Darwin, Charles, On the Origin of Species: A Facsimile of the First Edition, Harvard University Press 2001 Amazon review: 'It was a very happy idea to publish a facsimile of the first edition of On the Origin of Species; the price of copies of the original edition has reached the thousand dollar bracket, and in contemporary literature all page-references are to the original pagination, which was not followed in previous reprints of the first edition. Now, with this very reasonably priced and beautifully produced book, not only historians of science but also biologists will have the opportunity of following the fascinating thought-trails, still far from fully explored, of that remarkable man Darwin. Few if any persons are so well qualified as Harvard's Ernst Mayr to execute so helpfully and gracefully the delicate task of writing a worthy foreword to such a classic.' --Sir Gavin de Beer (Science ) 
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Dawkins, Richard, The Selfish Gene , Oxford UP 1976 Amazon: Editorial review: 'Inheriting the mantle of revolutionary biologist from Darwin, Watson, and Crick, Richard Dawkins forced an enormous change in the way we see ourselves and the world with the publication of The Selfish Gene. Suppose, instead of thinking about organisms using genes to reproduce themselves, as we had since Mendel's work was rediscovered, we turn it around and imagine that "our" genes build and maintain us in order to make more genes. That simple reversal seems to answer many puzzlers which had stumped scientists for years, and we haven't thought of evolution in the same way since.' Rob Lightner 
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Deutsch, David, The Fabric of Reality: The Science of Parallel Universes - and its Implications, Allen Lane Penguin Press 1997 Jacket: 'Quantum physics, evolution, computation and knowledge - these four strands of scientific theory and philosophy have, until now, remained incomplete explanations of the way the universe works. . . . Oxford scholar DD shows how they are so closely intertwined that we cannot properly understand any one of them without reference to the other three. . . .' 
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Farrell (1974), Walter, A Companion to the Summa: Volume 1 The Architect of the Universe, Christian Classics / Sheed & Ward 1941 - 1974 Preface: 'This volume attempts to put in popular form St. Thomas' masterly study of God, man and the world in the Prima Pars of his Summa Theologica. His study is of extreme pertinence to our times precisely because we are the victims of a constantly increasing intellectual confusion. We have become more and more timid about digging beneath the surface of life, more and more emphatic about the knowledge of facts and less and less concerned with the wisdom of beginnings and ends. . . . For the world is intelligible only in terms of man and God; man is intelligible only in terms of God: God is intelligible only in terms of Himself.' 
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Homer, and E V Rieu (translator), D C H Rieu (editor), Peter Jones (Introduction), The Odyssey, Penguin Classics 2010 Product Description 'The epic tale of Odysseus and his ten-year journey home after the Trojan War forms one of the earliest and greatest works of Western literature. Confronted by natural and supernatural threats - shipwrecks, battles, monsters and the implacable enmity of the sea-god Poseidon - Odysseus must use his wit and native cunning if he is to reach his homeland safely and overcome the obstacles that, even there, await him. About the Author HOMER is thought to have lived c.750-700 BC in Ionia and is believed to be the author of the earliest works of Western Literature: The Odyssey and The Iliad. E. V. RIEU was a celebrated translator from Latin and Greek, and editor of Penguin Classics from 1944-64. His son, D. C. H. RIEU, has revised his work. PETER JONES is former lecturer in Classics at Newcastle. He co-founded the 'Friends of Classics' society and is the editor of their journal and a columnist for The Spectator.' 
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Hume, David, and J C A Gaskin, Principal Writings on Religion Including Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion and the Natural History of Religion , Oxford University Press 2009 David Hume is one of the most provocative philosophers to have written in English. His Dialogues ask if a belief in God can be inferred from what is known of the universe, or whether such a belief is even consistent with such knowledge. The Natural History of Religion investigates the origins of belief, and follows its development from polytheism to dogmatic monotheism. Together, these works constitute the most formidable attack upon religious belief ever mounted by a philosopher. This new edition includes Section XI of The Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding and a letter by Hume in which he discusses Dialogues. 
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Humphreys, Christmas, Buddhism, 1991  
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Kolmogorov, Andrey Nikolaevich, and Nathan Morrison (Translator) (With an added bibliography by A T Bharucha-Reid), Foundations of the Theory of Probability, Chelsea 1956 Preface: 'The purpose of this monograph is to give an axiomatic foundation for the theory of probability. . . . This task would have been a rather hopeless one before the introduction of Lebesgue's theories of measure and integration. However, after Lebesgue's publication of his investigations, the analogies between measure of a set and mathematical expectation of a random variable became apparent. These analogies allowed of further extensions; thus, for example, various properties of independent random variables were seen to be in complete analogy with the corresponding properties of orthogonal functions . . .' 
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Longley, Clifford, and Edited by Suzy Powling. Foreword by Lord Rees-Mogg, The Times Book of Clifford Longley, HarperCollinsReligious 1991 Jacket: 'Clifford Longley is perhaps the best known religious journalist working in Britain today [1991] and surely one of the most accomplished in the post-war period. ... This anthology, the first ever of Longley's work, contains a wide selection of columns published since 1988. Together they make up a colourful and engrossing account of a period when Church affairs have been marked by high controversy, and have regularly hit front pages.' 
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Misner, Charles W, and Kip S Thorne, John Archibald Wheeler, Gravitation, Freeman 1973 Jacket: 'Einstein's description of gravitation as curvature of spacetime led directly to that greatest of all predictions of his theory, that the universe itself is dynamic. Physics still has far to go to come to terms with this amazing fact and what it means for man and his relation to the universe. John Archibald Wheeler. . . . this is a book on Einstein's theory of gravity. . . . ' 
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Nichols, Peter, The Pope's Divisions: The Roman Catholic Church Today, Henry Holt & Co ISBN-13: 978-0030475764 1984 Jacket: 'About eighteen percent of the world's population is Roman Catholic, and there is no bigger or more influential religious body that the Catholic Church. . . . Rome correspondent of The Times of London for more than twenty years, sympathetic to the Church although not himself a Catholic, Peter Nichols is closely familiar with the Curia and its functionaries and an absorbed observer of recent Popes and Papal elections. ... ' 
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Revised English Bible, Revised English Bible, Oxford University Press, USA 2003 From Library Journal 'From its inception the New English Bible was intended to be revised. This revision, which has taken into account praise and criticism of the New English Bible and advances in biblical scholarship, is the fruit of 15 years' labor. The style has remained dignified but not stuffy, vigorous but not coarse. Many Briticisms and awkward phrases have been reworked ("loose livers" in I Cor. 5:9 is now "those who are sexually immoral"), though some remain ("a rod in pickle" in Prov. 19:29). The removal of "thee" and "thou" from address to God and the cautious, discriminating use of inclusive language reflect current usage. Transposition of words, verses, and whole passages in the name of clarity--carried over from the New English Bible --will cause continued concern and will decrease somewhat this work's value as a study Bible. All things considered, however, this is an excellent translation that will easily find a place in public and private reading. Highly recommended. - Craig W. Beard, Harding Univ. Lib., Searcy, Ark. Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.' 
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Weinberg, Steven, The Quantum Theory of Fields Volume I: Foundations, Cambridge University Press 1995 Jacket: 'After a brief historical outline, the book begins anew with the principles about which we are most certain, relativity and quantum mechanics, and then the properties of particles that follow from these principles. Quantum field theory then emerges from this as a natural consequence. The classic calculations of quantum electrodynamics are presented in a thoroughly modern way, showing the use of path integrals and dimensional regularization. The account of renormalization theory reflects the changes in our view of quantum field theory since the advent of effective field theories. The book's scope extends beyond quantum elelctrodynamics to elementary partricle physics and nuclear physics. It contains much original material, and is peppered with examples and insights drawn from the author's experience as a leader of elementary particle research. Problems are included at the end of each chapter. ' 
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Chaitin, Gregory J, "Randomness and Mathematical Proof", Scientific American, 232, 5, May 1975, page 47-52. 'Although randomness can be precisely defined and can even be measured, a given number cannot be proved random. This enigma establishes a limit in what is possible in mathematics'. back

