Depressed about Society

I recently turned my brother onto the whole science blogging community. He's at school now doing a master's in mechanical engineering, and he's really bored right now with nothing to do because of thick layers of bureaucracy and a lazy thesis supervisor. So he's reading a lot now.

I turned him on to TalkOrigins, Pharyngula, The Loom, Respectful Insolence, and Aetiology (all on my blogroll), though I didn't give him the worst of the hardcore skepticism and atheism stuff, figure he only asked me for science stuff to read.

Anyway, there's seems to be enough politcally and skeptically charged stuff in those blogs to make him angry and pessimistic:

Y'know, reading these blogs has made me very depressed about the state of society today. Especially the guy who was denying that germs make you sick.

Based on that, I'd assume he's been reading Aetiology, where Dr. Tara smacks down a loonie.

In fact, I may not want to get him onto the atheism pages. It'll be too dangerous for society. I told him that I got involved in all this stuff because of an incident with a pastor who argued with me about science, and claimed the moondust argument. My brother's response?

If I were ever arguing with a Young Earth Creationist, I'm sure I'd go postal on him. I have rage issues.

Anyway, he says I'm a nerd (true, but he's an even greater nerd, or as my wife likes to call him, "head nerd"). For the time being, to avoid death and mayhem as he rages against fundies and alties, I'm going to recommend he stick to reading the well-written and less-inflammatory Carl Zimmer.