Nicholls (2025), Jeffrey, Cognitive Cosmogenesis: a systematic integration of theology and physics, Austin Macauley 2025 ' The core idea of the top down theology devised by the Christian bishops for the Emperor Constantine is that the omnipotent and omniscient creator totally controls every moment of every event in the world. The imperial picture. Here we work from the bottom up. A key to the connection of physics and theology is symmetry with respect to complexity.
Although the difference in scale between fundamental particles and the people of an ideal democratic polity is immense, they are formally quite similar. Both democratic politics and quantum electrodynamics work in Hilbert space. Voting is linear, a form of superposition distributed by parties. Individuals and political parties are characterized by their directions in political space which may be modelled by vectors in a Hilbert space.
We may imagine a space with a basis vector for every person. Their sums in various combinations present us with a comprehensive picture of the political directions in an electorate. Such ideal democratic political systems have natural quantum mechanical support which gives us insight into the nature of the world.' 
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Weinberg (1995), 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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Aleja Hertzler-McCain (2025_11_11), US Catholic bishops elect Oklahoma City Archbishop Paul Coakley as conference president, ' While there had been some speculation ahead of the election that the bishops would choose a candidate who might move the conference closer to the Vatican and further from conservative U.S. politicians, the choice of front-runner Coakley by a 128-109 margin over Flores maintains conference leadership aligned with the U.S. right. [. . .]
Coakley also has ties to U.S. political conservatives, particularly as the ecclesiastical adviser for the Napa Institute, a well-heeled effort of influential Catholics that has historically promoted a combative Catholic conservatism. The standard registration fee for the institute’s next summer five-day conference is $3,100. [. . .]
In 2023, Coakley wrote a pastoral letter about “accompanying those experiencing gender dysphoria.” In the letter, sent as Oklahoma was considering a law restricting “gender-changing” medical procedures for minors, Coakley wrote that transgender people are “loved by God” and are people “Jesus Christ died to redeem.” But he called the “transgender movement” an “evil infecting our world,” saying it “must be rejected completely even as we love unconditionally those bound in its snares.” The governor signed the law the day after Coakley’s letter was released.' back

Andrea Rigon (2025_11_19), How the rich world is fortifying itself against climate migration, ' The UK has announced much harsher rules for asylum seekers including the prospect of more deportations for those whose applications fail. The US is trebling the size of its deportation force. The EU is doubling its border budgets. And in the coming decades, hundreds of millions of people might be displaced by ecological changes. ,br> In the face of this challenge, those countries which are most responsible for climate change have two options. Either they can share resources more equitably, and fund adaptation plans on a massive scale. Or they can prevent others from accessing resources and liveable land through physical and regulatory walls, enforced through mass deportation.
Recent events show that, faced with this choice, many governments are choosing not to share resources to anywhere near the extend needed, and are instead building higher walls.
Share article Print article The UK has announced much harsher rules for asylum seekers including the prospect of more deportations for those whose applications fail. The US is trebling the size of its deportation force. The EU is doubling its border budgets. And in the coming decades, hundreds of millions of people might be displaced by ecological changes. In the face of this challenge, those countries which are most responsible for climate change have two options. Either they can share resources more equitably, and fund adaptation plans on a massive scale. Or they can prevent others from accessing resources and liveable land through physical and regulatory walls, enforced through mass deportation. Recent events show that, faced with this choice, many governments are choosing not to share resources to anywhere near the extend needed, and are instead building higher walls. Climate change is already making life unliveable in some parts of the world. According to a 2020 report from thinktank the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), 2.6 billion people face high or extreme water stress. By 2040, this may jump to 5.4 billion. Droughts, heatwaves, floods, cyclones, food shortages and related conflicts will force millions from their homes. The IEP warns that up to 1.2 billion people globally might be displaced by 2050, while even the more-cautious World Bank predicts 216 million climate migrants. [. . .]
Share article Print article The UK has announced much harsher rules for asylum seekers including the prospect of more deportations for those whose applications fail. The US is trebling the size of its deportation force. The EU is doubling its border budgets. And in the coming decades, hundreds of millions of people might be displaced by ecological changes. In the face of this challenge, those countries which are most responsible for climate change have two options. Either they can share resources more equitably, and fund adaptation plans on a massive scale. Or they can prevent others from accessing resources and liveable land through physical and regulatory walls, enforced through mass deportation. Recent events show that, faced with this choice, many governments are choosing not to share resources to anywhere near the extend needed, and are instead building higher walls. Climate change is already making life unliveable in some parts of the world. According to a 2020 report from thinktank the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), 2.6 billion people face high or extreme water stress. By 2040, this may jump to 5.4 billion. Droughts, heatwaves, floods, cyclones, food shortages and related conflicts will force millions from their homes. The IEP warns that up to 1.2 billion people globally might be displaced by 2050, while even the more-cautious World Bank predicts 216 million climate migrants. Most of these people will move internally within nations, but this too is likely to mean more walls and borders. In very unequal countries, internal migration has already triggered security-driven responses, with a rise in gated communities and other segregated living arrangements to keep the poorer away from the wealthy. Start your day with evidence-based news. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Many other climate migrants will be pushed to travel internationally. It’s likely their motivation will be characterised by many as economic rather than due to climate change. But it’s misleading to separate “economic” from “climate” migrants. When drought kills crops in Somalia or floods wash away farmland in Pakistan, the loss of income is inseparable from the climate shocks that caused it. Even before the worst impacts hit, climate change is already woven into the economic pressures that push people to move – shrinking harvests, emptying wells and ruining livelihoods. The most severe climate-driven displacement is still ahead, but it has already begun. man pushes bike through floodwaters In 2022 a severe heatwave in Pakistan was followed by unusually heavy monsoon rains and glacier melt. Huge floods displaced many millions of people. EPA/JAMAL TARAQAI Importantly, these pressures come with inequalities in causing climate change and bearing the costs. The richest 1% of the world’s population produces as much carbon as the poorest two-thirds, according to a study of global emissions in 2019 by Oxfam. Northern Europe and the US alone account for 92% of historical emissions.' ' back

