We've discovered a handful of stars out there. Courtesy of Phil Plait of Slate!

Water.

The Pope pulls a fast one on the Catholic and greater Christian community! Consider the message he is trying to communicate and consider how inspiring this act might be to adherents and non-adherents!

Here is "a tediously accurate scale model of our solar system." Hat tip to my high school English teacher for passing this along!

Note: the image below is not drawn to scale. If it was accurate, we'd be gonners :-(

Slate Reports. You Decide.

A couple units ago, we learned about theologians like Thomas Aquinas and Peter Abelard, both of whom attempted to explain the origins of our universe through phenomena in the natural world. They believed that they could arrive at "Truth" about faith, religion, and God through their education in grammar, logic, science, mathematics, and much more. This discourse was fundamental to the scholastic movement (and somewhat contrary to the humanists during the Renaissance).

In 2014, the debate has evolved in a way. Today, the discourse has been "refined" in such a way that now, the origins of the universe are debated. Do we exist because of the Big Bang? Or is our existence attributable to the supernatural?

In a televised debate, Bill Nye and Ken Ham debate!

(To read some articles about the event, read here and here and here and here and here!)

in one GIF!

A few units ago, we studied the Greek and Russian Orthodox Christians of the Byzantine Empire -- recall our cursory study of Justinian, Theodora, Yaroslav the Wise, and many more. There are, however, a diversity of other Orthodox Christians who still practice this Eastern faith today. One of them is the Coptic Christians of Egypt. Last week, CBS News' 60 Minutes produced a general overview of who the Copts were and who they are today, post-Arab Spring.

...in captivating photographs.