ask
Hey guys! This is the place where you can ask me questions and/or start interesting discussions. Join me!
Update: I am currently working on getting comments to thread, so hopefully this page will be easier to navigate in the future.
Hello Cara,
Just recently have become acquainted with you, and your very important message for all of us, and for young people especially. I admire you and what you stand for very much, and also share your passion for science .
Having said that, I admit to being surprised that someone of your intellect , and who appears to want to be a positive role model, has been photographed smoking. As a health care professional, I am of course concerned that this is sending a message to some impressionable young people that smoking is what intelligent and ” cool ” people do. Is that the message that you intend to convey ?
Kind regards,
Nicole
Nicole, I have to say that I really appreciate this message. I screen messages on my website (yes, it is self-run), and although it would probably not be in my best interest to do so, I think this is an important point on which to dialogue. Yes, I am a smoker. Yes, this is an addiction that I have struggled with most of my life. Even in the years that I have managed to quit, I still considered myself a smoker–albeit a recovering one–because the urge never completely leaves.
Of course I do not intend to convey to impressionable young people that smoking is something that intelligent or “cool” people should do. I would not recommend to anyone that they pick up the habit! But we must remember than life circumstances aren’t always cut and dry, and each person’s journey includes different and personal obstacles. I hope you, and all the wonderful supporters I’ve somehow managed to gain over the past year, can be patient with me and understand that part of being a role model is being honest with yourself and others (including recognizing one’s faults). Remember, I am not an actor. When you’ve seen me in the public eye, you’ve seen me, not a character, flaws and all…
Religions are typified by: 1) Creation Myth; 2) Dogma; 3) Deity.
The differences between knowledge and belief are stark and constantly confused.
Knowledge can be falsified as you mentioned while belief cannot be falsified. Knowledge is gained by observation, experiment, independent verification. Beliefs fulfill human needs. Very different.
Thanks for your well written discussion. I am glad you’re with Bill. Can you please teach him that children deserve special protection under the law and that factually-developmentally children aren’t small adults? Also perhaps you can advance his thinking about animals and humans. A good rule is to care for other species exactly as they care for us. Our “intelligence” doesn’t give us special dispensation at all. Since many other species are more hardy, longer lasting and will survive humans, perhaps our attention and resources should be rightfully skewed towards human affairs, human rights and welfare. Hopefully your scientific mind can be a great influence on the lovely, charming and important Mr. Maher. Please hug him for all of us non-believers who have little voice despite great wealth and growing numbers.
Warmest regards,
Marshall Huntenburg
Niagara Falls, NY
“A decaying man surrounding a perfect 55 yr. old penis.”
Thanks for your support, Marshall!
Hi Cara,
This is TaoistSoul from Twitter. Thank you again for following me on there. I majored in Philosophy in college and have been a avid student of it my entire life. It is, after all, not something that can be learned in 4 years, or even a lifetime. There are so many questions I’d love to ask you. As I think I mentioned on Twitter, I first saw you on the Larry King show and, while admittedly was struck by your remarkable combination of brains and beauty, was fascinated by some of the things you said on there. I also love the video you have here on your website. So, I hope you’ll allow me two questions to start. First, based on something you said in your video, do you have any belief at all in ‘ghosts’? As, what I would like to think, a rational person of intellect, my inclination would be to not believe. However, I spent my 4 years of high school in a tiny village in the Swiss Alps and the main building, which housed our dorms, was in one of the most documented ‘haunted’ buildings in the world. During my years there, I saw things that have no rational and certainly no scientific explanation. Secondly, what would you recommend for reading about current studies in epistemology? I’ve read everything from Castaneda to Ken Wilbur to Julian Jaynes, but, being away from academia, haven’t been able to keep up with what’s currently being written in this field. So I would greatly appreciate any recommendations you might have!
Thanks for taking the time to read this, as I’m sure you’re very busy. I’d also like to say that I am a freelance web developer, so if there is every any assistance I can provide in terms of your website or any other online project, please don’t hesitate to ask. I’d be honored to help!
Take care!
Greg
Thanks so much, Greg! I must admit, you are right on the money. I DO NOT believe in ghosts! When it comes to supernatural claims, I like to say that by definition, being supernatural, they are outside of the realm of science. Science is the study of the natural world. If something is claimed to exist outside of or beyond nature in some way, it cannot be measured by natural means, therefore it is a faith-based judgment only if someone chooses to believe. I am a proud skeptic, and I have a very difficult time maintaining faith in phenomena that cannot be measured by science and/or will have no potential for scientific inquiry in the future!
Cara,
Who is the tattooist that you use, or do you have more than one. interesting tattoo’s you have would like to see them all.
Kelly, I have two artists. Jay works at Aces tattoo studio in Denton, TX and in Los Angeles, I recommend Kim Saigh at Memoir Tattoo
Hello Cara,
As always, I thoroughly enjoy listening to your insights, and watching your appearances on television. If I may, I find your intelligence and beauty to be quite remarkable, and as always, since I discovered you on Fox News, several months ago, you have given me much food for thought. Clearly, you are light-years beyond most people. That being said, I still find myself unable to completely shake this whole “God” thing.
For the record, I am not a religious person at all, and do not pretend to have any answers. Over the years, I have concluded that it is virtually impossible to prove the existence of a “supreme being”, and yet, I have yet to see anyone successfully disprove the existence of one either.
For example, the evidence which I have seen that supports the Big Bang theory, but oddly enough, also seems to support the idea of a “God” as well, not in a religious sense, but as a sort of creative force that is logical, ordered, and has spawned our universe, at a very specific point in time. Let me ask you because I am not entirely sure myself, but in a laboratory has anyone ever been able to create something out of nothing?
The way I see it, in our society, God, and religion have become interchangeable terms, with which there is no distinction. Last year, I saw a truly outstanding film called Religulous. Not only was it incredibly funny, but it also made a brilliant case for the absurdity of all the religions. However, respectfully, at no time, did it ever disprove the existence of “God.” It merely shed light on the ridiculous ways in which we choose to worship, and interpret that which is so completely beyond our scopes.
Don’t get me wrong, I find the holes, and the lack of logic behind religion to be nothing short of mind numbing. However, can you honestly point to situation of any real significance that can be completely explained by science either, that can be proven wholly, and entirely, not just in theory? In a lot of ways it’s as if the more we learn from science, the more questions ultimately arise. Frankly, I think that it’s always going to be this way.
