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Packers-Buccaneers Preview: Green Bay travels to Tampa Bay
A preview of the Packers’ game against the Buccaneers in Week 4
Zay Flowers’ availability could reshape Ravens’ attack against Titans
If Zay Flowers plays, his motion and explosive receiving ability could create opportunities for Baltimore’s other weapons against Tennessee
Trey Hendrickson updates: Former Bengals star missing game with Ravens
Former Bengals star Trey Hendrickson is already missing at least one game with the Ravens.
Braves fall to Dodgers in NLDS opener
The Atlanta Braves couldn’t handle the hot bats of the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday.
TH South Flag Football advances to sectional championship
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — Terre Haute South Flag Football defeated Northview, 40-6 in Saturday’s sectional semifinal game at TH South. The Lady Braves would defeat Terre Haute North in the championship game later in the afternoon.
Zay Flowers has become one of NFL’s most efficient receivers
Zay Flowers leads qualified NFL receivers in four efficiency categories entering Baltimore’s Week 4 matchup
Open Thread For Saturday’s Division Series Games
I’m putting this together the night before, because I’m out tomorrow morning. We have four games today. Game One: 1:00 Eastern: White Sox @ Guardians: Smith vs. Messick. Game Two: 4:00 Eastern: Braves @ Dodgers. Game Three: 6:30 Eastern: Yankees @ Rays. Cole vs. Rasmussen. Game Four: 8:50 Eastern: Padres @ Brewers. Ray vs. Misiorowski. […]
I spent years reviewing hotels. Motherhood changed my standards.
Traveling with a baby changed my definition of five-star hospitality. Now that I'm a parent, personalized service matters more than fancy amenities.
How to watch the Dodgers vs Braves without cable today
Here's how to watch Dodgers vs. Braves Game 1, including first pitch, TV channel and streaming options.
Brutal weather in store for Dodgers-Braves MLB playoff series
Things are heating up in this MLB postseason, and the Los Angeles Dodgers are back at it, with a chance to win the World Series.
‘No brainer’: Growing trend of Chinese tourists booking business-class flights
Chinese holidaymakers are increasingly upgrading to ‘premium travel’ to make their well-earned leisure time more pleasurable, say insiders.
Braves Face Dodgers Juggernaut After Wild-Card Revenge
The Braves survived the Phillies but now must topple a historic Dodgers trio. Can Grant Holmes and Chris Sale stop the run for a third title?
How to watch Dodgers vs. Braves NLDS Game 1
LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers open their 2026 postseason run on a sweltering Saturday afternoon, hosting the Atlanta Braves in Game 1 of the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium. Tarik Skubal will start for the Dodgers in Game 1, the team’s prized trade-deadline acquisition set to make his seventh career postseason start. Amazingly, […]
‘Brave from the beginning’: 20 years of Friday Night Lights – the sports drama that dared to be different
It launched the careers of Jesse Plemons and Michael B Drama, and let its stars improvise in a way that was fresh and new. This show about smalltown US football was confident, trailblazing – and wonderful
She left Vegas to live on a ‘Blue Zone’ island where people live past 100 years old
In our roundup of travel stories this week: a hiking trail through the “Mountains of Heaven,” why Champagne is getting boozier, plus a woman who found joy by moving from Las Vegas to an Italian island.
HIGHLIGHTS: Hale Center vs. Iraan
IRAAN, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) – Iraan faced Hale Center in a neutral site game in Andrews and the Braves came out victorious 41-6. With the win, the Braves improved to 4-2, and next week they hit the road to start district play against Wink. Watch the video above for the highlights.
Memorial and Reitz battle till the final minute
EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WEHT) — In a battle of undefeated teams, Memorial high school football team beat Reitz in a close one 30-27. Next, the Tigers will travel to Floyd Central to take on the Highlanders. While the Panthers will face Bosse.
Henderson County loses close game to George Rogers Clark
HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) — After trailing 21-7 at halftime, Henderson County high school football team battled back against George Rogers Clark to lose in the end 53-48. Next the Colonels will travel to Christian County to take on the Tigers.
Week 4 injury report for Baltimore
The Baltimore Ravens revealed their Week 4 injury report
Highlights: Crestview vs. Newton Falls high school football
Crestview (2-5) will visit Champion in week eight. Newton Falls (2-5) will travel to Garrettsville Garfield.
Dodgers' Skubal Must Take Advantage of Braves Struggles vs. LHP
Tarik Skubal brings a dominant postseason pedigree to Game 1, eyeing a historic three-peat for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
No. 3 Spartans Dominate Exhibition: The Eric Nilson Show
Eric Nilson’s four-point explosion and Joshua Ravensbergen’s poised debut fueled a surgical offensive display as the Spartans dismantled Boston College to signal their pursuit of another title.
Walt Weiss Provides Outlook of Atlanta Braves' NLDS Rotation
Weiss said Chris Sale's next start date is undecided after making a relief appearance on Thursday.
