Issue 80

  • The Fountain Talks

    2011 has started off with a bang. Many Arab countries are following the examples of Tunisia and Egypt. There is increasing public unrest as those countries rally to remove their self-appointed, long-time rulers. As I am writing th

    Published March - April 2011 - The Fountain

    In between Contrasts

    Year in and year out, as a community we have been concurrently going around the “vicious” and “virtuous” circles of an assortment of strange occurrences. On the one hand, we tumble headfirst in the course of the most distu

    Published March - April 2011 - M. Fethullah Gulen

    Human Brain and Crossing beyond Self

    People everywhere seem to have an innate need to reach out to the ultimate, to connect with some larger reality beyond themselves. Might there be something in the structure of the brain to give clues as to the interaction of spiri

    Published March - April 2011 - Mustafa Tabanli

    Reunion

    We meet you Our Friend in the beauty of countless vibrant hearts strongly sinewed in purifying love. We meet you Our Friend in the steadfast prayerful care of blessing hands and radiant faces. We meet you Our Frie

    Published March - April 2011 - Bernadette - Daniel Skubik

    The Sun: The Source We Cannot Utilize

    The sun gives out about 1.17x1031 kJ (kilojoule) energy every year. Only one and half trillionth of this energy reaches the Earth, 150 million kilometers away from the sun. 30% of that energy, in the form of short-wavelength radia

    Published March - April 2011 - Bedirhan Altunay

    You Waste It, You' ve Lost It!

    This is the Winner essay of our 2010 writing contest conducted in cooperation with Everest Productions. Participants were asked to write down to live out what truly mattered to them most assuming they were told they had only t

    Published March - April 2011 - Joseph J. Salter

    The Great Flood of Questions

    Nowadays, we are alerted by scientists about possible future floods due to extreme weather events or melting of the polar ice because of global warming. Even producers have come up with several movies based on such themes. These d

    Published March - April 2011 - Sermed Ogretim

    A Pristine Spring

    A skyline of lively hills and purple mountains appeared As sleepers floated in their deepest slumbers In purple and pink, successive dawns were swelling While in waters swans were elegantly gliding We felt the shivering breath

    Published March - April 2011 - M. Fethullah Gulen

    Haya (Modesty)

    Sufis use haya, which literally means shame, bashfulness, and refraining from saying or doing anything improper or indecent, to describe one who, out of fear and awe of God, seeks to avoid displeasing Him. It urges one to be more

    Published March - April 2011 - M. Fethullah Gulen

    Metaphors, Metaphysics, Mathematics, etc.

    Analogies, metaphors, and similes are essential elements of human cognition and this makes them an indispensable tool in education, science, and literature. When it comes to explaining metaphysical concepts, however, these are pre

    Published March - April 2011 - Yusuf Ziya Gurtas

    Cognitive Dissonance and the Psychology of Sin

    Peter was a successful banker and the vice president of one of the biggest banks in the state. He was also a very intelligent guy who can “magically” transfer his customers’ money to his own account without attracting his bo

    Published March - April 2011 - Selnur Hatice Yerli

    Super Computer in a Cell

    Since the first electronic computer ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer) was announced in 1946, computers have changed a great deal. As computers become more powerful and faster, their size has changed dramatically

    Published March - April 2011 - Halil I. Demir

    Watermark

    “It is a sin to waste water,” warns my mom. She might as well save her breath. After carrying water in pails and plastic bins from the first to the fourth floor of the building where we live, I know better than to waste

    Published March - April 2011 - Mirkena Ozer

    Thinking

    I was sitting by the beach and thinking about anything, everything, yet nothing all at once… The waves were in such a rush, like all the bustling people in the city. Maybe if you rush you will get more done: that is their theo

    Published March - April 2011 - Ceyda Sablak

    It's Us Peter! Your Teeth

    Dear Peter…! We agreed with the other organs to explain the splendid art inherent in us to you; we have patiently waited our turn. Our aim is to remind you to look after yourself so you will continue to live a healthy life an

    Published March - April 2011 - Irfan Yilmaz

    Reproaching Our Fellow-travelers

    Question: Different groups or individuals who do good work in their own way are sometimes critical of others for using different methods. What would you say about being critical of others on one hand and feeling satisfied with

    Published March - April 2011 - Hikmet Isik

    "As if I ate" diet is effective

    1- “As if I ate” diet is effective Original Article: Morewedge C.K. et al., Science 330, 1530 (2010). If you’ve had a chance to visit the Fatih district in Istanbul, then you have probably seen the famous mosque cal

    Published March - April 2011 - The Fountain

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