related_results_labels_thumbs({"version":"1.0","encoding":"UTF-8","feed":{"xmlns":"http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom","xmlns$openSearch":"http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/","xmlns$georss":"http://www.georss.org/georss","xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4977309212311534399"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-09-06T13:16:32.901-04:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The Mad Skeptic"},"subtitle":{"type":"html","$t":"Straddling the line between ivory tower and blue collar.  \nThe notes, comments, and general ramblings of a Gen-X Scientist and Skeptic."},"link":[{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.themadskeptic.com/feeds/posts/default"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4977309212311534399/posts/default/-/science?alt\u003djson-in-script\u0026max-results\u003d6"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://www.themadskeptic.com/search/label/science"},{"rel":"hub","href":"http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/"},{"rel":"next","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4977309212311534399/posts/default/-/science/-/science?alt\u003djson-in-script\u0026start-index\u003d7\u0026max-results\u003d6"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Baron Army"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/07476349695309049940"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"}}],"generator":{"version":"7.00","uri":"http://www.blogger.com","$t":"Blogger"},"openSearch$totalResults":{"$t":"25"},"openSearch$startIndex":{"$t":"1"},"openSearch$itemsPerPage":{"$t":"6"},"entry":[{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4977309212311534399.post-6649667995782301025"},"published":{"$t":"2010-08-27T19:04:00.001-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-09-06T13:16:32.908-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"religion"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"transhumanism"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"science"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Singularitarianism Must be Challenged by Skeptics"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in;\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"float: right;\" src\u003d\"http://farm1.static.flickr.com/3/3774175_73285f84a9.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" width\u003d\"500\" height\u003d\"354\" /\u003eLately, there has been a fair amount of credulous coverage of the concept of transhumanism and the singularity on Skeptical podcasts and otherwise skeptical media.  To my recollection, \u003ca href\u003d\"http://rationallyspeaking.blogspot.com/2010/08/podcast-teaser-transhumanism.html\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003eMassimo Pigliucci\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.theskepticsguide.org/archive/podcastinfo.aspx?mid\u003d1\u0026amp;pid\u003d266\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003eSteven Novella\u003c/a\u003e are the only high-profile folks providing any appropriate counterpoint.  After listening to the second episode on the topic on \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.skepticallyspeaking.com/episodes/73-transhumanism-part-2\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003eSkeptically Speaking\u003c/a\u003e, I decided I could hold my tongue no longer.  It seems to me the Skeptic community, as a whole, is doing a piss-poor job being skeptical on this issue.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in;\"\u003eAs a Geologist and Microscopist looking in, transhumanism, futurism and sigularitarianism all look to be nothing more than science fiction-based wishful thinking.  That is not to say that there are great strides being made in computer science and technology or that the idea of augmenting oneself is appealing.  As a Skeptic and an Atheist, I have observed a number of parallels between this futurist-whatever-you-want-to-call-it and woo-woo, cults, and \u0026ndash; yes \u0026ndash; religion.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in;\"\u003eLet's start with the basics, sigularists and futurists use a lot of very, very soft language in regards to what the future will provide.  In listening to the second transhumanism episode on Skeptically Speaking, I was struck by the incredible number of times words like \u0026ldquo;someday\u0026rdquo;, \u0026ldquo;would\u0026rdquo;, \u0026ldquo;could\u0026rdquo;, \u0026ldquo;might\u0026rdquo; and other similarly wiggly words were used.  How is this any different from plain old wishful thinking?  '\u003cem\u003eYou could become fabulously rich\u003c/em\u003e'.  '\u003cem\u003eSomeday, vaccinations will be shown to cause autism\u003c/em\u003e'.  How are those sentences any different from stating something along the lines of:  '\u003cem\u003eWe could make a mathematical model of the human brain\u003c/em\u003e' or '\u003cem\u003eWe might have transhumans who can do [insert super-human task here]'\u003c/em\u003e?  I have to ask why is this concept wrapped up in such poorly defined and (apparently) deliberately fuzzy language?  The very definition of the singularity \u0026ndash; as provided by \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.sentientdevelopments.com/\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003eGeorge Dvorsky\u003c/a\u003e on Skeptically Speaking \u0026ndash; as being \u0026ldquo;an intelligence explosion\u0026rdquo; not only smacks of pseudoscience terminology, it is so open ended as to represent almost anything intelligence related.  How is that any different from the crap Deepok Chopra spews when he calls forth his bastardized quantum physics?\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in;\"\u003eAs to my pseudoscience observation \u0026ndash; both singularity adherents and creationists share similarities.  