Book Review: Catholic Essays by Stanley Jaki

Catholic Essays by Fr. Stanley L. Jaki

The essays in this collection were written in the 1980s, often responding to other essays or popular articles of the time. Two are lectures given on certain occasions--a paper given at a conference and a commencement address. The whole group deals with all sorts of topics, from science and Galileo to sexual ethics to business and even one on G. K. Chesterton. Jaki is a theologian and scientist by training, lending some balanced insight into the variety of issues. I had a professor who once said, "Eternal problems are always contemporary." Even though Jaki responds to his contemporaries, we still has some basic misunderstandings about, e.g., Galileo and the Church. Interestingly, Jaki predicts that the Catholic Church would reconcile with Galileo (St. John Paul II made an apology in 1992), though people on both sides of the argument refuse to stick their heads out of the trenches they've dug for themselves. 

I found a lot of value here. Like many books written for a then-contemporary audience, some references to other people or events may be obscure by now (I am old enough to remember most of them). Still, it is worth reading at least once. Jaki shows the breadth of Catholic interests in the breadth of topics he covers and uses the wisdom that has universal application.

Recommended, mildly if you are not Catholic.

SAMPLE QUOTE:

On God and multiverses: "For only God is beyond the universe. For if the word universe means anything, it excludes the possibility of another universe, let alone of other universes. If universes are in interaction with one another, they form only one universe. If they are not in interaction, they are mutually unknowable. There is indeed an elementary though devastating profundity in Newman's remark that only one thought is greater than the Universe, the thought of its Maker." [p. 18]

Cute Kid Pix June 2024

More pictures that didn't get their own post...

We went to Savage Fest this year (see our visit on a previous year) and only stayed a little while. The kids are too big for the bouncy castle and too young for all the arts and crafts booths. We did a little of the feeding animals area and saw some jump rope routines.

Feeding a calf

A bunch of goats

Black sheep

Kangaroo Jumpers

More of the same

Big bubble guy

That night, we went to Pepper Jacks for dessert and I got the butter pecan milkshake. There was a little too much crust for my taste, otherwise delightful!

Butter Pecan Milkshake

My youngest completed his Webelos requirements and has bridged over to work on his Arrow of Light, the highest award in Cub Scouting.

Literally on the bridge

Being silly

We went to the neighboring county library for a program on chemistry, electricity, and batteries. It was a lot of fun, though the kids complained about learning outside of school, especially during the summertime. We parents liked it a lot.

Modeling atoms is not glamorous?

Building one atom of copper

Proper scientists have eye protection

Vinegar-based multi-cell battery

Oxidizing epsom salt water

My daughter has starting making fabulous chocolates as a summertime activity. We encourage her in this endeavor.

The mold and the gold

While running errands, I spotted a suspicious pair of stickers on a car. I hope they are not directly related!

Hmmm

With nice weather, we went on a walk around Lake Kittamaqundi in Columbia. 

Not quite sunset

Enjoying a swing

My youngest made a new milestone--going around the roller rink without holding on to anything! He has become a much better skater, though the effort took a lot.

A well-deserved rest

Book Review: Brilliant: 25 Catholic Scientists, Mathematicians, and Supersmart People by David Michael Warren

Brilliant: 25 Catholic Scientists, Mathematicians, and Supersmart People by David Michael Warren

This book of biographies is focused on Catholics who have made contributions to our scientific advancement, starting with Saint Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) and ending with Pope Francis and Karin Oberg, both still living as I write this.

The book's audience is children, so the biographies are short (three or four pages) and include a lot of nice art (similar to what's on the cover). Each bio gives, in addition to the person's scientific contributions, some historical context and how their faith influenced their lives. The breadth of discplines is impressive, including physics, mathematics, biology, chemistry, genetics, computer science, and astrophysics. Many were religious who were supported in their scientific vocations by their orders or their dioceses. Many are also lay Catholics, often parents who balanced faith, family, and career successfully. This book is a great introduction to these people and puts the lie to the supposed division between faith and science.

Recommended, highly for kids.

