Weekend Reads 5/7/16

The ancient Peruvian mystery solved from space

A series of canals brought the water, trapped underground, to the areas where it was needed; anything left was stored in surface reservoirs. To help keep it moving, chimneys were excavated above the canals in the shape of corkscrewing funnels. These funnels let wind into the canals, which forced the water through the system.

Why biblical inerrancy simply makes no sense

No one reading the Bible for the first time, unless he or she is told beforehand that the Bible is inerrant, would come to that conclusion on their own. Human imperfections are all over the pages of sacred scripture.

3 Strange Worlds Circling A Cool Star Might Be Prime Spots To Support Life

The bizarre little solar system is just 40 light-years away — practically in our backyard. Astronomers have discovered more than a thousand planets outside our solar system, but it's still rare to find ones that look promising in terms of habitability.

U.S. Decline Is Campaign Hype, Not Reality

For all the inequities, no Western economy has recovered from the recession as well as the U.S. The unemployment rate has been cut in half, with 14 million jobs added over the past six years.…

There is progress on the cultural and social fronts, too. Bitter divides remain, but Americans have become more tolerant.…

There are encouraging developments on issues emphasized by conservatives. There are only about half as many abortions as 30 years ago. Teenage pregnancies have plummeted.…

And there is good news on crime. Both the murder rate and overall violent crime rate have been cut almost in half since the 1980s.