De Dreu, Carsten K W, et al, "The Neuropeptide Oxytocin regulates Parochial Altruism in Intergroup Conflict Among Humans", Science, 328, 5984, 11 June 2010, page 1408 - 1411. 'Humans regulate intergroup conflict through parochial altruism; they self-sacrifice to contribute to in-group welfare and to aggress against competing out-groups. Parochial altruism has distinct survival functions, and the brain may have evolved to sustain and promote in-group cohesion and effectiveness and to ward off threatening out-groups. Here, we have linked oxytocin, a neuropeptide produced in the hypothalamus, to the regulation of intergroup conflict. In three experiments using double-blind placebo-controlled designs, male participants self-administered oxytocin or placebo and made decisions with financial consequences to themselves, their in-group, and a competing out-group. Results showed that oxytocin drives a "tend and defend" response in that it promoted in-group trust and cooperation, and defensive, but not offensive, aggression toward competing out-groups.'. back

de Waal, Frans B M, "Cultural primatology comes of age", Nature, 399, 6737, 17 June 1999, page 635-636. 'The chimpanzee keeps inching closer to humanity. After decades of patiently gathering information, the heads of seven field-sites pool their knowledge to reveal the astonishing variation in tool technology and social customs in chimpanzees across Africa.'. back

Kitcher, Philip, "The Climate Change Debates", Science, 328, 5983, 4 June 2010, page 1230-1234. 'In one of the earliest and most eloquent pleas for open discussion and debate, John Milton wrote: And though all the winds of doctrine were let loose to play upon the earth, so Truth be in the field, we do injuriously, by licensing and prohibiting, to misdoubt her strength. Let her and Falsehood grapple; who ever knew Truth put to the worse, in a free and open encounter. (1) Two centuries after Milton, in the same year in which Charles Darwin published the Origin, John Stuart Mill's essay On Liberty (2) added further arguments for the free exchange of ideas, suggesting that such exchange is vital for intellectual and social health. Although both Milton and Mill stand behind our current acquiescence in the value of extensive free discussion, both of them knew that they were opposing ancient suspicions about the viability of democracy. The political theorists and philosophers of the Greco-Roman world viewed ordinary folk as vulnerable to deception and exploitation. Allowed to determine the direction of the state, the folk would be easily seduced into believing falsehoods aligned with the interests of charismatic leaders, so that the popular voice would enthusiastically clamor for disastrous policies. Better, then, to entrust the ship of state to wise navigators, whose wisdom embraced both depth of understanding and moral integrity.'. back