Book Review: Unsettled by Steven E. Koonin

Unsettled: What Climate Science Tells Us, What It Doesn't, and Why It Matters by Steven E. Koonin

A major hot-button topic in our culture is what to do as the Earth's climate changes. Alarmists and deniers give reactions from the far ends of the spectrum. The knowledge of how the climate is shifting and what impact human actions have had is growing and showing how complex the system is. The news media in general favors the alarmists, if for no other reason than panic-inducing headlines get more readership or followers than "everything is okay" messages. The issue has become important through the sheer weight it is given. But is that weight really there?

Steven Koonin has a doctorate in theoretical physics from MIT and taught that at Caltech for thirty years. He became a scientific advisor for British Petroleum and later for the Obama Administration's Department of Energy. He spent decades researching climate science on the national and international level. His approach is to look at all of the science, actually reading reports issued by government agencies and other entities to understand their conclusions and how they came to them. He also looks at historical data about weather and climate activities. The results are eye-opening thanks to his intelligent understanding of the models and the data he has found. So many factors are involved in how climate develops, from the absorption of solar radiation to natural and man-made production of carbon dioxide to the production and consumption of energy in developed and developing countries. The climate system of the Earth is very complex and operates on a much higher level, i.e. decades and centuries, than is often looked at in popular culture, where news, entertainment, and scientific reporting look at the latest disaster and claim it's part of a big problem that needs solving. Certainly the climate is changing but realistic understandings of that change and how much we can alter our impact (and how significant that impact really is) is key to a reasonable response.

This book is written for general readership, covering the wide variety of topics in accessible ways. It has plenty of charts and scientific data to back up its claims  but not in overwhelming amounts. Koonin has spent a lot of time researching and thinking about all the different components of this topic. He presents information for the majority of the book, giving his recommendations for how to move forward in climate management only in his conclusion. His clear intent is to have a more thoroughly thought out and truly global understanding of the Earth's climate. This topic is deep and difficult and requires more information than comes from the internet or contemporary news coverage. This book is a valuable resource to be informed rather than indoctrinated.

Recommended.

Book Review: New Proofs for the Existence of God by Robert J. Spitzer

New Proofs for the Existence of God: Contributions of Contemporary Physics and Philosophy by Robert J. Spitzer

Robert Spitzer has written a book presenting proofs for God's existence that incorporate the latest understandings and insights from current physics, especially cosmology. Spitzer is well aware of the classical five arguments from Saint Thomas Aquinas as well as other medieval proofs, some of which he elaborates and enhances with contemporary ideas from philosophy and physics.

The first part of the book looks at the current understanding of the origin of the universe, i.e. the cosmology of the Big Bang. He starts out with a general discussion and then delves into very particular issues in the field, including things like the Borde-Vilenkin-Guth Theorem's Boundary to Past Time. I had never heard of that before and still don't have a solid grasp on it after reading this section. I got to a point where I started skimming because I don't know enough contemporary physics to follow the discussion.

In the second part of the book Spitzer shifts to philosophical proofs for God's existence. He begins by laying out the boundaries of philosophy and science and showing that one can argue from basic assumptions to a reasonable and responsible belief in a thing's existence, e.g. the existence of the universe or the existence of the reader of the book. He then gives three proofs for God's existence. 

The first is a metaphysical consideration that all contingent beings must be dependent on a non-contingent being for their existence. That non-contingent being must have no conditions on which it relies for its existence; it must be therefore simple, unique, and unrestricted. As such, it must be the creator of all things that are real and must sustain them in existence. This being we call God. The second proof is a modification of Bernard Lonergan's proof from 1992. Lonergan's argument proceeds from our human understanding of the universe and eventually leads to an unrestricted intelligibility that we call God. Spitzer shifts the starting point to the intelligibility of the real world to follow the same logic, a path he thinks is easier to demonstrate and more persuasive. The third proof involves the impossibility of an infinite past time, thus requiring a Creator of past time that is independent of time. 

The second part ends with a discussion of problems around disproving the existence of God, including some insights on human freedom, suffering, and the problem of evil.

The third part of the book discusses the Transcendentals, various aspects of reality that apply to every thing in the universe, e.g. unity, simplicity, goodness, and beauty. These are preeminent characteristics of God and also longings of our human nature. The divine mystery is the fulfillment of our human mysteries, the fulfillment of our desires for the ultimate in truth or beauty.

