Nerve cells that fail to establish connections with other cells (nerve, muscle, or secretion gland) within the initial 6-12 month period following birth are destined for a programmed cell death (apoptosis). For example, if the eyes of newborn animals are kept shut for a couple of weeks, vision-related neurons in the brain cortex die and the animals become blind. If the initially present neurons cannot perform their duties or are not used properly, they are terminated. This situation is expressed as the “use it or lose it” principle.

The notion that there is no recuperation for injured or dead nerve cells or tissues, in addition to the recovery of bodily functions related to the damaged neural tissues, was dominant in the medical field for years. Even though this is the case for adult individuals, at least most of the time, it has been proven that this is not true and applicable all the time, especially for children. It has been discovered that lost brain functions can be recovered, even if only partially, and this potential for recuperation is present at birth. This is called the neuronal plasticity or regeneration (renewal) capacity.

Neuronal regeneration is the auto-healing process of nerve tissues that have lost their integrity, functions, or been damaged due to trauma, oxygen deprivation (ischemia), infection, or many other reasons. For example, in patients with polio, certain arm-leg nerve fibers become dead and the muscle stimulated by that nerve suffers a stroke. However, neighboring nerves manage to recover the paralyzed muscles by extending new arms. This situation may resemble the installation of a parallel phone line from your apartment to your neighbor when the old line is cut, which benefits both units with the same line. Certain short projections can grow from the root of a damaged or broken nerve fiber (axon), and in some cases healing may be achieved by this growth. According to the neuronal plasticity theory, the brain is a dynamic, flexible organ, and is open to changes. It is not static, and it can adapt to new conditions. Based on this theory, a brain that has lost an ability, such as vision or hearing, can regain these functions; an individual can hear or see again. However, there is still more research to be done on this matter.

Regeneration is a mechanism that supports the plasticity theory. The proliferation of stem cells is triggered by plasticity. The reassignment of the tasks of the dead nerve cells to other cells occurs; the surviving nerve cells are induced to develop new branches (dendrites or axons). With the discovery of the plasticity and regeneration processes, some diseases that have been considered untreatable have shown signs of being treatable. For instance, during cerebral palsy in children, imperfections take place regarding motor movements, perception, and intelligence, depending on the oxygen deprivation experienced in the brain tissue before, during, or after birth. The brain goes through an adaptive process to execute the missing functions. Especially during the early stages of life, it is understood that the brain cortex is created with extraordinary reorganization abilities after an injury.

Plasticity not only manifests itself via an increased neuron count, but also with an increase in the number of axons and dendrites, in addition to an abundance of synapses among nerve cells. Nonetheless, the onset of all the positive changes on the neurons requires a stimulator or a trigger. In recent years, certain drugs were developed for this purpose. The laboratory works showing that neuronal plasticity and regeneration were successful for polio also give hope that adult brain disorders might be treatable. Brain recuperation via neuronal plasticity is not only dependent on drugs, but also can be achieved by alternative methods like acupuncture, touching, and massage therapy. Apart from these, sports like swimming and horseback riding are known to stimulate and trigger regeneration in damaged neurons.

The studies briefly explained here have proven wrong the belief that the central nervous system cannot heal and recover to its normal mode of functioning. Mechanisms that have been established in the system (the genetic structure) are being newly discovered by mankind. New studies are needed to find out what other aspects of human biology can be discovered as the science advances. Such discoveries remind us of what a remarkable creation human beings are.

The calmness of our surroundings masks the bellowing of our souls. We raise our hands high, cuffed together, reaching for the sky. Tapping on the door of salvation, we await in humility, being conscious of You, so that You grace us with your Mercy (6:155). The past, present, and future folded within each other, a moment of timelessness with the Eternal One.

During the moments in our lives when we have gone astray, we appeal to attain my Sustainers’ forgiveness and a paradise as vast as the heavens and the earth (3:133). For every moment – including this one – He has blessed us with, each worth millions in gold, we give thanks for the honour, for all honour belongs to You (63:8). Following the map of our destiny which You have knowingly drafted, we ask for guidance as You are fully aware of the needs of Your creations (17:30).

