no one's going to help you bubby.
from the movie bad boy bubby
'you see, no one's going to help you bubby, because there isn't anybody out there to do it. no one. we're all just complicated arrangements of atoms and subatomic particles - we don't live. but our atoms do move about in such a way as to give us identity and consciousness. we don't die; our atoms just rearrange themselves. there is no god. there can be no god; it's ridiculous to think in terms of a superior being. an inferior being, maybe, because we, we who don't even exist, we arrange our lives with more order and harmony than god ever arranged the earth. we measure; we plot; we create wonderful new things. we are the architects of our own existence. what a lunatic concept to bow down before a god who slaughters millions of innocent children, slowly and agonizingly starves them to death, beats them, tortures them, rejects them. what folly to even think that we should not insult such a god, damn him, think him out of existence. it is our duty to think god out of existence. it is our duty to insult him. fuck you, god! strike me down if you dare, you tyrant, you non-existent fraud! it is the duty of all human beings to think god out of existence. then we have a future. because then - and only then - do we take full responsibility for who we are. and that's what you must do, bubby: think god out of existence; take responsibility for who you are.'
via pz myers
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
easily amused
like'em? click'em!
this one, in lightbox.
these sort of bounced off each other.
my long exposure of the ferris wheel failed... but i already got that long ago.
©2011 helen sotiriadis
Monday, August 29, 2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
a google+ hangout with thomas hawk
i was suffering through my usual insomnia last night, so i got up to sit at my computer. i clicked onto google+ and noticed that thomas hawk, one of my all-time favorite photographers, was hanging out! i'd missed other hangouts with thomas, so i quicky clicked to join!
i was lucky, because it turns out that they were preparing to live stream this hangout on youtube!
michael mozart of jeepersmedia on youtube hosted, thomas hawk shared and talked about some of his favorite images, and we got a chance to participate.
learn more about thomas hawk and his amazing photography here.
towards the end, the rest of us introduced ourselves (i'm at the 1:27 mark).
you can watch a recording of the stream here.
i must say that google+ has been an amazing platform for interaction up to now. i'm enjoying it immensely!
i was lucky, because it turns out that they were preparing to live stream this hangout on youtube!
michael mozart of jeepersmedia on youtube hosted, thomas hawk shared and talked about some of his favorite images, and we got a chance to participate.
learn more about thomas hawk and his amazing photography here.
towards the end, the rest of us introduced ourselves (i'm at the 1:27 mark).
you can watch a recording of the stream here.
i must say that google+ has been an amazing platform for interaction up to now. i'm enjoying it immensely!
Saturday, August 27, 2011
sharia law abolished for greek muslims
good news from greek reporter:
snip
according to an article of the greek newspaper “eleftherotypia”, under the scope of reforms in the greek family law, the shariah will be abolished for greek muslims.
this muslim law establishes among others the right of polygamy and gives only to men the right to divorce their wives which constitutes a problem for the women in thraki, northern greece.
/snip
read on...
snip
according to an article of the greek newspaper “eleftherotypia”, under the scope of reforms in the greek family law, the shariah will be abolished for greek muslims.
this muslim law establishes among others the right of polygamy and gives only to men the right to divorce their wives which constitutes a problem for the women in thraki, northern greece.
/snip
read on...
Friday, August 26, 2011
Thursday, August 25, 2011
atheists on google+
i've created a public list of atheists on google+... join us!
make yourself seen and heard: add your profile to the list.
the password is freethink. and get the word out.
make yourself seen and heard: add your profile to the list.
the password is freethink. and get the word out.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
paula kirby: evolution threatens christianity
on the washington post's on faith.
i liked this paragraph the most -- for me, the very heart of the issue:
'evolution poses a further threat to christianity, though, a threat that goes to the very heart of christian teaching. evolution means that the creation accounts in the first two chapters of genesis are wrong. that's not how humans came into being, nor the cattle, nor the creeping things, nor the beasts of the earth, nor the fowl of the air. evolution could not have produced a single mother and father of all future humans, so there was no adam and no eve. no adam and eve: no fall. no fall: no need for redemption. no need for redemption: no need for a redeemer. no need for a redeemer: no need for the crucifixion or the resurrection, and no need to believe in that redeemer in order to gain eternal life. and not the slightest reason to believe in eternal life in the first place. '
i liked this paragraph the most -- for me, the very heart of the issue:
'evolution poses a further threat to christianity, though, a threat that goes to the very heart of christian teaching. evolution means that the creation accounts in the first two chapters of genesis are wrong. that's not how humans came into being, nor the cattle, nor the creeping things, nor the beasts of the earth, nor the fowl of the air. evolution could not have produced a single mother and father of all future humans, so there was no adam and no eve. no adam and eve: no fall. no fall: no need for redemption. no need for redemption: no need for a redeemer. no need for a redeemer: no need for the crucifixion or the resurrection, and no need to believe in that redeemer in order to gain eternal life. and not the slightest reason to believe in eternal life in the first place. '
a new star trek series?
loyal to gene roddenberry's original concept??
click image to source
'the series concept is fully developed, subject to change of course, with a solid 5-7 year series plan, pilot script and a conceptualized finale that intends to define star trek for generations, extensive character bios, costume and ship/set designs, and more. this is a drastic departure from the typical 8-10 page treatment of the previously pitched star trek series ideas that have not included even a pilot script.
