Sweet Treats This recipe is inspired by one of my favourite chefs, Nigella Lawson. Her unapologetic love of butter and sugar, along with her love of eating well, means her recipes are always indulgent and decadent. These millionaire’s squares are a wonderful treat for children and adults alike. The shortbread base and gooey cheat’s caramel…
NASA’s Crew-3 astronauts splash down safely The four members of NASA’s Crew-3 mission returned to Earth Friday after having spent six months on board the International Space Station (ISS). After a 38-minute freefall, the capsule slammed into the discernible atmosphere at nearly 5 miles per second. The SpaceX Crew Dragon carrying the four astronauts, three…
A parent’s perspective I’m delighted that, after two grim years, I can finally attend the annual Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help this year in my neighbouring parish of Newbridge, Co. Kildare. Nothing replaces attending these parish events and celebrations in person and no Zoom login is ever comparable to being present at Mass…
Children’s Corner If a person was to say that you couldn’t get wet despite an upside-down bucket of water being above your head, you might think they have lost their mind. But what happens when the bucket is spinning quickly in a circular motion? This experiment examines something people may have already experienced in their…
Astronomers discover new type of stellar explosion A newly-discovered kind of stellar explosion could be commonplace in the universe and may change people’s understanding of how eruptions in stars occur, astronomers have suggested. A micronova is a blast that lasts for just a few hours, which makes it very difficult to observe. These explosions take…
Everyday Philosophy A friend who shares my fate of being a graduate student in philosophy was recently regaling me with tales of what teaching undergraduates was like. She informed me that an increasing number of them at her university were “both utilitarians and relativists”. She said it laughing, because this quite a mean feat. The…
Charlotte Vard Young people face many new challenges that some adults who are of a different generation are not aware of. From the daily broadcast of their every move on social media, to dealing with the heightened anxiety that stems from the need to ‘fit in’, young people live life online. TikTok is often their…
Marta Osborne Recently in an argument my husband said that I only see the things he doesn’t do and don’t appreciate his efforts enough. What can I do to improve our communication and avoid becoming overly critical? It just so happens that we find it easier to criticise people close to us than to praise…
Medical Matters We are now well into the phase of ‘living with Covid’ with the vast majority of the population either having been vaccinated or contracted infection. Hospitalisation rates have dropped and newly confirmed cases are also in decline. It is also estimated that those who are incompletely or not vaccinated continue to be disproportionately…
This month saw the release of another stark report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the third in a series of red alerts from the United Nations, calling for governments around the world to urgently respond to the climate crisis. The report painted a grim picture of a world with rising greenhouse gas…
Maria Byrne
Chai Brady
Ben Conroy
Dr Kevin McCarroll