Though what we ask may seem selfish, it is a starting point for us to dovetail into the most exciting and fulfilling part of our supplication: what You adorn within us in one day, although we are unworthy, would take thousands of lifetimes for us to recite and acknowledge. In our weak and impotent state, You have made all of creation subservient to us for our survival. You provide us with such expensive and expansive gifts, though we are unworthy and ungrateful beings. Nonetheless, we are created in the best form (95:4).We are beheld by the beauty of Your Divine names manifested within our eyes. You have bestowed great treasures into our hearts, minds, and souls. These are treasures with both tangible and intangible qualities, manifested from all around, like an aura visible only through the eyes of belief. And this belief ascends us to a platform surpassing even the angels, who worship and exalt You, every millisecond of every day. These subjects do not deny You, my Lord, for the favours you provide (55:13).

This dialogue which You so compassionately offer us reluctant subjects is not just a one-way communication. You speak to us more than we care to listen. You are heard internally; You are heard externally. We stand in awe and reverence of Your Glory (21:28).As we call out Your Exalted, Dominical, Divine, Pure, Glorious names, You grace us with the benevolent words, “I am here!” (labbayk). Your Majestic, Loving, and Compassionate attributes respond to all our needs in such a nurturing and soul caressing manner that we, at times, feel like spoilt and incapable children asking for something from a parent. However, Your caressing Hand is more Merciful, a million fold: You are the best Sustainer of our needs (5:114).

All our needs are constantly being met, with or without our knowledge, remembrance, or gratitude. We are in admiration of your grandeur and we are humbled by all your offerings and blessings. All we ask, my Lord, is for forgiveness and for You to guide us to the straight path (1:6), which we anticipate will eventually lead us to our salvation. We ask, beg, and hope that You may consider us – for we have no other Lord to turn to. Besides, You are renowned for forgiveness – it suits You so well, my Lord. This notion gives us the courage and hope to hold onto Your promise, the promise of forgiveness and bounties (2:268).

Indeed, the greatest reflections of Your Divine Names and Attributes have been personified by tens of thousands of Messengers, which is further evidence of Your Compassion and Grace to us poor, lost souls. Each had their distinctive duties, events, and characteristics, and helped lead the way to the salvation we seek. All their missions culminated in the presence and calling of those masters of determination, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad (peace be upon them), who were guides to their nationsand beacons of mercy to all the realms (21:107).

If not for Your Mercy, oh God, by gracing us with Your beloved Messengers (peace be upon them), what would have become of us? They are the embroiderers of the fabric of our hearts, and allow our minds to become mirrors absorbing and reflecting Your collective and beautiful names. Their efforts were not in vain. Their divinely inspired characters and behaviours have outlasted all the trials and tribulations of time, as well as all governing systems, cultures, and societies. Their Messengerships will echo throughout eternity.

As our dialogue draws to a temporary close, let us reflect on this beautiful experience. My body is permeated by a sense of relief, but also tinged by a hint of sorrow. With my supplication concluding, which I anticipate You have accepted, I reluctantly lower my arms with a sense of a momentary despair: the despair of turning back to the realm of earthly grief. However, I am quickly relieved by the sensation of the realization of Your all-encompassing Compassion, which invites me to this sanctuary, till my last breath – my prayers each and everyday!

Lay not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear. Blot out our sins and grant us forgiveness. Have mercy on us. You are our Protector (2:286).

Prayers in this essay are inspired from the referenced verses in the Qur’an.

The sad summary of the past year is that we humans are still very prone to violence be it in the Middle East or the American mid-west; the Nigerian countryside or Parisian cafés; at the workplace or at home. Deep down there are core human weaknesses inherited from Cain: jealousy, frustration, racism, “might is right,” etc. What is heartbreaking is that religion is being abused as a source of motivation in many acts of violence.

In the Middle East, the region’s map is being redrawn in favor of a power-hungry few. The situation seems clear to outsiders: the killers are Muslims (at least this is how they identify them- selves), the victims are overwhelmingly Muslims, and Islam is the root cause. What a win-win situation for the beneficiaries! Islam is being slaughtered at the hands of some cannibals, while millions of Muslims are being killed for no discernible reason – other than being the victims of a fight over the energy sources they happen to be living on.