Landauer, Rolf, "Information is a physical entity", Physica A, 263, 1, 1 February 1999, page 63-7. 'This paper, associated with a broader conference talk on the fundamental physical limits of information handling, emphasizes the aspects still least appreciated. Information is not an abstract entity but exists only through a physical representation, thus tying it to all the restrictions and possibilities of our real physical universe. The mathematician's vision of an unlimited sequence of totally reliable operations is unlikely to be implementable in this real universe. Speculative remarks about the possible impact of that, on the ultimate nature of the laws of physics are included.'. back

Abraham Pais, Einstein and quantum theory, ' This is an account of Einstein's work and thoughts on the quantum theory. The following topics will be discussed : The light-quantum hypothesis and its gradual evolution into the photon concept. Early history of the photoelectric effect. The theoretical and experimental reasons why the resistance to the photon was stronger and more protracted than for any other particle proposed to date. Einstein's position regarding the Bohr—Kramers—Slater suggestion, the last bastion of resistance to the photon. Einstein's analysis of fluctuations around thermal equilibrium and his proposal of a duality between particles and waves, in 1909 for electromagnetic radiation (the first time this duality was ever stated) and in January 1925 for matter (prior to quantum mechanics and for reasons independent of those given earlier by de Broglie). His demonstration that long-known specific heat anomalies are quantum effects. His role in the evolution of the third law of thermodynamics. His new derivation of Planck's law in 1917 which also marks the beginning of his concern with the failure of classical causality. His role as one of the founders of quantum statistics and his discovery of the first example of a phase transition derived by using purely statistical methods. His position as a critic of quantum mechanics. Initial doubts on the consistency of quantum mechanics (1926—1930). His view maintained from1930 until the end of his life: quantum mechanics is logically consistent and quite successful but it is incomplete. His attitude toward success. His criterion of objective reality. Differences in the roles relativity and quantum theory played in Einstein's life. His vision regarding quantum theory in the context of a unified field theory. His last autobiographical sketch, written a few months before his death, concluding with a statement about the quantum theory, a subject to which (by his own account)he had given more thought than even to general relativity.' back

Bill Bowtell, The federal government squandered our precious Covid advantage – now Sydney is in lockdown, ' The federal government squandered our precious Covid advantage – now Sydney is in lockdown Bill Bowtell After a world-leading response in 2020 it did not have to be this way The residents of inner-city Sydney have been thrown into a lockdown that ought to have been imposed a week ago. From early 2021, the rest of the world was adapting at warp speed to take account of both the increased threat of Covid Delta and to capitalise on the hope offered by rapid vaccination of their populations. But not Australia. Month by month, the federal government squandered the precious advantage of time conferred by zero Covid. “No rush” became the order of the day. . . . From a world-leading response in 2020, Australia now lags all OECD countries in vaccine coverage.' back

Bose-Einstein condensate - Wikipedia, Bose-Einstein condensate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, ' A Bose–Einstein condensate (BEC) is a state of matter (also called the fifth state of matter) which is typically formed when a gas of bosons at low densities is cooled to temperatures very close to absolute zero (-273.15 °C). Under such conditions, a large fraction of bosons occupy the lowest quantum state, at which point microscopic quantum phenomena, particularly wavefunction interference, become apparent macroscopically. A BEC is formed by cooling a gas of extremely low density, about one-hundred-thousandth (1/100,000) the density of normal air, to ultra-low temperatures. This state was first predicted, generally, in 1924–1925 by Albert Einstein following and crediting a pioneering paper by Satyendra Nath Bose on the new field now known as quantum statistics.' back

Bose-Einstein statistics - Wikipedia, Bose-Einstein statistics - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 'In statistical mechanics, Bose–Einstein statistics (or more colloquially B–E statistics) determines the statistical distribution of identical indistinguishable bosons over the energy states in thermal equilibrium.' back

Boson - Wikipedia, Boson - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 'In particle physics, bosons are particles with an integer spin, as opposed to fermions which have half-integer spin. From a behaviour point of view, fermions are particles that obey the Fermi-Dirac statistics while bosons are particles that obey the Bose-Einstein statistics. They may be either elementary, like the photon, or composite, as mesons. All force carrier particles are bosons. They are named after Satyendra Nath Bose. In contrast to fermions, several bosons can occupy the same quantum state. Thus, bosons with the same energy can occupy the same place in space.' back

Carlo Rovelli, Relational Quantum Mechanics, ' I suggest that the common unease with taking quantum mechanics as a fundamental description ofnature (the measurement problem) could derive from the use of an incorrect notion, as the uneasewith the Lorentz transformations before Einstein derived from the notion of observer-independenttime. I suggest that this incorrect notion that generates the unease with quantum mechanics isthe notion of observer-independent state of a system, or observer-independent values of physicalquantities. I reformulate the problem of the interpretation of quantum mechanics as the problemof deriving the formalism from a set of simple physical postulates. I consider a reformulation ofquantum mechanics in terms of information theory. All systems are assumed to be equivalent, thereis no observer-observed distinction, and the theory describes only the information that systems haveabout each other; nevertheless, the theory is complete.' back

