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developed by JhackAbout Skeptikai
Skeptikai defends science and exposes pseudoscience. Living in Japan also allows for an interesting opportunity to discuss fascinating stories that go unnoticed elsewhere. Psychological phenomena and intriguing cases from around the globe are also regularly highlighted.
Should You Let Your Kid Date in Middle/High School? Science Gives a Surprising AnswerYoung love can show you things about yourself you've never known. It can bring you to…
In Japan, Strangers are More Likely than Family to Give CPR for Cardiac ArrestWhen it comes to Japanese people giving CPR to someone suffering a cardiac arrest, it…
Power and Rape – Part 2: How to Create a Breeding Ground for Sex OffendersAs I mentioned in Part 1, rape is tolerated in the military because the acknowledgment of…
Power and Rape – Part 1: Rape in the Military is a Career Killer… for the VictimIf you ever wanted to know just how bad "blaming the victim" can get, look no further than the…
Does Chewing Gum Help You Concentrate?If you want to be a rocket scientist, you might want to start chewing that stick of gum.…
Possessed by Demons, Animals, and Nonsense"Japan doesn't have that stuff. That's more of a Western thing." Just like I constantly…
SATIRAN – Part 3: “Judicial Theatre,” or Judgment for the 2010 IsraeliIn May 2010, the "Gaza Freedom Flotilla" was sent to give humanitarian aid and…
Study: Close Relationships Aren’t Necessarily BetterIt makes sense, doesn't it? The closer you are to someone, the better your relationship…
Are Religious People More Charitable, Generous, and Altruistic than Atheists?According to a Canadian study from 2008, religious people are "more helpful, honest and…
Gender, Age, Socioeconomic, and Cultural Differences in Social Networking Site UsageOnline social networks has become an interesting platform for research, and hundreds if…
Category Archives: Legal Issues
Islamic Blasphemy and the “Freedom” to Choose your Own Religion
In the last few weeks, Muslims from Bangladesh have been going crazy trying to fight back against the critical words of bloggers and other online heretics by violent riots that have so far led to the death of over 30 people. Over 100,000 rioters have been taking to the streets, and the Muslims have been arguing that things have to change for their allegedly secular government. Men must not “mix” with women, and the word of Allah must be brought into the nation’s constitution. And from there… the law against blasphemy can be brought to Western countries. Does that sound about right? It does to them.
Posted in Activism, Culture, Legal Issues
Tagged atheism, Bangladesh, blasphemy, Christian, discrimination, God, Indonesia, Islam, law, Pakistan, religion, Saudi Arabia
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Hamas-Israel Ceasefire Ends as Gaza Schools Drop Sports for Military Training
I have been following the news regarding the ceasefire between Israel and Gaza that started in November of last year closely. The relationship between the two is incredibly tense, and the violent conflict that occurred then was thankfully over soon. The ceasefire was called, and both sides welcomed the truce, however temporary it may be. Despite the fact that Hamas actually broke the ceasefire by firing 12 rockets into Israel on Day 1 of the truce, it managed to officially hold for about half a year. The ceasefire, however, has certainly ended; and the militarization of the children of Gaza seems to be more determined than ever.
Are Vocal Homophobes Really Just Homosexuals in the Closet?
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind. -Dr. Seuss
What is it about homophobes that make them so gay? If this questions sounds controversial to you, then you may need to hear the science behind the answer. New research is showing that there actually is a link between homophobic rhetoric and homosexual tendencies. This article is about the notion that if you’re homophobic, you might just be compensating.
Posted in Culture, Legal Issues, Psychology, Science, Sex and Sexuality, Social Psych
Tagged America, discrimination, homosexuality, Kenya, Libya, Nigeria, prostitution
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Hungary Solves Homelessness by Finding Places for All… in Jail?
The brilliant move of Hungary lawmakers to criminalize the act of being a homeless person comes as a surprise to some. But this innovative solution to such a complex problem should certainly be known to the world. After all, this effectively makes all the homeless people – and the problems that come with them – disappear. From sight, that is. In fact, from the goodness of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s heart, these people will be given a home for free… in the form of a jail cell.