Violence is not only a reality in the Middle East. Mass shootings in the US have almost be- come a daily item in the news, as an average of one mass murder takes place every day. Thou- sands of people are being killed or wounded. In fact, far more Americans are killed at home than at war. Age-old American problems, like racism, have played a role in some of the shootings, including the tragic massacre at a black church in Charleston. Women remain the overwhelming victims of mass murders (81% of the victims are women and children), and are also the major victims of violence in the home.

There’s no need to give further details on the scale of violence around the world. The solution is not easy, but it is also not as difficult as it appears. It is a matter of rephrasing our perspective, just as in Philip Clayton’s approach to science and religion. A renowned theologian and philosopher, Dr. Clayton offers to reformulate these two major concepts from “science or religion” to “science and religion” which can pave the way for “peacemakers” who “prioritize partnership over war” and will “develop constructive relationships.” Dr. Clayton’s three solutions can serve as a starting point in our efforts to solve all sorts of conflicts around the world.

The “Like Dissolves Like” piece in this issue speaks of a universal rule in which matters with only similar chemical properties can dissolve in the other to make a uniformity. Perhaps, this is a prescription to our global problems – if we humans can realize we have more similarities than differences, and that our concerns and interests are common, then we can dissolve in one another and become one global community.

The first step toward that level of awareness is self-interrogation. We must review our actions before blaming others. That is a new year’s resolution we can all agree on.

Second, revealing our potential requires upright conduct. It is possible to believe by convincing oneself theoretically, yet a person can only fully feel the weight of faith through practice. Those who claim to have faith should enlighten their nights by staying up in vigil and conducting their prayers with sincerity. This is how one’s heart and spirit can experience freedom from the boundaries of the body. This should be an ongoing practice. Some medical treatments will yield positive results only after a certain time; some even take many years of uninterrupted application. Just like this, the practice of faith needs time to produce its graceful outcomes. Of course, while on this path it is always possible that one can falter and commit mistakes. What really matters in such situations is whether the person endeavors to maintain his or her contact with the All-Merciful One. Such persistent contact will enable them to stand back up on their feet quickly after their slip-up.

Kant argues that God is a “postulate of practical reason,” which in a way could be considered the conscience. If faith is a torch kindled by God, its endurance depends on our persistence in practice. One may not see anything extraordinary in the presence of those spiritually elevated ones, but their conscience can feel a lot of things. Reading the scripture and prayers can nourish your inner faculties, even though you may be unable to understand the words literally.

Third, living a life free from sins will enable believers’ potential to flourish. A famous scholar, Imam Sha’rani, said he could not take delight in his prayers when he had to spend time with someone completely uninterested in faith.

Fourth, it’s important to practice remembrance of God, with His Beautiful Names and Attributes, to seek His guidance to raise the veils between us and what lies beyond matter, and to ask for His mercy. How often a person should remember the Divine depends on their spiritual capacity, but what is most important is to have confidence in our hearts as we commit ourselves to these devotions and prepare for eternity.

Fifth, believers should be very careful with the food they consume. They have to ensure that they eat only within the legitimate boundaries of what has been prescribed. Our spiritual capacity is certainly affected by what we consume.

Sixth, visiting cemeteries and hospitals can be a useful tool that helps to increase our feelings of compassion, love, and sympathy, and serves a reminder to be thankful.

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 those in darkness can see and make their way to you. Embrace others with affection and sincerity like a mother embraces her child, so even those afraid of your anger will throw themselves into your arms with no hesitation. Distribute whatever God has granted you to others; altruism is the most effective, most mysterious formula which brings people close to others, close to Paradise, and close to God. If you are successful in ascribing this formula to your own soul, one day even the most abrupt souls, whose beliefs are based on revenge, resentment, and hostility, are sure to form queues and wait in anticipation of entering your environment.

