We live in an age of incredible progress in understanding of the natural world. Since the advent of the scientific method, the tools for unveiling this knowledge has been in human hands. Many say that a strong education in science leads to atheism, and this can be shown to be true." When you are scientifically literate, the world looks very different to you."
The following articles are brief introductions to fields of science, thinking tools, and bodies of knowledge that inform the Humanist outlook. Most of our membership could be classified as educated laymen in almost all of these fields, but we are really only qualified to point you in the direction of the experts.
We have included video presentations from around the web by some of the most respected scientists working in these fields. We thought that they would do a much better job explaining the depth of it all to you than we would. Enjoy!
The greatest discovery humans ever made was the system of critical thinking, hypothesis, and testable conjecture that is called the Scientific Method. This article discusses what it really is, why it is so important, and features a great explanation by the famous physicist: David Deutsch. (more)
The Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection is one of the deepest insights ever stumbled upon by humanity. The theory proposed by Charles Darwin has provided us with a natural explanation of why there is so much life on this planet and why it is so complex. Included with the overview is a presentation by the esteemed evolutionary geneticist Jerry Coyne on the evidence for evolution. (more)
It is said that one of the greatest failures of the large monotheistic religions is the absolute nonsense that they teach about our place in the universe. Here we offer a little peek into the world of cosmology, astronomy, and astrophysics which will without a doubt humble anyone that takes the time to get caught up. A wonderful talk by famous cosmologist Lawerence Krauss shows us how far we have come, and how far away from reality the religious viewpoint actually is. (more)
The field of quantum mechanics (which is often totally misunderstood) studies the smallest constituents of matter and energy that make up the fabric of our reality. Nevermind all of the "New Age" crap that quacks and charlatans are trying to sell you on the back of such a wonderful field of science. Instead, let Brian Cox walk you through the details as he describes the biggest science experiment ever undertaken by human beings: The Large Hadron Collider. (more)