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How solid is the evidence for the big bang? Updated 14 January 2025 (c) 2025 Introduction The “big bang” is a name given to the origin event of our universe, which scientists now date at roughly 13.8 billion years ago, according to the latest data released by the Planck project [Cho2013]. The term was actually Continue reading How solid is the evidence for the big bang? What is the anthropic principle of cosmology? Updated 14 January 2025 (c) 2025 Definition of the anthropic principle The term “anthropic principle” was first introduced into the scientific literature in 1974 by Brandon Carter [Carter1974, pg. 291]. In discussing the “large number” coincidences then evident in physics and cosmology, Carter used the term to refer Continue reading What is the anthropic principle of cosmology? Top 500 supercomputer performance (orange = #1, blue = #500, green = sum) Is scientific progress real? Updated 23 July 2025 (c) 2025 Denials of scientific progress from the right and the left The fact that scientific research has made immense progress over the past years, decades and centuries is taken for granted among Continue reading Is scientific progress real? How has the idea of progress shaped modern society? Updated 10 Jan 2026 The idea of progress in Judeo-Christian thought Robert Nisbet defines the “idea of progress” as the notion that mankind has advanced in the past, from barbarism and ignorance, is now advancing, and will continue to advance through the foreseeable future [Nisbet1980, pg. Continue reading How has the idea of progress shaped modern society? Is modern science socially constructed and forever tentative? Updated 13 January 2025 (c) 2025 Introduction Writers from the discipline known variously as “postmodern science studies” or “sociology of scientific knowledge” are often cited in discussions of science, philosophy and religion. Some of these writers, notably Karl Popper and Thomas Kuhn, have had significant impact on Continue reading Is modern science socially constructed and forever tentative? Have science and religion always been at war? Updated 13 January 2025 (c) 2025 Introduction In his recent Cosmos series, as well as in several videos available on Netflix, noted physicist/cosmologist Neil deGrasse Tyson reviews, in a very entertaining yet informative way, the history of science through the ages, leading up to our latest attempts Continue reading Have science and religion always been at war? What does the new atheist literature say about science and religion? Updated 11 January 2025 (c) 2025 The “new atheists” Recently numerous books and articles have been published with rather strong criticisms of religion and the practice of religion. The four most prominent authors are Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens, who Continue reading What does the atheist literature say about science and religion? How many scientists question evolution? Updated 11 January 2025 (c) 2025 Dissenters from evolution It is often said that many scientists, including some with solid credentials in the field, now believe there are serious difficulties with modern evolutionary theory. Indeed, there are some scientists who dissent. For example, in 2005 Philip Skell, a retired chemistry Continue reading How many scientists question evolution? How reliable is geologic dating? Updated 11 January 2025 (c) 2025 Introduction In a separate article Radiometric dating), we sketched in some technical detail how dates are calculated using radiometric dating techniques. As we pointed out in that article, radiometric dates are based on known rates of radioactivity, a phenomenon that is rooted in fundamental Continue reading How reliable is geologic dating? How does radiometric dating work? Updated 11 January 2025 (c) 2025 Introduction Radiometric dating is the most common type of technique employed by researchers to reckon dates for the geologic eras and individual specimens or layers. Radiometric dating is rooted in the rates of radioactive decay of various isotopes, which rates have been measured carefully Continue reading How does radiometric dating work? |
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