Potential measles exposure on a train in Minot | Health and Human Services North Dakota
BISMARCK, ND (Oct. 2, 2026) – A passenger with measles traveled on Amtrak's westbound Empire Builder, which departed Chicago on Sept. 23 and arrived in Minot the morning of Sept. 24. This created a potential exposure risk for passengers and anyone at the station while the train was scheduled to be in Minot from approximately 9:06 to 9:51 a.m. CT. The passenger reported getting off the train to use the restroom at the Minot station at approximately 9:30 a.m.Anyone who was at the Amtrak station in Minot while this train was stopped, as well as passengers who were traveling on this train, may have been exposed to measles. Individuals who may have been exposed and have received at least one dose of measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine or previously had measles (likely those born before 1957) do not need to quarantine but should monitor for symptoms for 21 days after exposure. Individuals who have not received a dose of the MMR vaccine should quarantine (stay home) and monitor for symptoms for 21 days following exposure.
Lamar Jackson on track to play in Week 4
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson should be available after two full practices
Zay Flowers listed as questionable
Ravens WR Zay Flowers questionable after a limited practice Friday
Photos | Redwood Coast Music Festival fills Eureka with listening entertainment through weekend
Venues include the Sequoia Conference Center, Veterans Memorial Building, Adorni Center, Eagle House, Red Lion Hotel, Eureka Theater and the Morris Graves Museum.
Governor Proclaims October 2026 Law Enforcement Appreciation Month
AUSTIN - Governor Greg Abbott proclaimed October 2026 as Law Enforcement Appreciation Month in Texas during a press conference at the Governor’s Mansion, honoring the brave men and women of law enforcement who serve and protect communities across the state.
MLB Division Series Preview: Braves-Dodgers, Yankees-Rays, Padres-Brewers & White Sox-Guardians
Trey Hendrickson will not play in Week 4
Ravens DE Trey Hendrickson to miss at least one game because of finger injury
Recent Oglethorpe graduate builds relationships through Atlanta sports
Karina Lopez '25 has built connections and made an impact in Atlanta’s sports, now working with the Atlanta Braves.
How Boston College football matches up with SMU
Collecting a combined eight takeaways through four games this season, Boston College football (2-2) has gotten great short-field opportunities from these turnovers, and will aim to continue to make the opposing offense pay as it travels to take on 21st-ranked SMU (3-1), one of the most efficient offensive teams in the country. Although they have […]
Is UK politics 'boomer-centric'?
An hour of debate with Miatta Fahnbulleh, Julia Lopez, Suella Braverman and Oli Dugmore.
Dodgers to Face Off Against Braves in NLDS
The Los Angeles Dodgers are set to face off against the Atlanta Braves in the National League Division Series.
Trump and Vance hit the campaign trail in deep-red areas
Trump traveled to Texas and Oklahoma and kicked off what the president said will be a 32-day campaign blitz leading up to Nov. 3.
Trump and Vance hit the campaign trail in deep-red areas
Trump traveled to Texas and Oklahoma and kicked off what the president said will be a 32-day campaign blitz leading up to Nov. 3.
Phillies make Don Mattingly decision immediately after loss to Braves
Phillies lose to the Braves and immediately make decision on Mattingly.
How to watch Ravenwood vs Independence high school football
You can watch Ravenwood football all season long with NFHS Network, including this week’s game against Independence.
On Leadership: Before AI goes wrong: What leaders should be asking
This is the fourth in a series on AI and leadership. Recently, I was using an AI chatbot on a travel site to help with some planning. It gave me an answer that sounded specific, polished and completely plausible. There was only one problem: It was wrong. I caught the mistake because something about the…
FCM M& E Launches New Brand Campaign
Messaging highlights how meetings can be leveraged to drive engagement
Massive Ryan Gravenberch worry coming out, Liverpool have a problem
Liverpool have a problem here. There's a massive worry coming out with Ryan Gravenberch and it threatens to disrupt the Reds' plans.Ryan Gravenberch was on top of the world in 2024/25. The midfielder ...
Jersey minister looking again at patient travel costs to UK
Jersey's health board calls provision "very generous," and urges rethink amid high costs.
MLB playoffs 2026: Division series preview, X-factors, predictions and more for Braves-Dodgers, Padres-Brewers, Yankees-Rays and White Sox-Guardians
Eight BYU football players ruled out against TCU
Injuries deplete the undefeated Cougars' roster as they travel to Fort Worth, seeking to break a decades-long road drought and secure their third consecutive 4-0 start.
Dodgers & Braves meet again in NLDS
4th meeting in last 9 years between LAD & ATL: 2018 NLDS, 2020 NLCS, 2021 NLCS, 2026 NLDS
Phillies' season ends with the pain of another early postseason knockout
Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler gave up a combined five runs on two homers. Atlanta advances to the Division Series. The Phillies go home.
MLB playoff bracket: See the 2026 ALDS and NLDS matchups
Michael Harris II sent the Braves into a division series against the Dodgers. Here's every ALDS and NLDS matchup as the MLB playoffs move on.
Phillies' 2026 Season Ends in Rough Game 3 Against Braves
The Philadelphia Phillies have been eliminated from the playoffs after losing Game 3 to the Atlanta Braves.
