Everything is simpler in the comic books. Consider dominion of the world's oceans. In both Marvel and DC comics, the sunken city of Atlantis (a public domain concept, after all) serves as a capital city for the seven seas. Namor typically sits on the Marvel Atlantean throne (in the upcoming Black Panther film, Namor will hail from TlÄlÅcÄn instead), vigorously defending the interests of the oceans and meeting all surface-dwelling challengers with a hearty "Imperius Rex!" His opposite number at the Distinguished … [Read more...] about Science Corner: Imperius Rex?
Science and Faith
Science Corner: Mother Knows Best: Even Insect Mothers Provide for Their Offspring
For those of us who observe the academic calendar in the United States, the end of August means the end of summer and the beginning of a new year. It's a time of general excitement and new possibilities. And while we are caught up in the craziness that comes during this season, we are generally unaware that winter is coming - at least for those that live in the northern hemisphere. Somehow, even though I know it is coming, I am never quite prepared for its arrival. My unpreparedness is partly because day-to-day busyness … [Read more...] about Science Corner: Mother Knows Best: Even Insect Mothers Provide for Their Offspring
Science Corner: A “Have-Done” Attitude
I've had the chance to watch more baseball this season than usual, specifically New York Mets games. Baseball lends itself to extensive data collection and precise situational adjustments. For example, teams can record where each individual hitter tends to hit the ball when thrown different types of pitches. When a given hitter has strong tendencies in one direction, the other team can shift their defense to that side and possibly adjust their pitching to favor that tendency. Opposing teams were making those kinds of … [Read more...] about Science Corner: A “Have-Done” Attitude
Science Corner: Awe and Wonder Through a Microscope
Earlier this month, we had the privilege to see magnificent pictures of our universe that were taken by the new James Webb Space telescope. For the first time we were treated to pictures of a region of the Carina Nebula where young stars are forming. We also saw Stephan's Quintet, a cluster of five galaxies that you are probably familiar with if you have watched the movie, "It's a Wonderful Life." This updated picture, constructed from ~1,000 separate images, provides new information about interactions between galaxies … [Read more...] about Science Corner: Awe and Wonder Through a Microscope
Science Corner: It’s a Great Big Universe and We’re All Really Puny
Physicists: "We find that we live on an insignificant planet of a humdrum star lost in a galaxy tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe in which there are far more galaxies than people." Also physicists: *Spend billions of dollars and untold person-hours searching for the tiniest, shortest-lived particles.* … [Read more...] about Science Corner: It’s a Great Big Universe and We’re All Really Puny