Every moment, you should be like the clouds, and obstruct the burning heat of the sun; ignoring the various seasons, you should extinguish the thirst of everyone and everything, just like a heavy downpour of rain and caress their arid hearts and souls. Be a spring available to everyone who is thirsty; may your water be sweet and delightful. When you speak and echo the inspirations of your soul, allow your ink to become the spiritual psalms that revive the pages of books. When the harmful daggers of your fury, anger, resentment, and hostility are tempted, you must be a protector. You must be a friend of the deprived and homeless; a friend of even the most rampaging souls who seek refuge in you. Do not disappoint those who run to the security of your guardianship.

As in the case of the present, even when certain individuals destroy the paths and bridges which bring us together as a nation, thus making it impossible for us to progress, it is our duty to establish and promote new paths and bridges of spirituality. We must strive to progress and reach every point we can reach, and we must never be deceived by a desire for retaliation. Even if you face death, be sure to fulfill the duties required of a believer: transform any stones cast at you into light, like the meteors which melt in the atmosphere, and relish the display of radiance spreading like fireworks in the heavens. It is your duty to modulate the sounds of anger and violence, and transform these into anthologies of love; and while doing so, do not speak about bridges being destroyed, and do not give in to resentment and hostility.

This path is the path of the Prophets and the most secure bridge towards becoming a person of perfection. None who choose this path have ever experienced disappointment; and in addition to never experiencing disappointment, they never change their stance when confronted with disrespect or abuse. If a person is conscious of his humanness, things like resentment, hostility, disrespect, or any other kind of crudeness will never affect their thoughts or behavior; and this is how it should be. There may be some who do change direction and ideas when they are confronted with certain difficulties – however, these are the immature souls who, in terms of emotions and thought, are still unsettled. When confronted with difficulty, these undeveloped souls respond with rashness. This is one of the main reasons for the frequent disputes between different cultures.

Modesty, submission, and tolerance are the invariable aspects of those who have reached spiritual maturity and stability. Whatever the conditions, such individuals are as extensive as the skies, as vast as the oceans, as glorious and sturdy as the mountains, and as humble as the earth. They are never influenced by things which occur in their environment, never corrupted by their social relationships with others, and never submit to the compelling challenges they face; on the contrary, they display humbleness, and protect everyone, and everything, around them. They are like gold which is melted down to its original purity, and even if they were placed in ovens capable of melting granite, their unblemished characters would never change. They suffered so much pain that no longer does the blaze of affliction effect them; they will never succumb to any flames of anguish.

O ego! You must sense and experience the grievances of others so deep in your conscience that nobody ever has to anticipate your support. You must sense their pain so deep in your soul that you shed tears. Through your sorrow, the tears of all those around you dry and fade away. You share their affliction and misery so their souls find relief in your presence.

When a fortunate person is successful in arranging their life accordingly, it is virtually as if they have experienced the best of all pleasures. The person is commemorated on the earth and in the heavens as one granted the honor of being a vicegerent of God.

The human nature is intertwined with both delight and sorrow; the perfect person is, on the one hand, a dungeon keeper who can imprison his sorrow behind the bars of his willpower; on the other hand, at the time of delight he is a bird keeper who sets free his messenger pigeons, sending them to the farthest distances to spread the good news. The perfect person knows what to tie up and what to let loose. Indeed, controlling our whims and desires through willpower is an achievement, but expanding our hearts to the extent that we are capable of welcoming everyone is an act of outstanding bravery.

O ego! Always be brave and support bravery! Use your conscience as a touchstone while criticizing yourself; and constantly smile at others conveying the beauty of your heart that is as pure as gold! And when you smile at others, always remember to be cautious and discern well who is who! By nature, you are exposed to all kinds of manners, and the clearest evidence of this was your first adventure in the heavens. While the angels rocked your cradle and sang lullabies of admiration, devils were conducting ceremonies of jealousy. Even on that very first day you had to confront extreme envy, as well as dumbfounding looks of admiration. We do not know for sure whether you were touched by the evil eye or not; there is no doubt that you stumbled at first even if eventually you have soared up high. When you miscalculated time and stretched your hand to the forbidden fruit before it was due – which is quite a normal act for ordinary people, but a falter in the league of noble souls – it resulted in your incarceration in this dungeon of the world. No, no! Not in the dungeon, but in the heart of this earth, which serves as the birthplace of the beloved ones. The true wisdom of the tree of life came with the beloved, the first fruit of your seemingly unpleasant fate, the fruit that was sweeter than any other.

