Once one understands that science is not a body of truths, but our best method of finding truth, one realizes that there is no reason to “question” it.
For a moment, think of the most rapidly evolving arenas within the totality of the domains of science. Let’s take epidemiology and climate change.
My mother went to her grave believing that Dr. Anthony Fauci should be indicted for crimes associated with the medical advice he gave re: COVID-19. Her sole source of news was Fox News, and, from listening to what they had to say on the subject, she’d tell me, “He’s constantly changing his mind!” as if this were evidence of incompetence, or, more dastardly, corruption. Was he in cahoots with the communists hellbent on destroying American capitalism? If not, he must have been making himself a billionaire by selling his own remedies.
Here, we’re talking about an extremely senior medical professional who had served successfully under five presidents, working on a brand-new pandemic that very little was known about. We’re also talking about a “news” source known for its support of conspiracy theories that support the ultra-right-wing.
In cases like these, science is constantly “changing its mind,” as new studies come in that blow apart older data, and better represent the current understanding of the problem at hand.
The situation is the same with climate science. Newer models associated with the warming of our atmosphere and oceans are constantly replacing those of previous decades. Is that evidence that scientists are corrupt, or that we are always learning more about an extremely complex set of information?
A couple of months ago, I happened to ask a friend who had emigrated from Sweden if she was religious. “No!” she exclaimed. “Almost no one in Sweden is religious.”
As we see at left, there seems to be a huge correlation between atheism and the national level of happiness. But what causes that?
Are believers unhappy people for some reason? That doesn’t make sense.
Here’s my two-fold theory. Atheists believe:
a) That we only live once, so we try to enjoy it while we can.
And, more importantly,
b) That we need to take care of one another (since there is no God). We’re willing to make sacrifices if that means things like great education, universal healthcare, environmental responsibility, tolerable working conditions, and near-zero poverty.
Renewable Energy
From the Independent: “Trump Administration to Pay Two More Companies to Walk Away from U.S. Offshore Wind Leases”
From this article in The Independent:
The Trump administration announced two more payouts Monday for energy companies to walk away from U.S. offshore wind projects under development.
Bluepoint Wind and Golden State Wind have agreed to end their offshore wind leases in exchange for reimbursements totaling nearly $900 million. Both companies have decided not to pursue any new offshore wind projects in the United States, the Interior Department announced Monday.
Bluepoint Wind is an offshore wind project in the early stages of development off the coasts of New Jersey and New York, while Golden State Wind is a floating offshore wind project proposed off California’s central coast.
Trump is hellbent on destroying the renewable energy industry so as to benefit his billionaire friends in fossil fuels.
He’s on course to be remembered as the most destructive person in world history, with the possible exception of Adolph Hitler.
What is said here about Pete Hegseth is clearly true.
But keep in mind that he’s fiercely loyal to Donald Trump, and Trump couldn’t possibly care what happens to the United States, as long as he can stay out of prison and enrich himself and his family.
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