By Arunas L Radzvilavicius, UCL

For nearly nine decades, science’s favourite explanation for the origin of life has been the “primordial soup”. This is the idea that life began from a series of chemical reactions in a warm pond on Earth’s surface, triggered by an external energy source such as lightning strike or ultraviolet (UV) light. But recent research adds weight to an alternative idea, that life arose deep in the ocean within warm, rocky structures called hydrothermal vents.

A study published last month in Nature Microbiology suggests the last common ancestor of all living cells fed on hydrogen gas in a hot iron-rich environment, much like that within the vents. Advocates of the conventional theory have been skeptical that these findings should change our view of the origins of life. But the hydrothermal vent hypothesis, which is often described as exotic and controversial, explains how living cells evolved the ability to obtain energy, in a way that just wouldn’t have been possible in a primordial soup.

By Gavin Bailey, Manchester Metropolitan University

The conviction of radical Islamist preacher Anjem Choudary for swearing allegiance to Islamic State shows that those breaking the law by inviting support for a terrorist organisation can and will be prosecuted. But it comes at a time when the British government is still struggling with definitions of extremism and radicalization, and how to respond to those who don’t break the law.

Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights recently flagged up new concerns about the government’s counter-extremism strategy but we have had around a decade of these debates. Back in 2008, in the wake of the London 7/7 bombings, then Labour home secretary Jacqui Smith spoke of “extremist groups who are careful to avoid promoting violence”. The same year, the Department for Communities and Local Government created a list of British values: “human rights, the rule of law, legitimate and accountable government, justice, freedom, tolerance, and opportunity for all”. Vocal or active opposition to what are now known as fundamental British values has since been defined as extremism. This marks out certain attitudes as potentially dangerous, even if they do not incite violence.

I say it’s time for a rethink, and that it should be through reclaiming the concept of radicalization.

Conrad Hadland, one of the BC Humanist Association's long-time members, tells the story of his escape from the Jehovah's Witnesses religion.

In my life I have been very lucky, very fortunate. I began my existence with a genetic endowment that allowed me to take advantage of some of the experiences I faced. And at critical times in my growth, I was lucky enough to find people or ideas that allowed me to move out of ideological systems that were limiting my awareness. Thus this quote from Karl Menninger’s “The Vital Balance” rings true to me:

“There is nothing more expressive of a barbarous and stupid lack of culture than the half-unconscious attitude so many of us slip into, of taking for granted, when we see weak, neurotic, helpless, drifting, unhappy people, that it is by some reason of some special merit in us or by reason of some especial favour towards us that the gods have given us an advantage over such persons. The more deeply sophisticated our culture is the more fully are we aware that these lamentable differences in good and bad fortune spring entirely from luck. 

“It is luck: luck in our heredity, luck in our environment, that makes the difference; and moreover at any movement fortune’s erratic wheel may turn completely round and we ourselves may be hit by some totally unforeseen catastrophe. It is luck, too, springing from some fortunate encounter, some incredible love affair, some fragment of oracular wisdom in work or writing that has come our way, that launched us on the secret road of health and on the stubborn resolution to be happy under all upshots and issues, which has been so vast a resource to us in fortifying our embattled spirit. At any moment we are liable, the toughest and strongest among us, to be sent howling to a suicidal collapse. It is all a matter of luck; and the more culture we have the more deeply do we resolve that in our own relations with all the human failures and abject and ne’er-do-wells of our world, we shall feel nothing but plain, simple humble reverence before the mystery of misfortune.”

It's just passed one year since Ian Bushfield started working again as the BCHA's part-time executive director.

In this time we've seen some incredible growth and brought forward some important campaigns. Most notably, we ended Gideon Bible distribution in Abbotsford, brought a secular and progressive voice against the proposed evangelical law school, were cited by the Special Joint Committee on Physician-Assisted Dying, helped launch a petition to repeal Canada's blasphemy law and exposed religious coercion in addictions recovery to the legislature's health committee.

On the community side, we've also supported campus groups, took part at Vaisakhi Day, Car Free Day and Pride, donated blood, raised money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and victims of the Fort McMurray fires, held a coat drive and are in the final stages of applying to sponsor a Syrian refugee family. And we certified our first Humanist Officiants.

