ريتشارد دوكنز's Blog, page 9

Having a Ball with the Flat Earth

The latest episode of the Point of Inquiry podcast takes a deep dive into the flat-earth conspiracy theory in an attempt to understand how anyone could convince themselves that we’re all living on a disc in space. Our guide into this strange (flat) world is journalist Kelly Weill, author of the new book, Off the Edge: Flat Earthers, …

OPEN DISCUSSION MARCH 2022

This thread has been created for thoughtful, rational discussion on subjects for which there are not currently any dedicated threads. Please note that our Comment Policy applies as usual. There is a link to this at the foot of the page. If you would like to refer back to previous open discussion threads, the most …

Paines, Pinkers, and Critical Thinkers

From the Richard Dawkins Foundation Newsletter. Subscribe here. Hello! If you’re reading this, you’re probably a grownup. Whether we are speaking to our own supporters or reaching out to new audiences, most of our communications are naturally aimed at adults. But the work to advance a society based on reason and science must begin with fostering critical thinking …

VIDEO: Outwit the Universe with Steven Pinker

In 2020, the Center for Inquiry launched Skeptical Inquirer Presents, a free series of live online talks from leading experts in science and skepticism, and in 2022, it’s going stronger than ever. Three events have already been held this year, with talks from skeptic activist Susan Gerbic, virologist Paul Offit, and, in the episode that …

It’s Alive!!!

What does it mean to be alive? Does life have a clear definition? On the Point of Inquiry podcast, New York Times science writer Carl Zimmer joined host Jim Underdown to discuss Zimmer’s new book, Life’s Edge: The Search for What It Means to Be Alive. Can we clearly define what it means to be alive? Scientists have been struggling …

Taking Homeopathy to Court

Last month, the Center for Inquiry reached a major milestone in its groundbreaking consumer-protection lawsuits against retail giants Walmart and CVS. CFI is suing these corporations over their deceptive sale and marketing of homeopathic products under the Consumer Protection laws of the District of Columbia, and on January 13, CFI Legal Director Nick Little presented …

Paved with Good Intentions

In 1989, few Americans had heard of the Santeria Church, an Afro-Cuban religion whose practices include the ritual slaughter of animals. As executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Florida at the time, Robyn Blumner (today head the Center for Inquiry and the Richard Dawkins Foundation) fought against the discrimination faced by …

Teach Skills, Not Facts

Melanie Trecek-King was struggling to help her college biology students share her love and enthusiasm for her subject, and she worried that she was losing an opportunity to empower them with science literacy and critical thinking. But then she had a eureka moment.  In the latest issue of Skeptical Inquirer, Tecek-King reconsiders the way science is …

Help Make Thomas Paine D.C. Memorial a Reality

On Friday, legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives was introduced to honor Thomas Paine, one of America’s most important Founding Fathers, a great democratic philosopher, and a central force in the American Revolution. The bill, introduced by Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) and several cosponsors, would authorize a statue of this overlooked hero of America’s …

Excerpt from Steven Pinker’s Rationality

This excerpt has been extracted from Pages 312-314 from Pinker’s latest book, Rationality Though it’s hard to steer the aircraft carrier that constitutes an entire society, particular institutions may have pressure points that savvy leaders and activists could prod. Legislatures are largely populated by lawyers, whose professional goal is victory rather than truth. Recently some …