ريتشارد دوكنز's Blog, page 743
June 13, 2015
From ‘Dropout Crisis’ To Record High, Dissecting The Graduation Rate
by Anya Kamenetz
In his State of the Union address in January, President Obama had some sure-fire applause lines: “More of our kids are graduating than ever before” and “Our high school graduation rate has hit an all-time high.”
Which raised some interesting questions: “Is that really true?” and “Why?” and “How do we know?” and “So what?”
A seed was planted that grew into our project this week examining that number. Our reporting shows many of the individual stories behind a single statistic: 81 percent, the current U.S. graduation rate.
But in the course of pulling this project together, our team fell into a rabbit hole over something that doesn’t often get attention: the origin of the statistic itself. It turns out to be a fascinating story, and not just for data wonks. It’s a story of collaboration across the political aisle, heroic efforts and millions of dollars spent by state governments, and dogged researchers uncovering new insights that arguably changed the lives of tens of thousands of young people.
Many individuals worked hard, and worked together, to make the nation do a better job counting high school graduates. The effort had complex — sometimes contradictory — results.
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Test Track To Be Built For Elon Musk’s Hyperloop Train
Photo credit:
Artist image of the Hyperloop Train via HTT/ JumpStartFund
Elon Musk's futuristic Hyperlook train, which will zoom people around at speeds between 320 to 480 km/h (200 to 300 mph) using magnets, is set to become reality.
Hyperloop Transport Technologies (HTT), a research company that was founded soon after Musk originally conceived of the Hyperloop, have struck a deal to build a test track in California.
Human Trial Investigating Cannabis As A Brain Cancer Treatment Set To Begin This Year
Photo credit:
Ravenhurst, via Wikimedia Commons
Glaucoma, pain, nausea, loss of appetite, epilepsy and multiple sclerosis; the list of ailments that medical marijuana shows promise in treating seems to be steadily growing. But what about the disease most people seem to be interested in, cancer? Despite an abundance of anecdotal evidence supporting its use, clinical trials are virtually non-existent.
Humanist Groups Educate Congress about International Religious Freedom
by American Humanist Association
On June 9, the American Humanist Association, with the Center for Inquiry and the Secular Coalition for America, will be hosting congressional briefings to educate legislators about the state of international religious freedom. The briefings come in the wake of the deaths of humanist Bangladeshi bloggers, who were brutally murdered by religious extremists.
“Humanists, atheists and religious minorities should not have to live in fear for their lives simply because their convictions differ from the majority in their country,” said Roy Speckhardt, executive director of the American Humanist Association. “We call upon our legislators to globally promote the freedom of speech and condemn persecution and intolerance.”
The briefings will draw attention to the threat to the human rights of atheists, humanists and other religious groups around the world. In addition to the three Bangladeshi bloggers murdered just this past year for their atheism, religious minority groups such as Ahmadiyya Muslims in Pakistan, Christians in Syria, and Jews in France also face serious persecution.
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Sleep study raises hope for clinical treatment of racism, sexism and other biases
by Gareth Gaskell
Imagine being able to erase the innermost prejudices you are most ashamed of by simply turning on a sound machine before going to bed. It may sound fantastical, but a new study has shown that our biases can indeed be counteracted while we sleep.
Of course, most of us would contend that we are not racist or sexist. But many studies have shown that our actions suggest otherwise. For example, when evaluating applications for a science laboratory position, male applicants were viewed by university science faculty members as more hireable, competent and deserving of a high salary than identically qualified female applicants.
These biases are not surprising. We are often overwhelmed with information that can reinforce race and gender stereotypes.
Implicit association
In a new study, researchers built on our rapidly developing understanding of the way recent memories become ingrained in our mind during sleep. This “consolidation” process takes an unstable new memory and makes it stronger, and more resistant to forgetting, possibly changing its nature in the process.
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The Year In Quotable Finds
Chaplain violated Army rule in promoting Christian book
by Tom Vanden Brook
An active-duty Army chaplain with the elite 75th Ranger Regiment has published a book titled “Jesus Was an Airborne Ranger” and appeared in a promotional video in uniform to promote it, raising questions about the service endorsing Christianity as the Pentagon wages wars in Muslim countries.
Chaplain John McDougall recently returned from Afghanistan where he served as chaplain for the 75th Ranger Regiment. He wrote the book, he told the Army in a story published on its website, because “the Jesus of many churches is a weakling — someone our Rangers cannot relate to.”
The video was taken down Thursday by the book’s publisher, said Charlene Guzman, senior publicist for WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group. McDougall regrets having appeared in uniform and was not speaking on behalf of the military, she said. He had cleared writing the book with military lawyers but not the video. McDougall, a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, could not be reached immediately for comment.
“It’s a regrettable action and we were happy to take it down,” Guzman said.
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June 12, 2015
Robotics Researchers Create Mechanical Tentacles Capable Of Picking Up An Ant Without Crushing It
Photo credit:
Jaeyoun Kim / Iowa State University
This creepy robot tentacle could one day be fiddling with your veins. Researchers were able to use the tiny, but remarkably soft, robot ‘limb’ to pick up an ant by its waist without crushing it. This robotic limb has the potential to revolutionize microscopic surgery.
The Truth About the Charlie Charlie Challenge
We may not be sure who’s behind it, but we can tell you that the Charlie Charlie Challenge doesn’t really work. Because physics.
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Vyckie Garrison: No Longer Quivering
Vyckie Garrison was once a “good Christian wife,” submitting to her husband and surrendering her reproductive choices to God.
This family model became known as the Quiverfull Movement, recently in the spotlight due to the Duggar Family and TLC’s hit television show “19 Kids and Counting.”
What is the Quiverfull life really like? Vyckie spends a few minutes describing her own situation, commenting on the recent Duggar Family scandal, and encouraging others that the womb doesn’t belong to a patriarch, either human or divine.
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