ريتشارد دوكنز's Blog, page 132

These corals could survive climate change — and help save the world’s reefs

By Amber Dance Anne Cohen dropped into the ocean off the coast of the Phoenix Islands expecting to find desolation. It was 2018, and a powerful El Niño weather system two years earlier had warmed the waters around this mid-Pacific atoll by nearly 3 °C. Coral reefs simmered in the heat. Such feverish temperatures cause the …

Utah Governor Gets Mormon Church Behind Conversion Therapy Ban

By Jacob Ogles Utah Gov. Gary Herbert says stakeholders, including the Mormon church, have agreed to rules implementing a ban on the practice of conversion therapy in the state. “I have learned much through this process,” Herbert said in a press release. “The stories of youth who have endured these so-called therapies are heart rending, and …

States Could Soon Be Forced to Fund Religious Education

By Lisa Needham In January, the U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear a case that could result in states being required to use taxpayer money to fund religious education. The case, Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, asks whether Montana must provide tax credits for scholarships to private religious schools. With the addition of Justices …

The apocalyptic myth that helps explain evangelical support for Trump

By Thomas Lecaque “God’s used imperfect people all through history. King David wasn’t perfect. Saul wasn’t perfect. Solomon wasn’t perfect,” outgoing Energy Secretary Rick Perry said in an interview on “Fox & Friends” before going on to claim that he had given the president “a little one-pager on those Old Testament kings about a month ago. And …

A Blue Whale Had His Heartbeat Taken for the First Time Ever — And Scientists Are Shocked

By Brandon Specktor When the largest animals on Earth grab a snack, their hearts skip a beat — or sometimes 30. That’s what a team of marine biologists found after recording a blue whale‘s heartbeat for the first time ever. After suction-cupping a pulse monitor to the back of a blue whale off the California coast, the researchers …

Alabama Senate Candidate Roy Moore Wants To Criminalize Gay Sex, Abortion

By Michael Stone U.S. Senate candidate and former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore says he wants to criminalize gay sex and abortion, just like they did in the good old days. Moore, who has announced he is running for the U.S. Senate again, says he wants to take the U.S. back in time when gay sex …

Republican Says Flying Trans Flag Over Capitol Is ‘Rainbow Jihad’

By Nico Lang If you were hungry for some word salad today, one Iowa Republican is serving an all-you-can-eat buffet. Skyler Wheeler, a state Senator representing Iowa’s 4th district, took issue with the decision to fly the Trans Pride flag over the Capitol Building in Des Moines to mark the 20th annual Transgender Day of Remembrance, …

A heartbreaking Supreme Court case could be a huge win for the Christian right

By Ian Millhiser Two stories can be told about Tanzin v. Tanvir, a major religious liberty case that the Supreme Court agreed to hear last Friday. The first is the story of Muhammad Tanvir, the plaintiff at the heart of the case, and this first story is likely to inspire a great deal of sympathy among …

Scientists Created Fake Rhino Horn. But Should We Use It?

By Rachel Nuwer In Africa, 892 rhinos were poached for their horns in 2018, down from a high of 1,349 killed in 2015. The decline in deaths is encouraging, but conservationists agree that poaching still poses a dire threat to Africa’s rhino population, which hovers around 24,500 animals. Now, in the hopes of driving down the …

Rick Perry Calls Donald Trump The Chosen One Sent By God To Rule Over Us

By Ron Dicker Departing Secretary of Energy Rick Perry praised President Donald Trump to the heavens on Sunday. In an interview clip shown on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends,” Perry told Ed Henry that the president was “the chosen one” sent by God to rule over America. The former Texas governor and Republican presidential rival …