The Left Hemisphere - Disbelieving anything you are simply told is true and not believing something you wish to be true are at the heart of scepticism. If there is no logical solidity to a purported fact or there is no evidence for the truth behind it, or indeed there is evidence that said fact is in fact not true, then you might say you have every right to be sceptical. And, if you are, then this site provides a useful gateway to resources on such things as determining the logical consistency of an argument. Although the site states it was last updated in July 1996, logic is as valid today as it was then! Trust me, it's the truth. (23 July 2001) DB
http://home.xnet.com/~blatura/left_hem.shtml
Philosophy, Science and Skepticism - Whether you see the content of this site as philosophy, science, and skepticism as it is named, or as disbelief, faithlessness, and cynicism is completely up to you. The site's position is that for those that wish to follow fact rather than fiction Atheism is the only logical path. One needs not agree with the premise to note that the site's articles review important scientific controversies in a logical and interesting way - from the paranormal to disputes about the risks and benefits of tofu. Tour the Skpiticisuem, a Skeptical Museum of the Paranormal featuring artifacts associated with supernatural, paranormal, and pseudoscientific beliefs from around the world. Information about the Committee for Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal is also here. If you are a creationist or simply believe in God, visit the site to find the most compelling arguments against your beliefs. If you are an atheist, visit to hear your beliefs supported in a rational and scientifically sound way. (2 June 2001) SS
http://www2.uic.edu/~vuletic/
Jesuits and the Sciences: 1540-1995 - From its beginnings, the Jesuit Order focused on scientific studies as a spiritually rewarding pursuit. The early Jesuits were engaged in a battle against believers in alchemy, magic, demons, and astrology; soon they found themselves pulled toward an admiration for Galileo and his science, yet rejecting Copernican theories based on Jesuit doctrines. This site chronicles the evolution of Jesuit thinking from their earliest writings, which influenced no less than Descartes, to modern day contributions. There are reproductions of the documents throughout the site, including a page from Pestis, in which Athanasius Kircher (1602-1680), after viewing blood and urine from a victim under a primitive microscope, guesses that a living organism might be the cause of the plague. A most excellent site, although it loads at a stately pace, even on a fast connection. (25 May 2001) AD
http://www.luc.edu/libraries/science/jesuits/...
Nordic Journal of Philosophical Logic - Philosophical logic is an area of thought that is closely related to mathematics and statistics. A prime example is the study of game theory, which uses math and philosophy to solve classic problems like how to win tic-tac-toe, or rather, why it may be impossible to make a winning strategy. The Nordic Journal of Philosophical Logic is published by the Department of Philosophy, University of Oslo. Key articles from each issue are published on their web site. Although the final issue was published as PDF only, previous articles were published as HTML with optional formats available for printing professional copies. The site is easy to navigate, but the search function did not work when we tried it. (3 May 2001) TG
http://www.hf.uio.no/filosofi/njpl/
Your Genes, Your Choices - This site provides the text of 'Your Genes, Your Choices', a book written as part of the Science & Literacy for Health project of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. It describes the human genome project and addresses the ethical, legal, and social issues raised by it. Each chapter focuses on an individual case such as, 'Priya Should Find Out if She Has Inherited a Fatal Disease (or should she?)', 'Dr. Lu's Patients Have the Right to Be Tall (or do they?)' which personalizes the subject and involves the reader by asking 'What would you do?'. This approach makes more accessible such issues as DNA typing, germ-line therapy, biotech applications and genetic testing, while also explaining the nuts and bolts of the science behind them (this is a crash course in genetics in its own right). There is also a bibliography and links to related publications and organizations, and a glossary of key terms (including 'genetic counselling', a service from the medical profession we'll undoubtedly be hearing more about soon). (4 April 2001) DD
http://ehrweb.aaas.org/ehr/books/index.html
Ethics In Computing - If you thought ethics in computing was restricted to the question of whether it was more morally correct to throw a custard pie at Bill Gates rather than an egg, think again. These days how can free speech be discussed without mentioning the internet? On the flip side of that, what price do we pay for the losses and gains to our privacy that new technology offers? Is it socially just that whole communities are deprived of internet access? Could e-commerce taxation become taxation without representation? Can hacking or software copying ever be justified? Not to mention the blue skies problem of the rights of artificially intelligent beings. All these questions and more are posed, if not answered, in a series of readable and informed articles and essays. Highly practical, rather than philosophical, approaches are taken - but this completely reflects computing's utilitarian nature. Data for thought. (21 March 2001) ARB
http://www.eos.ncsu.edu/eos/info/computer_ethics/