All of this has been possible because of your continued support.

But this has only been the first year and we have plenty more in store. If you haven't already, consider setting up a regular donation to support our work.

We just finished another successful Pride Week in Vancouver.

For the sixth year in a row, the BCHA joined the Vancouver Pride Parade and for the sixth year we were greeted warmly by the enthusiastic crowds.

Check out our latest blog for some video and photos from the day. Thanks to everyone who came out in support of the LGBTQ+ community.

Pride Week has just ended in Vancouver and for the sixth straight year members of the BC Humanist Association joined the annual Vancouver Pride Parade to show our solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community.

This year, we built on our strengths. It was the first year that many of our supporters joined the Vancouver Dyke March as Humanists to show our support for social justice and marginalized communities. We also set up a table at the Vancouver Pride Festival for the first time and were overwhelmed by the support we received (we ran out of buttons before the day even ended).

Thanks to CFI Vancouver for their continued sponsorship of our marching group and to Ken at EmbroidMe Vancouver for promotional support.

Last week, the Prince George Citizen published an incredible article about the Ness Lake Bible Camp.

It documents how the camp censors third party groups who rent the facility from speaking in support of LGBTQ equality. The camp has also barred one of its Christian volunteers from returning because of pro-LGBTQ Facebook posts.

The public school district is now considering whether to terminate its relationship with the camp. Local schools often rented the facility for year end activities.

It's a well written and thorough piece that highlights the concerns we continue to have with religion's influence on our school system. Going forward we'll be there to continue to support secular schools in BC.

By Joseph P. Laycock, Texas State University

The 1990s were a high-water mark for public interest in UFOs and alien abduction. Shows like “The X-Files” and Fox’s “alien autopsy” hoax were prime-time events, while MIT even hosted an academic conference on the abduction phenomenon.

But in the first decade of the 21st century, interest in UFOs began to wane. Fewer sightings were reported, and established amateur research groups like the British Flying Saucer Bureau disbanded.

In 2006 historian Ben Macintyre suggested in The Times that the internet had “chased off” the UFOs. The web’s free-flowing, easy exchange of ideas and information had allowed UFO skeptics to prevail, and, to Macintyre, people were no longer seeing UFOs because they no longer believed in them.

Data seemed to back up Macintyre’s argument that, when it came to belief in UFOs, reason was winning out. A 1990 Gallup poll found that 27 percent of Americans believed “extraterrestrial beings have visited Earth at some time in the past.” That number rose to 33 percent in 2001, before dropping back to 24 percent in 2005.

But now “The X-Files” is back, and Hillary Clinton has even pledged to disclose what the government knows about aliens if elected president. Meanwhile, a recent Boston Globe article by Linda Rodriguez McRobbie suggests that belief in UFOs may be growing.

She points to a 2015 Ipsos poll, which reported that 45 percent of Americans believe extraterrestrials have visited the Earth.

So much for reason.

By Drew Margolin, Cornell University

The Bastille Day terror attack in Nice, France, brought the usual outpouring of emotion and expressions of support through social media. Front and center is the use of the #PrayForNice hashtag.

While this hashtag began years ago, it is becoming increasingly scrutinized as a social and political act. For example, after the Nice attacks, a number of tweets expressed frustration with the relative outpouring of sympathy for Nice compared with other cities that had been targeted by violent attacks, notably those in the Middle East and Africa.

medina was attacked a couple days ago and there was no #prayformedina no one even talked about it. https://t.co/cy3vOyCHfH

— ikram (@Ikramnorr) 15 July 2016

What could lead to this accusation of indifference, and what should we conclude from it?

I think there's a fair amount of evidence which says that such things as prayer would be helpful to people. -Darryl Plecas, MLA

When I presented to the BC Legislature's Health Committee last week, I didn't expect to get into an argument over whether there's any scientific evidence for the legitimacy of intercessory prayers.

Yet after discussing the limitations of spirituality-based treatment programs for many atheists, Abbotsford South MLA Darryl Plecas began arguing that prayer can help "people with all kinds of disorders."

You can read more coverage of the exchange on the Friendly Atheist blog or read the transcript of my presentation.

The entire event was quite an insight into the continued strength of religion in BC politics.

~Ian