NoBull.ws - Update 2005-10-23

A healthy dose of reality, with no superstition, and absolutely . . .

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On the Origin of Species

by Charles Darwin

I have Charles Darwin's seminal book, On the Origin of Species, in PDF format, compatible with virtually every kind of computer. Give me your first name and email address, and I'll send you a link to a FREE, downloadable copy. You may read it on your own computer screen, print it, or even let your computer read it to you aloud for your pleasure and education. It's a fascinating book.

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Table of Contents

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The items in this Table of Contents are divided into categories, but there is a lot of overlap in some cases. For this reason, a few articles may be listed in two or more areas.

No Bull Update 2005-10-23

This is the free online No Bull Update newsletter.

Contents of this Update

What's New on the No Bull Website?

No Bull is NOT mainly a site for intellectuals or professionals.

What's Coming on the Site?

What's New with the Update itself?

Tell me what you'd like to see on the No Bull website.

Behind the Scenes

General Information

What's New on the No Bull Website? . . . . . (Return to Top)

I've added several new articles and updated or modified some old ones since the last Update. Be sure to read How Old Is the Earth? And How Do We Know? Is our planet only six thousand years old, as the Bible seems to indicate? Or is it millions of years old? Perhaps billions? How can we tell? This article is a simple and brief overview with links to more information.
We now have an (incomplete) Dictionary of terms as used on this website, which I'll probably be working on for a long time. It may never be complete, but parts of it should be useful already.
I also got rid of the right-hand column of each page and placed the Table of Contents into a Javascript menu, so it doesn't take up so much space. If your browser has Javascript turned off, you'll be missing a lot more than just the Table of Contents. However, you'll still find links to the main pages at the bottom of every page, so you can browse the website.
You may not notice some of the other work I've done; because most of it was a redesign of the programming "behind the scenes" to make my own work faster, easier, and more accurate in the future. For those of you who are curious about such things, check "Behind the Scenes" below.

I hope you like the changes.

No Bull is NOT mainly a site for intellectuals or professionals. . . . . . (Return to Top)

They are certainly welcome here and are encouraged to contribute. No Bull is mainly for ordinary, reasonably literate people who simply want genuine scientific and other information in a simple and interesting form. People who don't accept whatever other people say "just because." People who need evidence to reason with before we can make up our minds. About a lot of things.

I want to provide some of this information, evidence, and ideas for us all to work with; and I want to do it as simply as possible. I don't particularly want to do it by myself, either. I'd love to have input from others that can help. Your "pay" will be the satisfaction you get from encouraging somebody to think rationally and providing the tools to do so.

What's Coming on the Site? . . . . . (Return to Top)

I still intend to redo The Scientific Method page and add at least another 50% to it. I also realize it's not written in a very interesting way, and it should be. It doesn't have to be dull. Discovery and learning should be exciting, and the scientific method is the best way humans have discovered to generate knowledge. It's powerful and wonderful, and the article needs to show that better.
Then I want to finish the Dictionary of terms used on the website, as well as the promised article on skepticism and the other articles on the Bible and the Qur'an. After that, I hope to be able to discuss scientific topics more.
I still want to explain briefly how biological evolution works -- first, in a simplified overview that everybody can understand. I've already begun, and it should be ready soon. We'll talk mostly about Darwin's theory of natural selection, which is the main driving force behind evolution. Then, very briefly, we'll mention sexual selection, genes and mutations, "jumping" genes, punctuated equilibrium, predation, parasitology, and other related ideas. Don't worry. It can be complicated, but we're going to keep it simple. And it's a lot more interesting than you think! It's absolutely fascinating!
Later, as I can, I'll post new articles discussing various facets of evolution in more detail. Eventually, I'd like to have a whole series ranging from incredibly simple to moderately simple, and explaining how the many facets of evolution work together. As usual, there'll be links to more information for those who want them.
As currently mentioned near the bottom of the Home Page, I plan to turn the home page into a "Semi-Blog." This experiment will permit me to publish thoughts, views on the news, and other short items far more often. I'll just add each new item to the top of the page with a date on it, and archive the whole page when it gets too long. We'll see how well this works and decide whether or not to continue the experiment.

What's New with the Update itself? . . . . . (Return to Top)

Each No Bull Update is now posted as a page on the No Bull Website. Soon after I post it, I'll email a short, plain text email to each subscriber with a link to the update. My purpose for doing it this way is to avoid the spam filters that nearly all of us now use.

Even it you don't personally use a spam filter, it is very possible that your email provider does. For example, it has become very difficult to get a moderate length newsletter in HTML format delivered to mailboxes at AOL, MSN, Hotmail, Yahoo, and many other providers. Short, carefully worded, plain text emails are delivered much more reliably.

I hope you'll all click the link on your email to read the online Update, and then take time to check out the website and see the new stuff for yourself. We'll keep doing it this way if it seems to work for most of you. Please let me know if it doesn't.

Tell me what you'd like to see on the No Bull website. . . . . . (Return to Top)

I want to write about science in many areas, but especially where it becomes controversial. I want to talk about reason, logic, and rationalism; about matters like cloning, abortion, stem cell research, and more. Everything will be dealt with in a skeptical and rational manner.

Let me be more specific about the "controversial" part. I will not generally argue or disagree with mainstream scientists. As I've said, I am not a professional scientist; and I would not presume to think I know science better than scientists do. My purpose will be to explain science clearly and simply and try -- when possible -- to provide a basis for settling the controversy.

An example of what I mean is biological evolution. The controversy is NOT between mainstream scientists; nearly all of them agree with the idea of evolution by natural selection and other means. The controversy is between scientists and non-scientists. In discussions of this type, I am always likely to side with the scientists who actually do the science. My recent article on the age of the earth is another example.

However, in certain areas of physics and other sciences, there truly is a significant amount of controversy among the scientists themselves. (Have you heard of brane theory, for example? Or microscopic black holes and W particles?) In cases like these, I may be able to do no more than try to simplify the controversies a little. I certainly will not be able to settle them.

Is there something specific you'd like to see on the site that I haven't mentioned? Or maybe something I'm already planning that you'd like to see sooner? I can't promise until I hear what you want, but I'll do the best I can.

I'd love to have your suggestions and criticisms. If you like what you see, it would be especially nice to hear that. Please use the link near the bottom of any page email me with your comments.

Behind the Scenes . . . . . (Return to Top)

Every web page on the site now consists of a main document and three "included documents." The header, including the logo and motto of the site at the top of each page, is the first included document. The entire left column of each page is the second, and the copyright area at the bottom is the third.

An included document is a page of information that is inserted into your browser at the proper place when it selects a page. In effect, you're getting four separate documents formatted together as one.

This means every time I make a change in the semi-permanent areas of the pages, I only have to make it once. Your computer automatically plugs it into every page you select. It saves me a lot of time and helps prevent mistakes.

General Information . . . . . (Return to Top)

The purpose of this newsletter is to provide information to people who have asked to receive it.

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This page was last updated 08/21/09 04:43 PM.

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