Sunspots 878

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

Christianity: (or something) Relevant describes how well-meaning people have followed being against sex trafficking into conspiracy theories like QAnon.

Finances: NPR reports that large corporations are avoiding paying damages by spinning off a subsidiary to take over the lawsuits, and then declaring that the subsidiary is bankrupt, even though the parent corporation has plenty of money, and, in some cases, has done plenty of damage.

Science: (or something) A flamingo that escaped from a zoo in Kansas in 2005 has been spotted in Texas, according to NPR. Another source says that the bird was identified by a video, which showed its leg band number.

Gizmodo reports that the human genome has been almost mapped (about 20 years ago, we were given the impression that that had been done. About 8% of the human genome was not sequenced at that time.)

The Scientist reports that some fish can react to "more objects than before," or "less objects than before," indicating perception of quantities.

The Scientist also reports that Chicago-area birds are nesting a few weeks earlier than they did a century ago, probably because of climate change.

And The Scientist reports that dwarf mongooses punish bullies by shunning them.

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

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

Thanks for reading.

 

Counting the people

2 Samuel 24:2 The king said to Joab the captain of the army, who was with him, “Now go back and forth through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, and count the people, that I may know the sum of the people.”

3 Joab said to the king, “Now may Yahweh your God add to the people, however many they may be, one hundred times; and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king delight in this thing?”

4 Notwithstanding, the king’s word prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the army. Joab and the captains of the army went out from the presence of the king to count the people of Israel.
10 David’s heart struck him after he had counted the people. David said to Yahweh, “I have sinned greatly in that which I have done. But now, Yahweh, put away, I beg you, the iniquity of your servant; for I have done very foolishly.”


10-13. David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the Lord, I have sinned--The act of numbering the people was not in itself sinful; for Moses did it by the express authority of God. But David acted not only independently of such order or sanction, but from motives unworthy of the delegated king of Israel; from pride and vainglory; from self-confidence and distrust of God; and, above all, from ambitious designs of conquest, in furtherance of which he was determined to force the people into military service, and to ascertain whether he could muster an army sufficient for the magnitude of the enterprises he contemplated. (Excerpt from commentary on 2 Samuel 24, by Robert Jamieson, public domain. Source is here.)

Sunspots 435

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

Christianity: "The point of faith-filled education is not to indoctrinate but to bring faith into dialog with evidence and the flow of the discussion in humility. Education may not change your positions but hopefully frees you to take the positions you do with greater awareness of the evidence and options." - Ken Schenck, Dean of Wesley Seminary. Unfortunately, some believe that the point of education, faith-filled or not, is exactly to indoctrinate.

Science: National Public Radio reports on the discovery of the world's largest volcano, by far. It's inactive!

NPR also reports on the discovery of a region of the brain that enables us to quickly sense quantities, without having to manually count them. This works for small quantities. Few, if any, people can sense a hundred or so objects correctly.

Wired reports on the Bobbit worm, a really ghastly looking predator, which can grow to 10 feet in length.

Wired also reports on a huge storm circling Saturn.



Image source (public domain)