[david] foster envisions his series as a return to roddenberry’s original concept. “[w]hile star trek has moved on with other series that were not exactly in line with gene’s original vision, the roots are there to tap into,” he said.'
oh, please, make it so!
click image to source
'the series concept is fully developed, subject to change of course, with a solid 5-7 year series plan, pilot script and a conceptualized finale that intends to define star trek for generations, extensive character bios, costume and ship/set designs, and more. this is a drastic departure from the typical 8-10 page treatment of the previously pitched star trek series ideas that have not included even a pilot script.
[david] foster envisions his series as a return to roddenberry’s original concept. “[w]hile star trek has moved on with other series that were not exactly in line with gene’s original vision, the roots are there to tap into,” he said.'
oh, please, make it so!
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
attn governor perry: evolution is a fact
on the washington post's on faith, richard dawkins tells some truths:
snip
'there is nothing unusual about governor rick perry. uneducated fools can be found in every country and every period of history, and they are not unknown in high office. what is unusual about today’s republican party (i disavow the ridiculous ‘gop’ nickname, because the party of lincoln and theodore roosevelt has lately forfeited all claim to be considered ‘grand’) is this: in any other party and in any other country, an individual may occasionally rise to the top in spite of being an uneducated ignoramus. in today’s republican party ‘in spite of’ is not the phrase we need. ignorance and lack of education are positive qualifications, bordering on obligatory. intellect, knowledge and linguistic mastery are mistrusted by republican voters, who, when choosing a president, would apparently prefer someone like themselves over someone actually qualified for the job.
/snip
and
snip
the population of the united states is more than 300 million and it includes some of the best and brightest that the human species has to offer, probably more so than any other country in the world. there is surely something wrong with a system for choosing a leader when, given a pool of such talent and a process that occupies more than a year and consumes billions of dollars, what rises to the top of the heap is george w bush. or when the likes of rick perry or michele bachmann or sarah palin can be mentioned as even remote possibilities. '
/snip
via RDFRS
snip
'there is nothing unusual about governor rick perry. uneducated fools can be found in every country and every period of history, and they are not unknown in high office. what is unusual about today’s republican party (i disavow the ridiculous ‘gop’ nickname, because the party of lincoln and theodore roosevelt has lately forfeited all claim to be considered ‘grand’) is this: in any other party and in any other country, an individual may occasionally rise to the top in spite of being an uneducated ignoramus. in today’s republican party ‘in spite of’ is not the phrase we need. ignorance and lack of education are positive qualifications, bordering on obligatory. intellect, knowledge and linguistic mastery are mistrusted by republican voters, who, when choosing a president, would apparently prefer someone like themselves over someone actually qualified for the job.
/snip
and
snip
the population of the united states is more than 300 million and it includes some of the best and brightest that the human species has to offer, probably more so than any other country in the world. there is surely something wrong with a system for choosing a leader when, given a pool of such talent and a process that occupies more than a year and consumes billions of dollars, what rises to the top of the heap is george w bush. or when the likes of rick perry or michele bachmann or sarah palin can be mentioned as even remote possibilities. '
/snip
via RDFRS
Monday, August 22, 2011
Sunday, August 21, 2011
what are some of the most important, iconic, and/or beautiful scientific images?
there's no shortage of candidates...
i have many, but for me, the top images are those that show us, all of us:
an eclipse of the sun by saturn. earth appears as a pixel on the left side of the planet, within its rings:
the pale blue dot:
earthrise:
how about you?
via why evolution is true
i have many, but for me, the top images are those that show us, all of us:
an eclipse of the sun by saturn. earth appears as a pixel on the left side of the planet, within its rings:
the pale blue dot:
earthrise:
how about you?
via why evolution is true
Friday, August 19, 2011
we are atheism
it's ok to be an atheist: we are atheism.
from the about page:
this is your chance to finally be heard. this is our chance to stand up, speak out, and be counted. we want to provide a platform for atheists around the globe to see that they are not alone. atheists come in all shapes, sizes, ages, and backgrounds. the only thing that we all have in common is that we don’t see any credible evidence to believe in a god. it’s ok to be an atheist, and we want the world to know.
- provide an outlet for atheists to feel comfortable to come out o the closet.
- always let visitors know there are other people out there that are non-believers.
- help people find other atheists like them in their state, city, and even neighborhood.
- give access to local, national, and international organization to become involved in the secular community.
- empower people to start their own organization in areas that does not already have one.
jeremy goldkorn: internet censorship in china and in the west
jeremy goldkorn, editor-in-chief of danwei - interview with australia network
'it's only a matter of months since world leaders were praising the power of the internet as a weapon for change.
social media lubricated the waves of protest which stormed over the middle east and north africa earlier this year.
but now, british prime minister david cameron has changed his tune after rioters in the uk used the internet to co-ordinate their protests, saying and he wants social media reined in.
censorship of the internet is, of course, old hat to the chinese authorities who have been at it for years.
jeremy goldkorn is the founder and editor-in-chief of danwei, an internet and media website in china.'
'it's only a matter of months since world leaders were praising the power of the internet as a weapon for change.
social media lubricated the waves of protest which stormed over the middle east and north africa earlier this year.
but now, british prime minister david cameron has changed his tune after rioters in the uk used the internet to co-ordinate their protests, saying and he wants social media reined in.
censorship of the internet is, of course, old hat to the chinese authorities who have been at it for years.
jeremy goldkorn is the founder and editor-in-chief of danwei, an internet and media website in china.'
