As our country hurtles toward a presidential election defined by change, we fly by the tenth anniversary of a horrific crime that illustrates just how much, in one decade, that country has remained the same. On the night of Oct. 6, 1998, just outside of Laramie, Wyoming, two men brutally beat gay college student Matthew Shepard, tied him to a fence and left him to … Continue reading Matthew Shepard: An anniversary of hate

Within the liberal arts educated, NPR listening, New Yorker reading academic subculture exists a movement toward promoting science education and awareness to people who, like me, are not scientists. In the last four years, the NPR program Radio Lab has grown in popularity and established itself as a leading force in this movement. The show covers big topics like music, sleep, laughter, language and many … Continue reading Of science and storytelling

I occasionally have the strange suspicion that I may have been Jefferson Airplane’s Gracie Slick in a former life. Yes, I realize this couldn’t actually be true, seeing as she is still alive and all, but sometimes-given the right coffee-to-volume ratio-I own those vocals, whether I am actually singing along or not. I think the connection is beyond the acid-flavored lyrics and more about the … Continue reading Our generation’s challenge