Carl Sagan's Cosmos

Carl Sagan's Cosmos was the first TV program that enthralled me, and filled me with curiosity about the world around us. Here's a short animated clip on evolution:

I remember seeing this in 7th grade or so on the national TV broadcast on a Sunday. The world has made a lot more sense since then. We miss you, Carl!

Defining me

Of late, I have been contemplating the word "atheist", a label that I had slapped on myself to define and encapsulate my convictions. While "atheism" does define one aspect, I don't think it is adequate. Most people seem to think that an atheist is a person who BELIEVES that there is NO god. I don't take this stance, as you can't prove a negative. Thus, I define an atheist as a person who sees NO REASON to believe in god. Just the way I feel that there is no empirical evidence to believe in ETs and UFOs. Maybe "non-theist" is a better definition of such a position.

While atheist/non-theist answers the question of belief in god, it does not describe me fully. Just as "Catholic" clarifies more than a broad term like "Christian", "atheist" relates to only 1 aspect. The other aspects that are:

• I value knowledge and its pursuit
• Universal brotherhood of mankind
  
• A secular, earthly basis for morality

I think these values fit more under the definition of "Humanism". "Atheism" fits under the umbrella of Humanism.

The Evil Genes

Ever wondered why certain characteristics seemed to get inherited over generations? A daughter who is as hot-tempered as her mom, while the son inherits his dad's contrarian bent of mind....

In "Evil Genes: Why Rome Fell, Hitler Rose, Enron Failed, and My Sister Stole My Mother's Boyfriend", Barbary Oakley suggests that certain genes or combination of genes could be responsible for the malevolent character traits in people. She also points out that genes by themselves are not the only prerequisite for the development of the villains around us. The environment that a person develops in, interacting with these "evil" genes is what drives to people to sinister, Machiavellian personalities. In a study reported by the New Scientist in August 2006, Ralph Greenspan and Herman Dierick of The Neurosciences Institute in San Diego, California, have identified a single gene that turns fruit flies more agressive.

Makes me wonder what other character traits can be associated with gene combinations. Will we, someday in the future, be able to detect these personality disorders the we detect Down Syndrome today?