This book is very technical and as such is not readily accessible to the lay reader. I've had a good portion of philosophical training, so the second and third parts were interesting and edifying to me. The first part, as I said, was too technical for me to follow. What I am saying is that this is a very well argued book, but reader beware! Or, at least, be aware of the demands it will put on you.

Slightly recommended--if you've got some scientific and philosophical training, this is a lot more valuable and elucidating than if you are less well read in those fields.

Book Review: Resurrection of the Shroud by Mark Antonacci

Resurrection of the Shroud: New Scientific, Medical, and Archeological Evidence by Mark Antonacci

The Shroud of Turin is a famous and controversial object, purported to be the burial shroud of Jesus Christ. Its history can only be traced back to the 1300s in Europe and the 1988 carbon dating gave it an age not more than a thousand years old. And yet there are so many strange details and unanswered questions.

This book looks at the history and science of the Shroud. First, a large amount of scientific information became available during the twentieth century, after the late nineteenth century discovery that the image on the Shroud is a photographic negative (photography only becoming prevalent in the 1800s). A few minor investigations happened in the early 1900s. An extensive scientific examination happened in 1978 when a team of scientists studied the image and the cloth in every imaginable way for several weeks. The group of scientists included medical examiners, radiologists, biologists, chemists, and pathologists. They photographed the Shroud in a wide array of lights as well as taking samples of the cloth and various items that were on the cloth (blood, pollen, etc.). The analysis yielded fascinating results.

One main focus of the scientific investigation was to prove or disprove various theories on how the image came to be on the cloth. They concluded that the great detail on the Shroud (over a hundred wounds can be identified from the nail piercings, the side wound, head punctures, bruises, and scourge marks) could not have been created by an artist. No traces of paint residue were found and the image is embedded in the topmost fibers of the cloth with no signs of brush strokes. The uniformity and precision of the image is not even possible today. Oddly, the image markings are not on parts of the cloth covered by the blood stains (they could tell it was type AB blood but there's no hope of getting DNA, so there's no chance to clone). Various attempts to recreate the Shroud image have failed, even wrapping a mannikin covered in paint. The detail does not come through; the image is smudged or blurred when the body is moved. The author theorizes the only way for the image to encode on the Shroud is if the body passed through the cloth at a high energy state (which would also account for higher levels of carbon-14, which would throw off the radiocarbon dating).

The book also looks at the history of the Shroud. The cloth's history can only be definitively be traced back to the 1350s in France. Antonacci traces the history forward from the stories of the Image of Edessa (which is in modern-day Turkey). The Image goes back to a story of King Abgar of Edessa asking for a cure from Jesus, though his message to Jerusalem arrived after the crucifixion. The apostles sent the burial shroud which became revered for a few centuries. With the rise of iconoclasm, it was hidden in the city wall until it was recovered in the sixth century. Then it was taken to Constantinople, the capital of what was left of the Eastern Roman Empire, where it was kept as a treasure. When the Knights Templar participated in the sack of Constantinople in 1204, it's assumed they took the Shroud which went to their various castles in turn, winding up in Paris in the early 1300s. The theory is supported by the variety of pollen discovered on the Shroud and on the sudden shift in iconography from a beardless Jesus to a bearded Jesus in the sixth century (as if artists were copying some newly discovered and highly honored image). 

The writing is very thorough and very technical at times. I found the reading tough in certain sections. He uses very similar arguments disproving various painting and imaging theories. Antonacci gives a very detailed description of the wounds on the Shroud and how they were inflicted. The detail isn't boring but it is excruciating. The history and the archaeology were more interesting to me. He also gives a detailed analysis of the radiocarbon dating and various flaws in how it was conducting (limited sampling and fewer labs analyzing, among other issues). 

Recommended for those interested in knowing more about the science and the history of the Shroud of Turin.

Book Review: The Evidential Power of Beauty by Thomas Dubay, S.M.

 The Evidential Power of Beauty: Science and Theology Meet by Thomas Dubay, S.M.

