Skeptic: Promoting Science and Critical Thinking

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Science

Next Step, a Nobel Prize for Literature? (article): Richard Dawkins offers advice to young science writers.
(from eSkeptic: April 26th, 2004)
Astonishing Mind (obituary): Michael Shermer remembers the life of Francis Crick (1916–2004).
(from eSkeptic: July 30th, 2004)
Closer to Truth (announcement): Information about the PBS documentary series Closer to Truth: Science, Meaning and the Future, organized and hosted by Robert Kuhn.
(from eSkeptic: August 26th, 2004)
The Politicization Of Science in the Bush Administration (article): Dylan Otto Krider writes on “The Politicization of Science in the Bush Administration: Science-As-Public-Relations.”
(from eSkeptic: October 8th, 2004)
The Question of God (letters): Readers respond to eSkeptic of October 8th, in which Dylan Otto Krider discussed the politicization of science in the Bush administration.
(from eSkeptic: October 15th, 2004)
What Galileo Wrought (book review): John C. Snider reviews Galileo’s Children: Tales of Science vs. Superstition (edited by Gardner Dozois).
(from eSkeptic: June 20th, 2006)

Mathematics & Statistics

What the Numbers Can Reveal (book review): Michael Shermer reviews Freakonomics by Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt.
(from eSkeptic: May 19th, 2005)

Physical Sciences

Top Scientist Gives Backing to Astrology (article): The Sunday Times science editor Jonathan Leake writes about Percy Seymour’s new theory of astrology.
(from eSkeptic: May 17th, 2004)
A Few Points about Astrology and ‘Written in the Stars’ (commentary): Ivan W. Kelly takes on Percy Seymour’s new theory of astrology.
(from eSkeptic: May 25th, 2004)
My personal experiences with Mt. Wilson (commentary): Michael Shermer recounts his experience with the historic Mt. Wilson Observatory.
(from eSkeptic: February 2nd, 2005)
A Complete Guide to the Laws of the Universe (book reviews): Two reviewers—James N. Gardner and Michael Shermer—share their thoughts on The Road to Reality: A Complete Guide to the Laws of the Universe.
(from eSkeptic: June 10th, 2005)
The Big Bang’s Steady State (book review): James N. Gardner reviews Conflict in the Cosmos: Fred Hoyle’s Life in Science, a biography by Simon Mitton.
(from eSkeptic: July 1st, 2005)
Deities for Atheists — The Science Without a Subject (book review): Michael Shermer reviews George Basalla’s book Civilized Life in the Universe: Scientists on Intelligent Extraterrestrials.
(from eSkeptic: March 9th, 2006)

Biological Sciences

Swimming with Dolphins: A Skeptical Spiritual Experience (article): Dan Henry recounts his adventure swimming with dolphins.
(from eSkeptic: December 19th, 2003)
Dawkins, Darwin & the Devil (book review): William Harwood reviews A Devil’s Chaplain: Reflections on Hope, Lies, Science, and Love by Richard Dawkins.
(from eSkeptic: January 30th, 2004)
May Minerva Awake You (book review): Wayne Lutz reviews The Holy Land, by Dr. Robert Zubrin.
(from eSkeptic: March 25th, 2004)
Judge Sends Evolution Lawsuit to Trial (article): Georgia judge sending an evolution lawsuit to trial.
(from eSkeptic: April 12th, 2004)
The Day After Tomorrow (film review): Michael Shermer reviews the environmental disaster film The Day After Tomorrow.
(from eSkeptic: May 25th, 2004)
The Day After Tomorrow (film review): Steven Korenstein reviews environmental disaster film The Day After Tomorrow.
(from eSkeptic: June 4th, 2004)
The Grand Old Man of Evolution (interview): To commemorate Ernst Mayr’s 100th birthday, we reprint an interview from Skeptic magazine, The Grand Old Man of Evolution: An Interview with Evolutionary Biologist Ernst Mayr.
(from eSkeptic: July 5th, 2004)
Ernst Mayr, Remembrances & Tribute (article): Frank Sulloway remembers his former teacher, Ernst Mayr (1904–2005).
(from eSkeptic: February 11th, 2005)
Race: No Such Thing … or is There? and The Adaptionist Yardstick (book reviews): Two reviewers — Paul R. Gross and Alondra Oubré — tackle Vincent Sarich and Frank Miele’s book Race: The Reality of Human Differences.
(from eSkeptic: February 18th, 2005)
Race & Sex (debate): Chuck Lemme responds to our reviews of Race: The Reality of Human Differences by Vince Sarich and Frank Miele; Sarich and Miele respond.
(from eSkeptic: March 22nd, 2005)
The Woodstock of Evolution (article): Michael Shermer reports on the World Summit on Evolution in the Galapagos.
(from eSkeptic: June 24th, 2005)
Reading Homo sapiens (book review): David Michelson reviews The Literary Animal: Evolution and the Nature of Narrative.
(from eSkeptic: August 5th, 2005)
Political Science (book review): David Brin reviews The Republican War on Science by Chris Mooney.
(from eSkeptic: October 13th, 2005)
The Last Animal on Earth (book review): Michael Shermer reviews Lonesome George: The Life and Loves of a Conservation Icon by Henry Nicholls.
(from eSkeptic: June 29th, 2006)
Is Lonesome George Really Lonesome? (article): Dr. Frank J. Sulloway explores the question of whether Lonesome George — the only known giant tortoise from the island of Pinta in the Galápagos — is the last survivor of his race.
(from eSkeptic: July 28th, 2006)

