News

In late October, Deutsche Welle reported on interesting new methods of dating the past. Archaeologists use historical documents, pottery, and other cultural items to establish timelines for ancient civilizations. Still, these methods are prone to error. For example, when pottery is used to establish a date, the deeper the pottery is buried, the older it is believed to be. But this assumption is simplistic and often yields an imprecise measure.

Missiles have begun to fly in a troubled region on the coast of Asia. According to a Reuters report, “North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles into the sea on Thursday” (November 3), the latest in a record year of missile testing by the nuclear-armed North. One of the missiles launched was thought to have been a nuclear-capable ICBM. This event happened one day after the North fired a record-setting 25 missiles toward the South.

Throughout history, the thoughts in a person’s head have been private unless revealed by the individual. However, with new scientific discoveries, the thoughts in one’s head may no longer be private! Research from the University of Texas at Austin describes how a computer algorithm uses artificial intelligence and fMRI brain scans to decode a person’s thoughts (The Scientist, October 20, 2022).

In recent years France and Italy have worked closely in a “Franco-Italian axis,” founded primarily on the close personal relationship between France’s president Emmanuel Macron and Italy’s former prime minister Mario Draghi (Politico, October 27, 2022). Now, with Italy’s new prime minister Giorgia Meloni—historically anti-French in her positions—the Franco-Italian axis is being threatened.