Power and Rape – Part 2: How to Create a Breeding Ground for Sex Offenders
As I mentioned in Part 1, rape is tolerated in the military because the acknowledgment of rape in a unit will make that unit look bad, not to mention the military as a whole. Therefore, officials try to sweep such information under the rug. In fact, reporting rape is seen as far worse than actually committing it. Now, let’s focus more on the military culture. Not only is it a culture of rape, but also one of partying – a drinking culture. In fact, no matter where the U.S. servicemen go in the world, it seems like they bring their trouble along with them.
Posted in Japan, Legal Issues, Psychology, Science, Sex and Sexuality
Tagged America, Canada, crime, discrimination, military, rape, sex, sexual harassment
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Power and Rape – Part 1: Rape in the Military is a Career Killer… for the Victim
If you ever wanted to know just how bad “blaming the victim” can get, look no further than the U.S. military. It’s clear that blaming and shaming has gone far beyond just making someone have to live with a stigma that they completely don’t deserve – which is bad enough. Rather, the problem is a systematic denial of justice, a protection of the perpetrator, and an outright pursuit of punishing the victim. If this type of discrimination happened in the public sphere, people would be completely outraged; but what is it about this military culture that allows such behavior to go unpunished?
Posted in Culture, Legal Issues, Medicine & Health, Psychology, Science, Sex and Sexuality
Tagged America, crime, discrimination, homosexuality, military, rape, sex, sexual harassment, stigma
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SATIRAN – Part 3: “Judicial Theatre,” or Judgment for the 2010 Israeli Flotilla Raid
In May 2010, the “Gaza Freedom Flotilla” was sent to give humanitarian aid and construction materials to Gaza, but they were unable to. Their Zionist oppressors (Israel) has policed the Gaza borders since Hamas has been in command in 2007. In a valiant act of defiance, the activist ships went full speed ahead, resulting in Israeli intervention that ended in the death of nine activists. ”What happened there was inhumane and intolerable,” said Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. “Nowhere on earth do humanitarian activists come under military attack.” He argued back in 2010 that the soldiers who took part in that operation should stand trial for their actions, and luckily, that trial is now underway.
Posted in Culture, Legal Issues
Tagged court of law, crime, Gaza, Iran, Israel, law, politics, Turkey
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What are the Most Corrupt Countries In the World Today?
There is plenty of malice, crime, and corruption in today’s political systems around the world. Elections are sometimes paid for, politicians often work only with their own self-interest in mind, and citizens around the world are fighting uphill battles against authorities at every level. But recent reports show us where each country stands in comparison to the other, and that is the topic of this article. Which countries are corrupt to the core? Which are a model for the world?
Posted in Aggregators/lists/rankings, Culture, Legal Issues, Media
Tagged politics, rankings
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Egyptian Satirists Are in Serious Danger of Angering the Authorities
If you watch any of the English-subtitled videos of Bassem Youssef, you get the distinct feeling that his TV show “AlBernameg” is the Middle Eastern equivalent of the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. This is by no means a coincidence, because Youssef, an Egyptian satirist, modelled his show after the American comedian’s. In fact, Youssef has even been on Stewart’s show before. But unlike Stewart, Youssef does not live in a country where free speech is a constitutional right. That’s why he is now at threat of being prosecuted for insulting the highest authority in the country.
Posted in Biographical, Culture, Legal Issues, Media
Tagged comedy, Egypt, Jon Stewart, satire
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Abortion? There’s an app for that
Nowadays, missions aren’t the only thing you can abort in video games. The new Mexican-based video game is called ¿No Te Baja?, which means “Missed Your Period?” and it teaches players (i.e., pregnant senioritas) to safely perform a medical abortion on themselves. As you can imagine, the game has caused a lot of controversy, and there are even people on the pro-choice side of the abortion debate who are against the game. But are they right?