Macalester College was founded in 1874 and is one of very few selective liberal arts and sciences colleges located in the heart of a major metropolitan area. Macalester’s demanding academic program and commitments to internationalism, multiculturalism, and service to society are all amplified by its location in the Twin Cities of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.
Sci-fi nightmares of a robot apocalypse aside, autonomous weapons are a very real threat to humanity. An expert on the weapons explains how the emerging arms race could be humanity’s last.
The term ‘killer robot’ often conjures images of Terminator-like humanoid robots. Militaries around the world are working on autonomous machines that are less scary looking but no less lethal.
John F. Williams/U.S. Navy
Sci-fi nightmares of a robot apocalypse aside, autonomous weapons are a very real threat to humanity. An expert on the weapons explains how the emerging arms race could be humanity’s last.
President Biden has so far kept most of his predecessor’s tough-on-China policies.
Malte Mueller via Getty Images
A scholar of global relations says China seems worried about its future. Meanwhile, the US and Europe still treat China as a threat. The clash of world views could be destabilizing.
A 19th-century engraving depicts the Angel of Death descending on Rome during the Antonine plague.
J.G. Levasseur/Wellcome Collection
Societies and cultures that seem ossified and entrenched can be completely upended by pandemics, which create openings for conquest, innovation and social change.
The composer, performer and poet was an artistic pioneer of lasting and distinctive gifts, and bottomless stamina. He gave us over 70 years of high-octane Somali musical mastery.
Foraging is a crucial part of many diets and should not be discouraged.
Activists at the Supreme Court opposed to partisan gerrymandering hold up representations of congressional districts from North Carolina, left, and Maryland, right.
AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster
Manil Suri, University of Maryland, Baltimore County and Karen Saxe, Macalester College
Supreme Court justices have previously called statistical methods of measuring partisan gerrymandering ‘sociological gobbledygook’ and ‘a bunch of baloney.’
Wild foods at the edge of this field in Burkina Faso are just as important for household nutrition.
Author supplied
Foraging and gathering food can play a huge role in feeding people.
Protests against social security reforms in Nicaragua quickly gained traction. Now, even the Catholic Church is suggesting ‘democratization’ may be on the horizon.
Reuters/Oswaldo Rivas
For 11 years, Daniel Ortega’s regime has been unshakable. But Nicaragua’s autocratic leader is vulnerable after weeks of deadly protest. Now, some citizens are calling for him to resign.
Many college students who take calculus fail to earn a C or better. Could ‘active learning’ help turn things around?
pixabay
Each year large numbers of college students drop plans to become engineers or scientists because of poor performance in calculus. A new ‘active learning’ approach could help turn things around.