Full Dodgers NLDS schedule & start times
LOS ANGELES — The full schedule for the Division Series round was announced by Major League Baseball on Thursday, giving us the start times for potentially all five games of the Dodgers’ first postseason round. The Dodgers will play the winner of Thursday night’s Braves-Phillies wild card battle in Atlanta, with their NLDS opening up […]
Full practice for Mark Andrews
Ravens TE Mark Andrews likely will play after two full practices
Zay Flowers a full participant at practice
Ravens WR Zay Flowers on track to play in Week 4 after full practice
Rochester Museum and Science Center opens new exhibit featuring medical technology
The Rochester Museum and Science Center introduced a new traveling exhibit called "Super Human -- Power of Technology" on Thursday.
Phillies vs. Braves live updates, starting pitchers, where to watch: Aaron Nola, Ray Kerr to start Game 3 of wild-card series
Denver Broncos Look To Continue Historically Successful October Streak
Since Sean Payton became head coach in 2023, the Denver Broncos have posted a 10-3 October record, one they hope to continue to build upon as they travel to meet the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
Central Catholic Jr./Sr. High School ‘sending silence packing’ through traveling mental health exhibit
The traveling exhibit is stirring up conversations surrounding mental health.
Forget the Packing Cubes: Émigré Reworks How Professionals Pack for Business Travel
Hong Kong, HONG KONG, Oct. 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Émigré, the premium business travel apparel and accessories brand, today announced an ex...
Phillies Talk: Phillies force decisive Game 3 after CRAZY win in Game 2
Coming off a WILD win in Game 2 against the Braves, Sean Kane and Spencer McKercher break down the win and look ahead to a decisive Game 3.
Dodgers notes: Offense, Freddie Freeman, Miguel Rojas
As the Los Angeles Dodgers await the outcome of the final game between the Philadelphia Philles and Atlanta Braves to see who they will face in the NLDS, the team is busy working on keeping their bats and arms fresh and ready for the road to a three-peat that lies ahead. As Bill Plunkett of […]
Good science requires much more than evidence
Empiricists believe that scientific theories are true only if they make correct empirical predictions: if we can't verify these predictions, then there is no reason to expect that they tell us anything about reality. However, Professor of Philosophy at King's College David Kyle Johnson argues that this is mistaken. In response to Bas van Fraassen, who has written on this subject for the IAI, he argues that we have many reasons for believing a theory to be true, such as it being parsimonious and having large scope — qualities which have been used throughout the history of science as criteria for judging theories. In 2024, Princeton philosopher Bas van Fraassen wrote a short article for IAI News entitled “Science Does not Describe Reality: The Limits and Benefits of Explanation.” At the time, I was working on two projects (a science book and a Great Course) that, when completed, would (among other things) defend science’s ability to describe reality. I wanted to write a response to van Fraassen, but the projects demanded too much of my attention. But now that those projects are complete, I am in a position to explain the objections to van Fraassen’s thesis. Summarizing van Fraassen’s argumentIn a nutshell, his argument is this: What scientists do is make predictions based on theories and then invite others to test to see whether those predictions are borne out. “If theory T is right, result R should happen in experimental condition C.” Many think that running an experiment that shows that R happens in condition C is proof that theory T is true (and should be believed). But, van Fraassen argues, that R happened in condition C is only a reason to think that R happens in condition C. That’s the only observable, or empirical, result we can actually see, so that is all that we are really justified in believing. (The underlying theory that made that prediction still may or may not be true.) That is why he calls those who accept his position “empiricists.”Before I explain what is wrong with this position, let me explain what it gets right. What van Fraassen Gets RightFirst, a theory correctly predicting the results of an experiment is not, strictly speaking, “proof” that the theory is correct. The basic line of reasoning is this:If the theory T is true, result R should happen. Result R did happen. Thus, theory T is true.In other words:“If T then R. R. Thus, T.”This is a deductively invalid, fallacious mode of reasoning, called “affirming the consequent.” Those premises do not guarantee that the conclusion follows. “If I am in Pennsylvania, then I am in the USA. I am in the USA. Thus, I am in Pennsylvania.” Clearly that argument doesn’t guarantee its conclusion; neither does the above argument.However, science is not a deductive method of reasoning; it is an inductive one. And inductive arguments merely try to raise the probability of their conclusion, not “prove” them for certain. Thus, the fact that an experimental result doesn’t prove a theory is true is irrelevant; it’s not supposed to. That is not what scientific reasoning is about.___If the hypothesis that something exists clearly provides the best explanation for what we can observe, then the belief that it exists is what is rational.___Second, it’s also true that a single experimental result doesn’t provide enough justification to believe that a theory is true. Scientists do not come to a consensus about whether a theory is true by looking at a single experiment; they look at all the evidence to determine where the preponderance of evidence points. The mere fact that I am in the USA raises the probability that I am in Pennsylvania, but not nearly enough to conclude that I am in Pennsylvania. However, if I am also regularly encountering people wearing Eagles and Phillies hats and seeing advertisements for Founding Father tours, I probably am. In the same way, a theory successfully predicting the outcome of one experiment is not enough to conclude that it is true; but if a theory makes a wide variety of predictions that are all vindicated by multiple experiments, performed by many different groups and people, all actively trying to prove the theory false (which is what good scientific experiments are designed to do)—that is a good reason to conclude that the theory is true. In other words, if