Placebo effects are typically discussed in the context of drug trials, where sham pills and potions are claimed to induce healing through the power of belief. I remain unconvinced that there is any real, meaningful, clinical effect that can be described as a ‘placebo effect’. The improvements observed in the placebo groups of clinical trials […]
Esports, or competitive video gaming, is not a new phenomenon – some of the earliest computer game competitions took place in Stanford in the early 70s, with students battling it out for a prize of a year’s subscription to Rolling Stone by playing Spacewar. Competitive gaming quickly scaled up to arcade game tournaments spanning locations
This is part of The Humanist’s monthly series highlighting openly nonreligious elected officials across the nation. Because of the work of the Center for Freethought Equality, the political and advocacy arm of the American Humanist Association, there are over 120 elected officials at the local, state, and federal level who identify with the atheist and
Representation Matters: Councilmember Randy Bruce The Humanist TheHumanist.com Read More »
The American Humanist Association (AHA) and Center for Freethought Equality (CFE) staff met with new and returning Members of Congress on the very first day of the 119th Congress session to begin establishing important relationships and putting a face to the powerful secular constituency. Although Congress continues to be more religious than the country as
New Year, New Secular Representation in Congress The Humanist TheHumanist.com Read More »
The drones. Remember the drones? Perhaps they are still in the news, but now they are buried way down the page; perhaps they are on your homepage slideshow but only because the algorithm remembers that you were interested in the subject. Maybe there is a story on BBC “The Ocho” about the subject; but as
For decades, the American Humanist Association has fought for and centered equality, dignity, and human rights for everybody—regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression—into our work. We recently signed a joint statement (below) alongside other humanist, atheist, freethought, and secular organizations to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to protecting and advancing the rights
The latest from Cagle Cartoons. Inspirational response to the Los Angeles fires by Jeff Koterba, patreon.com/jeffreykoterba The post The Comics Section: The Real Angels appeared first on TheHumanist.com. The latest from Cagle Cartoons. Inspirational response to the Los Angeles fires by Jeff Koterba, patreon.com/jeffreykoterba The post The Comics Section: The Real
The Comics Section: The Real Angels The Humanist TheHumanist.com Read More »
This article originally appeared in The Skeptic, Volume 5, Issue 1, from 1991. ‘That’s a fiddle. It’s sleight of hand’ was Paul Daniels‘ reaction when, in the early seventies, Granada television showed him their film about psychic surgery in the Philippines. Their response was to say that they had watched the surgeon. ‘But l watched
Recently, I facilitated a critical thinking workshop at the Bay Wreath Schools in Lagos. The theme was critical thinking and teacher development. As the theme stated, the workshop was on teaching, about teaching, and for teachers. It highlighted the pedagogical value of critical and reflective inquiry. The workshop exposed teachers to critical mental habits and
Until 1870, the Papal States were a conglomeration of territories on the Italian peninsula under the direct sovereign rule of the Pope. Since the Middle Ages, the Papal States had expanded and contracted, playing a significant role in Italian politics and serving as the temporal domain of the papacy. In 1870, the Papal States were
