Owen Cumming particle.scitech.org.au Owen is a science communicator with a background in ecology and evolutionary biology. Owen enjoys surfing, hiking and convincing himself that his terrible woodworking has a “rustic” look. He firmly believes that quokkas’ smiles imply malicious intent. Imagine running all day, every day, just
The word for today is… verdant (adjective): 1a : green in tint or color b : green with growing plants verdant fields 2 : unripe in experience or judgment Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : English speakers have been using verdant as a ripe synonym of green since at least the 16th century, and as
The word for today is… turpitude (noun): Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Turpitude comes from Latin turpis, meaning “vile” or “base.” The word is often heard in the phrase “moral turpitude,” an expression used in law to designate an act or behavior that gravely violates the sentiment or accepted standard of
The word for today is… bloviate (verb): : to speak or write verbosely and windily Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Warren G. Harding is often linked to bloviate, but to him the word wasn’t insulting; it simply meant “to spend time idly.” Harding used the word often in that “hanging around”
The word for today is… ramshackle (adjective): 1 : appearing ready to collapse 2 : carelessly or loosely constructed Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Ramshackle has nothing to do with rams, nor the act of being rammed, nor shackles. The word is an alteration of ransackled, an obsolete form of the verb ransack,
The word for today is… conclave (noun): 1 : a private meeting or secret assembly – especially, a meeting of Roman Catholic cardinals secluded continuously while choosing a pope 2 : a gathering of a group or association Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Conclave comes from a Latin word meaning “room that can be
J. Budziszewski mercatornet.com Dr J Budziszewski is a professor of government and philosophy at the University of Texas, Austin, where he also teaches courses in the law school and the religious studies department. He specializes in political philosophy, ethical philosophy, legal philosophy, and the interaction of religion with philosophy.
The word for today is… orientate (verb): : to face or turn to the east Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Orientate is a synonym of orient. Both can mean “to cause to face toward the east.” The proper noun Orient refers to “the East.” The verbs, however, have broader meanings that relate
The word for today is… ovine (adjective): of, relating to, or resembling sheep Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Sheep belong to the same family of mammals as goats, antelope, bison, buffalo, and cows. The genus Ovis includes at least five species, including the domestic sheep. Some 12,000 years ago, in
Remember how back in the day methamphetamine was everywhere? And remember Paul Holmes going on a campaign against meth after his daughter got hooked and how he got pseudoephedrine banned from chemists’ shelves? According to the media it was a full-on crisis. Well, here are some graphs. And remember how
righttolife.org.uk A group of ‘pro-choice’ doctors at the British Medical Association have voted to lobby the UK’s governments to provide free taxpayer-funded abortions for women from the US, but have not made any similar call to provide women who do not have access to public funding for
The Ponderer In all the current discussions about pronouns, it is easy to get caught up in the arguments and forget what a pronoun is actually for. A pronoun substitutes for a noun. It is used instead of a noun, to simplify speech. We substitute pronouns to avoid saying something
The word for today is… fallacy (noun): 1a : a false or mistaken idea b : erroneous character 2a : deceptive appearance b obsolete : guile, trickery 3 : an often plausible argument using false or invalid inference Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Philosophers are constantly using the word fallacy. For them, a fallacy is reasoning
Michael David Barbezat Australian Catholic University Michael Barbezat is a Research Fellow in the Institute for Religion and Critical Inquiry at the Australian Catholic University. His research on medieval intellectual and religious history examines the ideologies and assumptions that justified and encouraged persecution during the Middle Ages. From Kate Bush
Ashwin Dhanda University of Plymouth Dr Ashwin Dhanda is a Consultant Hepatologist at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust where he is lead for alcohol services. He is an Honorary Associate Professor at the University of Plymouth. A new anti-hangover supplement has just gone on sale in the UK. It is
Ingo Geiger scoop.me Over the past 10 years, homelessness in Houston has dropped by 63%. Double the decrease seen anywhere else in the U.S. The city helped 25,000 people out of homelessness. So what does Houston do better than other major cities? The “housing first” concept gives
