February 7, 2025 4 min read The U.S. Is Not Ready for Bird Flu in Humans Bird flu is infecting more people than we think. We need to stop it now before a new pandemic begins By Megha Satyanarayana Aberration Films LTD/Science Photo Library/Getty Images Right after President Donald Trump took office, amid the flurry… Continue reading The U.S. Is Not Ready for Bird Flu in Humans
Psychiatrist Fired for University-Disfavored Views Vindicated
Dr. Allan Josephson risked his career to become one of the first psychiatrists to publicly oppose the “transitioning” of children. When he spoke out, his employer, the University of Louisville, demoted him, harassed him, and ultimately fired him. Now, after a six-year legal battle to defend his First Amendment rights, Dr. Josephson stands vindicated. The… Continue reading Psychiatrist Fired for University-Disfavored Views Vindicated
Lost Scriptures: 1 Esdras
Podcast: Download MYS364: How could a “lost scripture” one day be recognized by Catholics? Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli unpack 1 Esdras—its dramatic tale, canonical debates, and what it reveals about faith, history, and unity. Get all new episodes automatically and for free: Follow by Email | Watch this episode and subscribe on YouTube Help… Continue reading Lost Scriptures: 1 Esdras
Mathematics + Symbols = a Surprising × Contentious History
War in Europe is a staple topic in the study of history, but there’s one major conflict most history books won’t teach you: the battle of the equal sign, =. These two parallel lines were, in fact, the source of serious dispute among European mathematicians in the mid-1500s. This dispute is just one of many… Continue reading Mathematics + Symbols = a Surprising × Contentious History
In ‘Weird’ Austin, a Double Shot of Academic Counter-Revolution
AUSTIN, Texas — Lacking three crucial components – students, faculty, and facilities – the two educational experiments proposed in this state capital sounded like moonshots just a few years ago. Today, the School of Civic Leadership at the University of Texas and a feisty startup calling itself the University of Austin are not just up… Continue reading In ‘Weird’ Austin, a Double Shot of Academic Counter-Revolution
Will AI Ever Understand Language Like Humans?
Large language models (LLMs) are becoming increasingly more impressive at creating human-like text and answering questions, but whether they can understand the meaning of the words they generate is a hotly debated issue. A big challenge is that LLMs are black boxes; they can make predictions and decisions on the order of words, but they… Continue reading Will AI Ever Understand Language Like Humans?
Would Work Requirements Cut Medicaid Costs?
Congressional Republicans are currently looking to slow the growth of federal Medicaid spending, which has surged from $161 billion to $616 billion over the past two decades. Although only 17% of Americans support reducing Medicaid spending; 62% support requiring most adults to work in order to gain eligibility. But, while work requirements command broad appeal… Continue reading Would Work Requirements Cut Medicaid Costs?
Dimension 126 Contains Strangely Twisted Shapes, Mathematicians Prove
It can be tempting to assume that your intuitions about three-dimensional space carry over to higher-dimensional realms. After all, adding another dimension simply creates a new direction to move around in. It doesn’t change the defining features of space: its endlessness and its uniformity. But different dimensions have decidedly different personalities. In dimensions 8 and… Continue reading Dimension 126 Contains Strangely Twisted Shapes, Mathematicians Prove
Dear Democrats, Republicans Are Eating Your Lunch on Education. What Are You Going to Do About It?
Early in my tenure at the education policy organization I founded, we barely had any money. No money meant no lobbyist, which left me, a complete stranger to the legislative process, to figure out how to pass meaningful policy. A conversation I had with a Democratic legislator seen as an up-and-coming leader stands out among… Continue reading Dear Democrats, Republicans Are Eating Your Lunch on Education. What Are You Going to Do About It?
To Make Language Models Work Better, Researchers Sidestep Language
Language isn’t always necessary. While it certainly helps in getting across certain ideas, some neuroscientists have argued that many forms of human thought and reasoning don’t require the medium of words and grammar. Sometimes, the argument goes, having to turn ideas into language actually slows down the thought process. Now there’s intriguing evidence that certain… Continue reading To Make Language Models Work Better, Researchers Sidestep Language