Perhaps the differences between \u0026ldquo;true\u0026rdquo; Science and Engineering help exacerbate this (I'm not saying engineering isn't a science \u0026ndash; I just want to separate it from Biology, Geology, and so on).  Both creationists and singularists have a pre-conceived belief that they are setting out to prove.  While the Creationists are self-deceived in regards to Evolution etc., they are using real sciences (mainly Genetics, Biology, and Geology) in an attempt to justify their beliefs.  Are the singularists doing the same thing only using computer science and robotics?  I really don't know.  I just thought I'd throw it out.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in;\"\u003eThe main thing that is most disconcerting to me, as an Atheist, is the apparent and deliberate pseudo-religious posturing the believers in singularity put on.  Sure there are no robes and incense but it's time to face the facts, the 'singularity' (regardless of how it's defined) is not a foregone conclusion.  Yet, these computer and robotics acolytes speak as if it will happen.  How is that any different from fundamentalist Christians asserting in the inevitability of the rapture?  Sure, computers are real and the four horsemen of the apocalypse aren't but both of these concepts share fundamental similarities.  Both promise a big and wonderful change for adherents as they are allowed to escape their mundane existence and negative repercussions for those who don't believe.  Good things for the in-group and bad things for the rest.  Religion.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in;\"\u003eFinally, one thing George Dvorsky said on Skeptically Speaking really lead a bad taste in my mouth.  Right after the other guest, \u003ca href\u003d\"http://worldofweirdthings.com/\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003eGreg Fish\u003c/a\u003e, give a reasonable response to a chat room member who wants to become \u0026ldquo;transhuman\u0026rdquo; as quickly as possible by instructing them to study things like computer science or neurology, Dvorsky busts this gem out:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-left: 0.49in; margin-bottom: 0in;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e....subscribe to a, I guess, a belief system or, I guess, a value system that's referred to as 'singularitarianism' and I know that is a mouthful.  But singularitarianism is the general feeling that we need to advance ourselves, we need to get to the singularity as soon as possible.  And the reason for that is we probably risk self-destruction before then if we don't.  Namely through the development of other technologies.  Namely nano-technolgies and nano-weapons.  Whether it be robotic technologies or even biological technologies such as genetic, or sorry, such as pathogens and other kinds of, basically, devastating pathogens that could cripple the entire human species.  And the idea here is that we can circumvent or, rather, preempt that from happening should we get to the singularity first.  Whether or not we would survive the singularity is an open question but at this point the responsibility, I suppose, is somewhat out of our hands.  There is a famous quote, I think it might be from Hans Moravec, who says that a self-improving artificial intelligence that is human-equivalent is the last invention we will ever need to make because at that point it's going to take over and it will, basically, be able to figure out the rest for us.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in;\"\u003eSo, I'm left wondering, is singularitianism a doomsday cult or are they promising to save the world?  Either way, something's rotten in Denmark.  We will destroy ourselves if we don't create god!\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in;\"\u003eI understand the host, Desiree, did not have time to follow up on this whopper of what, in my opinion is a fresh, steaming pile of crazy but she didn't ask a single hard question of her guests for the entire show.  Why was that?  If someone was to go on a Skeptic show and say similar things about crystals and New Age woo, they would almost certainly be challenged.  Why did this not happen.  Is it because robots are \u0026ldquo;good\u0026rdquo; and crystals are \u0026ldquo;bad\u0026rdquo;.  Stop playing favorites.  Someone needs to stand up and start shouting \u0026ldquo;show me the evidence\u0026rdquo;!\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in;\"\u003eYes, all this stuff is cool sounding and, yes, it may very well appeal to a great many of Skeptics.  I, for one, wouldn't mind being able to become some sort of a cyberpunk and do things we can only dream of.  After all, many of us are self-identified nerds and geeks but that is no excuse to not recognize the existence of a critical thinking blind spot.  Transhumanism and singularitarianism are beliefs and, if Dvorsky's quote above is any indication, it sure sound awfully religious to me.  This belief must be challenged and debated.  If I'm wrong, and singularity (whatever the hell it ends up being) is possible and as beneficial as its proponents claim it will be, the debate may make the transition to transhumanism easier.  However, if I'm right about this being nothing more than irrational singularity worship, we might be able to inject some sound reason into what may be a new cult and save people time, energy, and grief.\u003c/p\u003e\u003chr /\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size: small;\"\u003ePhoto by \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/bistrosavage/\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003eBistrosavage\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4977309212311534399-6649667995782301025?l\u003dwww.themadskeptic.