: ASA Smacks Down Homeopathy, Another Negative Study of Vitamins, and The difference between science-based medicine and CAM

#4 - Anti-Vaccinations

This one is another belief straight out of the appeal to nature file cabinet. There are people here that actually believe vaccines are harmful, cause autism, or whatever despite the mountain (and its a giant fucking mountain) [17] of evidence that points to the contrary. The logic employed to justify these beliefs is often so riddled with fallacies that it becomes incomprehensible to any thinking person. Here in Woolandia, logic means nothing! You think vaccines don't cause autism? Well I got vaccinated and my foot hurts. How about that? Huh?!

Mo' readin': Retracted autism study an 'elaborate fraud,' British journal finds

Why Does the Vaccine/Autism Controversy Live On?, Autism And Vaccines: Fears Persist Despite Overwhelming Evidence That The MMR Vaccine Is Safe, One Thing We Know About Autism: Vaccines Aren't to Blame, and The Crash and Burn of an Autism Guru

#5 - Scientology

Greetings Earthlings, it is I, the great lord Xenu, ruler of the Galactic Confederacy! 75 million years ago I brought billions of humans down to Earth in jetliner spacecraft. I stacked them around volcanoes filled with hydrogen bombs, which I detonated, which killed everyone's material bodies but their souls live on in you (they're called thetans) and they're the source of all human misery. You can only get rid of them through auditing (which is extremely expensive) but as you advance up in OT levels (also extremely expensive) you gain powers such as: immunity to disease, mentally increasing your body weight, healing by touch, ESP, telepathy and remote viewing, mentally project illusions into other people's minds, generate electricity with your body, and of course spiritual immortality.

Scientologists actually believe all of this.

Further reading: Supernatural abilities in Scientology doctrine, Scientology's Space Opera and Confidential Materials, and Scientology controversies

Sources:
[1] http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2013/05/portland_fluoride_vote_will_medical_science_trump_fear_and_doubt.html
[2] http://www.cdc.gov/fluoridation/
[3] http://www.ada.org/fluoride.aspx
[4] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1459459/
[5] http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/05/22/fluoridation-fails-in-portland-by-20-point-margin/ 
[6] http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/mission-values/environmental-stewardship/genetically-engineered-foods
[7] http://www.newseasonsmarket.com/our-story/welcome#gmo-foods-and-you
[8] http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v485/n7397/full/nature11069.html
[9] http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-09-17/national/35495975_1_organic-food-organic-advocates-organic-agriculture
[10] http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/pdf/8180.pdf
[11] http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2012/1025gm_statement.shtml
[12] http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/acupuncture-doesnt-work/
[13] http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/Naturopathy/naturopathy.html
[14] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19740047
[15] http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/truth-behind-top-10-dietary-supplements?page=2
[16] http://skepticalvegan.com/2011/02/05/homeopathy-unethical-quackery/
[17] http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/toxic-myths-about-vaccines/

Joe Schwarcz - The Importance of Skepticism in Science (2012)

So many times during Portland's idiotic fluoridation debate, so many made the fundamental error of not understanding the dictum "the dose makes the poison". Repeatedly, without fail, studies were flung into the debate testing dosage levels far above any normal intake and showing detrimental effects. Studies (I'm mostly referring to the NAS 2006 meta-study because it was the most cited one) where rats were given human lethal levels of fluoride and obviously, the rat's bodies began to shut down. Because of Portland's near-universal lack of scientific literacy, they extrapolated high dose effects to low dose effects and were completely unable to critically analyze scientific data. If only I had a portable sound system and projector to constantly project this TED talk at the anti-fluoridation rallies.

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Kraftwerk - Radio-Activity (1975)

One of my favorite electronic music outfits of all time has to be Kraftwerk. Before I discovered them (sometime in high school), I thought electronic music was a wasteland of pretentious beats, pulsing out terrible kick drum samples to move the drugged out masses with artists entirely incapable of doing anything interesting. How wrong cursory observations can be is astounding (however unsurprising). This album is one of their more challenging records, heavily experimental and groundbreaking. Almost all of the songs revolve around science and engineering topics. The song "Radio Stars" is about pulsars and quasars.

Radio-Aktivität

1.  Geiger Counter
2.  Radioactivity
3.  Radioland
4.  Airwaves
5.  Intermission
6.  News
7.  The Voice of Energy
8.  Antenna
9.  Radio Stars
10. Uranium
11. Transistor
12. Ohm Sweet Ohm

 

Michael Specter - Denialism (2010)

I took a short break from reading heavy non-fiction, but I will be returning to the grind shortly with Michael Specter's Denialism. After watching this lecture, I can expect a grand take-down of leftist science denialism. He takes on anti-GMO, anti-vaccine, and generally anti-science left activists that have taken over progressivism. 

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Richard Dawkins - On Evolution (2009)

In light of the recent hiring of creationist promoter Guillermo Gonzalez by Ball State University, creationists have been saying lots of stupid things in defense of the move. This is not Ball State's only questionable move when it comes to science. Another one of their assistant professors is being investigated for promoting intelligent design in a class entitled "The Boundaries of Science". The idea of equal time for teaching both ideas is ludicrous, as well as the idea that somehow Gonzalez is not going to let his beliefs influence his scientific ideas and teachings. We don't teach divine intervention combined with the germ theory of disease in medical schools for a reason. It isn't science and it isn't reconcilable with scientific instruction.

