“Maybe the votes for the “best science blog” are going through some sort of “RC moderation filter” – that might explain why half your votes aren’t showing up.

Kinda like why this comment won’t show up…”

I’m not so keen on the ‘anti-intelligent design’ folks for the same reason that I’m not keen on the AGW folks. They refuse to consider that they might have missed something. (Please, hold the rock throwing till the end!) ANY disagreement with them is met with immediate ridicule. Not exactly science-like in my book.

I’m not a religious person (basically I’m a hard core science nut), and doubt that ‘God’, whatever they are (if anything) created me. At the same time, the intelligent design basic thesis says maybe something with brains had a hand in it all. To me, this would include, oh, space aliens. While I think seeing UFO’s mostly means you ought to get a better brand of hooch, I can’t rule out ‘visitations’ over the last few billion years. It’s a big universe.

There are some fascinating oddities in our history that fit the ‘space aliens made us’ thesis (including a written history from mesopotamia in [a lot] BC that specifically references the ‘goddess’ from space that did the genetic manipulation.) If we forbid even asking the question, then we can never get the answer to “Is there anything to it?” and we risk not really understanding our history. Yes, it’s probably just a myth, but can’t I at least ask the question without ridicule?

One other minor point. Somewhere I have a fascinating book by a guy who manages to reconcile the Genesis account with known science in many ways. The most fascinating bit was he asked: What if we are looking at the clock from the wrong end? Time dilation has happened.

If we started at compressed time at the big bang, then golly, each big bang scale day matches the events in our known scientific view just dandy, from ‘let there be light’ to heaven and earth to creation of life. We have forgotten that 7 days of creation might be several billion of our present days, viewed from this end of dilated time… Both science and The Bible could be right and the folks who get 6k years by mumbo jumbo numerology wrong.

(I know I’m not doing this justice, but I loaned the book to someone so I can’t dig it out to get the proper description… nor title / author / ISBN. I think it may be this one: http://www.amazon.com/Genesis-Big-Bang-Discovery-Harmony/dp/0553354132 )

Can you really show that there was never a visitation from an E.T. doing a Ph.D. project on upgrading primitive critters on an uninteresting planet? Can you really say with certainty that Genesis isn’t just a garbled version of the science (we’ve now figured out) taught by a visiting E.T. Peace Corp Volunteer but mangled in transmission by a primitive understanding of things like time dilation, evolution, and nuclear physics? Do you forbid asking the questions?

My point? IMHO, Science is about being able to ask ANY question, and having an open mind about what the answer might be while searching for evidence. Religion is about believing your answer must be right and forbidding certain questions. By that measure the anti-I.D. folks and the Rabid Religious are cut from the same cloth. Neither is really science. Nor a science blog.

I must admit, my idea of a good evolution/intelligent design site is http://www.evcforum.net/ . Take a look at the ‘Dates and Dating’ section there, and learn what a Uranium Halo is all about….

Rather interesting. Though I must admit I had expected Dates and Dating to be a social meeting place or advice on whom to go out with ;-) Sometimes I’m a bit slow… I was pleasantly surprised to discover it was about geologic age determination. Chagrinned, but at least now I know that both science and religion have halos 8-0

Re: ‘Reference Frame’ as Best European Blog

You’ve already received my daily vote and will continue to do so until voting is closed. You have a well-grounded perspective on both the political as well as the scientific issues of the day. Well done, and I wish you continued success, health, and clear thinking. You are an asset to planet earth, sir!

Actually, this site simply asks questions that some folks [eg: UN/IPCC, GISS, NOAA, etc.] seem very reluctant to answer. Despite that reluctance, we’re getting some answers here, as the 7+ million hits and numerous comments attest.

If you have questions, this is the place to ask them.

Surely they made mistake for the category. This is conservative blog against liberal conspiracies.

Umm… I think that Pharyngula is primarily an anti-Intelligent Design site. And hence in the business of ‘exposing kooks’ of all kinds.

Since I tend to believe in evolution rather than science as specified by the Bible, I would tend to support Pharyngula’s aim, but I don’t think they actually DO very much science. That’s not a knocking statement – there’s no reason why they should – but if you’re used to CA or WUWT you will have a rather sophisticated idea of what a science blog is.

I must admit, my idea of a good evolution/intelligent design site is http://www.evcforum.net/ . Take a look at the ‘Dates and Dating’ section there, and learn what a Uranium Halo is all about….

A sore throat for sure, but science?

Here are the categories of the first page:

Kooks (1)
creationism(4)
weirdness (3)
Godlessness(2)
Books(1)
Humor(2)
Religion(1)
Politics(1)

Is it considered science because it is on the web page scienceblogs.com?

The ticker WTS brings up Watts Industries, Inc

They are a maker of valves, water control systems, filtration and code compliance products. I have no opinion on them. Just find it fun that there is a Watts Industries at all… Any relation? (They are on the other coast…)

You both care about making things work right, filtering out the crud, getting the sewage gone, and compliance with accepted standards ;-)