Posts
April 07, 2013
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12:06 AM | Blowing on Bats. For Science.
In Bug Grad School I learned about a crazy group of flies called Hippoboscidae, or louse flies. These flies have adopted an ectoparasitic lifestyle, which means they live on other animals much like a tick or a louse. Most have lost their wings in the evolutionary scrabble to live on fur or feathers. Having only [...]
April 06, 2013
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Wedding season is just around the corner, so you might want to check out the wedding announcements section at the Onion and read up on our favorite wedding- and marriage-related articles:
From Bride to Blues: Examining the Prevalence of Post-Nuptial Depression
Bridesmaids and the Changing Role of the Bachelorette Party
Got “Cold Feet”? Watch Out for Marital Woes Ahead
For Better or Worse…In Marriage, Men May Get More of the Better
I Do, or Do Not, Take Your Name in
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April 05, 2013
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It’s not a Facebook phone, exactly, but the new Facebook Home is a home screen experience and app launcher that makes your phone all about people instead of all about about apps. Is this going to make using Facebook closer to a religious experience, or closer to religion itself? While people drive most of our interactions, information can too. And if the ability to start interactions from the basis of people, not apps, is actually quite familiar–remember dialing actual phone numbers to […]
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7:00 PM | The Privileged Underprivileged
The introduction text to the facebook page “Muslim Women Against Femen..Muslimah Pride Day.” reads as follows: On the 4th April. The so called feminist group, FEMEN has declared ‘Topless Jihad Day’ in which they are asking women to go topless and write ‘My Body Against Islamism!’ on their bare breasts. We as Muslim women and those who stand with us, need to show FEMEN and their supporters, that their actions are counterproductive and we as Muslim women oppose it. Why […]
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Get up every morning and rub a little skepticism on you head! And then take a look and listen at a very lively and interesting talk by Matt Dillahunty from the American Atheist Convention. This talk is a discussion on why he is a skeptic and humanist first and an atheist second and why skepticism when applied correctly will lead to atheism. He also talks about why skepticism is not a toolset but also an ideology. This may make some people upset but I think you should still listen to what he has […]
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1:00 PM | Skepchick Quickies 4.5
It’s Friday and time to start the day with some CUTE FRIGGIN’ ANIMALS. First, the most epic slow-motion frog fail (the best part is his little gobbly hands at the end). At the bottom of that page is a bonus ladybug fail. Next, some birdies jumping out of a nest (from Andy). Finally, this is actually the cutest Praying Mantis that I’ve ever seen, for reals. Being Gay at Jerry Falwell’s University – This is an excellent long read. Save it for lunch, if you must. Stop […]
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You know those people on Facebook who tag their romantic partners in every…single…post? Or how about the people whose uploaded photos almost always contain their partners? If you’re anything like me, you may find it somewhat annoying, but these kinds of behaviors convey important information about couples’ relationships.
Previously, we have discussed how romantic partners’ senses of self gradually begin merging together and overlap with one another. In other
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12:00 AM | The Best Bad Chart You Could Hope For
Lo, once again it is bad chart Thursday, and this week the chart “creation” (too easy!) has been done for us. Behold: It’s the best bad chart of all time! Not only do all of the variables change mid-chart for no apparent reason. Not only are some variables not actually dependent (ALL THOSE NAMED ADAM NOW HAVE 950 YEARS LONGEVITY). Not only is a label missing from one axis (new genetic disorder discoveries are now measured in inches, or maybe feet). Not only is a natural […]
April 04, 2013
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Bad ass Tunisian feminist activist Amina Tyler posted a photo of her own topless body online with the message, “my body belongs to me, and is not the source of anyone’s honour.” Islamists like cleric Adel Almi are calling for her death. She’s now apparently in hiding as Tunisian bigots debate exactly how she should be punished for her crime. You can support her by signing this petition, tweeting with the hashtag #Amina, or participating in a demonstration. More info […]
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The Northeast Conference on Science and Skepticism (NECSS) starts tomorrow, with great speakers and mini-events, including a live SGU, a science/improve mashup with George Hrab, Steve Novella, and others. Meet Rebecca, Eugenie Scott, Jon Ronson, Julia Galef, and many more special guests. UpDATED: Or if you’re in the Midwest, join me and Teen Skepchicks Kate Donovan and Olivia James at Skeptech, a free conference on skepticism and technology, in Minneapolis. In addition to Kate, speakers and […]
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I spent the last weekend at the American Atheist convention in Austin Texas. It was, hands down, the best secular convention I’ve been at in a long time. It was diverse, welcoming, educational and a whole heck of a lot of fun. The American Atheist event staff and members where absolutely wonderful. It’s an event I hope to be able to attend again in the future. Also, the food in Austin kicked ass. I ate all the tacos. And all the people I met were friendly. It was awesome. In honor […]
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3:00 PM | But It’s Just Semantics!
