Feeding Mind, Pursuing Truth
Blog 3 Columns
- Home
- Blog 3 Columns
Why Children Ask ‘Why’ (And How You Should Answer Them)1
- Family
- February 16, 2017
When I was about four years old, I asked my mother one of my first ‘Why?’ questions: ‘Mom, why does Pippo live underwater?’ Mom explained that Pippo, our goldfish, was a fish, and fish live underwater. This answer left me unsatisfied, so I kept enquiring: ‘Why do fish live underwater? Can’t we also live underwater?’
READ MORE
U.S. Economy Hits All-Time Low in Freedom Index0
- Culture
- February 16, 2017
The United States recently slipped to its lowest level yet in world rankings of economic freedom compiled by the Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal. It now qualifies not as “free” but as “mostly free.” As The Hill notes: “In the latest report, the U.S. ranks 17th out of 180 countries with an economic
READ MORE
Students in Turkey Value Free Speech Way More than American Students0
- Culture
- February 16, 2017
Several weeks ago, many in the U.S. were rather disturbed when protestors at UC Berkeley were able to shut out controversial speaker Milo Yiannopoulos from speaking on campus. As CNN reported: “More than 1,500 protesters had gathered at Sproul Plaza, chanting and holding signs that read: ‘No safe space for racists’ and ‘This is war.’
READ MORE
Respectful Children So Rare that Restaurant Owner Gives Them a Discount0
- Culture
- February 16, 2017
Have you ever noticed that many of today’s children seem to have a lack of respect for others, a fact which becomes particularly apparent in their poor behavior in public? If so, you’re not alone. Italian restaurant owner Antonio Ferrari seems to have subconsciously noticed the same thing. But he was unable to put his
READ MORE
Nation’s Longest Wed Couple Reveals the Secret to a Good Marriage0
- Culture
- February 16, 2017
Are Jeram and Ganga Ravji the world’s longest-married couple? The Indian-born couple are certainly New Zealand’s current record holders, ready to mark 82 years of marriage in April. On Valentine’s Day they received a special accolade for the second year running from Family First NZ. But it didn’t all begin with Valentines and roses. Born
READ MORE
Five Ways Nanoscience is Making Science Fiction into Fact0
- Science
- February 16, 2017
Russian author Boris Zhitkov wrote the 1931 short story Microhands, in which the narrator creates miniature hands to carry out intricate surgeries. And while that was nearly 100 years ago, the tale illustrates the real fundamentals of the nanoscience researchers are working on today. Nanoscience is the study of molecules that are one billionth of
READ MORE
We’re All ‘Snowflakes’ Now0
- History
- February 15, 2017
A quote frequently attributed to Socrates says that “When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser.” And probably the most cited logical fallacy these days is the ad hominem, which is an attack “against the person” rather than his or her actual argument. For these reasons, I and many others have
READ MORE
Tariffs: Are They Really That Bad?0
- Economics
- February 15, 2017
The Founding Fathers gave Congress the power to “regulate commerce with foreign nations” in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution. The Framers encouraged sanctions, duties, and fees as revenue-raising measures. Thomas Jefferson argued, “We ought not to depend on supplies from other countries. Shall we suppress imposts [tariffs] and give that advantage to foreign
READ MORE
Karl Marx Was a Pretty Bad Person49
- Economics
- February 15, 2017
When Karl Marx died in March 1883, only about a dozen people attended his funeral at a cemetery in London, England, including family members. Yet, for more than a century after his death – and even until today – there have been few thinkers whose ideas have been as influential on various aspects of modern
READ MORE