Driverless trucks set to take over roads in Texas A giant 18-wheel transport truck is barrelling down a multi-lane Texas motorway, and there is no one behind the wheel. The futuristic idea may seem surreal, but it is being tested in this vast southern US state, which has become the epicentre of a rapidly developing…
“After 39 years it is time to hand it over to someone else.” These are the words of a 80-year-old parishioner who has been in charge of the parish shop for half her life. A Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) member for over 12 years recently said, “If I don’t do it, who else will do…
Marta Osborne Both myself and my wife were very concerned about the virus and reduced our social contacts to the minimum since the beginning of the pandemic. Now with restrictions lifted, we’d like to make a renewed effort with our friends and family. Any advice? Most of us breathed a sigh of relief after hearing…
Giant pandas stay chubby on bamboo diet due to gut bacteria Despite almost exclusively eating fibrous bamboo, giant pandas manage to stay chubby and healthy due to a seasonal change in their gut bacteria, a new study has shown. Researchers have found that the animals’ gut bacteria changes at the time of year when nutritious…
In November 2021, Pope Francis launched the Laudato Si’ Action Platform, a seven-year programme for the Church to live out the call to care more deeply for God’s creation. The platform is based around achieving seven Laudato Si’ Goals across seven Church ‘institutions’ over seven years – a jubilee for the earth. The institutions include:…
Mindful Living We all want to be loved. My youngest granddaughter has been staying with us for some time now and has grown increasingly close and loving. She will often tenderly stroke my arm when I’m playing with her or reading a story. And, just before she leaves for crèche each morning, she used to…
“Happy New Year” I said to a parishioner coming out of church. Seeing his reaction, I added; “It is only a few days old, I presume we are still ok wishing each other a Happy New Year.” He stopped, looked at me and replied. “Oh yeah. Many returns.” I had to smile about this short…
This is one of my favourite recipes to make, since it is another easy-to-make-yet-delicious recipe. One thing which makes this recipe excellent is that it is completely customisable. You can use whatever combination of chocolate you prefer, whether it be all dark or all milk. You could even use up some of that Christmas chocolate!…
People spending close to a third of waking lives on phones An analysis of trends in mobile phone usage has found that people in mobile-first markets spend close to a third of their waking hours using their phones. The report, from analytics firm App Annie, concluded that across the top ten markets analysed, the average…
A Parent’s Perspective The words “New year, new me” can ring a bit hollow for us and for our families if we know that so many resolutions and plans that we made in other years were quickly forgotten or abandoned. Left to ourselves, we human beings can often find life a struggle or, even if…
Maria Byrne