you repeatedly try to prove something false but can’t, that is a very good indication that it isn’t. The problem of underdeterminationIn reply, those whom van Fraassen calls “empiricists” often point to the “problem of underdetermination.” For any given theory that makes successful predictions about what happens in experimental conditions, there are countless other possible theories that make exactly the same predictions—and since they do, the experimental evidence in question is just as much reason to accept any of those theories as it is to accept our original one. Thus, the argument goes, we have no way of knowing whether our original theory is true, or one of the other “predictively equivalent” theories is true. SUGGESTED VIEWING How Occam's Razor changed the world With Johnjoe McFadden As an example of underdetermination, philosophers often offer this example. The evidence of fossils seems to provide reason to conclude that the universe is quite old; ancient fossils are what the “ancient universe” hypothesis predicts. But it’s also possible that God created an ancient-looking universe 200 years ago, complete with a “fake” fossil record for us to find, to make it look old. The existence of fossils is what that theory predicts too. So, the argument goes, the fossil record can’t be used as evidence that the universe is ancient; the fossil record supports the “200-year-old ancient-looking universe” theory just as much. The problem of underdetermination points out that, for any theory with supporting evidence, we could invent another completely different theory that predicts exactly the same evidence, and thus undermine that evidence’s ability to support the original theory.But this “argument from underdetermination” betrays a fundamental misunderstanding of what scientific reasoning is and how it works. To explain, let me use another rather strange (but very real and commonly discussed) philosophical thought experiment called “The Grue Problem.” The “Grue” ProblemSuppose I want to know what color emeralds are, so I observe a few, see that they all appear green, and form the theory that “all emeralds are green.” I thus predict that the next 100 emeralds I find will also appear to be green. And let’s say that happens, and so I thus conclude that my theory that all emeralds are green is true. Now, one might rightly point out that I don’t know for sure that all emeralds are green—I have not seen them all. Maybe some I haven’t found yet are blue. Fair enough. After all, we used to think that all swans were white, until we found some black ones. But let’s say that I go on a quest and collect every emerald in the universe—and, for the sake of the argument, let’s say I can do this, and can even know that I have every one of them. So, I collect them all, look at them all, and verify that they all appear green. Can’t I now rightly conclude that all emeralds are green?Inspired by the problem of underdetermination, a friend might argue that I cannot.Sure, they all appear green now—but there could be another kind of color called “grue.” Something is grue if it is green up to a certain point in time, but then spontaneously turns blue. And there could be an infinite number of “shades” of grue. Something that is one shade of grue will turn blue at noon today, but something that is another shade of grue will turn blue at noon tomorrow, etc. So yes, the emeralds appear green now; and since they haven’t turned blue yet, they are not some “past” shade of grue. But they might be some “future” shade of grue (e.g., they may turn blue at noon tomorrow). And since all future shades of grue are consistent with “being green up to this point in time,” the evidence you have is completely consistent with the notion that all emeralds are some future shade of grue, rather than green. Indeed, that they would appear green until now is what the “some future shade of grue” hypothesis predicts. So, we have just as much reason to conclude that all emeralds are some shade of grue as we do to conclude that they are green.You’re probably thinking “It’s not equally possible that the emeralds are grue; they are obviously green.” You are right! But explaining why your instinctive reaction to my friend’s argument is correct will help inform why van Fraassen’s “empiricist” is wrong and science actually does describe reality.The main mistake my friend makes is in thinking that the “empirical evidence” (of all the emeralds appearing green) is (or even should be) all I am using to draw the conclusion that all emeralds are green. It is not. I am also considering known facts about how colors typically work; things don’t usually change color, and when they do, they don’t do so suddenly, without cause, and all at once. So, even though the simple evidence of the emeralds all appearing green up to this point is consistent with them being some future shade of grue—that is even what the grue hypothesis “predicts”—it is still exceedingly unlikely that they are. The hypothesis that they are green is much more likely. Understanding science refutes the problem of underdetermination The misunderstanding about science that the “empiricist” pointing to “the problem of underdetermination” makes is similar to the one that my friend made. Science is not just about considering experimental evidence; in fact, it’s not even just about considering empirical evidence. As Ernan McMullin and many other philosophers of science have pointed out, the inference that makes science is “inference to the best explanation” (sometimes called “abduction” or “retroduction” by McMullin). While, depending on the circumstances, scientists use many different kinds of reasoning, science as a whole is, simply put, the process of considering multiple competing explanations and comparing them to certain criteria—explanatory criteria (the kinds of things explanations must be and do, by definition, to be a good explanation)—to see which explanation is the best.And these criteria do not deal only with empirical results. Yes, successful predictions raise the probability of a hypothesis, but it’s also the case that the more new assumptions a theory makes, the less likely it is to be true; every new assumption presents an opportunity for the theory to be false. (The fewer assumptions a theory makes, the simpler or “more parsimonious” it is said to be.) Likewise, the more existing evidence a theory contradicts, the less likely it is, because in order for a theory to be true, every piece of evidence it contradicts has to be somehow faulty. (The fewer established theories a new theory contradicts, the more “conservative” it is said to be.) And, obviously, the more something explains, the better explanation it is. (This is called having “scope.”) If a theory raises unanswerable questions, it’s not expanding our understanding, and thus is not wide-scoping. Scientists consider all these things when deciding which theory to accept, because the theory that adheres best to these explanatory criteria is most likely to be true.