There are now 118 named elements on the periodic table. The latest additions made big news last week. Elements 113, 115, 116 and 117 are now named nihonium, moscovium, tennessine and oganesson respectively. The actual event triggering the headlines wasn’t what you’d traditionally picture as science however. It wasn’t the actual discovery or synthesis of these elements; that happened years ago. It wasn’t even the selection of the names which was announced back in June. It was simply the completion of the bureaucratic naming review and approval process, the final dotting of i’s and crossing of t’s to make everything official.
[Read more…] about Science Corner: All Signs Point to Nihonium
chemistry
Trouble in Mind: Attending to the Interplay of Mind and Body in Treating Depression
Psalm 139:13-14 (NASB): For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well.
Trouble in mind, I’m blue
But I won’t be blue always
‘Cause I know the sun’s gonna shine in my back door someday
(composed by Richard M. Jones and first recorded in 1924)
Scholar’s Compass Navigating Knowledge: Creativity That Delights
Then Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the Lord has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills—to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic crafts. And he has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others.” – Exodus 35:30-34 (NIV)
Reflection
God delights in making things. We see this in the goodness of creation in Genesis 1 and also in God’s boasting of his creativity and sovereignty in Job 38-41. But Scripture does not limit creativity to God. The Lord invites us to be creative and imaginative, too. God invited people to name the animals in Genesis 2, to wonder (in awe of God’s power) about how the world works in Job 38-41, and to build the tabernacle in Exodus 31-40 so that God would dwell among them. [Read more…] about Scholar’s Compass Navigating Knowledge: Creativity That Delights
Faculty Testimony: Chemistry
The updated InterVarsity Graduate & Faculty Ministry website is “live”. As a teaser, below is the InterVarsity twentyonehundred productions video of Dr. Terry Gustafson, Professor of Chemistry, Ohio State University. In this piece, we hear a story about how the real integration of faith and practice includes not only excellence in research, but also great care for students.
What a joy to briefly hear not only his testimony of coming to Christ through the ministry of InterVarsity, but also an ongoing passion to share Christ on a secular campus. Be encouraged. Give glory to God. And share with others. Note: As you have stories from your life and campus to share, please email me.
Faculty Stories – Terry Gustafson from InterVarsity twentyonehundred on Vimeo.
Candidate for What? — InterVarsity staff
Introduction
Thank-you to Dwight Schwartz, Ph.D., for sharing a glimpse of his academic/vocational journey through Candidate for What? A few questions for the reader as we wrap up the series with Part 5 (Click here for Part 1 on Pre-collegiate chemistry, here for Part 2 – 3 on Collegiate Chemistry, and here for Part 4 on his Postdoctoral Puzzle):
- How do you understand the purpose/value of academic studies?
- What do Emerging Scholars have to offer not only to the academic community, but also to other occupations, the people of God, and the wider society/culture — eventually spanning the globe through travels/connections/education?
- In addition to praying for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship‘s campus ministry, have you considered serving on, volunteering with, and/or advising InterVarsity Christian Fellowship staff (possibly with a Graduate & Faculty Ministries focus)? Note: Personally I have benefited from Dwight’s insights with regard to the process and pressures of graduate school when relating to graduate students not only on campus, but also at special events such as graduate student retreats and meetings (e.g., American Scientific Association). Thank-you Dwight!
- How do you share your journey in higher ed with others? In what manner does your faith relate to your vocation? Note: If you have interest in sharing your story with Emerging Scholars, please click here to read a description of writing for the blog and drop ESN an email. In addition, I am always open to advice regarding InterVarsity’s labors in relationship to Emerging Scholars and higher education (both in a general and a specific case study manner). So please don’t stop sharing the helpful insights 🙂 ~ Thomas B. Grosh IV, Associate Director of ESN, editor of ESN’s blog and Facebook Wall.
Part 5
Around the same time as my formal postdoctoral studies were coming to an end, a friend of mine on InterVarsity’s campus ministry staff asked a question that had crossed my mind a time or two before: “have I ever considered joining InterVarsity to work with graduate students at a university somewhere?â€Â With this verbal “ask,†I took up the consideration of this question with more seriousness and regularity, and, simultaneously, began to wonder what kind of life I might have if my idea of becoming a professor were not to be. Still, I didn’t give up on the idea of a career as a professor somewhere. [Read more…] about Candidate for What? — InterVarsity staff