2016

01-01-2016

Issue 109 (January -February 2016)

The Fountain

1222

Editorial: Hope

2015 did not leave behind much of a legacy upon which we can build our new year’s hopes. But the future cannot be built upon hopelessness, nor can it be built upon fantasies – we have to face the sad ... read more..

01-01-2016

Issue 109 (January -February 2016)

M. Fethullah Gulen

2441

A Self-Interrogation

O ego! Escape the feeling of autumn and transform into a green meadow with birds flying around above you; be a spring so all those with burning souls come running to you; spread light like candles so... read more..

01-01-2016

Issue 109 (January -February 2016)

F. Nurcihan Can

1822

Like Dissolves Like

Can you imagine a cup of coffee, sugarless at the top but intensely sweet at the bottom? Likewise, imagine a bowl of soup without salt at the top but over-salted at the bottom. Would these be enjoyabl... read more..

01-01-2016

Issue 109 (January -February 2016)

Philip Clayton

1422

Science and Religion in a World of Religious Pluralism

We live in a time of deep division: Will the coming years reveal an increasing number of partnerships between science and religion, or will we see a battle to the death between the two? The world has... read more..

01-01-2016

Issue 109 (January -February 2016)

Harun Avci

1347

The Discovery of Green Water

The populations of cities, countries – and thus, the world – are constantly increasing. During the last two centuries, due to the impact of industrialization, human welfare has improved in parallel wi... read more..

01-01-2016

Issue 109 (January -February 2016)

Nihal Balci

1387

Jennifer’s Baby

"I don't know how you do this?" Hannah said with a smile. "You have to plan first and plant later” Jennifer told her. Then she answered all her questions patiently and went into details about how she read more..

01-01-2016

Issue 109 (January -February 2016)

Arslan Mayda

1887

The Fallacy of Vestigial Organs: Outer Ear Muscles

The outer ear (auricula) is an oval structure, its wide part facing upwards. When we look at the auricula, we think that it is only composed of skin and cartilage. However there are nine perfectly pos... read more..

01-01-2016

Issue 109 (January -February 2016)

Brian Turk

2674

The Intricate Beauty of the Nervous System

The human body is comprised of many systems, but none quite like the nervous system. This enigmatic system runs throughout the whole body, accomplishing millions of tasks every second. It is the syste... read more..

01-01-2016

Issue 109 (January -February 2016)

M. Fethullah Gulen

1484

Wajd (Ecstasy)

Wajd (ecstasy) is overflowing with spiritual joy and enthusiasm, and rather than using reason, logic, or will, one follows the spiritual state in which one is. It consists of God’s surprising visit to... read more..

01-01-2016

Issue 109 (January -February 2016)

Ihsan Kose

1279

The Art of Scaling In Biology

Scaling in biology explains how a system?s characteristic is affected when another dependent factor changes. One of the prime examples of scaling has to do with metabolism. The average energy spent by... read more..

01-01-2016

Issue 109 (January -February 2016)

Lawrence Brazier

1816

The Ramadan Journal

Thursday June 18, 2015: the ninth month of the Muslim year and the beginning of the fast of Ramadan. The early hours of Thursday and already the sky is no longer dark. If I’d been up an hour earlier a... read more..

01-01-2016

Issue 109 (January -February 2016)

H. Arif Ustaoglu

1334

Sea Algae

Used extensively in the food industry, and serve as the raw material for plant fertilizers and many drugs used to fight diseases, seaweeds (or algae) are multicellular organisms that grow and develop ... read more..

01-01-2016

Issue 109 (January -February 2016)

Akan Malici

1304

The Qur’an and Education: Transcending How We Understand Difference

“If God had so willed, He would have made you a single people,” the Qur’an states (5:48). However, after having created all of humanity from a single male and female, God made us into different “natio... read more..

01-01-2016

Issue 109 (January -February 2016)

M. Fethullah Gulen

1255

Emerald Hills

It is the high season to view the spectacle of the earth, As spring has leaned upon emerald hills. Mirth in all villages, feasts everywhere, Magic spices incensing the air… Life springs from streamin... read more..

01-01-2016

Issue 109 (January -February 2016)

Omer Arifagaoglu

1286

The Recuperation of Lost Brain Functions

The brain of a newborn baby grows and develops very quickly. Within the first three years of life, the intense formation of new nerve cells (neurons), neural networks, and connections (axons, synapses... read more..

