I was walking my Mum’s dog in a nearby cemetery* and one aspect struck me. Maybe it is because I don’t have a religion? It seems strange that those who do are/were** catered for by segregated burial areas. If your religion means you cant mix after death,
Science
Discusses the reality of of statistics used, and use, in the media Stats Chat - www.statschat.org.nz "Statistical thinking will one day be as necessary for efficient citizenship as the ability to read and write." – H.G. Wells Hosted by The University of Auckland's
If you haven’t already seen Tim Minchin's beat poem about a new age dinner guest, watch it. I prefer the live or unofficial text versions as its simple presentation lets the message shine, and what a message.
Found via SkepticBros.com, where you can get your Placebo Band, posted here so I can find it [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1Q3jZw4FGs&w=640&h=390]
Music
During an idle moment, waiting for something, a noise drew my gaze toward the sky. It came through the solid cloud cover and I strained to identify the source. I had a good idea but wondered how you’d explain it to someone who didn’t, who knew nothing of
It was great to meet the Skepticbros, Tom and Nick, at the TAMOZ fringe Bloggers Breakfast (seen below being interviewed for Token Skeptic #42 Podcast by Kylie "Podblack Cat" Sturgess). Inspired, more accurately appalled, by dubious claims & massive profit margins made by plastic hologram bands they did
Me
I only knew Denis Dutton via his media appearances, as an academic & skeptic, in New Zealand. I don’t recall when I started reading Arts & Letters Daily but it was it was several years before blogged about it in 2004 and I still visit it regularly. Two clips
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86tx93ZQcOc&w=640&h=385]
Skeptic
George Hrab (as seen at TAMOz, interviewed on Radio Live) performs Far, the theme for the 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast http://www.geologicrecords.net/ http://www.geologicpodcast.com [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dF2HG1PVZok&w=480&h=385]
The second (official) day kicked off with a Tim Mendham moderated panel “The Media & the Message”. It was interesting to hear the News vs Science media approach to a topic. As a Kiwi I found the “ABC’ness” aspects rather irrelevant but maybe that was due to jealously. At
After an official opening, that’s why this is Day 01, Brian Dunning of Skeptoid (right) took the stage. His “Sounds from beyond” included unexplained sounds from radio telescopes, explained but still amazing tones from rotating super massive collapsed stars. He demonstrated how those “hidden backwards lyrics” are much easier
The day before the first, meeting up!