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Jesus ‘n’ Mo ‘n’ theodicy

Why Evolution is True Feed - Wed, 06/04/2025 - 7:15am

The latest Jesus and Mo strip, called, “trite,” is correctly captioned “The idiocy of theodicy.”  Indeed, this is the kind of babble you encounter when you read “sophisticated theology”, as interpreted by folks like Alvin Plantinga or, now, Ross Douthat.  I’m amazed that people actually get paid to make up this kinds of palaver.

Categories: Science

Readers’ wildlife photos

Why Evolution is True Feed - Wed, 06/04/2025 - 6:25am

We continue with Ephraim Heller’s safari journey through Tanzania. Ephraim’s notes and IDs are indented, and you can enlarge his photos by clicking on them:

Brief introduction: These photos were taken on safari in Tanzania in April 2025. Most are from the Serengeti National Park with a few from the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Today’s photos focus on cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus).

A cheetah enjoying the sunrise over Lake Ndutu:

Cheetah mom with her five cubs:

The start of the hunt: acceleration:

The chase. The cheetah ignores the adult zebra and wildebeest, targeting the baby wildebeest:

A different cheetah on a different hunt, but still targeting a baby wildebeest:

Sisters on the Serengeti:

Solo mom prowling:

Another mom looking for game, two cubs in tow:

Cheetah at sunset:

Categories: Science

Going to Iceland!

Why Evolution is True Feed - Wed, 06/04/2025 - 5:45am

I probably mentioned that I’m doing an Arctic cruise in about a month, and the last stop is Reykjavik, Iceland. (Since I’ve been to Antarctica four times, this trip will make me officially bipolar.)

Rather than fly home immediately, I decided to spend an extra five days in Iceland because the country sounds so interesting and beautiful.  I will be free there from the morning of July 19 until the afternoon of the 24th, and I have my guidebook.  If you’re a reader (or learn about this somehow) and want to say hello, I’d be glad to meet you.  If you want to say hi, have a beer, or give me advice, please either contact me by email or leave a note in the comments.  I find that my travels are vastly enriched when I spend some time with the locals.

Categories: Science

Seed Oils Are Not Bad For You

Science-based Medicine Feed - Wed, 06/04/2025 - 5:27am

So-called “health influencers” – self-appointed health gurus spreading their unvetted opinions about health through social media, have apparently decided that seed oils are bad for you. Our chief health guru, RFK Jr, even blames seed oils for the obesity epidemic (based on the flimsiest of evidence and logic, which is his MO). I’m not exactly sure where this demonizing of seed oils […]

The post Seed Oils Are Not Bad For You first appeared on Science-Based Medicine.
Categories: Science

Adhesive made from wood works in a standard glue gun

New Scientist Feed - Wed, 06/04/2025 - 4:17am
Most widely used adhesives are toxic and derived from petroleum, but researchers have come up with a safe, recyclable alternative made from xylan, a component of plant cell walls
Categories: Science

Can AI understand a flower without being able to touch or smell?

New Scientist Feed - Wed, 06/04/2025 - 3:00am
AI may be limited by a lack of taste, touch and smell which prevents it from fully understanding concepts in the same way as humans - suggesting that more advanced models may need to have a robot body
Categories: Science

Webb Watches Haze Rise and Fall in Pluto's Atmosphere

Universe Today Feed - Wed, 06/04/2025 - 12:00am

When the New Horizons spacecraft swept past Pluto and Charon in 2015, it revealed two amazingly complex worlds and an active atmosphere on Pluto. Those snapshots redefined our understanding of the system. Now, new observations using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) taken over the space of a week, show that Pluto's atmosphere is completely different from any other one in the Solar System.

Categories: Science

What Life on Europa Needs

Universe Today Feed - Wed, 06/04/2025 - 12:00am

As the years go by, the chance of Europa hosting life seems to keep going down. But it's not out of contention yet.

Categories: Science

Millions of new solar system objects to be found and 'filmed in technicolor' -- studies predict

Space and time from Science Daily Feed - Tue, 06/03/2025 - 6:34pm
Astronomers have revealed new research showing that millions of new solar system objects are likely to be detected by a brand-new facility, which is expected to come online later this year.
Categories: Science

Crafty cockatoos learn to use public drinking fountains

New Scientist Feed - Tue, 06/03/2025 - 5:01pm
Sulphur-crested cockatoos are waiting in line at public drinking fountains in Sydney to have their daily drinks of water in the latest example of cultural evolution in urban birds
Categories: Science

Collaboration can unlock Australia's energy transition without sacrificing natural capital

Matter and energy from Science Daily Feed - Tue, 06/03/2025 - 2:29pm
New research demonstrates that with collaboration between stakeholders, Australia can fully decarbonize its domestic and energy export economies by 2060 -- a feat requiring $6.2 trillion USD and around 110,000 square kilomters of land -- while avoiding harm to important areas for biodiversity outcomes, safeguarding agricultural activities, and respecting Indigenous land rights.
Categories: Science

Infant RSV shot may be more effective than vaccines during pregnancy

New Scientist Feed - Tue, 06/03/2025 - 2:03pm
When an RSV vaccine became available for use during pregnancy, it offered a natural experiment between various countries to see how it compared to a one-time antibody injection
Categories: Science

Guardrails, education urged to protect adolescent AI users

Computers and Math from Science Daily Feed - Tue, 06/03/2025 - 11:12am
The effects of artificial intelligence on adolescents are nuanced and complex, according to a new report that calls on developers to prioritize features that protect young people from exploitation, manipulation and the erosion of real-world relationships.
Categories: Science

Molecular link between air pollution and pregnancy risks

Matter and energy from Science Daily Feed - Tue, 06/03/2025 - 11:12am
A new study found exposure to specific tiny particles in air pollution during pregnancy are associated with increased risk of various negative birth outcomes.
Categories: Science

NASA is facing the biggest crisis in its history

New Scientist Feed - Tue, 06/03/2025 - 11:10am
Widespread proposed budget cuts have left the US space agency facing an uncertain future at the same time as NASA’s intended new leader has been withdrawn by the Trump administration
Categories: Science

Why it's taking a century to pin down the speed of the universe

New Scientist Feed - Tue, 06/03/2025 - 11:00am
The Hubble constant, a set number that connects a galaxy’s speed to its distance from Earth and tells us how fast the universe is expanding, was first described more than a hundred years ago – but astronomers have debated it ever since
Categories: Science

Super-invasive termites could spread from Florida around the world

New Scientist Feed - Tue, 06/03/2025 - 10:32am
Two of the most destructive invasive termite species are interbreeding in the US – they can survive a wider range of temperatures and could easily spread across the globe
Categories: Science

Private ispace Resilience probe will attempt lunar landing this week

New Scientist Feed - Tue, 06/03/2025 - 9:05am
If successful, Resilience will be only the third private spacecraft to complete a landing on the moon, and the first operated by a non-US company
Categories: Science

Discovering the marvels of mucus is inspiring amazing new medicines

New Scientist Feed - Tue, 06/03/2025 - 9:00am
Mucus does far more than just act as a protective barrier. Emerging research reveals ways to harness its power and deliver treatments for everything from yeast infections to inflammatory bowel disease
Categories: Science

Atmospheric chemistry keeps pollutants in the air

Matter and energy from Science Daily Feed - Tue, 06/03/2025 - 8:50am
A new study details processes that keep pollutants aloft despite a drop in emissions.
Categories: Science

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