A Penguin with a Book

How is it that two people can live without knowing about the existence of the other, and yet one day those two people can meet and forge a strong bond? That’s how it is for one certain couple. The girl goes about her daily routine, focused on making a living. Wake up, go to work, come home, sleep, repeat. Her days aren’t monotonous by any means; they’re filled with pleasurable activities, such as reading and crafting. However, the one distinguishable feature between her and all of her friends and coworkers is that she never considers love. It’s not that it isn’t a possibility or that she’s secretly waiting for some fairytale romance—she thinks that “spending one’s whole life, like a neuter bee, working and working and nothing after all” wouldn’t do (Darwin 84). More pressing matters simply exist. But life has a funny way of working, for one day hers flips itself on its head. The day her life changes is quite normal. She’s working the cash register in the small shop when he comes to che...

Technology is often proclaimed in society as wonderful, that it is progressing mankind to places undreamt of, that all will be better after progress is achieved. Societies try to acquire the newest technology in order to move forward into their vision for the future, typically a world where problems and disease are either gone or simplified and where humans can have easier lives. This advancement, in part, is rooted in scientific discovery and innovation. Progress claims to be able to accomplish more with technological improvements, probe the mysteries of the universe, and attain more knowledge, but better understanding does not guarantee the creation of a better world. Scientific progress, especially as it pertains to technology, is not moving humanity in a better direction, but instead is causing it to move away from what is good; it is not progressing humanity toward anything but the destruction of its nature.  Progress is seen as a path toward the improvement of humanity and th...

Introduction          Math significantly aids the criminal-justice system in catching criminals and “cracking down” on crime. In Patterns, Prevention, and Geometry of Crime by Martin Andresen and J. Bryan Kinney addresses how math does so in ten different studies, with each one focusing on using either patterns or geometry to prevent crime. The studies address the geometry of crime, crime patterns, and “crime generators” and “crime attractors.” Using math, criminal-justice professionals can take the patterns and geometry of crimes committed to create preventative techniques, to understand why criminals pick certain places and what led to those decisions, which includes six different methods, and how all that information fits together. Mobility Polygons One way to investigate the geometry of co-offending is by utilizing mobility polygons. Mobility polygons take all locations in a crime incident into account, including the where the crime occurred...

People influence others, either for the better or for the worse. This fact is clearly seen in the priority dispute between Isaac Newton, an English mathematician and scientist, and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, a German mathematician and lawyer, over the invention of fluxions, or differential calculus, calculus concerned with derivatives and differentials, as a result of both releasing their findings around the same time. Claiming priority was important because the person received the recognition for their accomplishment, thereby showing that anyone else that published similar theories was most likely copying. Newton and Leibniz had multiple areas of influence, including other mathematicians, journals, or colleagues. The men would not have gotten to the point they were at in their knowledge and careers if it were not for multiple parties. The priority dispute over calculus was heavily influenced by the people who supported or criticized Newton and Leibniz, whether in the early or later st...

Now that I’m almost done with Great Books V, the fact that I’m almost done with the program seems crazy to me. My journey with a program that has shaped my life so much is close to ending. Throughout my time in the program, I’ve learned and grown so much; I can definitely see that I’m not the same person I was when I started taking Great Books almost three years ago. My journey through Great Books has been one of growth spiritually, socially, and academically. Great Books V focuses on spiritual works, which I was ecstatic to read, hoping they would help me with my faith journey. For a while I was craving to dive deep into God’s word in a way that I hadn’t gotten during my high school years. Great Books V satisfied that need. I think I understand God and Christianity on a deeper, more meaningful level now. As Henri Nouwen writes in The Return of the Prodigal Son , “And along this route I will discover the joys of second childhood: comfort, mercy, and an ever clearer vision of God” (...

Throughout The Cost of Discipleship , Bonhoeffer addresses what being a disciple of Jesus truly looks like. This discourse leads to the call to discipleship, for one cannot be a disciple unless they are called, and then briefly to the apostles. The apostles were called by Jesus, which includes Judas Iscariot. The fact that Jesus called Judas presents the question of why He would present the offer of discipleship to him since He would have known what the future held. Additionally, Judas blended right in with the rest of the apostles, none of them ever believing that any of the group would turn on Jesus. Judas’ calling holds many lessons for Christians regarding the nature of the call to discipleship, the people who are at church, and of one’s own calling. Judas is a complex figure in the Bible, being called to discipleship but betraying his master. Bonhoeffer presents an assessment of Judas: “Even Judas went forth to Christ-work, and the fact that he did so will always be a dark rid...