To uncivilized people the whims of nature surely seemed capricious; their search for meaning behind devastating winds or a great flood gave rise to tales of gods, magic and otherworldly realms beyond the powers of direct human observation. Seasonal cycles, animal migrations, phases of the... Continue

Recent polls indicate that America's favorite sport is now football instead of baseball. It's not hard to see a connection between this trend and the changed nature of American life in the 21st century. Baseball, of course, is a 19th century game, developed during slower... Continue

I remember a childhood cartoon in which the main character - it could have been Daffy Duck or Bugs Bunny - found himself in the middle of a struggle between a little devil and a little angel version of himself, each of which sat on... Continue

I've come to hold synchronicity in high regard. Coincidence is too light a word for the ways in which waves of information sometimes pass through human culture: signaling a simultaneous, penetrating and all-pervasive coming together of cause and effect that verges on clairvoyance. Just last... Continue

The number of life forms on earth is staggeringly huge; despite the discoveries of the past three hundred years there remains a vast, nearly uncountable number of unknown species of life forms. For perhaps a billion years, earth's plants and then animals have filled every... Continue

An elderly man, feeling weak, enters the emergency room of a local hospital. After waiting, a doctor examines him and determines he is severely dehydrated. An IV is placed, and sterile saline solution (water and salt) soon help the man recover. He prepares to leave... Continue

TV shows and Hollywood movies often portray elite government security teams as oafish incompetents around whom brilliantly evil criminals run rapid circles. The plots then center around a cat-and-mouse game played by the evil-doers and the one or two members of law enforcement who can... Continue

Just as global warming gains international traction with treaties, targets and timetables the price of oil miraculously drops. A coincidence? I think not. Just as solar, wind, biofuel and electric technologies become more competitive with high-priced oil and gain wider adoption worldwide the price of... Continue

Sex Porn is a global multi-billion-dollar industry. Studies indicate that for many addicted to such material its sexual content is less significant than its feelings of overcoming powerlessness. The defining characteristic of porn is a sense of control through the objectification of self and other,... Continue