This is my attempt to understand (and critique...) the world. Like any truly honest intellectual pursuit, it is a work in progress. Please don't consider it the final be-all and end-all of my brainssseess....
Science, Nature and Skepticism,
Media Critique,
Politics and Ethics.
2007: (24th July) The Blank Slate: A Skeptical Review Stephen Pinker has authored a book called "The Blank Slate" in which he argues, among other things, that our various abilities and personality traits are fixed genetically, and are the result of evolution. There is, however, no scientific foundation to these arguments, and all of them fall apart on further analysis.
Originally posted in livejournal: The Blank Slate: A Skeptical Review
2004: (20th April) OneTest: B.S. Certain employers have started using personality and intelligence tests to sort through applications and screen prospective employees. This is a fairly idiotic practice, and one that all those looking for work should learn to manipulate to their advantage.
Older stuff:
2003: (September) Gender Differences: Science and Pseudoscience (NB: This essay is currently unfinished, so the link doesn't yet go anywhere) Are Men and Women two mentally distinct kinds of human - from "Mars" and "Venus" as the metaphor goes? Are our psychological differences programmed into our sex chromosomes? Beleive it or not, the scientific research does not really support this view.
2003: (26th January) How Did It All Begin? The Big Bang and the formation of the universe that we know - a breif run-down.
See:
The History Of Australia Part 1
The History Of Australia Part 2
The History Of Australia Part 3
2002: (19th January) Explaining Evolution There are a lot of misconceptions about evolutionary theory floating around out there, this is my attempt at explaining evolution.
2000: (17th October) Suchomimus, Spinosaurs, And Ridged Backs Written after seeing a picture of the skeleton of the recently (well, 1998) discovered Suchomimus tenerensis, this basically contains all i know of the group of meat-eating dinosaurs known as the spinosaurs, and some closing thoughts on the reason for the sail-like ridges on some dinosaur's backs.
2007: (2nd March) Journalism and the "Right-Wing" Critical commentary on an atrociously uncritical interview conducted by journalist Michael Duffy (on the ABC's right-wing "Counterpoint" program) with conservative British pundit Melanie Phillips - who, like many conservatives nowadays, claims not to be a conservative at all.
Originally posted in livejournal: Journalism and the "Right-Wing"
Older stuff:
2002: (18th January) Poor Review of Poor Reviews Kylie fan's response to a little piece of anti-Kylie rubbish passed of as "news" on The Age website from two years ago. Yes folks, that's "The Age".
2007: (15th May) The Victorian Government's "Working With Children" Checks (Link leads to Melbourne Metroblog article) The Victorian Government has introduced some rather over-the-top security precautions for all aspiring teachers.
2007: (26th April) 'Aussies Don't Fight' - a Dissenting Opinion of ANZAC Day (Link leads to Melbourne Metroblog article) Every year in Australia, we commemorate "ANZAC Day", a day which speaks to the Australians who have suffered as soldiers in various conflicts. But is this day a commemoration of war, or a celebration? Here i advance skeptical arguments against the way we regard ANZAC Day.
2006: (8th April) File-Sharing and Music Downloads (Link leads to Livejournal post) Various music industry figures have worked hard to limit our freedoms and restrict our access to art, in the name of "protecting" artists. I don't believe any of their arguments hold much weight, and this post links to and summarises some of the arguments i support.
2005: (19th November) The Herald-Sun's Profitable Relationship With Paedophilia Comments regarding a case in which a teacher seduced one of her students. She was subsequently (and incorrectly) reported as a paedophile in at least one major Australian 'newspaper', and the reaction to the case by both the police and the media underlined some fundamental sexual problems in Australian culture.
Originally posted in livejournal: The Herald-Sun's Profitable Relationship With Paedophilia
Older stuff:
2003: (9th September) The Ten Commandments Are the commandments of Judeo-Christian religion a good, neutral, moral guide? Are they relevant and nessecary to us? Uh, no.
2003: (9th September) Gay is OK The title says it all, really. I wrote this as an aside to the editorial listed above.
2001: (15th September) Thoughts On Human Rights My views on how human rights are justifiable, and not merely ingrained Western cultural concepts.
2001: (17th February) Reconciliation Ethics My views on some aspects of the 'reconciliation" issue in Australia's media.