Occam’s razor is a proverb, if you will, that underlies critical thinking and the consideration of alternatives. In its most commonly used form, it reads rather simply: If there are multiple explanations for some observed phenomenon, the simplest one is likely the most accurate.
Category: Critical Thinking
But how? Part six: Love and Beauty
Walkabout podcast – But how? Part 6
I probably should have tackled this one sooner, but I’d gone through a period with too few discussions on religion and this favored argument had simply slipped my mind. So for the next part of the “But How?” series
Mortal remains
My recent reading material sparked some older memories and led to an extended examination, which is how many of my posts come about, and while such topics aren’t tackled too often by those who promote critical thinking, there’s nothing that should limit the application of such. So, let’s talk about dead people.
Many years ago when I lived in central New York (you know, the few million
Conflicted
I just can’t seem to get my timing down. I see countless lectures and events that look like they should be interesting, and they’re usually too far away for me to attend. I’ve completely written off things like The Amaz!ng Meeting, not just because of distance but because they chose the most expensive place to
To make magic – disappear!
Update September 2012 – This was one of the sample posts chosen for the podcasting experiment click below to listen, if you like (it is identical to the text):
Walkabout podcast – To make magic – disappear!
I am a big meanie I admit it. I am one of “those people” – those who want to deprive so many others of their happiness and joy, their motivations,
A fun read
This is just a quick one right now, directing you somewhere else. As part of a book giveaway, Hemant Mehta at Friendly Atheist asks for beliefs that you used to hold, and what caused you to stop believing. He even excludes god because, c’mon, it’s an atheist site so that’s largely a given.
The responses are quite interesting, though, so it’s worth going through the comments.
You keep using that word…
…I do not think it means what you think it means.
Okay, it would seem that even simple things go above people’s heads sometimes. Let’s try and make it even simpler.
In the US, we have this thing that sets up what the government is supposed to do, we call it the Constitution. Among many of its principles there sits a simple little thing called “no favor,” occasionally
The significance of being significant
It’s not a topic that pops up too often on this blog, but I still toy with the whole UFO/alien visitation issue from time to time. It’s halfhearted anymore, because there really isn’t anything new to say about it. Despite the fantastic increases not only in our abilities to capture civilian photos and video, but our air traffic control and military capabilities as well, UFO reports
But it’s not Snow White
It’s not particularly hard to find news stories where the excesses of religious belief have led to something objectionable, damaging, and even fatal. Actually, this can be done almost daily, and quite often doesn’t even have to extend outside of our own country – this is what the New/Gnu/Nv/Nouveaux Atheists refer to when pointing out why religion really isn’t a
But how? Part five: Life!
Walkabout podcast – But how? Part 5
Having taken a break longer than I should’ve, we now return to the “But how?” series of posts that examine how things might work if we stop using religion as a default explanation. Our topic for this evening is “life.”
It is admittedly hard to believe that such a thing could come about on its own, dictated only by the simple