∞ ablaze
like it? click it!
view in the dark
i wasn't going to post this, because it's blurry and not very good -- but i still like it, so there it is.
i was minding my own business, fast asleep in my tent on the beach, when i heard a whoosh and opened my eyes to see bright light flying around. i looked outside my little window to see a guy playing with these poi on the beach. i grabbed my camera, set what i could and held my breath as i handheld for the duration from inside the tent.
more editing brought out some light.
he left these these on the beach overnight, so when i got up in the morning, i played a bit with them after my swim. i'm quite coordinated, you know.
more from hiliadou
©2011 helen sotiriadis
Thursday, August 18, 2011
how dennis markuze aka mabus aka allsortsofothernames was arrested
tim farley describes the events that led up to mabus' arrest on august 16th.
i'm very relieved. i've been receiving death threats from markuze via comments on this blog, twitter and email to my personal address for years. i'd gained some relief by using disqus and blogger's spam filter for comments and allowing gmail to filter out his messages so that i never saw them, but i knew they were there.
so now he's been arrested, and hopefully someone will evaluate his mental state to see if he needs psychiatric help:
snip
in the last week the science, journalism, skeptic and atheist communities on twitter organized to pressure a law enforcement agency to take action on someone who has been a copious source of spam and death threats on the internet for at least 15 years. todays arrest came about in under 10 days from the first moves.
i think the sequence of events of how this came together are quite interesting, and perhaps an object lesson in online activism. as it was happening i was capturing links to the relevant posts so i could document how it came about. read on…
/snip
yes... do read on...
i'm very relieved. i've been receiving death threats from markuze via comments on this blog, twitter and email to my personal address for years. i'd gained some relief by using disqus and blogger's spam filter for comments and allowing gmail to filter out his messages so that i never saw them, but i knew they were there.
so now he's been arrested, and hopefully someone will evaluate his mental state to see if he needs psychiatric help:
snip
in the last week the science, journalism, skeptic and atheist communities on twitter organized to pressure a law enforcement agency to take action on someone who has been a copious source of spam and death threats on the internet for at least 15 years. todays arrest came about in under 10 days from the first moves.
i think the sequence of events of how this came together are quite interesting, and perhaps an object lesson in online activism. as it was happening i was capturing links to the relevant posts so i could document how it came about. read on…
/snip
yes... do read on...
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
tim minchin: the good book
live
life is like an ocean voyage and our bodies are the ships
and without a moral compass we would all be cast adrift
so to keep us on our bearings, the lord gave us a gift
and like most gifts you get, it was a book
i only read one book, but it's a good book, don't you know
i act the way i act because the good book tells me so
if i wanna known how to be good, it's to the good book that i go
'cos the good book is a book and it is good and it's a book
i know the good book's good because the good book says it's good
i know the good book knows it's good because a really good book would
you wouldn't cook without a cookbook and i think it's understood
you can't be good without a good book 'cos it's good and it's a book
and it is good for cookin'
i tried to read some other books, but i soon gave up on that
the paragraphs ain't numbered and they complicate the facts
i can't read harry potter 'cos they're worshipping false gods and that
and dumbledore's a poofter and that's bad, 'cos it's not good
morality is written there in simple white and black
i feel sorry for you heathens, got to think about all that
good is good and evil's bad and goats are good and pigs are crap
you'll find which one is which in the good book, 'cos it's good
and it's a book, and it's a book
i had a cat, she gave birth to a litter
the kittens were adorable and they made my family laugh
but as they grew they started misbehavin'
so i drowned the little fuckers in the bath
when the creatures in your care start being menaces
the answers can be found right there in genesis!
chapter 6, verse 5-7!
swing your partner by the hand
have a baby if you can
but if the voices your head
say to sacrifice your kid
to satiate your loving god's
fetish for dead baby blood
it's simple fate, the book demands
so raise that knife up in your hand!
before the good book made us good, there was no good way to know
if a thing was good or not that good or kind of touch and go
so god decided he'd give writing allegoric prose a go
and so he wrote a book and it was generally well-received
the telegraph said, "this god is reminiscent of the norse."
the times said, "kind of turgid, but i liked the bit with horses."
the mail said, "lots of massacres, a violent tour de force.
if you only read one book this year, then this one is a book
and it is good, and it's a book!"
swing your daughter by the hand
but if she gets raped by a man
and refuses then to marry him
stone her to death!
if you just close your eyes and block your ears
to the accumulated knowledge of the last two thousand years
then morally, guess what? you're off the hook
and thank christ you only have to read one book
just because the book's contents
were written generations hence
by hairy desert-dwelling gents
squatting in their dusty tents
just because what heaven said
was said before they'd leavened bread
just 'cos jesus couldn't read
doesn't mean that we should need
when manipulating human genes
to alleviate pain and fight disease
when deciding whether it's wrong or right
to help the dyin' let go of life
or stop a pregnancy when it's
just a tiny blastocyst
there's no reason why we should take a look
at any other book
but the good book
'cause it's good
and it's a book
and it's a book
and it's quite good!
