Weekly Links Roundup… March 7

Audio… we’re going classic. Door 1, Door 2, or Door 3?

The space-between:

• A scary reminder of how dangerous it can be to promote science when science and religion are viewed as conflicting… and religion is in control.
• Can the brain explain your mind? A review of The Tell-Tale Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Quest for What Makes Us Human.
• RJS on Jesus Creed explores an interview with John Polkinghorne: Part 1. Part 2.
• Jerry Coyne good… on what sounds like an excellent movie, Never Let Me Go.
• Jerry Coyne bad… Religion = Frog Worship. And, of course, Templeton is a 4 letter word. Unsure why there’s so much venom here, because I didn’t think that they were hiding their agenda. Perhaps I’m wrong. Not that I disagree with everything Coyne says here, though.
• John Rosenau responds with “how bad” is the Templeton Foundation?
• Chimpanzees would laugh at my jokes too.
• Alien life or an example of “first” life on a meteorite? Let’s wait and see…

Science:

• From the great Ed Yong, it’s a good idea to absorb nutrients through their skin if you eat by shoving your body into food. Hagfish. Worrying changes in reprogrammed stem cells. Last, the remarkable PKMzeta.
• Chronic traumatic encephalopathy… not just a football problem.
• Very intrigued and excited about this potential AIDS treatment.
• A swimming eyeball by Carl Zimmer. Fascinating.
• Nanoscopes? Tiny spheres that improve microscopes. Exciting, but let’s wait until it’s reproduced by others.
• No shock here. Shopping carts teeming with fecal bacteria. So are seats on public transportation… and MRSA be worse.
• Fill your bladder to clear your mind?
• The research center model as the solution to the too many students and postdocs problem.
• Recreational drug creates out-of-body experiences. Survey data, but still…

Religion:

• Awesome link from Internet Monk… What the soul is in the body, Christians are in the world. (we’ve changed *just* a bit, but this was encouraging)
• Musings about universalism by Richard Beck of Experimental Theology. Somewhat relevant this past week or so, eh? Scot McKnight chimes in with an outstanding post as well.
• Undeception, with asymptotic faith journeys.

News (that I see fit to link to):

• Watching the Shuttle Launch from 5 Miles Up!… awesome. Pilot is pretty funny too.
• Via @Bill Gates: Videos and more on Khan Academy’s plans to transform education – an incredible talk at TED yesterday.
• From the Sports Guy, New column: Playing around with an extended hypothetical. (Shh, it’s about the NFL)
• iPad 2? Nah. iPad 3.
• Via Steve Silberman… Wow, these 3D portraits – made with screws – are amazing.
• Sad story of a high school kid who hits game winner and collapses on court minutes later. 16 years old.