Dark energy, or the possible lack thereof, grabbed a lot of headlines at the end of the year. However, it sounds like rumors of its demise are probably premature. This is a pattern in science, especially science journalism and popular science. An alternative to the consensus, previously only known within its field, comes to wider attention and causes a stir. The alternative idea seems to make sense to a lay audience because it is presented only in the context of the data that best match that idea. But the experts know … [Read more...] about Science Corner: Not All Vaccines are Created Equal
Science Corner
Book Review: The Oxford Handbook of Religion and Economic Ethics
Review a book, get a book! Have you read something that has nurtured your faith and scholarship? ESN welcomes reviews of books from various fields of study and various genres. Our article, A Call For Reviews, includes guidelines for submitting reviews. We thank Duane Ebesu for this review that explores how religious values are connected with economic behavior. The Oxford Handbook of Religion and Economic Ethics, edited by Albino Barrera and Roy C. Amore is a learned investigation into the … [Read more...] about Book Review: The Oxford Handbook of Religion and Economic Ethics
Science Corner: Making Change
How does change happen? Fast, slow, locally, everywhere, smoothly or in leaps and bounds? Of course the answer can be all of the above, depending on the change and the circumstances. Still, it's a question that came to mind as I thought about advent this year. We are rehearsing the wait for one of the most profound changes the world has experienced. We have the benefit of knowing how long we will wait and what we are waiting for, and yet the nature of the change still has multiple facets to consider. … [Read more...] about Science Corner: Making Change
Science Corner: Responding in Kind
"What a piece of work is a man" declares Hamlet, and indeed human beings are quite extraordinary. What other organism can organize 334 million individuals (or even 158 million) over 3.8 million square miles in a shared activity in service of an abstraction like democracy? In terms of sheer numbers, the closest would probably be an ant colony or a bacterial film, both of which can coordinate the activities of that many individuals, but via genetics and biochemistry. Only humans are socially engaged at such a scale … [Read more...] about Science Corner: Responding in Kind
Science Corner: Suddenly See More
It's Nobel Prize week, but since those announcements are in the future for me, I'd like to go back a month to the 2024 IgNobel prizes. While they might seem at first glance like the Razzies for science, the IgNobel awards are more celebratory and seek to spotlight science which is rigorous but not quite as prestigious in its applications or aspirations. And yes, sometimes there is a bit of a scatological bent, but even our baser bodily functions need to be understood with clarity. The prize that stood out to me was less … [Read more...] about Science Corner: Suddenly See More