So Much Science Talk!

So it's Thursday, and I've been trying to play catch up with my article reading and doing a fairly poor job of it because there is just so much interesting stuff out there.  It's impossible to read everything, sadly, and it's a lot more difficult when I have to spend more time reading stories that, to me, are not quite as straight-forward as they seem.

That said, the things I've shared on Facebook recently interest me because of the discourse that occurs when I share them.  The same is true when I talk to friends and family who have read the blog, and they share their thoughts and ideas.  It's important to have a shared dialogue, I think, because no one person can know everything about everything.  So, please know that I welcome your thoughts, criticisms, and ideas.  They help to shape my further understanding of situations and the world, and they are much appreciated.

On a related note, a few days ago I was writing about Roth's Divergent series, and I wanted to let you all know that I have finished it.  I am not sure how people couldn't have enjoyed the third book, and I am having a hard time finding criticism for her work.  She stayed true to the characters that she wrote, and she offered a compelling story about someone who believed in actions to effect changes in the world.  If it inspires bravery in the young men and women who read it, I don't think that's a bad thing; and if it inspires in those who read it a desire to look at the world as we know it in a new light, I think that, too, is a good thing.  Overall, I thought the concept held up, had merit, and showed how we can blind ourselves to some important ethical questions when it comes to "scientific facts".  In short, I would recommend the books to anyone who is interested in reading about a dystopian society that challenges us to look at our own modern ideas of bigotry, psychology, and war.

Let's move on from science fiction to some science facts, though (and bear with me; there is a lot to cover today).