I have a confession to make. Not only was I not a STEM major, I was one of those dreaded students of philosophy. In fact, though I double-majored in English, I identified solely as a philosophy major whenever I could get away with it. While philosophy has many problems, from its lack of growth in female representation to its whiteness, it does distinguish itself as a field that demands its students to examine communication at the meta level. The old joke among philosophy professors is that […]
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1:00 PM | Skepchick Quickies 4.4
Well, the other Skepchicks are on party boats in the South Pacific, drinking cheap whiskey and “busy” with “work”… so I’M TAKING OVER THE MOFO QUICKIES TODAY! Prepare yourselves, kids. These are the quickies OF YOUR LIFE.* Today is 4/4/13 and 1+3=4 so today is like 4/4/4. Which probably means something… like Sparklecorn. (Seizure warning) Probably important: Science Based Medicine was hacked. Passwords were stolen. It could affect you. Is the Y […]
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Research recently published by our friend and colleague Dr. Ximena Arriaga shows that people in abusive relationships underestimate the degree to which they will be better off after leaving those toxic relationships. Read more about her research here, and check out the short interview with Dr. Arriaga here.
Check out our past article on this topic here.
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2:36 AM | Fun with dick and Jane (1973)
But that which Donna Inez most desired, And saw into herself each day before all The learnéd tutors whom for him she hired, Was, that his breeding should be strictly moral; Much into all his studies she inquired, And so … Continue reading →
April 03, 2013
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We've all heard or read advice about how to give presentations, or more specifically, how not to screw up in front of your peers. It's sometimes worthwhile, however, to revisit sage advice to see if it is really germane or if it needs some clarification or modification.One recommendation I often hear is, "Never apologize for a bad slide." Yet many of my colleagues seem not to have ever heard this one. They continue to put up slides with long tables filled with data in font so small that it's […]
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1:00 PM | Skepchick Quickies 4.3
On April 3, 1860, the Pony Express began its first successful run between California and Missouri. One of the riders (not on that day) was Buffalo Bill. In Defense of Slave Leia – A new perspective on a classic costume. Also, my mom made me wear saddle shoes too, ugh! From Mark H. NRA Task Force Recommends Training School Personnel Who Want To Be Armed – Yay, this should totally end school violence! (In case you haven’t had coffee yet, that was sarcasm.) Drawing the […]
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4:01 AM | Everyone Needs an Enemy
February has come and gone, and, fortunately (for some), the Valentine’s Day craze has left with it. Leading up to and throughout the month, contributors at Science of Relationships worked overtime to bring you as much research as possible about the day of love (click here for a thorough recap). With all of the hullabaloo, I think I fell into a state Valentine’s Day fatigue; quite frankly, I’m tired of hearing about love!
