This piece was awarded first place in the Humanists of Greater Portland's annual essay contest for high school seniors seeking funding for post-high school education.  Every day reminds me how much we rely on tiny... Read More

The regime of Republican President Donald Trump is an enterprise built on perfidy, corruption and bigotry. It is clear, given the conduct of the administration and how it operates the censorship regime it established to... Read More

It was a planet whose inhabitants’ desperate distress signals, from within our galaxy, did not seem to be worth the bother of responding to, given that the beings who were sending them were, quite clearly,... Read More

“Science is not only compatible with spirituality; it is a profound source of spirituality.”  —Carl Sagan I. The Impulse Is Real Something in human beings will not leave mystery alone. It has never left mystery... Read More

On the night of April 1, 2026, the President of the United States addressed his nation about the war he had started with Iran. The  speech lasted 37 minutes. It referenced goals, achievements and threats.... Read More

We are freer than any generation before us. We can leave our hometowns, abandon religion, cut ties with toxic family members and build lives wherever we want. But are we all built for an independent... Read More

There is a growing lament across the American commentariat about a generation that, through no fault of its own, can no longer perform the basic rites of adulthood. Homeownership is out of reach, stable jobs... Read More