Weekend Reads 9/7/19

The refugees on my church’s cricket team

Entirely by accident, we’d stumbled upon the secret of incarnational mission: it’s not that we are the bountiful, the generous, and the gracious, with too many resources to keep to ourselves, feeling guilty and responsible in the face of an ocean of need. It’s that we are all too aware of where we fall short—and, with unquestionably mixed motives, we are suddenly seeing assets in those in whom we had hitherto seen only deficit.

Fossil DNA Reveals New Twists in Modern Human Origins

As scientists peer further back in time and uncover evolutionary relationships in unprecedented detail, their findings are complicating the narrative of human history and rescuing some formerly missing chapters from obscurity. Clues are emerging about the unexpected influence of gene flow from ancient hominins on modern human populations before the latter left Africa. Some researchers are even identifying the genetic contributions modern humans might have made to those other lineages, in a complete reversal of the usual scientific focus.

6 winners and 3 losers from CNN’s climate town hall

Between segments, CNN provided updates on Hurricane Dorian, the strongest storm of the year. It served as a vivid backdrop for how the effects of warming like rising sea levels and intense rainfall are worsening the harm from extreme weather.

Throughout the night, candidates were forced past simply reciting vague platitudes, dunking on President Trump, and sniping at their opponents. Instead, facing an audience with real stakes in the fight against climate change, they had to defend their ideas on their merits.

If Made In Space and NASA Have it Their Way Satellites Will Be Made By 3D Printers

The implication of being able to print objects in space is far and wide. According to NASA's Bridenstine, it could aid NASA in its future exploration missions including lunar Gateway, which is NASA's plan to land a man and woman on the southside of the moon in 2024. NASA's Bridenstine called the ability to print in space "transformational."