Indeed, if you remained in Paradise you would have continued to exist as a fruitless tree, unable to develop, and would have never attained awareness of the potential abundance. Whereas when you set your pavilion in this world, this land of dust and soil was transformed into a garden of roses…and this worn-out realm to which you were expelled became the garden of the exiled Prophets and saints. Eventually, the angels have excelled in their admiration, and the jealousy of the devils revolved and penetrated their own hearts like a spear.

Therefore, guard your own values! Strive to benefit from this exile, for it is considered as the path to reaching the pleasure of God. Do not miss this opportunity to come close to the Divine and do not distance yourself from Him. Abstain from pleasing Satan by falling into the traps of resentment, hostility, anger, ambition, and jealousy! If one day you stumble and deviate beyond your own boundaries, behave as the Prophet Adam did: rise, compose yourself, and confess to your crime. Turn towards God’s door, which is constantly open to everyone, and do not give your sins and errors the chance to exist, not even for a moment! Revive the nature of humanity, which was corrupted by sin and altered, with the elixir of repentance, and guide humanity towards the pleasure of God! And while doing so, remember that humans, by nature, are the same, so forgive others because just as you sinned, there is always the possibility that they too can make mistakes. In fact, when these individuals succumb to their desires, have compassion for them whenever possible, embrace them and assist them in any way you can. Never assume that you have the right to question the sins of others. If occupying yourself with sins and mistakes amuses you, then use this hobby to rectify your own mistakes so the tiny blemishes of others will not make you forget your own greasy black spots.

Call upon everyone like the breeze carrying the scent of roses. Burn like a candle and enlighten others, but never attribute this great sacrifice to your own interests. Turn like a wheel and groan, and extinguish the flames of all the suffering souls, but never consider your own suffering. Burn away inside, but spread a pleasant scent into your environment, and never complain. Always be humble, and never boast about the favors granted to you by God; on the contrary, consider this as an advance granted to the needy, and feel the embarrassment of obtaining your reward in advance. If you consider your services and efforts to be a favor to others, then you will eventually begin to expect compliments. The cure for this disease is very difficult. It is a disease that will scare everyone away from you, and if you persist, then every day, to the contrary of your expectations, you will experience blows and drive people away… But if you aspire to peace, you will find it in abstinence, humbleness, self-deprecation, and contentment. Even if they are on the path of bliss, those who consider themselves superior to others, those who claim to have extraordinary abilities, those who expect compliments from everyone, those who act with rage and anger, will eventually face misery.

O ego! Spit in the face of your inner malice if you have the courage! Eliminate disloyalty from your life. Overthrow oppression, and destroy shamelessness – remember that God is present everywhere; contain the emotions of evil with faith in divine retribution; strive to remain on the path of God’s pleasure, and not on the path of whims and desires. Never forget that God sees you at all times. Tremble like the leaves on a tree and cast away your sins, the shortcomings and evil acts that corrupt your nature and are unfamiliar to your soul and a great burden on your heart. Every effort you make to escape such sin is classified as a form of jihad and will bring you closer to God. On the contrary, if you distance yourself from God, you will undergo the most painful of separations, and will suffocate amidst loneliness. There will be no rewards in your record of good deeds; you will be in a state of spiritual darkness and gloom. Therefore, awaken and recover from this darkness. Guard your human values, and do not sacrifice the Paradise you once lost due to impatience.

Every attempt to regain what was lost is like planting new seeds to be sown in the earth: when the time comes, the fruits of this crop are sure to multiply. Therefore do not hesitate; spread kindness, favor, and excellence to the whole world. Purify your emotions focused on evil, and live your life based upon the eternal happiness of others! But while doing so, free yourself from the confinement of your personal accounts and interests that destroy the soul. Take all the burden on yourself and spread ease to those around you. Listen to others and groan with their grief, but always strive to be a source of strength and relief to others. Open your heart to others with love, so that anger and hostility perish, and the victims of their own ego run to your embrace.