___the mere fact that a theory’s predictive success is why it “sticks around” or “becomes accepted” in the scientific community is not a reason to be skeptical about its truth.___The reason the grue hypothesis is no good is because it invents an entirely new kind of color—not just a new shade, but an entirely different category of color (a different way colors work)—and thus is not parsimonious. It raises unanswerable questions about how and why emeralds would just spontaneously change from green to blue (and thus does not have wide scope). And it contradicts what is already well established about how color works (and thus is unconservative).The theories that the problem of underdetermination points to do the same thing. Yes, the theory that God created an “ancient-looking universe” (complete with an ancient-looking fossil record) two hundred years ago is also consistent with the empirical evidence (of a fossil record) that presently exists; but that theory is monumentally unparsimonious (it requires many extra assumptions about infinite entities) and not wide-scoping (it raises unanswerable questions about why God would do such a thing). So, I can rationally conclude that it is false.Indeed, the history of science includes many examples of theories that were rejected because they lacked parsimony and/or scope, even before their falsity (and the truth of their competing theory) was confirmed by observation. As I point out in my book, geocentrism was rejected by the scientific community because it lacked parsimony, almost 200 years before the observation of parallax confirmed that the Earth moves around the sun. And the continuum theory of matter was completely rejected by 1860, because it couldn’t explain chemical reactions or organize matter into a periodic table, even though the experiments that eventually confirmed atomic theory weren’t even proposed until the 1870s. Solving the best of a bad lot problemIn response, the “empiricists” are likely to object, this time pointing to the “best of a bad lot” problem. “We have no reason to conclude that an explanation that has been shown to be better than others is true because we have no guarantee that the true theory was among those that we were considering.” If you have a “lot” (a collection) of poor explanations, even the best one is not true.The responses to this problem, however, are numerous. Peter Lipton argues that the set of hypotheses that scientists consider are not just randomly selected and thus unlikely to contain a theory that is true; they use existing knowledge to home in on what is most likely to be true. A doctor trying to explain abdominal pain is not going to bother wondering whether demons are causing it; they are going to stick with things like appendicitis and kidney stones, because they are most likely. Further, despite its name, inference to the best explanation is not just the process of comparing hypotheses and accepting the best one; we also want one that is a good explanation in its own right. If it’s not, we are going to keep looking until we find an explanation that is. And while that process does not guarantee that we will come across the exact truth, it’s very likely that the theory that emerges as the best will be at least approximately true, and thus we will be justified in believing it. And lastly, as I point out in my book, although many theories not based in scientific evidence (like geocentrism and continuum theory) have been completely overturned, science almost always progresses by the refinement of scientifically established theories—not their replacement. (Although our sun is not the center of the universe, heliocentrism was our first step in understanding the Earth’s true place in the universe.) So even if a theory we accept today may not be completely right, accepting it is a step on the journey toward the complete truth. The example of atomic theoryNow, it’s worth pointing out that most empiricists are not skeptical of all scientific theories; they are only skeptical of the ones that hypothesize the existence of “unobservables.” It’s not like they think that round Earth, heliocentrism, and germ theory are just useful (but untrue) “instruments” for making predictions about how to most efficiently navigate the seas, predict planetary motion, and treat diseases. They admit that the Earth actually is round, that the planets revolve around the sun, and that germs exist and cause disease. These facts and entities can be observed; the theories that suggest they exist are true. It’s only when theories start hypothesizing the existence of unobservables—like electrons, or quantum fields—that can’t be observed directly, that we should start doubting the theories’ truth. And to be fair to van Fraassen, in this published work, he doesn’t really say that we should doubt the truth of such theories. Only that scientific reasoning does not rationally force us to accept them as true. Skepticism, or agnosticism, he argues, is warranted. SUGGESTED READING Science is based in metaphor By Andrew Reynolds But the history of atomic theory throws a monkey wrench into that argument. Atoms used to be unobservable; again, scientists first accepted the theory that they exist because it had such grandiose explanatory power. But then atoms were seen with electron microscopes. They thus moved into the category of the observable. But this didn’t substantially change anything about what scientists were justified in believing; it certainly didn’t change any “atomic skeptics’” minds. It just confirmed what everyone already knew! If the hypothesis that something exists clearly provides the best explanation for what we can observe, then the belief that it exists is what is rational. The fact that the thing itself is not technically observable does not make doubting its existence rational.What’s more, the atoms were seen with an electron microscope. But electrons are themselves unobservable. How can an electron microscope reveal an atom if electrons are not real? This leads us to what is famously known as Hilary Putnam’s “miracle