This is a Godless place.

Atheism for the win.

Posts tagged science

758 notes

ssxvxtricky: “I haven’t read Harry Potter, I have read Pullman who is the other leading children’s author that one might mention and I love his books. I don’t know what to think about magic and fairy tales.” Prof Dawkins said he wanted to look at the effects of “bringing children up to believe in spells and wizards”. “I think it is anti-scientific – whether that has a pernicious effect, I don’t know,” he told More4 News. “I think looking back to my own childhood, the fact that so many of the stories I read allowed the possibility of frogs turning into princes, whether that has a sort of insidious affect on rationality, I’m not sure. Perhaps it’s something for research.” Personally I’d go for the opposite. I think that an interest in fantasy could well lead people to notice the more naturalistic wonders about them. If they just stop and reflect once on how amazing some of the natural processes of the world really are, then they’ll begin to develop an interest in the reason behind it, and an appreciation for the beauty of the processes themselves. Really, I think that it indulges their curiosity and imagination, and that’s what’s needed for young people to really “get into” science.But what do you guys think?

ssxvxtricky:

“I haven’t read Harry Potter, I have read Pullman who is the other leading children’s author that one might mention and I love his books. I don’t know what to think about magic and fairy tales.”

Prof Dawkins said he wanted to look at the effects of “bringing children up to believe in spells and wizards”.

“I think it is anti-scientific – whether that has a pernicious effect, I don’t know,” he told More4 News.

“I think looking back to my own childhood, the fact that so many of the stories I read allowed the possibility of frogs turning into princes, whether that has a sort of insidious affect on rationality, I’m not sure. Perhaps it’s something for research.”

Personally I’d go for the opposite. I think that an interest in fantasy could well lead people to notice the more naturalistic wonders about them. If they just stop and reflect once on how amazing some of the natural processes of the world really are, then they’ll begin to develop an interest in the reason behind it, and an appreciation for the beauty of the processes themselves. 

Really, I think that it indulges their curiosity and imagination, and that’s what’s needed for young people to really “get into” science.

But what do you guys think?

(Source: nosdrinker, via eustonrail)

Filed under atheism science harry potter richard dawkins humanism religion fantasy News naturalism Ciaran