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.themadskeptic.com/feeds/6649667995782301025/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID\u003d4977309212311534399\u0026postID\u003d6649667995782301025\u0026isPopup\u003dtrue","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4977309212311534399/posts/default/6649667995782301025"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4977309212311534399/posts/default/6649667995782301025"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://www.themadskeptic.com/2010/08/singularitianism-must-be-challenged-by.html","title":"Singularitarianism Must be Challenged by Skeptics"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Baron Army"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/07476349695309049940"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"17303909186244852468"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://farm1.static.flickr.com/3/3774175_73285f84a9_t.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4977309212311534399.post-4125465631015052116"},"published":{"$t":"2010-07-13T19:13:00.001-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-07-13T19:20:41.576-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"education"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"parenting"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"religion"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"science"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Skeptical Single Parenting"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003e\ufeff\u003cimg src\u003d\"http://lh6.ggpht.com/_PqiPgKVm1uI/TCFj9hTGaqI/AAAAAAAABq0/SYQn4-1xRZI/s640/f0569280.jpg\" align\u003d\"right\" border\u003d\"0\" width\u003d\"500\"\u003eI am a single dad.  On two levels, my situation definitely is not the one I envisioned myself being in when I was younger.  First, I never really expected to have a child.  For all intents and purposes, I planned on being child-free.  I could go on about the rampant anti-child prejudice the permeates the “child-free” subculture (if it is such a thing) but I won't beyond denouncing it outright and to say I never shared those views.  I guess I was somewhat narcissistic in that I didn't want to have to put any energy, money, and effort into having a child.  Secondly, when I did fantasize about my having a child, it wasn't in the context of being a single father.  Things didn't work out for my daughter, myself, and her mother in a way that reflect a “traditional” family.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003eI'm glad to say I do not regret having my daughter in any way.  She is my life and being a dad, despite my child-free-ness, comes naturally to me.  She's happy, curious, and has even \u003ca href\u003d\"http://virtualds.org/2010/06/27/32-billy-meier-jenny-mccarthy-techno-daughter-dr-who-and-tam-derek-bartholomaus/\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003emade an appearance on Virtually Drinking Skeptically\u003c/a\u003e (she couldn't sleep and was curious about who I was talking to).  Obviously, despite our differences, her mother and I are doing something right.  I was fortunate to have parents who didn't try to force a dogma down my throat and I am striving to ensure my daughter gets the same advantage.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003eMy daughter's mother does not share my Skeptic and Atheist views.  Yes, this could become a problem.  We parent in what is referred to as “parallel parenting” but we are moving towards true co-parenting.  In both of these parenting styles, there is communication between the parents about the child and their well-being.  At one point, this level of communication was impossible.  I'm not going to write about it here but the situation was really bad.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003eDespite our level of communication, there are a couple things which I have not brought up as an issue and I parent my daughter on these topics entirely by my standards as a Skeptic and Atheist.  As a result, this aspect of our lives is “parallel”.  My Ex is pseudo-religious in a New Age meets Catholicism kind of a way.  I've never criticized her beliefs and kept my opinions to myself.  I just accepted them – which was easy because she never went to church or tried to get me to go the entire time we were together.  She is also a believer in things like spirits, ghosts, \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.skepdic.com/reiki.html\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003ereiki\u003c/a\u003e, and other topics which lack evidence of their existence.  When we were together, her discussions about how she felt the “presence” of a dead relative were common.  I just bit my tongue and accepted them as a part of who she is.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003eNow, I'm free of the situation I found myself in prior to our split and I can parent as I see fit.  Fortunately for my daughter, she had three living great-grandparents when she was born.  Unfortunately, two passed away after her second birthday.  Also, a favorite pet cat and my parents' dog (who she loved) died.  Consequently, she's trying to understand death.  This is a natural process for anyone to go through.  The way her mother and I are handling the explanations about death differ and this could be a source of conflict.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003eObviously, the matter of potential strife is about what happens after one dies.  My daughter's mother tells her that one “goes to the angels”.  Consequently, my daughter comes to me for confirmation.  She'll often ask me “Is Uma with the angels?”  Uma was my parents' dog.  My response to her – which I don't think she fully understands yet – is that some people believe that we go to the angels after we die but that I don't believe that.  I try to tell her that people “live” on in our memories and that we continue to love them even though they are gone.  Personally, I don't feel that passing the buck to a supernatural and unprovable post-death existence is acceptable.  \u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003eAs she's only three, these types of questions often come up – a lot.  