Issue 93 (May - June 2013)

Articles

Contemplative Practices: A Comparative Perspective On Different Faith Traditions

30 April 2013 | Mary Lahaj | Issue 93 (May - June 2013)

The world is too much with us; late and soon, Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers; Little we see in nature that is ours; We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon! …For this, for everything, we are out of tune; “The World is too Much with Us” by William Wordsworth Rapidly changing…

From Mexican Jumping Beans to Cyborg Plants

30 April 2013 | Safiye Arslan | Issue 93 (May - June 2013)

According to Merriam Webster, cybernetics is the science of communication and control theory that is particularly concerned with the comparative study of automatic control systems, such as the nervous system, brain and mechanical-electrical communication systems). The root of cybernetics comes from…

Cooking and World Peace

30 April 2013 | Kinko Ito | Issue 93 (May - June 2013)

In the summer of 2007, I traveled to Turkey for ten days as a member of an International Interfaith Dialogue (IID) group from Little Rock, AR. The tour included sightseeing at various historical sites, a visit to Ankara, the capital of Turkey, and school and hospital visits, as well as home visits…

Islamic Philosophy of Science

30 April 2013 | Eren Tatari - Yamina Mermer | Issue 93 (May - June 2013)

Attempting to answer questions of agency, causality and universality from an Islamic perspective is called the “Islamic philosophy of science.” In answering these questions from an Islamic perspective, there are hundreds of verses in the Qur’an talking about the world, about computing, and observin…

Culture of Coexistence: Exemplary Cases of Relationship between Muslims and Non-Muslims

30 April 2013 | Suat Yildirim | Issue 93 (May - June 2013)

Imam Sarahsi narrates an incident which is exemplary of Islam’s policy with respect to non-Muslims. Imam Abu Yusuf, the chief justice of the Muslim state when the Abbasids enjoyed the zenith of their power, is narrated as uttering the following prayer on his deathbed: “My Lord! You know better than…

A Slap on the Beach

30 April 2013 | Erhan Yenilmez | Issue 93 (May - June 2013)

The tropical Kamilo Beach on the Big Island of Hawaiian Archipelago should be a scenic place with white sands and crystal clear waters. However it is laden with tons of human made objects that have floated across the ocean and been dumped on the shore by the currents. This beach is one of the star…

Qurb and Bu'd (Nearness and Remoteness)

30 April 2013 | M. Fethullah Gulen | Issue 93 (May - June 2013)

Nearness (qurb) means that one transcends corporeality in order to acquire perfect spirituality and proximity to God. Some interpret it as God's proximity to His servants; however, this is not accurate. God is near to His servants, but not in terms of quantity or quality. Nearness in Sufi usage per…

Recurring DNA in Genome Structure

30 April 2013 | Hamza Aydin | Issue 93 (May - June 2013)

A genome is a data book or registry which records the past and future of living organisms. It dynamically and simultaneously stores hereditary and biological information in three different hierarchical levels belonging to three different time periods. The first is the preservation of characteristi…

Butterfly Effect

30 April 2013 | Seth Mette | Issue 93 (May - June 2013)

You had to build the cocoon as your sanctuary In order to find your new self in tranquility As you transformed, the sanctuary became the enemy Demolishing your home turned out to be your first duty Don’t worry, you will be okay You didn’t belong there anyway Embrace life, or else you will be…

A Subject of the Divine Promises: Ishmael

30 April 2013 | Fatih Harpci | Issue 93 (May - June 2013)

The family story of Ishmael is one of the ten family histories into which the book of Genesis is arranged. This history of Ishmael shows the fulfillment of the promises made by his parents regarding him, and how his mother Hagar had been assured that her descendants would be too many to count (Gen…

A Blessing Behind an Unlikely Veil: Vomiting as a Healthy Human Reflex

30 April 2013 | Nebil Mersinli | Issue 93 (May - June 2013)

Being one of the most important human reflexes, vomiting is the phenomenon of spewing out, through the mouth and nose, the contents of the stomach and intestines in the form of strong convulsions. Vomiting is among the very early symptoms giving notice to cerebral bleedings and tumors which develop…

Don’t Let Me Down

30 April 2013 | Arslan Mayda | Issue 93 (May - June 2013)

As we enjoy and appreciate so many things in life, hair is usually among the blessings most of us take for granted. Although it might be difficult a task to “count your blessings” in the literal sense, one can still pay tribute to those tiny workers with a bit of reflection. Distribution and densi…

Nanomedicine: A Novel Paradigm to Medicine

30 April 2013 | Ibrahim Yildiz | Issue 93 (May - June 2013)

Nowadays, we have been accustomed to hear “nano-something,” and we hardly pay any attention to what this really means to us in our daily life. From the perspective of material science, nanoscience or nanotechnology deals with innovations and productions of materials on a nanometer scale (10-9 m) wh…

Questioning Techniques and Wait Time

30 April 2013 | Alpaslan Sahin | Issue 93 (May - June 2013)

Socrates is the first known philosopher to have used questioning in a systematic way with an ethical purpose in mind. Famous Socratic dialogue takes place between Socrates and Meno in which they discuss human virtue—whether or not it can be taught, whether it is shared by all human beings, and whet…

Historical Recurrences

30 April 2013 | Hikmet Isik | Issue 93 (May - June 2013)

Question: Taking into account the notion that history repeats itself, how should we view recent incidents and events that are taking place in our world today? Indeed, the world has once again stepped into a zone of spiritual crisis—and this in itself is a historical recurrence. Before delving into…

Science Square (Issue 92)

30 April 2013 | The Fountain | Issue 93 (May - June 2013)

Caffeine as a repellent defense chemical Wright GA et al. Caffeine in Floral Nectar Enhances a Pollinator's Memory of Reward. Science, 2013; 339 (6124): 1202 Caffeine is thought to be a repellent defense chemical in the plant kingdom but a recent study showed for the first time that there are low…

Surrendering to God: Understanding Islam in the Modern Age

26 December 2018 | Dr. Rayna Flye | Issue 93 (May - June 2013)

Surrendering to God: Understanding Islam in the Modern Age Eren Tatari Tughra Publications, 2012 In this post-9/11 world, the word "Muslim" conjures up many images and has many connotations. Real knowledge or understanding of Islam and Muslims however, is few and far between. In her book Surrende…

Issue 93 (May - June 2013)

Articles

A Very High Peak To Climb

Souls of Immortality

Cancer: Cellular Anarchy

Contemplative Practices: A Comparative Perspective On Different Faith Traditions

From Mexican Jumping Beans to Cyborg Plants

Cooking and World Peace

Islamic Philosophy of Science

Culture of Coexistence: Exemplary Cases of Relationship between Muslims and Non-Muslims

A Slap on the Beach

Qurb and Bu'd (Nearness and Remoteness)

Recurring DNA in Genome Structure

Butterfly Effect

A Subject of the Divine Promises: Ishmael

A Blessing Behind an Unlikely Veil: Vomiting as a Healthy Human Reflex

Don’t Let Me Down

Nanomedicine: A Novel Paradigm to Medicine

Questioning Techniques and Wait Time

Historical Recurrences

Science Square (Issue 92)

Surrendering to God: Understanding Islam in the Modern Age

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