Monday, June 02, 2008

Colliding with the lives of others - Denyse O'Leary

Just recently, I was reminded of the fact that our work can touch a surprising variety of lives.

An individual calling himself Canadian Cynic was apparently quite upset that The Spiritual Brain was shortlisted for three Canadian Christian Writing Awards. Cynic doesn't like the book and wrote to complain, but of course the office doesn't interfere with the judges.

They're just not Cynical enough I suppose. ..

Clearly, people are noticing the Canadian Christian Writing Awards and the Write! Canada conference that follows them. I don't suppose it is any comfort to the Cynic that Mario and I are up against strong competitors this year. I am pretty sure that the people who hate The Spiritual Brain will be no happier if the other competitors win instead.

At about the same time, I heard that The Spiritual Brain received a "highly favorable" review in Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith, the journal of the American Scientific Affiliation: A Fellowship of Christians in Science. The reviewer, Bradford McColl of Regent University, "heartily" advocated buying the book.

So you can please some people some of the time.

The key queston for us Canadian writers is whether we will continue to enjoy freedom of teh press to tacked the significant issues of our time. Stay [posted on this presssing question through parliamentary journalist Deborah Gyapong's posts on the "human rights" cases against Mark Steyn and Maclean's Magazine.

Also, I have started a new blog: Welcome to Colliding Universes!

Why the new blog?: Because I hope to write a book with a Canadian physicist about "God vs. the multiverse": Is our universe fine-tuned or are there zillions of flopped universes out there, so that it only looks that way. For now, I will just make notes about things that may (or may not) find their way into the book:

Life on Mars?: Yes, when the Mars Hilton Convention Centre finally opens

Sure as the law of gravity, you say? Okay then, better check the refund policy ...

Stuff I have already written on the bleeping multiverse, for which the multiverse (Inc.) is suing me for defamation ... But not to worry, the writ went to zillions of wrong universes.

Coffee Break question: Why are the space aliens always supposed to have superior technology?

Exoplanets: Will intelligence be common or rare?

Quantum mechanics: Could cosmic microwave background show that it is wrong?

Chuckle of the day: What lies beyond the observable universe?

Letter: Multiverses are nonsense, but so is much contemporary physics

Other universes: Why the materialist needs an infinite number of them
Denyse O'Leary

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

If you found this book intriguing, you will definitely enjoy reading My Stroke of Insight - a Brain Scientist's Personal Journey" by Jill Bolte Taylor, and her talk on TED dot com about her stroke which is an 18 minute talk you Must Not Miss! (there's a reason it's been forwarded friend to friend millions of times!). When you read the book and see the TEDTalk, you'll understand why this Harvard brain scientist was named Time Magazine 100 Most Influential People. Her unique experience, combined with her perspective as a neuroanatomist, and her sensitivity and awareness (not to mention beautiful writing style!) has produced something so powerful and so revolutionary that I think it's going to become a transformational movement in itself. Oprah also did four interviews with her (that I was able to download on the Oprah website) that are also worth checking out.
I am trying to share Dr Taylor's story with as many people as I can because I truly believe if everyone saw it the world would be so much better and people would love one another and no longer fight.

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