For the first time, researchers have sequenced all 3,117,275,501 bases of our genetic code Credit: Martin KrzywinskiAdvertisement The human genome is at last complete. Researchers have been working for decades toward this goal, and the Human Genome Project claimed victory in 2001, when it had read almost all of a person’s DNA. But the stubborn… Continue reading See How Scientists Put Together the Complete Human Genome
Building a Professional Early Childhood Workforce Requires a ‘Compensation-First’ Approach
Teachers who work in childcare settings in the United States earn $11.65 per hour on average—less than half of what their peers working in schools earn, and below a living wage in most U.S. counties. Accordingly, even prior to the pandemic, childcare teachers (PDF) left the profession at considerably higher rates than K–12 teachers. In… Continue reading Building a Professional Early Childhood Workforce Requires a ‘Compensation-First’ Approach
AI Diagnoses Devastating Olive Tree Infection
An aggressive plant pathogen that wipes out olive trees is projected to cost Italy billions of euros over the next 50 years. Xylella fastidiosa—a bacterium named for its pickiness when grown in the laboratory—was detected in southern Italy in 2013. It is now designated a “quarantine organism” in the European Union: infected trees, some hundreds… Continue reading AI Diagnoses Devastating Olive Tree Infection
Truth Decay and National Security, Gun Violence, Blockading Crimea: RAND Weekly Recap
This week, we discuss how Truth Decay affects national security; America’s gun violence problem; why blockading Crimea may be Ukraine’s best option; improving educational outcomes for kids in foster care; the benefits of investing in women’s health research; and why the Army should be looking for slightly older recruits. Photo by Stephen Emlund/Getty Images Over… Continue reading Truth Decay and National Security, Gun Violence, Blockading Crimea: RAND Weekly Recap
Don’t Forget the Sign of the Cross
Mass begins with the Sign of the Cross which symbolizes many things: Our God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit; it reminds us just how much we are loved because God was willing to die rather than be separated from us; and it shows us what we are worth, the very life of God. What… Continue reading Don’t Forget the Sign of the Cross
Cheap New Method Breaks Down ‘Forever Chemicals’
Researchers have developed an approach to break down a class of long-lasting chemicals that they say is easier and cheaper than the harsh methods currently used. The work also hints at how these chemicals, which have been linked to health problems, fall apart — a finding that could help to ultimately destroy these persistent pollutants. Per-… Continue reading Cheap New Method Breaks Down ‘Forever Chemicals’
Why China Should Worry About Asia’s Reaction to AUKUS
When U.S. President Joe Biden met with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in San Diego last month, the three leaders announced a crucial next step for the Australia–United Kingdom–United States (AUKUS) security pact. Australia will purchase at least three, and possibly five, Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines from the United States… Continue reading Why China Should Worry About Asia’s Reaction to AUKUS
What Does Scripture Mean by “the Flesh”?
There are many references to “the flesh” in the New Testament, especially in the letters of St. Paul. The phrase is confusing to those who think it synonymous with the physical body. While Scripture many times uses the word “flesh” to refer to the physical body, when it is preceded by the definite article, it… Continue reading What Does Scripture Mean by “the Flesh”?
How the Inside of a Black Hole Is Secretly on the Outside
Theoretical physics has been in crisis mode ever since 1974, when Stephen Hawking argued that black holes destroy information. Hawking showed that a black hole can evaporate, gradually transforming itself and anything it consumes into a featureless cloud of radiation. During the process, information about what fell into the black hole is apparently lost, violating… Continue reading How the Inside of a Black Hole Is Secretly on the Outside
Poetry of the Mass – Fr. Michael Rennier
IT SEEMS TO me we are always struggling to be born. Some days, when I kiss the altar, I’m Mary adoring her slain Lord. Other days, I arrive as Judas in the night. Either way, He still insists on dying for me. The altar is our Bethlehem, a cradle holding an infant already pressed into… Continue reading Poetry of the Mass – Fr. Michael Rennier