pharyngula_rss) for pointing this piece out ...This is from an Op-Ed piece in the New York Times by physicist/author Brian Greene, writing about a letter that he'd received from a soldier in Iraq about how much reading one of his books meant to him as far as placing the chaos around him in perspective. In a world made insane by religion, at least one soldier is finding solace that some people are not succumbing to the siren song of delusional faith-based modalities!But here’s the thing. The reason science really matters runs deeper still. Science is a way of life. Science is a perspective. Science is the process that takes us from confusion to understanding in a manner that’s precise, predictive and reliable — a transformation, for those lucky enough to experience it, that is empowering and emotional. To be able to think through and grasp explanations — for everything from why the sky is blue to how life formed on earth — not because they are declared dogma but rather because they reveal patterns confirmed by experiment and observation, is one of the most precious of human experiences. {emphasis mine}
Yeah ... I know ... it's unusual that I have a chance to break out in happy spots over something from the frickin' New York Times!