Buffalo

So, over last weekend, I had the wonderful opportunity to travel to #CFICon, a leadership conference from the Center For Inquiry. Now, I have been to quite a few conferences over the last few years, and I have never been disappointed, so I was already pretty hyped. Then I found out it is in New York! I have been to New York before, and I loved it. Because New York is

Amazing, Beautiful, Busy, and a marvel of modern society and life.  

Then I was told it is in Buffalo, New York... 

I thought, OK, Buffalo, New York:

Then I was told NO! Its BUFFALO!

So I thought:

But really it was more like:

Certainly not bad, just not New York City.

That being said, the conference itself was at:

Center for Inquiry Transnational

Now, I throughly loved this conference, and had lots of fun, and lots of discussions, so expect a surge of blogging ahead!

Real Life Needs This

So, I really want real life to have scientific commentators. By the way, I am totally stealing this idea from Maki Naro at Sci-ənce!

Think about it, It would be SO badass to have scientific commentators. They could do everything from correct people's ignorance to... Well... Correct people's ignorance. I mean, to be fair, that is really all science does, correct people's ignorance. To be fair, Science corrects Mankind's ignorance, but same difference.

I wonder, who could we get to pay for them?

Why Being A Scientist SUCKS today

 Now that I have addressed why being a scientist rocks, I shall now explain why being a scientist sucks recently. Now, I have been going through some stressful time recently, and there are 4 things that really keep me going.

      1. Friends

(I love these people!)

     2. Food

(I am super hungry right now!)

     3. Science 

(PS I took this Electron Microscope Image of a diatom!)

    4.Song 

(I <3 Florence and the Machine)

That being said, recently the later 2 of my driving forces have been conflicting, and it is bugging the someone-else's-Hell out of me. For whatever reason, my scumbag brain has been noticing parts of songs that are scientifically inaccurate. 

Scumbag brain

Not the blatantly impossible stuff, like Nicki Minaj's Starships, but the just slightly inaccurate things. For instance, I really love the song shake it out, especially if I am in a sucky mood.

Listen to it now...

I prefer the glee version, only because it is more mellow... Don't hate me for this.

It's a spectacular song, and it brings my crappy mood down to a simmer. But recently, my sciencey brain has been saying no to the lyrics. The song's lyrics go like this 

I like to keep my issues strong
But it's always darkest before the dawn
Shake it out, shake it out...

But my brain says this 

I like to keep my issues strong
But it's always darkest approximately halfway between dusk and dawn depending on the conditions of the atmosphere as well as the moon and other celestial bodies
Shake it out, shake it out...

And it is bugging the shit out of me. My stupid brain is choosing to nitpick on a lyric of a song, and I can't get it to stop.... 

And that is why, right now, it Sucks to be a scientist. Because science ruins my music!

Science also sucks by creating a low pressure zone, but that is a different topic. 

Also, I need to buy more eggs. 

Why Being a Scientist ROCKS

Now, one of the aspects of my persona that I love the most is the fact that I am a scientist. Now, when I say scientist, I mean two things really,
     1) That I am constantly using systematic methods to try to gain more knowledge about the natural world and
     2) That I have a high amount of knowledge on how the natural world works to be able to apply said knowledge.

Also, I own my own lab coat. 

Now, this is one of my favorite traits, because it allows me to see the beauty of our universe. Since the first time I looked through a microscope, I have been in love with biology. And the moment I understood why the white of a yolk solidified, I have been in love with chemistry. For whatever reason, Even though I excel in it I have never really fallen in love with physics...

It might be because physics ruins all of my dreams of being a superhero....

And when I say beauty, I really mean beauty. The first time I looked through an electron microscope, I teared up. When I look through a telescope, I am brought to a state of awe. Just knowing how much I know about the natural world, and knowing that within the human race we will only ever scratch the surface, brings me to as close of a religious experience as I will likely ever be at. 

Unless of course, I get to use a God Helmet someday....

