Sites for thinking

Hark! A long call from our favorite orangutan, Dr. Zaius, resounds across the internet, naming five new recipients of the Thinking Blogger Award, myself among them. It's quite an honor to be chosen when there are so many thoughtful bloggers out there.

The participation rules are:

1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to five blogs that make you think.

2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme.

3. Optional: Proudly display the Thinking Blogger Award symbol with a link to the post that you wrote.

The hard part, of course, is paring down one's mental list of thought-provoking blogs to just five. One obvious entry, at least, must be removed from the list: I can't very well give the award to Dr. Zaius when he's just given it to me! Nevertheless, here are five blogs I read regularly which definitely keep me thinking. I don't necessarily agree with every view expressed on these sites, and not all of them will necessarily carry on propagating the award -- some formats are a better "fit" for that than others -- but they are all good reads that will make you think!

1. Sentient Developments deals with transhumanism, technology, and their philosophical implications. Conveniently, due to the site's recent five-year anniversary, it has been running a series of "retrospectives" (I, II, III, IV, V) linking to the best postings in its history. Devouring these is one of the things I'm looking forward to during my free time this weekend.

2. Enter the Jabberwock focuses on religion and politics, from an atheistic and left-wing perspective. The style of rhetoric and debate there can often be, shall we say, frank and vigorous. (I should perhaps mention that I myself occasionally write there, but the site was on my must-read list long before I was invited to do so.) Start with the Chick tract dissections, especially the older ones.

3. Fight Aging is a great blog to keep up with everything related to aging and to anti-aging technology. It covers treatments currently in development, promising lines of research, popular attitudes, philosophical implications of abolishing aging, responses to common objections, and links to relevant sites and blogs. It also frequently debunks junk science and quack nostrums in the field -- an important distinction in an area where some are inclined to clutch at any straw of hope, however implausible.

4. Exit Zero varies in focus according to the interests of its creator. Common themes include social and political issues (from an individualist viewpoint), the Middle East, the media, and photography. The photos are mostly taken by the author, who travels a lot, and many of them are exquisite.

5. Chell's Roost is almost impossible to describe. It's essentially the personal diary of a Minnesota witch (but no broomstick jokes, please). Anything and everything can come up, from Presidential politics to online quizzes to Iraq to family issues to illegal aliens to software. It often makes me think, yes, but it's a cozy and friendly place, so those with a taste for political or religious flame wars should seek them elsewhere.

Thanks again to Dr. Z for giving me the opportunity to call attention to these worthy parties.