Why Evolution is True is a blog written by Jerry Coyne, centered on evolution and biology but also dealing with diverse topics like politics, culture, and cats.
Well, never underestimate the credulousness of those who support Trump. Even I couldn’t believe some of the stuff you’re about to hear:
Here’s Jordan Klepper from yesterday’s Daily Show interviewing some attendees at a Trump rally, including the guy in the tw**t above. Their ignorance and willingness to believe conspiracy theories is unbelievable, but remember: half of Americans are dumber than average. (I must admit that I have some worries about Hillary Clinton’s health, but not enough to prevent me from voting for her.) At least I know why Barack Obama wasn’t in the Oval Office on 9/11!
I’ll be in Hong Kong on Election Day, but have already ordered my absentee ballot.
Matthew emailed me that he was lecturing at Isaac Newton’s house today, and would send a picture of the apple tree that supposedly inspired the theory of gravity. I responded that I thought the story was apocryphal, and here was Matthew’s response (along with two photos):
“Yes, the tree. And here’s the window the light came through that he split with a prism.”
I’ve never seen Matthew this dressed up!
UPDATE: How do we know that this is the window? Matthew says that the distances given in Newton’s own drawing of the experiment match that of his bedroom above. Here’s the drawing, which is included in Patricia Fara’s Roy. Soc. paper on Newton’s experiment:
Newton’s House, Woolsthorpe Manor (pictured below), is in Woolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth, near Grantham, Lincolnshire, England. This is where Newton was born and then, when Cambridge University closed in 1666 due to the plague, Newton repaired home. And it was here that he did many of his famous experiments, including the splitting of light with a prism. I still think the apple-falling incident is apocryphal, but readers are welcome to weigh in.
And yesterday reader Eli, in the Readers’ Wildlife Photography comments section, made this plea:
As always, gorgeous pictures. Thanks. But, um, at the risk of d*g shaming, could we have a picture of Deets, soon? I love Hili and all the other cats but I adore d*gs, too, and especially border collies and especially Deets.
Well, here at WEIT we aim to please, so, even though it’s a d*g, it’s also an honorary cat, and here are two photos of Deets furnished by Stephen Barnard in response to Eli’s request:
1. Deets is being chased by a moose.
2. Deets excited and pleased to help me release some pheasants.
It’s September 22, the autumnal equinox in the northern hemisphere, and thus the first day of fall. If you live on the bottom part of the world, it’s the vernal equinox and the first day of spring. It’s also the 265th day of the year, which means we have only 100 days to go until 2017 is here. And, in the U.S., it’s National Ice Cream Cone Day.
On this day in 1776, Nathan Hale was hanged by the British for spying for the Continental Army. On Sept. 22, 1823, Joseph Smith claimed that he first found the golden plates pointed out by the angel Moroni; those plates were, of course, duplicitously “translated” into the Book of Mormon. And, on this day in 1980, Iraq invaded Iran at the beginning of a long and bloody war. It was, of course, due to Western colonialism.
Notables born on this day include Michael Faraday (1791) and Joan Jett (1958). Those who died on this day include, besides Nathan Hale, Irving Berlin (1989), Dorothy Lamour (1996), George C. “Patton” Scott (1999), and Yogi Berra (2015). In remembrance of Scott, here’s his mesmerizing opening speech in “Patton” (note: don’t bother going on about militarism). The movie won the Oscar for Best Picture in 1971, and Scott nabbed Best Actor Oscar, but he declined it. It truly is one of the best biographical performances on film.
Meanwhile in Dobrzyn, there’s a bad drought, but Hili just chuckles at the useless umbrellas sitting on the porch:
Hili: Nothing makes me laugh like an umbrella.
A: Why?
Hili: I don’t know, maybe because of this fierce drought.
In Polish:
Hili: Nic mnie tak nie śmieszy jak parasol.
Ja: Dlaczego?
Hili: Nie wiem, może z powodu tej wściekłej suszy.
Ssshhhhhh. . . . Gus is sleeping on the unmade bed, saving his staff the trouble of making it:
This clip was produced by a group of Israelis who did satirical cabaret, making fun of sacred cows. (The language is Hebrew with English subtitles.) The cow in this short video is the FBI’s attitudes toward Islamic terrorism; the Boston FBI locale and Chechen perpetrators make clear that this is about the Boston Marathon bombing. (The video was also made in 2013).
This film, in fact, couldn’t be shown on Israeli television, which by and large is so Regressive Leftist that it wouldn’t countenance this kind of satire. But it’s funny, and certainly has a grain of truth. Malgorzata found it and put the subtitles in Polish, which you can see, if you wish, by pressing the cc button.
Peter Singer’s new book on ethics, a series of short essays about real-world ethical issues, came out September 13 (Princeton University Press), and already it’s Amazon’s #1 release in “Philosophy of Ethics and Morality”. I’ll be reading it for sure, as Singer is one philosopher who has something to say about how real people live their lives. He’s a clear writer, and tries personally to adhere to his ethical conclusions. Here’s the Amazon blurb; click on the book’s screenshot to go to the Amazon order page:
Now, in Ethics in the Real World, Singer shows that he is also a master at dissecting important current events in a few hundred words.
In this book of brief essays, he applies his controversial ways of thinking to issues like climate change, extreme poverty, animals, abortion, euthanasia, human genetic selection, sports doping, the sale of kidneys, the ethics of high-priced art, and ways of increasing happiness. Singer asks whether chimpanzees are people, smoking should be outlawed, or consensual sex between adult siblings should be decriminalized, and he reiterates his case against the idea that all human life is sacred, applying his arguments to some recent cases in the news. In addition, he explores, in an easily accessible form, some of the deepest philosophical questions, such as whether anything really matters and what is the value of the pale blue dot that is our planet. The collection also includes some more personal reflections, like Singer’s thoughts on one of his favorite activities, surfing, and an unusual suggestion for starting a family conversation over a holiday feast.
Provocative and original, these essays will challenge–and possibly change–your beliefs about a wide range of real-world ethical questions.
And you might consider this book as well, which came out last year (again, click on screenshot for ordering and details). It has a Wikipedia entry which sums up the reviews (mixed):
