More from Pat Condell

I can only aim to sound this angry. This time Pat debunks 'islamophobia' and woolly liberal thinking.

Camp Quest

A couple of interesting things in the news about Camp Quest.

First there is this article, which is the first thing I've seen in a while that encourages children to think about difficult questions.

Second, an interview with one of the children attending who sounds more mature than many adults who make it into the media.

Romanian Atheist

PZ Spotted this ages ago - it's pretty snappy, I like it.

Francis Collins

Collins has been nominated by Barack Obama to head the National Institutes of Health. Initially this seemed to be ok, he's a skilled administrator of science, as his work on the Human Genome Project showed. The problems started when details of his religious beliefs came out. It seems like the man from "nominally Christian" parents and who is 'ex-atheist' is a bit too mad for comfort. Sam Harris dismantles the man in this New York Times op-ed.

Homeopathic A&E

From That Mitchell And Webb Look.

View to the "Promised Land" from Mount Nebo

View to the "Promised Land" from Mount Nebo
Originally uploaded by edwbaker

Just for the record, this is very close to the spot where Moses was (mythically) murdered by his creator.

This photograph is from the top of Mount Nebo, looking out towards the 'Promised Land'. It was New Year's Day, and I'd celebrated the night before, but still doesn't look particularly promising. In fact, if you turn around 180 degrees the country was much more lush.

Spring of Moses II

Spring of Moses
Originally uploaded by edwbaker

I tapped the rock, turned around, and that water you see was there. Cool, eh?

Rock, Spring of Moses

Rock, Spring of Moses
Originally uploaded by edwbaker

This may look like an innocent rock, but it has a nasty past (assuming that you follow a certain set of Bronze Age beliefs and this is, in fact, the right rock). You see this lump of rock is allegedly involved in God's murder of Moses.

You see, the rock first does it's magic trick of providing water when Moses is instructed to hit it by God. But then, 40 years later, God instructs Moses to talk to it. But he hits it, and water comes out.

The punishment for tapping a rock? Murder before you reach the promised land. Sounds very reasonable and forgiving to me!

(Yes, I've been there. I find the Biblical stories fascinating. I just recognise that they aren't true. The Middle East would be a much nicer place if people realised this.)

More Marcus Brigstocke

More comedy from comedian Marcus Brigstocke - the Daily Express gets a pretty major bashing at the end.

More Dara O'Briain

TED Talks: Maths, Coral and Crochet

I love maths (I did a physics degree), I love invertebrate biology, I've never done crochet. This video may seem a bit light hearted but it highlights the links between the natural sciences, and how crucial mathematics is to our understanding of the world.

Dara O'Briain: Homeopathy and other quakcery

Some more light-hearted looks at reason. Contains strong language (and humour).

Marcus Bridgstocke

Thanks to GrrlScientist. I have mentioned the chastity ring girl, Lydia Playfoot before. The recording is rather old, but still worth listening to. It seems that Marcus Brigstocke is almost a comic Richard Dawkins.

Darwin Matrix Wallpaper

Grab the original here. I really like it, must have taken some work.

Michael jackson's Ghost

It was only a matter of time before the idiocy began!

God is a milk bottle

A friend sent me this, one I hadn't seen before. even though it's not an optical illusion, it's still got an interesting point.