“serious” essays on physics, religion & more

P H Y S I C SR E L I G I O NO T H E R
Dark Energy: Too Big to Fail (1/25/13)
A major theory rolls on, even though it might have been a faith-based myth from the beginning.

Why the Speed of Light Is Constant (1/14/13)
If it weren't, the universe would be a mess of incoherent information. (Like Fox News.)

How to Build a Free-Will Machine (12/24/12)
Take a game-playing robot, add some chaotic dynamics, plus a dash of the random.

Gravity Is Not a Rubber Sheet (3/9/12)
All this time, the "trampoline" model of warped space has been lying to you.

Resolving the "Twin Paradox" (2/7/12)
Gravity needs to make clocks tick slower. Otherwise we'd have an actual paradox.

The Zero Universe (2/6/12)
Apparently everything in the world, taken as a whole, adds up to nothing whatsoever.

Bell's Bizarre Theorem (1/20/12)
A proposed experiment may prove that space isn't what we think it is.

Doubling Down on the Multiverse (7/28/11)
Distant "bubble universes" are an invention of the imagination — nothing more.

The Case for Metaphysics (4/21/11)
How hard science can benefit from ideas that are often written off as "just philosophy."

Decoherence: Destroyer of Weirdness (1/27/11)
This amazing quantum mechanism makes it possible to play tennis. You're welcome!

Light Does Not "Race" Through Space (5/14/10)
Dispelling a century-old misconception that's caused by sloppy language.

Superposition: Not That Strange (1/29/10)
Schrodinger's cat is best thought of as being merely uncertain, like the future.

The Multiverse & Occam's Razor (12/27/09)
Multiple universes are a popular explanation for "fine tuning." I offer an alternative.

What Are You Doing Here? (7/5/09)
A look at the incredibly unlikely chain of events that led to you being alive today.

Why Time Appears to Move Forward (9/19/08)
Information only comes from the past. The future is totally dark to us.
Let's Pray-Flect & Really Do Nothing (7/21/12)
Another shooting, another chance for people to pretend they're helping.

Bad Atheism (4/29/12)
Some atheists are bad nonbelievers, because they aren't skeptical enough.

Do Animals Have Souls? (4/2/12)
Beliefs about the soul cannot be reconciled with ordinary consciousness.

Wikipedia Is My Religion (8/9/11)
My personal relationship with something Greater Than Myself.

Consciousness Is Not Mystical (4/26/11)
There's nothing magical about consciousness. It's only astonishingly complex.

Lose Weight, Know Death (2/20/11)
One-seventh of my body recently died. But nobody believes that it went to Heaven.

Do You Live in Real Life or Fake Life? (10/22/10)
It's comforting to believe that your dead loved ones are in Heaven. Too bad life after death is fake.

Yes, You Imagined It (7/24/10)
Why personal experiences and memories prove absolutely nothing.

God & the Fallacy of Astonishment (11/03/09)
Why it's ridiculous to ask, "How could the universe just pop out of nothing?"

Another Proof of God, Refuted (5/15/09)
"The wind, love, and hope all exist. So God does, too." Terrible analogy.

Theory vs. Law (12/23/08)
Anyone who asks, "Why isn't evolution a law?" doesn't know what a law, or a theory, is.

My Problem With Christianity (7/23/08)
Why I make comedy videos poking fun at the Christian religion.

Intelligent Design Isn't Science (7/17/08)
Going over the definition of what science is and does, and what it isn't and can't do.

Why I Am Not Agnostic (2/17/07)
Based on the information available, I consider myself an atheist. For now.
Conspiracy Manipulators, Pseudo-Critical Thinkers & Other Frauds (8/23/13)
"Just asking questions"? Don't believe it!

A Classic Conspiracy-Theory Fail (8/21/13)
With the Michael Hastings case, reality slaps delusional nutjobs in the face once again.

The Privacy Myth (6/11/13)
If you're outraged about technological invasions of your privacy, you're just naïve.

Global Warming: A Matter of Scale (11/1/12)
Let's not be small-minded about a problem larger than we can even imagine.

The Truth Really Is Out There (5/7/12)
Plain facts or "disinfo"? How to cut through the B.S. on just about any issue.

Conspiracy Theory Is the New Superstition
(3/26/12) In the modern world, willful ignorance is taking a new direction.

Change Happens. Quit Whining About It
(7/24/11) Most resistance to change comes from nostalgia and short-sightedness, not reason.

Global Warming Did Not Cause That Tornado
(6/20/11) Even smart people reduce complex ideas to oversimplified nonsense.

Bad Experiences Are Good Experiences
(6/6/11) When you're having a miserable time, try zooming out and seeing the big picture.

Stuck in a Rut? Rearrange Something (3/17/11)
If things are standing still in your life, don't be afraid to shake them up.

How People Sleep at Night (2/9/11)
The everyday Stockholm syndrome is the reason we are all able to live with ourselves.

"Susan G. Komen" Is a Cancer (1/7/11)
This horribly overgrown "nonprofit" has turned into the very thing it fights against.

The Bullshit Syndrome & How to Spot It
(1/11/10) A brand of intellectual dishonesty seen in creationists, 9/11 "Truthers," and others.

Something You May Not Know About Carbon
(6/5/09) Did you think burning firewood or leaves increases your carbon footprint? It doesn't.

Good Intentions, With Perspective (4/22/09)
Don't get me started about CFLs and unplugging your chargers to save the planet.

Dumb Move: Accelerating Through a Red Light
(9/3/07) Why it's better just to stop.


   Write to Eddie.