Anyone with a kid knows what I'm talking about.  Death is a big deal for kids at this stage of development as they struggle with self identity and the limits of “self”.  While she may not fully grasp what I'm telling her and it may be easier for her to think that you go somewhere else (much like we drive to Grandma and Grandpa's house) when we die, I think it is much more important for me not to deviate from my beliefs and water down my explanation.  The end result will be a consistent explanation that she can reliably hang her hat on.  While I may not be seeing any immediate comprehension, I think it will come in time.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003eSimilarly, I get questions about ghosts and monsters.  As for monsters, I tell her they don't exist.  Period.  They are only found in books and movies.  I view it as though a monster is thing of terror and if a “monster” creature exists out there (like bigfoot) it is an animal – not a monster and not a thing of terror.  As for ghosts, I approach it in a similar fashion to the way I answer her about death and monsters.  I tell her that some people belief in ghosts but I add one little thing.  I tell her that no one can prove they are real and that ghosts are only really in scary movies and stories.  I'm trying to redirect any possible concerns she might have about ghosts and monsters towards where they belong – fiction (at least as far as we've been able to determine so far).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003eMy daughter's mother as halfheartedly been going to church with the kids (she has a son from another relationship).  While some might think this would get me pissed, I'm OK with it.  Actually, I would like some exposure to religion but that exposure needs to be discussed.  When the time comes, I will discuss it with her.  Right now, “church” is where she went to see a play of the Three Little Pigs so I don't think they are going all that often (besides, trying to get my daughter not to ask a preacher “why” after every statement might be impossible – actually, she may already be a Skeptic!). \u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003eUltimately, I hope to provide a rational anchor to my daughter's pseudo-new-age mother.  Consistency and honesty are the keys to success and I think she will learn and grow from my example.  Now that she's getting old enough, I like asking her “what do you think?”  I get some interesting answers but, more importantly, I'm trying to start her out thinking for herself.  Ultimately, her beliefs will be linked to those of her mother and myself.  While I hope she becomes a rational and intelligent woman, I have no control over the matter.  It's up to her.  I can only give her the tools and what she builds is up to her.  I do think exposing her to science and reason will pay off in the end.  Plus, her ability to reason and think for herself will help insulate her from unfounded beliefs like those held by her mother – or myself for that matter.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4977309212311534399-4125465631015052116?l\u003dwww.themadskeptic.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.themadskeptic.com/feeds/4125465631015052116/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID\u003d4977309212311534399\u0026postID\u003d4125465631015052116\u0026isPopup\u003dtrue","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4977309212311534399/posts/default/4125465631015052116"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4977309212311534399/posts/default/4125465631015052116"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://www.themadskeptic.com/2010/07/skeptical-single-parenting.html","title":"Skeptical Single Parenting"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Baron Army"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/07476349695309049940"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"17303909186244852468"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://lh6.ggpht.com/_PqiPgKVm1uI/TCFj9hTGaqI/AAAAAAAABq0/SYQn4-1xRZI/s72-c/f0569280.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4977309212311534399.post-2895391717426003492"},"published":{"$t":"2010-07-02T18:34:00.001-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-07-02T18:34:51.645-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"law"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"education"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"albany"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"civics"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"religion"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"government"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"science"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"politics"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"outreach"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Response to my Letters Regarding Texas' Retardation"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"As many folks will recall, I\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.themadskeptic.com/2010/05/how-to-fight-texas-board-of-education.html\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003e sent out letters to various governmental representatives about Texas's giant step backward in the education of their children.\u003c/a\u003e\u003cp\u003eMuch to my chagrin, I haven't heard anything back -- until today.  When I went to pick up my mail, there was a letter from the Assembly of the State of New York.  This, in itself, is not an uncommon occurance seeing how I've been pretty outspoken about just how dyfunctional the State of New York is.  Hell, \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/410/social-contract\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003eThis American Life did a story on how messed up things are here in Albany!\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI digress.