September October 2006
A Tribute to Grief
Attacking the Myths by Roxane Cohen Silver
In the days following September 11, we were flooded with predictions of how individuals and communities would fare as they processed their darkest emotions. The passage of time has taught us that much of what we may believe about how people respond to sudden and traumatic loss needs to be torn apart and reconstructed.

The Dawn of a New Mourning by Karl Goodkin, M.D.
To comprehend the full impact of mass bereavement, both psychologically and physiologically, we need to find the link between personal feelings of loss and the collective experience of grief.

Rebuilding Ground Zero by Diane Cole
Five years ago, terrorist attacks left the World Trade Center in ruins and a nation in anguish. The struggle to understand what we really need in order to revive and repair both our most populous city and a most fragile psyche is greatly aided by a walk through the architecture of grief.

Never Forget, Never Again by Elizabeth Svoboda
Holocaust memorials are reshaping our conception of mass murder, prejudice, and morality by raising awareness and demanding a permanent place in our collective memory. But is that enough to help stave off future genocides?

Orthodox Jews No Longer Miss Communication by Sara Toth

July August 2006
Morality
Basic Instinct by Marc D. Hauser
What if the building blocks of morality come not from our parents, schools, and religions, but are hard-wired, providing an innate set of principles that covertly guide our ethical pronouncements? What if a universal moral grammar underlies the illusion of conscious reasoning?

Our Sentiments Exactly by Frans de Waal
Other primates care and share like we do, suggesting the foundations of human morality lie in our evolutionary past.

On Human Values by Paul Kurtz
A lifetime of ethical inquiry can lead one to the conclusion that morality is a natural and intrinsic part of human life, independent of belief in God. We are, the theory goes, inherently capable of both good and evil, and subject, to varying degrees, to a set of common moral decencies.

Reason to Believe by Keith Ward
Christianity calls for a commitment to the ideals of respect, dignity, freedom, and a quest to emulate the perfect character of God. Morality, then, is not simply a function of biblical authority or human nature, but is cultivated by the rational reflection required to live a life of objective goodness.

A Time Traveler in Jerusalem by Diane Cole
In a land where ancient history blends seamlessly with everyday life, and preservation of the past is inextricably linked to a celebration of the spirit, a first-time visitor discovers she has truly returned home.

Under the Influence by Jeremy Bailenson
For those who hope to persuade and manipulate you, the imprints you leave each day—video streams of your face, cell phone messages in your voice—are the stuff of dreams. By digitally capturing the unique features of your identity, they can make virtual representations of themselves that look like you and act like you—and, in turn, are more capable of making you think and believe like them.

Everything Under the Sun by Owen Gingerich
Physicist and Templeton Prize winner John Barrow sat down with historian of science Owen Gingerich long enough to consider space, time, theater?and how we truly live in a world of possibility.

Curricular Evolution by Elizabeth Svoboda
In the very islands that inspired Charles Darwin?s famous theory, public schools teach students the principles of natural selection while allowing them to come to their own conclusions about life's origins.

May June 2006
Serendipity
Wheels of Fortune by Alan Lightman
We aim for precision in science. We control conditions as best we can. Still, in the discovery process, chance plays a special role, and for that, we must be prepared. If we are to seize serendipity, we must keep the doors of opportunity open, grasp the outstretched hand of circumstance, and free our imaginations to explore our deepest intuitions and insights.

Let There Be Light by Elizabeth Svoboda
No one, not even its inventors, predicted that the laser, a single hue in a narrow beam, would yield such a wide range of applications, much less a vauable lesson about embracing every unplanned possibility that surrounds a new technology.

More Power to Us by Ted Sargent
If necessity is the mother of invention, then one team of scientists has its modest resources to thank for its discovery of how nanotechnology can help bring solar energy down to earth.

The Call to Conservation by Paul O'Donnell
Some of the country's prominent evangelicals are speaking out on behalf of the environment, but broader change within the movement will require soul-searching about what it means to be stewards of creation.

Heart and Soil by Sara Toth
At the core of the nascent environmental movement taking root among Israel's Reform Jews is not just the Torah, but a deep and spiritual connection to the land.

Common Knowledge by Marianna Krejci-Papa
Astrophysicist Bruno Guiderdoni and historian of science Noah Efron have followed two distinct religious paths, but both find inspiration in nature and embrace science as a way to better know God.

Saving Sacred Scrolls by Joanna Corman
Inspired by faith and aided by science, one man gives new life to Torahs left to perish

March April 2006
Happiness
The Search for Happiness by Robert Biswas-Diener
Science tells us that a moderated, mildly positive outlook on life is our natural balance. Which means that wherever we go and whatever we do, the high's the limit.

My Kingdom for Contentment by Trey Popp
It's a country whose reputation precedes it, where people live in harmony with nature, and material goods are valued less than spiritual fulfillment. Spending just a few days in Bhutan affords a whole new perspective on the state of well-being.

Set Point Match by Nancy Etcoff
Studies of idential twins suggest the blueprint for joy is in our genes. Yet brain images show our happiness levels can change according to circumstance, activities, and patterns of thought. Is the pursuit of positive emotions a mixed-up game of nature and nurture.

Happier Ever After by Marianna Krejci-Papa
David Myers believes marriage is good for people and society—which is why he feels it should be an option for everyone.

Two Cheers for Darwin by Michael Ruse
A judge's decision and a museum's exhibition give those who put their faith in science plenty of reason to be grateful, but it's not time to celebrate just yet.

Only in America by G. Willow Wilson
Rethinking the concept of intelligent design from a broader perspective reveals a country spiritually removed from the rest of the world.

Eyes on the Prize by Mike Martin
What is it about awards that makes us feel so good when the honor is all ours?

Wheel World Challenges by Elizabeth Svoboda
Can automated automobiles realistically be expected to conquer the battlefield—or the highway?

January February 2006
The Great Debate
War of the Worlds by George Johnson
Maybe the best way for science and religion to coexist is independently—each providing powerful answers to distinct sets of questions, neither expected to fully accomodate the other. Maybe the differences between the two are simply irreconcilable.

Marriage of Two Minds by Charles Townes
Suppose, far from existing in conflict, science and religion are intimately related—each relying on faith to comprehend the same orderly yet mysterious universe. Suppose the two disciplines are headed down the path of convergence.

Reorganization by Jenny Desai
Sick and tired of praying an organ will come through the national waiting list, an increasing number of patients in desperate need of a transplant are using the Internet to find compatible living donors. Some say personal online searches open the door to racial and religious discrimination, but others don't care—as long as the new arrangment is saving lives.

Who Owns These Hills? by Richard Collins
A hunter stakes his claim to a treasured landscape—an inherent bond rooted in naturalism, conservation, and our ancestral past.

The Coast Guard by David Wolman
Biologist Gordon Sato has planted the seeds that may help solve the problems of hunger and poverty in Eritrea and other impoverished nations.

Oh Heavenly Feather by Dave Brian Butvill
George Archibald has traveled to the ends of the Earth to save cranes wherever they're in distress. His work is not for the weak of will, but he is buoyed by his faith—both in God and in what humans working across political boundaries can do when they unite around a common goal