trentmkelly/rationalwiki huggingface dataset:
Casimir effect

{{Physics}}
[[File:Casimir plates.svg|thumb|left|An illustration of the Casimir effect]]
The '''Casimir effect''' is a very small force which results when two metal plates are placed close together. The force is only significant if the gap between them is no more than a few times the wavelength of visible light, i.e. of the order of 10<sup>-6</sup> meters or less.

The plates affect the energy of [[quantum]] vacuum fluctuations inside the gap by creating a resonance chamber, much like the body of a musical instrument, which allows one frequency and its harmonics to exist as standing waves while canceling other frequencies. When combined with the normal broadband vacuum fluctuations which appear on the exterior of the plate, the result is a net attraction.  

Since this force seems to be created from nothing, ''ex nihilo'', it is a favorite topic for proponents of [[science woo]] who want to push their [[perpetual motion]] schemes. However, the Casimir effect can't be turned off, so any machine which employs the phenomenon would have to work against the attraction to reset the plates for the next cycle, making it no different from a spring-wound toy.

==See also==
*[[Zero-point energy]]
*[[Maxwell's demon]]
Catastrophism

{{religion}} 
'''Catastrophism''' is a load of [[religion|religious]] [[bullshit]] that essentially says, "Because of [[goddidit|various interventions by God]], there is no reason to believe laws of physics are the same as before.  As a result, any dating method with such an assumption is invalid."

Historically, ''catastrophist'' was also a [[snarl word]] used by ''uniformitarians'' (geologists who equally irrationally defended the equally indefensible position that no extreme events unlike those that can be presently viewed on Earth can ever have occurred) to describe geologists who presented evidence of such events having happened, such as flood basalt flows, volcanic eruptions orders of magnitude beyond any ever witnessed in historical times, or titanic glacial outburst floods such as the great Missoula Floods.

==Criticisms==
===Assumptions involved===
Biblical catastrophists assume that the [[Book of Genesis]] faithfully records the [[Historical and operational science|history of the earth]], and that therefore they have a license to dismiss all scientific evidence that does not fit in with this [[faith|credo]].  The process is called [[rationalization]] (start with the conclusion and try to come up with explanations and evidences for said conclusion).

===Other things===
If the [[Global Flood]] can interfere with the decay rates ([[Evidence_against_a_recent_creation#Lack_of_DNA_in_fossils|DNA decomposition]] or [[radioactive decay]]) of things, then one cannot deny that ''any'' other flood will be able to have a similar interference on a smaller scale.  We have yet to observe such an occurrence.  One of the ways to validate catastrophism would be for the [[creationist]]s to come up with a recipe to produce [[fossil]]s of arbitrary species in a somewhat short period of time (up to decades, because no additional global events interfere with the ''global'' rate of fossil-formation).
Catch-22

{{Books}}
{{title-italics}}
{{cquote|''There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one's safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn't, but if he was sane he had to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn't have to, but if he didn't want to he was sane and had to. Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of this clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle.''|||From the book ''Catch-22''<ref>''Catch-22'' by Joseph Heller (1973) Delta Book. ISBN 0440543053.</ref>{{rp|46}}}}
'''Catch-22''' is both a novel by Joseph Heller and a [[logic]] problem of the same name.

Heller's novel is set on an American airbase in [[Italy]] during the [[World War Two|Second World War]], and tells the story of Captain Yossarian, a bombardier in the Army Air Corps who wants to be discharged. The only way he can be discharged is by claiming that the war has made him insane. However, the camp's doctor points out that Yossarian's desire to be discharged (and thus safe) proves his sanity. Thus, Yossarian is caught in a [[paradox]]ical situation.

The nature of this situation is the titular "Catch-22." The term has grown to describe any problem which seemingly has multiple solutions, but in which, each possible solution creates a new condition that makes it impossible — leaving only the original problem once more. For example, elsewhere in the novel, a character is accused of being disloyal to his country for refusing to sign a loyalty oath, only to be told it is also disloyal to request to take a loyalty oath. Even though it appears he could simply swear the oath, in fact, a Catch-22 ensures he will be seen as disloyal no matter what he does.

