But seriously … if you have a well, get it capped, please!

NCSE policy director Steve Newton explores the evolution of American creationism and how anti-evolution activities have changed from the Scopes era to the present. Newton explains creationism’s many faces, from dinosaurs-lived-with-humans young earthers to “intelligent design” advocates to legislators promoting “academic freedom” legislation. Newton’s talk will examine why teaching evolution–and science in general–is so important, and suggest ways for the pro-science community to counter creationist assaults on science education. Where: Oakmont Sunday Symposium, Santa Rosa, CA. When: 2/15/2012

Oklahoma’s House Bill 1551, one of two bills attacking the teaching of evolution and of climate change active in the Oklahoma legislature during 2012, is now in effect dead, according to Oklahomans for Excellence in Science Education. Originally introduced in 2011, HB 1551 was rejected by the House Common Education Committee in that year, but revived and passed by the committee in 2012, and then passed by the House of Representatives on a 56-12 vote on March 15, 2012, and sent to the Senate Education Committee, where it died. April 2, 2012, was the last meeting of the Senate Education Committee in the present legislative session, and April 5, 2012, is the deadline for single-assigned house bills (such as HB 1551) to be reported from their senate committees.

Details at NCSE

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(I knew there would be the occasional problem with a blog named “X”)

… in the Twin Cities.

Free Libraries Hit Minneapolis Lawns: MyFoxTWINCITIES.com

Hat Tip: Alyson Foster

One of my favorite bloggers, Dana Hunter, who blogs with me at FTB.com, is now also blogging at Scientific American at a new blog called Rosetta Stones.

I was five years old, and Mount St. Helens was busy erupting all over my teevee. I made it a get well card. It looked like it hurt. Thus began an ongoing conversation between me and objects people tend to think of as inanimate until they explode, rip apart, or fall down.

Go check it out!

A very interesting perspective. Different kinds of craters results from the intersection of different size impacts and different geological conditions prevailing at the time .

I wonder if that first big meteor would have come in at that angle. Anyway, very cool animation.

On Skeptically Speaking:

This week, we’re looking into the many strategies that animals employ in the struggle to eat other animals. We’re joined by freelance science writer Matt Soniak, to discuss the often complex relationship between hunter and hunted. And on the podcast, biological anthropologist Greg Laden returns to tell us about humanity’s history as hunters, and how it may – or may not – affect our behavior today.

It is here.

I have two only vaguely related items for you, and the first is really two items.

Paul Douglas has written a piece on climate change that you should read. Douglas is the famous Twin Cities meteorologist who worked for several years at our own WCCO. He was a regional celebrity, much loved by all, and a lot of people stopped watching television when he left that station a couple of years back. The blog post is: A Message From A Republican Meteorologist On Climate Change.

Given how sensible and smart he is, one would have never thought Paul was a … oh never mind, that, there is a second thing you should know: Paul Douglas will be one of our guests at two Climate Change panels we are doing this July at CONvergence, as part of the Sketchick-FTB.com organized science and skepticism track. You’ll be hearing a lot more about that later. Maggie Koerth-Baker, whom I shall be interviewing on the radio Sunday AM, will also be on one or both of those panels.

The other item that just came across my desk: General Motors Stops Funding The Heartland Institute. Why? The short answer is that the truth about the nature of the Heartland Institute was exposed by scientist Peter Gleick, and General Motors decided to do the right thing.

Thank you very much, that is all.

Go here and click on the thing. You know Shawn from his book “Fool me Twice.”

Like the page then scroll down a page or two to “Fool me Twice: Fighting the Assault on Science in America by Shawn Lawrence Otto” and vote on that one. Forget about all the other books, they suck. YOU MUST DO THIS NOW.

And now a closer look at Cardiff: