Clipmarks | reimers's 'debate' clips

How to Talk to a Global Warming Skeptic (FAQ)

Sun, 12 Nov 2006 21:49:11 GMT

clipped by: Kore7
clipper's remarks: More common questions and myths answered at the source, thoroughly cross-referenced and conveniently categorized and sub-categorized by type of argument:

Stages of Denial

Scientific Topics

Types of Argument

Levels of Sophistication

A nice reference that's updated with fresh comments. Many "skeptics" often are unaware (by choice or by circumstance) that their common questions have already been addressed by scientists long ago.

Clip Source: gristmill.grist.org

Stages of Denial

There's nothing happening

Inadequate evidence

Contradictory evidence

No consensus

We don't know why it's happening

Models don't work

Prediction is impossible

We can't be sure

Tags: climate, global, global warming, climate change, environment, skeptic, skeptics, climatology, atmosphere, earth, science, debate, argument, faq, questions, answers, c02, glaciers, temperature, myths

The Internet Black Hole That Is North Korea

Thu, 26 Oct 2006 14:57:20 GMT

clipped by: haraya
clipper's remarks: No clipmarks for them?

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

the stark realities of life in North Korea were perhaps most evident in a simple satellite image over the shoulder of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld during an Oct. 11 briefing. The image showed the two Koreas — North and South — photographed at night.

The South was illuminated from coast to coast, suggesting that not just lights, but that other, arguably more bedrock utility of the modern age — information — was pulsating through the population.

The North was black.

This is an impoverished country where televisions and radios are hard-wired to receive only government-controlled frequencies. Cellphones were banned outright in 2004. In May, the Committee to Protect Journalists in New York ranked North Korea No. 1 — over also-rans like Burma, Syria and Uzbekistan — on its list of the “10 Most Censored Countries.”

That would seem to leave the question of Internet access in North Korea moot.

At a time when much of the world takes for granted a fat and growing network of digitized human knowledge, art, history, thought and debate, it is easy to forget just how much is being denied the people who live under the veil of darkness revealed in that satellite photograph.

While other restrictive regimes have sought to find ways to limit the Internet — through filters and blocks and threats — North Korea has chosen to stay wholly off the grid.

Julien Pain, head of the Internet desk at Reporters Without Borders, a Paris-based group which tracks censorship around the world, put it more bluntly. “It is by far the worst Internet black hole,” he said.

Tags: internet, technology, korea, censorship, information, web, politics, government, news, photographs, satellite, society, media, asia

Internalized racism in black children: a new "doll test"

Thu, 28 Dec 2006 04:05:49 GMT

clipped by: enbar
clipper's remarks: A columnist for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette discusses a short documentary film showing that African American children as young as three identify whiteness as attractive and blackness as ugly. Also discusses several related studies.

Clip Source: www.post-gazette.com

Documentary, studies renew debate about skin color's impact


	Click image for larger version.

Miss Davis, a senior at Urban Academy High School in New York City, also recreates psychologist Kenneth Clark's legendary 1940s "Doll Test" in the film and obtains similar results. Dr. Clark's research was used to challenge school segregation in the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Brown vs. Board of Education.

In the documentary, Miss Davis gives black preschool children two dolls, identical except for their color. One is black, the other, white.

She asks a little girl to show her the nice doll. The little girl holds up the white doll.

"Can you show me the doll that looks bad?"

The little girl holds up the black doll.

"Why does that look bad?"

"Because it's black," the little girl says.

She asks why the little girl thinks the other doll is the nice doll.

"Because she's white," the child says.

"Can you give me the doll that looks like you?"

The little girl hesitates -- looking back and forth at both dolls, first grabbing the white doll -- then, looking a bit sad, she reluctantly pushes forward the black doll.

Fifteen of the 21 children interviewed said they preferred the white doll.

"I learned how easily we can internalize things," says Miss Davis, who made the documentary in 2005 through the Reel Works Teen Filmmaking after-school program. "Even at 4 or 5 years old, you get the message, you get what society values and what it doesn't."

To view the film -- visit: www.mediathatmattersfest.org/6/a_girl_like_me/

It's been shown at more than a dozen film festivals and won nine awards, including the Media That Matters Diversity Award and the SILVERDOCS Audience Award for a Short Documentary.