Carmen & Lola - Wikipedia, Carmen & Lola - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, ' Carmen lives in a Romani community in the suburbs of Madrid. Like every other woman she has ever met, she is destined to live a life that is repeated generation after generation: getting married and raising as many children as possible. But one day she meets Lola, an uncommon Romani woman who dreams about going to university, draws bird graffiti and likes girls. Carmen quickly develops a complicity with Lola and they discover a world that, inevitably, leads them to be rejected by their families.' back

Catholic Herald Limited, The Catholic Herald Online - Online Edition of Britain's leading Catholic newspaper, Editorial Editor Luke Coppen editorial@catholicherald.co.uk Deputy Editor Mark Greaves mark@catholicherald.co.uk News Editor Simon Caldwell simon@catholicherald.co.uk Literary Editor Stav Sherez stav@sherez.freeserve.co.uk Editor of Catholic Life Andrew M Brown andrew@catholicherald.co.uk Science Editor Quentin de la Bédoyère quentin@blueyonder.co.uk back

Charles Darwin, The voyage of the Beagle: Chapter 10 - Tierra Del Fuega, 'Tierra del Fuego, first arrival Good Success Bay An Account of the Fuegians on board Interview With the Savages Scenery of the Forests Cape Horn Wigwam Cove Miserable Condition of the Savages Famines Cannibals Matricide Religious Feelings Great Gale Beagle Channel Ponsonby Sound Build Wigwams and settle the Fuegians Bifurcation of the Beagle Channel Glaciers Return to the Ship Second Visit in the Ship to the Settlement Equality of Condition amongst the Natives.' back

Charles McNamara, Know-Nothing Know-It-Alls, back

Christopher Knaus, José Ramos-Horta calls on Timor-Leste to award Australia’s Witness K top honour, ' José Ramos-Horta will formally request that Timor-Leste award Witness K the nation’s highest honour, praising him for exposing “Australian government perfidy, bad faith and dishonesty” in a bugging operation conducted for the sole purpose of “robbing the poorest country in the world”. Witness K, a former Australian Secret Intelligence Service officer, was convicted on Friday and handed a three-month suspended jail term for his role in exposing a spy operation targeting Timor-Leste during negotiations to carve up oil and gas reserves in the Timor Sea.' back

Church Times, About Church Times, 'The Church Times, founded in 1863, has become the world's leading Anglican weekly newspaper. It has always been independent of the Church of England hierarchy. It was a family concern until 1989, when ownership passed to Hymns Ancient & Modern, a Christian charitable trust. The Church Times was started to campaign for Anglo-Catholic principles, which it did with vigour and rudeness. But in the 1940s and '50s the paper began the move to broaden its outlook and coverage. It now attempts to provide balanced and fair reporting of events and opinions across the whole range of Anglican affairs. The rudeness we now leave to our readers.' back

ChurchNewspaper.com, The Church of England Newspaper, 'The Church of England Newspaper, which is the longest established journal reporting on Church of England affairs and recently had a complete re-design to keep it right up-to-date, is a weekly bringing coverage of church news and developments, issues affecting Christian life in this country and abroad, features which focus on the mission of the Church, and reviews of latest books, resources and the arts, as well as lively correspondence columns offering debate, and a special pull-out section for church ministers and leaders.' back

Citric acid cycle - Wikipedia, Citric acid cycle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, ' The citric acid cycle (CAC) – also known as the TCA cycle (tricarboxylic acid cycle) or the Krebs cycle – is a series of chemical reactions used by all aerobic organisms to release stored energy through the oxidation of acetyl-CoA derived from carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. In addition, the cycle provides precursors of certain amino acids, as well as the reducing agent NADH, that are used in numerous other reactions. Its central importance to many biochemical pathways suggests that it was one of the earliest components of metabolism and may have originated abiogenically. Even though it is branded as a 'cycle', it is not necessary for metabolites to follow only one specific route; at least three segments of the citric acid cycle have been recognized.' back

David Castelvecchi, Mathematicians welcome computer-assisted proof in ‘grand unification’ theory, ' Mathematicians have long used computers to do numerical calculations or manipulate complex formulas. . . . But systems known as proof assistants go deeper. The user enters statements into the system to teach it the definition of a mathematical concept — an object — based on simpler objects that the machine already knows about. A statement can also just refer to known objects, and the proof assistant will answer whether the fact is ‘obviously’ true or false based on its current knowledge. If the answer is not obvious, the user has to enter more details. Proof assistants thus force the user to lay out the logic of their arguments in a rigorous way, and they fill in simpler steps that human mathematicians had consciously or unconsciously skipped.' back

David Hume, Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, 'Project Gutenberg's Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, by David Hume This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net' back

Day, Heron & Hughes, Australian government was ‘blindsided’ by UN recommendation to list Great Barrier Reef as in-danger. But it’s no great surprise, ' The Australian government on Tuesday expressed shock at a draft decision to list the Great Barrier Reef as “in danger”. But the recommendation has been looming for some time. The recommendation, by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), acknowledges Australia’s commitment to implementing the Reef 2050 Plan, an overarching framework to protect the natural wonder for future generations. But the “outstanding universal value” of the Great Barrier Reef has continued to decline.' back

Elie Wiesel - Wikipedia, Elie Wiesel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 'Eliezer "Elie" Wiesel KBE (English pronunciation: /ˈɛli viːˈzəl/; born September 30, 1928)[1] is a writer, professor at Boston University, political activist, Nobel Laureate and Holocaust survivor. He is the author of 57 books, the best known of which is Night, a work based on his experiences as a prisoner in the Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps.[2] His diverse range of other writings offer powerful and poetic contributions to literature, theology, and his own articulation of Jewish spirituality today.' back

