ريتشارد دوكنز's Blog, page 204

Climate Change Claims Its First Mammal Extinction

By John R. Platt It’s official: Climate change has claimed its first mammal extinction. This week the Australian government declared the extinction of a tiny rodent called Bramble Cay melomys (also known as the Bramble Cay mosaic-tailed rat, Melomys rubicola). The quiet announcement was buried in a press release about enacting stronger protections for other endangered species. It …

WA Bill Would Require Colleges to Accommodate Absurd Religious Requests

By Hemant Mehta There’s a bill currently making its way through the Washington state legislature that seems sensible on the surface but could open the door to a lot of problems. SB 5166 is basically meant to give “religious accommodations” for postsecondary students. For example, they shouldn’t be punished for missing an exam that falls on a religious …

Pompeo suggests Trump was put on Earth to save the Jews: ‘As a Christian, I believe it’s possible’

By Bob Brigham Secretary of State Mike Pompeo offered alarming views during an exclusive interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN News). CBN News asked if President Donald Trump could be like a 2,500 year-old character in the Old Testament. “Could it be, that President Trump right now has been sort of raised for such …

GOP governor signs law that bans abortion before some women even know they’re pregnant

By Reis Thebault Mississippi’s governor has signed into law one of the strictest abortion bans in the country, making it even more difficult for women to get abortions in a state where only one clinic still operates. The bill, set to take effect in July, bans abortions after a doctor can detect a fetal heartbeat …

On Pluto, It’s Been Spring Since 1990

By Marina Koren Ah, spring. The season of vibrant flowers lining the sidewalk on the commute home, their gentle fragrance wafting into the air. Of sunshine that calls for a light jacket instead of a bulky coat. Of the passionate urge to clean everything in sight. Outside The Atlantic’s Washington, D.C., headquarters, it’s about 43 degrees …

In Texas, a Quiet Effort to Protect ‘Conversion Therapy’ Is Underway

By Alys Brooks While legislators in many states have banned the practice of so-called conversion therapy, Texas state Rep. Scott Sanford (R-McKinney) quietly filed a bill this month that would protect mental health providers who engage in practices motivated by their “sincerely held religious beliefs.” LGBTQ people and advocates view this as a thinly veiled …

A St. Louis Judge Has a Bible Verse Permanently Displayed Outside Her Courtroom

By Hemant Mehta For some reason, the office of Judge Kimberly Gardner at the Carnahan Courthouse in St. Louis, Missouri displays a Bible verse prominently outside: “Justice, and Only Justice, You Shall Pursue…” (Deuteronomy 16:20). The simple explanation here is that she liked that sentiment about the importance of justice. But by posting a Bible verse, she …

A GOP governor doesn’t believe in chickenpox vaccines. He took his nine kids to a pox party instead.

By Eli Rosenberg Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin (R) turned heads this week after saying on a radio show that he had intentionally tried to get his children infected with chickenpox and that he did not support the state’s mandatory chickenpox vaccine. Bevin, appearing on a radio station in the state, Talk 104.1, said that every one …

After Two Decades, a Fishy Genetic Mystery Has Been Solved

By Ed Yong It has taken her two decades, but Chi-Hing Christina Cheng has finally solved her ultimate cold case—a fishy mystery that extends from one frigid end of the planet to the other. Cheng, a Chinese-born biologist, moved to the United States as a teenager and began working in Antarctica in 1984. There, she and her …

Neptune’s Moon Triton Is Destination of Proposed NASA Mission

By David W. Brown Is it time to go back to Neptune? Scientists representing NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory proposed a spacecraft and mission on Tuesday at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in Texas that would explore Triton, Neptune’s largest moon. The unusual satellite is believed to be an object — similar in many ways …