The Torch Magazine

Torch Logo



Magazine Logo


The Torch Magazine,  The Journal and Magazine of the
International Association of Torch Clubs
For 89 Years
A Peer-Reviewed
Quality Controlled
Publication


ISSN  Print 0040-9440
ISSN Online 2330-9261


  Fall 2015
Volume 89, Issue 1





A Singularity Vision
The 2015 Paxton Paper


   Articles in the Fall 2015 Issue
  1. The Singularity: Technology and the Future of Humanism
    by Roger A. Hughes
      What will happen when machines evolve to the point they are just as intelligent as humans?  More importantly, what will happen when machines become more intelligent?  Does humanism have a future?  Note:  This paper was the winner of the Paxon Award for 2015.  A .pdf of the article is available here.
  2. Volunteer Service in Africa:  Another Path to International Diplomacy
    by Reed Taylor
      The author volunteered to help build a hospital in Sierra Leone in the 1960s.  Following that time, civil war tore at the fabric of the nation.  The author concludes that the Crossroads Africa model of participatory development shines a light of hope that pierces the gloom of the deepest human evil, lifting the defining evil of today to embrace a vision of hope rooted in personal diplomacy. A .pdf of the article is available here.
  3. Saving Dr. Schrödinger's Cat
    by Danny J. Krebs
      Quantum theory began in the early 1900s as physicists looked at how atoms interact with light. It is called quantum theory because light energy was found to only be adsorbed or emitted in discrete amounts.  The problem is that light also seems to travel in waves.  Trying to solve these differences has proven very difficult.  A number of different theories are presented.  A .pdf of the article is availble here.
  4. "None": The Changing Religious Landscape in the United States
    by George Heron
      More Americans are stating that their religion is "none." While only 9% of those 65 and older proclaim the category of none, 33% of those 18 to 29 profess no religious adherence. The Nones are not only a major segment of our society, but also one that will likely continue to grow, especially among the young. To consider them apostates or deserters or heathens is unfair and untrue. One only has to read the Humanist Manifesto lll, a list of ethical principles developed by atheists, to see how committed they are to their fellow humans.  A .pdf of the article is available here.
  5. Incarceration
    by Edwin Weber
      750,000 people are sent to America’s prisons each year. While the United States represents about 4.4 percent of the world's population, it houses around 22 percent of the world's prisoners. The author states that  "tough on crime" should be replaced by "smart about crime."  Protect streets and neighborhoods by better policing.  Shift tax dollars from prison operations to helping prisoners re-enter society when they are released.  Police will be asked to prevent crime and not just arrest people after a crime has been committed.  A .pdf of the article is available here.
  6. The Cuban Missile Crisis: The Soviet View
    by Sherry Nay
      Many now alive remember the Cuban Missile Crisis, possibly for distinct moments such as Adlai Stevenson's "until hell freezes over" speech at the UN, or simply for the atmosphere of dread and how scared we all were.  For others, the most vivid images may be from the film Thirteen Days, starring Kevin Costner.  Thirteen Days hardly touches, though, on what was happening with the Russians, and subsequent American historiography does not do much better.   The purpose of this paper is to broaden the understanding of the Cuban Missile Crisis by discussing it from the Soviet point of view. A .pdf of the article is available here.
  7. American Dream
    by Steven DeLair
      The preponderance of evidence, including our shared cultural capital and dynamism, point to an American dream that is shaken but alive and well.  However, some of our largest social problems may have an increasing and profoundly negative impact on the future viability of the collective American dream that is inclusive of all people. A .pdf of the article is available here.

    ©2015 by the International Association of Torch Clubs

An EBSCO Publication

Go to the Home Page