01-01-2016

Issue 109 (January -February 2016)

Musa Ilhan

1313

The Sanctuary of Salvation

The sanctuary of salvation encapsulates our entire being as we attempt to engage with our Maker. Though we are infinitely distant from Him, He is ever close; He is Omnipresent. To Him, we whisper our ... read more..

01-01-2016

Issue 109 (January -February 2016)

M. Fethullah Gulen

2074

How can one reach his or her spiritual potential?

First, it is important to practice concentrated contemplation, which should be directed both into one’s inner self and to the wider existence of the universe. This can be done through deep and compreh... read more..

01-01-2016

Issue 109 (January -February 2016)

The Fountain

1376

Science Square (Issue 109)

Potentially habitable Earth-like planet discovered Wright DJ et al. Three planets orbiting Wolf 1061. Astrophysical Journal Letters, December 2015. Astronomers from Australia have discovered the clo... read more..

03-01-2016

Issue 110 (March - April 2016)

The Fountain

1293

Faith for Peace

Faith is safety. Faith is about security and confidence. Safety is a multifaceted condition, ranging from one’s inner peace to the wider societal security, which is established by the rule of law and ... read more..

03-01-2016

Issue 110 (March - April 2016)

M. Fethullah Gulen

2513

Muslims, We Have to Critically Review Our Understanding of Islam

I share profound frustration with a billion-and-a-half Muslims around the world at the fact that such groups commit terrorism while dressing up their perverted ideologies as religion. We Muslims have ... read more..

03-01-2016

Issue 110 (March - April 2016)

H. Huseyin Erdem

1441

Quasars and Our Location in the Universe

Imagine you are in a place where everything around you is moving. If somebody asks you to locate yourself, how would you define your position? This will not be easy; you will need a stationary point (... read more..

03-01-2016

Issue 110 (March - April 2016)

Meryem Akgun

1504

Self-Education: What To Do with the Naughty Child Inside?

Parenting is one of humanity’s most difficult tasks – but it’s also one of the most important ones. But before one can become a parent, they must self-educate. How can someone educate another person i... read more..

03-01-2016

Issue 110 (March - April 2016)

Ahmet S. Vakkasoglu

1235

The Adaptive Immune System and Its Molecular Details

At some point in our lives, all humans have been infected by viruses. In most cases, the infection is taken care of by our internal immune system before we even notice we’ve been infected. In other ca... read more..

03-01-2016

Issue 110 (March - April 2016)

The Fountain

1368

Max Kerner: “Holy Wisdom Needed to Create a Shared Culture in Europe”

Professor Max Kerner, the former Deputy President at Aachen RWTH, one of the top universities of Europe, is recognized for his research on East-West dialogue during Middle Ages. We had an inspirationa... read more..

03-01-2016

Issue 110 (March - April 2016)

Omer Faruk Aydin

1300

Misconceptions about Calories

How true are the calorie values written on food packs? Do different methods of preparation, such as boiling, frying, grilling, etc., change the amount of calories we take in? The energy we need for o... read more..

03-01-2016

Issue 110 (March - April 2016)

Muhammad Shukur

1362

The Spiritual Heart in the Thought of Fethullah Gulen

If a person is to realize the true meaning intended by the creation of the human, they must come under the command of the heart and listen to the spirit, in spite of the body (humanity’s animal side) ... read more..

03-01-2016

Issue 110 (March - April 2016)

M. Fethullah Gulen

1406

Dahsha and Hayman (Amazement and Stupor)

While discussing ecstasy and willful rapture, we have mentioned the states of dahsha (utmost astonishment) and hayman (stupor). A few words will be said here concerning them, although the former is a ... read more..

03-01-2016

Issue 110 (March - April 2016)

Dr. Zeki Saritoprak

1689

Isa, Alayhi Al-Salam

Who was Jesus? For Muslims, Jesus is one of the five elite prophets, and he will come again at the end of time to bring peace. Although Muslims and Christians have a very similar idea of Jesus as far... read more..

03-01-2016

Issue 110 (March - April 2016)

Albert Frolov

3426

Reflections on Altruism

Nobody can doubt that altruism is a watchword of modern ethics. A standard dictionary definition of the word “altruism” – derived from the Latin “alteri,” meaning, "other people" or "somebody else" – ... read more..

03-01-2016

Issue 110 (March - April 2016)

Sumayya B. Sharaf

1452

The Odyssey to the Heart of the City of Angels

I have a secret. I discovered why the full moon is so luminous in South California. I will tell you where the lights of the city come from. Can you keep a secret? Can you bear with me on a journey? If... read more..

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