Sunspots 902

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to others*:

Christianity: Christianity Today tells us about Samaritan's Purse, Operation Christmas Child, and Franklin Graham.

Computing: (and ethics) The Conversation reports on experiments that indicate that people are more likely to cheat others on-line when they use a laptop computer, compared to smartphone users.

Environment: NPR has posted a map showing when peak fall color is most likely to occur in all of the contiguous US.

Gizmodo reports on how many kinds of toilet paper are harmful to the environment.

Finances: An Indian man is now the second richest person on the planet, according to NPR.

Science: A Conversation writer describes several tons of waste that humans have left on Mars.

*I try not to include items that require a password or fee to view.

Thanks for reading.

Sunspots 208

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

Computing:
I note, with gratitude, that this is the fourth year's worth of Sunspots I have been privileged to publish. (52 * 4 = 208)
They are usually published on Wednesdays, but I posted something else in observance of Earth Day yesterday.

Slate tells us that YouTube, like many newspapers, is in big financial trouble.

Wired reports that a Federal Appeals Court has upheld the legality of using previous college student papers to check for re-submission by other students in a subsequent class.

Philosophy:
In case you haven't heard, some of the most rabid naturalists/atheists/etc., including Richard Dawkins, are using the term "bright" to describe themselves , as people who don't believe in God. Here's an article, apparently by an atheist, arguing that that isn't a, er, bright idea. (His pun, not mine.)

Christianity:
(or maybe not) A blogger had been criticizing the pastor of First Baptist Church, Jacksonville, FL. The pastor receives a $300,000 annual salary, has received land worth that much as a gift from members, and his wife is on the church payroll. The church obtained a subpeona, and compelled Google to divulge the name of the blogger, who is a former member of the church.

(sort of) Bonnie reports that Chuck Colson has discussed the matter of physical abuse by church members. She says that Colson presented statistics that indicate that about half of all pastors, if told of abuse by a husband who is a church member, will either tell the wife to submit, or that it is her fault. Sad, sad.

Image source (public domain)