RationalWiki:What is going on in the blogosphere?/October 2015

October 2015
"So, the next time you see a pretty 3D picture of many neurons being simulated, think 'cargo cult brain'." I nearly missed this Thames Valley Police YouTube video on making tea. Highly recommended Straw Freshmen: Why the War on Campus PC Culture is Bullshit Even Reason thinks the Republican base has gone totally and utterly bonkers. State’s Abortion Waiting Period Allows Women To Explore Alternatives To Making Their Own Decisions. The Onion How NPR killed college rock. Women 'don't understand' fracking due to lack of education, industry chief claims On HIV denialism. Cracked's Adam Brown has an article about the crazy beliefs of some celebrities. One guy made up his own poorly-named school of mathematics. The latest in corporate sponsored FUD: "The obesity paradox", claiming that being overweight is fine. Brought to you by Coca-Cola. The Secret History of Myers-Briggs: a pseudoscientific accreditation scam - or at least the scam of being asked to pay thousands of dollars for something accessible online for free. Exxon acknowledges climate change and funds research. In the late '70's Slacktivism, raising awareness, Dunning-Kruger and social media walk into a bar, and start a black dot campaign. The online media holds poll asking who won the first Democratic Debate, gets an answer they don't like, and promptly sweeps it under the rug with their own assertions. Edit: CNN did not delete its poll of Facebook users, who overwhelmingly said Sanders won the debate. It’s still on a Facebook page managed by CNN. (Maybe linking to Tumblr wasn't such a good idea) Politifact Snopes A woman in Texas kicks off a plan to protest a "campus carry" law by carrying dildos to a university. Sabato's Crystal Ball: It is highly unlikely, but possible that the GOP could threaten their own majority in the House. Why Clinton’s TPP opposition is unnerving The Sandy Hook Effect: Preventing mass murders like Sandy Hook is impossible, but we can do things to reduce overall violence. This New Book Introduces Evolution to Preschoolers Healthcare Triage makes a strong case (video, 6:40) for having an article on this wiki by taking alt-med to task. Bonus intro involving the UoT story from some months back! [http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/sep/29/water-mars-intelligent-life-earth-nasa?CMP=fb_gu There may be flowing water on Mars. But is there intelligent life on Earth?] Cracked goes Godwin on Trump, but gives well supported info on why he is a fascist.