Writing Harmony

Last night, when I was earnestly wishing I was fast asleep, a thought came to me that I thought (it being very late or very early) was quite profound. It went something like this, though of course all the profound illumination of the insight has faded with the light of day:
The soul delights in harmony. On [...]

Why Our Schools Aren’t Giving us Enough Scientists

Nearly every day I receive another notice or article about the struggles to build a science curriculum that meets the need of the day to produce scientists to keep the economy moving, to cure diseases, and to stay ahead of the enemy technologically.
And no wonder: the power of science to solve physical problems has proven [...]

It’s Nothing Personal: It’s just business

Behold the marvels of the cosmos, the wondrous beauty of the stars, the awesome complexity of life in its marvelous diversity and adaptability, the world-creating power of the elements and atoms, the inexplicable forces of gravity, the stronger and weaker atomic forces, etc. etc.
 I’m not sure why.
Enlightenment science approaches the cosmos the way the Godfather [...]

Faith and Reason: Love or War?

Reflecting on the relation between science and faith, Marty McCarthy, an Episcopal priest and good friend, wrote to me:
“Revealed truth gives us the context for holding scientific (reasoned) truth for what it is.  Knowing how to relate these two is a delicate task, and must be discussed closely, and then spoken to clearly enough [...]

Criteria for a Science Curriculum

For a science curriculum to be ultimately effective it must meet the following criteria:

It must recognize the purpose of the natural sciences.

It must recognize the nature of the natural sciences.

It must recognize and accept the limits of the natural sciences.

It must rightly align the natural sciences with the rest of the curriculum: first, with the [...]

Enlightenment and the Goals of the Science Curriculum

As the Academic Dean of the Regent Schools of the Carolinas, I have been assigned the task of developing a curriculum for a pre-school on the notoriously disadvantaged west side of Charlotte.
In discussion, my associate and friend, Nick Gennett proposed a wonderful phrase to describe the driving force behind the science program. We want our graduates [...]

The Simplified Curriculum

When we think of curricula, we tend to think of classes or subjects and materials to read or study in those subjects. That’s a very fine thing to do and we should keep doing it. I want to suggest that there might be more to think about and it’s one of those “mores” that make things [...]

Defenders of the Natural Sciences (they might want better friends)

Analyze this argument attacking Intelligent Design and see if you can find anything logical, based on evidence, or any other way indicative of the scientific method and not harking back to mere authority or ad hominems. Let me know if you find anything.

The powers and place of the natural sciences

When Ashley constructs a puzzle on the floor of the living room, she will eventually come to the point where she doesn’t remember which piece comes next and simple observation doesn’t make it obvious. At that point, she enters the realm of nascent scientific thought. She has a gap in her knowledge that prevents her [...]

Science and Faith

This NY Times op-ed argues for some sort of theism, then chooses panentheism for some reason. I think it is because the writer, Paul Davies, a physicist, recognizes the need for a god, but doesn’t want that god to be free of the universe it made. Read it here, and comment here. I’m interested in [...]