And this feeling can be so.... Powerful... That It keeps me going somedays. That feeling just grows stronger with every iota of knowledge about the working of our universe I gain. I cannot think of anything that I would trade this feeling for. 

I am so serious about this feeling that I am not even going to put a funny here. I'm THAT SERIOUS!

Additionally, knowing that I am slowly but surly increasing our knowledge base, and that the further I go the more I will get to contribute is so amazing. The first time I realized that I will live as long as humanity does due to my contributions, I literally had to stop moving for a minute. It was kind of embarrassing because my professor thought I was having a seizure... But still, that feeling was indescribable. 

It was somewhere beyond the feeling that these pictures give combined.

 So, that is why I have chosen the path that I have. So, even though I work harder, longer, and get paid less than some other professions *Cough* Business majors *Cough*, I have the greatest fringe benefit in the world. The beauty of the natural world...  And that is why being a scientist rocks!

Igneous Rocks that is!

Come on, I waited until the end to make this joke, give me credit for that!

My First Date with The SSA (guest post)

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In the beginning, there was them and us, well, so I thought. They, the Secular Student Alliance (SSA) and us the Believers but now I have learned that we are all human. I was on my way for some serious prayer that probably consisted of “Please Lord, I need that ‘A’” or “Father, I need a new roommate, this one you sent just isn’t working out.” I was with other students from my university when I noticed a booth that reads “Secular Student Alliance” and noticed other brochures on the booth that read “Atheist.”  I couldn’t believe that the school had given them permission to reserve the booth, well; they are Atheist, why do they have that right, it’s scary! I quickly texted my Christian friend to come over so she can meet the unbelievers, the godless people, the Atheists, the Ones that don’t love Him and so we can question them together. We walked up to the booth to ask if they were really Atheist and a man greeted us with a smile, answered my question, “yes.” I was shocked, AN ATHEIST! I chatted for a short time, and then I told him that I had to go and pray for prayer request from my bible study group. Then his Atheist friends caught me before I left and said “Can you pray to God to get me a brand new red car?” That prayer request made me furious, I thought no, I will not ask God to give you a new car, you don’t believe in Him….what was he thinking? (The Atheist guy that asked me to pray for a new car is now my boyfriend).

When I showed up late to the prayer room I told my Pastor about the booth and the Atheists, he suggested we pray for the Atheists first, then for the prayer requests. After we were done praying I thought this prayer was wrong, if someone wants God, they have to open their heart to Him then we can pray for them. That was the last time I prayed for a non-believer, a godless, a Atheist, the Ones that don’t love Him. After that day, I found myself discussing with the SSA about God almost every day, especially with an active member. He was always questioning everything, asking me why I believe this verse when this verse contradicts it….well, I answered it the best way I could.

I was a born again Christian, a strong Believer, I was the Real Christian with one weakness, I did not believe in hell. Along with that weakness other questions lingered in my mind, why did God seem so violent, why is there so much violence in the bible? I then found myself asking the active member, why would God do this? How can he be so violent? I couldn’t ask my Christian friends, they were already worried that I was spending too much time with the Atheists.  As time passed, I questioned God and it seemed as He stopped communicating with me, or maybe I didn’t believe in Him anymore. Then again, I became angry with Him because He ignored me, and because he was violent, and a liar, and a cheater, and a deceiver, I’m not talking about Satan, I’m talking about God.

After a few meetings with the SSA, I understood their point of view; I began to questions for myself. Now, I know where I stand, I know who He really is, the main character from a book called The Holy Bible. I began to attend the meetings of the SSA without worrying that God is watching me. I then became friends with the members of the SSA and decided to add the SSA as my Facebook friend, and this all stemmed from the first day at the SSA booth.

So, over the next day, please consider donating money, or at least sharing our blog and hashtag  #SSAWeek. For more info please visit http://www.secularstudents.org/ssaweek or to donate Visit here. Thanks for your support, and see you soon!

