The New York Times on Sunday ran one of the more haunting (and also fascinating) articles I’ve read in some time about an issue becoming more urgent by the day.

Set against the backdrop of the case of Reggie Shaw, whose texting while driving caused the death of two people, the article gives an overview not only of Shaw’s road to redemption but also of the way the science of the brain enters into the discussion. The author of the piece, Matt Richtel, asks:

In addition to an intense human and legal drama, something else came of this landmark case — a scientific journey by the prosecutors, including testimony from a researcher who began to answer a crucial question in the digital age: When Reggie was texting, what was going on inside his brain?
 

What follows is fascinating, informative, and heartbreaking. It’s an article well worth a discussion among faculty and students, particularly those who have just received their licenses.   

Matt Emerson's essays have appeared in a number of publications, including America, Commonweal, and the Wall Street Journal. The Catholic Press Association named his September 2012 essay "Help Their Unbelief," published in America, as the "best essay" in the category of national general interest magazine for 2012. He is the author of the book Why Faith? A Journey of Discovery (Paulist Press 2016).Articles:Fruitful Searching (Jan. 5-12, 2015)Preambles for Faith (May 13, 2013)Help Their Unbelief (Sept. 10, 2012)Posts at The Ignatian Educator