College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University
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Math Games (and Why They Matter)
No full textA decade ago, at a math department picnic, I stumbled across a strange and compelling variation on tic-tac-toe. Since then, over all my protests and resistance, math games have made a slow conquest of my professional life. What makes games so potent and compelling? We’ll explore a variety of examples, from a press-your-luck dice game to a quantified trivia game — and ask what each reveals about the interwoven powers of reason and imagination
Can We Ever Arrive at a Conclusive Interpretation of Scripture?
Full text linkThe Church today is highly fragmented, with thousands of denominations. Unsurprisingly, there is much disagreement on how to interpret Scripture, even within the Catholic Church. This piece examines if an objectively right answer on how to interpret Scripture is possible, focusing on the Gospels, especially Luke’s, and three candidates that can play such an arbitration role between competing interpretations – historical truth, experts and the author’s intention. While no conclusive answer can be obtained, radical skepticism is not an inevitability; the broad parameter that is our community’s intuitions can play a ‘loose’ arbitration role
The Effect of Mandatory Enrollment in a Gender Studies Course on Awareness of Sexism, Gender Attitudes, and Views on Feminism
Full text linkThe patriarchy is a social construct that allows for the domination, oppression, and exploitation of women. An intervention that can be employed to counteract the outcomes of patriarchal beliefs in college students is gender studies courses. These courses aim to promote awareness of sexism, egalitarian gender attitudes, and positive views of feminism. When enrollment to these courses is made mandatory, it can create resistance to their educational goals. This survey study examined differences in gender and course type on resistance and the educational outcomes of gender studies courses (N = 104). The results of this study indicated that gender studies students scored significantly higher on pushback to the educational goals of their courses. Furthermore, women scored significantly higher on awareness of sexism and views of feminism. These results indicate that mandatory enrollment into gender studies courses has the potential to reduce their efficacy
Small Scale Magnetohydrodynamic Thruster
Full text linkThis paper explores the performance of a self-constructed, small-scale magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) thruster using saltwater as the conductive fluid. The MHD drive generates propulsion through Lorentz force by applying an electric current across electrodes in the presence of an orthogonal magnetic field. Two experiments were conducted: one measuring static water displacement to determine force output, and another using fluid velocity in a closed loop to evaluate both force and efficiency at varying magnetic field strengths. Theoretical predictions based on MHD and fluid dynamics principles were compared with experimental results. While the measured outputs were consistently lower than theoretical approximations, likely due to an inconsistent magnetic field and chemical processes, the data showed a clear trend of increasing force and efficiency with stronger magnetic fields. These results validate the expected physical behavior of MHD propulsion systems and suggest improvements for future designs
Exploring Variability Factors in Bur Oak Morphology
No full textThis project, completed for Dr. Kate Cary in the Biology department, investigates how bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa) leaf morphology varies geographically. Using digitized herbarium specimens and provided data which included latitude, longitude, collection moth and year, leaf dissection, petiole length, temperature, and precipitation, the project visualizes patterns in morphology with a focus on leaf dissection (cm). Maps were generated both at the state level (Minnesota) and national level, depicting bur oak locations and morphology trends across different seasons (January-May and June-December) over the past century. The importance of this data lies in its ability to reveal how environmental factors like temperature and precipitation influence morphological traits over time and space. McKee et al. (2021) demonstrated that leaf shape responses to temperature can be species-dependent, with significant implications for how we interpret past climates based on fossilized leaves. By analyzing how bur oak morphology correlates with location and climate variables, this project can be used to test hypotheses about environmental influences while opening the floor to broader discussions on species-specific responses to climate change. These insights are crucial for refining paleoclimate models and for understanding how current and future environmental shifts may impact native tree populations
Repurposing Old Railways to Enhance Recreation and Ecological Services
Full text linkWe are currently facing what can only be described as a biodiversity crisis. Species are disappearing faster than ever before, largely due to habitat fragmentation caused by humans. How can old railroads be repurposed into recreational trails that can also help improve biodiversity and ecological function? By turning old derelict tracks into “green trails,” these tracks can be given new life and help reverse the effects of fragmentation, while providing recreational services to nearby communities