Sunspots 811

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to someone else:

Christianity: A Christianity Today article indicates that, although many people are cautious about altering our genes, evangelical Christians are more skeptical than the general public.

A Relevant article considers the question of whether God may have created (or allowed) intelligent beings on other worlds. (There are about 2 trillion galaxies, and it is supposed that there are many possibly habitable planets in most or all of these.

Relevant also reports that Beth Moore, an evangelical leader, has spoken out against "Trumpism." (And "Bidenism.")

(And politics) Relevant also has an article discussing Christian Nationalism.

Environment: According to a USA Today article, the total mass of all human-produced objects on earth is now greater than the total mass of living things.

(and politics) Gizmodo reports that Ryan Zinke, formerly Secretary of Interior, who facilitated removing over a million acres from Bears Ears national monument, has had an official portrait, featuring him on a horse in that monument.

(and politics) NPR reports that contractors are pushing to get as much of the border wall erected as possible, before Donald Trump leaves office. Environmental groups, and others, are against this.

(and politics) President Trump has done less to protect endangered species than any President since Johnson, according to Gizmodo.

Health: A tool to let you see how full your local hospitals are, and how many COVID patients there are.

Politics: FiveThirtyEight provides a thorough discussion of Presidential pardons.

Science: Some bees have been found to add to their colony defenses by spreading animal feces near the opening. Scientists aren't sure why this works, or if it would repel so-called murder hornets.

The graphic used in these posts is from NASA, hence, it is free to use like this.

Thanks for looking!

Sunspots 764

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to someone else:

Christianity: Christianity Today reports that evangelicals are receptive to prison reform, but that most of them haven't done anything to help prisoners.

Relevant reports on a letter from black church leaders, thanking Christianity Today for publishing a recent letter, calling for the removal of President Trump from office. The article says that his support among African-Americans is very low.

Computing: (and Christianity) A plea to pastors and theologians to be careful of what they say on social media -- check sources, and don't merely repeat what others who share your particular prejudices have posted, for example.

Humor: (and romance) Relevant reports on a dating site that requires agreement with a doctrinal statement. (A Calvinist one)


Politics: FiveThirtyEight has done a survey, which indicates that President Trump is less popular than Mike Pence, and almost as unpopular as Sarah Palin.

Pete Enns says that the word, or the country, America, is not in the Bible.

NPR says that there are a lot of border walls in the world, but Trump's wall is most expensive, and indicates why that is so.

Science: Gizmodo reports that a tiny parasite can affect the behavior of mice that are infected, including making them more likely to be caught by cats.

Gizmodo also reports on a flying robot, with wings from those of dead pigeons.

Listverse discusses 10 conspiracy theories put forth by President Donald Trump.

The graphic used in these posts is from NASA, hence, it is free to use like this.

Thanks for looking!

Sunspots 711

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to someone else:

Christianity: (and Sports) Relevant on whether God cares about who wins a football game.

He Lives assesses Christian's reactions to the Command to "remember the Sabbath."

Education: NPR reports that school bullying has increased in areas in Virginia that voted for President Trump.

Politics: Yes, it's early, but that didn't stop FiveThirtyEight from analyzing the chances of the top ten or so potential Democratic candidates for President, to actually be the Democratic nominee.

From The Daily Beast: Shepard Smith, of Fox News fact-checked President Trump's speech from the Oval Office. There were "facts" that weren't facts.

Michael Gerson on a crisis that isn't really one, about a wall that really isn't a wall, paid for by Mexican pesos that are really US tax dollars, and he goes on.

Catherine Rampell on trading with China -- we need to be careful!

Earther reports that President Trump is still blaming the wrong people and practices for the increase in forest fires in California and elsewhere.

The Interior Department isn't picking up trash, but it is holding meetings for the purpose of granting oil leases in Alaska.

Trudy Rubin argues that border security is not one of our main security problems. President Trump's inflated opinion of himself is.

Science: NPR reports that religious fundamentalism has led to some really strange claims, at the annual Indian Science Congress.

The graphic used in these posts is from NASA, hence, I believe, it is public domain. 

Thanks for looking!

Sunspots 710

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to someone else:

Christianity: (and Sports) Relevant reports that a Chicago Bears kicker did not make a field goal that would have won the game, but thanked God, anyway.

Education: NPR reports on poor reading scores, which are widespread, and a fundamental reason for them -- educators aren't using scientific findings on learning to read. In some places, this is being remedied.

Food: (and Health) Gizmodo reports that millions of Americans think they have a food allergy, but don't.

Health: NPR reports that increases in drug prices are primarily due to drug company attempts to make more money, rather than research costs.

Humor: (or Food) A sculpture, constructed of a half ton* of butter, has been produced in Pennsylvania, according to NPR.

Politics: NPR reports that the acting Secretary of the Interior may be worse than his predecessor at protecting the environment.

