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Issue 113 (September - October 2016)

Issue 113 (September - October 2016)

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Editorial: Old School vs. New School

31 August 2016 | The Fountain | Issue 113 (September - October 2016)

This issue’s lead article is about a clash between the old way of thinking and the new one. This struggle could be best described as the inner struggle of a lobster which is trying to break through his shell. Almost every nation in the world has undergone a similar process, where people are divided…

Hearts Are Seeking Love

31 August 2016 | M. Fethullah Gulen | Issue 113 (September - October 2016)

We live in a time of strife between the old and the new schools of thought. The old school failed to renew itself. The new school consumed itself with objections and fantasies. Undoubtedly, both schools were coherent in certain aspects. But as they have always opposed each other, these schools not…

The Bloody Waters in Taiji

31 August 2016 | Betul Aydin | Issue 113 (September - October 2016)

Imagine getting cornered by an immense group of another species. They surround you with a wall of loud, sharp noises, imprisoning you and sending a frightening jolt throughout your whole body. Terrified and alarmed, you move in a random direction, losing your original sense of navigation in your pa…

The Alhambra - A Palace Layered with Ornament

31 August 2016 | Faisal Warsani | Issue 113 (September - October 2016)

“But the building’s identity resided in the ornament.” These words, from architect Louis Sullivan, are an apt description of most Islamic architecture, which are closely connected to the idea of ornamentation. Many mosques are adorned with extensive geometric patterns, vibrant mosaic tiles, and del…

Our 3D Printed Future: From Electronics to Living Organs

31 August 2016 | Halil I. Demir | Issue 113 (September - October 2016)

The emergence of 3D printing promises to revolutionize how things are designed, produced, and distributed. And although these changes present real opportunities, they also pose some unexpected dangers.

Dealing with Incivility in Online Interfaith Dialogues

31 August 2016 | Daniel Hummel | Issue 113 (September - October 2016)

Over the last few decades, the world has become more interconnected through developing technology like cell phones, laptops, and, especially, the internet. There are many benefits from this connectivity, and this includes increasing the range and scope of interfaith dialogue. People who live in a…

Metals Have Character Too!

31 August 2016 | Noah Weaver | Issue 113 (September - October 2016)

Whether in the form of cars, planes, or household appliances, we interact with metals almost every day. Despite the ubiquity of metals, most people never stop to think about their characters – or their differences in character. Most people know metals from the Periodic Table, which consists of 11…

Micro Expressions: The Truth Is in the Face

31 August 2016 | Zuleyha B. Ozturk | Issue 113 (September - October 2016)

Have you ever seen someone who, for a split second, looked happy when they weren’t supposed to? What you saw was a masked micro expression. Micro expressions are automatic facial expressions that reflect the emotions you are feeling. Whatever your ethnicity, religion, or age, you make micro express…

Nanotechnology in Issus Coleoptratus

31 August 2016 | Victor Putnam | Issue 113 (September - October 2016)

Long before human beings started using them in machinery, gear systems that worked through mechanical interaction existed in the morphology of many living creatures. Researchers have recently discovered that in the nymph (immature) forms of the insect Issus coleoptratus, a species of planthopper, t…

Qalaq (Passion)

31 August 2016 | M. Fethullah Gulen | Issue 113 (September - October 2016)

Literally meaning boredom with the place where one is and with the surrounding conditions, feeling discomfort as if in imprisonment or captivity, qalaq (passion) is intense love, deeper than the desire for Paradise that the ordinary worshipper feels, more profound than the feelings aroused by a Suf…

Interfaith Dialogue: Reflections from Korea

31 August 2016 | Bernadette - Daniel Skubik | Issue 113 (September - October 2016)

Interfaith Dialogue is critical to the future of a peaceful world. It cultivates understanding and peace between groups of people. This is no less true for believers within the Abrahamic traditions than for believers of other traditions. The recent Pacifica Institute trip to South Korea (2-10 April…

Experiencing Awe at the Wonder of Existence

31 August 2016 | Justin Pahl | Issue 113 (September - October 2016)

A lot of people think religion and science are incompatible. Advances in technology have led famed atheists like Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens to claim that there’s no room for faith, or God, in a supposedly “modern” society. Meanwhile, on the other side of the spectrum, religious extrem…

Counting Your Blessings

31 August 2016 | Yusuf Ziya Gurtas | Issue 113 (September - October 2016)

How many integers are there from 1 to 9 inclusive? Well, even if you are one of those who admit “not to be good in math” you can relax and confidently say 9, because this is not a trick question. You can also answer the question “what integer comes after 5?” with no hesitation, because the answer i…

From Finite to Infinity

31 August 2016 | Samina Farooq | Issue 113 (September - October 2016)

Think of all the things you wanted but couldn't have All the things you could have but didn't want The bundle of good deeds you amassed You wished to show them off, but didn't flaunt You lie not while joking or fighting, but when right You didn't do good for the temporary reward You did not submit…

The Age of My Daughter, Manya; or The “Butterfly” Effect

31 August 2016 | Mariya Tytarenko | Issue 113 (September - October 2016)

The century overboard How do I think history will record the 21st century? As we always record the past: in a tangled way, and with mistakes. It will be dictated by a dictator in one country; in another, it will not be recorded at all, since the people there will not know how to write. Elsewhere…

Over-Salinization: The White Death of the Soil

31 August 2016 | Al Curtis | Issue 113 (September - October 2016)

Properly irrigating agricultural land is a delicate balance. More water does not always mean a more abundant harvest. In arid climates, supplying more water than needed causes more trouble instead of more productivity. The principles of balance and efficiency, observed at all levels of the universe…

You

31 August 2016 | M. Fethullah Gulen | Issue 113 (September - October 2016)

A lover who has seen You Would not look for another. A loyal one who has befriended You Would not ask for another. Once ears have heard You They are deaf to another. You sit upon the throne of hearts; They do not desire another. Your Name, sweetest on the tongue Praised in every breath; Once your…

Service in the Face of Obstructions

31 August 2016 | M. Fethullah Gulen | Issue 113 (September - October 2016)

Question: People trying to serve humanity through education, dialogue, and charity are usually facing challenges, antagonism, and defamation from others in different parts of the world; how should these people respond in the face of suck attacks? Throughout history, people dedicated to service ha…

Synthetic 3D-printed bones for reconstructive surgery

31 August 2016 | The Fountain | Issue 113 (September - October 2016)

Synthetic 3D-printed bones for reconstructive surgery Jakus AE et al. Hyperelastic "bone": A highly versatile, growth factor-free, osteoregenerative, scalable, and surgically friendly biomaterial. Science Translational Medicine. September 2016. Bone implantation surgery is both challenging for do…

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