Category: Science

  • By Selwyn Duke Adorning an article in the Guardian is a picture you might think represented a prototypical family: a handsome couple standing behind three healthy, well-grown children. But according to the British paper, the parents — soccer star David Beckham and his wife, Victoria — are to be condemned. The problem is that, with…

  • By Selwyn Duke When we hear about the implantation of human genes in animals, it may conjure up images right out of the story The Island of Dr. Moreau. Of course, present-day experiments of this kind take a more modest form, such as the Chinese’s introduction of human stem cells into goat fetuses or U.S. scientists’…

  • By Selwyn Duke Just about two years ago, people were speaking of a new era: post-racial America. Well, it occurs to me that if we get any more post-racial, we’ll have a race war. And the latest on this front is a new exhibit at the Boston Museum of Science (MOS) called “RACE – Are…

  • By Selwyn Duke People such as me are often accused of wanting to return to the 19th century. But, if the New York Times is right about a new trend, some on the Left want to go back to the Middle Ages. What is that trend? Avoiding soap, deodorant, and even bathing regularly. Today, though,…

  • By Selwyn Duke The year is 1941, and the Nazis are in the midst of their Lebensborn program. Men of pure Aryan stock — especially members of the Waffen-SS, thought the cream of the crop — have a special purpose. In many occupied countries, they are encouraged to mate with blonde-haired, blue-eyed women — those…

  • By Selwyn Duke The gulf oil gusher is a disaster of great proportions. We’ve all seen the pictures of petroleum-soaked birds and dead fish, and the area’s economy is on life support. The mishap truly is a tragedy for all, from Gulf residents to English pensioners to marine wildlife to, yes, BP itself. As bad…

  • Hailed as a breakthrough, a cell driven by synthetic DNA has been created. But what are the implications for science, man and faith? By Selwyn Duke In a development that has alarmed and excited many, scientists have brought the world one step closer to creating what’s known as “artificial life.” The breakthrough is the handiwork…

  • By Selwyn Duke Could you imagine a laptop battery that lasted for 500 hours? How about an electric car that boasts a range many times that of a gasoline vehicle? For that matter, think about environmental sensors that could be scattered into the air like dust and collect data. While the last thing might not…

  • By Selwyn Duke There was a time when boys of easy virtue had to content themselves with sneaking a peek at the girls’ swim team during practice. But social engineers may make this passé with a proposal to allow boys to use girls’ bathrooms and locker rooms. No, this isn’t the plot of a decadent…

  • By Selwyn Duke At one time some would call them “deniers.”  The more generous called them “skeptics.”  But now, increasingly, it appears that they can be called something else: sane.  Yes, the climate has certainly changed. Even in the mainstream media, the less liberal organs are waking up.  There is now a never-ending barrage of…