Cascade like a river of prosperity into the souls of others. Embrace everything and everyone with your radiance day after night like the sun and the moon. Whenever a person turns to you with some kind of expectation, never contradict the good opinion they have of you. Always lead while serving others and displaying kindness, and strive to be last when rewards come; avoid depending on worldly benefits for acts performed for God as you would avoid a poisonous snake. Even if you find your feelings unintentionally inclining for rewards, view this deviation as the worst kind of impurity, and immediately purify yourself.

Live with kindness and convey grace to others. The feet which tread on the path of goodness and grace are superior to the head, and the hearts which beat with generosity and kindness are as sacred as the Ka‘ba. Basically, your nature is an abode of divinity, your goal is God’s pleasure, and your path in life is a circumambulation of sacredness upon which you constantly travel on the course to God. For as long as you guard this path, your glory will be praised beyond the heavens, and your name will be aligned with lofty spirits. Therefore, increase your steadfastness on this path; increase it because we need this diligence just as we need water and bread, in a world in which human values are degraded. Think well, speak well, and constantly pursue acts of goodness.

Flags always appear to be more gracious draped from the shoulders of those in motion. Bees are classified as beneficent for as long as they produce honey. The march is more imposing than standing still. So rise and carry the flag, fill your hive of spirituality with honey, and never lose your charm and kindness. Always be willing to serve others and be prepared for the journey to the world beyond! Although it is not certain when the command of death will come, this is a decree which is both indisputable and inevitable. Therefore, always be alert, purify yourselves from sin; open the door to the undetermined call and wait…

Wright DJ et al. Three planets orbiting Wolf 1061. Astrophysical Journal Letters, December 2015.

Astronomers from Australia have discovered the closest potentially habitable planet outside our solar system. They named it Wolf 1061c. It is four times the mass of Earth and only 14 light years away (126 trillion kilometers). The closest exoplanet discovered so far was Gliese 667c, which is 22 light years from earth. Wolf 1061c is located in the constellation Ophiucus and is one of three planets that orbit around a red dwarf star, Wolf 1061. Scientists find this discovery particularly exciting, because all three planets have low enough mass to have potentially solid rocky surfaces, unlike gaseous planets, such as Neptune. The one orbiting closest to Wolf 1061 would be too hot and the furthest one would be too cold. But the one in the middle, Wolf 1061c, is potentially optimum for generating temperatures just right for the formation of liquid water and, ultimately, life. Red dwarfs are known to be very active with X-ray bursts and super flares, which doom the possibility of any life. However, Wolf 1061 seems to be a quiet star, and very similar to our sun. The next challenge for scientists is to develop a method to study the atmosphere of Wolf 1061c to conclusively say whether it is conducive to life.

Most cancers are found to be avoidable

Wu S. et al. Substantial contribution of extrinsic risk factors to cancer development. Nature, December 2015.

It has been long recognized that cancer is caused by a mix of factors, including genes, lifestyle, and environment. However, the relative contributions of each factors have never been settled. A recent study found that the risk of developing most cancers is more correlated to lifestyle and environmental factors than genes and DNA mutations. The biggest risk factors are diet, sun exposure, UV radiation, tobacco, alcohol, the human papilloma virus, and hepatitis B and C. They make up between 70% and 90% of several types of cancer, including lung, colorectal, skin, and cervical. Researchers particularly focused on people who move from a low-risk cancer area to a high-risk cancer area, and found that migrated people soon developed diseases at significant rates consistent with new risky environments. They also analyzed a comprehensive set of specific mutations associated with certain cancers. Ultraviolet light, for example, creates a signature of mutations in DNA. When cross-compared, spontaneous mutations during cell division rarely reaches the frequencies of producing cancer mutations, even in tissues with high rates of cell division. In almost all cases, the research team found that some exposure to environmental factors would be needed to trigger the disease. So if you smoke or are overweight or tan for hours under the sun, you dramatically increase your odds getting cancer. You can do a lot to reduce your cancer risk; you can’t just blame “bad genes” for getting sick.

