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The Interacting Universe and You

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The Carina Nebula,  Hubbel Telescope ( http://tinyurl.com/q3yzwhf) In an idle conversation this evening an idea struck me; it struck me so hard, in fact, that I now find myself writing in this quasi-abandoned blog. What could have been so powerful make me dust-off the cobwebs from this spot in cyberspace, you might wonder. I suppose it could be summed in five words. It is all about relationships. Or rather, it’s all about interaction. It is the interaction between the electron and the proton, the electro-magnetic and nuclear forces that bind them together, that define the atom. And it is the attraction or repulsion of atoms that defines the molecule. By the same token, at the biological level, it is the forces of attraction and repulsion of molecules that define what it is to be a cell, and at an increasing level of complexity, a tissue. It is the meaningful interaction of different cells and tissues that defines and organ and an organ-system, and so it is...
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Skeptics - Sometimes Your Friendly Neighborhood Debunkers

A year ago, in a similarly named post, I wrote here about skepticism, and the idea that it is far larger and deeper that the mere process of debunking faulty information. A year later, I found myself trying to debunk. Some time ago I had the opportunity to write a response to an article that was published in a local monthly newspaper called La Voz, a publication directed toward the Hispanic community in Rochester, NY. That article provided a platform for my first attempt at formal skepticism. The experience was interesting, uncomfortable, and vital. Here is a link to the relevant edition of the newspaper (March 2012), the article is named "El sistema de salud está fallando, ¿cuáles son nuestras alternativas?" (mind you, it is in Spanish): http://www.rochesterlavoz.com/current_edition/2012/LaVoz_03_2012_web.pdf The article's thesis was established on the premise that mainstream medicine has failed, in some respects, and suggests the use of alternative medicines to...
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Thinking Critically about Critical-Thinking

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That critical-thinking is a powerful tool both in reasoning and in decision-making is undeniable. It allows us to scrutinize information instead of accepting it at face value, and promotes the pursuit of a greater and deeper understanding in whatever domain we choose to use it in. Just like any other powerful tool, however, its power can become misused. What happens when critical-thinking is applied without basic understanding of human heuristics and biases? When considering what characteristics all critical-thinkers share, some can be quite visibly illustrated. All seem to promote doubt for accepted assumptions, seek alternative explanations for whatever phenomena they are thinking-critically about, and all seem to argue for a greater transparency within a variety of aspects in social contexts.  In other words, the critically-turned are all of us, blog readers and writers (and sometimes influential movie-makers). We are those who, among othe...
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Skeptics - Not Just Your Friendly Neighborhood Debunkers

As a young skeptic, it had been my dubious pleasure, at times, to discuss my skeptical approach to knowledge, life, and belief systems. These encounters, though varied in their social settings, would usually peak in a similar way: My non-skeptical companion would utilize popular pseudo-scientific mechanisms to justify her/his argument, while I would attempt to provide empirical evidence to debunk the proposed claims and expose their logical flaws. Such seems to be the popular understanding of modern skepticism, by skeptics and non-skeptics alike. We are debunkers, self-described revealers of truth who must continually search for weakness and fault. The result? Skeptics are perceived as cynical, closed minded elitists, with nothing to add other than critique and denial. The burden of this mantle is as heavy as it is important. In such moments of distress, where skeptisicm feels more like a burden than a candle in the dark, I would draw the attention of my fellow skep...
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