Ausma Bernot (2025_11_20), WeChat is now a frontline policing tool in China. Here’s what my research found, ' WeChat is best known as China’s all-purpose “super-app”. It is used for everything from messaging and mobile payments to shopping and government services.
As of June 2024, WeChat reported a staggering 1.37 billion active monthly users globally. For many Chinese-speaking diaspora communities – such as in the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom – the app is a lifeline to their homeland and communities.
But my new research, published this week in Policy & Internet, shows WeChat has also become a powerful – and largely overlooked – component of China’s policing and public security infrastructure.
In fact, the app is now functioning as a “police app”. It’s a kind a digital toolkit allowing police to collect intelligence, accept crime reports, verify identities and access citizen data through a private platform that is deeply embedded in everyday life. [. . .]
Share article Print article WeChat is best known as China’s all-purpose “super-app”. It is used for everything from messaging and mobile payments to shopping and government services. As of June 2024, WeChat reported a staggering 1.37 billion active monthly users globally. For many Chinese-speaking diaspora communities – such as in the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom – the app is a lifeline to their homeland and communities. But my new research, published this week in Policy & Internet, shows WeChat has also become a powerful – and largely overlooked – component of China’s policing and public security infrastructure. In fact, the app is now functioning as a “police app”. It’s a kind a digital toolkit allowing police to collect intelligence, accept crime reports, verify identities and access citizen data through a private platform that is deeply embedded in everyday life. From a social platform to a policing tool Public security bureaus in China began creating official WeChat accounts in 2012. By 2017, more than 50,000 police accounts existed. Many offered far more than simple announcements. Join 200,000 subscribers who get their news from experts. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Across provinces in China, police are now using WeChat to: operate “internet police stations” where citizens report crimes and disturbances collect digital tips, images and clues from users run real-time emergency “WeChat alarms” verify identities using national ID data link WeChat inputs to provincial “police clouds” and population surveillance databases. In some jurisdictions, WeChat has even become a frontline policing tool. In Guangzhou city, for example, railway police built a WeChat-based alarm system allowing citizens to send incident details directly to police dispatch. This would then trigger real-time audio and video communication. In Zhejiang province, officers used WeChat-based facial and ID card scanning to rapidly identify individuals. In several towns, thousands of “WeChat police groups” were created, pairing residents with local officers and blurring the line between neighbourhood governance and digital surveillance. These functions go far beyond convenience. They show how a commercial platform has become an extension of the state’s security apparatus. A patchwork of purposes My research draws on 53 government procurement documents and additional Chinese-language media reports on two WeChat accounts known as “public security WeChat” and “WeChat policing”. Procurement documents are a great source of data. They are common in research in contexts where information is curated or suppressed. The research shows how police agencies across China are integrating WeChat directly into their daily operations. Wealthier provinces such as Fujian and Shanghai invested heavily in integrating WeChat with existing public security systems, enabling hundreds of services through the app. [. . .]
Tencent, WeChat’s parent company, has positioned itself strategically. It offers customised WeChat modules to public security departments as a commercial service
The result is a public-private security infrastructure: state needs and corporate incentives moving in the same direction.
Around the world, governments are increasingly partnering with private tech companies for policing and security. [. . .]
For example, following China’s national crackdown on Tencent and the broader tech sector between 2020 and 2022, Tencent’s founder promised:
Tencent will continue to resonate with the needs of the nation and the times.
As China continues to centralise its digital governance, WeChat’s role in public security is likely to deepen – representing a new future of platform power and state surveillance.' back

BIPM, The International Bureau of Weights and Measures, The International System of Units (SI): Defining constants The SI is defined in terms of a set of seven defining constants. The complete system of units can be derived from the fixed values of these defining constants, expressed in the units of the SI. The seven defining constants are: the caesium hyperfine frequency ΔνCs the speed of light in vacuum c the Planck constant h the elementary charge e the Boltzmann constant k the Avogadro constant NA, and the luminous efficacy of a defined visible radiation Kcd It is by fixing the exact numerical value of each that the unit becomes defined, since the product of the numerical value and the unit must equal the value of the constant. Their numerical values and the units they define are as follows: Defining constant Numerical value Unit ΔνCs 9 192 631 770 Hz c 299 792 458 m s–1 h 6.626 070 15 x 10–34 J s e 1.602 176 634 x 10–19 C k 1.380 649 x 10–23 J K–1 NA 6.022 140 76 x 1023 mol–1 Kcd 683 lm W–1 The numerical values of the seven defining constants have no uncertainty. back

