The Shape of the Universe
How does one describe the shape of an ever-expanding universe? It is not easy to imagine what it might look like. Neither was it easy for some to imagine a spherical earth. For many centuries, the best model for the shape of the earth was a flat disk. This model held sway for at least…
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Venus and Mars Are Alright Tonight
For three nights only, our solar system put on a great show. For those who were under clear skies and looked west, they could catch a glimpse of both Venus and Mars. Just after sunset, from February 19 through 21, both planets could be clearly seen above the horizon. If you looked at the right…
Continue readingFollow-Up to Gravity
“I have no reason to believe that the human intellect is able to weave a system of physics out of its own resources without experimental labour. Whenever the attempt has been made it has resulted in an unnatural and self-contradictory mass of rubbish.”James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879)
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I admit that my “nerd quotient”1 may be higher than the average found in the general population and so this post may go beyond concepts you have thought about or wish to think about. (I have at least saved you from reading the formulas that I considered writing into this blog.) Yet, even those who…
Continue readingSilence and Reflection
Silence, reflection, hearing the Word of God, and understanding; Augustine instructs us in all of these in Sermon 52, 22. “Let us leave a little room for reflection in our lives, room too for silence. Let us look within ourselves and see whether there is some delightful hidden place inside where we can be free…
Continue readingReading the Bible
Whether you consider it significant literature or the inspired word of God, the Bible is an important book by any standard; yet, many have never read the Bible. There are things that can get in the way of reading it. It is not the kind of work that lends itself to reading from start to…
Continue readingElephants and Their Noses
According to a recent paper,1 elephants may have a greater ability to differentiate smells than any other species on the planet. The conclusion is inferred from the variety of Olfactory Receptor Genes (OFGs) in the African bush elephant genome. There are many things we might extrapolate from this research and a brief report in Science…
Continue readingLasting Influence
As I was reading my Bible in the book of Titus, and researching the man Titus, I came upon this short phrase in 2 Timothy 4:10, “Titus has gone to Dalmatia.” Titus had been left on the island of Crete to appoint elders in the churches and correct wrong teachings when the Apostle Paul moved…
Continue readingThe Word of the Lord Was Rare
I find the words of 1 Samuel 3 intriguing. “In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.” (1 Samuel 3:1, NIV) And, “then, the Lord called Samuel.” (1 Samuel 3:4 NIV) I want to ask all kinds of questions about this. Why was the word of the Lord…
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Stars
I am feeling the need to take a trip to a place where I can see a large number of stars at once. Every once in a while I get this sense and I have learned to listen to this call of my spirit. I find I need to periodically make time for seeing the…
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