Friday, February 15, 2008

The Skeptic risk

For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance; he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries. (Robert Jastrow)

Consider however that apart from these band of theologians are countless more scattered across mountain ranges of blind faiths. It would be a lovelier sight to pull the final rock and see my idols in the end with smiles - "I told you so" rather than be torn from dogma to dogma.

Two nights ago, I was reading through Q 71 of the Summa, and found out several peculiar things:

1. Creation is not against Evolution. Well, I know this already but, it is good to note that Augustine mentioned that God created the "power" to be, and not merely the actual things themselves. Hence, he finds no reason to doubt that God may have created things imperfectly and gave them the power to be perfect:

Augustine differs from other writers in his opinion about the production of fishes and birds, as he differs about the production of plants. For while others say that fishes and birds were produced on the fifth day actually, he holds that the nature of the waters produced them on that day potentially. (Summa, I, 71, 1)

2. Aquinas used the science of his day to reason for the things of Philosophy. It is a wonder why the philosophers of today still use the Aristotelian concepts that are not based on the science of today. For example, instead of taking the existence of fundamental particles as an axiomatic princiiple in the composition of things, they ignore them completely and remain fixated with the Aritotelian notions of matter and form.

3. Genesis said that "Let the waters bring forth creeping creature....etc." Q71 of the Prima Pars of Summa Theologiae answered objections regarding the production of fish and birds for example from the waters. Aquinas reasoned, using the science of his day, in order to find sense in the words of Genesis. Now, eight centuries after, we can truly say that life indeed came from the sea as Genesis says. If we follow evolution theory, life indeed came from its elementary forms from the waters. And yes, the theologians sit there on top of the mountains smiling again.

Friday, June 22, 2007

Pregnancy risks

Pregnancy risky for women born with heart defects (Reuters)

Reuters - Women with congenital heart disease who become pregnant face a heightened risk that their infant may be premature or not survive long, according to a report from the Netherlands.

Decline in breastfeeding linked to child deaths in Asia

Decline in breastfeeding linked to child deaths in Asia: UNICEF (AFP)

World Health Organisation (WHO) regional director Shigeru Omi speaks at a press conference at the WHO headquarters in Manila. A UNICEF expert told a regional conference that about 160,000 infants die each year in the Asia-Pacific region due to a decline in breastfeeding.(AFP/Romeo Gacad)AFP - About 160,000 infants die each year in the Asia-Pacific region due to a decline in breastfeeding, a UNICEF expert told a regional conference on Wednesday.


First-born are slightly smarter than younger siblings

To the First-Born Go the Smarts (HealthDay)

HealthDay - THURSDAY, June 21 (HealthDay News) -- First-born children possess IQs that are 2.3 points higher, on average, than their younger siblings, anew study contends.

Move the train with your brain

Hitachi: Move the train with your brain (AP)

Hitachi, Ltd. researcher Akiko Obata takes off a head gear following a demonstration of a new technology that reads brain activity and lets you control everyday objects without lifting a finger at Hitachi's research lab in Hatoyama, near Tokyo, Wednesday, June 20, 2007.  The 'brain-machine interface,' developed by Hitachi, analyzes slight changes in the brain's blood flow to detect brain motion and translate it into electric signals. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)AP - Forget the clicker: A new technology in Japan could let you control electronic devices without lifting a finger simply by reading brain activity.


Tuesday, June 19, 2007

US circumcision rate drops

U.S. circumcision rate drops (AP)

Ruth Katz, 38,  is photographed with her sons Julian Rapaport, 2, left, and 3-month-old Emanuel Rapaport at her house in San Francisco, Friday, June 15, 2007.  Ruth Katz, 38, of San Francisco had both her sons circumcised at brises. She and her husband, Michael Rapaport, were astonished when the teacher in their birthing class described circumcision as 'immoral' and 'not consensual.' 'The edict to have your son circumcised was the first covenant with God, the first challenge to being Jewish,' said Katz, pursuing a master's degree in business administration. 'I am a progressive person and think a lot about human rights issues, but I have never questioned this.' (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)AP - On the eighth day of her son's life, Julia Query welcomed friends and family to celebrate his birth and honor their Jewish heritage.


Stroke drug may also help with frostbite

Stroke drug may also help with frostbite (AP)

Doctors Amalia Cochran, left, and Stephen Morris, who were part of a research team, pose with images from a frostbite case in the burn unit at University Hospital on Friday, June 15, 2007, in Salt Lake City. Frostbite victims who are in danger of losing fingers, toes or even limbs may have new hope. An anti-clotting drug seems to restore blood flow to frostbitten digits and limbs, greatly reducing the need for amputation, according to a new study by doctors at the University of Utah.  The laptop photos show frostbitten fingers, right, and the result of the new therapy, left, that saved the fingers. (AP Photo/Douglas C. Pizac)AP - An anti-clotting drug used to treat strokes and heart attacks can also restore blood flow to frostbitten fingers and limbs, greatly reducing the need for amputation, according to a new study.