HT to Arlene Miller, retired nursing faculty at Messiah College (Grantham, PA) and co-author of two InterVarsity Press Books (Called to Care: A Christian Worldview for Nursing and Values in Conflict: Christian Nursing in a Changing Profession), who shared with me What Life Asks of Us. What do I find of interest regarding David Brooks' NY Times Op-Ed piece? The individualism of modern culture reinforced by groups of professors, such as those at Harvard, who define the purpose of liberal education as … [Read more...] about What Life and Higher Education Asks of Us
culture-making
Elevating Science, Elevating Democracy
That's the title of Dennis Overbye's NY Times essay on what it means to restore science to its rightful place.* He begins by sharing how he too wept tears of joy at the words of President Barack Hussein Obama (reference to the NY Times article Scientists Welcome Obama's Words). Question: If you're a member of the scientific community, did you likewise become teary eyed (or even weep) at the words of our new President on your own (or with your colleagues)? If so, why? If you're outside of the scientific … [Read more...] about Elevating Science, Elevating Democracy
What is the ‘Rightful Place’ of Science?
What are your thoughts on 'the Rightful Place of Science' and the topics mentioned below? Many scientists have complained that the Bush administration relied on questionable science and disregarded the recommendations of scientific advisory boards, for example, in deciding to limit federal support of stem-cell research and to refuse to regulate carbon-dioxide emissions to deal with the threat of global climate change. In contrast, Mr. Obama nominated Steven Chu, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist concerned with … [Read more...] about What is the ‘Rightful Place’ of Science?
“There is probably no God” Ad Campaign
A Good Devil's Chaplain Richard Dawkins kicks off the Oracles of Science.* A good place to start, not just for alphabetical reasons. Why? [He's] one of the most effective science popularizers of all time, awarded recognition by both scientific and literary societies. His best-selling popular science books, like The Selfish Gene (1976) and The Blind Watchmaker (1986), have created vocabulary, examples, and arguments widely used in discourse about evolution. Passionately convinced that science rules out the … [Read more...] about “There is probably no God” Ad Campaign
Links
Science Out in the Open Young scientists making their research results open to the public, challenging the standard means of publishing results, and opening themselves up to criticism. Out in the Open (Boston Globe) (HT: Culture Making) Historically Black Colleges Producing More PhDs After falling for several years, the number of PhD recipients produced by historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) is on the rise. Who Produces Black Ph.D.'s? (Inside Higher Ed) Teach Them to Challenge … [Read more...] about Links