Gene Edward Veith Jr.'s Blog, page 87
March 30, 2017
Does the scientific method apply to psychology?
We’ve blogged about the problem in the field of psychology that so many of their research experiments can’t be replicated. That means that, according to the scientific method, they are invalid. The problem continues, and it’s compounded by the fact that the profession doesn’t seem to care! The proliferation of peer-reviewed articles whose results can’t [Read More...]
U.S. Census won’t ask about LGBT identities
The 2020 Census will not ask people about their sexual orientation or gender identity. An earlier draft of survey questions for the American Community Survey included those topics, but officials explained that this was a mistake. LGBT activists say this makes them feel excluded. Do you think such questions would be appropriate or would be [Read More...]
March 29, 2017
Praying the Catechism
Many Christians have problems praying. Our minds wander; we run through our wants and needs; we forget what to pray for; and we soon turn to something else. Christians in the past, though, often prayed “with” a text that would direct, inspire, and be a catalyst for their prayers. The Lord’s Prayer was not just repeated [Read More...]
Originalism and the rule of law
During his confirmation hearing for Supreme Court justice, liberal senators interrogated Neil Gorsuch about his judicial philosophy of “originalism.” Because the founders used “he” to refer to the president, does this mean you don’t believe that a woman can serve in that office? Because the authors of the 14th Amendment didn’t think about women or gays [Read More...]
America’s first genderless person
A Portland judge approved a petition from a 27-year-old man to legally change his gender to “genderless.” In doing so, the petitioner’s name was legally changed to “Patch.” No last name. Patch also repudiates all pronouns. “Even gender-neutral pronouns don’t feel as if they fit me,” Patch said. “I feel no identity or closeness with [Read More...]
March 28, 2017
Child sacrifice
Authorities and Christian ministries are fighting a major problem in Uganda: child sacrifice. Many animists believe that sacrificing children can bring them wealth. Witchdoctors carry out the sacrifices, either killing the child or mutilating him or her to collect blood and organs thought to bestow special powers. So some children survive, but with gruesome injuries. [Read More...]
Trump’s next try: tax cuts
His immigration order was knocked down by the courts. His healthcare plan was vetoed by Congress. Now President Trump is gearing up for another initiative: cutting taxes. and revising the tax code. The president says that he should have started with tax reform. That cause should be far more popular than those previous issues, and [Read More...]
To infinity and beyond
Mathematician Eugenia Cheng has written a popular, amusing, and fascinating book on the concept of infinity. Beyond Infinity: An Expedition to the Outer Limits of Mathematics takes up its paradoxes, mathematical conundrums, and important uses. For example, one mathematical axiom is that: infinity X infinity = infinity. But if you work out this equation by dividing [Read More...]
March 27, 2017
Holy Sepulchre needs more repair or it might collapse
Restoration work on the shrine built around the likely spot of Christ’s tomb has been completed. (See this and this and this.) But researchers have found that the shrine and the surrounding complex have been built on unstable ground. Without more work, there could someday be a “catastrophic” collapse. The “edicule,” the small building around the tomb [Read More...]
Trump vs. his own supporters?
The plan to “repeal and replace” Obamacare that was shot down on Friday was complicated politically. Nearly all Republicans wanted the “repeal” part, just as nearly all Democrats opposed it. The hangup was on the “replace” part. Conservative Republicans, by and large, opposed the proposed replacement as little more than “Obamacare lite,” retaining the huge [Read More...]
