What I've Been Listening To Lately

My iPhone, these podcasts, and some ear buds make the 23 mile commute entertaining and informative morning and evening...

image from photos8.com

A Christian and an Atheist "Because we're all wrong sometimes" 

American Freethought "Question.  Think.  Decide." 

Apologia "a friendly forum for both theists and non-theists to come together in search of some common understanding" 

Are We Alone SETI 

Astronomy Cast Astronomy Today 

Books and Ideas Dr. Ginger Campbell, M.D. 

Brain Science also by Dr. Ginger Campbell, M.D. 

Chariots of Iron Atheiskeptihumanists™ 

For Good Reason James Randi Educational Foundation 

Freethought Radio Freedom From Religion Foundation 

Gresham College Audio public lectures since 1597...podcasts being a recent development 

London School of Economics The LSE has plenty of seriously smart people lecturing on economics, politics, and the social sciences 

NPR's On the Media exploring "how the media 'sausage' is made" 

On Being formerly known as Speaking of Faith, with Krista Tippett 

Point of Inquiry Center For Inquiry 

PopTech Audio "world-changing people, projects and ideas" 

QuackCast Dr. Mark Crislip, M.D. 

Rationally Speaking New York City Skeptics 

Reasonable Doubts "your skeptical guide to religion" 

Reasonable Faith Just remember "You are not qualified to debate William Lane Craig" 

Righteous Indignation from the U.K. 

RSA Events: Audio the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce 

Skepticality Skeptic magazine 

Skeptics with a K from the U.K. 

Skeptoid Brian Dunning 

TED Talks my only video feed (and no, I don't watch it during my commute)

The Skeptic Zone from Australia 

The Skeptics' Guide 5X5 Five minutes with five skeptics (from the NESS) 

The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe New England Skeptic Society 

Token Skeptic from Australia 

Unbelievable from the U.K. 

Try one, you'll like it. 

PS The language used in some of these podcasts may not be suitable for all listeners.

PPS Drivetime podcast listeners in Minnesota should be careful not to look like they are attempting to "compose, read, or send an electronic message, when the vehicle is in motion or a part of traffic," as that is a violation of 169.475 USE OF WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE.

Private Security Attitudes About the Role of Weapons in Preventing Workplace Violence

As some of you know, I'm working on a Masters in Human Development - concentrating on Leadership, Team Building, and Problem Solving...

Some recent discussions at the Security Source Online discussion group at LinkedIn have got me thinking there may be some detectable demographic differences between security professionals who hold strong opinions regarding the role of armed security personnel and armed citizens in reducing homicides at work, in houses of worship, or at school.

If you are a private security professional please visit Survey Monkey to take the survey titled "Private Security Attitudes About the Role of Weapons in Preventing Workplace Violence."

I am using Survey Monkey instead of LinkedIn Polls as there are people I'll be inviting to participate who may not have a LinkedIn account (yeah, really).  I do not have a premium account at Survey Monkey so I can ask only 10 questions. This make every question critically important, so please provide your best answer before proceeding.

The results of the survey will be tabulated and reported at Security Source Online and here at Eclectic Breakfast.

Thank you!

Black Swan

The book, not the movie...

The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable, by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, comes highly recommended by several of my peers.  I'm getting tired of heavy reading so I'm going to cut The Feeling of Risk from my 2011 reading list and replace it with Black Swan.  I picked up a copy last night with some birthday money. I will keep you posted...

It's Not About The Science

It's about not wanting to admit that pollution represents a failure of free markets...

As you may recall, Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming, was on my reading list for 2011.  Well, read it I did and happy I am for having done so.  This is one deeply researched and well written book.  As important as the history of denialism is, in less skilled hands the sheer volume of the material covered might have made for stultifying reading.  Let me politely suggest that Merchants of Doubt belongs on the bookshelf of anyone who cares about the role of science in the public square.  Historians Naomi Oreskes and Erik Conway have done science, our country, and humanity a great service.

UPDATE: Here's a fresh and unhappy post about the state of polarization on the issue of global warming written by Chris Mooney.

REUPDATE: I sent the authors of Merchants of Doubt some fan mail and asked the question:

"I wonder if evangelicals prone to biblical literalism also find common cause with denialist free market cold warriors because the ability to call "junk" any science they disagree with enables them to cling to their world view?"

Naomi Oreske graced me with a prompt reply:

"Indeed!  I am working on this very question now."

Cool news, indeed.

PS Merchants is now available in paperback for ~$11.00.  Consider giving a copy to the denialists in your life.  I'm going to...

Another Update: A nice profile of Professor Oreskes in the Christian Science Monitor.

This Has Been A Good Spring For Science Fiction And Fantasy Films

For the most part...

 

Just when you think there's no new way to spin a cloak and dagger action pic along comes Hanna.  Think Grimms' Fairy Tales meets The Three Days of the Condor.  The interplay between image, motion, sound, and music is unlike anything I've experienced recently, thanks no doubt to The Chemical Brothers.  Roger Ebert explains it better, as usual...  Fable.

The Adjustment Bureau reminds us that Matt Damon really is pretty talented.  Emily Blunt does a very fine turn.  Almost any movie adapted from a Phillip K. Dick story is worth a try; this one delivers.  Fate.

Source Code features Jake Gyllenhaal, a much more human Vera Farmiga than we saw in the unsatisfactory Up In The Air, and a totally dreamy Michelle Monaghan.  It started out far fetched, got a little weirder, then became engaging and emotionally true.  Second chances.

Okay, so Sucker Punch was as emotionally bereft as it was visually striking, but it's visual strikingness was pretty damn striking.  Image over substance.

Just kidding!  Battle: Los Angeles was not so good, but it made Roger Ebert's hilarious review possible.  Action-packed action, with an extra helping of action.