This is post 22/24 by SSA@SCSU for the SSA blogathon in support of the Secular Student Alliance! Go donate to them!

Post by 

Myra Guillen

"Coming Out" as an Atheist, part one (Guest Post)

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I always thought "coming out" was something that, as a cisgender straight female, I would never have to go through. But my parents are liberal anyway, so it's not as if it would be a big deal. Being gay isn't, and shouldn't be a big deal...and neither should being an atheist. (In fact, if I could have it my way, being an athiest would be the norm.) But I was raised in a Christian household. Nothing too serious though- we were only slightly more serious than the so-called "Holiday Christians," the ones who really only practice on occasions like Easter and Christmas. I just went along with it all, I prayed sometimes, I was confirmed when I was 14. Not because I was truly faithful, doubtless and pure, but because it was a rite of passage. It was the official thing to do, and I did it.

I never questioned my beliefs until I was about 16. The Bible didn't really make sense to me anymore. I actually read more of it than what was preached in church - the gritty stuff, the hush-hush topics, the things that I realized I didn't agree with. One of the things that piqued my interest was the issue of homosexuality. I was okay with homosexual. I thought it was fine, that two consenting people, no matter the genders, should be able to marry. But I brushed it off, with the very cliché excuse that "well, God loves everyone so it must be okay." The Bible didn't say that, but that's what I told myself. I didn't want to go against the Bible.

I took a class in high school called The Bible as Literature - basically a class that analyzed the Bible as if it were any other book. We looked at literary merit, character development, all that fun stuff. And in that secular class, I realized something - I didn't agree with a lot of the Bible. God seemed like an asshole and a hypocrite.

And so I started questioning my faith.

So, over the next day, please consider donating money, or at least sharing our blog and hashtag  #SSAWeek. For more info please visit http://www.secularstudents.org/ssaweek or to donate Visit here. Thanks for your support, and see you soon!

This is post 21/24 by SSA@SCSU for the SSA blogathon in support of the Secular Student Alliance! Go donate to them!

Post by 

Kate Appleby (http://www.2011-and-beyond.blogspot.com/)

On Homeopathy

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So, one of my members posted this to our group wall.... 

"Of course homeopathy works. That's why we buried Bin Laden at sea... to cure terrorism." -Reddit user 'ImNotJesus'

He rocks. That being said, I have very few more words on homeopathy. Besides the fact that it has been consistently proven ineffective, as well as completely inconsistent with modern science, I have just one thing to say to homeopaths. I am going to state this clearly and simply, and feel free to comment as you wish. 

YOU ARE WRONG. HOMEOPATHY DOES NOTHING. 

THE FACT THAT YOU ARE USING HOMEOPATHY SADDENS ME. 

IF YOU USE HOMEOPATHY ON A CHILD YOU SHOULD BE CHARGED WITH ABUSE. 

IF YOU ARE A DOCTOR USING HOMEOPATHY YOU SHOULD BE CHARGED WITH MALPRACTICE AND NEVER BE ALLOWED TO PRACTICE AGAIN.

FEEL FREE TO DO AS YOU WISH, BUT KNOW THAT YOU ARE WRONG, AND HOMEOPATHY IS JUST AS LIKELY TO CURE YOU AS DRINKING WATER IS.

BECAUSE THAT IS ALL HOMEOPATHIC SOLUTIONS ARE. WATER!

For clairifaction, please visit http://www.1023.org.uk/ or even http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeopathy

Now that I have gotten that clear, lets all enjoy a bit of Tim Minchin!

This is my favorite work by Tim Minchin

So, over the next day, please consider donating money, or at least sharing our blog and hashtag  #SSAWeek. For more info please visit http://www.secularstudents.org/ssaweek or to donate Visit here. Thanks for your support, and see you soon!

This is post 19/24 by SSA@SCSU for the SSA blogathon in support of the Secular Student Alliance! Go donate to them!

Post by 

Me, Ben SweaterVest Blanchard.