Indian Skeptic 2011 April

7/31/2019 Indian Skeptic 2011 April

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INDIANSKEPTIC

Baba Ramdev: Yogi or Commissar?

The Bhagwan of Puttaparthi Astrology to Improve Productivity!

Book Review:

Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast


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INDIAN

SKEPTICNo. 02/04 April 2011

Indian Skeptic

Indian Skeptic

Indian Skeptic

It shall be the duty

of every citizen ofIndia -

to develop thescientific temper,

humanism and thespirit of inquiry and

reform

(Article 51A (h) Part IVA -

Fundemental Duties,

Constitution of India)


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INDIAN

SKEPTICNo.02/04 April 2011

Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast


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BS


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ATHEIST EVE

Atheist EveAtheist Eve

Atheist Eve Indian Skeptic

Nitpicky Negative Things


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BS

Aijaz Ahmed

On Communalism and Globalization Offensives of the Far Right (2004)


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Bangalore Skeptic

Dr K GopalakrishnanChairman

Institution of Engineers,Bangalore Chapter

In the good olden days of 1950s of lessopportunities and more poverty, I was

fortunate to have chosen sciencesubjects and studied AMIE and thusachieved the expected goal of my life.

Amongst all others, I still cherish thisqualification as my most valuable. Thecurriculum helped to tide over many acareer hurdles in areas as productivity /

Project management. But today, when Ifind few in the Karnataka Chapter try topropagate the unproven concepts ofambiguous of astrology (which is termedelsewhere as pseudo science, sham orbogus), a discipline of entirely differentbreed, and try to propagate it throughthe Institution platform, I feel utterlydismayed. We have always seen that inits self professed field of fore telling and

warning, it has NEVER been successful.Only traits we see of this discipline isvagueness and ambiguity.


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Such encouragement of unscientifictemper on the members is against theexpectation of IEI charter. At this rate,tomorrow a robed monk or Moulvi canteach on Project design andconstruction using prayer and hunch as

tools. If technocrats have no confidencethat even in this simple field and theyneed unscientific help, then the Nationwill get ruined.

In the interest of all of us, I requestChairman IE (I) chapter to cancel

forthwith the lecture programFundamentals of astrology to improve

productivity scheduled on 13th April

2011 at 17 30 hours.

P L RaoME F 012232 / 3Bangalore13-04-2011

After ascertaining that this E Mail hadreached Addressee by 400 PM, Ireported at the Meeting venue to see theresponse. From Rationalists Association,

Mr Ballal reported. It turned out that theProgram convener is one Mr

Balveeersena, my earlier acquaintance,

who apologetically told that as all hadarrived, it can not be canceled now andagain that Chairman will not attend, asbusy otherwise. I distributed copies ofthis email to all those present, includingthe Speaker and individually briefed

each my grievance, before Lecturestarted.

After lecture started, I moved out andmet the Chairman in the Hall. Whenexplained, he expressed full agreementwith my view, that he himself is a

follower of EVR from South TN. Thisprogramme had got fixed up at lowerlevel without serious application of

mind. Then Mr. Sena also joined us andin presence of CM explained that as theissue of the day is past, hereafter theywill be careful and that I may not pursuethis issue further.

Mr. Gopal kriashna proposed that wemay put forth our views in the same

platform as another lecture. But as I findlittle audience, I was not encouraged toagree to this.

Albert Einstein

Quoted by Richard Dawkins

(The God Delusion 2006)

BS


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BS

Victor Hugo

Quoted by Richard Dawkins

(The God Delusion 2006)


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'Six Impossible Things BeforeBreakfast'

The Evolutionary Origins of Belief

Through the Looking Glass


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'Wolperts book is a

powerful argument for the superiority of science over other

belief systems. The great advantage of science is that its

theories are checked against observable reality, and are

dropped or changed if they dont fit. When religions change,

they tend to do so under pressure from science ... .... Of

course, scientists are often as stubborn in their beliefs as

anyone else, but eventually false beliefs must give way.'


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Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast- The Evolutionary Origin of Belief

Lewis WolpertFaber and Faber Limited (2006)pp 243

Prabhakar Nanawaty

Thought & Action

Email: [email protected]

BS

Carl Sagan

The Demon-Haunted World (1996)


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The Fine Art of Baloney Detection

The Demonhaunted World:Science as a Candle in the Dark


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Indian Skeptic 2011 April

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