A Chinese proverb about the butterfly effect teaches that small changes can have great consequences.  Who would have thought that a farmer drilling a well to tap groundwater for his crops would cause the earth to wobble on its axis?  Yet climate scientists report that farmers, towns

Language, which is vital to humankind, can take us down many paths some of which lead to self-delusion.  I learned this lesson in a philosophy class years ago in college. The professor opened the session with a simple question.  “Who can define the word chair for me?”  Eager to

Lady Bracknell, a character in Oscar Wilde’s comedy, The Importance of Being Earnest,  is an elderly Victorian aristocrat with her corset pulled so tight it affects her brain. Learning that her daughter’s suitor is an orphan, she responds with disdain rather than sympathy.  To l

The future of Roe v. Wade, a woman’s right to an abortion, in most people’s minds, is hanging by a thread. A recent Supreme Court ruling on a Louisiana law, one that severely restricted abortion clinics, was decided on a 5-4 split. Chief Justice John Roberts joined the more libera

Last week,  I wrote about the return of midwifery to this country, and its underground movement to teach women to perform self-induced abortions.  (Click) Another option exists for the same purpose, but it isn’t widely known. The drug, Mifepristone, can be effective if self-admini