News

For decades, scientists have been searching for life “somewhere out there.” The earnest expectation of many is to find complex life beyond humanity, and at the same time, discredit the creation story once and for all. This ongoing effort has involved a huge investment of time and cost billions of dollars.

A writer for the BBC recently made a sobering assessment of two nations that have led the Western World. Noting the “uncertainty in Westminster” and “something nearing chaos in Washington” he wrote, “Neither Britain nor America can boast strong and stable governments. Neither have the look of global exemplars. In the six weeks since Theresa May called her snap election, the global tectonic plates have shifted fast, leaving Britain and America increasingly adrift” (BBC, June 9, 2017).

News articles discuss the deep divides in societies the world over. Whether the division occurs in politics, education, religion, or culture, every side has strong proponents and equally strong opponents. Why are people so deeply divided? And is there a solution?

Divisions are as old as mankind. Disagreements about who the leader should be, who has water and grazing rights, on whose property is the well, where the property boundary line is, and which god should be worshipped, all go back to antiquity.

Researchers have long known that marriage has many emotional and physical benefits. Now, it seems that marriage can even protect your heart-health. Recent research conducted in the UK suggests that for people with risk factors for heart disease (high cholesterol and high blood pressure), being married provides a “survival advantage… ‘[T]here’s something about being married that is protective’” (BBC, June 7, 2017).

Last week French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Theresa May met to discuss a new, joint counter-terrorism effort aimed at online hate speech and encrypted messaging. A key focus of the effort will be to “make sure internet operators ‘delete any content promoting hatred and terrorism in any way’” (EU Observer, June 14, 2017). Their project will also target tech companies (primarily social media sites) that allow “unacceptable content” to remain on their websites.