Fermi-Dirac statistics - Wikipedia, Fermi-Dirac statistics - Wikipedia, the fre encyclopedia, 'In statistical mechanics, Fermi-Dirac statistics is a particular case of particle statistics developed by Enrico Fermi and Paul Dirac that determines the statistical distribution of fermions over the energy states for a system in thermal equilibrium. In other words, it is the distribution of the probabilities that each possible energy levels is occupied by a fermion. back

Gabriel Communications Limited, The Universe Catholic weekly newspaper, back

Gennady Gorelik, The Riddle of the Third Idea: How Did the Soviets Build a Thermonuclear Bomb So Suspiciously Fast?, ' The famous Russian physicist Andrei Sakharov left a rich heritage. He outlined an explanation for the disparity between matter and antimatter in the universe. His idea of gravitation as the quantum elasticity of the spacetime continues to inspire the search for a unified theory. He was a pure theorist who invented the Soviet H-bomb and, 20 years later, transformed into the foremost human-rights advocate and opponent of the Soviet regime, for which he received a Nobel peace prize. He put forward a powerful political principle: "Never trust a government that doesn't trust its own people." ' back

Gili Merin, The Photos Exposing What Israel Is Trying to Hide , ' An exhibition now on at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art illustrates starkly the impact of limited access to high-quality photography. “Anti-Mapping,” by Miki Kratsman and Shabtai Pinchevsky (curator: Raz Samira), features spectacular images that present an alternative to the official means of mapping that are controlled by the state. Over the course of several years, the two photographers wandered the country documenting sites that are contested both literally and symbolically – on the land and in the public consciousness: Palestinian towns that were destroyed in 1948, unrecognized Bedouin villages, and a string of locales abutting the route of Green Line. Using a variety of technologies, the duo created a detailed mapping of Israel – precisely in places the state sought to erase, obstruct and conceal.' back

Gluon - Wikipedia, Gluon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, ' A gluon (/ˈɡluːɒn/) is an elementary particle that acts as the exchange particle (or gauge boson) for the strong force between quarks. It is analogous to the exchange of photons in the electromagnetic force between two charged particles.[6] In layman's terms, they "glue" quarks together, forming hadrons such as protons and neutrons. In technical terms, gluons are vector gauge bosons that mediate strong interactions of quarks in quantum chromodynamics (QCD). Gluons themselves carry the color charge of the strong interaction. This is unlike the photon, which mediates the electromagnetic interaction but lacks an electric charge. Gluons therefore participate in the strong interaction in addition to mediating it, making QCD significantly harder to analyze than quantum electrodynamics (QED). ' back

Hamming distance - Wikipedia, Hamming distance - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 'In information theory, the Hamming distance between two strings of equal length is the number of positions at which the corresponding symbols are different. Put another way, it measures the minimum number of substitutions required to change one string into the other, or the number of errors that transformed one string into the other.' back

Hayabusa - Wikipedia, Hayabusa - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 'Hayabusa (はやぶさ?, literally "Peregrine Falcon") was an unmanned spacecraft developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to return a sample of material from a small near-Earth asteroid named 25143 Itokawa to Earth for further analysis.' back

Indoctrination - Wikipedia, Indoctrination - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 'Indoctrination is the process of inculcating ideas, attitudes, cognitive strategies or a professional methodology (see doctrine).[1] It is often distinguished from education by the fact that the indoctrinated person is expected not to question or critically examine the doctrine they have learned.[2] As such it is used pejoratively, often in the context of political opinions, theology or religious dogma. Instruction in the basic principles of science, in particular, can not properly be called indoctrination, in the sense that the fundamental principles of science call for critical self-evaluation and skeptical scrutiny of one's own ideas, a stance outside any doctrine.[3] In practice, however, a certain level of non-rational indoctrination, usually seen as miseducative, is invariably present.[4] The term is closely linked to socialization; in common discourse, indoctrination is often associated with negative connotations, while socialization refers to cultural or educational learning' back

Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Israel-Vatican Diplomatic Relations, 'Full and formal diplomatic relations between Israel and the Holy See were established in 1993. They were preceded, however, by almost a century of contacts and diplomatic activity, not to mention almost two millennia of Catholic-Jewish encounters that at times were far from harmonious.' back

James Fieser, Hume: Writings on Religion [The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy], 'David Hume ranks among the most influential philosophers in the field of the philosophy of religion. He criticized the standard proofs for God‘s existence, traditional notions of God’s nature and divine governance, the connection between morality and religion, and the rationality of belief in miracles. He also advanced theories on the origin of popular religious beliefs, grounding such notions in human psychology rather than in rational argument or divine revelation. The larger aim of his critique was to disentangle philosophy from religion and thus allow philosophy to pursue its ends without either rational over-extension or psychological corruption.' back

