The Importance of the English Major

There is a certain literal-mindedness in the recent shift away from the humanities. It suggests a number of things. One, the rush to make education pay off presupposes that only the most immediately applicable skills are worth acquiring (though that doesn’t explain the current popularity of political science). Two, the humanities often do a bad job of explaining why the humanities matter. And three, the humanities often do a bad job of teaching the humanities. You don’t have to choose onl...

 All Biological Processes Involve Water

Life began in water, and every single function of life takes place in an aqueous environment. A profound way of classification in chemistry is the relation and interaction between molecules, or groups within molecules, and water. Molecules (or parts of molecules) can attract water in which case they are called hydrophilic. As the opposite extreme they can strive to avoid water; these molecules or molecular parts are termed hydrophobic. Most biomolecules possess both these properties; they are...

 Morals are Natural

It would appear... that moral phenomena, when observed on a great scale, are found to resemble physical phenomena; and we thus arrive, in inquiries of this kind, at the fundamental principle, that the greater the number of individuals observed, the more do individual peculiarities, whether physical or moral, become effaced, and leave in a prominent point of view the general facts, by virtue of which society exists and is preserved.

 Debate Principle: Assume good faith

Assuming good faith is a fundamental principle on Wikipedia. It is the assumption that editors' edits and comments are made in good faith. Most people try to help the project, not hurt it. If this were false, a project like Wikipedia would be doomed from the beginning. ...When doubt is cast on good faith, continue to assume good faith yourself where you can. Be civil and follow dispute resolution processes, rather than attacking editors or edit warring with them. If you wish to express doubts...