In the age of Google translate, learning a second language might seem like a thing of the past. I hope not! Let me explain why, for humans, translation is not optional. Most of us think of translation in linguistic terms – interpreting an idea in one language and expressing it in another. Understood more broadly,…
I am the son and grandson of Dutch immigrants to Canada who arrived shortly after the end of the second world war. They took a “kist” across the Atlantic, a large crate containing their modest household possessions. Along with their kist, many Dutch immigrants brought their Reformed Christian tradition. This tradition, sometimes referred to as…
I believe in the great discovery.I believe in the man who made the discovery.I believe in the fear of the manwho made the discovery . . . This is the beginning of the poem “Discovery” by the Nobel laureate, Polish poet Wisława Szymborska (pronounced ShimBORska). It was first published in a 1972 collection. Poland was…
Chemistry is much more than balancing equations and examining molecules – just ask Dr. Peter Mahaffy. Students in his classes at The King’s University don’t study isolated science reactions; they use a “systems thinking” approach to look for the intrinsic connections between scientific concepts, the earth, social systems and people. When I took Mahaffy’s Chemistry…
As we enter the season when we remember the birth of the Christ Child, I feel called to live into the mystery of the Incarnation. Though I am a scientist, this is no contradiction. The reality science elucidates appears increasingly mysterious. How did light begin? A century ago, science gave us greater certainty. Einstein revised…
It is an exciting time to be a physicist. There are a lot of puzzles that need investigating about the cosmos God has put us in. We don’t know, for example, what dark matter and energy are, yet they make up the most significant portion of our world. Likewise, the two overarching theoretical frameworks in…
The other day, I chatted with Abraham Kuyper. The conversation went something like this: Derek: “Hi, Dr. Kuyper. What do you think of Christian Courier?” Kuyper: “Ah, Christian Courier. While I am not directly acquainted with this publication, I can certainly appreciate any endeavor that seeks to bring the light of Christ into the public…
Daniel Dennett died on April 19 at age 82. There were obituaries in both Nature and Science for this prolific neuroscientist. His insights on consciousness, cognition and philosophy fill books that have been read by many. I have a few in my bookcase, and they are well worth reading. The fact that he received an…
At the end of May, temperatures in Delhi, India, reached above 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit). Last summer was apparently the warmest in about 2,000 years, with temperatures averaging two degrees warmer than all our climate models predicted. As everyone is aware, fossil fuels continue to increase the level of carbon dioxide in the…
“As a follower of Jesus, I am called to share my God-given talents to achieve social justice through food security,” Peter VanderZaag told Christian Courier. “Looking back over my career, I am blessed to see great impact through the relationships I have built in over 60 countries working on potatoes and living and sharing my…
Most of us have heard of hydroponics, a system for growing plants in solution rather than soil, but when Peter VanderZaag, potato breeder from Alliston, Ontario and President of the World Potato Congress, first mentioned aeroponics I did a double-take. “What’s that?” You can’t grow tubers in solution, so hydroponics isn’t an option for crops…
“You are being watched.” This ominous warning began each episode of Person of Interest. The science-fiction crime series ran for five seasons. The plot centred around “the Machine,” a sophisticated computer system designed by billionaire genius Harold Finch (Michael Emerson), for the U.S. government after 9-11. Originally intended to predict acts of terrorism, it was…
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