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Asteroid Exploration HAYABUSA (MUSES-C) / Missions, 'At 15:22 on May 19. 2004 (JST), HAYABUSA approached most closely to the earth at an altitude of 3,700 km over the Eastern Pacific Ocean and performed the powered swing-by by accelerating itself with ion engines. At that time, three cameras (one telecamera and two wide-angle cameras) and one near-infrared spectrometer, which were designed to be used for navigation and scientific observations, photographed the Moon and Earth, while simultaneously performing calibration and performance evaluation of the instruments. In September 2005, the explorer arrived at the asteroid Itokawa about 300 million km away from the earth. In November 2005, it successfully landed on Itokawa. In April 2007, HAYABUSA started full cruising operation to return to earth.. back

Jeff Kao et al, ‘We Are Very Free’ How China Spreads Its Propaganda Version of Life in Xinjiang, ' These and thousands of other videos are meant to look like unfiltered glimpses of life in Xinjiang, the western Chinese region where the Communist Party has carried out repressive policies against Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities. Most of the clips carry no logos or other signs that they are official propaganda. But taken together, the videos begin to reveal clues of broader coordination — such as the English subtitles in clips posted to YouTube and other Western platforms. A monthslong analysis of more than 3,000 of the videos by The New York Times and ProPublica found evidence of an influence campaign orchestrated by the Chinese government.' back

Jeffrey Nicholls, Prolegomenon to Scientific Theology, ' This thesis is an attempt to carry speculative theology beyond the apogee it reached in the medieval work of Thomas Aquinas into the world of empirical science (Aquinas 2019). Since the time of Aquinas, our understanding of the Universe has increased enormously. The ancient theologians not only conceived a perfect God, but they also saw the world as a very imperfect place. Their reaction was to place God outside the world. I will argue that we live in a Universe which approaches infinity in size and complexity, is as perfect as can be, and fulfils all the roles traditionally attributed to God, creator, lawmaker and judge.' back

John Milton, Areopagitica A speech for the Liberty of Unlicensed Printing to the Parliament of England, 'And now the time in special is, by privilege to write and speak what may help to the further discussing of matters in agitation. The temple of Janus with his two controversial faces might now not unsignificantly be set open. And though all the winds of doctrine were let loose to play upon the earth, so Truth be in the field, we do injuriously, by licensing and prohibiting, to misdoubt her strength. Let her and Falsehood grapple; who ever knew Truth put to the worse, in a free and open encounter? Her confuting is the best and surest suppressing.' back

John Milton - Wikipedia, John Milton - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 'John Milton (9 December 1608 – 8 November 1674) was an English poet, author, polemicist, Puritan and civil servant for the Commonwealth of England. He is best known for his epic poem Paradise Lost.' back

John Paul II, Familiaris Consortio, 'May Christ the Lord, the Universal King, the King of Families, be present in every Christian home as He was at Cana, bestowing light, joy, serenity and strength. On the solemn day dedicated to His Kingship I beg of Him that every family may generously make its own contribution to the coming of His Kingdom in the world-"a kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love, and peace," 183 towards which history is journeying. I entrust each family to Him, to Mary, and to Joseph. To their hands and their hearts I offer this Exhortation: may it be they who present it to you, venerable Brothers and beloved sons and daughters, and may it be they who open your hearts to the light that the Gospel sheds on every family. I assure you all of my constant prayers and I cordially impart the apostolic blessing to each and every one of you, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Given in Rome, at St. Peter's, on the twenty-second day of November, the Solemnity of our Lord Jesus Christ, Universal King, in the year 1981, the fourth of the Pontificate. JOHN PAUL II' back

John von Neumann (2014), Mathematical Foundations of Quantum Mechanics, ' Mathematical Foundations of Quantum Mechanics by John von Neumann translated from the German by Robert T. Beyer (New Edition) edited by Nicholas A. Wheeler. Princeton UP Princeton & Oxford. Preface: ' This book is the realization of my long-held intention to someday use the resources of TEX to produce a more easily read version of Robert T. Beyer’s authorized English translation (Princeton University Press, 1955) of John von Neumann’s classic Mathematische Grundlagen der Quantenmechanik (Springer, 1932).'This content downloaded from 129.127.145.240 on Sat, 30 May 2020 22:38:31 UTC back

Khalil Gibran - Wikipedia, Khalil Gibran - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 'Khalil Gibran (born Gubran Khalil Gubran bin Mikhā'īl bin Sa'ad; Arabic جبران خليل جبران بن ميکائيل بن سعد, January 6, 1883 – April 10, 1931) also known as Kahlil Gibran[ was a Lebanese American artist, poet, and writer. Born in the town of Bsharri in modern-day Lebanon (then part of the Ottoman Mount Lebanon mutasarrifate), as a young man he emigrated with his family to the United States where he studied art and began his literary career. He is chiefly known for his 1923 book The Prophet, a series of philosophical essays written in English prose. An early example of Inspirational fiction, the book sold well despite a cool critical reception, and became extremely popular in the 1960s counterculture. Gibran is considered to be the third most widely read poet in history, behind Shakespeare and Lao-Tzu. back

Koinonia - Wikipedia, Koinonia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 'Koinonia is the anglicisation of a Greek word (κοινωνία) that means communion by intimate participation. The word is used frequently in the New Testament of the Bible to describe the relationship within the early Christian church as well as the act of breaking bread in the manner which Christ prescribed during the Passover meal [John 6:48-69, Matthew 26:26-28, 1 Corinthians 10:16, 1 Corinthians 11:24]. As a result the word is used within the Christian Church to participate, as Paul says, in the Communion of - in this manner it identifies the idealised state of fellowship and community that should exist - Communion.' back

