News From Around The Blogosphere 01.21.09

Illinois mandatory moment of silence law was “sham,” says judge – The law was passed last year but high school student (and atheist) Dawn Sherman filed a lawsuit. Today, the final ruling (PDF) came in from Judge Robert Gettleman:

“For all of these reasons the court concludes that the amendment has no clear secular purpose, and that the stated purpose is a sham.”

I suspect the Christian Right is already trying to paint him as an evil “activist judge” trying to hijack democracy.

Religion as the ultimate Big Mac – (By the by, this is at Suicide Girls, so might be slightly NSFW.)

Acupuncture works … as a placebo.

UFO declared by the Chinese government.

WHAT’S THE HARM?

Child Sacrifice – Last year 11-year0old Kara Neumann of Wisconsin died from a treatable form of juvenile diabetes because her parents foolishly trusted faith healers. And despite the outcome, the parents are not remorseful and still believe in the faith healer. But now they’re going to trial.

AND NOW FOR A MOMENT OF SCIENCE:

Scientists Agree Global Warming Is Real – “While the harsh winter pounding many areas of North America and Europe seemingly contradicts the fact that global warming continues unabated, a new survey finds consensus among scientists about the reality of climate change and its likely cause.”

Smoking Linked To Most Male Cancer Deaths – “The association between tobacco smoke and cancer deaths — beyond lung cancer deaths — has been strengthened by a recent study from a UC Davis researcher, suggesting that increased tobacco control efforts could save more lives than previously estimated.”

Hobbit Is Not Human, Skull Study Finds – “In a an analysis of the size, shape and asymmetry of the cranium of Homo floresiensis, Karen Baab, Ph.D., a researcher in the Department of Anatomical Scienes at Stony Brook University, and colleagues conclude that the fossil, found in Indonesia in 2003 and known as the “Hobbit,” is not human.”

THE FUNNIES:

Captain Picard responds to Rick Warren:

News From Around The Blogosphere 7.25.08

A closer looks at alternative medicine’s 2 most recent epic failures -Steven Novella talks about doctors weighing the risks against the benefits of treatments. But if there is no benefit to the treatment because it is based upon pseudoscience, as in the recent cases of Dawn Page and quack Thuong Nguyen, then any risk is unacceptable.

Not all crazy astronauts run around in there space diapers -Apollo 14 Astronaut Dr. Edgar Mitchell says not only does he know for a fact that aliens do exist in the universe, but that they’ve been to Earth…a lot. Oh, and of course those pesky men in black working for the government. Wow, someone should make a movie about this or something. And why didn’t I see the Congress voting on the funding this initiative on C-SPAN? And where’s the evidence after 60 years? And why hasn’t the men in black killed Mitchell for leaking all this?

Baylor University president EXPELLED for not accepting creationism -Oh, sweet irony! But the cdesign proponentsists were after “academic freedom.” And didn’t Ben Stein say it was the creationists who were being oppressed?

Creationist Campaign to de-popularize Pro-Evolution videos -Oh, you kooky creationists and your dishonest methods!

1,500 animal species practice homosexuality–and love every minute of it -They’re deer. Their queer. Get used to it.

cdesign proponentsists manufacture threat to livelihood of the recipient of their insipid, bogus award -This wouldn’t be the first time (see: ExpelledExposed.com). As of yet, no creationist can be found who’s actually lost their jobs from merely believing in their magical explanations. (And see: above story about Baylor University).

High School Atheist To Be Honored -Dawn Sherman is the 14-year-old activist who fought against the mandatory moment of silence law in Illinois and “got God banned from Homecoming.”

And now a mandatory moment of science:

Scientists Solve Aurora Borealis Mystery -NASA determined that the lights correspond to magnetic explosions caused by the stretching and retracting of the Earth’s magnetic field as we orbit the sun.