Afternoon Links — 10.13.10

Eastern Catholic patriarchs make demands of the pope , during the second day of the synod for the Middle Eastern bishops, and one also proposes “a bank of available priests” from other countries who would serve for a short period in the Middle East.

In 1910, six Americans tried to make the first trip over the Atlantic in an airship . It did not go well.

Some people propose eating Kangaroos , “arguably the most ethically and environmentally sound source of meat on the planet.”

An English brain scientist claims ” We certainly don’t have free will , in the spiritual sense,” and  our actions are “the last output stage of a machine,” because outside forces can sometimes affect our behavior.

A popular science writer argues that ideas and insights don’t usually come from epiphanies . Those ideas of innovators  ”take time to develop and incubate and sit around in the back of their minds sometimes for decades. It’s cobbled together from other people’s ideas and other people’s technologies and other people’s innovations.”

The Anchoress reports on the Chilean miner who brought gifts .

Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia get two years for having “extremist literature” (their own publications).

Classicist and Pauline scholar Sarah Ruden examines Camille Paglia’s ideas about middle class sexuality .

Finally, two articles by our board member and regular writer Hadley Arkes: On Evidence and Swastikas, Burning Crosses, and “God Hates Fags” .