The Heller novel addresses not only the inhumanity and insanity of [[war]], but the ways in which large bureaucratic organizations such as armies are able to thrive because of the ways in which they create their own internal [[logic]]. It has remained a popular work ever since its publication.

<gallery>
File:Catch22.png|The Catch-22 flowchart
File:Catch22.jpg|Book cover of the first edition
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

[[Category:Books]]
[[Category:Paradoxes]]
{{stub|Books}}

Categories: Books, Paradoxes
Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights

{{christianity}}

The '''Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights''' is a [[reactionary]] [[Roman Catholic]] activist group led by extraordinary prick [[Bill Donohue]] since 1993. The primary motive of the organization is to demand the [[censorship]] of anything in the media that they perceive as "anti-Catholic". By anti-Catholic, they mean "anything that disagrees with our opinions", which sometimes even includes other Catholic perspectives.<ref>http://www.catholicleague.org/media-14/ See July under the television section. For extra bonus points, that show was written with substantial input from the Societas Iesu.</ref> They are also well known for being viciously [[homophobic]] and [[Islamophobic]].

On August 27, 2010, Donohue staged a small protest to express the grievance that the decision of the owners of the Empire State Building not to change the lighting of the top floors to the blue and white colors of Mother Theresa's Missionaries of Charity on the anniversary of her birthday, "was to insult Catholics". The owners of the building explained that they did not respond to requests for non-secular events.<ref> Clyde Haberman. "In the Latest Religious Battle, a Call to Arms for Mother Theresa." ''The New York Times''. August 27, 2010. A16.</ref> Property rights are property rights. Perhaps Mr. Donohue should buy the building and change the exterior lighting policy.

The League was reported to have $35 million in assets as of 2013, but only 3 employees, including Donohue. The League claimed to have 233,333<ref group=note>Turns out dividing 700,000 by 3 doesn't result in a very credible-looking number of members.</ref> dues-paying members in 1999, when they last reported a membership total, but critical estimates suggest it is much lower.<ref>[https://www.au.org/church-state/april-2015-church-state/people-events/catholic-league-leader-rakes-in-large-salary Catholic League Leader Rakes In Large Salary Despite Small Role]</ref><ref>[https://archive.is/ScgFC JimRomenesko.com: Bashing the media pays off for conservative Catholic League boss Bill Donohue] Archived from the original at jimromenesko.com.</ref>

== External links ==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20101016001055/http://www.juicycerebellum.com/league.htm The truth about the Catholic League] (archived from October 16, 2010)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

{{stub|Christianity|Christianity}}

[[Category:Catholicism]]
[[Category:Homophobia]]
[[Category:Islamophobia]]
[[Category:Misnomers]]

Categories: Catholicism, Homophobia, Islamophobia, Misnomers
Causal impotence objection

{{Philosophy}}
The '''causal impotence objection''' is among the most serious threats to ethical [[vegetarianism]], action on [[climate change]], and [[Overpopulation|population mitigation]]. The argument begins with the premise that individuals, or relatively small collections thereof, have a negligible impact on the world; it is unlikely that their actions will make a substantive impact, or noticeably change some state of affairs. By the {{wpl|Ought_implies_can|ought implies can principle|,}} such individuals are not morally obligated to do anything about which they cannot control.
 
==Examples==

*An individual riding a bike rather than a car makes no meaningful difference in overall [[Carbon|carbon emissions]]. What difference they do make is generally so small as to be negligible and readily subsumed by the rest of society. 

*A lone individual abstaining from meat is unlikely to reduce any amount of animal suffering. The global market simply will not respond to one individual’s dietary choices, nor will most grocery stores, which are likely to purchase just as much meat as before.<ref>http://www.pdcnet.org/pdc/bvdb.nsf/purchase?openform&fp=swphilreview&id=swphilreview_2008_0024_0001_0053_0060</ref>