good is good and evil's bad
and kids get killed when god gets mad
and you'd better take a good look
at the good book
via too many questions
life is like an ocean voyage and our bodies are the ships
and without a moral compass we would all be cast adrift
so to keep us on our bearings, the lord gave us a gift
and like most gifts you get, it was a book
i only read one book, but it's a good book, don't you know
i act the way i act because the good book tells me so
if i wanna known how to be good, it's to the good book that i go
'cos the good book is a book and it is good and it's a book
i know the good book's good because the good book says it's good
i know the good book knows it's good because a really good book would
you wouldn't cook without a cookbook and i think it's understood
you can't be good without a good book 'cos it's good and it's a book
and it is good for cookin'
i tried to read some other books, but i soon gave up on that
the paragraphs ain't numbered and they complicate the facts
i can't read harry potter 'cos they're worshipping false gods and that
and dumbledore's a poofter and that's bad, 'cos it's not good
morality is written there in simple white and black
i feel sorry for you heathens, got to think about all that
good is good and evil's bad and goats are good and pigs are crap
you'll find which one is which in the good book, 'cos it's good
and it's a book, and it's a book
i had a cat, she gave birth to a litter
the kittens were adorable and they made my family laugh
but as they grew they started misbehavin'
so i drowned the little fuckers in the bath
when the creatures in your care start being menaces
the answers can be found right there in genesis!
chapter 6, verse 5-7!
swing your partner by the hand
have a baby if you can
but if the voices your head
say to sacrifice your kid
to satiate your loving god's
fetish for dead baby blood
it's simple fate, the book demands
so raise that knife up in your hand!
before the good book made us good, there was no good way to know
if a thing was good or not that good or kind of touch and go
so god decided he'd give writing allegoric prose a go
and so he wrote a book and it was generally well-received
the telegraph said, "this god is reminiscent of the norse."
the times said, "kind of turgid, but i liked the bit with horses."
the mail said, "lots of massacres, a violent tour de force.
if you only read one book this year, then this one is a book
and it is good, and it's a book!"
swing your daughter by the hand
but if she gets raped by a man
and refuses then to marry him
stone her to death!
if you just close your eyes and block your ears
to the accumulated knowledge of the last two thousand years
then morally, guess what? you're off the hook
and thank christ you only have to read one book
just because the book's contents
were written generations hence
by hairy desert-dwelling gents
squatting in their dusty tents
just because what heaven said
was said before they'd leavened bread
just 'cos jesus couldn't read
doesn't mean that we should need
when manipulating human genes
to alleviate pain and fight disease
when deciding whether it's wrong or right
to help the dyin' let go of life
or stop a pregnancy when it's
just a tiny blastocyst
there's no reason why we should take a look
at any other book
but the good book
'cause it's good
and it's a book
and it's a book
and it's quite good!
good is good and evil's bad
and kids get killed when god gets mad
and you'd better take a good look
at the good book
via too many questions
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
united nations affirms the human right to blaspheme
on religion dispatches:
late last month, the UN issued a new statement on the extent of freedom of speech under international law. it says that laws restricting blasphemy as such are incompatible with universal human rights standards.
the statement came from the human rights committee, the body of eighteen “independent experts” mandated to monitor compliance with the international covenant on civil and political rights, or ICCPR, the 1966 human rights treaty that provides for freedom of opinion and expression and other fundamental rights. the committee’s general comments represent authoritative interpretations of the provisions of the ICCPR. unlike the highly-publicized resolutions produced by the human rights council and the general assembly, the provisions of the ICCPR are legally binding to its more than 165 parties.
the detailed 52-paragraph statement, general comment no. 34, is the outcome of two years of intense debate among representatives of governments and civil society organizations. the committee’s previous comment on freedom of opinion and expression, in 1983, was only four paragraphs long. in addition to taking up such matters as treason, defamation of heads of state, “memory laws” enforcing an official version of history, and the rights of bloggers, comment 34 comes down strongly against religious limitations on speech. it does so not only by asserting that the right to free speech is foundational to a free and democratic society as well as to the protection and promotion of other rights. it also appeals explicitly to the values of freedom of conscience and equality before the law.
according to paragraph 48, “prohibitions of displays of lack of respect for a religion or other belief system, including blasphemy laws, are incompatible with the covenant, except in the specific circumstances envisaged in article 20, paragraph 2, of the covenant.” article 20, paragraph 2 calls on states to prohibit “advocacy of national, racial, or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility, or violence.” the comment is careful to require that any restrictions must not violate the conventions’ guarantees of equality before the law (article 26) and freedom of thought, conscience, and religion (article 18).
via RDFRS
late last month, the UN issued a new statement on the extent of freedom of speech under international law. it says that laws restricting blasphemy as such are incompatible with universal human rights standards.
the statement came from the human rights committee, the body of eighteen “independent experts” mandated to monitor compliance with the international covenant on civil and political rights, or ICCPR, the 1966 human rights treaty that provides for freedom of opinion and expression and other fundamental rights. the committee’s general comments represent authoritative interpretations of the provisions of the ICCPR. unlike the highly-publicized resolutions produced by the human rights council and the general assembly, the provisions of the ICCPR are legally binding to its more than 165 parties.
the detailed 52-paragraph statement, general comment no. 34, is the outcome of two years of intense debate among representatives of governments and civil society organizations. the committee’s previous comment on freedom of opinion and expression, in 1983, was only four paragraphs long. in addition to taking up such matters as treason, defamation of heads of state, “memory laws” enforcing an official version of history, and the rights of bloggers, comment 34 comes down strongly against religious limitations on speech. it does so not only by asserting that the right to free speech is foundational to a free and democratic society as well as to the protection and promotion of other rights. it also appeals explicitly to the values of freedom of conscience and equality before the law.