Mutant mosquitos to stop malaria

Gantz VM et al. Highly efficient Cas9-mediated gene drive for population modification of the malaria vector mosquito Anopheles stephensi. PNAS, December 2015.

The tiny mosquito is one of the deadliest weapons in human history. Malaria is thought to be the oldest and deadliest disease. Despite intense efforts at treatment and eradication, it still is a reason for the death of approximately half a million people per year. So researchers have changed their tactics and tried to treat mosquitos instead of humans. Researchers used the revolutionary gene-editing technique CRISPR-Cas9 and generated a new breed of malaria with two genetic modifications. The first modified gene released antibodies against the malarial parasite and rendered its host immune to the parasite. The second modified gene, called “the gene drive,” would copy and paste the malaria-resistant genes into another mosquito, when mated. This two-gene system has the potential to spread malaria resistance across a wild population in just 10 generations – in other words, a single summer. Experts think that further research is needed before conducting a field trial. One potential problem would be to create a “hole” in the eco-system by changing the balance of malaria-carrying mosquito species. However, since the approach does not kill mosquitos rather make them resistant to the parasites, only a small amount of ecological damages are expected.

The process of dissolution occurs when a solute (solid, liquid, or gas) is placed in a solvent (also solid, liquid, or gas) and dissolves to form a solution which is a homogeneous mixture. A homogeneous mixture is uniform in composition and properties throughout. Pure substances, whether they are elements or compounds, are rarely found in nature. Most materials we encounter are mixtures of two or more substances. A mixture of sand and salt is not homogeneous, while a mixture of salt and water forms a homogeneous mixture (or solution) when enough water is added to dissolve all of the salt present. Likewise, gases dissolve in liquids to form solutions. Fish can survive in water by using their gills to extract the dissolved oxygen. Much of the world around us is made up of aqueous solutions. The oceans and our blood are only two of many examples.¹

Aqueous solutions are the solutions in which water is the solvent. Water is called the “universal solvent” because it dissolves more substances than any other liquid. The kidneys and water’s solvent properties play an essential role in keeping us alive and healthy. The kidneys are responsible for filtering out substances that enter our bodies from the foods and drinks we consume. However, the kidneys have to get rid of these substances when they accumulate. This is where water helps out: being such a great solvent, water washing through the kidneys dissolves these substances and sends them on their way out of our bodies.2

Polarity is the property whose job is to ensure water to be such an excellent solvent. Water molecules have a polar arrangement of oxygen and hydrogen atoms—one side (hydrogen) has a positive electrical charge and the other side (oxygen) has a negative charge. This allows the water molecule to become attracted to many polar molecules as well as less-polar molecules. Water can become strongly attracted to a polar compound, such as salt (NaCl); this allows it to disrupt the attractive forces that hold the sodium and chloride ions in the salt compound together, and, thus, dissolves it.²

Similarly, glucose, which is a carbohydrate and the most important simple sugar, dissolves in water because polar water molecules attach to the glucose molecules. The six O-H (hydroxyl-) groups in glucose are the polar centers of a glucose molecule. The oxygen in each -O-H has a slight negative charge, and the hydrogen end of the -O-H has a slight positive charge. They are attracted to the water molecules by dipole-dipole forces. When the attractive forces of the water molecules for the glucose exceeds the attractive forces between the glucose and its neighboring glucose molecules, the water can pull the sugar molecule out of the crystal. It is said that water has “dissolved” the sugar molecule. This process continues until either the sugar is completely dissolved or the unattached water molecules are exhausted; in other words, when “the solution is saturated.”³

“Like dissolves like” is an expression used by chemists to state that polar solvents dissolve polar solutes; non-polar solvents dissolve non-polar solutes.For example: water is polar, oil is non-polar. Water will not dissolve oil. Water is polar, and table salt (NaCl) is ionic, which is extremely polar. According to the rule of thumb, like dissolves like, and polar dissolves polar; thus, water dissolves table salt.⁴

