The mysteries of Our Lord
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The mysteries of Our Lord

Science is constantly stretching the boundaries of what we know. In looking at God’s creation, we find numerous mysteries to explore and understand better. And yet, some mysteries will remain with us forever, beyond the ability of science to penetrate. shifting boundaries Scientists are well aware of the boundaries of our knowledge. Significant unresolved theoretical…

The care and ethics of brain surgery
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The care and ethics of brain surgery

In the late 1960’S, when I was an undergraduate studying psychology at McGill, one of the topics discussed was Dr. Penfield’s work at the Montreal Neurological Institute. Dr. Penfield had discovered that for some forms of epilepsy, small areas of the brain caused the seizures, and if he surgically removed these areas, the patient’s seizures…

God, Job and the James Webb Telescope
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God, Job and the James Webb Telescope

Early on December 25, 2021, the James Webb Space Telescope launched. While much less significant than the birth we celebrate that day, the launch opens a new era in understanding creation. This telescope is a more complex and powerful successor to the Hubble. It will tell us a lot about our home, the universe God…

Why do we sleep?
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Why do we sleep?

Joseph had four dreams from the Lord. In the first, God told him to wed Mary. The second told him to leave at night for Egypt. In the last two dreams, God revealed to Joseph when to return and where to go. Scripture tells us many times that God can communicate with us in dreams,…

Scientists & wise Men
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Scientists & wise Men

The standard models that physics uses to explain the cosmos have some unresolved issues. If we consider only ordinary matter, for example, galaxies are not heavy enough to prevent them from spinning apart, given how fast they rotate. There is simply not enough matter-based gravity to hold them together. This problem with galaxies is one…

The other pandemic
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The other pandemic

From January 2016 to March 2021, 22,828 people died in Canada’s “other” pandemic: drug overdose deaths. This total does not include the numbers since March, which are reportedly high but not yet available. By contrast, the COVID-19 pandemic, which has profoundly affected us all, has caused a similar number of Canadian deaths (27,500 through September)….

Research & Ethics

Research & Ethics

Did you see how quickly the COVID-19 vaccines were developed? Vaccine approval is a complex process, but these vaccines made it through in record time. It shows what can be done when the world comes together around a deadly medical problem; these are among the safest and best reviewed vaccines we have. The research community…

Pandemic gifts
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Pandemic gifts

The gold standard of science information transfer is the peer-reviewed written word. But the slow pace of publication and the impersonal interactions involved have made other forms of scientific communication popular. With anywhere from 300 to 35,000 participants, scientific meetings are one way for scientists to comment on, criticize or improve each other’s findings quickly….

Brain fog & long COVID
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Brain fog & long COVID

This pandemic has been a roller coaster. Don’t wear masks – no, wear masks. Sanitize everything – no, that’s just hygiene theatre. Get this vaccine – no, get this other one. Welcome to science in real time, with knowledge changing seemingly every day. Each new study gives us a new window on the SARS-CoV-2 virus,…

Lights and electric cars
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Lights and electric cars

Technology is all around us, and always changing. Take the lights in my house, for example. We no longer have incandescent light bulbs (the old 60- & 100-watt lights), but we still have a few halogen pot lights. In other light sockets we have those twisty fluorescent bulbs. But in most fixtures, we have the…

Dutch data on COVID’s learning loss
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Dutch data on COVID’s learning loss

Many people are wondering about the effects of pandemic-induced school closures. Here in Ontario’s third wave of the pandemic, schools are closed again (with some exceptions for special needs students). It’s possible the year will finish online. While the closures are necessary from a medical standpoint, what effect do they have on our children? Recently,…

What if . . . ?
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What if . . . ?

I am currently reading The Sin of Certainty by Peter Enns. Enns’s main argument is that Christians have become enamoured of true beliefs at the cost of trust as our faith’s central virtue. We are too concerned about being correct, and we require others in our community, especially our leaders, to hold correct views on…