New Series: The Abraham Principle
Part 13 – What is Life?
A simple yet elusive quest for an answer takes us from biology to kabbalah to the dance of the electron. If a biologist knows about anything at all, he should know about life. Or so you would think. After all, biology is defined as the scientific study of living organisms. To distinguish biology from other scholarly disciplines, introductory textbooks [Read More ...]
Part 12 – The Power of One
Some have no use for things simple, invisible, unknowable – until it’s time to flick the switch! Electrifying, Man has no faculty to perceive electricity – we only see its effects. Still, because of causal reasoning, we are certain of our conclusion that there exists some imperceptible force, which we term electricity, which is the [Read More ...]
Part 11 – The “Why” Chromosome
Faith and reason are not really like trains in collision – they are more like trains in series: One picks up where the other leaves off. The scientist’s faith in cause and effect is so intense that he will accept as undisputed fact the existence of an activating force, even if it plainly contradicts rationality. [Read More ...]
Featured
Purim All Year Round
“Wow. To bump into you now after all these years, just when I was thinking of you!” “Meanwhile, quite independently, another scientist had just discovered the same thing, half way around the world.” “And after all that, where did the manure happen to land when Haman’s daughter dumped it out the window? On her father’s head [Read More ...]
Two Keys For Unlocking Faith
Two views on confronting a crisis of faith. One says shout down heretical thoughts. The other says atheists deserve to be taught. Dear Dr. Gotfryd, I usually enjoy your articles but I have to object to your recent emphasis on responding to doubts with rational arguments. I believe it is not in line with the [Read More ...]
InReach
The Jewish people are like a challa. That braided loaf of egg bread is not simply a static object waiting to be consumed. It’s a symbolic and dynamic work of art that you really need to chew on in order to digest. I’d like to focus on the braids – out, in, crossover, out the [Read More ...]