Tags: race, news, u.s.-news, psychology

A Note to Google Users on Net Neutrality:

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 13:21:44 GMT

clipped by: wildcat

Clip Source: www.google.com

The Internet as we know it is facing a serious threat. There's a debate heating up in Washington, DC on something called "net neutrality" – and it's a debate that's so important Google is asking you to get involved. We're asking you to take action to protect Internet freedom.

In the next few days, the House of Representatives is going to vote on a bill that would fundamentally alter the Internet. That bill, and one that may come up for a key vote in the Senate in the next few weeks, would give the big phone and cable companies the power to pick and choose what you will be able to see and do on the Internet.

Today the Internet is an information highway where anybody – no matter how large or small, how traditional or unconventional – has equal access. But the phone and cable monopolies, who control almost all Internet access, want the power to choose who gets access to high-speed lanes and whose content gets seen first and fastest.

Eric Schmidt

Tags: google, net neutrality, eric schmidt

The Coming Death Shortage

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 11:33:49 GMT

clipped by: wildcat
clipper's remarks: "Why the longevity boom will make us sorry to be alive" a must read.
Though I fail to agree with many of the premises of this article, the critical views it presents are important and the issues need be taken into consideration seriously

Clip Source: www.theatlantic.com

Stem-cell banks, telomerase amplifiers, somatic gene therapy—the list of potential longevity treatments incubating in laboratories is startling. Three years ago a multi-institutional scientific team led by Aubrey de Grey, a theoretical geneticist at Cambridge University, argued in a widely noted paper that the first steps toward "engineered negligible senescence"—a rough-and-ready version of immortality—would have "a good chance of success in mice within ten years." The same techniques, De Grey says, should be ready for human beings a decade or so later. "In ten years we'll have a pill that will give you twenty years," says Leonard Guarente, a professor of biology at MIT. "And then there'll be another pill after that. The first hundred-and-fifty-year-old may have already been born."

The critical issue, in Goldman's view, will be not the costs per se but determining who will pay them. "We're going to have a very public debate about whether this will be covered by insurance," he says

Tags: longevity, death, economy, future, public debate

The 10 Stupidest Things George W. Bush Has Ever Said

Sun, 20 May 2007 21:15:17 GMT

clipped by: tron2007

Clip Source: masalajokes.blogspot.com

10) "Families is where our nation finds hope, where wings take dream." —LaCrosse, Wis., Oct. 18, 2000

9) "I know how hard it is for you to put food on your family." —Greater Nashua, N.H., Jan. 27, 2000

8) "I hear there's rumors on the Internets that we're going to have a draft." —second presidential debate, St. Louis, Mo., Oct. 8, 2004

7) "I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully." —Saginaw, Mich., Sept. 29, 2000

6) "You work three jobs? … Uniquely American, isn't it? I mean, that is fantastic that you're doing that." —to a divorced mother of three, Omaha, Nebraska, Feb. 4, 2005

5) "Too many good docs are getting out of the business. Too many OB-GYNs aren't able to practice their love with women all across this country." —Poplar Bluff, Mo., Sept. 6, 2004

4) "They misunderestimated me." —Bentonville, Ark., Nov. 6, 2000

3) "Rarely is the questioned asked: Is our children learning?" —Florence, S.C., Jan. 11, 2000

Tags: humour, humor, general, funny

Is Conscious Choice an Illusion?

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 11:08:27 GMT

clipped by: wildcat

Clip Source: www.dailygalaxy.com

How much of the decision making process do we actually have a say in? That’s the question being raised thanks to new research coming out of the Max Planck Institute. Using brain scanners, researchers were able to predict people’s decisions seven seconds before the test subjects were even aware of making them.

The decision is not necessarily one that involves a lot of mental preparation – whether to hit a button with your left or right hand – so whether this study is representative of our own self-direction is up for debate. Nevertheless, questions are naturally going to be raised over whether we have free will at all, or whether conscious choice is just an illusion.

"Your decisions are strongly prepared by brain activity. By the time consciousness kicks in, most of the work has already been done," said study co-author John-Dylan Haynes, a Max Planck Institute neuroscientist.

Tags: consciousness?, choice, free will?, illusion

Why I Love Clipmarks

Sat, 09 Aug 2008 23:34:17 GMT

clipped by: egoldstein
clipper's remarks: So, i didn't write this, I read it. It was posted by Clipmarks user onlinedesign in the "Why I Use Clipmarks" section of her profile. You can click the source link to visit her page.

