Welcome! 👋

My name is Lennart van Tuijl, and this is my website with a primary focus on my blog. I have always had a great interest in science, technology, philosophy, and learning new things in general. Thanks to these interests, and perhaps also due to my personal disposition, I have developed a rational and analytical view of the world. I try to base my beliefs as much as possible on scientific facts rather than emotions or gut feelings, although this is, of course, not always successful.

Throughout my life, I have increasingly realized how vast the gap is between the critical and logical approach of science and that of society. On many topics where scientists in the relevant field are almost unanimously in agreement, the trust among the general public is significantly lower. Examples of this include climate change, the theory of evolution, and the safety of vaccines. Additionally, there are many people who believe in things for which science has found no evidence at all, such as homeopathy, astrology, the paranormal, and numerous other beliefs.

I find it fascinating that people sometimes believe in things that are demonstrably false or refuse to believe in things that have overwhelming evidence. It might be tempting to attribute this solely to intelligence, but many more factors play a role. These include upbringing, social environment, cultural traditions, personal experiences, peer pressure, emotional needs, cognitive biases, and a lack of scientific education.

This blog is a way for me to structure and share my exploration of the many forms of irrationality. More importantly, I see it as a platform where my arguments and perspectives can be exposed to criticism. Everyone is welcome to comment on my posts so that any flaws in my reasoning can be uncovered. After all, no one is immune to errors in thinking. Furthermore, I hope that my blog can contribute to combating irrationality, as it is not always trivial but can also have dangerous consequences, such as denying the effectiveness of vaccines or rejecting climate change, which prevents people from feeling responsible to take action.

Although this blog will address all forms of irrationality, a significant portion of my attention will be directed toward (fundamentalist) religion. I consider this not only an extreme form of irrationality in itself but also an important source of it. Within fundamentalist circles of Christianity and Islam, faith is often regarded as a virtue, while a critical attitude towards faith is, at the very least, not encouraged. Examples of irrationality often caused by religion include the rejection of scientific knowledge (Big Bang theory, theory of evolution), the refusal of medical solutions (vaccinations, stem cell research, contraception), and intolerance and oppression (homophobia, suppression of women), among others.

While I do see some positive aspects of religion, I believe its net influence on society is negative. In my posts, I will approach religion as a social phenomenon. It is not my intention to offend individuals, but I will critically examine and challenge the ideas themselves.

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I would rather have questions that can't be answered than answers that can't be questioned.

~ Richard Feynman ~