trentmkelly/rationalwiki huggingface dataset:
Mammal

{{sources needed}}
[[File:Quebec angora goat.jpg|thumb|Goats are a common species of mammal. Pictured here is a fluffy Angora goat with a nice fro.]]
{{biology}}

'''Mammals''' (systematic name '''Mammalia''') are a warm-blooded and mostly fluffy class of vertebrate [[animal]]s which feed their young using the [[Breast|mammary glands]], for which the group is named. These mammary glands evolved as an adaptation of sweat glands.

Unlike [[bird]]s, which diverged from [[dinosaur]]s during or before the [[Jurassic]] era, mammals [[evolution|evolved]] from [[synapsid]]s, diverging from their therapsid line during or after the [[Triassic]] era.  ''[[Morganucodon]]'' represents an early [[transitional form]] of mammal.

==Traits==
Mammals are characterised by such traits as three middle-ear bones, dentary bones articulated directly to the skull, fur, sweat glands, hair, mammary glands, a {{wpl|neocortex||,}} incisors, canines, molars, premolars, molars doubled rooted, and pelvis fused.<ref group=note>
In another miracle of evolution, the joints of the human female pelvis relax during late-stage pregnancy to ease the passage of the baby during birth.</ref>

==Diversity==
[[Australia]]'s [[platypus]] and echidna (known as ''prototheria'' or monotremes), uniquely among extant mammals, lay eggs, a sign of mammals' distant amniote ancestry.  All other mammals (known as ''theria'' or [[therian]]s) give birth to live young, including marsupials such as the [[kangaroo]] and its misplaced distant relative the opossum (which carry their young in a pouch), and placental mammals like [[human|us]] and [[goat]]s (whose young are carried within their bodies until they develop long enough to survive outside their mothers' bodies (with said young being encased in a placenta, hence the name)).

Mammals form an enormously diverse group, thousands of species having developed varying traits in adapting to numerous habitats around the world.  Mammals range from small rodents such as mice and [[rat]]s, to bats, [[horse]]s, [[sheep]], [[goat]]s, [[cat]]s and other carnivores, marine mammals such as whales and [[dolphin]]s, and [[primate]]s, including [[monkey]]s, [[ape]]s and [[human]]s.

==Creationism==
According to [[creationism|creationists]], virtually none of the above is correct.  Beasts of the land (such as ostriches) were created intact and various on the sixth day of [[Creation Week|creation]], whales having been created along with fish on the fifth day. (Don't even ask about [[bat]]s.)

==See also==
*[[Linnaean taxonomy]]
*[[Furry fandom]]
*[[Bestiality]]
*[[Synapsid]]
==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}
==References==
{{reflist}}
[[category:zoology]][[category:evolution]][[category:animals]]

Categories: zoology, evolution, animals
Manfred Gerstenfeld

{{Islamophobia|1}}
'''Manfred Gerstenfeld''' (1937-2021) was an [[Austria]]n [[Far right|far-right]] [[crank]] and [[Islamophobia|Islamophobe]] who lived in [[Israel]]. He was most widely known in [[Norway]], including for his claim that Norway is [[Godwin's Law|the world's most anti-semitic]] country. Norway's largest newspaper, the conservative (centre-right) daily ''Aftenposten'', has described him in an editorial as a "[[wingnut|far-right extremist and fanatic]]."<ref>http://www.aftenposten.no/meninger/leder/article3387658.ece</ref> Gerstenfeld also contributed to the Islamophobic blog [[Document.no]],<ref>www.document.no/2013/09/vil-en-ny-regjering-bety-endret-syn-pa-israel/</ref> known as the ideological inspiration of [[Anders Behring Breivik]] and described by the ''Financial Times'' as "a website rife with anti-Muslim and hard right rhetoric."<ref>Andrew Ward; Robin Wigglesworth (2011-07-25). "[http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/902834ea-b54f-11e0-81cd-00144feabdc0.html Killings sure to stir immigration debate]". ''Financial Times''.</ref> 

Odd Bjørn Fure, the director of the Norwegian Holocaust museum and the leading expert on antisemitism in Norway, has given Gerstenfeld this testimonial:
{{quote|He [Gerstenfeld] is not worth arguing against. I prefer to deal with serious people. We do not take this person seriously. We couldn't care less about his opinions.|Odd Bjørn Fure, director of the Norwegian Holocaust museum<ref>[http://www.idag.no/aktuelt-oppslag.php3?ID=18906 Frykter for undersøkelsens troverdighet". ''Norge idag'' 25 Februaryy 2011.</ref>}}

Gerstenfeld formerly headed two extreme right-wing think tanks in Israel, the "Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs" and the "Institute for Global Jewish Affairs," which are known to primarily advocate the views of the far-right settler movement and to describe all criticism of Israel as "anti-semitism."