I wanted to clip this because it really moved me. It is exactly what i hope Clipmarks can provide for people. Knowing that we have accomplished this for some people gives me great pride and satisfaction.

I could never adequately convey how impressed, inspired and grateful i am for the collective contributions of the people who share the content, thoughts, opinion, passion and perspective that gets mixed together here on clipmarks.com. I think it's truly remarkable.

Clip Source: clipmarks.com

I have come to discover that Clipmarks is a truly international gathering of individuals who share their personal news from around the world...and by making the clips public, open up a forum for interesting discussion and debate.

I have come to a deeper appreciation and respect for views and opinions other than my own. Whether I agree with them or not is a non-issue.

Various Clippers have provided endless hours of lively topics for discussion in my home.

I have learned some very obscure "tech stuff" that I ordinarily would never have even thought of on my own. I even follow a few Clippers...because they are wickedly funny, insightful, spiritual...mostly because they are just interesting "thinkers".

Over the last year, Clipmarks has become more than just a way to save and reference articles for research. It has become a tool to help me have an open mind.

Tags: clipmarks

Physicist Claims First Real Demonstration of Cold Fusion

Tue, 27 May 2008 23:05:06 GMT

clipped by: Silkweaver
clipper's remarks: "Arata and Zhang demonstrated very successfully the generation of continuous excess energy [heat] from ZrO2-nano-Pd sample powders under D2 gas charging and generation of helium-4," Takahashi told New Energy Times. "The demonstrated live data looked just like data they reported in their published papers [J. High Temp. Soc. Jpn, Feb. and March issues, 2008]. This demonstration showed that the method is highly reproducible."

Clip Source: www.physorg.com

To many people, cold fusion sounds too good to be true. The idea is that, by creating nuclear fusion at room temperature, researchers can generate a nearly unlimited source of power that uses water as fuel and produces almost zero waste. Essentially, cold fusion would make oil obsolete.

However, many experts debate whether money should be spent on cold fusion research or applied to more realistic alternative energy solutions.

Now, esteemed Physics Professor Yoshiaki Arata of Osaka University in Japan claims to have made the first successful demonstration of cold fusion.

Last Thursday, May 22, Arata and his colleague Yue-Chang Zhang of Shianghai Jiotong University presented the cold fusion demonstration to 60 onlookers

Evidence for the occurrence of this fusion came from measuring the temperature inside the cell. When Arata first injected the deuterium gas, the temperature rose to about 70° C (158° F), which Arata explained was due to nuclear and chemical reactions.

Tags: energy, clean energy, cold fusion

The Fallacy Files

Tue, 03 Oct 2006 19:50:03 GMT

clipped by: Djiezes
clipper's remarks: I clipped this before, but pop restrictions burried the clip.

In a very naive hope to keep discussions fallacy-free, better the debate and stimulate some self-criticism, I'm re-sharing this with you all.

Anyway, the resource is huge, examples abundant, explications very clear and even etymological grounded.

Clip Source: www.fallacyfiles.org

Go to Main Menu

INDEX

A B C D E F G H I JKL M N O P Q R S T U V W XYZ

Clip Source: www.fallacyfiles.org

What are the Fallacy Files?

A collection of named fallacies—such as "ad hominem"—that is, types of bad reasoning which someone has thought distinctive and interesting enough to name and describe. This collection took the form, primarily, of the study and acquisition of books and articles on the named fallacies, especially textbooks and reference books. You can find individual files on the named fallacies via the Taxonomy of Logical Fallacies, or from the alphabetical index in the scroll bar to your left.

A collection of fallacious, or otherwise bad, arguments, that is, examples of reasoning which may commit one or more of the named fallacies under 1, or are bad in some way yet to be classified. This collection took the form of clippings from newspapers, magazines, pamphlets, photocopies of pages of books, and—in a few rare cases—entire articles or books which were rich sources of bad reasoning. I have used selections from my collection as examples in many of the files on named fallacies, and additional examples can be found in the file: Stalking the Wild Fallacy.

Tags: fallacy, logical, discussion, argument, logical fallacy, logic, appeal, argumentum, debate, index, list, rhetoric, science, politics, fallacy files

Why Can't I Own a Canadian?

Sun, 25 Mar 2007 18:12:36 GMT

clipped by: thisnamecantbetaken
clipper's remarks: Good questions!

Clip Source: www.humanistsofutah.org

Why Can't I Own a Canadian?

