Category Archives: Journal

Sharing more about me, less about (almost) everything else

Aftershock II: USC Students Reaching for the Stars

“Students’ ‘homemade’ rocket soars faster and farther into space than any other amateur spacecraft — smashing 20-year records” Harry Baker, Live Science (November 21, 2024) “A group of U.S. students has smashed a series of world records after launching a … Continue reading

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Porphyrion: Black Hole Jets on a Cosmic Scale

We’ve known about “black hole jet systems” for some time, but never one as big as Porphyrion: a 23,000,000 light-year giant. I’ll be talking about that today, along with how astronomers have been studying it, a plausible explanation for its … Continue reading

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Minnesota is Not Burning

I’ll be talking about something else this week, but I’ve noticed that the stalking specter of climate change has shifted from California to the east coast. Meanwhile, here in central Minnesota, we’re under a Red Flag Warning. In other words, … Continue reading

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Neanderthals: Sensible, Decent Homebodies; and My Ancestors

A long time ago, some folks were — apparently — living happily in the Rhône River Valley. Whether or not they were happy there, we’ve found evidence that they stayed near what we call the Grotte Mandrin for 50,000 years. … Continue reading

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Principles, Priorities, Politics: and Being Catholic

Another election is looming, so I’m reviewing how being a Catholic affects how I vote. I’ll mention what the USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) calls the “Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching”, share some links, and talk about … Continue reading

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