Trust me, I’m not trying to make the case that science and purely logical thinking doesn’t have its merits. It certainly does, and will continue to. As you know it is the Latin word for knowledge, and is one of our most effective intellectual tools, but it seems to me that it only able to explain what is probable, or possible, but not what is, or must be.
Personally, I don’t understand why, that when it comes to science, and religion, it has to be all or nothing? No doubt, there is a tremendous amount of crap out there, but whether we are talking about science, religion, philosophy, astrology, or whatever, surely there must be some kernel of truth in all these schools. I understand that: dogma, tradition, misinformation, and conditioning are all partly to blame for why people still believe in all of these practices. However, eventually the logic behind all of them seems to break down. So, if there weren’t some part of the truth in them, then how would they be able to retain so many of their devout followers?
Why is it wrong to say that if one is right, then the others must be entirely wrong? Why can’t they all be partially right, and just partially wrong, all at the same time?
Einstein supposedly proved that all matter is energy, which I do believe. But where did all the energy come from initially? Or what about our cells? They appear to be way too complex to have merely evolved randomly? I mean, how else can you explain how these systems became so amazingly complex and intricate?
I know. I know, evolution, but in the Origin of Species, Darwin makes an excellent case for the adaptation of species, but never proves, unequivocally the transition from one species into to another. Those who try to explain the gaps in the fossil record generally aren’t able to make a strong enough case to clarify, what I would consider, often-significant differences in physiology.
Okay, I realize that this has become somewhat of a… dissertation. Therefore, I apologize. In conclusion, all I can say is that despite the fact that I cannot prove the existence of “God”, having faith has provided me with an incredible amount of strength during challenging times. I feel like it gives my life a deeper meaning, and it also fulfills me in a way that being a devout skeptic never did.
Maybe I have what you would consider to be a severe neurosis, but what life has taught me is that we may accomplish anything we want to in this lifetime, but if it is not for a “higher purpose” then ultimately it will not satisfy, and we will forever be doomed to search for creative ways to fill that void. Hopefully, you are not offended by anything that I have stated. Personally, I find life’s deeper mysteries to be nothing short of fascinating!
Warmest Regards,
Daniel Roberts
PS: You’re still the shiz!!! I wish you the best!!! And by all means feel free to respond to someone far less bright.
Daniel, thank you so much for the kind words and thought provoking questions! This is the kind of philosophical meat that I live for. But it will also require a lot of writing, and at the moment, its very late! Let me start by directing you to look into the Miller-Urey experiment, which was performed in the 1950s. Here, the authors attempted to recreate the primordial soup (conditions that existed in the seas before the onset of life). By applying a laboratory “lightning” source to a mixture of inorganic compounds that were thought to exist on early Earth, they were able to successfully induce the spontaneous formation of amino acids, organic compounds that are seen as the building blocks of life. Check it out. It’s mind-blowing.
Cara,
My name is Tony Kelly. I sent you a message asking you a couple of questions on facebook. I don’t know if you would respond to the type of questions I asked you on facebook, so I investigated a little deeper and when I saw your web-site, I thought maybe I’d have a better shot here.
I study and research the effects of childhood trauma, abuse and neglect on both children and adults. There is a neurological link between all forms of childhood trauma and neglect and psychologically diagnosed adult disorders such as PTSD, manic depression, bi-polar, schizophrenia, etc… that most people don’t seem to understand or give any credence to and I thought you might be able to help me.
Former Scottish psychotherapist RD Laing once said, “we are all in a post-hypnotic trance induced in early infancy.” I have come to know what that means as far as childhood trauma and the onset of adult disorders are concerned, but I need to know what this means neurologically speaking.
I just need some very basic information. Are there any authors/books that would assist me in learning about our neurological development in childhood? That would be most helpful to me. Also, are our neuropathways set by about age 7? I’ve been doing a lot of research on the development our our brains in infancy and I seem to remember some information telling me that by age 3 our brains are solid and a large amount of our pathways are set, then at roughly age 7 our pathways are almost all set. At roughly age 16 our brains are basically fully formed and by age 26 they are fully formed? I’m sure it’s more detailed than that. I’m just looking to get started first with some basic information about our neurological development.
I know there is a doctor named Alan Schorr who wrote extensively on the subject, but his work was a little too much for me at this point. You have to have a lot of prior neurological information and understanding to read his stuff. Are there any books/authors that write about this subject in “layman’s” terms?
Thanks for your time. If you get a chance to write me, I would really appreciate it. Take care.
Best,
Tony Kelly
Hi Tony! Thanks so much for reaching out to me here, and I’m so sorry for the delayed response. I can recommend a very good textbook to you. Parts of it may be a bit dense, but for the most part it is a reasonably easy read. It’s called Development of the Nervous System by Sanes et al. It mostly describes animal models, but there is a lot of information that can be applied to humans as well. I would also look into pediatric neuropsychology. This field probably has the most to offer.
Here’s a question that overlaps with science and religion: As math suggests that parallel universes may exist, does that also suggest that reincarnation may also occur?
I’m pretty sure that the theories you are referring to are those which suggest parallel universes at the atomic level, or am I misinformed? I’m not sure that these would apply to whole beings.
Hi Cara..
Thank you for telling young girls that it’s okay to be smart! I can’t tell you how that held me back in my life when I was younger. I became a Nurse because I was not good at math. Now at 51 I am getting my degree in Environmental Science and am a natural science communicator.
Have you read the book “The Age of Ameican Unreason” by Susan Jacoby? I think you would really like it. I checked it out from the library as an audio book. The premise of the book is about how America has become anti-intellectual over the last couple decades. She discusses evolution and what the average American thinks the word “theory” means. The book is loaded with great stuff.
Keep walking your talk. You will be an inspiration to many!
Gail
Thank you so much for your support, Gail! And thank you for the book recommendation. I will definitely add it to my list!
The world needs more science communicators and science advocates, so good luck! Please also get Bill Maher to rethink his ideas about “wellness” and “western” (ie. scientific) medicine. The guy needs to understand that scientific medicine WORKS and at the moment his TV show is promoting some crappy pseudoscientific ideas- you should go on it and gently put him straight.
Thanks so much, Luke! I can only speak for myself, and I can promise you that I promote skepticism and fight against non-science, junk science, and pseudoscience as often as possible. Keep up the good fight!
Hi cara I’m a Spanish student in your mothers class Mrs. Salmons class I just wanted to wish you the best in your future and I think you are a very smart girl and also a role model
Thanks so much, Melevan! Good luck to you and please tell my mom hello
Cara, did you see my facebook message to you, I am not sure it was sent to you, I don’t want to repeat what I said if it was sent to you. If you read it you might hate me, we live in opposite realities. I am going to destroy your reality, the reality of science.