according to paragraph 48, “prohibitions of displays of lack of respect for a religion or other belief system, including blasphemy laws, are incompatible with the covenant, except in the specific circumstances envisaged in article 20, paragraph 2, of the covenant.” article 20, paragraph 2 calls on states to prohibit “advocacy of national, racial, or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility, or violence.” the comment is careful to require that any restrictions must not violate the conventions’ guarantees of equality before the law (article 26) and freedom of thought, conscience, and religion (article 18).
via RDFRS
it's such a fine and natural sight
like it? click it!
view in the dark
when that moon is big and bright. - toploader
when night falls, people actually get dressed. there are fires on the beach, candles on the rocks and in the water, drinks, bongos and guitars, dancing and singing.
at hiliadou.
©2011 helen sotiriadis
curiosity: the questions of life, episode 1
stephen hawking: did god create the universe?
in four parts on youtube.
via jerry coyne's why evolution is true.
in four parts on youtube.
via jerry coyne's why evolution is true.
Monday, August 15, 2011
50 more scientists speaking about god
so this is part 2:
the first 50 were here.
i guess that makes 100!
51. frank wilczek, nobel laureate in physics, mit
52. vs ramachandran, world-renowned neuroscientist, uc san diego
53. bruce c. murray, caltech professor emeritus of planetary science
54. sir raymond firth, world-renowned anthropologist, lse
55. alva noë, berkeley professor of philosophy
56. alan dundes, world expert in folklore, berkeley
57. massimo pigliucci, professor of philosophy, cuny
58. bede rundle, oxford professor of philosophy
59. sir richard friend, cambridge professor of physics
60. george lakoff, berkeley professor of linguistics
61. sir john sulston, nobel laureate in physiology/medicine
62. shelley kagan, yale professor of philosophy
63. roy j. glauber, nobel laureate in physics
64. lewis wolpert, emeritus professor of biology, ucl
65. mahzarin banaji, harvard professor of social ethics
66. walter sinnott-armstrong, professor of practical ethics, duke university
67. richard dawkins, oxford evolutionary biologist
68. bruce hood, professor of experimental psychology, bristol
69. marvin minsky, artificial intelligence research pioneer, mit
70. herman philipse, professor of philosophy, utrecht university
71. michio kaku, cuny professor of theoretical physics
72. dame caroline humphrey, cambridge professor of anthropology
73. max tegmark, world-renowned cosmologist, mit
74. david parkin, oxford professor of anthropology
75. robert price, professor of theology and biblical criticism
76. jonathan haidt, professor of psychology, virginia
77. max perutz, nobel laureate in chemistry
78. rodolfo llinas, professor of neuroscience, new york
79. dan mckenzie, world-renowned geophysicist, cambridge
80. patricia churchland, professor of philosophy, uc san diego
81. sean carroll, caltech theoretical cosmologist
82. alexander vilenkin, world-renowned theoretical physicist
83. pz myers, professor of biology, minnesota
84. haroon ahmed, prominent cambridge scientist (microelectronics)
85. david sloan wilson, professor of biology and anthropology, suny
86. bart ehrman, professor of religious studies, unc
87. seth lloyd, pioneer of quantum computing, mit
88. dan brown, fellow in organic chemistry, cambridge
89. victor stenger, emeritus professor of physics and astronomy, hawaii
90. simon schaffer, cambridge professor of the history of science
91. saul perlmutter world-renowned astrophysicist, berkeley
92. lee silver, princeton professor of molecular biology
93. barry supple, emeritus professor of economic history, cambridge
94. alan dershowitz, harvard professor of law
95. john raymond smythies, professor emeritus of psychiatric research
96. chris hann, max planck institute for social anthropology
97. david gross, nobel laureate in physics
98. ronald de sousa, emeritus professor of philosophy, toronto
99. robert hinde, emeritus professor of zoology, cambridge
100. carolyn porco, nasa planetary scientist
via open culture
the first 50 were here.
i guess that makes 100!
