Where Alcohol and Anthropology Meet
Recently, I came across an article discussing Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon. I have not focused on Daniel Dennett’s work, but I wanted to respond to the discussion in the article, and will be adding more to this discussion as I read through the book. One of the largest issues is that […]
ContinueThe following is a draft research proposal to investigate the scientific perception and reality of the efficacy and efficiency of B. pertussis vaccines and the prevalence of asymptomatic infections. I have written extensively, both on The Spiritual Anthropologist, and over at Politicoid, on the topics of vaccine efficacy and science, especially concerning issues with the […]
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Philosophy of Academics included Philosophy of Education, but also questions about the validity of methods of research and scholarly communication. Questions include, but are not limited to is the separation between “fields of study” in academia reasonable or arbitrary?, is there a more reasonable way to measure academic achievement beyond degree level?, and can people still […]
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Prominent individuals in psychology have stated or implied that religion is a delusion. These people are often delusional themselves. I have explained why religion is not a delusion or mental illness in “The Pervasive Nature of Religiophobia” and “Religion is an Illness and Evolution is Wrong (Not).“
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Introduction Over the last couple of decades, we have learned a lot about the human gut microbiome. Rather than simply being a collection of commensal organisms, the gut microbiome (GMB) is now thought to be involved in a number of important metabolic roles, including nutrient extraction, immunity, and possibly even the regulation of sleep and […]
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Why do people view the placebo effect as if it’s “no effect?” Consider the following quote by Steven Novella, MD over at “Science Based Medicine.”
ContinueReligion is useful, but Genetically Modified Skeptic misses the real point and fails to understand a lot about the scientific study of religion.
ContinueI have been involved in a number of arguments about scientific consensus. The most recent debate has convinced me to write about the topic in depth. The idea of scientific consensus has been popular since reports that 97% of all papers offering a position on climate change assert that climate change is happening. I am not […]
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Certain people who argue against the existence of an eternal afterlife like to argue that it would feel like “hell” or that we cannot even imagine it. I disagree. There are ways that we can guess what it would be like, and to find a clue to this question, all one needs is a little […]
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Religion is not an illness. This short discussion provides one of many arguments as to why this is the case.
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