Electric motoring is, in theory, a subject about which I should know something. My first university degree was in electrical and electronic engineering, with a subsequent master’s in control systems. Combine this, perhaps surprising, academic pathway with a lifelong passion for the motorcar, and you can see why I was drawn into the early adoption Read more
There is probably no pope in all of history — certainly not in the last 400 some years — who served so briefly as Bishop of Rome and yet had such an immense impact on the Catholic Church as John XXIII. [That’s leaving aside Sixtus V. He’s the hard-nosed pope who, in just five years Read more
The life and affairs of the church in Europe, Latin America and Africa tend to dominate coverage of global Catholicism. However, Catholicism in Asia is no less noteworthy and will become increasingly significant for the world church, including the church in Australia, in the decades to come. We have already seen an increasing Asian presence Read more
As long as there has been a war in Ukraine people have called for peace. Some propose peace simply defined as a halt to the fighting. They cite the suffering: More than 300,000 Ukrainian and Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded, thousands of civilians have been killed, and more than nine million Ukrainians have Read more
Kirsty Robertson says her new role as vice-president of Caritas Internationalis is both a privilege and the fulfilment of an “unbelievable journey.” Ms Robertson, 45, joined Caritas Australia based at North Sydney in a junior position more than 20 years ago. She has spent the intervening years dedicated to humanitarian work there and in other Read more
Researchers have recorded brain signals for pain for the first time, using a machine learning technique that could lead to treatments for the condition. They recorded pain-related data inside the brains of individuals with chronic pain disorders caused by stroke or amputation. Scientists have long sought to understand how pain is represented by brain activity. Read more
It is a standing date that I look forward to every other Sunday afternoon with great excitement. My dear friend MC and I meet at a cozy cafe in Detroi. There we splurge for a delicious drink (and, OK, maybe a sweet treat too). We begin our time by unpacking our lives. We share our Read more
Governor Ron DeSantis is expected to enter the Republican presidential contest this week, during an online conversation with billionaire entrepreneur and Twitter owner Elon Musk, NBC News has reported. Supporters of Mr DeSantis believe the two-term Florida governor offers an opportunity to nominate a conservative who does not carry the same baggage as his onetime Read more
Gossip is designed to ruin an individual’s or group’s reputation; it demonises its victims in private. “There is no such thing as innocent gossip,” says Pope Francis. Conspiracy thinking is a public expression of gossip. It is the belief that an organisation made up of individuals or groups was or is acting secretly to achieve Read more
My baby pictures and videos are the standard compendium of embarrassment. I was photographed waddling in nothing but a diaper, filmed smearing food all over my face instead of eating it. But I’m old enough that the kompromat is safe in the confines of physical photo albums and VHS tapes in my parents’ attic. Even Read more