By Marnie McAllister, Record Editor
A new column called “Science in the Bluegrass” begins this week on page four of The Record, the editorial and commentary page. The writer, Chris Graney, will discuss science for readers of all types — the science-minded and the not-so-science minded.
“Science has a huge impact on our lives,” Graney noted during an interview about the new column. “I think everyone could benefit from a little more knowledge of science.”
Graney is a professor of physics and astronomy at Jefferson Community & Technical College. He’s also the editor of the
Vatican Observatory Foundation’s Sacred Space Astronomy blog at www.vofoundation.org/blog. He explains more about the Vatican Observatory and the foundation in his first column.
Graney writes periodically for the blog, but his work tends to be too technical for some lay readers. He promises to keep his column in The Record simple enough for the average Catholic to digest. He’s also looking forward to reaching people who struggle with science and faith or approach science with concerns.
“I enjoy trying to communicate about science even to people who may be skeptical,” he said. “I try to understand where their skepticism comes from. If they’re skeptical, there’s already a kernel of interest.”
The Catholic Church has a long and deep relationship with science, Graney said, noting that the church still values it today through its Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Vatican Observatory.
He said the Bluegrass region also has some interesting science stories, which he’ll share in the column.
“Science in the Bluegrass” will be published every other month. The first installment includes a little background on the
Vatican Observatory and Graney’s involvement, and then he delves into an interesting connection between St. Lawrence and the Perseid meteor shower, which is offering glimpses of shooting stars this week.