==Opinions on Norway==
Gerstenfeld [[PIDOOMA|claimed]] that "Norway is a nation of Jew-haters"<ref>[http://www.dagbladet.no/2009/03/30/nyheter/utenriks/israel/5540894/ Israelsk avis: Kristin Halvorsen sa «Død over jødene!»], ''Dagbladet''</ref> and that "[[stereotype|Norwegians are a]] [[racism|barbaric and unintelligent people]]."<ref name=barb>[http://www.dagbladet.no/2009/03/01/nyheter/antisemittisme/tv_2/5096280/ Nordmenn er et barbarisk og uintelligent folkeferd], ''Dagbladet''</ref> He has also claimed that Norway's former Deputy Prime Minister Kristin Halvorsen, King Harald V, Crown Prince Haakon, former Foreign Minister and current Labour Party leader Jonas Gahr Støre, and most of Norway's political elite are anti-semites.<ref name=barb /><ref>http://www.aftenposten.no/meninger/leder/article3387658.ece</ref>

==Criticism of "left-wing Jews"==
Gerstenfeld also lashed out at Jews critical of Israel, [[ad hominem|describing them]] as "[[No True Scotsman|self-hating Jews]]."<ref>[http://www.jcpa.org/phas/phas-30.htm Jews against Israel], ''Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs''</ref>

==See also==
*[[Med Israel For Fred]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gerstenfeld, Manfred}}
[[Category:Austria]]
[[Category:Jews]]

Categories: Austria, Jews
Maoist Internationalist Movement

{{significantly problematic}}{{Communism}}
{{sources needed}}
Founded in 1983 as the '''Revolutionary Internationalist Movement''', the '''Maoist Internationalist Movement''' ('''MIM''') was a clandestine [[Mao Zedong|Maoist]] movement in the [[United States|USA]]. Its origins lie in a radical group at Harvard University. They developed an ideology known as MIM Thought, and had only a post office box as an address. It is likely that the only branch that ever existed was the Maoist Internationalist Party - Amerika (yes, that's not a spelling error).<ref>https://www.prisoncensorship.info/archive/etext/</ref> There is no sign of any international presence.

==Anonymity==
The organization was truly clandestine, and no names were ever given of any members. They were only listed as MIM Comrade X. The organization frequently wrote about saboteurs and enemies, and Prairie Fire (head of [[Leading Light Communist Organization|LLCO]]) said that it had become a security [[cult]]. After dissolution of MIM, it was revealed that Henry Park {{lived||2011}} was the founder.<ref>[https://www.prisoncensorship.info/news/all/US/1133 Henry Park Obituary: MIM Comrade and Devoted Revolutionary] by Soso (September 2011) ''Under Lock & Key''.</ref>

==Publications==
The organization's main publication was ''MIM Notes''.<ref>Jason Unruhe (April 11, 2015). [https://web.archive.org/web/20230328211902/https://maoistrebelnews.com/2015/04/11/interview-commander-prairie-fire-of-the-leading-light-communist-organization/ "Interview: Commander Prairie Fire of the Leading Light Communist Organization"]. ''Maoist Rebel News'', via the Wayback Machine.</ref> Starting from September 24, 1984 and ending in May 2006, 335 issues were published.

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080509190911/http://www.etext.org/Politics/MIM/ Archived site of MIM]

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{stub|Communism}}
Marcello Truzzi

{{sources needed}}{{skepnav|1}}
'''Marcello Truzzi''' (1935-2003) was a notable figure in the early years of the [[skepticism|skeptical movement]] in the [[US]]. He became one of the founding members of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP, later mercifully shortened to the [[Committee for Skeptical Inquiry]]) and co-chaired it together with [[Paul Kurtz]]. He quickly left the organization, though, as he felt they were not "true skeptics". (His view on skepticism was closer to [[Pyrrhonism]] and [[Forteanism]] than the CSICOP version.)

==On pseudoskepticism==
One thing that got on Truzzi’s nerves was how most skeptics would prefer to take the easy way of skepticism. Meaning that rather than deep inquiry, pseudoskeptics would criticize ideas before they are actually investigated.

