Back in March, the New York Times put a short question to its readers: Is it ethical to eat meat? Yesterday, the newspaper produced an answer.

Generally, the veggie-vs.-omnivore debate circles three areas of discussion: environmentalism, human health, and the farming of animals for slaughter. But the Times asked that only the ethical issues implicit in each be addressed, and invited readers to compose short essays with a morally defensible position.

They had expected a few dozen entrants. The newspaper received 3,000 essays.

 

While plumes of smoke and ash rise from the majestic Popocatépetl volcano, the city in its shadow will this weekend be celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Puebla — the historic show of resistance that became a focus of Mexican pride and helped Abraham Lincoln keep the Confederacy at bay during the American Civil War.

And you thought Cinco de Mayo was just a good excuse to eat guacamole.

 

Mother of invention, meet your daughter. Mallory Kievman may be on the cusp of resolving one of life’s most stubborn mysteries, right up there with black holes, Stonehenge, and what that thing is on top of Donald Trump’s head. The 13-year-old has cooked up a cure for the hiccups.

 

Watch your language if you find yourself in Middleborough, Mass., anytime soon. The town’s police chief wants to curb public cursing by slapping your foul mouth with a $20 fine for swearing.

 

by Larry West

Tennessee lawmakers don’t want teenagers having sex, which is why Sex Education courses in Tennessee public schools teach kids that abstinence is the way to go. Concerned that telling teens to draw the line at sexual intercourse might not be getting the job done, however, the Tennessee State Senate recently voted 28-1 to prohibit Sex-Ed instructors, including any outside individuals or groups invited to address the students, from demonstrating or promoting “gateway sexual activity.” 

If the skies are clear this weekend, you’ll be able to see an uncommonly enormous and spectacular Moon. On Saturday at 11:34 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, the Moon will reach perigee — the point at which the Moon’s elliptical orbit puts it as close as it ever gets to Earth. 

An average person in good health can swim for ten or fifteen minutes, including some dog-paddling, before needing a break. Even in the safety and calm of a pool, without waves or current or something trying to eat you, it can be a challenging workout.

Now imagine that you are 44-year-old Philippe Croizon, and you’re going to swim the straits separating five of the world’s continents. You can expect to be in the water for more than 45 hours. You’ll be swimming in all conditions, and in waters where you are a potential snack for killer whales and sharks. You’ll be stung by jellyfish. Oh, and one more thing: you have no arms or legs.  

Just last week we ran a piece here at the Daily Dose about women understimating their attractiveness. For those readers brazen enough to have some self-confidence, though, there’s an app out there to set you straight.