* "Farkleberries" points to an interesting article on chimerism; apparently it is quite common. Chimerism occurs when a body absorbs a genetically distinct zygote; some researchers hold that 50 to 70 percent of healthy living adults have this condition. In general, of course, the genetically distinct populations of cells are quite small in comparison with the dominate genetic population of cells.
* Verbum ipsum directs us to an interview with Rene Girard on Ratzinger's notion of the 'dictatorship of relativism'.
* "Allthings2all" is collecting posts on the Darfur crisis. If you've written anything on it, send it that way. (HT: Rebecca Writes)
* Don't forget to look around your weblogs to see if you have anything suitable for the History Carnival, the next edition of which will take place at St. Nate's Blog.
* "Early Modern Notes" has a great post on medical history: how does one accurately diagnose people long dead? It's a tricky issue. Even when we have a clear medical diagnosis of the time -- e.g., as is the case with Christopher Smart's mental illness -- we have to take into account the many shifts in medical common wisdom; Smart was diagnosed with 'religious mania', a very vague label that could many any number of mental illnesses. Sharon suggests that in looking at these issues, researchers would be well-advised to take a page from the methodology of the sort of historical research historians actually do.
* The University of Toronto Philosophy Department recently had the honor of being listed as a graduate program that is especially "women and feminist friendly" according to the in a recent report (PDF) by the APA Committee on the Status of Women.
* The Christian Carnival is up at Semicolon. Of special interest is Pseudo-Polymath's notes on N. T. Wright's speech on the Holy Spirit at the Fulcrum Conference. He also provides a link to the transcript.
* "Flos Carmeli" has a post on 'Intelligent Design theory'.
* "Parableman" has an interesting post on Chronology in I Samuel 16:1-18:5.
