History and Science
We like to scare ourselves: The rise of horror games
Fear is part of the human condition. Horror games speak to that part of us and allow us to take a little control over it.
Analyzing Christianity
Bass-ackwards: We are not hardwired for belief
Many Christians seem to love the idea of humans being hardwired for belief. By this phrase, they mean that their god placed in each human’s heart a desire to worship something supernatural. Unfortunately, their god didn’t finish the job.
History and Science
How stories made us human
One of the very most human parts of the human situation is our love of stories. It’s how early humans formed groups and stuck together, and it’s how we learn even today.
History and Science
Facial reconstruction: Meeting the faces of our past
One of the most potent ways historians connect people to our past is through facial reconstruction. As the technology to reproduce those ancient faces progresses, we’re discovering that we need to be aware of how we use it. Our biases can accidentally shift the appearance of those faces and distort Read more
History and Science
Assessing the false claims of a COVID-19 denialist
Christian claims always have a pedigree, if our two current series, Journey Into Hell and 1st-Century Fridays, are anything to go by. I want to know the source of this particular mythology. So today, let’s check out this wingnut’s specific claims — and see, if we can, where she’s getting them and why she cherishes them so much.
History and Science
Why Wingnuts Don’t Care About Real-World Evidence
Today, let’s see how wingnuts like Patrice Lewis assess truth claims in the first place. They do it a lot differently from reality-based people.
History and Science
Josephus, and the Lies Christians Tell About Him (1st-Century Fridays #13)
I can easily see why 3rd-and-4th-century Christians felt an irresistible urge to edit Josephus’ work to better support their own claims. Around then, they were just starting to wonder why they lacked that kind of corroboration, and it bothered some of them a lot.
History and Science
Confirmation Bias: A Mindset That Prevents Growth
Hi and welcome back! The other day, I showed you an odd little essay by Amy Laura Hall, a Duke University ethics professor. In it, she twice displayed a cognitive bias called confirmation bias. Confirmation bias, if allowed to rule people unchecked, can prevent their ability to learn and grow. Today, Read more
History and Science
Where the Denisovans Are 2021 (LSP #206)
Today, Lord Snow Presides over the way one ancient human species, the Denisovans, reached the present day through our DNA.
History and Science
COVID Denialists Are Humanity’s Griefers
One of her biggest mistakes might be how she views COVID denialists themselves. They are, in essence, griefers. And ignoring griefers does not make them go away.