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
Through the Wounds of Christ the Father Transforms our Wounds
To be a Christian is to be plunged into the mystery of the Trinity. This mystery is one of both primordial and eschatological love for humanity. Just how radical this love is defies any attempt to articulate. Yet the Word of the Father has spoken it once and for all in the silence that followed… Continue reading Through the Wounds of Christ the Father Transforms our Wounds
The Lasting Power of Good Memories
Explore Three years ago almost to the day, my 7-year-old hugged his teacher goodbye, we walked home together, and then we pretty much remained there for the next 13 months. COVID-19 irrevocably changed all of our lives, and now that I have a little cognitive distance, I find myself wondering what we’ll remember about this… Continue reading The Lasting Power of Good Memories
The Army Should Be Looking for a Few Older Soldiers
The Army has missed its recruiting target twice in the past five years—by roughly 8 percent in 2018 and by 25 percent in 2022. While COVID shocks and a stronger job market may have hurt its efforts in 2022, other services mostly made their recruiting quotas—if in some cases by advancing recruits who had signed… Continue reading The Army Should Be Looking for a Few Older Soldiers
The Symmetry That Makes Solving Math Equations Easy
Think of the tune to “Pop Goes the Weasel.” Now sing these lyrics: Neg-a-tive b, plus or minusThe square root of b squaredmi-nus four a cAll! over two a This jingle has helped generations of algebra students recall the quadratic formula that solves every equation of the form $latex ax^2+bx+c=0$. The formula is as useful… Continue reading The Symmetry That Makes Solving Math Equations Easy