Bring it.
Hi Cara,
Can you explain the power of Beauty and why it has such an intoxicating affect on mankind.
Warm Regards,
Greg
Anyone else want to help me out with this one?
CARA. PLEASE GET IN TOUCH FOR AN INTERVIEW REQUEST. THANKS. MAURICIO. (COSTA RICAN JOURNALIST).
Mauricio, please contact my publicist. Her information can be found on the “book” page of my site. Thanks!
Cara,
Enjoyed listening to you on Star Talk Radio.
And now, “Intelligent Design: The Music Video!”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aqBuY-5NFk
Cheers,
Barry Mitchell
http://www.barryfunny.com
Cheers! That was great!
Hi Cara,
Great show this past Sunday with Dr Tyson on StarTalk radio. I have a question about brain damage and young children.
When I was too young to remember, according to my older siblings, a hammer fell on my head. I’ve got two scars on my forehead, and I can feel where the hammer must have partially entered my skull.
I have absoulutely no memory of the accident(?)
Could that have possibly resulted in brain damage? If so, what would the indicators be, and if brain damage did occur, is there a way to correct/repair/compensate for it?
Looking forward to your insight on this.
Thanks
Yawa, I am not a physician, and it would be highly unscrupulous of me to attempt any diagnosis of your brain based on your description. But, I would recommend you see a clinical neuropsychologist for a battery of exams. Such an individual may be able to point to areas of weakness or strength in your overall neuropsychological profile. A neurologist (medical doctor) would be able to take images of your brain, but if you don’t have any pressing symptoms, the former exam may be able to help you identify more subtle changes in functioning. Of course, there is really no way to know for sure if you have brain/behavior changes caused by your accident, unless you received exams prior to it (for comparison purposes). Hope that helped!
Cara,
just discovered you on Star Talk Radio, I love it when I find scientists that are “approachable” in the public perspective (it’s why I love listening to Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson.)
I’m the proud father of a young daughter, she’s only 5 at the moment though. I am concerned about the direction this country is taking in terms of math and science, and girls in particular are pressured young to not take these subjects seriously. I firmly believe that parents are the first and best influence on kids, and I’m glad that both my wife and I are technical in our careers (I work for a Silicon Valley high tech company, my wife is an airline pilot.) However my question is what else do you think would be helpful as my daughter grows up in getting her excited in math and science. Did you have any moments in your youth that steered you towards where you are today?
Thank you for your work towards outreach!
I think that the single most important thing my parents did to steer me in this direction was offer me the opportunity to explore my interests in a personal way. I never felt forced in academia. Instead, my parents opted to test me into a gifted and talented program that allowed me to study math, science, and humanities in a non-traditional setting, building my critical thinking and creative skills. Through this program, I often competed in special programs like Odyssey of the Mind, Future Problem Solvers of America, and Math Olympiads. These opportunities gave me the “I’m capable” attitude that I think a lot of young girls may be lacking when they finally make their way to college. Also, I was able to explore my musical side, which I think is essential.
What an interesting hypothesis! I would definitely like to hear more about it! Now that we are Facebook buds, you should be able to send me a message there
Cara,
I just wanted to let you know that you have been a wonderful role model in my life. When I heard about you and googled you, I felt I had so much in common- from the strong interest in neurobiology, to musical talent, and to even having red glasses and tattoos.
Anyways, I’m studying biology now as an undergrad (3rd year), and I was wondering if you have any inspirational words/advice to give to help get through these few years?
Thanks,
-Danielle
Dear Cara,
What are your thoughts on the recent movie Inception? How real do you think it is? Do you think that shared dreaming is even remotely possible? What might be some ways that we can share consciousness? What are the benefits of shared dreaming?
In the movie, DiCaprio was saying how our conscious minds only use a fraction of the brain’s power and that because the unconscious mind is much more active, it has the ability to create things quickly and continuously in dreams.
I often hear this about the conscious mind not being used to its fullest extent. I have found that sometimes when I go to sleep and I am partially awake, I can feel my thoughts racing through my head and thinking at a much faster rate than it would if I were fully awake. This usually happens when I am taking a quick nap right after taking a break from working on a problem set. Are there ways to tap into this unused portion of brain power? Should we seek to tap into it?
Peter
P.S. The picture of you getting your tattoo with the book on relativity is really awesome
Hi Cara!
So i’m in the middle of a big dilemma and I think you could give some help…
I want to be a Neuroscientist. I’m certain of it, I love everything that has to do with the brain…. Yet I’m very confused of what can I do to make this happen. I’m from South America, and in my country there is virtually no way to pursuit this as a career. Maybe though medicine, but I’m not a fan of the whole thing.
Here, Neuroscience is barely a subject at the third year of med school.
So I started to investigate about the possibility of studying at the United States…. And it’s all the way around…. There are just too many options…. It can be a major, minor, postgraduate degree, a minor….. I guess you know it… Then, I have no idea which is the right choice, and that will lead me to the most competent learning. Which one do you think is the right one?
Right nom I’m a high school senior, and already enrolled for electronical (not electrical) engineering at a local university. I’m a big fan of electronics and robotics, and because neuroscience is multidisciplinary i could mix both. But I don’t know which one should come first…. And I still feel very uncertain about my future….
So anyways, if you could give me some advice it would be awesome! And also, how did you know you wanted to become a neuroscientist? Was it planned or not? How is your career path been like?
THANK YOU!
P.S: sorry about my English
Cara
Had an interesting discussion with my students the other day and wouldn’t mind getting your take (by the way, I teach chemistry I, II, and AP in Alabama — teaching science in the south is a lot like a mission from god…pun intended). Anyway, I was reviewing the 3 laws of thermodynamics (you can’t win, you can’t break even, you can’t get out of the game) when I had a prominent religious student exclaim (and by that I mean at 16, he’s already decided to become a preacher) that evolution breaks the second law of thermodynamics because entropy should always be increasing for the universe. I had to point out that even though evolution appears to make things more ordered, in fact, just the opposite occurs – evolution provides numerous new pathways for an organism to survive (a human is definitely more complex than bacteria….and don’t we have a few organs that can be removed and we can still survive?). And plus, we really cannot consider anything on Earth as a closed system, because where would we be without the sun? Needless to say, I probably ended up on some prayer lists – but I did try to warn them that using science vs. religion arguments become futile as the core of science is proof by scientific method whereas the core of religion stems from faith without proof. I’m not sure if I got through to them, and/or if I should continue talking about such a rather hot topic. My friends say at least a few are really thinking to a point where they are trying to incorporate science into their religious-dominated lives. But I’m not sure …. I’m not in the business of creating atheists, but rather in producing scientists, particularly more chemists, for the future. What do you think?
