In his 2005 book “Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed,” Jared Diamond listed three indicators that a society was going to collapse. He based his findings on a study of three historical societies: the Pueblo civilization in Chaco Canyon between 850 and 1250 CE, the Mayan civilization in Mesoamerica from 250 to 950 … Read more
If we do not have the capacity to distinguish what’s true from what’s false, then by definition the marketplace of ideas doesn’t work. And by definition our democracy doesn’t work. We are entering into an epistemological crisis.” Barack Obama Information is only as good as the quality of your sources. Social media in particular is … Read more
A virus is a small collection of genetic code, either DNA or RNA, surrounded by a protein coat. A virus cannot replicate alone. Viruses must infect cells and use components of the host cell to make copies of themselves. Often, they kill the host cell in the process, and cause damage to the host organism. … Read more
In November 2009, Rush Limbaugh rabidly attacked the science of climate change in a portion of his radio show he called, “Climategate.” During that show he called the basic institutions of our society: government, academia, science, and media, the “Four Corners of Deceit.” Since then, the right-wing attack on these institutions has only intensified. The … Read more
The Latter-day Saints have a unique form of knowledge we call “testimony.” And a testimony, when expressed, is a particularly strong statement of belief. And yet, a testimony is expressed humbly, quietly, gratefully. It is not an expression of personal superiority. To an outsider, a Mormon testimony may appear to be a self-delusion or a … Read more
Early Mormon Apostle Parley P. Pratt taught that Theology includes “all other sciences and useful arts.” This puts the religion of the Latter-day Saints squarely on the side of science and advanced learning. There is no room for dogmatism, provincialism, or narrow-mindedness in the Church of Jesus Christ. [Theology] is the science of all other … Read more