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhile McEneny will almost certainly not receive my vote this November, he certainly is on the right page about creationism:\u003c/p\u003e\u003ccenter\u003e\u003ca title\u003d\"View Thank You for You Letter Public on Scribd\" href\u003d\"http://www.scribd.com/doc/33838424/Thank-You-for-You-Letter-Public\" style\u003d\"margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eThank You for You Letter Public\u003c/a\u003e \u003cobject id\u003d\"doc_838651000221983\" name\u003d\"doc_838651000221983\" height\u003d\"600\" width\u003d\"600\" type\u003d\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" data\u003d\"http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf\" style\u003d\"outline:none;\"\u003e\u003cparam name\u003d\"movie\" value\u003d\"http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf\"\u003e\u003cparam name\u003d\"wmode\" value\u003d\"opaque\"\u003e\u003cparam name\u003d\"bgcolor\" value\u003d\"#ffffff\"\u003e\u003cparam name\u003d\"allowFullScreen\" value\u003d\"true\"\u003e\u003cparam name\u003d\"allowScriptAccess\" value\u003d\"always\"\u003e\u003cparam name\u003d\"FlashVars\" value\u003d\"document_id\u003d33838424\u0026amp;access_key\u003dkey-d90qpjoy7rxzqp1smk9\u0026amp;page\u003d1\u0026amp;viewMode\u003dlist\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cembed id\u003d\"doc_838651000221983\" name\u003d\"doc_838651000221983\" src\u003d\"http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id\u003d33838424\u0026amp;access_key\u003dkey-d90qpjoy7rxzqp1smk9\u0026amp;page\u003d1\u0026amp;viewMode\u003dlist\" type\u003d\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" allowscriptaccess\u003d\"always\" allowfullscreen\u003d\"true\" height\u003d\"600\" width\u003d\"600\" wmode\u003d\"opaque\" bgcolor\u003d\"#ffffff\"\u003e\u003c/object\u003e\u003c/center\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4977309212311534399-2895391717426003492?l\u003dwww.themadskeptic.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.themadskeptic.com/feeds/2895391717426003492/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID\u003d4977309212311534399\u0026postID\u003d2895391717426003492\u0026isPopup\u003dtrue","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4977309212311534399/posts/default/2895391717426003492"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4977309212311534399/posts/default/2895391717426003492"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://www.themadskeptic.com/2010/07/response-to-my-letters-regarding-texas.html","title":"Response to my Letters Regarding Texas\u0026#39; Retardation"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Baron Army"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/07476349695309049940"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"17303909186244852468"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4977309212311534399.post-3958589750501332596"},"published":{"$t":"2010-07-01T21:42:00.002-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-07-01T21:55:19.919-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"video"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"asbestos"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"science"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Video Blog: The TEM"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"So I thought I'd get into the video blog scam business by posting a little informative viddy about the Transmission Electron Microscope I use at work.  I'm sure to rake in the big bucks now!\u003cp\u003eExcuse the muffled video in spots -- I was putting my thumb over the microphone.  I filmed this with my Palm Pre in case anyone's interested:\u003c/p\u003e\u003ccenter\u003e\u003cobject width\u003d\"640\" height\u003d\"505\"\u003e\u003cparam name\u003d\"movie\" value\u003d\"http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/2UjbJS88h0Y\u0026amp;hl\u003den_US\u0026amp;fs\u003d1?rel\u003d0\u0026amp;color1\u003d0x3a3a3a\u0026amp;color2\u003d0x999999\"\u003e\u003cparam name\u003d\"allowFullScreen\" value\u003d\"true\"\u003e\u003cparam name\u003d\"allowscriptaccess\" value\u003d\"always\"\u003e\u003cembed src\u003d\"http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/2UjbJS88h0Y\u0026amp;hl\u003den_US\u0026amp;fs\u003d1?rel\u003d0\u0026amp;color1\u003d0x3a3a3a\u0026amp;color2\u003d0x999999\" type\u003d\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" allowscriptaccess\u003d\"always\" allowfullscreen\u003d\"true\" width\u003d\"640\" height\u003d\"505\"\u003e\u003c/embed\u003e\u003c/object\u003e\u003c/center\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4977309212311534399-3958589750501332596?l\u003dwww.themadskeptic.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.themadskeptic.com/feeds/3958589750501332596/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID\u003d4977309212311534399\u0026postID\u003d3958589750501332596\u0026isPopup\u003dtrue","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4977309212311534399/posts/default/3958589750501332596"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4977309212311534399/posts/default/3958589750501332596"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://www.themadskeptic.com/2010/07/video-blog-tem.html","title":"Video Blog: The TEM"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Baron Army"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/07476349695309049940"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"17303909186244852468"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"},"georss$point":{"$t":"42.64885527776847 -73.76002907752991"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4977309212311534399.post-8818161869447251317"},"published":{"$t":"2010-06-10T18:00:00.001-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-06-10T23:54:22.760-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"health"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"asbestos"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"science"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"outreach"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"How Potentially Dangerous is Asbestos?"