Thanks,
KT
Heard you on star talk radio.
How can you make your brain do more work? Do you think those brain exercises games(lumosiy, post it science, and etc) are effective? can you “overclock” your brain like make it more alert, make it remember more things?
Hi Cara,
I saw your clip with Larry King live, Dr. Drew and thought it was fascinating. You were talking about addictions, etc. I was wondering what your thoughts, ideas were about the possibility that a person could know or sense he/she had an “addictive” personality. Is there such a thing as an “addictive’ personality? I often wonder about this because sometimes I have such strong feelings/sense to stay away from certain behaviors. Is it possbile that addictions and phobias are linked? Yes, I have had phobias in the past and through cognitive behavior therapy have successfully conqured them. However, if this were true and our brain was wired in such a way, than addictions/phobias would seem to be unlikely. Is that possible?
Now on a totally diferent topic; I was in a bookstore the other day (and noting that you have muscial training) came across a book called Musicaphilia, I forget who the author was. I picked the book up and started to thumb through it. I ended up not buying it event though it looked intriguing and interesting. I was wondering if you knew of this book or if you had recommendations. I have a friend who plays guitar and we got into a discussion of music, the brain, and the effect it produces in the human body. .
Thanks if you can shed some light on these two totally different topics.
I watched your reel and just want to say I love it, you have a way of talking and expressing yourself (love that you use your hands, so do I) that even a lay person like myself can understand and want to know more. Plus, your glasses rock!
Take care, hope to hear from you.
Janine
Well, here is a provoking discourse to tackleCara:
You may find this issue of interest, So you know we are in the investment business.Thus we look at the world and determine possibilities and assign probalities. We don’ t predict.
However,Easter Island and Nauru are no doubt good examples of our likely destiny. The exponential mathematical results relative to global warming, overpopulation and resource exhaustion are not good. You can Google this report, BPs 2030 Outlook for oil supplies. Just 45 years. Then it’s gone.Caputso…
Your generation will have some difficult.choices and events to endure. This is not about doom and gloom.It,s about building awareness and bringing it the forefront of society’s agenda….before it is too late. It is a huge job!
Sadly, everyone has their head in the sand. It is a collective denial of an invisible disease set to put humanity on a precarious perhaps final course. I will leave you with this topic for consideration and these few words…..
Fashion great words, you are wise.
Command language, then you will master great destinies.
The torch is passed
TMcNeil.
First Financial Insights Inc
.”View our blog on Nauru.Perhaps the smallest country in the world. Recently it used up all its resources. Because of the mining activities, the fishstock is virtully depleted.The Ad is a parody but a quiet message of the ruthless ambitions of destiny. We are warned.”
First Financial Insights Inc.: The Short History of Progress..#NAURU http://t.co/UcWUQoT
Hi Cara
I’m working on a screenplay regarding a woman having trouble accessing parts of her memory. She had some traumatic abuse when she was younger. It’s a complicated subject matter presented in an equally complex structure. I have financing attached and it’s going out to name actresses next week or two. I really want to do this subject matter justice, not make another crappy movie.
I’ve done my research, but never will have your understanding of aspects of the brain, let me know if you’re willing to givel feedback and I’ll explain more about the project and why it’s interesting.
best regards
Hi Cara,
Do you think it is conceivable that we will one day be able to emulate the human mind on a computer? If one day we do achieve this goal will we have the ability to upgrade this mind (which is residing on a computer) as we can upgrade a computer and/or optimize a computer program? In this way will we be able to create a consciousness which is superior to our own?
If we become the creator of a superior being we will have blown every creation myth out of the water because every creation myth seems to suggest that the creator is superior to its creations. In the case mentioned above humanity will be an inferior creator (i.e. we will be inferior to one of our creations). I often wonder if there were any creation myths which exist where the creator is actually inferior to its creations but I have yet to find any. Have you come across any such myths in your travels?
***I am using the terms inferior/superior here with some trepidation. However I think what I mean by ‘superior’ is ‘more intelligent’, ‘more perceptive’ and possibly ‘more empathic’ and conversely with ‘inferior’ I mean ‘less intelligent’, ‘less perceptive’ and possibly ‘less empathic’.
Ms. Santo Maria,
I read on Facebook that you considered yourself and atheist. I’m wondering if you were always atheistic or did your science studies convince you that everything is explainable? I’m also an atheist interested in physics, religion, and the how our minds work. I recently was told by a christian that I should be taken out and shot for my beliefs (or lack of). Which brings up another question, is atheism a belief?
Dear Cara,
It’s a pleasure being able to communicate with someone of your intelligence and whose beliefs/lack of beliefs are in line with my own. Until I discovered Bill Maher I didn’t even know there were others outside my family who shared our views. I knew of you through him since I’m a big fan but I got to know you a bit from your appearance on Larry King and was intrigued and impressed. Speaking of intelligence, I pride myself on at least knowing when someone else is smarter than I am which is obviously the case with you and Bill. How amazing is he?! Ok sorry enough about him. I have a lot of questions to ask about the brain and science but I just want to start with the topic of smoking. I feel safe enough calling myself a former smoker though I know I will never be completely immune to cigarettes since it’s important not to underestimate my enemy. After a number of failed attempts to remain a non-smoker I realized I needed help. I read a book and while I realize a self help book sounds like a disappointing suggestion, the reason I’m suggesting it is that it woke me up to the language the addict within my brain uses to get me to pick the cigarette up again. Its been a year or two since my last smoke but I learned how to stop romanticizing my relationship with this bad boyfriend called the cigarette. It stops me in my tracks every time the old triggers come up and it is implanted in my brain now in the right place. It’s no use addressing the conscience or rational part of the brain since we all know it’s unhealthy and nasty to smoke but “enjoy” it anyway. The book addressed the junkie backstage and disarmed her in a way which no willpower could have done long term. I smoked my way through the book and highly recommend it to you the next time you decide you want to quit.
It’s called “the easy way for women to stop smoking” by Allen Carr.
I will come back to you again soon with questions rather than suggestions.