argument.” It’s (not) a miraclePhilosopher Hilary Putnam’s miracle argument is somewhat famous. Basically, he argued that a scientific theory being able to repeatedly make successful predictions—even about unobservables—without being at least approximately true would require a “miracle.” In other words, it would be such an improbable occurrence that it could not rationally be believed—the better explanation for why scientific theories about unobservables make the right predictions is because the unobservable entities and structures they hypothesize exist.Van Fraassen has addressed this argument. Indeed, in his original article, where he references Alison Gopnik’s point about orgasms not being “necessary for procreation” even though the desire for orgasm “drives the creation of progeny,” he is pointing to his own argument about how organisms are not naturally selected by evolution to get true beliefs; to the extent that belief-forming processes are selected for, the ones that are selected are the ones that are useful for survival—not the ones that produce true beliefs. In the same way, van Fraassen argues, scientific theories are accepted, not because they are true, but because they aren’t falsified; they make successful predictions; that’s what makes them “stick around.” So, the fact that they make successful predictions (and thus became accepted) is not a reason to think they are true.This argument is similar to C. S. Lewis’s “argument from reason,” which he used to argue against evolution: “The truth of evolution undercuts our ability to know that it is true.” Lewis’ argument famously failed; Elizabeth Anscombe, by Lewis’s own admission, demolished Lewis in a debate on the topic, and I have explained elsewhere why modified versions of the argument fail as well. In short, it’s because it fails to recognize that a belief-forming process can make an organism more likely to survive because it reliably produces true beliefs. It is therefore not the case that beliefs generated by naturally selected belief-forming processes are automatically false or unjustified.In the same way, the reason a theory “sticks around” could be because it’s not falsified, because it “makes correct predictions.” But the reason it makes correct predictions is most likely because it is true. (In pointing this out, I am echoing the arguments of Musgrave, Lipton, Psillos, and Kitcher, who refuted van Fraassen’s argument and analogy long before his 2024 article.) It would be a huge coincidence that it could do so without being true. And that is the point of Putnam’s miracle argument. Thus, contrary to van Fraassen’s suggestion, the mere fact that a theory’s predictive success is why it “sticks around” or “becomes accepted” in the scientific community is not a reason to be skeptical about its truth. ConclusionLet me close by saying something about the fact that empiricists don’t doubt the truth of all scientific theories, just the ones that hypothesize unobservables. In today’s society, this theory is dangerous to espouse publicly. The nuance between being skeptical about all of science, and just the highly technical theories about unobservables, is guaranteed to be lost to the average reader. And there is so much unjustified skepticism and doubt about the findings of science and experts that a headline like “Science Does Not Describe Reality” could easily fuel the anti-science movement, worsen climate change denial and cause the next pandemic.This is why I believe it was important to still respond to van Fraassen’s article, a full two years after he wrote it. Not only, as I have argued, does it represent a philosophically inaccurate view of how scientific reasoning works and what scientific reasoning can do, but it is a dangerous view to boot. It should thus be rejected.
Azerbaijan Airlines and Stellar Entertainment expand partnership to transform inflight entertainment
Azerbaijan Airlines is set to deliver a more dynamic inflight entertainment experience through an expanded partnership with Stellar.
Live updates: Trump to travel to Texas and Oklahoma
Get live updates and the latest news as Trump travels to Texas and Oklahoma.
Tennessee Titans vs. Baltimore Ravens: 5 storylines to watch
The Tennessee Titans face a tough Week 4 test against the Baltimore Ravens and former star Derrick Henry.
Rockstar confirm 10+ new details about Grand Theft Auto 6 gameplay
Rockstar reveals new GTA 6 details, including over 170 animal species, ride-share fast travel, hurricanes, and side activities across the state of Leonida.
Portugal XI vs Denmark – Predicted lineup and team news
Portugal will aim to maintain their perfect start to the UEFA Nations League when they travel to face Denmark at Parken Stadium on Thursday. The defending champions have won both of their opening Grou...
Braves News: Game 3 drama, Tyler Mahle, more
Atlanta Braves news and notes from Wednesday
Riley’s Blast Proves Phillies’ Game 1 Loss Was No Surprise
Austin Riley's three-run homer off Jhoan Duran sealed a 5-3 loss. The Phillies' bullpen issues made this heartbreaker inevitable, not shocking.
Bryce Harper’s Heroics Erase Braves’ Pitching Dominance
Bryce Harper hit a huge home run to save the Phillies' season, but the Braves' bullpen blew a lead in an intense 10-inning battle in Atlanta.
West Branch FFA members attend Farm Science Review
BELOIT — On Sept. 23, members of the West Branch FFA Chapter traveled to London, Ohio, to attend the 2026 Farm Science Review. Students, along with their FFA advisors, spent the day exploring exhibits and learning more about the many different parts of the agriculture industry. Throughout the day, members had the opportunity to see […]
Mark Andrews fully practices Wednesday
Ravens TE Mark Andrews takes part in practice despite hand injury
Limited practice for Zay Flowers
Ravens WR Zay Flowers listed as limited Wednesday because of hamstring issue
Lamar Jackson officially limited Wednesday
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson officially limited after not being seen during open practice
Capital One Celebrates Venture X Business’ Third Anniversary With Limited Time Travel Offer for Existing Cardholders
MCLEAN, Va., September 30, 2026--Today, Capital One announced a limited time offer for existing Venture X Business cardholders in celebration of the card's third anniversary.
U.S. tightens Cuba sanctions, restricts private business banking
The United States imposed new financial and travel restrictions on Cuba affecting U.S. banks and the island's access to the U.S. financial sustem.
