Manhunt under way for Taliban who shot woman in public execution amid cheers

Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai ordered the arrest Monday of the Taliban who participated in the public execution of a woman accused of adultery.

Shock and outrage have mounted since an amateur video surfaced of a burqa-clad woman sitting on the ground while a man standing a few feet away shoots her nine times before a cheering mob.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/09/world/asia/afghanistan-public-execution/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

See also...

6 American troops killed in Afghanistan IED attack
http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/08/world/asia/afghanistan-troops-killed/index.html?hpt=ias_c2

Police: 11 dead, 37 wounded in Iraq blast

In June, at least 240 people were killed in militant attacks in Iraq, according to CNN estimates.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/06/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html?hpt=imi_c2

Afterlife

"In God We Teach" Complete Documentary

American Atheists Fly "Atheism is Patriotic" Banner Over NYC on July 4th

American Atheists flew a banner over New York City... July 4, 2012. The banner behind the airplane read, "Atheism Is Patriotic -- atheists.org."

MORE: http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-811494?hpt=hp_bn1

TAM is next week!

The Amaz!ng Meeting (TAM) is an annual celebration of science, skepticism and critical thinking. People from all over the world come TAM each year to share learning, laughs and the skeptical perspective with their fellow skeptics and a host of distinguished guest speakers and panelists.

MORE: http://www.amazingmeeting.com/TAM2012/

See also...

The Opposite of Debunking 
http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/swift-blog/1765-the-opposite-of-debunking.html?widthstyle=w-wide

Louisiana Revelation: School Voucher Funding -- It's Not Just For Christians Any More

A member of the Louisiana House of Representatives who eagerly supported Gov. Bobby Jindal’s plan to fund private schools has had an epiphany: Muslim schools might start getting taxpayer money!

MORE: http://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/louisiana-revelation-school-voucher-funding-it-s-not-just-for-christians

Atheists criticize prayers said at Pismo Beach council meetings

Chaplain's 'explicit' Christianity at council meetings cited; city has no plans to change them.

MORE: http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2012/07/04/2131838/atheists-criticize-prayers-said.html

Whites-only Christian gathering riles some Alabama neighbors

"Yes, we believe that the Europeans and their descendants are the chosen people of God," according to the website for Christian Identity Ministries, which is holding the event with Church of God’s Chosen. "We believe this, not because we think that the white race is superior, but because there is overwhelming proof in support of this belief. We do not back down from this belief, because we are certain."

MORE: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/05/12583500-whites-only-christian-gathering-riles-some-alabama-neighbors?lite

Gay Dads Sue; Health Club Reverses Stand on Memberships

After a lawsuit was filed against the Roanoke Athletic Club by a same-sex couple for offering them a "family membership" then revoking it, the club today changed its policy.

MORE: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/gay-dads-son-banned-roanoke-athletic-club-swimming/story?id=16717179#.T_aJs_VE6eY

The Classic, Beautiful and Controversial Books That Changed Science Forever

Without the work of intellectual giants like Einstein, Newton and Darwin, we might still be in the dark ages. But how many scientists still read the dust-ridden texts where these luminaries first expounded their theories? Thanks to the internet, you no longer have to hunt down these yellowing tomes in a moldy library vault.

MORE: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/07/classic-science-books/?pid=4147

Explaining the Higgs: on TV last night!

Let's just take a little time today -- now that we've confidently announced the discovery of the Higgs -- to recap what we now know.

MORE: http://scienceblogs.com/startswithabang/2012/07/05/explaining-the-higgs-on-tv-last-night/

See also..
.
An idea thought up on a rainy weekend
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/an-idea-thought-up-on-a-rainy-weekend-7912760.html?origin=internalSearch

Lighter side of the Higgs boson
http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/05/12585302-lighter-side-of-the-higgs-boson?lite

Higgs' big loser: Why Stephen Hawking is such a bad gambler
http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/05/12587515-higgs-big-loser-why-stephen-hawking-is-such-a-bad-gambler?lite

Scientific Study Reveals That Individuals Cooperate According to Their Emotional State and Their Prior Experiences

ScienceDaily -- A study by researchers at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid and Universidad de Zaragoza has determined that when deciding whether to cooperate with others, people do not act thinking about their own reward, as had been previously believed, but rather individuals are more influenced by their own mood at the time and by the number of individuals with whom they have cooperated before.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120704124059.htm

See also...