==Discussions==

Philosopher {{wpl|Walter Sinnott-Armstrong}} rejects the “group principle” implicit in some arguments defending individual obligations based on collective impacts. Namely, by founding the individual obligation to do something on the collective impacts of a group, we merely beg the question of whether such an individual obligation exists.<ref>[http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Walter_Sinnott-Armstrong/publication/265495242_IT%27S_NOT_MY_FAULT_GLOBAL_WARMING_AND_INDIVIDUAL_MORAL_OBLIGATIONS/links/54b665bb0cf24eb34f6d159e.pdf IT'S NOT MY FAULT: GLOBAL WARMING AND INDIVIDUAL MORAL OBLIGATIONS] by Walter Sinnott-Armstrong</ref>

==Proposed resolutions==

In regard to vegetarianism, {{wpl|Alastair Norcross}} and [[Peter Singer]]<ref>http://www.colorado.edu/philosophy/heathwood/pdf/norcross.pdf</ref> argue there must be some number of vegetarians at which some number of animals are spared a fate in factory farms. For example, 10,000 vegetarians might spare 200,000 chickens from factory farms per year (ignoring elasticities; note that the average American consumes roughly 27 chickens per year.)<ref>http://www.quora.com/How-many-chickens-cows-pigs-and-fish-does-an-average-human-consume-in-a-year</ref> Assuming that the market responds to differences in demand of exactly 200,000 chickens, given the uncertainty about which decisions will actually lead to changes in supply, the expected number of chickens spared per whole chicken purchased would be 1. This is because, while each decision has a very low probability of leading to a shift in supply, when it does happen, the change is roughly 1 divided by that probability. So, the expected number of chickens spared per vegetarian per year would be 200,000 / 10,000 = 20.
==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Morality]]

Categories: Morality
Center for Bio-Ethical Reform

{{abortion}}
The '''Center for Bio-Ethical Reform''' is an anti-[[abortion]] outfit whose primary means of arguing against the practice appears to be gross-out 
Photoshop jobs
 Completely Authentic Photographs<sup><small>TM</small></sup><ref>[http://wayback.archive.org/web/20101210075305/http://abortionno.org/About_Us/lawsuits/authenticity.html CBR / Abortion Photo Authentication (Wayback Machine copy)]</ref> juxtaposing sundry [[fetus]] parts with coins.

They purport to mix "[[Pseudoscience|scientific fact]], [[Godwin's Law|historical examination]], and [[Bible|contemporary analysis]]" with the aforementioned gross-out pictures;<ref>[http://wayback.archive.org/web/20131024170805/http://www.abortionno.org/abortion_no.html CBR / The AbortionNO Web Project (Wayback Machine copy)]</ref> however, the only so-called arguments that they mix with the pictures is to compare abortion to the [[Holocaust]]<ref>[http://wayback.archive.org/web/20140703172653/http://abortionno.org/category/gap/ AbortionNo.org » GAP  (Wayback Machine copy)]</ref> and quote-mine the [[Bible]] extensively.<ref>[http://wayback.archive.org/web/20140713215319/http://abortionno.org/gregg-cunningham-interview-with-pastor-matt-higa/ (Wayback Machine copy)]</ref>

Further sullying their attempt at making an apolitical, secular image is the fact that they link their message to the cause of stopping "ObamaCare."<ref>[http://wayback.archive.org/web/20120515145316/http://www.abortionno.org/pdf/mailings/A0908Web.pdf Newsletter from August 2009 (Wayback Machine copy)]</ref>

==See also==

* [[Abortion and Nazism]]
* [[Is Abortion Genocide?]]

==External links==

* [http://www.abortionno.org Center for Bio-Ethical Reform]

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{abortionnav}}
{{stub|politics}}

[[Category:Organizations]]
[[Category:Misnomers]]

Categories: Organizations, Misnomers
Center for the Study of Political Islam

{{Islamophobia}}
The '''Center for the Study of Political Islam''' (or simply '''Political Islam''') is an organization founded by Dr. Bill Warner [[Professor of nothing|(whose Ph.D. is in Physics and Math &mdash; not Politics or Theology)]]. Its research generally uses [[mathematics]] to "prove" [[Islam]] as [[evil]], though can be heavily misleading in its presentation. Warner claims that [[Barack Obama]] was a Muslim, primarily because he "promotes" Islam.<ref>[http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/president-obama-face-islam-america President Obama 'Is The Face Of Islam In America'] by Kyle Mantyla (Tuesday, 1/13/2015 4:37 pm) Right Wing Watch</ref>