51. frank wilczek, nobel laureate in physics, mit
52. vs ramachandran, world-renowned neuroscientist, uc san diego
53. bruce c. murray, caltech professor emeritus of planetary science
54. sir raymond firth, world-renowned anthropologist, lse
55. alva noë, berkeley professor of philosophy
56. alan dundes, world expert in folklore, berkeley
57. massimo pigliucci, professor of philosophy, cuny
58. bede rundle, oxford professor of philosophy
59. sir richard friend, cambridge professor of physics
60. george lakoff, berkeley professor of linguistics
61. sir john sulston, nobel laureate in physiology/medicine
62. shelley kagan, yale professor of philosophy
63. roy j. glauber, nobel laureate in physics
64. lewis wolpert, emeritus professor of biology, ucl
65. mahzarin banaji, harvard professor of social ethics
66. walter sinnott-armstrong, professor of practical ethics, duke university
67. richard dawkins, oxford evolutionary biologist
68. bruce hood, professor of experimental psychology, bristol
69. marvin minsky, artificial intelligence research pioneer, mit
70. herman philipse, professor of philosophy, utrecht university
71. michio kaku, cuny professor of theoretical physics
72. dame caroline humphrey, cambridge professor of anthropology
73. max tegmark, world-renowned cosmologist, mit
74. david parkin, oxford professor of anthropology
75. robert price, professor of theology and biblical criticism
76. jonathan haidt, professor of psychology, virginia
77. max perutz, nobel laureate in chemistry
78. rodolfo llinas, professor of neuroscience, new york
79. dan mckenzie, world-renowned geophysicist, cambridge
80. patricia churchland, professor of philosophy, uc san diego
81. sean carroll, caltech theoretical cosmologist
82. alexander vilenkin, world-renowned theoretical physicist
83. pz myers, professor of biology, minnesota
84. haroon ahmed, prominent cambridge scientist (microelectronics)
85. david sloan wilson, professor of biology and anthropology, suny
86. bart ehrman, professor of religious studies, unc
87. seth lloyd, pioneer of quantum computing, mit
88. dan brown, fellow in organic chemistry, cambridge
89. victor stenger, emeritus professor of physics and astronomy, hawaii
90. simon schaffer, cambridge professor of the history of science
91. saul perlmutter world-renowned astrophysicist, berkeley
92. lee silver, princeton professor of molecular biology
93. barry supple, emeritus professor of economic history, cambridge
94. alan dershowitz, harvard professor of law
95. john raymond smythies, professor emeritus of psychiatric research
96. chris hann, max planck institute for social anthropology
97. david gross, nobel laureate in physics
98. ronald de sousa, emeritus professor of philosophy, toronto
99. robert hinde, emeritus professor of zoology, cambridge
100. carolyn porco, nasa planetary scientist
via open culture
a view from hiliadou
like it? click it!
view in the dark
i just got back a few hours ago from a weekend camping at hiliadou beach. to get there from athens, carefully drive over the very winding road that passes over dirfis mountain, to the coast on the other side of evia island. the beach is on the eastern side of the island, but faces north. i've placed the location on flickr's map.
there are two beaches -- one large one, and a secondary, smaller nudist beach. this is a 30-second exposure of the view from the nudist beach, sunday evening. i increased the contrast a bit, but otherwise these are the original colors.
©2011 helen sotiriadis
Friday, August 12, 2011
into the city where the truth lies
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view in the dark
a comment by thomas hawk made me revisit my little curvy tunnel, this time in black and white.
©2011 helen sotiriadis
paula kirby on rick perry
on the washington post's on faith
snip
rick perry embodies the tragedy and the scandal of the modern united states. a country that has led the world, dominated global economics, politics, even science - but which is turning its back on reason and rushing headlong to embrace a new dark ages, in which superstition is not only followed, but hallowed. a country which could be great, but which is rapidly turning itself into an embarrassment, the laughing stock of the developed world.
/snip
snip
there is no magic friend. there is only us. we are not perfect, we are not all-powerful, we are not infallible; but we are all we have. no amount of wailing to an empty sky (to borrow a friend’s expression) is going to solve a thing. and the very least we have the right to demand of our would-be leaders is that they proceed on the basis of reason and intellect, and that they don’t simply sacrifice our futures to the imagined whims of fictional ghosts and goblins, myths and magic, spells and potions, demons and deities. it is time to grow up, rick perry. if you lack rational proposals for the solution of america’s problems, what makes you think you’re fit to be its leader?
/snip
the entire piece here.
snip
rick perry embodies the tragedy and the scandal of the modern united states. a country that has led the world, dominated global economics, politics, even science - but which is turning its back on reason and rushing headlong to embrace a new dark ages, in which superstition is not only followed, but hallowed. a country which could be great, but which is rapidly turning itself into an embarrassment, the laughing stock of the developed world.
/snip
snip
there is no magic friend. there is only us. we are not perfect, we are not all-powerful, we are not infallible; but we are all we have. no amount of wailing to an empty sky (to borrow a friend’s expression) is going to solve a thing. and the very least we have the right to demand of our would-be leaders is that they proceed on the basis of reason and intellect, and that they don’t simply sacrifice our futures to the imagined whims of fictional ghosts and goblins, myths and magic, spells and potions, demons and deities. it is time to grow up, rick perry. if you lack rational proposals for the solution of america’s problems, what makes you think you’re fit to be its leader?
/snip
the entire piece here.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
calatrava in silhouette
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view in the dark
another image from my visit to the athens olympic center on tuesday. i love how the light changes so quickly.
©2011 helen sotiriadis
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
calatrava of gold
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view in the dark
just came back from trying to shoot street in my area... unsuccessfully. so i dropped by the olympic athletic center in athens and shot some calatrava.
©2011 helen sotiriadis
Tuesday, August 09, 2011
the creation question
david gregory's discussion with sean carroll, john haught and paul davies, following the broadcast of stephen hawking's curiosity.
oh -- i think kaku is just annoying.
oh -- i think kaku is just annoying.
Monday, August 08, 2011
Sunday, August 07, 2011
move
i really should be paying more attention -- i've seen this posted everywhere but decided to have a peek just now.
how cool...
how cool...
Saturday, August 06, 2011
sophia
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view in the dark
another one from yesterday. what a joy it was to work with sophia.
here she is, surrounded with pink.
©2011 helen sotiriadis
sofia in red
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view in the dark
i haven't done many full-length portraits -- but these steps were gorgeous, and sofia has a new red dress.
from today's shoot. thank you, sofia.
