On campus, in my newsfeeds, and even at a recent poetry reading, I hear the longing for hope in what seems like a world filled with fear and despair. In contrast, I encounter words of hope throughout scripture, even in times of distress, such as Paul’s encouragement to the church in Rome: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13). What does it look like to live into God’s narrative of hope these days? A … [Read more...] about Narrative of Hope
Science Corner: Anointing with Oil Again, and Again…
When I come across a science story with a video of the experiment or phenomenon in question, it is hard to pass up. Even if the topic is less familiar, or less obviously connected to my usual themes, the opportunity to show as well as tell is appealing. And so today I find myself writing about bouncing droplets of oil. First, go ahead and watch for yourself. (Video from this story on this paper) Mesmerizing, no? Just me? Actually, I suppose there is a risk it looks too banal; who hasn't seen a ball bounce? You … [Read more...] about Science Corner: Anointing with Oil Again, and Again…
Science Corner: Matters of Representation
Large language models captivate for a variety of reasons; I am particularly intrigued by the fact that we know how to build them even without really knowing how they work. So I tend to gravitate less towards discussions of what they can (or cannot) do and more towards discussions of how & why. (Which may have something to do with the fact that the "what" changes rapidly, while progress on "how" and "why" feels a bit more tractable for an outsider to follow.) Hence my interest in this podcast with Ken Stanley on how … [Read more...] about Science Corner: Matters of Representation
When You’re Not Welcome: A Christian Reflection on Social Exclusion
Growing up, I believed that kindness would be reciprocated. I smiled at strangers, helped others when I could, and tried to make people feel seen and appreciated. I assumed that if I treated others well, they would treat me the same. But life doesn't always play by those rules. One of the hardest lessons I’ve learned is that people can exclude you—not because of something you did, but simply because you don’t fit a particular mold. Throughout my life, I’ve wrestled with social exclusion—from classmates who overlooked … [Read more...] about When You’re Not Welcome: A Christian Reflection on Social Exclusion
Science Corner: Recombination is Creativity
In order to explore the ideas of Jurassic Park Rebirth, this post contains spoilers for the film. Jurassic World Rebirth, the latest film to spin out of Michael Crichton's novel Jurassic Park, opens with a flashback revealing experiments to create mutant species of dinosaurs which never existed. We are clearly meant to be unsettled, if not outright horrified, by this revelation even before it is underlined by the death of a scientist or technician at the claws of one such creature. (In what I hope is a nod to the … [Read more...] about Science Corner: Recombination is Creativity