Bill Maher

I don't generally agree with anyone 100%.  I think if you do, you've probably stopped thinking for yourself.  I've found, however, that I do tend to agree with Bill Maher on most things.  I also appreciate the boldness and fearlessness with which he states his positions.  No couching an opinion in sugar-coated terms so as not to offend.  Say it straight up. 

Bill was recently on Larry King and he covered, however briefly, many of the topics of the day.  It's worth a listen even if the 'interviewer' is Larry King.

This calls for side comment.  Larry King has to be the worst interviewer in the history of American media.  He basically just takes a topic from the newspaper and says, "what do you think about X?"  A trained monkey could do that.  Furthermore, he asks no insightful follow up questions, nor does he challenge any assertions of his guests.  Maybe that's why people like to be guests on his show: he does nothing but lob softballs to them.  

Compare his style with that of Terry Gross on NPR.  She may be the best interviewer I've ever heard.  She has a rare talent for drawing interesting material out of even the most recalcitrant or mundane guest.  She asks insightful questions, and although she isn't exactly confrontational, she isn't shy about challenging an assertion.  She also seems quite knowledgeable about a wide variety of topics.

Anyway, back to Bill.  Have seen him do some standup.  Very good.  Always liked his shows Politically Incorrect and Real Time too, though I don't get HBO, so I haven't seen either in a long time (PI is no longer on the air).  Keep up the good work Bill.

Happy Birthday Mr. Darwin

February marks the 200th birthday of Charles Darwin. I regard the formulation of the theories of evolution among the most important scientific discoveries in history. It ranks right up there with those of Galileo and Newton. Evolution gave us so many insights into our origins and our place in the ecosystem of earth.

I've read a lot about evolution over the years, from Darwin's original work to that of contemporary scientists like Richard Dawkins. (Anyone who knows me or follows my blog knows how much I admire RD.) It is an eternally fascinating subject.

Darwin is the more famous, of course, but on his birthday we should not forget the contributions of Alfred Russel Wallace, who conceived the theory of natural selection concurrently with, but independently of, Charles Darwin.

Being more of a wannabe physicist than a wannabe biologist, I've also been fascinated by the writing of Eric Chaisson. He takes a look at evolution much before biological evolution was possible--from the big bang forward. How did matter coalesce from energy? How did matter form structures that enabled life to exist? After all, for biological evolution to even be possible, the structures that enable it had to come from somewhere. (And since I don't believe they sprang fully formed from the head of Zeus, Odin, Yahweh, Allah, Shiva, or GOD, I think Chaisson makes a pretty compelling argument in his book, The Life Era.)

I'll also use this time as an opportunity to plug the recent publication of my friend Eric's book, Darwin Slept Here. This is not so much an account of the science of Darwin as the adventures he took that led to his scientific discoveries. Let's not forget that Darwin was not cooped up in a lab conceiving of natural selection through Aristotle's notion of discovery through pure reason. Charles was out in the field, exploring the world, living and breathing nature and adventure.

But back to my original subject. For those interested in things Darwinian, there are lots of activities celebrating this bicentennial. You can find events in your area here.

This anniversary sadly reveals the decline in science and general intellect in this country.  When more people believe in angels (for which there is precisely zero evidence) than evolution, you know we are doomed.

And here's another reason NOT to be a republican: they are dumb-asses.