Quote of the day redux

July 15, 2014 • 6:40 am

I published this quotation (and its larger context) over two years ago, but it bears repeating. It’s part of an essay by ex-liberal-Protestant pastor Mike Aus, “Conversion on Mount Improbable,” that was published on the old Richard Dawkins website. The part I’ve put in bold should be tattooed on the arm of every person who promotes “other ways of knowing.”

When I was working as a pastor I would often gloss over the clash between the scientific world view and the perspective of religion. I would say that the insights of science were no threat to faith because science and religion are “different ways of knowing” and are not in conflict because they are trying to answer different questions. Science focuses on “how” the world came to be, and religion addresses the question of “why” we are here. I was dead wrong. There are not different ways of knowing. There is knowing and not knowing, and those are the only two options in this world. Religion, even “enlightened” liberal religion, is generally not interested in the facts on the ground. Religion is really not about “knowing” anything; it is about speculation not based on reality.

Here’s a video of Mike Aus “coming out” as a nonbeliever for the very first time—on MSNBC, a national television station. He shows the slow attrition of faith described by other former pastors like Dan Barker and Jerry DeWitt. Note also that he gives credit to Pinker and Dawkins for his “deconversion.” So much for the claim that vociferous atheists are ineffective in bringing believers to science (and nonbelief).

 

 

 

 

Readers’ wildlife photographs

July 15, 2014 • 6:06 am

I can always count on Stephen Barnard of Idaho to come through with nice pictures, and this set next in the queue. (Thanks to readers who sent me photos. Some will be published soon, but remember that not every picture sent it will be published.)

Here we have a bird and a mammal (click all photos to enlarge):

Two great blue herons (Aredea herodias):

RT9A7973

RT9A7950

And what Stephen thinks is a mountain cottontail (Sylvilagus nuttallii):

Mountain cottontail Barnard

From Animal Diversity Web:

The mountain cottontail is solitary perhaps because food is a limiting factor and shelter in their environment can be sparse. It is active and on the move all year long, looking for areas with an ample food supply. The animal is crepuscular and feeds in or near sheltering brush. Severe weather limits their ability to gather food. Because food and sometimes moisture is sparse, energy is very important. The animal uses less than ten percent of its energy during the reproductive season to mate. After the mating season, males often become more secretive and stealthy. Females, however, are equally active throughout the year.

When the animal is frightened it runs several meters to an area where it can hide and freezes with its ears erect to assess the situation of danger. If the cottontail is further disturbed, it rapidly hops away and tries to trick the predator by running in a semicircular path.

. . . The gestation period is 28-30 days and the female can have four or five litters per year. The litter size is usually 4-8 but in California it is not unusual for a litter to consist of just two babies.

 

Footie fallout

July 15, 2014 • 4:29 am

I suspect we’ll have a bit more of this stuff as the excitement of the World Cup tapers off. Elite Daily put up two more items related to The Chomper:

A Pac-Man game with his likeness was, somehow, created. Even well-respected companies couldn’t resists getting in on the fun, going out of their way to taunt the Liverpool star on social media.

Screen shot 2014-07-14 at 1.57.59 PM

And another one (why do people do this to themselves? Don’t they realize that in 20 years this will be not only stupid, but meaningless).

Over the weekend, one English fan posted a photo of his new, and dumb, ink; a tattoo that immortalizes the Suarez bitemark.

suarez

I wonder if the misspelling is deliberate.

h/t: Daniel

The luckiest people in the world

July 14, 2014 • 6:35 pm

. . . are the people who are fostering this felid.

And another view, this time with cub noises and a lion lagniappe:

I have failed miserably in my search to pet a baby tiger (a lion or other big felid will also do, so long as it’s a cub).

p.s. I realize that one shouldn’t raise wild felids in the home, and I have no idea about the circumstances behind these videos. So let’s not have any lecturing and just enjoy this beautiful animal.

h/t: Matt

A tw**t from Pinker

July 14, 2014 • 12:58 pm

Well, when you’re quoted on a Chipotle bag, you know you’re not only a public intellectual, but a public superstar intellectual. The only way you can be more famous is to appear as a character on The Simpsons.

Screen shot 2014-07-14 at 7.56.14 AM

But I want to know why Pinker is eating at Chipotle*? (I hope the photo came from one of his fans.)

Notice, too, that they chose an idealistic and happy quote (like Chinese fortune cookies, none of which ever have fortunes that say, “You suck!”).  I suppose that’s what makes people associate good feelings with the restaurant. It will be a cold day in the Yucatán when they put an atheist slogan on a burrito bag.

I’d love to see this one, for instance:

Pretending to be certain when one isn’t—indeed, pretending to be certain about propositions for which no evidence is even conceivable—is both an intellectual and a moral failing.
—Sam Harris

 

*For non-Americans, Chipotle is a chain that purveys bland and Americanized Mexican food

Readers’ wildlife photos

July 14, 2014 • 11:30 am

Reader Bruce sent us some real peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus; I’m still embarrassed for having called a kestrel a peregrine). These look real to me! (Click photos to enlarge.)

Bruce’s notes:

This spring I wanted to explore the coast between Santa Cruz and San Francisco and in the process stumbled on a wonderfully accessible and observable Perergrine Falcon nest. The nest was in a small cavity on a cliff face but instead of facing out to sea, where it would have been hidden from view, the nest was located where the cliff took a sharp corner so it was visible from the adjacent cliff tops. I discovered the nest just as the three chicks were learning to fly. On my first visits the chicks were still in the nest but they were soon flying well and they then spent their time on the top of the cliff waiting for a parent to return with food.

Below:The adult male Peregrine Falcon perched near the nest. I could distinguish the male and female adults based on size (female larger) and plumage (male plumage was a little crisper). On my first few visits, one of the two parents was always in attendance and was perched near the nest but not at the actual nest ledge. I suspect they avoid spending time at the nest because the chicks would mob and harass them for food. The one time I did see a parent bring in prey the chicks got pretty frenzied about the possibility of dinner.

Peregrine 1

Below: The adult female landing at her favorite perch spot close to the nest ledge:

Lyon female

Below: An adult flying near the nest:

Adult flying

Below. The three chicks squabble over a Mourning Dove carcass. An adult delivered the dove to the nest but left immediately and the three chicks then jostled over control of the prey item:

Chicks squabbling

Below: One of the chicks practices flapping its wings at the top of the cliff:

Chick practices