Before anyone builds a structure, the first concern should be about setting a firm foundation. In our town, over a century ago, the community fathers mined coal using the room and pillar method, some 300 feet below the surface. Miners left pillars of coal to support the ceilings, and the rooms extended underground for miles. Later, methods developed to extract the pillars, and wood structures were placed to hold the roof. But the supports didn’t last.

Earth is described by some as a “lonely planet”—yet, scientists continue their search for extraterrestrial life. However, the quest to find life beyond Earth recently hit another roadblock. “Alien life may be more unlikely than commonly thought, according to a UK study that hints at a cosmic lack of phosphorus.

North and South Korea held serious peace negotiations last week for the first time in years, and this time it appears real progress may be made.

Last Friday, North and South Korea announced a peace summit to end their 65-year conflict. While no battles have been fought in decades, an actual peace treaty to end the Korean War has never been signed. North Korea has been a rogue state since the 1950s and has recently worked defiantly to develop nuclear weapons and the rocket power to deliver them. A successful peace treaty could stabilize a region that has lived in the shadow of nuclear exchange for years.