By the way I am curious to know about your career aspirations. Continue teaching and doing more appearances, generally educating and inspiring others to learn more about science? You were great at that on Larry King. In my book you earned a ticket to be saved underground with the other essential humans when the rest of them destroy the planet. It’s hard not to come across as a little nuts in these types of emails but if I tell you every word Bill Maher ever said is a bullseye to me I hope it lends me some credibility. I just need to work on keeping my noted shorter! I don’t even know if you two are still a couple so I’m sorry if mentioning him is even more out of place than it probably is.
Thanks for being accessible,
Natalie (new yorker living in Florida, moving to France)
Cara,
You are freakin’ hot. There aren’t a lot of hot scientists in the world. You may have noticed. How have you, or will you, capitalize on your natural hottness to make a living? How can other hot scientists, like myself, follow in your footsteps and become profitable without slaving away for big pharma like those that aren’t so gifted in this way?
I figure I could try to find a rich benefactor (or benefactoress, in my case) and marry up, but that won’t satisfy my need to feel that I’ve somehow reached some measure of success in my own right. Science knowledge and hottness…symbiotic traits? or simply two disparate characteristics that can not be combined in a mutually beneficial career? Well, I suppose either way, I’ll be “new” money….
regards,
Luke
Cara,
Do you view yourself as a role model, of sorts, in that you’re a younger, hipper, more attractive scientist than the public is used to seeing? Have you transitioned completely to the entertainment industry, or will you eventually return to academia in pursuit of a Ph.D. or to follow your research interests? Don’t think a lab coat can’t be hot!
Hello C,
i hope this email finds you well.
just curious, what’s the title of the book you are always photographed holding?
Stay well
PS
Your hot… will you marry me?
Cara,
If someone asked me right now, “What was the best thing that happened to you today?”, I would definitely say it was when I found out who Cara Santa Maria is. I was listening to you on StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson and you are pretty much a female version of myself. Love of dinosaurs, tattoos, and all things brain related are a few of the passions we have in common.
After hearing to you on StarTalk, I felt inspired and motivated to wholeheartedly pursue my goals of discovery and understanding regarding what I currently study in college. I’m starting my junior year at the University of Michigan this fall. The title of my major is “Brain, Behavior, and Cognitive Science” (saying that phrase never gets old, so I had to share it with you) and it’s more or less a combination of psychology, neuropsychology, neuroscience, and philosophy. I LOVE IT. These are all fields that you obviously hold great interest in too, and this is why I am a – albeit ‘recent’ – but nonetheless HUGE fan of yours. Hearing you talk with Neil about the complexities of the human brain in such a simple, comprehensive manner so that someone without much background in brain science can clearly understand the systems and architecture of the brain shows that you really are an expert who wants to share her knowledge and fascinations in a way that everyone can understand.
This post is my thank you letter to you. Thank you for being so awesome at what you do. As someone who shares many similar interests with you, it’s inspiring to see that your work concerning those interests has brought you success, but more importantly it has given you an amazing talent for sharing your knowledge with others. Maybe (I hope!) one day you’ll be in Neil’s position and I’ll be sitting down to talk with you about the wonders of human brain.
My best,
AJ Stonesifer
PS – I’m a smoker too. Non-smokers like Nicole just don’t understand. And… my favorite word is dendrites.
Hello,
I recently learned of you from Dr. Tyson’s radio show. I’m catching up on all of the archived podcast, you were on one on the last that I’ve listened to. Anyways..I looked at the star talk website to see if there would be a new show tomorrow, there isn’t. It’s a rerun. Which is good because we are all workers and this holiday is for us. A day off. A 3 day weekend. BUT..I thought it would be a great time to have another “brain” show. I would like to know why most of us think it’s okay to work 40+ hours a week in a factory, just to make money. I look at the pieces of plastic I put together and I get pissed. I know its not right for me. I have done something about by going to school. But I’m back at the plant cause I live in Michigan and my degree still doesn’t offer me a lot of opportunities. I do look at my coworkers tho, and they have no desire to do anything different. I’m just wondering why so many human brains are wired to be robots. And to just go with the norm.
Hello Ms. Cara Santa Maria,
Last August-October I saw the best Larry King Live show ever! Twice. You, Dr. Amen, Dr. Pratt and Dr. Pinsky. Larry was fine, but you 4 were fantastic.
3 lbs of material make all the decisions. Everything. Fascinating topic, both simple and complex and much still unknown.
Here’s to going from engineering to neural science Ph.D. Hope to figure a path out. Peace of mind to you and all.
Warm regards,
Tom
My psychology professor showed the Larry King Live episode with you on it today and I was waiting other guys to shut up so i could hear you talk. You are brilliant keep it up.
my website has nothing to do with my question btw.
when will there be a drug/pill/shot/operation/something to relieve people addicted to food, drugs, alcohol from the obsession in their minds? i am aware that 12 step programs work for many but complete abstainence from food is impossible.
i think it’s wild that it’s almost 2012 and this one has not been figured out.
thank you.
Hey Cara,
Happy Birthday first of all! I too am a Libra ( Oct. 15) I’m actually writing to respond to the earlier letter on this page from Nicole. I have to say it really amazes me how people can say that they admire someone but yet they can put them down in the same sentence. If you admire someone you admire all of them, flaws and all. Nobody is perfect!
I have never understood how people (in general) always feel that because an actor or someone in the public eye is considered a role model that they are suppose to be these perfect people. There is no such thing as a perfect person, If Nicole is saying that you are a role model for young people and they see you smoke and then they go out and smoke, and now Nicole wants to blame that on you shame on her. Young peoples values and morals, and learning right from wrong should come from home. They should be taught from their parents at a young age that what you see other people doing is not always necessarily the right thing to do. The choices you make are your own. Stop blaming other people, especially actors and people in the public eye. Take responsibility for your own actions.
I’m sorry if this sounds like a rant but it makes me so crazy to hear people blame people in the public eye for their bad choices. You guys are not to blame, it’s bad parenting. Stop teaching your kids to idolize people and start teaching them right from wrong, and human kindness and acceptance of other peoples faults.
Okay I’m done! Love ya Cara, Stay true to yourself!
Dawn
Hi Cara,
I’m an ecologist and biologist who maintains two jobs both as a post-doctoral researcher as well as the co-founder and scientific director of a non-profit. My non-profit, Amazon Aid, is attempting to transmit scientific information about the tropical Amazon through a variety of multimedia. We work with artists, musicians, film makers, and photographers to serve as tools to bring science into people’s lives, particularly biology, ecology, and the environmental sciences. Effectively communicating science has been a major driver of my professional life since I was 16 and picked up a large format hard cover copy of ‘Cosmos’.
