Sup! :) Good to see you guys again!

Gimme a sec to get this stuff outta the way and we'll get to the links!

I trickle out Sunday School links throughout the week on Google+. No reason to wait to read all the fascinating stuff! There's a great community of people I share the links and interact with. And on Twitter is where we do our book giveaways! Say it with me: FURREEE-BUKSSS. :P If you connect with me at either place, let me know you found me through Sunday School, say hi!

This week on the Think Atheist Radio Show we have our interview with Dr. Sebastian Seung! Dr. Seung is a professor of computational neuroscience at MIT. A leading researcher in the emerging field of connectomics– the field of study that is attempting to map the connections in our brains– he has made important advances in artificial intelligence, neuroscience, neuroeconomics, and statistical physics. His recently published book, Connectome, does just what the subtitle says, explains how the brain's wiring makes us who we are. With implications for personality, identity, intelligence, memory, and even disorders such as autism and schizophrenia, this is a wide-ranging and fascinating book on a subject that would be right at home in a sci-fi movie but is in fact real! Don't miss this discussion!

And if you missed last week's interview, there's no need for tears! You can still check it out by streaming or downloading it from the archive or from our iTunes page! We had bioethicist and co-author of Wild Justice: The Moral Lives of Animals, Dr. Jessica Pierce join us to discuss the evidence of pro-morality– justice, fairness, altruism– in animals and what this evidence means for the study of human morality. Fascinating!

LINKS!

The tragic story of Christianity– How a pacifist religion was hijacked by rabid warmongering elites.

New survey data shows what we've suspected; most people say they accepted Christianity between the ages of 4 and 14.

After Penn Jillette dropped a pretty obviously misogynist rant Jen McCreight wondered in writing whether all women that don't amuse him are "fucking talentless cunts".

The right's stupidity spreads, enabled by a too-polite left.

"Global Warming has stopped"? How to fool people using cherry picked climate data

Raise someone's consciousness: African and Asian elephants are as different from each other as we are to chimpanzees.

Russian scientists have broken through and have made it into Antarctic Lake Vostok, isolated for 15 million years under thousands of feet of ice.

Sure, gay teens are killing themselves, but what about the poor Christian bigots?!

Followers of pseudosciences such as astrology often draw spurious parallels between their beliefs and established science.

Lawrence Krauss wrote to insist that the faithful must learn to respect those that question their beliefs. Jerry Coyne initially found accomodationism in Krauss's piece but after thinking about it some more changed his mind and apologized for his initial response.

California court rules Prop. 8 gay marriage ban unconstitutional. Backers of the measure may now appeal to the Supreme Court. Lots of people worrying that the conservative dominated court will surely turn over the judgement. Some legal experts are saying not so fast for a few reasons. But if the Supremes rule against Prop 8 they may not issue a sweeping ruling that will mean access to marriage for everyone immediately.

Why the energy industry is so committed to climate change denial

The data does not lie: moderate religion is NOT good for society

"[N]o particular level of knowledge is needed to assent to a religion, but an impossibly, unattainably high level of knowledge and expertise is needed to deny it. In the minds of many believers, the entrance to their religion is like a subway turnstile."

The development of our kidneys is powerful evidence for evolution.

Chimps can get inside each other's heads just like humans.

"The Amazing Atheist" was apparently a somewhat well known YouTube atheist. Now he's a really well known misogynist lunatic.

Check out this incredible video from the ISS of water droplets orbitting around a knitting needle. (It's hard to describe. Just trust me. Super cool!)

Study of brain genetics are starting to reveal what makes humans human.

A Christian group in the UK has been banned from running ads that claim "God can heal" because they're misleading.

Ethan Siegel put together this great intro to the big bang.

Nine treasures lost to science and why we want them back.

The last two weeks have seen a battle over mandatory access to contraception in health plans. The Religious Right has claimed that the White House is stomping all over religious freedom. Looks like the President won in the end though. Interestingly, it appears as if one of the most conservative justices currently on the court has already provided the arguments against the right's position. 

Ready for this?.......... Former Catholic bishop withdraws his apology for the priest sex abuse scandal.

The North American and Eurasian continents will merge at the North Pole in 50-200 million years.

Obama's winning hand on religion is to craft policies based on science as the best way to protect religious freedom.

What nonbelievers believe...

Why young people are fleeing conservative evangelicalism

Microscopic, sponge-like African fossils could be the earliest known animals, possibly our earliest evolutionary ancestors. 

Lots of ink spilled over a new paper showing that Himalayan glaciers aren't melting much at all but what does this mean for the climate change "debate"? Actually... nothing.

First Neanderthal cave paintings found in Spain.

What the latest LHC revelations say about the Higgs.

On the value of Bayesian arguments for God.

Milwaukee Catholic Archdiocese bankruptcy proceedings reveal 8,000 abuse allegations by 100 alleged offenders!