Sunspots 560

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

The Arts: A list of 50 books a child should read before age 12.

ListVerse gives us an annotated list of the origins of 10 common words, including poison, influenza and OK.

Christianity: Relevant asks why more churches don't put women in various leadership roles.

Relevant also points out five scripture passages that Christians tend to ignore.

And Relevant asks if Muslim refugees are really a threat to Christianity in the U.S.

And Relevant has posted 10 "profound quotes" from D. L. Moody.

Finance: (and politics) FiveThirtyEight reports on a study that shows that the children of richer parents, or parents who are married to each other, are better off than other children. This is especially true for boys.

Health: Wired reports that we aren't certain that the Zika virus causes microcephaly.

The History Blog reports that a Canadian First Nations group has been using a certain clay deposit for medicinal purposes, and that this same clay may be effective against some of the most dangerous microbes.

Politics: A post in Relevant reminds us of 7 things Christians need to remember about politics.

Science has posted about what the Presidential candidates (some no longer viable) say they believe about various scientific issues, such as funding for research, global climate change, and vaccination. There is nothing about origins in the article.

ListVerse has posted about 10 previous episodes where the US had to decide what to do with refugees. Our reactions were a mixed bag, for sure.

Science: The BBC says that the gut bacteria of bears help them to prepare for winter, by storing more fat shortly before they hibernate.

Wired tells us, with photos, that there have been several different volcanic eruptions over the last few days.


Image source (public domain)

Sunspots 513

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to someone else:
Christianity: Ken Schenck on what happens at the end. He says that Christians shouldn't argue over the millennium, or absence thereof, because it's mentioned in only one chapter of the Bible, and that chapter is probably highly symbolic. He doesn't know what heaven will be like, but doesn't believe it will be boring.
Literature: Rebecca Luella Miller, of Speculative Faith, writes about violence in (Christian) speculative fiction. As she notes, often Christian writers, publishers and readers don't like overt sex or foul language, but don't seem to have the same abhorrence for violence. Should we? As she points out, there is a lot of violence in Tolkien's works.
Christianity Today compares Laura Ingalls Wilder's "Little House" books with reality.
Politics: Election campaigns in the UK are remarkably quiet, and brief, compared to those in the US. National Public Radio tells us why.
NPR also reports on why it's difficult, almost impossible, for the poor to become part of the upper middle class.
NPR says that a Lego fan built Lego representations of the female Supreme Court justices, now and previously. She suggested that the company make it a set for use by (and sale to) others, but they rejected the idea as too political. The article pointed out that the Supreme Court was established, with the idea that it would be above politics.
And NPR lets us know why Congressional, and Presidential, budgets really aren't budgets.
Science:  BBC News reports that scientists have discovered that chameleons use a previously unknown mechanism to change some of their colors. I thank one of my brothers for bringing this to my attention.
NBC (and others) reports on Tonga, a new volcanic island in the Pacific.
NPR reports on research to use cockroaches as guided explorers in dark narrow places.


Image source (public domain)

Sunspots 438

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

Christianity: The Skeptical Zone has an analysis of the Intelligent Design movement, with documentation, that claims that the Intelligent Design Movement is trying to establish a theocracy, or, as the article puts it, "totalitarianism."

A post, in the BioLogos Forum, from a man who discovered that, unfortunately, some people have lost their faith because they have been told that you can't believe that the earth is very old, and be a Christian, and who also discovered that it is possible to disagree over origins, and still love and respect fellow believers.
Computing: Wired says that we shouldn't keep our laptops plugged in all the time.
Politics: (and health) National Public Radio has published an on-line Obamacare calculator, which is supposed to calculate how much you will have to pay for health insurance, if you purchase your own.
Science: NBC News reports that a new island has been formed, off the coast of Pakistan, as the result of a volcano.
NASA has found evidence of clouds on a planet outside the solar system, according to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.


Image source (public domain)
documentation, that claims that the Intelligent Design Movement is trying to establish a theocracy, or, as the article puts it, "totalitarianism."

Sunspots 293

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

Science:  Wired reports that active volcanoes have been found on Titan, the largest moom of Saturn. (Animated illustration included.)

Politics: On the history of US taxes, under Presidents Kennedy (when taxes for the rich were REALLY high) and Reagan, from NPR. (The entire broadcast segment includes a statement from Reagan's budget director that the Bush tax cuts will not produce jobs, but that part is not in the textual transcript.)

More from NPR, on how the military won't support a promising type of therapy for brain-damaged troops. Sigh.

The Arts: The Dawn Treader isn't particularly sailing toward the East in the film. It should be.
 

Image source (public domain)