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003e\u003cimg src\u003d\"http://lh5.ggpht.com/_PqiPgKVm1uI/TBFgVbmS0gI/AAAAAAAABUA/xl6wVSVOm7A/2180240695_529d4a7a12.jpg\" align\u003d\"right\" border\u003d\"0\" alt\u003d\"asbestos\"\u003eI was doing some calculations at work the other day related to a question the regional Federal Prosecutor had sent in.  He was curious about how “contaminated” a room could be with asbestos fibers.  He also was curious about how many fibers could exist in a chunk of asbestos-containing building material (ACM).  \u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003eMy boss and I ran the numbers and came to a conclusion.  However, in the process I thought it would be academically interesting to see just how small a piece of ACM would be required to “contaminate” a given space if it were to become aerosolized (that is, the particles are thoroughly released into the air).  Nerdy.  I know but this is what I do and, guess what!  You get to benefit from my journey into the maths.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003eFirst, here are some assumptions I'll be working with:  Most foremost, everything here is hypothetical and perfect.  We all know the world isn't a perfect place.  Consequently, a lot of these numbers are not seen in real life.  This was only intended as an intellectual exercise on my part.  Second, I've used what some have argued are arbitrary safety levels which have been determined by both NIOSH\u003csup\u003e\u003ca class\u003d\"sdendnoteanc\" name\u003d\"sdendnote1anc\" href\u003d\"#sdendnote1sym\"\u003ei\u003c/a\u003e \u003c/sup\u003eand the AHERA\u003ca class\u003d\"sdendnoteanc\" name\u003d\"sdendnote2anc\" href\u003d\"#sdendnote2sym\"\u003e\u003csup\u003eii\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/a\u003e. That is to say a Phase Contrast Microscopy-determined (PCM) airborne concentration of 0.01 f/cc asbestos is acceptable for clearance (i.e.“it's safe to go in”) and materials with 1% or greater asbestos must be considered ACM.  These are the current regulations and I decided to run with them.  Finally, no ACM is totally friable (easily falls apart) to the level of individual fibers.  There are a variety of different binding materials and so on.  Consequently, the horror story you will see below really wouldn't be seen in reality.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003eAlright.  Enough with the disclaimers and limitations.  The first part of my thought experiment was tochoose a space.  For this purpose, I chose the \u003ca href\u003d\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana_Superdome\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003eLouisiana Superdome\u003c/a\u003e.  Not only is it the largest fixed dome structure inthe world, it has historical significance due to Hurricane Katrina and I feel more people need to be paying attention to Louisiana now as it's getting slammed with BP's Gulf of Mexico oil spill.  Based upon information on Wikipedia, the Superdome has an interior capacity of \u003ci\u003e125,000,000\u003c/i\u003e ft\u003csup\u003e3\u003c/sup\u003e.  No joke people.  Apparently, it can seat up to 72,698 people.  My next step was to determine how many cc's \u003ci\u003e125,000,000 \u003c/i\u003eft\u003csup\u003e3\u003c/sup\u003e represents.  Turns out it is – get ready for it – \u003ci\u003e3,539,605,824,000\u003c/i\u003e cc!  Three and a half \u003ci\u003etrillion\u003c/i\u003e cubic centimeters.  Huge!\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003eOK.  Got the ginormous number.  Now what?  Remember, I'm going to use the PCM clearance level of 0.01f/cc.  All that one needs to due is do the appropriate multiplication and a total of \u003ci\u003e35,396,058,240\u003c/i\u003e fibers is determined.  That value is the maximum number of fibers which would need to be uniformly suspended (give or take) in the air and still pass PCM clearance. Now, how big of a piece of ACM would be needed to get that kind of a concentration?\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003eI'm using a concentration of 1% (by mass) asbestos for my hypothetical ACM as this is the lowest positive concentration by AHERA (which oversees public schools and so on).  So how big is an asbestos fiber?  Let's take a look.  A PCM countable structure must be 5 μ by 0.25 μ. For the purpose of this exercise, I'm going to assume the asbestosis the most common type – \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.webmineral.com/data/Chrysotile.shtml\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003echrysotile\u003c/a\u003e– whose fibers are a long, thin tube (actually, it's a scroll but I don't need to go into that here).  Therefore, one PCM structure would be 5 μ x  (0.25 μ/2)\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e x 3.14 or \u003ci\u003e0.25 μ\u003c/i\u003e\u003csup\u003e\u003ci\u003e3\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003eSo, assuming all the fibers suspended in the air in the Superdome were the minimum PCM countable structure (in reality, this never happens),we next determine the mass of that suspended chrysotile.  To do that, 0.25 μ\u003csup\u003e3\u003c/sup\u003e is multiplied by chrysotile's density of 2.5 pg/μ\u003csup\u003e3\u003c/sup\u003e (picograms per cubic micron) resulting in \u003ci\u003e0.02 gr\u003c/i\u003e. Not a lot is it?  Kinda scary methinks.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\u0026gt;Now down to the brass tacks.  What would this piece of 1% asbestos ACM look like?  By mass, the whole piece would weigh 2.17 gr.  Slightly less than the mass of a penny!  But how big is it?  Assuming the density of the binding material is the same as that of chrysotile for ease of number play, a little playing around on a calculator resulted in a size that can be visualized – if you've made it this far you might was well continue.  