Category Archives: Ethics

A “New” Monster

Just over 50 people in Mississippi have tested positive to Candida auris, a fungus that causes bloodstream infections and has an extremely high mortality rate. All infections in Mississippi seem to originate in a long-term care facility (sound familiar?) in … Continue reading

Posted in Ethics, Science | 9 Comments

What’s Real?

Imagine a classroom where a student gets so sucked into Mech Arena that he doesn’t hear the teacher ask him a question. What’s more real to the student: the classroom, where he’s surrounded by other members of his own species, … Continue reading

Posted in Ethics, Science, Social Media | 13 Comments

It’s Hell Getting Old

This academic year marks the end of my 19th year at MSMS. I almost certainly have more years behind me than ahead of me. I am not ready to retire, though I have occasionally thought about it. Speaking with similarly … Continue reading

Posted in Ethics, Politics | 11 Comments

And the Winners Are…

As you know, UComp sections get to select the topics they’ll study for their in-class essays at the end of the semester. The 10:00 section decided to study the ethics of gender affirmation surgery; the noon section will address capital … Continue reading

Posted in Ethics, Science | 20 Comments

Another Cost of Climate Change

Dozens of people died during Hurricane Ian last month. Estimates for the repairing the damage the storm did to Florida and South Carolina range from $30 to $65 billion. As Mississippi’s coastal residents know, it will take years for Floridians … Continue reading

Posted in Ethics, Science | 20 Comments

Banned Books Week

I read banned books. From the Epic of Gilgamesh to Huckleberry Finn, from Song of Solomon to The Things They Carried, I find something valuable in wresting with ideas and depictions that other people find dangerous. Library systems across the … Continue reading

Posted in Books, Education, Ethics | 32 Comments

One Sentence Conundrums

Respond to a couple of these. Consider applying them to contemporary events. Can a person make a conscious decision to deal with problems by relegating them to the subconscious? When leaders say equitable, do they really mean redistribution of wealth? … Continue reading

Posted in Education, Ethics, Politics | 10 Comments

Welcome to the 2022-23 Blog

This morning’s New York Times dished up a piece on how employers monitor the productivity of their employees. Amazon, if you didn’t know, is one of the most notorious punishers of idleness in any workplace. Other firms count the number … Continue reading

Posted in Ethics | 28 Comments

Too Tired to Think

You probably already know that autocracies are on the rise. Whether you’re looking at Putin’s rise to power in Russia, Erdogan’s control in Turkey, or the return of the Marcos family to the political world of the Philippines, leaders who … Continue reading

Posted in Ethics, Politics | 21 Comments

Energy Wherever You Are

Russia recently fired a shot that landed outside the border of Ukraine: pipes carrying gas to Poland and Bulgaria, two of Ukraine’s staunchest allies, have been shut off for refusal to remit payment in rubles. Leaders of other European countries … Continue reading

Posted in Ethics, National Politics | 20 Comments