Dear Dr. Laura:

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law.

When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination. End of debate. I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some of the other specific laws and how to follow them:

I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?

Lev. 25:44 states that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?

I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?

Tags: god, religion, christianity, bible, humour

The Evolution of Evolution: how culture changes genes

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 08:38:38 GMT

clipped by: abailart
clipper's remarks: Not, as stated, a new idea: been around a long time in complexity theory, and quantum consciousness theory, for instance. This is a short, pithy statement of the claim, read it in a couple of minutes.

Clip Source: www.slate.com

Now we're in the midst of the next mutation in evolutionary theory: Human evolution didn't slow as we advanced from nature to culture. It accelerated and changed. Culture, born of natural selection, became natural selection's driving force.

This is the message of a new study of the human genome. If true, it radically complicates the debate between nature and nurture. The question is no longer simply whether our genes are the source of civilization, but whether they're also its product.

Organisms evolve in response to changing environments. This can lead, paradoxically, to the evolution of traits that change the environment. Once that happens, the process becomes dialectical, and its speed increases, because culture changes more rapidly than nature does.

Much of what now passes for "natural selection" isn't exactly natural. It's social.

It may be true that today's God a human creation. But so, in a way, is today's evolution.

Why are intelligent women such fools in love?

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 10:18:37 GMT

clipped by: michellezm
clipper's remarks: "Without the engagement of the head and the heart, relationships are not a safe place to be, but the bright woman is headstrong enough to tell herself that she will be able to make this work."

In other words, we fall at the first hurdle because we override our gut instinct."

Clip Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

the intrinsic emotional make-up of women with an over-developed intellect is flawed, and as a result their ability to choose compatible partners or sustain lasting relationships is impeded

Dr Robert Holden, author of Success Intelligence, is at the cutting edge of psychological relationship research. He explains: "IQ is all to do with your head and the meeting of minds. You could have two incredibly intellectual sparky people who know how to stimulate each other with a fantastic debate, but this in no way means they have what it takes for a long-term relationship.

"To have a successful relationship, you have to have a developed EQ which is emotional empathy and a respect for each other's feelings."

So why is it that intellectually smart women get derailed when it comes to relationships?

"It happens because the logic of emotions is different to the logic of thoughts,"

"With a high IQ, we are often so headstrong that we over-ride what our heart is feeling. We essentially silence our emotions.

Tags: psychology, women

What really happens during an abortion: One surgeon finally tells the truth

Sat, 13 Oct 2007 09:56:46 GMT

clipped by: michellezm
clipper's remarks: Entire article ought to be read

Clip Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

But we found disturbing research in America that directly contradicts this established view. It came from Dr Sunny Anand, who has a distinguished record in helping to prove that very young babies can feel pain. When he was based at Oxford University in the 1980s his work helped to ensure that newborn babies were routinely given pain relief for surgical procedures.

His latest research is extremely technical and covers two areas. First, he's been comparing how newborn babies and unborn foetuses react to any kind of stress, including pain.

He's found similar changes in their hormones and their blood flow, suggesting that foetuses can indeed respond to pain.

Secondly, he's been researching - using rats - exactly which parts of the developing brain are used to detect pain.

His conclusions could have enormous consequences for the abortion debate. He told Dispatches: "I believe that foetuses can feel pain very likely by 20 weeks of gestation and possibly even earlier."

Tags: abortion, foetus, gestation, pregnancy, babies, medical

Clipmarks | reimers's 'debate' clips

Top 25 Censored Stories of 2007

How to Talk to a Global Warming Skeptic (FAQ)

Stages of Denial

The Internet Black Hole That Is North Korea

Internalized racism in black children: a new "doll test"

Documentary, studies renew debate about skin color's impact

A Note to Google Users on Net Neutrality:

The Coming Death Shortage

The 10 Stupidest Things George W. Bush Has Ever Said

Is Conscious Choice an Illusion?

Why I Love Clipmarks

Physicist Claims First Real Demonstration of Cold Fusion

The Fallacy Files

Go to Main Menu

INDEX

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

What are the Fallacy Files?

Why Can't I Own a Canadian?

Why Can't I Own a Canadian?

The Evolution of Evolution: how culture changes genes

Why are intelligent women such fools in love?

What really happens during an abortion: One surgeon finally tells the truth

A B C D E F G H I JKL M N O P Q R S T U V W XYZ