Podcast: Download MYS328: We regularly give Patrons the opportunity to ask Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli their mysterious questions and make them available exclusively to Patrons first and then later to the whole audience. This time the questions cover George Washington’s reported vision of the Virgin Mary; whether demons can reveal your confessed sins; the… Continue reading George Washington’s Vision of the Virgin Mary (Patrons Questions!)
Chatbots Aren’t Sentient, but You Should Be Nice to Them Anyway
If you’ve ever caught yourself saying “please” and “thank you” to ChatGPT, you’re in good company. In an informal online survey by Ethan Mollick, an associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania, nearly half of the respondents said they are often polite to the artificially intelligent chatbot, and only about 16 percent said they “just… Continue reading Chatbots Aren’t Sentient, but You Should Be Nice to Them Anyway
To Sleep, Perchance Not Very Well, by Taking Melatonin
Americans are spending more money on melatonin than they ever have, while at the same time, a growing percentage of adults, 37%, complain that they’re getting worse sleep. Experts have a simple explanation for the mismatch, and it’s bad news for the 67 million Americans, or about 27% of adults, who use the supplement: While taking it… Continue reading To Sleep, Perchance Not Very Well, by Taking Melatonin
How the Higgs Field (Actually) Gives Mass to Elementary Particles
The discovery of the Higgs boson at the Large Hadron Collider in 2012 confirmed what we particle physicists had long suspected: that there is a field permeating the cosmos that generates the masses of elementary particles. Unfortunately, physicists have found it challenging to explain to everyone else how this so-called Higgs field accomplishes its mighty… Continue reading How the Higgs Field (Actually) Gives Mass to Elementary Particles
The Five-year Anniversary of Corporate Wokeness Should Be Mourned, Not Celebrated
Activists are covertly pushing political agendas by radicalizing concepts and ideas that were once benign parts of everyday life. Five years ago this month, such activists successfully changed the stated mission and purpose of certain companies, including some of the largest economic drivers in the United States, using criteria rooted in politics instead of business.… Continue reading The Five-year Anniversary of Corporate Wokeness Should Be Mourned, Not Celebrated
The Legacy of Lynchings Still Hurts the Economic Prospects of Black Americans
The Legacy of Lynchings Still Hurts the Economic Prospects of Black Americans Despite progress, the long shadow of racial violence continues to undermine economic opportunities for African Americans today By Sotiris Kampanelis A historic marker detailing lynching in Anne Arundel County and in America at Whitmore Park on Calvert Street is seen September 17, 2019… Continue reading The Legacy of Lynchings Still Hurts the Economic Prospects of Black Americans
Mathematicians Have Finally Found the Fifth ‘Busiest Beaver’
Most people probably don’t think of mathematics when they hear “busy beavers.” But these eager little animals symbolize one of the most amazing concepts of the knotty field: not everything can be calculated, no matter how hard you try (or how busy of a beaver you are). The busy beaver function is the first example… Continue reading Mathematicians Have Finally Found the Fifth ‘Busiest Beaver’
How Our Longest Nerve Orchestrates the Mind-Body Connection
It is late at night. You are alone and wandering empty streets in search of your parked car when you hear footsteps creeping up from behind. Your heart pounds, your blood pressure skyrockets. Goose bumps appear on your arms, sweat on your palms. Your stomach knots and your muscles coil, ready to sprint or fight.… Continue reading How Our Longest Nerve Orchestrates the Mind-Body Connection
Book Review: Jeff Pearlman’s Very Entertaining ‘Showtime’
The “Showtime” Los Angeles Lakers of the 1980s always seemed so happy. This was particularly bothersome to me as a Boston Celtics fan growing up in the Los Angeles area. It seemed the Lakers of that era were more than good. They were harmonious. How else to run fast breaks that had such orchestral qualities?… Continue reading Book Review: Jeff Pearlman’s Very Entertaining ‘Showtime’
Dogs Can Smell Your Stress, and It Seems to Make Them Sad
When Dogs Smell Your Stress, They Act Sad Dogs can smell when people are stressed, and it seems to make them feel downhearted By Sara Novak Hailey Seelig/Getty Images Humans and dogs have been close companions for perhaps 30,000 years, according to anthropological and DNA evidence. So it would make sense that dogs would be… Continue reading Dogs Can Smell Your Stress, and It Seems to Make Them Sad