== See also ==
* [[Pseudoskepticism]]

== External links ==
* [http://www.tricksterbook.com/truzzi/ZeteticScholars.html An archive of ''Zetetic Scholar'' issues]
* {{wpa|Marcello Truzzi}}

{{stub|skeptics}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Truzzi, Marcello}}
March Against Monsanto

[[File:March Against Monsanto Lethbridge.jpg|thumb|right|165px|Marching against Monsanto]]
{{conspiracy}}
'''March Against Monsanto''' is an anti-[[genetically modified food]] organization with a penchant for attributing unrelated conspiracy theories to [[Monsanto]]. They blame everything from [[colony collapse disorder]] to [[cancer]] on the existence of genetically modified crops. These claims are backed by only the fact that cancer and colony collapse disorder exist. They are also quite happy to cite papers<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20141215032535/http://www.march-against-monsanto.com/monsantos-flagship-product-is-everywhere-and-its-toxic-to-the-heart-new-study-says/ like this]</ref> by [[Gilles-Eric Séralini|people who have had to retract their previous papers on the subject under accusations of fraud]].

The organization was founded by California homemaker-turned-[[food woo]] guru Tami Monroe Canal.

==Conspiracies==
It should be no surprise that the group's [[Facebook]] page is a [[crank magnet]], with claims of [[chemtrails]] being used to kill non-genetically modified plants to cement a world-wide monopoly, and [[anti-vaccine hysteria]] being rampant.<ref>[http://skepchick.org/2015/02/why-well-march-against-march-against-monsanto-part-1/ Why We'll March Against March Against Monsanto]</ref> Their website includes claims that [[US]] elections are rigged.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20141023045310/http://www.march-against-monsanto.com/why-voting-is-a-hoax Why Voting Is a Hoax]</ref>

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20130425041303/https://www.facebook.com/MarchAgainstMonstanto March Against Monsanto's Facebook page]

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{stub|conspiracy theories}}
{{foodbox}}

[[Category:California]]
[[Category:GMO]]
[[Category:Pseudoscience]]

Categories: California, GMO, Pseudoscience
Marfa lights

[[File:USA Marfa Lights Viewing Platform TX.jpg|thumb|right|165px|Marfa Lights Viewing Platform]]
{{ufology}}
The '''Marfa lights''' are an unusual optical phenomenon occurring just outside of the desert town of {{wpl|Marfa, Texas|Marfa}}, [[Texas]]. Certain people and media have attributed this to the usual suspects of mysterious phenomena such as spirits or [[UFO]]s. Unlike most unexplained phenomena the Marfa lights occur frequently enough to be tested and studied. The general rational consensus is that they're a mirage effect caused by alternating patches of cool and hot desert air which magnify the headlights of cars on route 90 and Highway 67, some 5 miles distant.

The Marfa lights were first reported in 1957 in an issue of ''Coronet Magazine'', though scattered anecdotal accounts put them several decades earlier. 

==Research (of various sorts)==
In 2005 the Society of Physics Students at the University of Texas at Dallas conducted a battery of experiments that strongly supported the car headlight theory, correlating light sightings to traffic density. They also had a vehicle at the perceived position of the lights which confirmed the lights as an illusion.<ref>Society of Physics Students at the University of Texas at Dallas. "[http://www.spsnational.org/wormhole/utd_sps_report.pdf An Experimental Analysis of the Marfa Lights]."  Society of Physics Students. 2005 December 10.</ref>

Others have a more fanciful approach, like James Bunnell of Marfa Lights Research.  Bunnell offers a myriad of theories about the Marfa lights, but he's a mild and surprisingly honest [[crank]]. On his own website he admits that "while most observed lights can be explained, about three percent are truly mysterious and of unknown origin."<ref>James Bunnell. "[http://marfalightsresearch.com/12401.html Hunting Marfa Lights]."  ''Marfa Lights Research''. 2012 September 23.</ref>  Despite it being 97% explicable, Bunnell has several research papers attempting to link the lights to lunar cycles, solar storms, or similar miscellaneous factors. The results are sketchy and often overlook other possible correlating factors. Even when there is no correlation Bunnell is honest enough to publish negative results of this research.