=="Research"==
Political Islam heavily supports the "[[Eurabia]]" myth, a [[far-right]] claim that Muslims will one day take over [[Europe]]. To 'prove' it is Warner's ''magnum opus'', "How many times Muslims invaded Europe vs. Europeans invaded Muslim countries?" The purpose of this video, which shows 1400 years worth of battles across a map of Europe, is to imply that Islam (or at least Islam in the [[Middle East]]) is fanatically obsessed with invading Europe and always will be. It further serves to pass away the [[Crusades]] and [[British Empire|Anglo]]-[[French colonial empire|French]] colonial expansion into North Africa as somehow defensive. The main problem any [[history]] academic would find with this research is the "for Dummies" level of simplification, missing out completely on instances where European and Muslim nations were allied against other states.

==References==
{{reflist|2|90%}}

[[Category:Islamophobia]]
{{stub|Islamophobia}}

Categories: Islamophobia
Central bank

{{economics}}
A '''central bank''' is a national bank that issues a country's [[currency]], regulates the national [[money]] supply and regulates a country's interest rates.  Central banks implement a government's chosen monetary policy and are often also tasked with regulating the country's private [[Banking crisis|banks]]. Usual goals for monetary policy are high employment rate, price stability, and economic growth among other things.

Of course as they belong to the State and have a monopoly on money printing among other things they're ''not'' liked by a number of [[Libertarianism|libertarians]]. You know, those who complain that because of their existence the epoch of the [[Industrial Revolution]] was [[Scotsman_fallacy|not]] one of [[Laissez-faire|deregulated economies]], ignoring ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_Revolution#Labour_conditions why]'' [[Communism]] and [[Socialism]] appeared in that epoch.  

== Use by [[Crank|cranks]] ==
{{main|Federal Reserve}}
Cranks on [[Ron Paul|both]] [[Bernie Sanders|sides]] of the political spectrum seem to be obsessed with central banks, especially the [[Federal Reserve]], with a multitude of 
conspiracy theories
 TRUTHS! 

In many countries, including the US, central banks are supposed to be [[operational independence|operationally independent]] - something which certain [[Tea Party]] influenced US senators don't seem to grasp.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20171122164003/http://www.wsj.com/articles/gop-senate-takeover-would-put-fed-under-microscope-1415104673 Victoria McGrane, "GOP Senate takeover puts Fed on hot seat," ''The Wall Street Journal'', 5 Nov. 2014, as displayed at 22 Nov. 2017.]</ref>

{{stub|Economics}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category: Economics]]

Categories:  Economics
Centrifuge

{{sciencenav}}
[[File:Centrifuga_Hermle_2.jpg|thumb|left|200px|A laboratory centrifuge.]]
A '''centrifuge''' is a piece of equipment that rotates an object around a fixed axis (spins it in a circle), applying an outward [[force]]. When this happens, the denser materials migrate outwards, while the less dense ones are pushed inwards. 

Industrial-scale centrifuges are commonly used in manufacturing and waste processing to separate suspended solids or immiscible liquids. An example of this is the cream separator found in [[Milk|dairies]]. Centrifuges are also used to separate isotopes of the same [[Atom|atomic element]] for [[nuclear energy]] and [[nuclear weapons]], since different isotopes have different masses (and [[radioactivity]]).
{{stub|Science}}
Certiorari

{{law}}
A Writ of '''Certiorari''' ([[Latin]] for "having been certified") is legally a ''writ of error'' submitted by a party to a case from a lower court to a higher court, requesting review of the lower court's adverse findings of law.

The common usage of the term in American law implies review by the [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]]. A party is said to seek "''cert''" almost exclusively when seeking judicial review by the Supreme Court.

