Feeling down about the state of American politics? Citizen Nation, a four-part documentary series premiering on PBS this week, provides a dose of civic inspiration that will leave you feeling optimistic about the future of our democracy. Produced by the nonprofit RetroReport, Citizen Nation follows several groups of teenagers over ten months across eight states as they prepare… Continue reading Citizen Nation: An Intimate Look at Students and Teachers
Computer Scientists Combine Two ‘Beautiful’ Proof Methods
How do you prove something is true? For mathematicians, the answer is simple: Start with some basic assumptions and proceed, step by step, to the conclusion. QED, proof complete. If there’s a mistake anywhere, an expert who reads the proof carefully should be able to spot it. Otherwise, the proof must be valid. Mathematicians have… Continue reading Computer Scientists Combine Two ‘Beautiful’ Proof Methods
The Two Faces of Space-Time
Anyone who has seen the classic rabbit-duck optical illusion knows the magic and confusion of duality. One might see a duck facing to the left with its bill hanging slightly open or a rabbit with its nose pointing to the right and its ears extending behind it. Both perspectives are valid. In physics, duality is… Continue reading The Two Faces of Space-Time
Untapped Relief: FEMA Is Sitting on Billions of Unused Disaster Funds
Although the Federal Emergency Management Agency told Congress last month that it had $4 billion in its Disaster Relief Fund, officials also warned that the Fund could have a shortfall of $6 billion by year’s end, a situation FEMA says could deteriorate in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. While FEMA is expected to ask Congress for new… Continue reading Untapped Relief: FEMA Is Sitting on Billions of Unused Disaster Funds
The #1 Clue to Quantum Gravity Sits on the Surfaces of Black Holes
Karl Schwarzschild first stumbled upon black holes in 1916, but for a long time they weren’t really a thing. “Black holes were discovered as a purely geometric object — in a sense, just empty space. Nothing,” said Yuk Ting Albert Law, a theoretical physicist at Stanford University. A mathematical oddity that popped out of Albert… Continue reading The #1 Clue to Quantum Gravity Sits on the Surfaces of Black Holes
Lost Scriptures: The Martyrdom of Isaiah (The Ascension of Isaiah; First Century Apocalypse)
Podcast: Download MYS332: This “lost scripture” focuses on the biblical prophet Isaiah and contains traditions about Jesus not recorded in the Gospels. Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli discuss the Ascension of Isaiah, when it was written, what it says, and its relationship to the Bible. Get all new episodes automatically and for free: Follow by… Continue reading Lost Scriptures: The Martyrdom of Isaiah (The Ascension of Isaiah; First Century Apocalypse)
If the Universe Is a Hologram, This Long-Forgotten Math Could Decode It
Von Neumann and a collaborator, Francis Murray, eventually identified three types of operator algebras. Each one applies to a different kind of physical system. The systems are classified by two physical quantities: entanglement and a property called entropy. Physicists first discovered entropy while studying steam engines in the 1800s. They later came to understand it… Continue reading If the Universe Is a Hologram, This Long-Forgotten Math Could Decode It
Nondisclosure: Vaccine Ad Blitz Sidestepped Transparency Rules
By Lee Fang, RealClearInvestigationsOctober 3, 2024 “A bun in the toaster oven,” a woman exclaims off-camera, handing an ultrasound image to family members who erupt into tearful emotion over the news. “Oh my God!” The touching baby announcement video then gets down to business as text appears on the screen amidst the ongoing celebration, suggesting the best way… Continue reading Nondisclosure: Vaccine Ad Blitz Sidestepped Transparency Rules
Trump’s Massive Deportation Plan Echoes Concentration Camp History
Trump’s Massive Deportation Plan Echoes Concentration Camp History Trump’s language about immigrants “poisoning” the U.S. repeats past rhetoric that led to civilian detention camps, with horrific, tragic results By Andrea Pitzer Some attendees of the Republican National Convention hold “Mass Deportation Now” signs on July 17, 2024, in Milwaukee, Wis. The Republican National Convention hit… Continue reading Trump’s Massive Deportation Plan Echoes Concentration Camp History
Why Slaveholders Restricted Free Speech
In the years before the Civil War, slaveholders were the greatest threat to free speech in the United States. White Southerners used state laws, a congressional gag rule, suppression of the mail, and physical violence to silence abolitionist speech because they believed it was dangerous. In 1830, for example, Louisiana penalized anyone using “language in… Continue reading Why Slaveholders Restricted Free Speech