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“Wonder is the foundation of all philosophy, inquiry its progress, ignorance its end.” — Michel de Montaigne (1587) Near the beginning of her book, The Edge of the Sea, Marine biologist Rachel Carson describes “one place that stands apart for its revelation of exquisite beauty.” It is, she continues, “a pool hidden within a cave…

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I’m going to share some discomfort with you. Reading a 1960s-era essay by African-American author James Baldwin, I found myself directly and uncomfortably addressed: White man, hear me! Uh-oh. He had just finished criticizing Whites for pretending not to see the racial history of the United States, so his direct address elevated my pulse. But…

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