Author Archives: Matthew Eppinette

Two Words that Describe My Current Situation

Transition (noun) — movement, passage, or change from one position, state, stage, subject, concept, etc., to another; change. Hiatus (noun) — a break or interruption in the continuity of a work, series, action, etc. August 31 was the last day … Continue reading

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The Use of Science in the Search for Human Perfection

McGill University’s Margaret Somerville has a thought-provoking piece, “The Flawed Quest for Perfection,” in the Ottawa Citizen. Does any given use of this science, in the search for human perfection, damage or destroy the essence of our humanness? That leads … Continue reading

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Why Does This Interest Me?

Maybe because I once had a job that involved implementing warehouse automation systems.  Or maybe I’m just a nerd. Anyway, it’s an article from last week’s Chicago Tribune on how Netflix’s warehouse works.  With pictures.

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Anathem

I just finished reading Neal Stephenson’s Anathem. Very interesting, very complex, and very long (the story concludes on page 890). It took a good 100 pages to really feel immersed in the world of the book, which involves a good … Continue reading

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For the DVD Queue of Your Choice

Kenny is an Australian mocumentary that I think works on a couple of levels — funny and touching, with a positive message. Description: Porta-loo deliveryman Kenny Smyth is probably one of the most underappreciated professionals on the planet. But without … Continue reading

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Increasingly Complex Birds and Bees Conversations

The New York Times looks (briefly) at conversations parents are now having with children born to surrogates with donor eggs and sperm: “No Stork Involved, but Mom and Dad Had Help.” Every child has a birth story. The story of … Continue reading

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One Path for Bioethics in the Church

My friend Sarah recently presented at the Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity’s Global Bioethics: Emerging Challenges Facing Human Dignity conference. Her presentation was entitled “Women’s Discipleship: A Pathway for Bioethics in the Local Church,” and is available on her … Continue reading

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Something Interesting about Michael Jackson

I know I feel like we’ve been overwhelmed with Michael Jackson news, but here’s an article that looks at his life from a slightly different perspective: “Was Michael Jackson a Transhumanist?” Jackson [defied] his biological limitations in terms of his … Continue reading

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Terminator Salvation?

From MercatorNet: So the question provoked by Terminator Salvation is this: is being plain old Humanity 1.0 worthwhile — in spite of our messy emotions, cloudy intelligence, imperfect bodies and unavoidable death? Or should we aspire to move forward to … Continue reading

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Will Machines Master Man?

Interesting article on a recent meeting about possible limits on the development of Artificial Intelligence. Where have I heard this before? “Something new has taken place in the past five to eight years,” Horvitz said. “Technologists are replacing religion, and … Continue reading

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