Popular Myths

We do not just impart information, but often construct a narrative and tell stories to each other – now here is something odd / amusing / strange / funny / scary that happened to me / a friend / somebody famous – and often when doing so we are simply repeating something we have heard … Read more

Claim: Turing Test has been passed

First a Bit Of Background – What the heck is the Turing Test? The idea is to test how intelligent a machine is. The basic idea is that if you communicate via a screen, can you tell if you are talking to another human, or to a machine? If you think you are taking to a … Read more

Religion – Why is it so hard to let go?

As I look back and ponder about how I managed to make the transition from being very religious to a far more rational position, one observation is that it was a slow process and not an instant flash of insight. The transition in my thinking was perhaps reflected by the religious groups I attended and so the process … Read more

Claim: “You are a fool if you do not believe in god”

Franklin Graham, son of the more famous Billy Graham and also CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, has written an article in which he claims that those that do not believe in God are fools. Since he has a quote from the bible that says this is so, then I guess it just must be true … Read more