A quarter-century after its release, Steven Millhauser’s ‘Martin Dressler: The Tale of an American Dreamer’ shines a harsh but revealing light on some of the 21st century’s most powerful forces and enigmatic personalities.
Technology
Posted inFaith, Faith in Focus
‘Why Does God Hate Me?’ A response to a frequently Googled question
I typed “Why does God…” into Google to see what would auto-populate. The question, “Why does God hate me?” was number three on the list.
Posted inArts & Culture, Ideas
I asked an AI art generator to draw Catholicism in 20 different ways. Here’s what I learned.
I spent an evening running the word “Catholicism” through the 20+ filters of a popular AI image generator. The results were both stunning and revelatory.
Posted inArts & Culture, Books
Review: The limits of the human body
In ‘The Body Scout,’ Lincoln Michel explores the limits of what it means to be human through a future in which companies tempt consumers with upgrades—new arms, organs and more.
Posted inArts & Culture, Ideas
Internet Explorer encapsulated the tech industry’s worst sins. So why am I nostalgic for it?
The demise of a browser seems meaningful, even if that browser was terrible.
Posted inPolitics & Society, Short Take
On Russian oligarchs and ours: we need to talk about our billionaire problem
Elon Musk is making headlines by buying Twitter, but he is only one of the American oligarchs working to protect their wealth while fighting policies that would benefit the common good.
Posted inFaith, Short Take
Online church helped me as a Catholic convert in the pandemic. But I need an in-person faith.
The livestreamed Mass was a godsend to a recent convert during the height of the pandemic. But the importance of a parish community and in-person encounters quickly became obvious.
Posted inPolitics & Society, Short Take
The dystopian Superbowl ad for the metaverse raises serious metaphysical questions.
Virtual reality is taking off, and it is more than a game: The metaverse promises relief from human pain and longing. But can it become just another addiction?
Posted inPolitics & Society, Short Take
Cryptocurrency has taken the idolatry of wealth to a new level of sinfulness
Cryptocurrency is our culture’s idolatrous golden calf. We need to save ourselves (and our planet) from its empty promises.
Posted inPolitics & Society, Short Take
We’re not living in a simulation—and we need to stop acting like we are.
It is horrifying to think that some people would believe we are living in a simulation. But even more horrifying is the reality that we all actually spend most of our lives behaving like we are.