(or possibly, humor) A few days ago, President Trump said that he knew more about drones than anyone. The Washington Post has compiled a list of things the President claims to know more about than anyone else. The list also includes people (not him) that Mr. Trump says are the world expert on various topics.

It's almost that time again, I'm afraid. But FiveThirtyEight analyzes Presidential primary debates, and finds that they are important.

Science: Gizmodo tells us (with pictures) that some hummingbird species have beaks specialized for aggression toward rivals.

(and food) NPR reports on granary weevils, insects that have been eating our stored grain throughout human history.

Scientific American on how the part of the border wall already built is damaging habitat and migration routes for animals, and how adding to the wall will make things worse.


The graphic used in these posts is from NASA, hence, I believe, it is public domain. 

Thanks for looking!

*When this was posted, I had carelessly said a half-pound of butter, not a half ton. I thank one of my brothers for bringing this error to my attention.

Sunspots 696

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to someone else:

Christianity: Relevant on Chris Pratt's faith.

A Relevant article asks if we have made the Bible into an idol.

A Christianity Today article discusses why so many of us don't read the Bible very much.


Computing: Google is forcing people to sign in to the Chrome browser. See here or here, if you are concerned about that.

Food: Laboratory-grown meat is getting closer to market.

Politics: Relevant reports on the current US Administration's shameful cutting of the number of refugees allowed into the US. Christianity Today also chimes in.

The Trump administration has rolled back rules on the emission of methane.

Amazing! The House and the Senate both passed a bill with no negative votes!


Newsweek and other sources report that prototypes of the proposed border wall are seriously defective, with at least one being even dangerous.

FiveThirtyEight examines the power of Republican political endorsements (in Republican primaries).

Science: ZME Science reports on the heaviest (and largest) organism in the world. It's really big.

(or something) Hurricane Florence hit North Carolina agriculture badly. About 1.7 million chickens have drowned, according to Earther.

Gizmodo reports that genetic analysis of elephant tusks and feces is being used to combat poachers, which are a serious problem. The article says that about 40,000 elephants are killed for their tusks each year.

A Japanese spacecraft has landed on a asteroid, and has sent back some photos, according to Gizmodo and other sources.

Thanks for looking!

Sunspots 624

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to someone else:

Christianity: Reports on surveys about how much Americans read the Bible, here and here. Not very much, unfortunately.

Christianity Today reports on surveys of scientists, in many countries. Bottom line: many scientists do not believe in God, but most of these are not strongly anti-God.

Benjamin L. Corey argues that the so-called Prosperity Gospel isn't really Christian at all.

An article in Relevant asks "What would Jesus Post?"


Finance: (or something) Listverse tells us about 10 famous people who killed someone, but got off with small penalties.

Health: Relevant says that at least 300,000,000 people have malaria, and over 400,000 people died of it in a recent year. Malaria has not been conquered.

Home-based palliative care is much better for sick elderly people than hospitals, and cheaper, too, according to National Public Radio.

History: Listverse gives examples of nepotism by US Presidents (and, of course, their relatives). John Adams was the first, and Donald Trump probably won't be the last.

Humor: (Sort of. Not funny at all to some people) Wired tells us that Amazon will sell you a device that will assess the clothing you have on, and help you figure out what to wear. (And what to buy from Amazon, I guess.)
 

Politics: FiveThirtyEight says that a border wall won't stop drugs from coming into the US.

Sojourners says that the proposed border wall "would be a 2,200-mile-long monument to racism," and documents this claim. The article also says that it would be ineffective.

Science: Scientific American discusses shopping cart behavior -- leaving a shopping cart in a place other than the designated spot.


Image source (public domain)

Sunspots 622

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to someone else:

Christianity: Christianity Today discusses the significant role played by single women missionaries in translating the Bible.

Sojourners reminds us that the Resurrection of Christ was first revealed to women, and women were the first to tell others about it. (The article says that the men were in hiding).


Ethics: Sojourners examines the recent bombing of an airfield in Syria, and concludes that the action was not justifiable under Just War Theory, mostly because, they say, Mr. Trump did not have "right intentions." (Some of the criteria for a Just War were met.)

Humor: (Sort of) Nature tells us why and how our shoelace knots fail.

(and, again, sort of) Listverse tells us a lot about the history of the design of playing cards, both artistically and structurally.


Politics: FiveThirtyEight tells us that Mr. Trump is hardly the first US President to become more hawkish soon after installation in office, and tells us why this is so.

Scientific American discusses some of the challenges to building a border wall (and some of the kinds of damage such a wall would do.)

Science: Listverse discusses 10 extinct species that some scientists want to bring back to life.

Listverse also discusses the 10 most important scientific discoveries of the past 10 years.

The New York Times reports that climate change has re-routed an Alaskan river.

The Washington Post reports on a specimen of a giant worm-like mollusc. (Molluscs are the phylum to which clams, oysters, snails and slugs belong.)



Image source (public domain)