The majority of websites regarding the Marfa lights are ignorant, possibly [[willful ignorance|willfully]]. Despite the lights being both researchable and researched, they claim that the lights are totally mysterious and cite an episode of the 1980s infotainment series ''[[Unsolved Mysteries]]'' which concluded that the lights were both mysterious and unsolvable. Of course, they wouldn't have much of an episode if they found otherwise.<ref>"[http://istina.rin.ru/cgi-bin/eng/print.pl?id=184&sait=1 The Marfa Lights]."  ''Unexplained''.</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{stub|paranormal}}
[[Category:Paranormal]]
[[Category:Texas]]

Categories: Paranormal, Texas
Marian Van Court

{{race}}
'''Marian Van Court''' is an advocate of [[eugenics]], sometime scientific collaborator of [[IQ]] researcher and eugenics advocate [[Richard Lynn]], and an [[Antisemitism|anti-semite]].

Writing on [[white supremacist]] website [[Counter-Currents]], and building on the [[Antisemitism|anti-semitic]] "research" of [[neo-Nazi]] [[Kevin MacDonald]] that basically claims that [[political correctness]], non-white immigration and much more besides stem from a [[Jewish conspiracy]] against [[Western civilisation]], she claims that eugenics was deliberately made into a pariah belief among gentiles in the late 1960s by a cabal of Jewish critics, while [[Israel]] simultaneously pursued eugenics for its people in secret. She suggests that this was a deliberate and successful attempt by [[Jews]] to reduce the genetic fitness of non-Jewish people, and that this might constitute a crime against humanity. She provides no evidence that the 1960s critics of eugenic ideas who happened to be Jewish knew of eugenic efforts in Israel.<ref>[http://www.counter-currents.com/2014/07/against-good-breeding/ Marian Van Court, Against Good Breeding: Understanding Jewish Opposition to Eugenics]</ref>

==External links==
*[http://www.counter-currents.com/ Counter-Currents Publishing]

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{stub|racism}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Van Court, Marian}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Antisemites]]
[[Category:Racists]]
[[Category:Eugenics supporters]]

Categories: Living people, Antisemites, Racists, Eugenics supporters
Marie Stopes

'''Dr. Marie Stopes''' was an author and social activist who is perhaps best known for the Marie Stopes Clinic in London, one of the best reproductive health centres in the UK. She is also famous for her efforts to promote birth control for women in the early 1900s.

She was also a staunch supporter of [[eugenics]], and did a fine line in wackiness.

==Marie Stopes and eugenics==
Dr. Stopes strongly opposed reproductive rights for those who carried "inheritable defects." She urged the British National Birth Rate Commission to support mandatory sterilization of prospective parents who were "diseased," "prone to drunkenness," or "of bad character." Stopes wrote that the "sterilization of those totally unfit for parenthood be made an immediate possibility, indeed made compulsory."<ref>Dr. Marie Stopes, ''A Radiant Motherhood'' (1920)</ref> She went on further to say the were she in charge, she would "legislate compulsory sterilization of the insane, feebleminded...revolutionaries...half-castes."<ref>Dr. Marie Stopes, ''The Control of Parenthood'' (1920)</ref>

{{cquote|The mature and hardened...study the conditions under which they came into being, discover where lie the chief sources of defect, and eliminate those sources of defect from the coming generation so as to remove from those who are still to be born the needless burdens the race has carried."|||Dr. Marie Stopes, ''Racial and Imperial aspects'' (1920)}}

==Marie Stopes and sleep==
Stopes recommended sleeping in a north-south position. 

{{cquote|It is comparatively unimportant whether the head or feet are at the north end of the bed, but it is very important that...the body should lie...south-north or north-south."|||Dr. Marie Stopes, ''Sleep'' (1956)}}

==Marie Stopes and spooge==
Stopes became a big fan of the man chowder in her later life and held that, when absorbed by the woman, it had a "tonic, health-giving effect." <ref>From ''[[Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science|In the Name of Science]]'', [[Martin Gardner]] (1957) p.161</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stopes, Marie}}
[[Category:Pseudoscience promoters]]
[[Category:Scientists]]
[[Category:Eugenics supporters]]