Levy, Kosloff & Alicki, Quantum refrigerators and the third law of thermodynamics, ' Abstract: The rate of temperature decrease of a cooled quantum bath is studied as its temperature is reduced to absolute zero. The third law of thermodynamics is then quantified dynamically by evaluating the characteristic exponent ζ of the cooling process dT(t)/dt∼−Tζ when approaching absolute zero, T→0. A continuous model of a quantum refrigerator is employed consisting of a working medium composed either by two coupled harmonic oscillators or two coupled two-level systems. The refrigerator is a nonlinear device merging three currents from three heat baths: a cold bath to be cooled, a hot bath as an entropy sink, and a driving bath which is the source of cooling power. A heat-driven refrigerator (absorption refrigerator) is compared to a power-driven refrigerator. When optimized, both cases lead to the same exponent ζ, showing a lack of dependence on the form of the working medium and the characteristics of the drivers. The characteristic exponent is therefore determined by the properties of the cold reservoir and its interaction with the system. Two generic heat bath models are considered: a bath composed of harmonic oscillators and a bath composed of ideal Bose/Fermi gas. The restrictions on the interaction Hamiltonian imposed by the third law are discussed. In the Appendices, the theory of periodically driven open systems and its implication for thermodynamics are outlined.' back

Lily Kui, Pei Lin Wu & Jeanne Whalen, Solar industry’s ties to China’s Xinjiang region raise specter of forced labor, ' According to company reports, local propaganda and other public documents, Hoshine Silicon, also known as Hesheng, recruits and employs Uyghurs and other minorities via state labor programs that aim to place them in factories. Researchers say these programs are a form of forced labor for residents who, faced with the threat of detention or other punishment, cannot refuse.' back

Louis de Broglie - Wikipedia, Louis de Broglie - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 'Louis-Victor-Pierre-Raymond, 7th duc de Broglie . . . 15 August 1892 – 19 March 1987) was a French physicist who made groundbreaking contributions to quantum theory. In his 1924 PhD thesis he postulated the wave nature of electrons and suggested that all matter has wave properties. This concept is known as the de Broglie hypothesis, an example of wave-particle duality, and forms a central part of the theory of quantum mechanics.' back

Marguerite Johnson & Tanika Koosman, ' Friday essay: rethinking the myth of Daphne, a woman who chooses eternal silence over sexual assault, ' Among the many mythical figures changed through metamorphosis is the nymph or dryad, Daphne. One of the mythical beings who cared for trees, springs and other natural elements, Daphne was the child of Peneus, a Thessalian river god. Her decidedly sad and violent story, in which she is transformed into a tree to escape the lustful attention of the god Apollo, gives rise to the ancient explanation of the creation of the laurel tree, known as “daphne” by the ancient Greeks.' back

Maron, Wintie & Moritz, The government’s idea of ‘national environment standards’ would entrench Australia’s global pariah status , ' A growing global push to halt biodiversity decline, most recently agreed at the G7 on Sunday, leaves Australia out in the cold as the federal government walks away from critical reforms needed to protect threatened species. . . . But the federal government has instead pushed ahead to propose its own, far weaker set of standards and establish a commissioner with very limited powers. The bill that paves the way for these standards is currently before parliament. If passed, the changes would entrench, or even weaken, already inadequate protections for threatened species. They would also create more uncertainty for businesses affected by the laws.' back

Mauricio Villa, Opéra National de Paris 2020-21 Review: Faust, ' Ultimately, the production was meaningful, beautiful, effective, modern, and magical. The characterization and directing of all the roles were believable and strong, except the role of Faust which felt like it lacked depth. But none of that mattered in the hands of one of the best casts I have seen in this opera.' back

National Secular Society, Challenging Religious privilege | National Secular Society, 'The National Secular Society is the leading campaigning organisation defending the rights of non-believers from the demands of religious power-seekers. The NSS works both in the UK and in Europe to combat the influence of religion on governments. We want to ensure that Human Rights always come before religious rights, and we fight the massive exemptions religious bodies demand - and are sometimes granted - from discrimination laws that everyone else is subject to. Every privilege has its victims.' back

Noether's theorem - Wikipedia, Noether's theorem - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 'Noether's (first) theorem states that any differentiable symmetry of the action of a physical system has a corresponding conservation law. The theorem was proved by German mathematician Emmy Noether in 1915 and published in 1918. The action of a physical system is the integral over time of a Lagrangian function (which may or may not be an integral over space of a Lagrangian density function), from which the system's behavior can be determined by the principle of least action.' back

Pelagius - Wikipedia, Pelagius - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 'Pelagius (circa 360 – 418) was a British-born ascetic moralist, who became well known throughout ancient Rome.. . . He was accused by Augustine of Hippo and others of denying the need for divine aid in performing good works. They understood him to have said that the only grace necessary was the declaration of the law; humans were not wounded by Adam's sin and were perfectly able to fulfill the law without divine aid. Pelagius denied Augustine's theory of original sin. . . . His interpretation of a doctrine of free will became known as Pelagianism. ' back

Peter T. C. Chang, The religion behind a divided America and its conflict with China, ' The crises the US faces at home and abroad are the outgrowth of a peculiar American world view shaped by Christianity’s monotheistic belief system Until Americans are willing to move past the myth of ‘American exceptionalism’, the US is unlikely to be able to coexist peaceably with the outside world back