Faith and science are popularly (and superficially) seen as opposed. Throughout history, lesser thinkers on both sides have fostered a divide. That division is false in a number of ways. In this book, Father Dubay describes one common ground between the two, the notion of beauty. 

Beauty itself is not a properly understood concept. Again, a superficial understanding sees beauty as relative, as "in the eye of the beholder," not as an objective reality. Dubay points out the classical metaphysical argument that all things have beauty in themselves, just as all things are one, true, and good. A thing naturally has unity, a one-ness or wholeness in itself. As it is knowable, it is thus true. As it is desirable or useful, it is thus good. Beauty is the joy at knowing the goodness of things. Many scientists today argue that scientific proofs are beautiful because they have clarity (knowability) and simplicity (oneness), even if they are not immediately obvious. That those proofs require effort in order to appreciate is not a flaw in the thing, but an insufficiency in the knower. Beauty is objective, based on the knowability and goodness of the beautiful object.

After establishing this groundwork, Dubay looks at different levels of nature, from the microcosm to the macrocosm to human behavior to biblical revelations to theological teachings. All of these have beauty and inspire awe and wonder. He does not shy away from the reality of ugliness and pain. They are signs that something is wrong, something is out of order. Ugly things also point to the objectivity of truth and goodness, characteristics that ought to be there and are conspicuous by their absence. 

Dubay is unabashedly Catholic throughout the book. He constantly references Thomas Aquinas, Augustine, John of the Cross, Teresa of Avila, and Hans Urs von Balthasar. Balthasar is a special muse for the book; he had developed a robust theory of beauty. The end of this book looks at the trinitarian life of God and how we as his human creations related to God, and how we will experience the unending joy of the Beatific Vision in the afterlife.

The book is very inspiring though at times repetitive. Some examples get repeated in different chapters but make the exact same point. As far as flaws go, it's relatively minor.

Recommended.

Book Review: Science of Today and the Problems of Genesis by Fr. Patrick O'Connell, B.D.

Science of Today and the Problems of Genesis by Fr. Patrick O'Connell, B.D.

When reading a book about the "science of today" it is important to know what "today" is. This book was first published in 1959, with a second edition coming out in 1968. The copy I have was printed in 1993 by Tan, a traditionally-minded Catholic publisher. The book is unabashedly pro-Church (as in the Roman Catholic Church) and is also a serious effort to understand and use scientific research in supporting the author's arguments.

Father Patrick O'Connell was a missionary in China throughout the time that the Peking Man fossils (assumed to be a "missing link" species between apes and man) were discovered. Those fossils were subsequently lost in 1941 during the Japanese occupation. O'Connell attributes the loss to a cover-up of fraudulent fossils, though the scientific community (with its bias towards evolutionary interpretations) did and still accepts Peking Man as legitimate. It is interesting to note that the site was opened back up for excavation after the war and no additional fossils have been found, even to the present day (the present day being January 2020).

O'Connell argues against evolution a lot (about half the book) and also discusses the antiquity of man and evidence for Noah's flood. He sites many findings from paleontology and archaeology to back up his claims that Biblical account is highly compatible with scientific discoveries. His rhetoric is often a little too heavy handed, calling "absurd and ridiculous" claims that men were descended from apes or that mankind on Earth goes back half a million years. The style of writing would be off-putting for those not already sympathetic to his conclusions.

Which is a shame because O'Connell makes a lot of good arguments and ties together information from various disciplines (paleontology, archaeology, astronomy, and literary analysis of biblical and other ancient texts). He has read and discusses works from all sides of the arguments. He remains staunchly Catholic and argues that science and faith can be reconciled. He does a convincing job of that. And the interdisciplinary approach is indispensable for understanding complicated topics like evolution and human history.

Slightly recommended. The information is a bit old and the rhetorical style is a bit harsh.

If you want a reconciling of modern science with biblical faith, Seven Glorious Days is a much better book, though it is strictly focused on the Genesis creation account. See my review and the discussion of Seven Glorious Days on A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast.

Science at the Library

Many of the recent storytimes at the library have been science-based. We love science, so that made us happy.

