Amid an Epidemic of Loneliness, Nonprofits Are Helping Keep Veterans Connected

The U.S. surgeon general recently issued an advisory on America’s loneliness epidemic (PDF) and the healing effects of social connection. Former Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Bob McDonald also issued a statement on veterans’ social isolation. These are important reminders of veterans’ need for connection and community. Fortunately, there are many nonprofit organizations seeking… Continue reading Amid an Epidemic of Loneliness, Nonprofits Are Helping Keep Veterans Connected

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Sparse Neural Networks Point Physicists to Useful Data

Graham tried tweaking the CNN approach so that the kernel would only be placed on 3-by-3 sections of the image that contain at least one pixel that has nonzero value (and is not just blank). In this way, he succeeded in producing a system that could efficiently identify handwritten Chinese. It won a 2013 competition… Continue reading Sparse Neural Networks Point Physicists to Useful Data

U.S.-China Rivalry in an Era of Weakening States

In his recent meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, U.S. Ambassador Nicholas Burns reportedly emphasized the importance of stabilizing the bilateral relationship. After an alarming downturn in U.S.-China relations, an easing of tensions could indeed provide a welcome breather for two countries confronting intractable domestic problems. Washington continues to grapple with slowing growth, bitter… Continue reading U.S.-China Rivalry in an Era of Weakening States

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Brain Waves Synchronize when People Interact

Neuroscientists usually investigate one brain at a time. They observe how neurons fire as a person reads certain words, for example, or plays a video game. As social animals, however, those same scientists do much of their work together—brainstorming hypotheses, puzzling over problems and fine-tuning experimental designs. Increasingly, researchers are bringing that reality into how… Continue reading Brain Waves Synchronize when People Interact

The Case for a Governance-First U.S. Security Policy in the Sahel

Both terrorism and coups are on the rise in the Sahel. This is a troubling trend that the United States should be working to reverse. To do this, Washington needs to ramp up support aimed at improving security governance, professionalizing militaries, and strongly sanctioning all forms of military takeovers in the region. This will require… Continue reading The Case for a Governance-First U.S. Security Policy in the Sahel

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How We Caught the D.C. Beltway Snipers (Beltway Snipers, John Muhammad, Lee Malvo)

Podcast: Download MYS263: A year after the 9/11 attacks, the Washington DC area was rocked by a series of random sniper attacks that left 10 people dead. Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli discuss the shootings, the men behind them, how police caught them, and why they went on their murder spree Get all new episodes… Continue reading How We Caught the D.C. Beltway Snipers (Beltway Snipers, John Muhammad, Lee Malvo)

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How to Unravel The Recent Mifepristone Rulings

The following essay is reprinted with permission from The Conversation, an online publication covering the latest research. The U.S. Supreme Court issued an emergency ruling on April 21, 2023, that allows continued access to the abortion pill mifepristone in states where abortion is legal. The court’s decision, which included few details and only indicated that Justices Clarence Thomas… Continue reading How to Unravel The Recent Mifepristone Rulings

Countries Buy Defective Chinese Military Equipment. Why?

China’s defense industry has exported malfunctioning and defective military equipment in recent years—leaving countries short of what’s needed for their security while also draining military budgets. Nigeria’s military reported several technical problems with the Chinese-made F-7 aircraft delivered starting in 2009. A handful were lost in crashes or accidents. By 2020, of the nine remaining,… Continue reading Countries Buy Defective Chinese Military Equipment. Why?

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Fatherhood and Subsidiarity – SpiritualDirection.com

God is our Father. Jesus presents himself as God’s own Son. He speaks of God as his Father who desires to become our Father. All fatherhood derives from God the Father and has its meaning from him (cf. Ephesians 3:14-21). And what do we see in God’s Fatherhood? He is radically different from the counterfeit… Continue reading Fatherhood and Subsidiarity – SpiritualDirection.com