Philosophy & Ethics

Two theories that have been making the biological rounds have been group selection which argued for evolution and selection operating "for the good of the group" and the "selfish gene" which argued that everything (including cooperation) was ultimately based on selfish actions.  The latter being especially pronounced in giving rise to all manner of explanations that argued for genetic representation in the future as being the ultimate criteria to which an organism would act. We now have an article that uses a similar explanation in describing "exploding bacteria". This seems like an…

Before embarking on this discussion it is important to try and resolve some language and definition issues that will likely occur in this post. One of the main difficulties in addressing this problem stems from the limitations of language.  Language exists for humans, so by default, many of our words convey a meaning that is primarily interpreted within a human context.  As a result, when it comes to describing other living things we often find ourselves faced with terms that carry a significance that is misplaced when addressing other organisms.  I want to be clear that there…

I oppose any and all forms of censorship. At least so I thought.     (www.web-censorship.org)     Now, I’m not so sure anymore. Don’t get me wrong, I still honestly think I do, but I am beginning to question whether my actions corroborate this, or, in fact, disprove my words and thoughts. Here’s the thing: yesterday, I deleted a bunch of comments on an article of mine (a thousand pardons for this act of shameless self-promotion, but here’s the article I’m referring to). And, I have to admit, I feel vaguely uncomfortable about it. Mind you, without going into too much…

"The miroir des simples âmes" Marguerite la Porete The first of June 1310, in Paris, the heart of medieval culture, to the mill the Saint-Antoine, after the burning of 54 Templars sentenced for heresy, Margherite la Porète was burnt alive as heretic together with his book "The miroir des simples âmes" (the mirror of simple souls), of which the Church ordered the destruction.‎"Le miroir des simples ames anienties et qui seulement demeurent en vouloir et desir d'amour" today represents one of the vertices of religious thought speculative, a manifesto of the nobility of the soul.Marguerite of…

Sometimes how humans trade goods are as important as what is traded.    Even when it comes to trading dead humans. Human cadavers are a legitimate market?  Sure.  Commerce in human cadavers was created centuries ago and is done now by medical schools because of the need to train future doctors in anatomy, requiring the dissection of a cadaver. Finding an adequate supply of cadavers is an ongoing challenge, one which has been answered by both academically-housed programs and by independent, for- and non-profit ventures that are not affiliated with higher education or…

Most scientists and science journalists argue vehemently for basic research - and even more taxpayer money should be devoted to it, they say.   Politicians usually disagree and feel like taxpayer-funded research should have a goal or at least a defined result in its framework. Professor Patrick Bateson, ethologist at Cambridge University and president of the Zoological Society of London, is a surprising ally with conservatives who feel only practical science should be funded.   He led a recent review and concluded that the justification for some projects carried out over the decade…

Is it possible to bring up a squid-related topic about which I have nothing to say? So far, the answer seems to be no. I'm not sure if I should be proud--or find some more hobbies. Anyhoo, today's blog-babble is tipped off by odori-don, the dancing squid rice bowl. (That linked article includes a video, for the morbidly curious.) As I understand it, odori-don is prepared by first separating the mantle, or the body of the squid, from its head and arms. (Remember, squid are cephalopods--"head-footed"--and their arms are attached to their head rather than their body.) If you've ever had calamari…

One aspect of journalism that has led to a sense of entitlement among the public, and certainly those who have dissenting opinions, is the idea of 'balance' in media coverage.   That is, showing both sides. While balance is certainly fair, is it accurate and is it doing a service to the reader?  Are anti-GMO activists as legitimate as all of the scientists in the field?   Are anti-vaccine activists as legitimate as all of medicine?  How about homeopathy proponents? How about climate change? The BBC, unlike American news, is government run.  Everything in the UK is…

The American Tradition Institute would like to know who, besides taxpayers, pays prominent NASA researcher James Hansen, a leading voice in climate change discussions. The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) says it's concerned about "reports of personal attacks on climate scientists, including harassment, legal challenges, and even death threats."  How are those two related?   Well, political issues inspire zealotry.  When the world's most prominent hurricane researcher, Dr. Bill Gray, disputed Al Gore's movie assertion that global warming caused…

At the beginning of the year I mentioned this European cephalopod conference, where they were going to talk about new laws regulating the use of squids, octopuses, etc. in experiments. Sadly, I couldn't go myself, but fellow cephaloblogger Mike Lisieski attended and posted a nice summary of the event. Now Nature News is reporting on the legislation: Under the rules, all scientific experiments that can cause pain, distress or lasting harm to animals will have to undergo ethical evaluation. Researchers will have to justify the use of animals by proving that no alternative method is practical,…