513Relief Bus to officer cancer prevention and education resources in October
In October, the 513Relief Bus will travel across Hamilton County to provide cancer education and prevention resources.
Favorite European cities to visit, from American living in Europe
As an American living in the Netherlands, I love traveling around Europe. Some of my favorite European cities to visit include Budapest and Bath.
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson misses 1st practice of Week 4
The Ravens’ star quarterback was absent at Wednesday’s practice, though he should still be available in Week 4.
SnakePit Post-season GDT, #2
The first day of the post-season is in the books, and most of the games were pretty dull. The only excitement came in Atlanta, where the Braves came back late to take their opener. But elsewhere, the White Sox took the lead in the first inning, and never led by less than three from the […]
NL Wild Card Game Discussion: Phillies vs Braves Wednesday
It’s game 2 of the National League Wild Card series as the Atlanta Braves will try to eliminate the Philadelphia Phillies Wednesday afternoon. LHP Cristopher Sánchez will make the start for the Phillies while the Braves will hope RHP Tyler Mahle can help them dispose of Philadelphia. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00pm central time […]
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand tells CNN she has ‘grave concerns’ about Defense Secretary Hegseth’s leadership
East Knox FFA members attend Farm Science Review
HOWARD — A number of East Knox FFA members recently traveled to the Molly Caren Agricultural Center (MCAC) near London to attend the Farm Science Review. The center attracts upwards of 140,000 visitors from all over the United States and Canada, who come for three days to peruse 4,000 product lines from 600 commercial exhibitors, […]
A New Mary Poppins Series Starts With a Smart Business Question: What Else Could This Become?
A new television adaptation will revisit P.L. Travers’s original novels, revealing a practical lesson about finding opportunity in familiar products.
MLB Playoff Openers Kick Off With Mixed Attendance
The Braves and Astros failed to sell out their playoff openers.
GBTA Report Shows Major Financial Impact of Business Travel on Destinations
Research shows $178 billion in spending across 25 cities globally
MLB postseason turns to wild card Games 2 on Wednesday
The Dodgers could find out their National League Division Series opponent as early as Wednesday, with four more wild card games on the docket on the second day of the 2026 postseason. The Braves beat the Phillies on Tuesday at Truist Park in Atlanta thanks to a three-run home run in the eighth inning by […]
Retired early and sold our house; traveling the world in our 50s
My husband and I sold our house and belongings and retired earlier than planned. We've been traveling the world ever since, and have no regrets.
Razorback Report Card: Texas A&M
Arkansas has momentum. Now it has to prove that momentum can travel. The Razorbacks’ 34-6 win over Tulsa gave Ryan Silverfield’s team something it had lacked through the first three weeks: clarity. KJ Jackson looked settled at quarterback. Chris Marshall emerged as an elite receiving option. The defense controlled the line of scrimmage and held …
CA Alumnus, NASA Engineer Returns for Science Night
Columbia Academy alumnus Dr. Phillip Allen is returning to campus on Tuesday, Oct. 13 as guest speaker for CA’s Science Night – and the community is invited to attend. NASA and space travel enthusiasts can attend to learn more about the recent Artemis II launch and trip around the moon. Dr. Allen served as the
The summer Steph Curry’s business empire leveled up
The Golden State star signed a sneaker brand deal, dined with Warren Buffett, played in charity golf tournaments, traveled to China, and agreed to a contract extension.
⚾️ Y! Sports AM: Seasons on the brink
The Braves, White Sox, Yankees and Padres took Game 1 to open the MLB postseason.
The best airlines for flying business class, ranked by passengers
The aviation rating company Skytrax surveyed travelers to determine the best business-class airlines.
Start spreading the news… New York’s opera giveaway shows UK politicians how to be brave
New York’s mayor Mamdani is putting his political capital behind one of our greatest art forms with his pledge of Opera for All – and 70,000 free tickets to prove it
Travel plans? Here's what to know as measles exposures reach trains and games
Measles is traveling, with outbreaks in Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York, and exposures on transportation and in sports. What should you know before getting on a plane or train?
A wild playoff day in 2 sports. Plus: NHL’s No. 1 pick debuts
Good morning! A lot happened yesterday. Inside: ⚾ Postseason = on 🏀 Top seed = out 🏒 Puck = dropped The Postseason: Six stats from a massive day October started on Sept. 29 this year. All four of MLB’s best-of-three Wild Card Series got underway yesterday. Here’s a key number from each of them: 71.5 percent: The Phillies’ win probability in Game 1 against the Braves when Austin Riley, the Atlanta third baseman who had the worst season of his career, came to the plate against lights-out reliever
Debt service and the Pentagon. Private equity and the politics of the US housing market. The return of black lung disease & the Franco-Prussian War in color.
