Category Archives: Wisdom

Friday Fun Link – Minimal Turing Test

In computer science, the Turing Test is intended to tell if you can differentiate between who is human and who is a computer programmed to model human-like conversation in a text exchange between the two. The Turing test, developed by Alan Turing in 1950, is a test of a machine’s ability to exhibit intelligent behavior equivalent to, or indistinguishable from, […]

Secular Sunday – Happy Blasphemy Day!

Apparently it’s International Blasphemy Day. Borrowed from an atheist I know on Facebook, here’s some self-criticism of some of atheism’s “untouchables” which I (mostly) agree with… In honour of International Blasphemy Day: Christopher Hitchens was an over-rated warmonger. Sam Harris frequently comes to conclusions first and then tries forcing the evidence to fit those conclusions. […]

Music Monday – “Well, the hives are gone/I’ve lost my bees/The chickens are sleeping/In the willow trees/Cow’s in water up past her knees/Three feet high and rising”

Frightening: “We’re Moving to Higher Ground” – America’s Era of Climate-Inspired Mass Migration is Here “Five Feet High and Rising” – Johnny Cash

Secular Sunday – How Secular Family Values Stack Up

Especially with what we’re seeing in the States with an alleged pedophile endorsing an accused rapist [edit: Kavanagh’s story is blowing up tonight with two new accusers coming forward and *way* worse allegations] who was picked by a serial adulterer (among Trump’s many other mortal sins) – all as part of the party of “family values” – […]

Minor Milestones While Recovering From Breaking The Scaphoid Bone In My Wrist

It’s weird how much we take having two working hands for granted. Since breaking my wrist at the end of July, it’s been a series of minor milestones – from my first appointment with my family doctor a few days after the surgery where he changed my dressing on through things like being told I […]

Secular Sunday – Religion Is Increasingly Seen As Doing More Harm Than Good By Canadians

Even as an atheist, I’m pretty surprised that over half of the respondents to this survey said that religion is doing more harm than good in the world, up from 44% in 2011.  

Inside A Google Data Center

 

Secular Sunday – By *Any* Standards, The Catholic Church Is A Corrupt Organization

  Imagine for a moment that a big, admired multinational corporation, one selling a beloved product, was employing large numbers of male pedophiles and rapists, operating in rings all over the world, and that their crimes had been uncovered in Australia, Ireland, Canada, the Philippines, Belgium, France, Austria, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile, Britain, Germany and the […]

SF Books That Didn’t Belong in the Kid’s Section of the Library

I’ve always believed that science fiction is the single best type of writing to teach us about our own lives and society. So I’m absolutely fine when I think about sci-fi books with “inappropriate” content being put into the hands of kids even though the author of this article seems to think librarians put some books […]

Retro Friday Fun Link – The Cognitive Biases Tricking Your Brain

This article should be mandatory reading before someone is allowed to use the Internet!