My foundation is currently working to integrate some of our multimedia into elementary level classrooms in the Winston-Salem area. Our research, with the education department at Wake Forest University, will investigate the most important mechanisms for turning children on to science at an early age. Most research has focused on effectively communicating science to the public, university-students, and recently high school students. Relatively little work has been done on young children, and we know that young children are open to the field and haven’t developed predispositions against science until middle-school. Through this work we hope to find out more about this subject. From it, I’ve learned a lot about the field.
I’m writing you because the topic of effective dissemination of science to the public is an entire field of communication as well as education. There have been many papers and academic books published on why the scientific community has been essentially removed from the public sphere. It seems like the basic premise of writing your blog focuses on very simple questions that have been explored in great detail within the literature. I wonder if the focus of your new column might be to explore what has been discovered and then make a call for substantive change through your platform at HuffPost.
If you need guidance or assistance, I am happy to help.
~ D
Hi Cara,
i just wanted to congratulate you on your blog post on “nature” x “science”.
The way you have explained was rally good.
I am a Ph.D. in Genetics and have a website and blog too just in case…
maybe you could write about the Human Genome Project and the impact to society
in a future post.
Here are my website and blog pags:
Website: http://www.genomicenterprise.com
Blog: http://www.genomicenterprise.com/blog
Best,
Fabricio Costa
Hey Cara, what’s your take on this research?
Research on the physiological correlates of pure consciousness found during TM practice:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7045911
Breath suspension during the transcendental meditation technique.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10512549
Pure consciousness: distinct phenomenological and physiological correlates of “consciousness itself”.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9009807
Autonomic patterns during respiratory suspensions: possible markers of Transcendental Consciousness.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10487785
Autonomic and EEG patterns during eyes-closed rest and transcendental meditation (TM) practice: the basis for a neural model of TM practice.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19862565
A self-referential default brain state: patterns of coherence, power, and eLORETA sources during eyes-closed rest and Transcendental Meditation practice.
Research on the physiological correlates of the stabilization of pure consciousness outside of meditation in long-term TM meditators:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12406612
Patterns of EEG coherence, power, and contingent negative variation characterize the integration of transcendental and waking states.
http://www.tm.org/american-psychological-association
Abstract for the 2007 Conference of the American Psychological Association
Brain Integration Scale: Corroborating Language-based Instruments of Post-conventional Development
Research on the physiological correlates of the stabilization of pure consciousness outside of meditation in non-meditators:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1600-0838.2009.01007.x/full
Higher psycho-physiological refinement in world-class Norwegian athletes: brain measures of performance capacity
Hi Cara –
Stumbled upon your views/work via other sites. I abandoned the areas you are in at this time (medical related fields) some time ago, but your writings piqued them again, and alot has changed in those fields (and progress has been made, though not across the board). I am in related fields at this time, finishing up getting some new things started, and looking beyond them, and perhaps back to the areas you are in. Would like to find out just how earnest you are about these things, and would like to arrange a time to discuss. How can you be best contacted for a formal earnest business discussion? You’ll have an email for me via your site, please feel free to drop a line back when you have a spare moment.
Thanks for doing good work –
ps – am a jazz musician too, so I understand how your type of mind winds up in fields like this
Cara,
I think you are beautiful. If I filter out all physical things, I still think you are beautiful. You ask intelligent questions. You delve into the uncomfortable. You explore the caverns and the depths that exist within our reality.
What I have read from you in your recent blogs on Huffington Post I think are extremely important. Exploring sexuality and where it comes from. I think ultimately people are important and validated in their stances, whatever they relate to or choose. I hate to use the the word “choose” because it makes me sound like I am saying people ignore the innate and choose to do otherwise. That isn’t the case.
I think people are what they are. We can act on our basic instincts or we choose to be one way or the other, for our own reason. I think those who are born and those who choose should be recognized, whatever the result.
I am discouraged having found this site though. I learned that you are a smoker, or did smoke (Hopefully?). You are a student of science! A person of science! How can you deny scientific evidence for a habit? I’ve never been a smoker, because I chose not to start, so I can’t relate with you on how difficult it might be to stop. I would love to be a bridge in your life from smoking to quitting if you need it or would allow it.
Sincerely,
David
Hey Carla,
I just wanted to share, with you, the response I sent to my friend who shared your article with me. As a gay man, I very much appreciate your perspectives.
VERY interesting article and video. I think it’s interesting to have the video AND the written article to ruminate on. This young woman is extremely bright and articulate, not to mention well-informed.
My take on the situation is this: It doesn’t ultimately matter whether the “cause” for homosexuality is nature or nurture. Why can’t society simply embrace the added dimension brought to the diverse human panorama by we, who are the most colorful of the brush strokes that make up the complete picture? I’m so pleased and proud to have evolved in this manner…and I know you are, as well.
Namast’e
Ric
Dear Cara: Is there a direct email address one can send you a non-public message? I can’t seem to find one on your site. Thanks! Justin
Cara,
Just a quick note in solidarity with you and the importance of science education. The arts get too much billing in mass media. We have enough singers and dancers already! We need another Sputnik moment to rouse us.
P.S. You’re hot!
Hi Carra, I’m the guy who replied to your HuffPost piece, I described grizzly bears and the need to trigger discussion of population dynamics as it applies to humanity.
You have a powerful stage. Smarts are hot, and it appears that you have the ability to synthesize across disciplines, a la Jared Diamond. That means that you have the potential to make substantial impacts on critical issues. If you have interest in publicizing the insights that population ecologists can bring to humanity’s plight, I’d be glad to give you some direction.
Best wishes in your way cool endeavors, Doug ( aka LafAtChristianFairyTales )
Hi Cara,
Connecting physical plumbing and exchanging juices in sex is fantastic. I really enjoy it.
I also sometimes experience an orgasm in other parts of my body, most notably in the chest area. It is quite pleasurable and is usually/often correlated with an emotional release or connection of deep intimacy.
I am a long time (4 decades) student of spiritual stuff, so I have my hypotheses about this, but I won’t bore you with that. Just wanted to note the phenomenon.
Best wishes for success in promoting healthy curiosity leading to greater learning and sharing of warmth and caring among us two-legged creatures.
John
Good morning,
could you perhaps point me to what the previous poster may have referenced with respect to science education vs. ‘the arts’. As you are both a scientist and artist I hope and assume you do not think science education and the arts are meant to exclude each other! I am a professional performing musician, but I do a lot of work on the science and acoustics of music as well. Music is based on science (just ask Pythagoras) and all musicians are scientists after a fashion (my students call me a mad scientist, however). The visceral reaction we experience through the arts can be explained scientifically even though it is experienced emotionally and without thought of science. I think the arts are a crucial way for students to contextualize what they learn in other (so called) academic disciplines. Schools with the highest test scores routinely have great arts programs – no accident! Would love to hear your thoughts on the matter and discuss.
