September 2013 - Monthly Archive

01 Sep

Issue 95 (September - October 2013)

The Fountain

14256

How Much Are We In Control?

We are so saddened these days by what is going on in Egypt. People are being killed by their own army, and the world is silently watching. Their silence on Egypt is as deadening as it has been on Syri... read more..

01 Sep

Issue 95 (September - October 2013)

M. Fethullah Gulen

17942

Happiness and Virtue: A Prophetic Example

Happiness is an ideal for which everybody longs. People endure all kinds of sacrifice for its sake. But what exactly is happiness? Is this question not one of the biggest enigmas bewildering mankind read more..

01 Sep

Issue 95 (September - October 2013)

Cezmi Aydin

16704

Are Genes the Source of Behavioral Disorders?

We learn about a new gene everyday that is specifically associated with a certain human behavior or that causes a certain physical situation. One gene is responsible for crime, whereas another gene is... read more..

01 Sep

Issue 95 (September - October 2013)

Mucteba Muezzinoglu / Nate Emru Kiydal

16736

Dispersing Hopelessness from the Depressive Thoughts: Is There Any Way?

Depression is a major medical illness that causes feelings of dispassion and lessens productivity in individuals. It is usually manifested as a feeling of hopelessness and associated with sadness or t... read more..

01 Sep

Issue 95 (September - October 2013)

Melissa McPen

15526

Escherichia Coli: Good or Bad?

“For there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so,” Shakespeare once wrote in his famous play, ‘Hamlet.’ The philosophical questions “What is good?” and “What is bad?” have been discu... read more..

01 Sep

Issue 95 (September - October 2013)

Omer Arifagaoglu

14601

Who Owns This Body?

“There are numerous perfect mechanisms put to work by our Creator in a fashion that is impossible for us to know; it is equally impossible for us to control each of them.” “This body is mine! Thu read more..

01 Sep

Issue 95 (September - October 2013)

Nuri Balta

15870

Defining the Universe with Mathematics

Mathematics is one of the earliest sciences. As the expression of intangible thoughts, mathematics can also be considered an art form like painting or music. From this perspective, the possible use of... read more..

01 Sep

Issue 95 (September - October 2013)

Berna Berian Baran

16044

Ibn Bajja and A Duel with Duality

Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Yahya al Saigh or Ibn Bajja (Avempace) is a well-known twelfth century Spanish philosopher.1 Ibn Bajja was something of a renaissance man; while a vizier, a poet, a doctor, and a... read more..

01 Sep

Issue 95 (September - October 2013)

Musab Korkmaz

15606

Why Do We Turn Over During Sleep?

Our skin is not only a means for our body to look nice esthetically, but it also acts as a shield against negative external effects. For instance, it helps protect us from mechanical and chemical inju... read more..

01 Sep

Issue 95 (September - October 2013)

Nihal Balci

16306

The Qur'an: An Eternal Journey

We are at the table together for dinner, having a good time. My husband is eating a beef dish and liking it very much. My younger daughter, who hates beef, is enjoying her noodles. My older daughter i... read more..

01 Sep

Issue 95 (September - October 2013)

Nuh Ozdin

14912

Termites and Retirement

We call termites “white ants” because of their appearance; however they are a diverse group of insects, with around 3,000 species. Found mostly in Africa, termites feed especially on wood and other or... read more..

01 Sep

Issue 95 (September - October 2013)

M. Fethullah Gulen

15589

Mahabba (Love)

Mahabba means fondness, tender and kind feelings, preference, and love. Love that affects and invades one’s feelings is called passion; love that is so deep and irresistible that it burns for union is... read more..

01 Sep

Issue 95 (September - October 2013)

Ali Fethi Toprak

18000

The Camel: A Monumental Creature

The camel is a mighty animal and was historically used for transportation in desert lands; thus, it earned the name “the ship of the desert.” Interestingly, a camel’s gait also resembles the rolling m... read more..

01 Sep

Issue 95 (September - October 2013)

Ile, Onyebuchi James

15933

Literature and National Security: The Almajeri Education in Nigeria

Introduction In his The Death of Criticism, Terry Eagleton spoke of the rude shock a clerk in his office might experience if she stumbled upon the thought that her boss is actually paid, and paid ver... read more..

01 Sep

Issue 95 (September - October 2013)

Justin Pahl

15555

My Brother's Plum Tree

I often think of my brother during the early summer. When we moved to our home in Philadelphia, my brother, who was always more ethereal, thought we should plant a tree, so that we could watch it grow... read more..

01 Sep

Issue 95 (September - October 2013)

M. Fethullah Gulen

14526

The Pure Path

One night I had a vision of the future so bright;there was a peaceful silenceand was pouring lightThings were being donewith the precision of a clockwork;centuries of old confusions all disappearedT read more..

01 Sep

Issue 95 (September - October 2013)

Firat Celik

16192

Time: What Does the Qur’an Say About It?

All things in the universe, with their specific and suitable outfits obtained from the spiritual world, gain an image and flow in the river of time. The sun and the moon are by an exact calculation... read more..

01 Sep

Issue 95 (September - October 2013)

Justin Pahl

15733

A Conversation Starter

The question of dialogues between different faiths and cultures is one of the most important questions of our fractured age. How can we reconcile so many, seemingly, vast and diverse viewpoints? What ... read more..

01 Sep

Issue 95 (September - October 2013)

Eyup Nazir

15177

Forest Fires: Unexpected Benefits of an Unwanted Disaster

Forest ecosystems bear vital importance not only for us humans but also for thousands of species. Forests occupy vast spaces across the planet, featuring a rich variety of life, from seeds to saplings... read more..

01 Sep

Issue 95 (September - October 2013)

Alptekin Kavi

16198

How Collaboration Makes a Difference in Dispute Resolution

Parties in a dispute can resolve their differences in various ways. Oftentimes, at least one party feels a need to compromise in order to reach a resolution. As a result, the compromising party may su... read more..

01 Sep

Issue 95 (September - October 2013)

Ibrahim Bagci

15443

Algae: A Source of Benefits

Does it feel creepy to step on sea weeds when you are swimming? Would you swim quickly away from an area with algae and seaweeds at the bottom? Just like plants of the land are a source of oxygen, alg... read more..

01 Sep

Issue 95 (September - October 2013)

Halil I. Demir

16587

Drones and the Future of Autonomous Vehicles

It’s a bird, it’s a plane… but no, it’s not Superman. It’s a drone. Airborne drones are becoming commonplace, especially in the civilian world. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), also known as drones, ... read more..

01 Sep

Issue 95 (September - October 2013)

M. Fethullah Gulen

15826

Mechanisms of Soul and Conscience

Question: What could be said about comprehending the essential natures of the soul and the conscience, which play a dramatic role in the rise and fall of human beings? The nature of human beings bear... read more..

01 Sep

Issue 95 (September - October 2013)

The Fountain

14988

Science Square (Issue 95)

The Brain’s GPS Jacobs J. et al. Direct recordings of grid-like neuronal activity in human spatial navigation. Nature Neuroscience, 2013 Do you happen to have a poor sense of direction? Do you often... read more..