©2011 helen sotiriadis
Friday, August 05, 2011
pia
like it? click it!
view in the dark
another
website | blog | facebook | google+ | twitter
©2011 helen sotiriadis
Thursday, August 04, 2011
brian cox and scientific activism
on the a.v. club:
snip
the a.v. club:
you and your show have been compared to carl sagan and cosmos as well as patrick moore and the sky at night. what does wonders of the universe have to say or show us that is new?
brian cox:
good question. carl sagan was a huge influence. cosmos was on tv in the U.K. when i was 12, in 1980. so that would be the perfect age for a kid who is into astronomy anyway, as many are. and to have that series capture your imagination at that age, it makes an indelible impression on you. i think one of the reasons that sagan is still relevant today, and one of the reasons he’s very relevant in television, is that his shows were partly polemic. they were not simply—as is the fashion today—these kinds of presentations of what we know and don’t know about the universe, which is exciting and spectacular, but there’s more to it than that. there’s an agenda. not to science, but to him. he had an agenda. he thought he would build a better world if everybody understood the value of the world and behaved in a scientific manner. he really believed that. he was passionately involved in that perspective.
and that perspective is not that we’re very small or insignificant. to sagan, the perspective was that because civilization is so rare in the universe, then our rarity could have value. stepping away from the earth, observing our existence on earth, and putting our place in the universe in its proper context, for him, should make us on the planet behave in a more sensible and rational way. he recognized that we’re a village. i agree with that. the wonders of the universe program has that [approach]. it has messages in it. it tries to contextualize these discoveries as well as present them. and why not? in the U.K., i am quite political. i work at university, and i am involved in the political process. i lobby really hard for funding and support for scientific and engineering programs, because i feel that those are the ways that we will progress as a civilization and as a country. that’s what i share with sagan’s view, that you can be an activist—a scientific activist—and you should be able to do that on television and with books.
/snip
read the whole piece here.
h/t to the sagan appreciation society.
snip
the a.v. club:
you and your show have been compared to carl sagan and cosmos as well as patrick moore and the sky at night. what does wonders of the universe have to say or show us that is new?
brian cox:
good question. carl sagan was a huge influence. cosmos was on tv in the U.K. when i was 12, in 1980. so that would be the perfect age for a kid who is into astronomy anyway, as many are. and to have that series capture your imagination at that age, it makes an indelible impression on you. i think one of the reasons that sagan is still relevant today, and one of the reasons he’s very relevant in television, is that his shows were partly polemic. they were not simply—as is the fashion today—these kinds of presentations of what we know and don’t know about the universe, which is exciting and spectacular, but there’s more to it than that. there’s an agenda. not to science, but to him. he had an agenda. he thought he would build a better world if everybody understood the value of the world and behaved in a scientific manner. he really believed that. he was passionately involved in that perspective.
and that perspective is not that we’re very small or insignificant. to sagan, the perspective was that because civilization is so rare in the universe, then our rarity could have value. stepping away from the earth, observing our existence on earth, and putting our place in the universe in its proper context, for him, should make us on the planet behave in a more sensible and rational way. he recognized that we’re a village. i agree with that. the wonders of the universe program has that [approach]. it has messages in it. it tries to contextualize these discoveries as well as present them. and why not? in the U.K., i am quite political. i work at university, and i am involved in the political process. i lobby really hard for funding and support for scientific and engineering programs, because i feel that those are the ways that we will progress as a civilization and as a country. that’s what i share with sagan’s view, that you can be an activist—a scientific activist—and you should be able to do that on television and with books.
/snip
read the whole piece here.
h/t to the sagan appreciation society.
Wednesday, August 03, 2011
nix: the movie
my obsession.
i used picasa's face movie feature to make most of this, but i preferred to add titles, music and a couple of more shots on windows movie maker.
it's all easy.
i used picasa's face movie feature to make most of this, but i preferred to add titles, music and a couple of more shots on windows movie maker.
it's all easy.
Tuesday, August 02, 2011
clear
like it? click it!
view in the dark
from dinner by the sea, saturday evening.
summer skies in greece are clear and the sea is calm.
i didn't have to do much to this photo.
©2011 helen sotiriadis
Monday, August 01, 2011
make a little planet
i made these little planets a while back and people have been asking me how i made them.
there are a lot of tutorials floating around, but i thought i'd take a shot of explaining the process. you'll need a camera and a tripod and you can shoot in JPG or RAW.
find an open space with an interesting view all around such as a field or a city square. if there's a dominant feature or structure, so much the better. the best spots have a ground that's fairly nondescript in the middle -- grass or asphalt or a discrete tile.
think about the kind of light you're going to have for your images. i tend to shy away from high sun... somewhere around the golden hour is good, or early twilight. an overcast day is great.
set your tripod in the middle of the area and try to get it level all-around. make sure that the horizon or a known level is at the same height in the viewfinder in every direction.
select a wide angle to shoot. if your lens doesn't open up too wide, you won't have a problem... you'll just need to shoot more images.
decide on how far away you want to focus. focus your lens and then, if you can, turn off autofocus, so all your images will have a consistent look. again, to be consistent, you'll have to decide on an exposure for all the images... the best thing is to concentrate on the most interesting feature in the area and then dial in those settings on manual.