The summer reading program is "A Universe of Stories," and it has a very scientific/science fictional bent. As part of the program kick-off, the library has been showing off moon rocks borrowed from NASA. The rocks were disappointingly small and not for touching--they were imbedded in acrylic! They were still fun to look at.

Hard to get a good shot with everyone crowding in

They also had a moon globe that shows all the landing spots of the Apollo missions. I want one!

Moon globe

I didn't know they landed practically on the equator!

Another program was "Sink or Swim?" After some stories and songs, we got to the science experiments.

The first experiment we tried was floating an egg. In regular water, an egg does not have enough buoyancy to float. But if the water is salty enough, it will. We never got the egg more than a fraction of a millimeter off the bottom of the glass. We had fun trying.

Float an egg?

Our next experiment was with a ball of clay. At first, the ball-shaped lump sank straight to the bottom.

The light reflection blocks the ball a bit

We took the clay back out and reshaped it into a wide boat. With the added displacement of water, the clay was able to float.

Our boat

The boat was buoyant enough to carry paperclips!

Trying to weigh it down

The final station had a set of objects with a checklist. We had to guess whether things like coins, keys, corks, Legos, pencils, and other items would float. After making our predictions, my son put the various objects into the water. We didn't guess right about the Lego (we were thinking more about its brickness than its plasticity) and we made a middle vote on the plastic spoon. Both items floated.

Testing the cork

We hope for more science over the summer (even if it isn't at the library)!

Cute Kid Pix May 2019

More photos that didn't make their own blog post...

While the eldest was out camping, my two younger children went to the Maryland Science Center and had a ball doing some experiments, watching an Imax movie, and playing in the water.

Young scientists extracting DNA

Wonderful water play area

The library had a story time called, "Who is Steve Jenkins?" Well, he's no relation to Leroy Jenkins; Steve writes books about animals and their amazing abilities. He uses painted paper cutouts to make the animal images for his books and does a great job. The children colored their own paper and the librarian used a special machine to cut out animal shapes. The children then glued them on a background, making a fun and different craft much like the author's work.

Coloring paper

Water-themed craft

My oldest son had a simulated congressional hearing at school. The students practiced testifying before a panel of judges. They discussed various constitutional issues and historical events from the 1800s.

SCH with my son (second from left)

He's also been camping about once a month with his Scouting BSA troop. I had to drop him off at the campground so I got to see the beginning of the campout. I didn't stay, though I suppose I will get to eventually.

Camping with the Scouts

I guess it's been a slow month for smaller activities. Maybe we'll be busier next month with school ending...

Maryland Science Center December 2018

We visited the Maryland Science Center again, trying to max out the value of the membership we bought earlier in the year. After a few visits, we have got our money's worth. The center had some fun, new exhibits.

The main attraction for us was in the Science and Main area, where they had a gingerbread recreation of Baltimore!

A festively decorated entrance 

Sign to Sweet Street

The table had a train as well as lots of houses and some of iconic Baltimore locations.

Gingerbread row housing

The center of the display with Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower

The other end of the display

Domino Sugars factory! (would have been the perfect sponsor)

Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse

The Maryland Science Center!

Random, everyday houses

The display even had a Christmas tree next to it.

A tree without any candy!

Downstairs is a spare house that tipped us off to the display upstairs.

All by itself

We found a science display to investigate the different kinds of sugar. A nice young lady helped us identify artificial and natural sweeteners. We examined them, using both magnifying glasses and a microscope. No tasting, though.

Another display of sugar!

Examining the sweetest evidence ever

Looking at artificial sweeteners

Upstairs, my youngest and I found a display on astronomers' methods for discovering exoplanets. One method we tried was detecting stars that had dips in the amount of light they produced, which indicates a planet traveling between the observer and the star (causing the light loss through an eclipse). A second method had us black out the star and observe the planets traveling around the star without the glare of light from the main star obscuring them. Other methods are available, but we lost interest and moved on to other displays.

Doing scientific work

A discovery!

We spent a good amount of time in Newton's Alley, which we have covered before on the blog. Our two oldest children did try out the Hurricane Wind Experience...



The Science Center is always a fun place to visit.