RSA Daily

For atheists, rationalists and secular humanists in Australia

Thursday, October 12, 2023

Good morning ,

I am somewhat embarrassed to say that when I was a young teenager, I looked forward each Wednesday to reading a delivered copy of the Australian Women's Weekly. I loved the colour photos, I learned how to read (and try out) recipes, and I followed the fashion of the day. 

But there's a serious side to the Weekly and its place in the history of women's politics is a noble one. Check it out in our second lead story.

Lead stories

Lawrence Krauss on the recent cancelling of a anthropology conference session that would have had 6 scholars of differing perspectives talk about identifying the sex of skeletons: "The leadership of the AAA and CASCA are demeaning anthropology as a field of social science and acting in opposition to the fundamental principles of academic progress, which is impossible without discussion and debate. Perhaps the most worrisome sentence in their letter is this statement of intent: “It is our hope that we continue to work together so that we become stronger and more unified within each of our associations.” Unity is nothing to be celebrated in science. Diversity, especially diversity of opinion, must be cherished and fostered. It is only through free and open debate that science and scholarship can hope to flourish."

"We should not leave the knowledge of modern foreign politics only to the men."

AAP (Associated Press) takes an in-depth look at the rising tide of those choosing No Religion: South America, Nigeria, Japan ("In secular Japan, what draws so many to temples and shrines? Stamp collecting and tradition"), the US, Italy, India ("The non-religious struggle to find their voice and place"), the Middle East, and Israel ("Perenially swept up in religious conflict .. yet many of its citizens are secular"). 

A reminder to sign up for the School for a New Stoicism: Ethics, Logic and Science to live according to Nature.

Other stories of interest

The number of history academics in Australia has dropped by at least 31% since 1989

If we don't learn from history, we are condemned to repeat the mistakes of the past. "A healthy democracy relies on a large population of citizens who can discern the difference between evidence-based knowledge and wild conspiracy theories."

Cheng Lei's release is a remarkable feat of diplomacy

"It was a remarkable feat of diplomacy from the Department of Foreign Affairs negotiators and two Australian governments to extract the 48-year-old Melbourne mother of two from the world’s greatest exponent of arbitrary detention in that span of time."

Got a comment on any of these stories? 

Write to me at president@rationalist.com.au

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