Because 0.02 gr is only 1% of the piece, the total volume is easily determined to be \u0026lt;i\u0026gt;86.8 mm\u0026lt;/i\u0026gt;\u0026lt;sup\u0026gt;\u0026lt;i\u0026gt;3\u0026lt;/i\u0026gt;\u0026lt;/sup\u0026gt;. Pretty small – actually, less than a third of the volume of a penny.  Take the cubed root of 86.8 mm\u0026lt;sup\u0026gt;3\u0026lt;/sup\u0026gt; and you get a piece of ACM that is about \u0026lt;i\u0026gt;4.4mm\u0026lt;/i\u0026gt; by \u0026lt;i\u0026gt;4.4 mm\u0026lt;/i\u0026gt; by \u0026lt;i\u0026gt;4.4 mm\u0026lt;/i\u0026gt; or, roughly \u0026lt;i\u0026gt;1/2,500,000,000,000\u0026lt;/i\u0026gt; the volume of the Superdome!  That's almost \u0026lt;i\u0026gt;one 3 trillionth\u0026lt;/i\u0026gt;!\u0026lt;/span\u0026gt;\u0026lt;/font\u0026gt;\u0026lt;/p\u0026gt;\u0026lt;p style\u003d\" margin-bottom:\u003d\"\" 0in\u003d\"\"\u003eThat's it.  If any larger piece of material were to become aerosolized –like a penny-sized chunk of ACM – it would result in the Superdome failing its clearance and the air would not be suitable for people to breathe.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\u0026gt;OK OK.  It's highly, highly unlikely this situation would happen in the real world and I've already stated as much.  There are many aspects of the real world that haven't been addressed in this exercise.  Things like the settling rate of the asbestos, fluid dynamics (air flow), and so on.  But, I think this exercise does illustrate two things.\u0026lt;/p\u0026gt;\u0026lt;p style\u003d\" margin-bottom:\u003d\"\" 0in\u003d\"\"\u003eFirst, people really shouldn't be poo-pooing asbestos.  While the epidemiology is far from certain, it is a known carcinogen\u003ca class\u003d\"sdendnoteanc\" name\u003d\"sdendnote3anc\" href\u003d\"#sdendnote3sym\"\u003e\u003csup\u003eiii\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/a\u003eand a small piece, if it were to become aerosolized, could lead to cases of \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.webmd.com/lung/mesothelioma-causes-and-symptoms\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003emesothelioma\u003c/a\u003e or \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.webmd.com/lung/asbestos-exposure\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003easbestosis\u003c/a\u003e 30 years down the road for innocent and totally unsuspecting people. Secondly, there is a lot of talk about nanoparticles and nanotubes in the science news these days and their importance in material sciences can not be understated.  Unfortunately, very little is known about any effect they may have on people's health\u003ca class\u003d\"sdendnoteanc\" name\u003d\"sdendnote4anc\" href\u003d\"#sdendnote4sym\"\u003e\u003csup\u003eiv\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/a\u003e. I used chrysotile as an example for a reason in this exercise.  Afiber of chrysotile is a tiny, tiny tube – a nanotube if you will. We know it causes cancer and the mechanisms by which this occurs is not terribly clear.  It behooves the scientific community and the general public to thoroughly vet the health consequences of these particles before they are put into use on a large scale.  They could be totally harmless and easily removed from the body but, as this exercise demonstrates, it wouldn't take a lot of material to totally contaminate an enclosed space.\u003c/p\u003e\u003chr\u003e\u003cdiv id\u003d\"sdendnote1\"\u003e\t\u003cp class\u003d\"sdendnote\"\u003e\u003ca class\u003d\"sdendnotesym\" name\u003d\"sdendnote1sym\" href\u003d\"#sdendnote1anc\"\u003ei\u003c/a\u003eNIOSH.\t 1994.  “Asbestos and Other Fibers by PCM: Method 7400, Issue 2”\tin NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods, Fourth Edition. \t\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2003-154/pdfs/7400.pdf\"\u003ehttp://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2003-154/pdfs/7400.pdf\u003c/a\u003e\t\t\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv id\u003d\"sdendnote2\"\u003e\t\u003cp class\u003d\"sdendnote\"\u003e\u003ca class\u003d\"sdendnotesym\" name\u003d\"sdendnote2sym\" href\u003d\"#sdendnote2anc\"\u003eii\u003c/a\u003eAHERA.\t 1987.  Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act.  Federal Register. \t52(210):41845-41905. \t\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-TOX/pre1994/3269-8.pdf\"\u003ehttp://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-TOX/pre1994/3269-8.pdf\u003c/a\u003e\t\t\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv id\u003d\"sdendnote3\"\u003e\t\u003cp class\u003d\"sdendnote\"\u003e\u003ca class\u003d\"sdendnotesym\" name\u003d\"sdendnote3sym\" href\u003d\"#sdendnote3anc\"\u003eiii\u003c/a\u003eEgilman\tD, Fehnel C, Bohme SR.  2003.  Exposing the \"myth\" of ABC,\t\"anything but chrysotile\": a critique of the Canadian\tasbestos mining industry and McGill University chrysotile studies. \tAm J Ind Med. 44(5):540-57. \t\u003ca href\u003d\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14571518\"\u003ehttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14571518\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv id\u003d\"sdendnote4\"\u003e\t\u003cp class\u003d\"sdendnote\"\u003e\u003ca class\u003d\"sdendnotesym\" name\u003d\"sdendnote4sym\" href\u003d\"#sdendnote4anc\"\u003eiv\u003c/a\u003eKelly\tB.  2009.  Small concerns: nanotech regulations and risk management.\t SPIE Newsroom. 10-13.  \u003ca href\u003d\"https://spie.org/x38158.xml?ArticleID\u003dx38158\"\u003ehttps://spie.org/x38158.xml?ArticleID\u003dx38158\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp class\u003d\"sdendnote\"\u003e\u003ci\u003ePhoto by \u003c/i\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/sarflondondunc/\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003e\u003ci\u003esarflondondunc\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4977309212311534399-8818161869447251317?l\u003dwww.themadskeptic.