Instead of love, what about hate? Instead of parents,
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April 02, 2013
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Good news! The leaders of the secular movement have gone to the mountaintop and returned holding a stone tablet engraved with wisdom for us to behold. Go read it, and maybe read this response from Secular Woman and this response from Secular Census, both of which are very good. Then maybe read this, or whatever: A Problem with Stone Tablet Communication The fact that large organizations in this movement communicate via stone tablet presents unique challenges. For one, it can be difficult for […]
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7:00 PM | AI: Fools
Yesterday was April Fools’, a special holidday for assholes act like themselves and then be like WHAT? IT’S APRIL FOOLS! LIGHTEN UP, BRAH. The entire world turns into scammers and the entire world turns into skeptics. I admit that I am a huge fan of the well-done prank. Historically, I’m a lover of April Fools’ Day. But lately I’m finding it tired and boring. I feel like all the good pranks have been done. All the mean and lazy pranks keep going and I want to punch […]
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6:00 PM | Global Quickies: 2013.04.02
Hey, Skepchick readers! It’s time once again to catch up on your news from around the world. With help of the links you guys sent our way, we’re hitting almost every continent today, which I guess is kind of depressing, since so many are bad news. But do keep them coming! You can send links through our contact form. ITALY You know that clown on the Italian government? Not Berlusconi, the other clown, the one who actually used to make a living as a clown, Beppe Grillo (which is Italian […]
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3:00 PM | Fauxminism: It’s What Makes You Dinner
Fauxminism is the curious phenomenon where people think that featuring, talking about, or even just being a woman is an inherently feminist act and thus renders the person and/or act(s) in question irreproachably progressive with regards to matters of gender. What makes someone a fauxminist is not any particular action or choice that they make or take, but their dogged insistence that anything they do must be feminist because they are a woman or have involved a woman without taking into account […]
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1:34 PM | Skepchick Quickies 4.2
Famed neurosurgeon happens to be a Young Earth Creationist. Did I mention he was slated to give the commencement address at Emory University? Turns out that 500 profs and alums were not having any of it. {via CriticalDragon} From the Skepchick Travelogue: the Gate to Hell was discovered in Turkey. This is the new hot vacation spot! {via Will} Free & Open Source Software is offering internships in an Outreach Program for Women. Applications are “open to anyone who identifies as a woman […]
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4:01 AM | Insecure Attachment and Real vs. Perceived Threat in Relationships: Relationship Matters Podcast #19
Sage’s Relationship Matters podcast, hosted by Dr. Bjarne Holmes of Champlain College, launches the Spring 2013 season with the 19th installment, discussing Dr. Geoff MacDonald’s (University of Toronto) recent work published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. In this episode, he tells us about how insecurely attached individuals, compared to the securely attached, perceive potential close relationships as socially threatening vs. rewarding. Although we all
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April 01, 2013
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6:23 PM | Lecturer Spotting
The Easter break, relatively short though it may be, offers me an opportunity to introduce another raft of characters from the Athenian University to join my previous lists of Dramatis Personae/ character assassinations. Here I describe variations on the theme of … Continue reading →
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As of late, I have taken time away from chemistry as I got bored with the mundane nature of chemical bonding. Instead, I have focused my investigative effort to understand the truth about dinosaurs. Hopefully, I can adequately explain the conspiracy that has been unfolding. The short of it is dinosaurs never existed. Sir Richard Owen, the paleontologist that ‘discovered’ the first dinosaur fossil, headed and created a secret society with the end goal of providing […]
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Put down that morning paper. There’s nothing you need to know in there. (Other than people from Cyprus are called Cypriots. Who knew?) Just snuggle down and catch up on what you missed last week on the Skepchick Network. Teen Skepchick A Whole-Brain Activity Map, and the Obama Administration The Obama Administration announced a plan to fund a huge effort to map the human brain. But it won’t solve all life’s mysteries. Eating Disorders: Fat Phobia Olivia argues that it’s […]
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1:00 PM | Skepchick Quickies 4.1
Happy April Fools’ Day! Take a minute and remember some of the best pranks you’ve heard of. Creationist stakes $10,000 on contest between Bible and evolution – Haha, oh wait no this isn’t a prank. Risk of Autism Is Not Increased by ‘Too Many Vaccines Too Soon,’ Study Shows – Do you think this will convince parents who still mostly vaccinate their kids but do it on a “delayed” schedule? From Kathy O. Few Know How to Enter; Fewer Finish […]
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12:01 PM | Lessons in love (1981)
The languages, especially the dead, The sciences, and most of all the abstruse, The arts, at least all such as could be said To be the most remote from common use, In all these he was much and deeply read; … Continue reading →
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4:01 AM | Too Much, Too Soon
I took a weekend ski trip recently with The Consultant. We had great day of skiing, fantastic Bloody Marys with lunch, and enjoyed a much needed break from work and kids. Over an après ski beer at the base of the mountain, some locals told us that there was an outdoor, natural hot spring close by. That sounded like a perfect way to soothe our tired muscles, so we promptly made our way over for a little tub time.
At check-in, we were informed that clothing was optional in the springs. It
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