Plus: We meet the Hitch! Allison joins us to talk about “The Only Subject Is Love,” a seminar we attended at Emory University featuring Salman Rushdie, Christopher Hitchens, and filmmaker Deepa Mehta (who is developing a film adaptation of Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children). The event celebrates the opening of Rushdie’s archives at Emory. Surprises included spontaneous recitations of poetry (Hitchens selecting the heartwrenching “Dulce et Decorum est,” Rushdie the humorous “The Walrus and the Carpenter.”) And…we learned that Hitchens’ memoir–Hitch 22–is due out in June!
Margaret Downey (former president of Atheist Alliance International, now a “freethought free agent”) announces the formation of the Unity 2013 Event Committee. What is Unity 2013? Nobody knows just yet, but what we do know is that it’ll be big, it has the blessing of such notables as Daniel Dennett, and it’ll involve many (if not most) of the major freethought-friendly organizations. To keep abreast of the details as they unfold, check out the Unity 2013 Facebook page.
Happy New Year! We kick off 2010 by interviewing Stuart Bechman, president of Atheist Alliance International (AtheistAlliance.org). AAI is planning its first-ever Australian convention in Melbourne on March 12-14, 2010. For details visit AtheistConvention.org.au–tickets are going fast!
We interview Margaret Downey, former Atheist Alliance International president and founder of the Freethought Society of Greater Philadelphia (FSGP.org), about her experiences coordinating the annual Tree of Knowledge in Chester County, Pennsylvania, which is intended to offer an alternative to the traditional Nativity scene displayed on public property. For more about Margaret visit secular-celebrations.com.
We interview Jennifer Burns, assistant professor of history at the University of Virginia and author of the new biography Goddess of the Market: Ayn Rand and the American Right. It’s a timely book considering the recent resurgence of Rand’s works (especially her novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged) as a reaction to the country’s current economic situation. For more about Prof. Burns visit www.JenniferBurns.org. Read John Snider’s review of Goddess of the Market and/or order you very own copy at Amazon.com.
We interview Randy Olson, marine biologist turned filmmaker, and author of the new book Don’t Be Such a Scientist: Talking Substance in an Age of Style. Randy is best known for the 2006 documentary Flock of Dodos: The Evolution-Intelligent Design Circus and his 2008 global warming comedy Sizzle. Don’t Be Such a Scientist is part memoir, part instructional guide, in which Randy offers advice to scientists and other intellectual types on how to better communicate to general audiences. For more about Randy’s projects, visit DontBeSuchaScientist.com, SizzletheMovie.com and FlockofDodos.com.
While it would have been super-cool to have Richard Dawkins and Francis Collins on The Colbert Report at the same time, we’ll have to settle for them one-at-a-time. Dawkins (author of the new book The Greatest Show on Earth) will be on tonight at 11:30PM Eastern, while Francis “Three Waterfalls” Collins (the new head of the National Institutes of Health) will appear Thursday night.
I know I’ve posted about this a couple of times before, but this onion keeps growing new layers. Over the weekend, bloggingheads.tvRobert Wright (The Evolution of God) posted a conversation with science journalist George Johnson, in which Wright offers a very detailed explanation of how the Michael Behe/John McWhorter diavlog got posted, then removed, then re-posted. In the aftermath of the incident, a handful of scientists and/or science journalists who have participated on bhTV have vowed never to be on again. Oh, and Bob Wright also addresses (sort of) the insinuations and rumors that he’s angling for the high-dollar Templeton Prize. Enjoy:
Margaret Downey (former president of Atheist Alliance International, now a “freethought free agent”) announces the formation of the Unity 2013 Event Committee. What is Unity 2013? Nobody knows just yet, but what we do know is that it’ll be big, it has the blessing of such notables as Daniel Dennett, and it’ll involve many (if not most) of the major freethought-friendly organizations. To keep abreast of the details as they unfold, check out the 
Happy New Year! We kick off 2010 by interviewing Stuart Bechman, president of Atheist Alliance International (
We interview Margaret Downey, former Atheist Alliance International president and founder of the Freethought Society of Greater Philadelphia (
We interview Jennifer Burns, assistant professor of history at the University of Virginia and author of the new biography Goddess of the Market: Ayn Rand and the American Right. It’s a timely book considering the recent resurgence of Rand’s works (especially her novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged) as a reaction to the country’s current economic situation. For more about Prof. Burns visit 
We interview Randy Olson, marine biologist turned filmmaker, and author of the new book Don’t Be Such a Scientist: Talking Substance in an Age of Style. Randy is best known for the 2006 documentary Flock of Dodos: The Evolution-Intelligent Design Circus and his 2008 global warming comedy Sizzle. Don’t Be Such a Scientist is part memoir, part instructional guide, in which Randy offers advice to scientists and other intellectual types on how to better communicate to general audiences. For more about Randy’s projects, visit
Bob Wright on the Behe Brouhaha: Mea Culpa
Tuesday, September 8th, 2009I know I’ve posted about this a couple of times before, but this onion keeps growing new layers. Over the weekend, bloggingheads.tv Robert Wright (The Evolution of God) posted a conversation with science journalist George Johnson, in which Wright offers a very detailed explanation of how the Michael Behe/John McWhorter diavlog got posted, then removed, then re-posted. In the aftermath of the incident, a handful of scientists and/or science journalists who have participated on bhTV have vowed never to be on again. Oh, and Bob Wright also addresses (sort of) the insinuations and rumors that he’s angling for the high-dollar Templeton Prize. Enjoy:
Tags: bloggingheads.tv, creationism, evolution, george johnson, intelligent design, john mcwhorter, michael behe, robert wright
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