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Sam Harris - Science Can Anser Moral Questions (2010)

Compared with the theocratic terrors of medieval Europe, or those that persist in much of the Muslim world, the influence of religion in the West now seems rather benign. We should not be misled by such comparisons, however. The degree to which religious ideas still determine government policies—especially those of the United States—presents a grave danger to everyone.

- Sam Harris The End of Faith

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Sean Carroll - God Is Not A Good Theory (2013)

Sean M. Carroll has a Ph.D. in Astronomy and Astrophysics and has appeared on The History Channel's The Universe series (of which I am a huge fan and yes The History Channel does occasionally still have watchable programming see also Ancient Aliens), The Science Channel's Through The Wormhole series (also a huge fan, when are they making more?!) and Comedy Central's The Colbert Report. He's written a graduate level textbook on general relativity and two popular books: From Eternity To Here and The Particle at The End of The Universe (about the Higgs boson). He's also an outspoken atheist (go figure). Here is his lecture dismantling arguments for God as an explanation for anything.

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Greydon Square - Type II: The Mandelbrot Set (2012)

Greydon Square is an atheist rapper from Compton, CA. His lyrics generally revolve around philosophical issues and science. He studied physics and computer science after serving in the Iraq War and runs his own organization called Grand Unified Theory which educates people about science, secular values, and rational thinking. His lyrics are amazing and his beats are straight old style hip-hop, highly recommended listening.

Type II: The Mandelbrot Set

1. Galaxy Rise
2. 4th
3. Snowflakes and Flowsnakes
4. Peace Peace
5. Flower Girl
6. 2013 Atheist Dreadnought (Lady Assassin, Syqnys, Greydon Square, Tombstone da Deadman, Johnny Hoax, Gripp, & T
7. Grow Too Old Soon
8. Prison Planet
9. Interstellar
10. 1-2,1-2
11. Dopamine Notes
12. Judgement Day
13. Rhyme Sickness from Orion Cygnus
14. Metaphor Swordsman
15. 6 Blankas (feat. C Gats & Canibus)
16. Borrowed Time
17. #GU After-Party (feat. DJ Zashone)
18. Ultra Combo
19. Summer’s Ending
20. .7
21.  As a Legend
22. Final Kata

Helen Fisher - Why We Love, Why We Cheat (2007)

Helen Fisher is an anthropologist who studies human behavior, specifically sexual attraction and love. In this particular TED lecture she attempts to view our loves and desires through an evolutionarily and neurological lens. I can hear Michael Shermer's characteristic laugh from the audience near the end of this, perhaps it isn't his, but I enjoy depositing unfalsifiable hypothesizes and presenting them as truth.

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Genie Scott - Evolution and Global Warming Denialism: How the Public Is Mislead (2011)

"Should the public come to believe that the scientific issues are settled, their views about global warming will change accordingly. Therefore, you need to continue to make the lack of scientific certainty a primary issue in the debate." - 2002 Memo for GOP Canidates

The contention is that since the science isn't settled there's no need to take action. Much as the tobacco companies argued that we don't need warning labels on cigarettes because our scientists say that smoking is harmless. Now the idea of questioning the science is often done through presenting a slate of scientists that support your point of view and certainly the creationists have done this for decades... At any event, even 30,000 scientists is a small fraction of the total number of people receiving degrees in science since approximately the 1970s which would be the cohort that would be being sampled, shall we say. One calculation had it as 3/10ths of 1 percent so the idea that there is this huge ground swell of scientists opposing global warming is, to say the least, overstated.

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Carl Sagan - Interview With Ted Turner (1989)

Before tour I read Billions and Billions by Carl Sagan and planned on writing a review of the book. Unfortunately it was eagerly whisked away by my father, also an avid Carl Sagan reader and fan, so I'll have to wait to write it until my copy comes back to me. This interview is an oldie but goodie, Carl Sagan outlines his concerns for the future of humanity: nuclear war, climate change, and our insignificant place in the universe. Quite a good interview. Hopefully I should be finished with On The Origin of Species soon because I have a huge pile of books to get to.

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Lawrence Krauss - Lecture in Stockholm (2013)

I'm officially back from tour. It was an amazing experience. And now a physics lecture by Larry Krauss.

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Jerry Coyne - Why Evolution is True and Why Many People Still Don't Believe It (2012)

I've been reading On The Origin of Species which has been inspiring me to post more evolution related lectures and debates. I've read quite a few books on evolution so its interesting to go back to the source. Darwin's work is still highly relevant and engaging so it's been good to revisit it. This post is also a response to the last debate I posted, where the imitable "Dr." Hovind convinced us so effectively of creationism's truth. In other news, my band is leaving for tour today, so posts may get a little spaced out for the next two weeks.

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Understanding Science - Lecture 6: Conspiracy Theories (2012)

WAKE UP SHEEPLE!

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