Christian Downie (2025_11_20), Brazil is trying to stop fossil fuel interests derailing COP30 with one simple measure, 'In recent years, more and more lobbyists from the oil, gas and coal industries have taken part in international climate negotiations. Estimates of lobbyist numbers have risen sharply, from 503 at the 2021 Glasgow talks to 1,773 at last year’s talks in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku.
Ahead of this year’s climate talks, host nation Brazil moved to tackle climate disinformation and delay tactics with a simple but clear approach: asking participants to publicly disclose who funded them to attend.
Even so, around 1,600 fossil fuel lobbyists arrived at the COP30 climate talks in Belém, Brazil. If taken as a bloc, they would outnumber every national delegation other than the host nation.
This shows the size of the challenge Brazil took on as the first COP host in 30 years to push back against the tide of fossil fuel lobbying and climate misinformation. If this isn’t tackled head on, climate negotiations will keep avoiding the core issue: phasing out oil, gas and coal, the commodities doing most damage. [. . .]
t’s not just corporations seeking to blunt climate ambition. Nations do too.
According to the Carbon Tracker Initiative, 13 nations derive more than 50% of their GDP from fossil fuels. Alongside highly-dependent petrostates are other major fossil fuel exporters such as Russia and the US.
Not all petrostates lobby to block climate action. But many do. For example, one of the world’s largest oil producers, Saudi Arabia, has repeatedly worked to undermine the science on climate change at international negotiations.
At the 2023 climate talks in the United Arab Emirates, the Climate Action Network NGO coalition gave its Fossil of the Day award to Saudi Arabia for “repeated blocking across negotiation tracks”. back

Jeffrey Nicholls (1987), A theory of Peace, ' The argument: I began to think about peace in a very practical way during the Viet Nam war. I was the right age to be called up. I was exempted because I was a clergyman, but despite the terrors that war held for me, I think I might have gone. It was my first whiff of the force of patriotism. To my amazement, it was strong enough to make even me face death.
In the Church, I became embroiled in a deeper war. Not a war between goodies and baddies, but the war between good and evil that lies at the heart of all human consciousness. Existence is a struggle. We need all the help we can get. Religion is part of that help and theology is the scientific foundation of religion.' back

Sylvie Zhuang (2025_11_16), Why Chinese grass-roots culture may be finally taking its place in the global limelight, ' In recent years, Chinese culture has been growing in popularity overseas across many different genres.
The video game Black Myth, Wukong, based on the legend of the Monkey King, and films such as Ne Zha 2, which is also rooted in Chinese mythology, have achieved remarkable commercial success abroad.
Meanwhile, renowned science-fiction author Liu Cixin’s The Three-Body Problem was adapted for a Netflix series last year.
The novel, whose admirers include former US president Barack Obama, has sold millions of copies around the world and Liu’s works have picked up a number of domestic and international prizes.
These and other cultural success stories have emerged organically and stand in sharp contrast with official efforts to boost Chinese soft power and “tell China’s story well”, which have often struggled to resonate with the outside world. [. . .]
Instead, China’s growing soft power is largely due to the vitality of its grass-roots cultural creations, which offer a range of different perspectives on contemporary society as well as insights into the lives of ordinary Chinese people, according to observers.
“The Chinese state is certainly invested in shaping global perceptions of the country, but if China’s international image has improved in recent years, especially after the pandemic, I think that has little to do with official cultural diplomacy or any campaign,” said Jessica Imbach, an assistant professor at the University of Freiburg in Germany.' back

Will Dunham (2025_11_18), Figurine of a woman and a goose offers peek at prehistoric beliefs, Nov 17 (Reuters) - A clay figurine about 12,000 years old that was unearthed at the site of a prehistoric village overlooking the Sea of Galilee in northern Israel depicts a woman and a goose in what may be one of the world's oldest renderings of a mythological scene.
Researchers said the figurine, about 1.5 inches (3.7 cm) tall, was discovered inside a semicircular stone structure about 16 feet (5 meters) in diameter at a site called Nahal Ein Gev II. The village was part of the Natufian culture of Southwest Asia, which straddled the prehistoric transition between nomadic hunter-gatherers and settled agriculturally based communities. It is the earliest-known figurine worldwide showing human interaction with an animal, according to Laurent Davin, a postdoctoral researcher in archaeology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and lead author of the study published on Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
, opens new tab. It is also the oldest-known naturalistic, rather than stylized, portrayal of a woman in art from Southwest Asia, Davin said. The goose is positioned on the crouching woman's back with its wings spread in a typical mating posture. The scene offers insight into this prehistoric culture's belief system, Hebrew University archaeologist and study co-author Leore Grosman said.' back