ريتشارد دوكنز's Blog, page 694
September 8, 2015
BREAKING: Kim Davis’ lawyers say she’ll defy the conditions of her release, which means she’ll probably go back to jail.
Well that didn’t take long. Despite being released from jail on the condition she doesn’t try to obstruct the legal operation of the Clerk’s office in Rowan County, her lawyers insist that Kim Davis intends to do exactly that:
An order from U.S. District Court Judge David Bunning said on Tuesday that Davis would be released after serving six days in jail on the condition that she “shall not interfere in any way, directly or indirectly, with the efforts of her deputy clerks to issue marriage licenses to all legally eligible couples.”
CNN correspondent Martin Savidge, who was at the jail, explained following the order that her attorney, Harry Mihet, said that the judge had ordered the release because her office had satisfied the court by issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples while she was behind bars.
GM-crop opponents expand probe into ties between scientists and industry
Daniel Acker/Bloomberg/Getty
By Keith Kloor
Michelle McGuire, a nutrition scientist at Washington State University in Pullman, was stunned last month when activists who oppose the use of genetically modified (GM) organisms asked to read her e-mail.
US Right to Know of Oakland, California, filed a request under Washington’s freedom-of-information law to see her correspondence with, or about, 36 organizations and companies. McGuire is one of 40 US researchers who have now been targeted by the group, which is probing what it sees as collusion between the agricultural biotechnology industry and academics who study science, economics and communication.
And that investigation, which began in February, has just started to yield documents. These include roughly 4,600 pages of e-mails and other records from Kevin Folta, a plant scientist at the University of Florida in Gainesville and a well-known advocate of GM organisms. The records, which the university gave to US Right to Know last month, do not suggest scientific misconduct or wrongdoing by Folta. But they do reveal his close ties to the agriculture giant Monsanto, of St Louis, Missouri, and other biotechnology-industry interests.
The documents show that Monsanto paid for Folta’s travel to speak to US students, farmers, politicians and the media. Other industry contacts occasionally sent him suggested responses to common questions about GM organisms.
“Nobody ever told me what to say,” says Folta, who considers public outreach to be a key part of his job. “There’s nothing I have ever said or done that is not consistent with the science.”
He adds that he has never accepted honoraria for outreach work, and that the University of Florida does not require him to disclose travel reimbursements. But the e-mails show that Folta did receive an unrestricted US$25,000 grant last year from Monsanto, which noted that the money “may be used at your discretion in support of your research and outreach projects”. Folta says that the funds are earmarked for a proposed University of Florida programme on communicating biotechnology.
Monsanto spokeswoman Charla Lord says that the company was “happy to support Dr. Folta’s proposal for an outreach program to increase understanding of biotechnology”, and that the $25,000 grant “predominately covered travel expenses”. Lord adds that Monsanto considers public-private collaborations to be “essential to the advancement of science, innovation and agriculture”.
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Meet Swami Balendu, an atheist guru with a non-religious ashram in Vrindavan
By Rahul Kumar
Three years ago, an anti-religion post was doing the rounds on Facebook. The man behind the post was in complete contrast to the sentiments expressed in them— from his sadhu-like appearance to, of course, his name, Swami Balendu. At a time when self-proclaimed godmen and godwomen in India are fending off allegations of illegal activities, Balendu is an anomaly. Once known for preaching Hinduism, he is neither a swami nor a ‘godman’ now, but identifies as an atheist.
In an interview with Rahul Kumar, Balendu talks about the business of religion, atheism and where he stands on this wide-ranging spectrum. Here are the excerpts from the conversation—
There are many examples of scientists, artists, actors, comedians and even politicians who are atheist. On the other hand, we have seen foreigners come to places like Vrindavan and Varanasi and turn into gurus or swamis. How did you, who were a preacher and a believer, become an atheist?
Superstition is present all over the world. Also, western travellers see the glorification of gurus here in India and get to know more about the guru business. It’s a business with no fear of loss as there is no investment, only profit. Anybody, Indian or non-Indian, can feel attracted to this and come into the business, which will bring them money by superstitious people in their own countries.
How did I go on this journey the other way round? It was a process which simply happened over time. A change like this doesn’t take place overnight and there was not one single incident that initiated it. In life, you develop and grow, step by step. I grew into atheism in the same way.
If I had to answer the question for the root of my change in one line, I would say it was the urge to live an honest life which made me turn towards atheism.
