Updates on anti-vax, woo, and flying cars…
I have updates on some of what I’ve been writing about lately. So listen up! In my H1N1 post, I mentioned the “backwards walking cheerleader.”  Via Skepchick, please read this entire post by Orac summing up the aftermath. In summary, Desiree Jennings was taken in by Generation Rescue, the anti-vaxx group that Jenny McCarthy associates with, and they “cured” her with some quack medicine. 

A Non-Scientist’s Reaction to Richard Hoagland
As promised, Tim is writing his first blog post! So be sure to check the author name from now on before we figure out some easier system of distinguishing.  I urged him to write up his reactions to the SyFy channel’s 2012 Secrets after we spent over an hour howling with laughter at it Sunday night. ~N Ok, so I am not typically the type to write a blog posting, actually I’m not the type to really read or write at all, but it’s always good to attempt something new.  Anyway, Nicole & I were watching this show on SciFi…SyFy…PsyPhi…whatever it’s calling itself now, abou

Unicorns and Starry Nights
This semester, a number of astronomers at UVa are participating in a project called Dark Skies, Bright Kids.  Each week, a group head out to a local elementary school and do astronomy-related project with the third, fourth, and fifth graders who have joined the astronomy club.  Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to join the Friday afternoon activities, but I did help out at one of the evening observing sessions on a clear Friday night in October. Waiting on the sun to go down… We set up a

More harm that my brain can fathom at the moment…
What’s the harm in believing pseudoscience? Iraq Swears by Bomb Detector U.S. Sees as Useless Colonel [Hal] Bidlack said, “When they say they are selling you something that will save your son or daughter on a patrol, they’ve crossed an insupportable line into moral depravity.” Someone in that company, ATSC (UK) Ltd, must know that they are selling absolute garbage.  According to the article, they have made $85 MILLION lying to people in a way that endangers lives. That’s not just swindling, that’

Skepticism 102
I had long ago promised to write about what came out of Skeptrack at Dragon*Con. It’s taken some time to process, and there have been many other distractions (life, work, etc) but here I finally begin… I’ve written previously about what it means for me to be a “skeptic” so I guess you could call that “skepticism 101.”  So say you are already on board with the whole idea. As Daniel Loxton asked,