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Changing your mind
I’ve been reading about some brain research that illustrates how the brain changes as we mature. In childhood and adolescence, the brain is highly malleable, forming new connections and changing...
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Dark skies
It’s international Dark Sky Week. Now I’m sure that star gazing is a worthwhile activity, and the night sky is both mysterious and beautiful, but for me the true marvels of the heavens are things that...
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The myth of finite resources
The world’s resources. We’re using them up at a selfish, unsustainable rate and we’re all DOOMED! Or are we? What if resources are not something that we mindlessly consume? What if resources are...
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Reductio ad absurdum
There’s a common belief that science is all about reductionism. It’s assumed that the only way to explain a phenomenon scientifically is by dissecting it until we get to the smallest, most fundamental...
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Unbelievable beliefs
Some beliefs are true, some are wrong, and some are simply unprovable. For example, a lot of people in the world believe in reincarnation. This is a belief that will never be proved or disproved. At...
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Do we possess free will?
If you imagine that the human brain is like a giant computer, you may arrive at the conclusion that we don’t possess free will. After all, computers just follow a set of instructions. And if you think...
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Infinitely mad
Have you ever heard something described as “infinitely better” than something else? You know that’s impossible, right? That’s what infinity means – impossible to reach. You might also hear someone say...
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Wealth + Technology = Freedom + Equality
There’s a lot more to life than material comforts. Especially if you’re fortunate enough to have enough money to live comfortably. If, however, you don’t have enough to feed and clothe your family,...
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Sunday thoughts: Is religion the solution or the problem?
The problem I’m talking about is human suffering. Throughout history, there’s never been any shortage of it. For 2,000 years, Christians have grappled with murder, war, genocide, persecution, domestic...
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Hating humans
If you read the Daily Mail you’ll know that there are far too many immigrants in Britain, and they are stealing our jobs. If you’re a Guardian reader, you’ll realise that this is narrow-minded...
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Are we nearly there yet?
The Earth has a diameter of approximately 12,742 kilometres. Do you think that sounds big? It’s pretty big. In the 16th century, the crew of Magellan’s ship completed the first circumnavigation of the...
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What the universe looked like before Hubble
Everyone’s seen the amazing photographs taken by the Hubble Space Telescope. But what I’m talking about in this article is not what the universe looked like before the Hubble telescope, but what people...
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In the beginning … nothing happened
Have you ever heard that if the age of the universe were one year, humans would have appeared in the last 8 minutes? Does that make you feel that we are insignificant, transient beings, of no...
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Big Bang Theory misconceptions
Not only is the Big Bang Theory a popular TV sitcom, but it’s perhaps one of the most well-known scientific theories of our age. Except, how much do you really understand about the Big Bang? I find...
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Climate change conundrum
Every other blog I read these days seems to take a stance on global warming, so I thought I’d make my position clear. It’s abundantly obvious that adding CO2 to the atmosphere will tend to increase...
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Searching for spirituality (part 1 of 4)
Spirituality isn’t a word that appears often on this blog. I’m an atheist, so I have trouble when people start talking about spirituality. Is that the same as supernatural? My instinct is to scoff and...
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Searching for spirituality (part 2 of 4)
Many religions maintain that it is possible to commune with God by turning the mind inwards. Whether it’s transcendental meditation, prayer, Quaker’s Holy Silence, or yoga, there’s a persistent belief...
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Searching for spirituality (part 3 of 4)
What are humans good at? Many things, but perhaps most of all, we excel at pattern recognition. We can instantly recognise faces, sounds, words, threats and opportunities. Take a look at this picture:...
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Searching for spirituality (part 4 of 4)
If you’re a religious or spiritual kind of person, I’ve probably already pissed you off with this series of articles, and you’ve already stopped reading. That’s a pity, because you’re going to miss the...
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Where are ideas?
This week I’m getting all metaphysical. Since arguing that we create science rather than discover it, then it follows that science and the laws of nature are not “out there” waiting to be found, but...
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