Social Sciences

You’re Nobody (book review): David Voron reviews Being No One by Thomas Metzinger.
(from eSkeptic: December 13th, 2003)
Bad to the Bone (interview): Logan Hill interviews Michael Shermer in the New York Post.
(from eSkeptic: January 12th, 2004)
Something Evil Comes This Way (commentary): Michael Shermer discusses the origins of evil.
(from eSkeptic: March 18th, 2004)
The Head Skeptic at His Very Best (book review): The Science of Good and Evil recieves a positive review.
(from eSkeptic: March 18th, 2004)
Is That All There Is? (book review): David Voron reviews Eric Baum’s book, What is Thought?
(from eSkeptic: November 12th, 2004)
Praise for Science Friction (announcement): Announcing Michael Shermer’s latest book, Science Friction: Where the Known Meets the Unknown.
(from eSkeptic: January 5th, 2005)
Sex, Brains & Hands (article): Dr. Diane Halpern delves into the science of gender differences in her article “Sex, Brains & Hands — Gender Differences in Cognitive Abilities.”
(from eSkeptic: March 15th, 2005)
Mr. Summers’ Hidden Agenda (letter): Susan Carol Losh, Ph.D. responds to an earlier eSkeptic (“Sex, Brains & Hands — Gender Differences in Cognitive Abilities” by Diane Halpern, Tuesday, March 15th, 2005).
(from eSkeptic: March 29th, 2005)
Why Messrs. Spock, Holmes, and Data Were Wrong (book review): Michael Shermer reviews Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell.
(from eSkeptic: May 12th, 2005)
Sex, Jealousy & Violence (article): David J. Buller’s article, excerpted from Adapting Minds: Evolutionary Psychology and the Persistent Quest for Human Nature.
(from Skeptic magazine: Vol 12, No 1)
Evolutionary Psychology is Here to Stay (article): Frank Miele’s response to David Buller’s article, Adapting Minds: Evolutionary Psychology and the Persistent Quest for Human Nature.
(from Skeptic magazine: Vol 12, No 1)
Kramer’s Conundrum (article): Michael Shermer’s opinion editorial (which first appeared in the Los Angeles Times on Friday, November 24, 2006) instigated by Michael Richard’s racist behavior on Laugh Factory.
(from eSkeptic: November 29th, 2006)

Space, SETI, Alien Life

Close Encounters of the Facial Kind (article): Frederick V. Malmstrom asks if UFO alien faces are an Inborn Facial Recognition Template.
(from Skeptic magazine: Vol 11, No 4)
Has SETI@Home Found a Signal? (debate): Seth Shostak responds to an article published in New Scientist magazine by Eugenie Samuel Reichthe, which suggests the SETI@home project has found strong evidence for extraterrestrial intelligence.
(from eSkeptic: September 17th, 2004)
A.I. Gone Awry (article): In this penetrating skeptical critique of Artificial Intelligence, computer scientist Peter Kassan reviews the numerous reasons why this problem is harder than anyone anticipated.
(from eSkeptic: August 25th, 2006)