Best regards,
Matt
i am watching this and find it very interesting:
http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/pornography-secret-history-civilisation/
thought i’d share.
I just learned of you going back through old episodes of the StarTalk podcast. I was very impressed by your explanations. Thanks for making me feel a little bit smarter, after having your way with my brain.
John
JUST discovered you – that’s the power of social media, to create e-neural networks!
Neuro-biology (and social perception) is your bailiwick, so I want to throw some ideas at you for input:
1) the political divide isn’t really left vs right – it’s selection-of-the-fittest thinking vs. strengthening of the collective.
In your video you talk about the connectivity between the “neo” cortex and the limbic system and how it’s a tad one-sided. The instinctual, emotional behaviour that stems from the our “older brain” are reflective of countless other species. Territoriality, dominance models, fight-or-flight, etc.
All this reactive behaviour, of course, is triggered by neuro-chemistry – infusions or level modifications of cortisol, testosterone, seratonin, whatever. This isn’t much different than how a cup of coffee or a beer impacts our cognitive abilities.
In the natural world, these behaviours SHOULD be our default – you want to react quickly to threats and opportunities. In our complex social structures, however, these are behaviours that are frequently long-term detrimental. Of course, our society has developed in complexity far faster than our brains have.
As I understand it, the pre-frontal cortex is all executive function, planning, etc. with a strong leaning towards pro-social behaviours (altruism as the best form of selfishness). Studies have been done on ecstatic religious experiences and dopamine. It’s a given that there’s something a little delusional about all politicians, otherwise they wouldn’t have gotten into the business in the first place. There’s a link between proactive behaviour and the more recent additions to our grey matter.
The communication gap between political ideologies is reflected through study – what if these are completely reflective of brain activity, which of course is impacted by factors as varied as genes, diet and the external environment? Some people are born miserable and stay that way no matter what. Some people are perpetually sunny, no matter what life throws at them. The majority will have perspectives that shift based on experience; people tend to become more conservative as they get older, for instance.
If we put what we know about brain development, neuro-chemistry and genetics together, can we create opportunities for people to understand and overcome prejudices or challenges just as they learn to overcome fear of the dark? Sort of CBT for a broader audience? Social-Emotional Learning and critical thinking programs are highly successful in fostering capable students who achieve higher success rates and greater quality-of-life. Informed or not, these influences are going to impact us regardless.
2) Social evolution as having developed a parallel track to biological evolution
You have talked about antibiotic resistant viruses; as a society, we have sped up the disease-combative process that evolution (I’ve just read The Red Queen) is supposed to undertake biologically. Add to that everything from asthma treatment to eye wear, cancer treatment and in-vitro insemination, people are not really limited by the rules of biological evolution any more. Our social institutions and our technological advances (courtesy of understanding through science) have allowed us to domesticate ourselves, gaining greater control over our long-term fate – but an increased need to proactively manage ourselves in the short and medium term.
If ideology is biology, then society is stuck in a conflict between selection-of-the-fittest and strengthening-the-collective thinking. Those looking at a selection-of-the-fittest model, from whatever institution, are trying to apply their beliefs to a constantly evolving reality. “When is a person a person” was never an issue, for instance, before science allowed for a better understanding of the pre-natal process. That’s a lot of time and effort being put into dealing with cognitive dissonance that could be used more fruitfully.
Selectionists are trying to get ahead at the expense of the disenfranchised, but the disenfranchised aren’t going away. In fact, in pure genetics, they tend to be more successful in being selected for mass reproduction than the elite few at the top. A rich man can still get run over by a poor person who’s turned to alcoholism to mask their woes; Wall Street suits can catch a virus from a street person. Don’t even start me on how the triggers that lead to revolutions. The advantages of the top-down social model are truly wearing thin.
The instincts that get people ahead in a selfish way (dominance model) are being impacted by the need to be pro-social to get ahead in an increasingly inter-connected, co-dependent world. You want to minimize threats not by eliminating people. “Networking” is all about adding more people to your loop, not getting rid of potential competitors. Individuals and institutions benefit by strengthening people, fostering and harnessing new ideas, establishing new markets. Corporate altruism and horizontal integration is on the rise.
3) Mental illness/learning disabilities are the new left-handedness
There are long lists of political leaders, business leaders, innovators, artists – all outliers – with what are identified as mental illnesses or learning disabilities. No psychologist I have spoken to believes there’s such thing as an “abnormal brain.” In spite of everything we know, we still stigmatize and isolate those seen as mentally ill or disabled. BECAUSE we’re traditionally using our amygdala, etc. to identify and perceive threats, because we’re looking for stability and working within dominance models, anything that is challenging is put down to a threat and treated as such.
It is understood that someone with epilepsy, or diabetes, or asthma, or arthritis can live fulfilled lives; they need some training and accommodations to a different degree than others, but they can live and function like anyone else. Understanding and building accommodations often lead to spin-off benefits, my favourite example being Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone being an offshoot of his efforts to address a relatives deafness. We get workplace wellness; we get accommodating classrooms for the deaf or wheel-chair bound. Ergonomics improves productivity and reduces workplace absenteeism. Mental illness (depression and anxiety) are the number one cause of workplace absenteeism, but what are we doing about cognitive workplace design? What COULD we do?
Creativity and connectivity allow for innovation to happen. These are cognitive functions that are tied to the same areas of the brain that are seen to be functioning “abnormally” in certain mental illnesses. Our social structures are clearly suffering from fatigue; political leaders struggle with spending too little or not enough in the face of resource challenges, lacking the tools to rejig the system to reflect the modern reality. Those sorts of solutions require a lot of creativity and idea-sharing, something that is challenged in times of stress where limbic-based thinking is replied on more than ever.
What if we’re not only trying to solve the wrong problem, but actively suppressing potential solutions? Can education systems, workplace design, etc be re-jigged to help foster the full potential of people with exceptionalities? The solutions we need might be out there, but we aren’t hearing them because of how they’re packaged.
4) Stigma is natural, but it can be overcome
Racism, homophobia, classism; all can be traced to basic fight-or-flight. If you are on a subway and a group of teens is acting out, you’ll feel uncomfortable and blame them for being ill-mannered or whatever. Replace the group of teens with one person exhibiting a mental illness, the feeling and reaction will be same – only the justification changes. The same holds true for seeing someone with leprosy or a burn victim; regardless of whether a real threat is present or not, your body still reacts by pumping some cortisol to keep you on edge and ready.
