On Monday, August 21, 2017, folks living in a large swath of the United States will get to witness the exceedingly rare phenomenon of a total solar eclipse. (Please do it safely!) And, wouldn’t you know it, there’s a Jewish angle. Roger Price, the author of the always fascinating blog Judaism and Science, reminds us that Jewish tradition prescribes no b’rakhah (blessing, benediction) for one to recite upon seeing an eclipse. Which is at least a bit strange. After all, there is a blessing for one to say when witnessing a comet or lightning, or for beholding impressive natural sites like oceans or mountain ranges. There’s a blessing to recite upon hearing thunder and even for experiencing an earthquake. So why not for an eclipse? Continue reading A Blessing for an Eclipse? →

“More than 100 Nobel laureates are calling on Greenpeace to end its anti-GMO campaign.”

Headlines like that one sure do catch the eye. The scientists signing the letter urge the environmental organization Greenpeace to drop its opposition to genetically modified organisms (GMOs). In particular, they criticize Greenpeace’s efforts to block the development of Golden Rice, a genetically-modified strain of rice that is especially rich in beta carotene. (The hope is that the consumption of Golden  Rice will help reduce Vitamin A deficiency and the resulting blindness among children in developing countries.) This is but the latest round in the ongoing battle over GMOs between the scientific community and those environmentalists who warn of any number of risks, often unspecified, posed by the technologies of genetic engineering and enhancement. The scientists say that Greenpeace doesn’t know what it’s talking about. Greenpeace, for its part, isn’t budging. Continue reading Believing in Science →