Tomorrow is Thanksgiving in the United States, a time for gratitude and community. Intangible qualities like these challenge science, since they don’t lend themselves as readily to quantifying or to controlled investigation. Much easier for a scientist to tackle topics like tryptophan in turkey–no, that’s not what makes you drowsy after dinner–because we have better tools for studying molecules. That doesn’t mean gratitude or community aren’t real or significant to our lives, just that we need different tools to study them.
[Read more…] about Science Corner: Prayers and Placebos
Thanksgiving
Continuing Thanksgiving (Scholar’s Compass)
Tamarie Macon shares some post-Thanksgiving (the holiday) thoughts on thanksgiving, the hopefully ongoing practice in our lives. To read other posts by Tamarie, click here.Â
Scripture
“Because a loveless world,” said Jesus, “is a sightless world.†John 14:23 (The Message)
Reflection
Practicing gratitude has become popular these days. At least it’s widely embraced to say that’s what you do. [Read more…] about Continuing Thanksgiving (Scholar’s Compass)
Science Corner: Offering Thanks for Science & Technology
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I wanted to highlight a few scientific and technological developments of the past year for which I am grateful. Let’s start with a story I alluded to last week, the shrinking hole in the ozone layer. Changes to the ozone layer were first detected in 1974 and traced to human release of chlorofluorocarbons into the atmosphere. Because ozone helps to shield us from harmful radiation, an international agreement was reached in 1987 to eliminate chlorofluorocarbon usage. As a result of those efforts, the hole in the ozone layer has been shrinking, and was recently observed to be the smallest it has been since 1988. Millions of cases of skin cancer have likely thus been prevented, for which we can all be thankful.
I first encountered the idea of human-pig organ transplants some 20 years ago. I was fascinated, possibly because it sounded more like science fiction than reality, and indeed it was and is a vision for the future. Still, I am hopeful thanks partly to an announcement earlier this year that a significant hurdle has been cleared: retroviruses in the pig genome have been edited out via CRISPR, substantially reducing the risk of a cross-species transplant bring with it cross-species infections. With the demand for transplants growing, I am glad for any progress in making life-saving procedures more accessible. Even if pig organs are not an option for everyone, having them available for some frees up other sources.
Technically this news is a little older, but I just learned about it last week thanks to a trip to the Field Museum: peregrine falcons are making a comeback. Peregrine populations declined dramatically when widespread DDT applications for mosquito control introduced the chemical into the food chain and affecting the thickness of falcon eggshells. Thinner shells reduced the viability of the birds inside, leading to smaller and smaller generations of peregrine falcons. DDT is no longer used, allowing bird populations to rebound. Incidentally, museum collections were a key part of the story; comparing contemporary-at-the-time egg shells with historical specimens at the museum made it possible to observe thinning over time.
Those are a few updates from the scientific community that I am grateful for right now. I’d love to hear from you about developments in science, technology, or your area of study that have you feeling thankful today.
Christianity: The Feasting Religion
In this season of harvest and celebration, scholar/teacher/novelist David Russell Mosley offers a reflection on feasting in the Christian tradition. Read more of David’s work for ESN here, or browse his recent author interview for ESN. [Read more…] about Christianity: The Feasting Religion
Thanksgiving for Domestic Hospitality (Scholar’s Compass)
Scripture
So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. (Galatians 6:10, ESV) [Read more…] about Thanksgiving for Domestic Hospitality (Scholar’s Compass)