Categories: Pseudoscience promoters, Scientists, Eugenics supporters
Mark

{{fork}}
*The fall guy, dupe, target, or victim in a [[scam]]. In other words, another carcass on the road to riches for the scammers, whether they be [[pseudoscience|pseudoscientific]] or [[Charlatan|just plain criminals]]. In the TV show, {{wpl|The Real Hustle|''The Real Hustle''|,}} presenter Paul Wilson uses the term in his pseudonym "Rob Marks" in reference to the fact that he is robbing his marks.
* A common given name ([[Mark Cahill]], [[Mark Dice]], [[Mark Downey]], [[Mark Fuhrman]], [[Mark Geier]], [[Mark Hoofnagle]], [[Mark Hopkins]], [[Mark Levin]], [[Mark Ludwig]], [[Mark Lynas]], [[Mark McCutcheon]], [[Mark McKenzie]], [[Mark Richards]], [[Mark Robinson]], [[Mark Sanford]], [[Mark Sexton]], [[Mark Taylor]], [[Mark Twain]], [[Mark Zuckerberg]], etc.).
* The title/author's name of [[Gospel of Mark|one of the four]] [[Bible|biblical Gospels]].
* A sign or other distinguishing feature, whether real or abstract, such as [[666|The Mark of the Beast]].
* The pre-[[euro]] [[Germany|German]] [[currency]].
* A {{wpl|Professional wrestling|pro wrestling}} fan who believes it is real due to [https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Kayfabe its nature of being presented as real] when in reality the results are pre-determined, as opposed to fans who know that it's scripted (called smart marks or "smarks" for short).

==See also==
* [[Sucker]]

==External links==
* [[Wikt:mark]]
Mark Hoofnagle

{{Skepnav|1}}
'''Mark Hoofnagle''' is an American surgeon, skeptic and blogger known for his commentary on the phenomenon of [[denialism]]. He earned his M.D. as well as a Ph.D. in physiology from the University of Virginia, and is a graduate of the general surgery residency program at the University of Maryland.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20200924232336/https://www.umms.org/ummc/pros/gme/residency/general-surgery/graduate-fellowship-employment-history Graduate Fellowship and Employment History] ''University of Maryland Medical Center'' (archived from September 24, 2020).</ref> Hoofnagle's "denialism blog" is hosted by [[ScienceBlogs]], and he also runs the website denialism.com jointly with his brother Chris. 

In his overall summary of [[denialist]] positions — whether regarding [[global warming]], [[evolution]], [[vaccine hysteria|vaccines]], [[HIV/AIDS denialism|HIV/AIDS]], [[9-11]] or anything else — Hoofnagle describes denialism as being defined by "the employment of [[rhetorical]] tactics to give the appearance of argument or legitimate debate, when in actuality there is none", identifying five main tactics used by denialists: [[conspiracy theories]], [[cherry picking]], [[credentialism|false experts]], [[moving the goalposts]] and general [[logical fallacies]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/blog/2009/mar/10/climate-change-denier|title=Climate change deniers: failsafe tips on how to spot them|last=Hoofnagle|first=Mark|date=11 March 2009|publisher=[[The Guardian]]|accessdate=10 October 2017}}</ref> He contends that denialist positions almost always degenerate into conspiracism, because "…denialist theories that oppose well-established [[science]] eventually need to assert deception on the part of their opponents to explain things like why every reputable scientist, journal, and opponent seems to be able to operate from the same page."<ref>{{cite web|last=Hoofnagle|first=Mark|title=Conspiracies|url=http://scienceblogs.com/denialism/2007/06/28/crank-magnetism-1/|accessdate=10 October 2017}}</ref> He's also written a how-to-guide on being a crank scholar.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hoofnagle|first=Mark|title=Everything You Wanted to Know About Being a Crank Scholar but Were Afraid to Ask|date=31 May 2007|url=http://www.chronicle.com/article/Everything-You-Wanted-to-Know/38956|publisher=The Chronicle|accessdate=10 October 2017}}</ref>

Mark Hoofnagle is responsible for coining the useful phrase "[[crank magnetism]]".<ref>{{cite web|last=Hoofnagle|first=Mark|title=Crank Magnetism|url=http://scienceblogs.com/denialism/2007/06/28/crank-magnetism-1/|accessdate=10 October 2017}}</ref> 
 
==See also==
*[[Denialism]]
*[[ScienceBlogs]]

==External links==
*[http://scienceblogs.com/denialism/ "Denialism" on ScienceBlogs]
*[http://denialism.com Denialism.com]

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

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hoofnagle, Mark}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Atheists]]
[[Category:Bloggers]]
[[Category:Physicians]]
[[Category:Skeptics]]

Categories: Living people, Atheists, Bloggers, Physicians, Skeptics