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Georgia public school investigates a mass baptism on its football field
Facebook: Rick Sauls
By Sarah Pulliam Bailey
A Georgia public school is looking into a mass baptism on its football field that was posted on YouTube but later taken down. In a state where football is practically another religion, the video raises questions about the role of faith in public schools.
The video was posted by First Baptist Villa Rica, according to local news channel WXIA-TV, shot before football practice at Villa Rica High School showing 18 players getting baptized.
“We had the privilege of baptizing a bunch of football players and a coach on the field of Villa Rica High School! We did this right before practice! Take a look and see how God is STILL in our schools!” the caption with the video said. The video had been taken down by Tuesday evening.
The school is looking into what happened, Villa Rica’s Assistant Superintendent of Administrative and Support Services Terry Jones said in a statement.
“The Carroll County School System was made aware of a situation that took place at Villa Rica High School prior to football practice on August 17th,” the statement said. “The District is currently looking into the specifics of this situation and will take appropriate steps to ensure all state and federal laws are followed.”
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Neil deGrasse Tyson’s Questions for the Dead
Filmed by: StarTalk at Hayden Planetarium
Edited by: Graham McCann and Stephanie Guttormson
Special Thanks to Neil deGrasse Tyson
Is this really 3D?
3D movies and TV are is increasing in popularity, but is any of it truly 3D? How true is the 3D in movie theaters? How do glassess-less 3D TVs work? Try catching a ball with one eye closed. If you find it easy, try having the ball thrown a couple of feet in front of you, or from further away. It becomes increasingly difficult when the throw is off.
instagram.com/thephysicsgirl
facebook.com/thephysicsgirl
twitter.com/thephysicsgirl
physicsgirl.org
Thank you to Greg Kestin for helping to research and write this script!
Physics Girl has joined PBS Digital Studios! https://www.youtube.com/user/pbsdigitalstudios
Hugo Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hR-kP-olcpM
Videography: Forbidden Kingdom Digital, Cathy Cowern and Kyle Kitzmiller –
Editing: Dianna Cowern and Forbidden Kingdom Digital forbiddenkingdomdigital.com
Holographic Video Credit: Melanie Gonick/MIT News
Music:
Michael Miller – https://soundcloud.com/michaelrmmiller
YouTube – “On the Bach,” “Path to Follow”
Apple – “Galleria Medium”
More Resources on regaining Stereoscopic vision: http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2006/06/19/stereo-sue
http://neurovision.berkeley.edu/pdf/StereoscopicVision.pdf
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0042698913001867
http://gizmodo.com/can-gaming-help-renew-a-humans-depth-perception-1710304837
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCCtphdXhq8
Stock Images: Pixabay
Driving Footage: Depock/MTSX http://www.youtube.com/user/DepockVlogs
September 7, 2015
New Bandage Sucks Bacteria Out Of A Wound
Photo credit:
Bandage of boy's leg. Chepko Danil Vitalevich/Shutterstock.
Bandages are an important barrier between the wound and the world. They prevent bacteria entering the body and causing infection. However, what about bacteria that have already found their way into a scratch? Introducing the bandage that's a total rip-off. It "sucks out" bacteria from a cut, allowing them to be removed along with the bandage.
Elephant Seals Shed Mercury Along With Their Fur
Photo credit:
Northern elephant seals offload accumulated mercury to the environment through annual molting of their fur. Priya Ganguli
Being apex predators in the North Pacific, elephant seals accumulate high concentrations of mercury in their bodies, and when they shed their fur during their annual molt, they offload that toxic metal too. The findings, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences this week, suggest that the marine mammals might be contributing significant amounts of the environmental contaminant to coastal ecosystems.
Rwanda Names 24 New Baby Gorillas In Annual Ceremony
Photo credit:
The naming ceremony happens each year, to celebrate the birth of each new gorilla. erwinf/Shutterstock
In an annual naming ceremony in the mountains of Rwanda, 24 performers have donned gorilla suits and masks and aped about in front of thousands of spectators, including the president of the landlocked nation. The ritual, which first took place in 2005, celebrates the number of births of critically endangered mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park during the last year, 24 in this instance.
Blue Whale Spotted Tangled In Fishing Line Off Southern Californian Coast
Photo credit:
A blue whale caught in the line (not pictured) is estimated to be 25 meters long and is dragging a 60 meter rope. powell'sPoint/Shutterstock
Boats, planes, and helicopters have all been deployed in the search for a blue whale that has got tangled up in a rope off the southern Californian coast. The 25 meter (80 foot) cetacean was spotted dragging a 60 meter (200ft) line, and researchers have said that unless they remove it, the whale could die.
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