Self-driving race cars make history in Indianapolis The winner was not a driver but an algorithm at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where the top car clocked an average speed of 218km/h, ushering autonomous vehicles into a new era. Setting the record pace over two laps, a team from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) won…

Medical Matters This month figures show that the number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the Republic of Ireland has surpassed 400,000 since the pandemic began. The death toll due to the coronovirus now stands at more than 5,000 of which about 75% occurred in those aged over 75. In fact, half of all deaths…

Living Laudato Si’ Earlier this month, the Archbishop of Dublin’s first pastoral letter, ‘The Cry of the Earth and the Cry of the Poor’, was launched in An Tairseach Ecology Centre, Wicklow. During his address, Archbishop Dermot Farrell noted, “the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor go hand in hand. There…

900-year-old sword found encrusted in shells off Israel A sword believed to have belonged to a crusader who sailed to the Holy Land almost a millennium ago has been recovered from the Mediterranean seabed thanks to a sharp-eyed amateur diver, the Israel Antiquities Authority has said. Though encrusted with marine organisms, the metre-long blade, hilt…

Mindful Living These articles on meditation each month are written to point towards a contemplative way of being in the world and to nourish in readers an awareness of who they are at the deepest level of their being. It is not particularly helpful for anyone to take a single article and to draw inferences…

Sweet Treats This is a dessert that provides a lot of warmth through autumn spices, with additional warmth from red wine and brandy. Making the snaps is tricky, but they don’t have to look perfect since they will taste delicious no matter what! Poached Pears Ingredients 6 large pears 120g sugar 150ml water 150ml red…

Star Trek’s Shatner to ‘boldly go’ with Blue Origin Blue Origin has confirmed that William Shatner, who starred as Captain James T Kirk in the original Star Trek series, will fly aboard the company’s next crewed rocket on 12 October. The company also announced the identity of the remaining passenger, Audrey Powers, the company’s vice…

Danish artist takes the money and runs A Danish museum loaned an artist 534,000 kroner (over €71,800) in cash to recreate old artworks of his using the banknotes, but he ended up pocketing the money and sending blank canvasses with a new title: “Take the Money and Run”. Jens Haaning, a Danish artist, was commissioned…

Everyday Philosophy How open-minded should a Christian be? On the one hand, open-mindedness is generally a good thing. Being open to the possibility of learning new things, and to the possibility that one is mistaken, is a mark of a healthy mind. It’s also a sign of humility. Openness to being wrong is an acknowledgement…

Every year when I come back from holidays after a time of refreshment and family time, we often return with really bad post-holiday blues. How can I avoid them this year?   This is totally normal and natural. You work hard all year, you save, you spend hours daydreaming about your two week holiday. Yet…