Brain Center for Social Choices Discovered: Poker-Playing Subjects Seen Weighing Whether to Bluff
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120705181248.htm

Endowment Effect in Chimpanzees Can Be Turned On and Off

ScienceDaily -- Groundbreaking new research in the field of "evolutionary analysis in law" not only provides additional evidence that chimpanzees share the controversial human psychological trait known as the endowment effect -- which in humans has implications for law -- but also shows the effect can be turned on or off for single objects, depending on their immediate situational usefulness.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120705151425.htm

Dust Today, Gone Tomorrow: Astronomers Discover Houdini-Like Vanishing Act in Space

ScienceDaily -- Astronomers report a baffling discovery never seen before: An extraordinary amount of dust around a nearby star has mysteriously disappeared.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120705201330.htm

See. also...

Cosmic Skyrocket: Geyser of Hot Gas Flowing from a Newborn Star
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120703142509.htm

Solar Flare: Another M-Class Flare from Sunspot 1515
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120705172148.htm

A stunning close-up of Mars taken by visiting NASA rover
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48086325/ns/technology_and_science-space/#.T_aPQ_VE6eY

Vatican reports it's nearly $19 million in the red

The Vatican reported on Thursday that its tiny state wasn't spared by the global economic downfall. With its budget deficit hitting $19 million, 2011 was one of the Holy See's worst financial years on record.

MORE: http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/05/12583425-vatican-reports-its-nearly-19-million-in-the-red?lite

6 killed, 20 wounded in Iraq bomb blast, police say

The violence came one day after 11 people were killed in attacks across the country, and two days after 36 people were killed.

In June, at least 240 people were killed in militant attacks in Iraq, according to CNN estimates.

And while the violence has dropped since the peak of sectarian strife between 2005 and 2007, Iraqi residents continue to express concerns over the stability of the country and the efficacy of its security forces.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/05/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html?hpt=imi_c2

See also...

Series of deadly attacks hit Iraq
http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/04/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html?hpt=imi_c2

And...

Scores arrested after church attacks in Kenya 
http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/04/world/africa/kenya-blast-arrests/index.html?hpt=iaf_c2

Mali separatists ready to act over destruction of tombs
http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/01/world/africa/mali-shrine-attack/index.html?hpt=iaf_c2

'Life Without God' Billboards Pop Up in Treasure Valley

Ahead of an Independence Day parade appearance, a local group of non-theists have launched a billboard campaign to spread awareness of its collection of agnostics, atheists and others who don't subscribe to a particular faith.


"Are you good without God?" asks the Treasure Valley Coalition of Reason via billboard on Caldwell Boulevard in Nampa. "Millions are," answers the same board.


Another billboard, just off eastbound Interstate 184 near Emerald Street, reads "Don't Believe in God? Join the Club," with a link to the Treasure Valley COR, a collection of six secular groups. The local chapter is part of a nationwide consortium of COR groups. 


MORE: http://www.boiseweekly.com/CityDesk/archives/2012/07/03/life-without-god-billboards-pop-up-in-treasure-valley


See also...


Atheists 'Come Out' in Idaho Using Billboards Claiming Millions Are Good Without God
http://www.christianpost.com/news/atheists-come-out-in-idaho-using-billboards-claiming-millions-are-good-without-god-77642/


Godless Billboards in Boise and Nampa; Atheists in July 4th Parade
http://www.unitedcor.org/national/news/godless-billboards-boise-and-nampa-atheists-july-4th-parade


Atheist Billboards Go Up in Idaho
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2012/07/03/atheist-billboards-go-up-in-idaho/


Treasure Valley COR and two billboards!
http://www.dwnomad.com/2012/07/treasure-valley-cor-and-two-billboards/


Anti-God billboards in Treasure Valley bring mixed reviews
http://www.kboi2.com/news/local/Boise-Billboards-news-161276345.html


Anti-God billboards in Treasure Valley bring mixed reviews
http://www.kboi2.com/news/local/Boise-Billboards-news-161276345.html?tab=video&c=y

Happy 4th!

Milestone in Higgs quest: Scientists find new particle

Scientists at the home of the world's most powerful collider say they've found a subatomic particle that's never been seen before -- a particle that could well be the fabled Higgs boson.


MORE: http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/04/12554487-milestone-in-higgs-quest-scientists-find-new-particle?lite


See also...


The Higgs boson made simple
http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/03/12547980-the-higgs-boson-made-simple?lite


Scientists edge closer to proving existence of elusive particle
http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/03/tech/physics-higgs-particle/index.html?hpt=hp_t1


What is the Higgs boson and why is it important?
http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/13/world/europe/higgs-boson-q-and-a/index.html?&hpt=hp_t1


The Biggest Firework of them all: The Higgs!
http://scienceblogs.com/startswithabang/2012/07/03/the-biggest-firework-of-them-all-the-higgs/


And...


Researchers capture shadow cast by a single atom
http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/03/12547726-researchers-capture-shadow-cast-by-a-single-atom?lite