Are you a US Military Veteran that’s planning on visiting a National Park this summer? Today I wanted to provide detailed instructions on how you, or any Gold Star Family member, can pick up a free pass to never have to pay for admission to a National Park in the United States again! While camping,… Continue reading How Veterans Can Get a Free Lifetime Pass to National Parks
Maximizing the Potential of American Irregular Warfare in Strategic Competition
The United States lacks the concepts and associated doctrine for its irregular warfare capabilities to achieve their potential in strategic competition. This challenge was articulated in 2013 in a hallmark collaboration (PDF) of Army Chief of Staff Raymond Odierno, Marine Corps Commandant James Amos, and U.S. Special Operations Commander William McRaven. Center to their critique… Continue reading Maximizing the Potential of American Irregular Warfare in Strategic Competition
The Church Fathers on Receiving Communion
Fathers of the Church and Theologians The Fathers of the Church and approved theologians have addressed the Church’s serious concern that due respect be paid to the Most Blessed Sacrament, that souls not fall into the sin of sacrilege by receiving the Body and Blood of Christ unworthily, and that scandal not be given to… Continue reading The Church Fathers on Receiving Communion
Even Machine Brains Need Sleep
We all might wish for minds as retentive as a hard drive. Memory file created. Saved. Ready for access at any time. But don’t yet go wishing for the memory performance of AI. Artificial neural networks are prone to a troublesome glitch known, evocatively, as catastrophic forgetting. These seemingly tireless networks can keep learning tasks… Continue reading Even Machine Brains Need Sleep
Finland Joins NATO, Sweden’s Accession Remains Uncertain
Finland is at long last joining NATO, having applied together with Sweden last year in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Finland’s accession represents a boon to NATO, a radical change in Finnish foreign and security policy, and another unplanned setback for Vladimir Putin’s Russia. While Finland is formally welcomed into the alliance by NATO… Continue reading Finland Joins NATO, Sweden’s Accession Remains Uncertain
Emmaus and the Eucharist – SpiritualDirection.com
Of all the resurrection stories, perhaps my favorite is the Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35). Two downcast disciples are wandering away from Jerusalem, away from all their hope, when Jesus walks up and joins them. He playfully pretends not to know what is going on. He wants them to acknowledge their loss so that his… Continue reading Emmaus and the Eucharist – SpiritualDirection.com
Tiny Jets on the Sun Power the Colossal Solar Wind
Torrents of charged particles continuously lift off the sun’s atmosphere and radiate outward at millions of kilometers per hour, yielding a solar wind so immense that its limit defines the outer edge of our solar system. Despite the vast reach of this wind, its formation has long been a puzzle. Now a new analysis argues… Continue reading Tiny Jets on the Sun Power the Colossal Solar Wind
The Four-Day School Week: Are the Pros Worth the Cons?
The past two decades have seen an explosion in the adoption of the four-day school week. Though the policy has been documented as early as the 1930s, only 257 schools in the country had adopted it by 1999. Yet by 2019, over 1,600 schools were on a four-day schedule. There are no signs that the… Continue reading The Four-Day School Week: Are the Pros Worth the Cons?
The Public Wants Scientists to Be More Involved in Policy Debates
Many scientists are loath to involve themselves in policy debates for fear of losing credibility. They worry that if they participate in public debate on a contested issue, they will be viewed as biased and discounted as partisan. That perception then will lead to science itself being branded as partisan, further weakening public trust in… Continue reading The Public Wants Scientists to Be More Involved in Policy Debates
Dementia and National Security, Finland Joins NATO, the Four-Day School Week: RAND Weekly Recap
This week, we discuss how dementia in the national security workforce could create a security threat; Finland becoming the 31st NATO ally; learning loss associated with a four-day school week; this week’s U.S.-Taiwan news; preventing shortfalls in critical materials; and America’s dangerous short war fixation. Photo by Joshua Roberts/Reuters Americans are living longer and retiring… Continue reading Dementia and National Security, Finland Joins NATO, the Four-Day School Week: RAND Weekly Recap