QR code - Wikipedia, QR code - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, ' A QR code (abbreviated from Quick Response code) is a type of matrix barcode (or two-dimensional barcode) invented in 1994 by the Japanese automotive company Denso Wave. A barcode is a machine-readable optical label that contains information about the item to which it is attached. In practice, QR codes often contain data for a locator, identifier, or tracker that points to a website or application. A QR code uses four standardized encoding modes (numeric, alphanumeric, byte/binary, and kanji) to store data efficiently; extensions may also be used.' back

Quark - Wikipedia, Quark - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 'Quarks . . . are a type of elementary particle and major constituents of matter. They combine to form composite particles called hadrons, the most well-known of which are protons and neutrons. They are the only particles in the Standard Model to experience the strong force, and thereby the only particles to experience all four fundamental forces, which are also known as fundamental interactions.' back

Ribosome - Wikipedia, Ribosome - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 'The ribosome functions in the expression of the genetic code from nucleic acid into protein, in a process called translation. Ribosomes do this by catalyzing the assembly of individual amino acids into polypeptide chains; this involves binding a messenger RNA and then using this as a template to join together the correct sequence of amino acids. This reaction uses adapters called transfer RNA molecules, which read the sequence of the messenger RNA and are attached to the amino acids.' back

scapbookpages.com, The controversy over Catholic crosses at Auschwitz-Birkenau, 'The War of the Crosses was the culmination of years of tension between the Poles and the Jews. The Jews are still resentful that some of the Poles collaborated with the Nazis during World War II, and even worse, after the war in 1946, there were pogroms in which more Jews were killed by Polish civilians. The Jews say that the Nazis killed the Jews because they were acting under orders, but the Poles killed the Jews because they wanted to. As late as 1968, there was violence against the Jews in Poland, and even today Jewish memorials and Synagogues in Warsaw must be constantly guarded against vandalism and arson.' back

Schwinger's quantum action principle - Wikipedia, Schwinger's quantum action principle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 'Schwinger's quantum action principle is a variational approach to quantum field theory introduced by Julian Schwinger. In this approach, the quantum action is an operator. Although it is superficially different from the path integral formulation where the action is a classical function, the modern formulation of the two formalisms are identical.' back

The Baptist Times, Baptist Times - Home, 'TheBaptist Times is Britain's only Baptist newspaper, and extends its readership all round the world. It has been produced weekly since 1855.' back

The Jewish Chronicle, The Jewish Chronicle= Jewish news, Israel news and social networking, back

The Methodist Recorder, The Methodist Recorder Online, 'The World's leading Methodist Newspaper.' back

The Tablet, The Tablet - The International Catholic Weekly, 'The Tablet is a British Catholic weekly journal that has been published continually since 1840. It reports on religion current affairs, politics, social issues, literature and the arts with a special emphasis on Roman Catholicism while remaining ecumenical. It is committed to the teaching of the Second Vatican Council.' back

Unites States of America, United States Constitution, 'Amendment I. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.' back

Violet Law, The scrappy Hong Kong tabloid that refused to bow to Beijing, ' Last week’s raid saw five top executives, including its chief editor, arrested for alleged security offences as 500 police officers swooped in on Apple’s headquarters, with another staffer – the head editorial writer – apprehended on Wednesday morning. The final nail in the coffin, however, was Hong Kong authorities’ freeze on the bank accounts of the media group that owns the paper. The move made it impossible for the paper to pay its staff and vendors, even as readers snapped up copies to show their support. The decision was based on “employee safety and manpower considerations”, Apple Daily said as it announced its closure on Wednesday. “Here we say goodbye. Take care of yourselves.” . . . “The demise of Apple Daily negates ‘one country, two systems’ and sets the stage for ‘one country, one system,’” said Willy Lam, a longtime commentator on Chinese politics and a veteran newspaper editor.' back

Virginia Postrel, Indigo Dyeing May Hold Key to Future of Fashion, back

William Edward Morris, David Hume (Standord Encyclopedia of Philosophy), 'First published Mon Feb 26, 2001; substantive revision Fri May 15, 2009 The most important philosopher ever to write in English, David Hume (1711-1776) — the last of the great triumvirate of “British empiricists” — was also well-known in his own time as an historian and essayist. A master stylist in any genre, Hume's major philosophical works — A Treatise of Human Nature (1739-1740), the Enquiries concerning Human Understanding (1748) and concerning the Principles of Morals (1751), as well as the posthumously published Dialogues concerning Natural Religion (1779) — remain widely and deeply influential. Although many of Hume's contemporaries denounced his writings as works of scepticism and atheism, his influence is evident in the moral philosophy and economic writings of his close friend Adam Smith. Hume also awakened Immanuel Kant from his “dogmatic slumbers” and “caused the scales to fall” from Jeremy Bentham's eyes. Charles Darwin counted Hume as a central influence, as did “Darwin's bulldog,” Thomas Henry Huxley. The diverse directions in which these writers took what they gleaned from reading Hume reflect not only the richness of their sources but also the wide range of his empiricism. Today, philosophers recognize Hume as a precursor of contemporary cognitive science, as well as one of the most thoroughgoing exponents of philosophical naturalism.' back