March 2016
March 2016
Gun Control
John Perry
23
Mar 2016
We usually think of the Bill of Rights as recognizing and guaranteeing to Americans important basic human rights, already articulated and defended by philosophers like John Locke. But how about the second amendment, the “right to bear arms”? Did the second amendment recognize our right to own guns, or create it?
Read moreThe Science of Happiness
Laura Maguire
17
Mar 2016
Psychology used to be mostly concerned with unhappiness, treating the wounded, the traumatized, or the pathological. But now there is an emerging science called positive psychology that focuses on how ordinary people can cultivate positive life qualities and be happy. Of course, to study happiness scientifically, we need to know exactly what happiness is and how we can measure it.
Read moreThe Ancient Cosmos
Laura Maguire
09
Mar 2016
Cosmology—the study of the universe, how it was formed, and what laws govern its evolution—has exploded in the last few decades. But it’s not a new area of human inquiry. In fact, theories about the origin, nature, and structure of the cosmos go back thousands of years.
Read morePeople with Guns
Neil Van Leeuwen
30
Mar 2016
What do August 8, July 23, July 16, and June 17 have in common? Answer: these are dates in 2015 (among others) in which mass shootings took place in the United States.
Read moreFreedom, rights and technology (Why Free Software is Important)
25
Mar 2016
Free and open source software is provided at zero cost but the word "free" does not refer to the cost of the software. "Free" refers to the fact that everyone has freedom to use the software for their benefit. The freedom to use, study, copy, modify, distribute are granted to everyone and is protected through an enforceable legal license.
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