Yet Another Web Site

(via Fundies Say the Darndest Things!)

“No, everyone is born Christian. Only later in life do people choose to stray from Jesus and worship satan instead. Atheists have the greatest “cover” of all, they insist they believe in no god yet most polls done and the latest research indicates that they are actually a different sect of Muslims.”

Trinidad and Tobago, CARM

We report, you decide…

Speedbump Studios has created a promo for the return of Futurama.

(via the Bad Astronomy Blog)

SEFORA

Check out the Bill of Rights for Scientists and Engineers:

Effective government depends on accurate, honest and timely advice from scientists and engineers. Science demands an open, transparent process of review and access to the best scholars from around the nation and the world. Mistakes dangerous to the nation’s welfare and security have been made when governments prevent scientists from presenting the best evidence and analysis. Americans should demand that all candidates support the following Bill of Rights:

1. Federal policy shall be made using the best available science and analysis both from within the government and from the rest of society.
   
   
2. The federal government shall never intentionally publish false or misleading scientific information nor post such material on federal websites.
   
   
3. Scientists conducting research or analysis with federal funding shall be free to discuss and publish the results of unclassified research after a reasonable period of review without fear of intimidation or adverse personnel action.
   
   
4. Federal employees reporting what they believe to be manipulation of federal research and analysis for political or ideological reasons should be free to bring this information to the attention of the public and shall be protected from intimidation, retribution or adverse personnel action by effective enforcement of Whistle Blower laws.
   
   
5. No scientists should fear reprisals or intimidation because of the results of their research.
   
   
6. Appointments to federal scientific advisory committees shall be based on the candidate’s scientific qualifications, not political affiliation or ideology.
   
   
7. The federal government shall not support any science education program that includes instruction in concepts that are derived from ideology and not science.
   
   
8. While scientists may elect to withhold methods or studies that might be misused there shall be no federal prohibition on publication of basic research results. Decisions made about blocking the release of information about specific applied research and technologies for reasons of national security shall be the result of a transparent process. Classification decisions shall be made by trained professionals using a clear set of published criteria and there shall be a clear process for challenging decisions and a process for remedying mistakes and abuses of the classification system.

“Helen of Troy awakes just before dawn to the sound of air raid sirens.” — A killer opening line, from Dan Simmons’ Olympos. If that piques your interest, you’ll want to start out by reading Ilium.

Store severed heads in your basement

A year from now I’d be surprised if there’s not some grand square in Baghdad that is named after President Bush.
– Richard Perle (September 22, 2003)

(more…)

(via What’s new by Bob Park - Friday, September 22, 2006)

1. POLYGRAPH: SCIENCE MOVED ON FEDERAL AGENCIES NEVER NOTICED.

Eighteen years ago, WN said, “the polygraph can’t tell a lie from the sex act,” (WN 4 Mar 88) . It still can’t, but Monday, the Office of the Inspector General of the the Justice Department released a 20-page report on the use of the polygraph by the Justice Department. The polygraph is used slightly less as an investigative tool (recall it failed to expose the Green River killer). But it is used increasingly to screen employees (recall it missed CIA super-mole Aldrich Ames, and has never uncovered a single spy). Meanwhile, brain research became the hottest frontier after physicists developed fMRI brain scanning, revealing what really goes on in our heads. The report never mentions all the unrefuted science showing the polygraph is worse than useless. Nor does it mention fMRI research advances.

More:

• Are polygraphs worthless?
• Polygraphs: but they scare the Hell out of people
• Polygraph: Green River Killer Passed a 1984 Lie Detector Test
• Polygraph Testing Less than Worthless

(from the don’t try this at home dept.)

Johnny Knoxville attempts to ride a rocket like Wiley E. Coyote.

Hello, GORRY-O!! I'm a GENIUS from HARVARD!!