The Court strategically considers and limits its docket by denying ''certiorari'' where appropriate. ''Cert'' is often denied where:
*The issue, if decided properly, would inflame national opinion on a controversial topic (under this rationale, the Court delayed handing down an opinion on [[miscegenation]] until [[Loving v. Virginia]], despite requests for ''certiorari'' of related cases over the preceding 20 years);
*The case is simply not important enough, factually (dollar value, rights infringed, etc.) to merit review;
*The law implicated is clearly settled, and any Supreme Court opinion would be a cursory affirmation of the lower court;
*The lower court was either correct, or correct ''enough'', or;
*The Court is simply too busy, or for some other mystical reason, uninterested.

Circuit splits – or disagreements among several federal judicial circuits – often result in a grant of ''certiorari'', since the Supreme Court has a high level of interest in encouraging judicial uniformity (to assure the [[rule of law]], "like cases should be treated alike"). However, the existence of a circuit split is no guarantee of a writ being granted.

The Supreme Court has — even prior to the confirmation of [[John Roberts|Chief Justice Roberts]] — been reviewing a decreasing number of cases.<ref>"Dwindling Docket Mystifies Supreme Court". ''New York Times''. December 7, 2006. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/07/washington/07scotus.html.</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:United States law]]
[[Category:Latin phrases]]

Categories: United States law, Latin phrases
Chance or Purpose? Creation, Evolution and a Rational Faith

{{crenav}}{{books}}{{title-italics}}
'''''[[JAQ|Chance or Purpose?]] Creation, Evolution and a Rational Faith''''' ({{Isbn|9781586172121}}) is a Christian [[theistic evolution]] book, written in 2007 by one Christoph Schönborn  — an [[Austria]]n cardinal of the  [[Catholic Church]].

The main claim of the book is that [[science]] is "incomplete" without 
[[woo]]
 [[spirituality]], and that specifically the Christian [[God]] (out of all [[Argument_from_ignorance|potential deities]]) is somehow [[Guided_evolution|guiding all natural processes]].<ref>[http://www.arn.org/blogs/index.php/2/2008/06/04/introduction_christoph_cardinal_schoenbo Introduction: Christoph, Cardinal Schoenborn's Chance or Purpose? Flickering light on the ID controversy at best]</ref><ref>[http://www.stpauls.com.au/product/4315 Chance or Purpose? at St. Pauls Publications]</ref>

==Overview==
In his book, Schönborn accepts evidence for [[evolution]] and [[common descent]] and claims that these scientific theories are compatible with Catholic belief. [[Stopped_clock|So far, so good]].

Beyond that the troubles begin, however. Schönborn denies the "[[Evolutionist|neo-Darwinian]]" interpretation of evolution, seeing evolution [[Guided_evolution|not as a random process, but as a directed one]].<ref group=notes>As if the theory of evolution is based on the idea that "[[Straw_man|it's all random, maan]]."</ref>

While Schönborn ''claims'' that his views [[NOMA|do not conflict]] with the theory of evolution, his arguments essentially parallel those of your standard [[ID]]iot — most notably in his attempts to replace [[Naturalism|natural processes]] (read: scientific theories that ''actually have'' explanatory power) with "[[Godidit|God]]".<ref>
[http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Catholic/2006/01/Catholics-And-Evolution-Interview-With-Cardinal-Christoph-Schnborn.aspx Catholics and Evolution: Interview with Cardinal Christoph Schönborn]
</ref><ref>
[http://www.ignatius.com/Products/CHAPUR-H/chance-or-purpose.aspx Chance or Purpose? at Ignatius Press]
</ref>

==Reception==
Schönborn is [[Wronger_than_wrong|''not only'' not a scientist, but indeed a faithful theologian]].

As such, the book has been described not as a scientific, but a religious book — marketed towards [[Catholic]]s who [[Apologetics|''want'' to buy the conclusion that their Christianity still makes sense]], whilst also (most wisely) accepting evolution.<ref>[http://www.curledup.com/chancepu.htm Book Review]</ref>

==See also==
*[[Random Designer: Created from Chaos to Connect with the Creator]]
*[[Can You Believe in God and Evolution?: A Guide for the Perplexed]]
*[[Finding Darwin's God: A Scientist's Search for Common Ground Between God and Evolution]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=notes}}

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{crebox}}

[[Category:Christianity]]
[[Category:Religious books]]
[[Category:Theistic evolution]]

Categories: Christianity, Religious books, Theistic evolution