Thank you for opening your Chartbook email. RALPH BALSON. 1890—1964. Oil and enamel, signed. Source: Gavekal This going to hurt - the two 7s in the US: diesel and mortgage rates Source: Gavekal In the US housing market, costs are soaring and the role of corporate, private equity-backed buyers is high on the mid-term election agenda. HEY READERS, THANK YOU for opening the Chartbook email. I hope it brightens your day. I enjoy putting out the newsletter, but tbh, what keeps this flow going is the generosity of those readers who clicked the subscription button. If you are persuaded to click, please consider the annual subscription of $60. It is both better value for you and a much better deal for me, as it involves only one credit card charge. Why feed the payments companies if we don’t have to. Subscribe It is striking how, since 2020, big banks have dropped out of the political spotlight in the US. For contributing subscribers only. Subscribe Rates of the lung disease pneumoconiosis among working US coal miners have risen to levels not seen in nearly 40 years Source: Bloomberg Chinese Clean Technology Exports For contributing subscribers only. Subscribe Ralph Balson (1939) Portrait of Grace Crowley Cole, G. O. & Haseman, S. M., (2023) “‘The Substance of Paint’: Class and Materiality in the Work of Ralph Balson”, Open Library of Humanities 9(2). Ralph Balson (1890–1964) was an English plumber and house painter who emigrated to Australia in 1913 and subsequently became a key member of Sydney’s artistic avant-garde. He is credited with having the first solo exhibition of purely abstract painting in Australia in 1941. Despite his role in developing Australian non-objective painting, Balson remained principally a house painter, working on his art practice at weekends. In 1955 he retired on a state pension and became a full-time artist. Balson’s artistic education and methods were critically shaped by his working-class background. He did not travel abroad until 1960 and was an avid auto-didact. His materials, palette, techniques and compositional strategies were likewise informed by his trade. Balson’s profession as a painter-decorator made him conspicuous within the predominantly middle-class Sydney art scene, though his painting partner Grace Crowley considered it an advantage in their pursuit of constructive painting. This paper explores the impact of Balson’s trade on his trajectory towards pure abstraction. While his art was at odds with the predominantly figurative mode of class-conscious art in Australian Modernism, we argue that it is embedded in the experience of class through its creative adaptation of labour into aesthetics. Source: OLH Svetlana Alexievich, The Art of Oral History No. 1 Paris Review Issue 257, Fall 2026 Interviewed by Elena Kostyuchenko INTERVIEWER How were you able to go to Chernobyl? Did you need special papers? ALEXIEVICH It was a time of chaos. They let me right into the zone. … More than anything, there was confusion. Adamovich [Ales Adamovich, the Soviet Belarusian writer], I remember, persuaded Gorbachev to send in the scientists, who showed up without even bringing their shaving kits. They were told that there had been an explosion at a nuclear power plant, but for some reason they thought that they’d be there for only a day or two. The first time I went was several months later, and people kept telling me about things they didn’t understand—how the fishermen couldn’t find worms, because they’d burrowed deep into the earth, how the milk wouldn’t curdle at the cheese factories. The honeybees wouldn’t come out of their hives. The evacuations started, I think, in the first month. The old women hid, they wouldn’t leave. I mentioned radiation to one of them and she said, “I’ve seen that radiation, all right! It’s yellow with green in it. I saw puddles of it in my garden, and I told the other women, and we ran and looked, and she had it in her garden, and the other one, too!” God, it was wild, the way the mind made sense of it. There was a story going around about Gorbachev telling the scientists to show him the radiation. “We can’t, it’s invisible.” “But I want to see it!” I also ran into the soldiers who’d been flown in on helicopters from Afghanistan. I asked them, “What are you doing here with your machine guns?” They said, “We’re collecting the radiation, that’s what.” So you had some of them running around with their guns, others out in the village washing off firewood or burying soil in the soil. These were the kinds of things that exploded our worldview. They made you realize that culture was just a chest filled with old manuscripts. There were no books in there that could help me. Our philosophers turned out to be useless when faced with the unprecedented. Derrida, Baudrillard—philosophy fell silent. What was happening? How would we live with it? That’s when I decided it simply needed to be witnessed. Which is what I did. INTERVIEWER I wanted to ask about how you talk to people. … ALEXIEVICH Yes, we sit and we talk—about what interests me and about life in general. About love, about everything in the world. That way, what comes out is three-dimensional. If you cut straight to the part you need, which is what journalists do, it won’t be interesting, and it won’t be the truth, either. Not the whole truth. INTERVIEWER Do people always open up when you ask questions, or can questions get in the way? ALEXIEVICH You have to ask questions, of course. Your job is to scour away the banality and return people to their true selves, to make them face what they rarely tap into. With every new person, you have to find a new way to do it. When you ask an interesting question or you share what happened to you, you help people really think about what they’re saying and not just repeat whatever they’ve picked up from the newspaper. But not everybody is capable of it, not everyone wants to put themselves through that. Either the chemistry starts to kick in or it doesn’t. A person might be wonderful, but you can tell that the conversation just isn’t going to happen. You can try to push it, but it will be a product of your own intellect, rather than of that mysterious connection. Life doesn’t come from the mind. Some people I can call two years after our last conversation, and they’ll say, “Oh, Svetochka! I think of you all the time,” and we’ll start talking again. With others, that won’t happen. That doesn’t mean they’re not extraordinary people, just that you can’t connect with them. They might have some insight, but you don’t have the right antenna to pick up their signal. Source: The Paris Review Colorized Franco-Prussian war … the ruins of Strasbourg with a French photographer and his mobile dark room. Ralph Balson (1961) Matter Painting If you’ve scrolled this far, you know you want to click: Subscribe