Is There Something in the Nothing?

The big opportunity in the collapse of religion.

Thanks for the offer, but we’re good.

Thanks to all of you who responded so generously to my appeal for the Prophet of Causation book project. Please keep the support coming—it makes a big difference.

I have a big philosophical question to address below—metaphysical, judging from today’s main title—but first a quick note about some recent news items.

The Mills of the Gods

They say the wheels of justice grind slowly but eventually tend to get to the truth. When a case has to proceed through the court system, it is supposed to adhere to explicit rules of evidence, and when that happens, a lot of bluster and wild claims made in the press—which does not, alas, have to adhere to strict rules of evidence—tend to get cleared away.

I wanted to give a quick update on two recent cases where this has happened.

I have linked in the past to refutations of what is probably the most widespread version of the right’s “stolen election” claims: the “2000 Mules” conspiracy theory promoted by conservative con-man Dinesh D’Souza. Recently, the organization D’Souza relied on for his claim was asked to produce its evidence in the full blaze of jurisprudence.