By JIM NICHOLS Perhaps because my adult career has included both teaching and science, I am discouraged with our current American cultural climate. Somehow, we have concluded that two of the most positive human endeavors are now untrustworthy. The media are full of conflict voices questioning the basic skills and intentions of people who, historically, have been held with esteem.

By JIM NICHOLS Most people early in life understand the concept of “tying up loose ends.” We all have small and large projects with a proposed ending date, and we are trying to complete the details before that time. What happens if the time runs out when we still have loose ends dangling? Two weeks earlier, he had sat at