start shooting your images around in one direction, making sure each image overlaps the previous one by about 30%, until you've completed an entire circle, and then one extra. the number of images you end up with depends on how much of an area your lens covers. for me, it's usually 8-10 images
transfer your images to a folder in your computer, and load them into photoshop to do some initial processing such as contrast, etc. make sure your edits are consistent for all images. don't worry about cropping them. if you shot in RAW, you'll have to produce a series of JPGs to continue.
close all your files and then go to photoshop's file - automate - photomerge command.
for source files, browse to your images' folder and select them. leave layout on auto and hit ok. photoshop will create a long panorama from your individual images. your panorama will span several layers, so you'll have to flatten your image with the layer - flatten image command.
next, you'll have to make sure your panorama's horizon is straight. click your ruler tool (under the eyedropper) to drag a line over your horizon. you'l need to click -- drag -- release for that. then go to image - image rotation - arbitrary and click ok. your image will straighten nicely.
the next step is to crop your image to get rid of the extra space on the top and bottom of your image. this crop will also define your full circle. you'll have to find a point on both ends of the panorama where the image begins to repeat. your crop will have to begin and end at this point.
hit your crop tool, drag the crop area until you've surrounded the area you want to keep and press enter.
now that you have a very long panorama that represents 360 degrees of view, you'll have to change its proportions to a perfect square. go to image - image size and uncheck the constrain proportions box. in the pixel dimension fields for width and height, enter the number of pixels you want to have for your final image. i usually go for about 3000-4000 pixels or so. for example, enter 3000 in both fields. if your original images were very small, go for a smaller number.
now you have to rotate your image upside-down! go to image - image rotation - 180°.
finally, go to filter - distort - polar coordinates, make sure rectangular to polar is selected on the bottom of the menu, and hit ok.
now you have a little planet -- the only retouching you'll have to do is at the seam where the image's ends meet down the center, on the top half of the image, as well as the mess at the center of your image. use your healing brush, clone tool and/or content-aware fill to patch those up.
prefer a ringworld instead? skip the step where you rotate your square image upside-down...
little planets are addictive... you can't make just one. if you make one you like, please let me know in the comments below!
have you thought of something that i've forgotten? please let us know!
there are a lot of tutorials floating around, but i thought i'd take a shot of explaining the process. you'll need a camera and a tripod and you can shoot in JPG or RAW.
find an open space with an interesting view all around such as a field or a city square. if there's a dominant feature or structure, so much the better. the best spots have a ground that's fairly nondescript in the middle -- grass or asphalt or a discrete tile.
think about the kind of light you're going to have for your images. i tend to shy away from high sun... somewhere around the golden hour is good, or early twilight. an overcast day is great.
set your tripod in the middle of the area and try to get it level all-around. make sure that the horizon or a known level is at the same height in the viewfinder in every direction.
select a wide angle to shoot. if your lens doesn't open up too wide, you won't have a problem... you'll just need to shoot more images.
decide on how far away you want to focus. focus your lens and then, if you can, turn off autofocus, so all your images will have a consistent look. again, to be consistent, you'll have to decide on an exposure for all the images... the best thing is to concentrate on the most interesting feature in the area and then dial in those settings on manual.
start shooting your images around in one direction, making sure each image overlaps the previous one by about 30%, until you've completed an entire circle, and then one extra. the number of images you end up with depends on how much of an area your lens covers. for me, it's usually 8-10 images
transfer your images to a folder in your computer, and load them into photoshop to do some initial processing such as contrast, etc. make sure your edits are consistent for all images. don't worry about cropping them. if you shot in RAW, you'll have to produce a series of JPGs to continue.
close all your files and then go to photoshop's file - automate - photomerge command.
for source files, browse to your images' folder and select them. leave layout on auto and hit ok. photoshop will create a long panorama from your individual images. your panorama will span several layers, so you'll have to flatten your image with the layer - flatten image command.
next, you'll have to make sure your panorama's horizon is straight. click your ruler tool (under the eyedropper) to drag a line over your horizon. you'l need to click -- drag -- release for that. then go to image - image rotation - arbitrary and click ok. your image will straighten nicely.
the next step is to crop your image to get rid of the extra space on the top and bottom of your image. this crop will also define your full circle. you'll have to find a point on both ends of the panorama where the image begins to repeat. your crop will have to begin and end at this point.
hit your crop tool, drag the crop area until you've surrounded the area you want to keep and press enter.
now that you have a very long panorama that represents 360 degrees of view, you'll have to change its proportions to a perfect square. go to image - image size and uncheck the constrain proportions box. in the pixel dimension fields for width and height, enter the number of pixels you want to have for your final image. i usually go for about 3000-4000 pixels or so. for example, enter 3000 in both fields. if your original images were very small, go for a smaller number.
now you have to rotate your image upside-down! go to image - image rotation - 180°.
finally, go to filter - distort - polar coordinates, make sure rectangular to polar is selected on the bottom of the menu, and hit ok.
now you have a little planet -- the only retouching you'll have to do is at the seam where the image's ends meet down the center, on the top half of the image, as well as the mess at the center of your image. use your healing brush, clone tool and/or content-aware fill to patch those up.
prefer a ringworld instead? skip the step where you rotate your square image upside-down...
little planets are addictive... you can't make just one. if you make one you like, please let me know in the comments below!
have you thought of something that i've forgotten? please let us know!
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