I am so delighted with the poster that my talented colleague Rebecca DeGrazia created for an upcoming brown bag talk that I will be giving at Butler University together with my colleague from computer science, Ankur Gupta. We’ve begun working together on a project related to “artificial wisdom,” and this talk will represent our first public foray into one aspect of that larger project. Here’s the blurb: “Confucius, Socrates, and Asimov Walk into a Bar– and in front of a... Read more
Have you seen the news that a robot named Sophia was granted citizenship in Saudi Arabia? The ABC News article included the following comments: Sophia appeared on stage alone, without the modest dress required of Saudi women; she donned no hijab, or headscarf, nor abaya, or cloak. She also did not appear to have a male guardian, as required by Saudi law for women in the country. Male guardians, often a male relative, must give permission before women can travel... Read more
There are multiple works by Stephanie Ann Boyd whose titles resonate for those who study ancient literature and religion. Her compositions are extremely accessible, being beautiful without ceasing to be contemporary. Here is “Beyond the Gate”: And here is Eunae Koh performing her violin concerto, “Sibyl”: You can explore and enjoy more of Boyd’s music on her SoundCloud page. Read more
What’s So Funny? Discovering and Interpreting Humor in the Ancient World A conference to be held at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. Abstracts of no more than 300 words should be submitted by email to [email protected] by 30 November 2017. Please include “Humor Conference Abstract” and your name in the subject line A conference to be held at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. Keynote Speakers: • Jack M. Sasson (Emeritus Professor, Vanderbilt University) • Ian Ruffell (Classics, University... Read more
Sy Garte writes: Science is not about amassing evidence to prove a point. That’s what lawyers do. That’s what advocates do, and scientists are not supposed to be advocates. One can always find evidence for or against anything… Evidence is cheap. You can find evidence to support or refute any statement. Evidence is not the way to establish the truth. Evidence is important, but by itself is useless. Now I can hear the computer keys clicking away. “SCIENCE IS BASED... Read more
The episode introduces us to several continuing stories, providing new information related to each. Sylvia Tilly wants to become a captain and so Michael helps her train. Sarek is confronted by a would-be assassin, a Vulcan suicide bomber who is persuaded that humans are inferior and thus Vulcans should leave the Federation. Captain Lorca tests the officer, Ash Tyler, who helped him escape Klingon captivity in a holographic simulation before appointing him as his new chief of security. We also... Read more
A video of composer Arvo Pärt speaking at St. Vladimir’s Seminary. Read more
The Center for the Study of Christian Origins shared the above video featuring Amy-Jill Levine talking about the parables of Jesus. Read more
I discovered Paul Stanhope’s music through the Naxos Music Database, which introduced me to his wonderful Concerto for Piccolo and Orchestra. I will include that later in the post. But branching out from there, I discovered other music which intersects with my interests related to the Bible (and of course, the Bible and music). One is “Nephesh,” which is the Hebrew word for “soul” or “self.” Stanhope writes about the piece: Nephesh – written for eight or nine string instruments... Read more
In talking with a mythicist on Facebook who seemed blissfully unaware of how nonsensical his stance comes across, the similarity between creationism and mythicism became apparent yet again. Ironically, however, the mythicist tried to claim that in fact it is mainstream historians who are like creationists. But the more fundamental similarity is clear. Mythicists are like those creationists who ignore the clear implications of the evidence we do have, and focus instead on things that we do not have. That... Read more
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In