A friend shared a letter with me from Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island.  In it, he outlined a course of political action for the future. (Dec. 31, 2024)  Like many of us, he sees the next 4 years as rocky ones for the country.  To protect our democracy he makes 3 proposal

The public face of the Taliban is that of a stern and punitive terrorist group. So, I was surprised to come across an Indian publication with pictures of these men, still clutching to their rifles, as they played with bumper cars and on trampolines in an Afghan amusement park. In thei

A woman at my retirement center has published a poetry collection. In her interview about the book, she refers to an essay by Mark Flannagan, a writer for Kirkus Review, in which he tries to define poetry.  After a few attempts, he settles for one word: imagination. Well, yes, I say

The young woman was standing on the curb a short distance from the grocery store, her shopping cart overflowing with purchases. She was muttering to the air in angry tones, so I intended to skirt around her, presuming she was one of the mentally ill who inhabits our streets. Something

Here’s the overwhelming question.  How can a combination of amino acids write a symphony or join the Republican party or commit stock fraud or feel patriotism for a section of the earth which is, itself, no more than a combination of amino acids?  (“Science reveals the code of t

While browsing through the internet the other day, I learned about an exciting new discovery in quantum physics.  Scientists have learned that some quantum particles adhere to one another, not by electromagnetism, as we supposed, but by something called the strong force. I will ventu

I may have told this story before, but while in public office and after a day of fierce debate on social policy, I stepped down from my dais and stormed into my office with a staff member following in my wake.  My voice as dripping with incredulity as I turned to complain to that you

On Facebook recently,  I ran across an entry that accused Hillary Clinton of being evil, a crime boss and a killer.  As a Hillary supporter, I stopped to ask the writer for  corroboration of his charges and reminded him that even in a free society, slander is a crime.  Getting  f

I love science. I really do, but sometimes, I wish all those researchers would just shut up. We humans are entitled to a little mystery. Like the making of sausage, we don’t need to know about everything that goes on inside us. When I savor a hot fudge sundae, for example, do I care