We KNOW we can overcome fear of the dark through experience; public speaking equally gets easier the more you do it. You can learn to understand and control your feelings, realizing the potential benefits of the things you previously tried to keep at bay. Because we don’t look at racism or sexism or homophobia or stigma of mental health as an INTERNAL thing – rather, as a natural response to an EXTERNAL reality – we try to destroy, remove or ignore that which makes us uncomfortable. Knowledge, training and critical thinking are tonics for our social ailments; we just need to shift our perspective to get there.
Love to read your thoughts!
Dear Cara,
I heard you on Star Talk Radio with Neil deGrasse Tyson. I asked him these questions below in an email and haven’t heard a response from him, which is rare because he kindly always writes me back which pleasantly surprised me.You seem more qualified to answer than he does. So if you do respond, know that I am very grateful!
Let me preface by saying that I have been reading about Buddhism and meditating daily. Science has shown that meditation is very good for us. But I’m struggling with some Dharma ideas. Being a skeptic and having the scientific mind that learned that many of our behaviors, thoughts, and emotions are products of electro-chemical connections from the brain and glands am curious about what experts like you can tell me. I have heard a few Scientists who are Buddhist talk of the mind as something that is not tangible and separate from the brain. We now know that the brain is plastic and can change, something Buddhist have been practicing for centuries and meditation can change our wiring for better mental health. And to me that is physical and tangible.
So,
is consciousness a thing of electrical chemical reactions or is it still a mystery?
Are mind,consciousness, emotions, and thoughts the same ? Are these monks correct to say mind is not made of matter?
Thank you for your time.
Dan Lee,
Ann Arbor, Mi.
You believe in God?
In your most recent post you describe depression as being caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. You should know that there is no medical evidence for this notion.
HI Cara,
I enjoyed your article on anxiety vs stress. Just wanted to mention I recently had a a brain abscess removed while under local anesthetic wearing a halo. supposedly it was the first time the surgeon had done it before. There was no pain but the noise and shaking was extreme!
anyway Happy Holidays
Andrew
Hi Cara,
Interesting things you speak of…have you done much thinking about the concept of love, the power of love to heal, to alter brain chemistry, change perspective, recover from addictions, etc?
It’s been my experience and observation from working with addicts of all types that there is a wall of discomfort (a separation from Love) that most cannot or will not endure the pain of getting over. Those that do, recover well, grow and often never look back, those that don’t stay stuck. I do not fully subscribe to the “once an addict, always an addict”, unless the addict never get’s over that wall and embraces their love of their Higher Self.
There is a saying, “you have to go through hell before you get to Heaven”, most will not let themselves go through this metaphorical hell to get to the other side..instead one chooses addiction and escape, or temporary/transitory comfort. This experience, this passage through deep pain, this seasoning in life is what separates the men from the boys, and the women from the girls. And when you look into someone’s eyes who has been through this… and experience them, it’s a difference that shows.
There are four aspects to consider: Mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual. Medicine and mainstream psychologist only deal with three aspects, this is why people don’t fully recover from addiction, and many don’t heal.
Mike Biles from Austin
Hi Cara,
GO girl. I believe we are on the same campaign. My disease was Generalized Anxiety Disorder. It struck in my 40′s, and nearly killed me. I was hospitalized twice, the second time for 7 weeks. After my recovery, I got involved with the National Alliance on Mental Illness and became a certified “In Our Own Voice” speaker for them.
I was so determined to reach others feeling like I did in the Fall 0f 2007 that I spent 3 years writing a book. I want to give these people hope, and stop them from taking the drastic steps that I did. I also want to help their loved ones, and the public in general, understand the medical, treatable nature of mental illness.
I believe we (all of us advocating for the mentally ill) are making great strides! Keep it up, and best to you –
Laura Anne
Could you please check out my web site as well as my numerous posts on Facebook about my theory about Einstein’s belief that the speed of light is a Universal Speed Limit. I have debated it on Space.com’s FB wall. My blog has multiple followers plus around 1500 hits. I am just looking for help getting the word out. I just misquoted AE a day before your huffingtonpost column.
Dear Cara,
Although I am a conservative Christian (Baptist), I am truly progressive in many ways. I wish to share (below) some of my thoughts and articles. Please share this message. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Babu G. Ranganathan
(B.A. theology/biology)
http://www.religionscience.com
I have had the privilege of being recognized in the 24th edition of Marquis “Who’s Who In The East” for my writings on religion and science.
TRADITIONAL DOCTRINE OF HELL EVOLVED FROM GREEK ROOTS Although I am a conservative Christian (Baptist), I no longer believe that the Bible teaches or supports the traditional belief of eternal torment or suffering. The Bible does teach eternal punishment, but it’s not eternal torment. In my popular Internet article, TRADITIONAL DOCTRINE OF HELL EVOLVED FROM GREEK ROOTS, I explain how and why teaching of eternal torment entered early into Christianity and how Scriptures have been misinterpreted and taken out of context to support that teaching.
NATURAL LIMITS TO EVOLUTION: Only evolution within “kinds” is genetically possible (i.e. varieties of dogs, cats, etc.), but not evolution across “kinds” (i.e. from worm to human). How did species survive if their vital structures, organs, reproductive system were still evolving? Read my popular Internet article published in Russia’s English Pravda: WAR AMONG EVOLUTIONISTS! I discuss: Punctuated Equilibrium, “Junk DNA,” genetics, mutations, natural selection, fossils, genetic and biological similarities between species.
THE SCIENCE SUPPORTING CREATION: http://creationismnow.blogspot.com/
THE NEW TESTAMENT RESPONSE TO HOMOSEXUALS: http://bgrnathan.blogspot.com/2010/04/christian-response-to-homosexuals.html
THE FAR LEFT AND RIGHT OF THINGS: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=296633833712572
SOCIETY RIGHTS VS. CAPITALIST RIGHTS: http://bgrnathan.blogspot.com/2010/04/society-rights-vs-corporations.html
PURE RACES NOT DESTROYED BY INTERRACIAL MIXING: http://www.pottsmerc.com/articles/2011/12/17/opinion/srv0000015996166.txt?viewmode=fullstory
Cara,
I recently discovered star talk podcasts and caught your episode with Neal today. It was awesomely interesting and you did a wonderful job. Fit in like a regular actually.
thanx
Bill\