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.themadskeptic.com/feeds/8818161869447251317/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID\u003d4977309212311534399\u0026postID\u003d8818161869447251317\u0026isPopup\u003dtrue","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4977309212311534399/posts/default/8818161869447251317"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4977309212311534399/posts/default/8818161869447251317"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://www.themadskeptic.com/2010/06/how-potentially-dangerous-is-asbestos.html","title":"How Potentially Dangerous is Asbestos?"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Baron Army"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/07476349695309049940"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"17303909186244852468"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4977309212311534399.post-3608512572308554022"},"published":{"$t":"2010-05-19T21:19:00.001-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-05-19T21:20:35.124-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"law"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"albany"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"religion"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"government"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"science"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"outreach"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"How to Fight the Texas Board of Education from the Comfort of Your Own State"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003cp\u003eIn light of the recent \u003ca target\u003d'_blank' href\u003d'http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Education/2010/0519/Texas-textbook-war-Slavery-or-Atlantic-triangular-trade'\u003eprotest in Texas against the revisionist history being presented as a Social Studies curriculum\u003c/a\u003e, the recent \u003ca target\u003d'_blank' href\u003d'http://ncse.com/news/2010/05/antievolution-legislation-missouri-dies-005509'\u003edefeat of the Creationist agenda in Missouri\u003c/a\u003e, and the introduction of \u003ca target\u003d'_blank' href\u003d'http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/05/good_news_from_california.php'\u003eCalifornia Senate Bill 1451\u003c/a\u003e, I thought I'd present a proposal to those of you who don't live in Texas but still want to do something.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn an effort to build a wall around the stupidity the 'great' State of Texas seems intent upon forcing the rest of us to endure, I suggest people get out their pens, pencils, typewriters, or word processors and write their local state representatives.  I have already done this myself and I provide my letter as an example below.  Depending upon how your state's educational system is designed you probably will want to write those who actually run it.  In the case of New York, this body is the Board of Regents.  All the required information is easily available online.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ccenter\u003e\t\u003ca title\u003d'View 5-18-10 Regents Letter Public on Scribd' style\u003d'margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;' href\u003d'http://www.scribd.com/doc/31641095/5-18-10-Regents-Letter-Public'\u003e5-18-10 Regents Letter Public\u003c/a\u003e \u003cobject width\u003d'500' type\u003d'application/x-shockwave-flash' style\u003d'outline:none;' name\u003d'doc_263643141123765' id\u003d'doc_263643141123765' height\u003d'600' data\u003d'http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf'\u003e \u003cparam value\u003d'http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf' name\u003d'movie'/\u003e \u003cparam value\u003d'opaque' name\u003d'wmode'/\u003e \u003cparam value\u003d'#ffffff' name\u003d'bgcolor'/\u003e \u003cparam value\u003d'true' name\u003d'allowFullScreen'/\u003e \u003cparam value\u003d'always' name\u003d'allowScriptAccess'/\u003e \u003cparam value\u003d'document_id\u003d31641095\u0026amp;access_key\u003dkey-16urgwx5yxlo4fnxxbbl\u0026amp;page\u003d1\u0026amp;viewMode\u003dlist' name\u003d'FlashVars'/\u003e \u003cembed wmode\u003d'opaque' width\u003d'500' type\u003d'application/x-shockwave-flash' src\u003d'http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id\u003d31641095\u0026amp;access_key\u003dkey-16urgwx5yxlo4fnxxbbl\u0026amp;page\u003d1\u0026amp;viewMode\u003dlist' name\u003d'doc_263643141123765' id\u003d'doc_263643141123765' height\u003d'600' bgcolor\u003d'#ffffff' allowscriptaccess\u003d'always' allowfullscreen\u003d'true'/\u003e \u003c/object\u003e\u003c/center\u003e\u003cp\u003eIf enough people write in to their state legislators, there is a much better chance of stemming the flow of brain-addled Creationist dogma from Texas.  Let the Young Earth dentist McLeroy know that they are making Texas an intellectual backwater and laughing stock of the United States of America.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4977309212311534399-3608512572308554022?l\u003dwww.themadskeptic.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.themadskeptic.com/feeds/3608512572308554022/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID\u003d4977309212311534399\u0026postID\u003d3608512572308554022\u0026isPopup\u003dtrue","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4977309212311534399/posts/default/3608512572308554022"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4977309212311534399/posts/default/3608512572308554022"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://www.themadskeptic.com/2010/05/how-to-fight-texas-board-of-education.html","title":"How to Fight the Texas Board of Education from the Comfort of Your Own State"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Baron Army"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/07476349695309049940"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"17303909186244852468"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}}]}});