Polar water molecules are attracted to ions (atoms or groups of atoms with a charge) where “cations” are ions with a positive charge and “anions” have a negative charge. Most ionic compounds have high solubility in water, which means that large concentrations of those compounds can dissolve before the capacity for water molecules to isolate the ions is exceeded. The point at which Na+ and Cl-, for example, would begin to precipitate a salt in seawater is termed “saturation.” For NaCl (the mineral “halite”), this only occurs when seawater evaporates and is reduced to about 10% of its original volume. Besides Na+ and Cl- ions, which account for over 85% of the total dissolved solids (salts), seawater contains other important ions such as Mg2+, Ca2+, K+, Sr2+, B+3, SO42-, HCO3-, Br-, and F-, where the positive and negative charges are balanced. As a sign of mercy in its creation, seawater is electrically neutral; otherwise, the flow of current from the sea would be shocking!⁵

All other dissolved substances in seawater are at very low concentrations (parts per million or billion, ppm or ppb: 10-6 to 10-9). This includes important nutrients such as phosphate and nitrate that are cycled by organisms (ions called “bio-limiting”) and essential for life. Metals are also found in trace concentrations. There are about 9 million tons of gold dissolved in seawater, which is about equal to all the gold mined on earth throughout history.5

The evaporation of about 81-96% of the mass of seawater produces a predictable sequence of mineral salts (as minerals become saturated at a certain point) such as CaCO3 (calcite), CaSO4 (gypsum), NaCl (halite), and the K+ and Mg2+ salts (w/ SO42- and Cl-). There is enough salt in the ocean to cover the earth’s land with a layer 170 meters thick. Such natural deposits from ancient oceans are called “evaporites.”

Even though most ionic compounds are highly soluble in water, there are some that are insoluble (or very slightly soluble). Soluble substances can form a solution of at least 0.1M (0.1 moles per liter) at 25 C while insoluble substances cannot.For an ionic substance to dissolve in water, there are two competing factors that determine the enthalpy of the solution ΔHsol, which is the enthalpy (energy) change when a solute is dissolved in a solvent (which is water, in this case):

1. The lattice energy LE, or the energy of the formation of the crystal between infinitely separated ions. LE is proportional to the charges of its ions. This value is always positive, as energy is required to separate the ions.
2. The hydration energy of gaseous ions, which is the enthalpy change when gaseous ions dissolve in sufficient water to give an infinitely dilute solution. These values are always negative, as energy is released upon the hydration of ions.

As an example, the LE of calcium carbonate (CaCO3, or calcite), which is insoluble in water, is so large, a great amount of free energy would be required to break the strongly attracted ions apart, and this energy has to come from the enthalpy of hydration. However, the enthalpy of hydration is not large enough to overcome the large lattice energy, hence it does not dissolve in water and exists as a solid (a precipitate form).⁶

It would be very hard to predict whether a precipitate is formed in an aqueous reaction if there were not a number of patterns in the data obtained from measuring the solubility of various salts.These patterns form the basis for the solubility rules⁷ which can guide predictions of whether a salt will dissolve in water. This sense of order and harmony in creation is an exceptional gift to human beings, for it makes our lives much easier.

References

1. http://dwb.unl.edu/Teacher/NSF/C09/C09Links/www.chem.ualberta.ca/courses/plambeck/p101/p01181.htm
2. http://water.usgs.gov/edu/solvent.html
3. http://www.800mainstreet.com/9/0009-002-process.htmls
4. http://www.kentchemistry.com/links/bonding/LikeDissolveslike.htm
5. https://www.e-education.psu.edu/earth540/content/c3_p4.html
6. http://chemistry.stackexchange.com/questions/17089/why-doesnt-calcium-carbonate-dissolve-in-water-even-though-it-is-an-ionic-compo
7. http://www.chem.sc.edu/faculty/morgan/resources/solubility/

The world has never been more reliant on the fruits of science. Yet the tree of knowledge that produces this fruit is often viewed as suspect. Around the world, it’s often religious people whose condemnations of science are the most vocal.

Religious people in much of the world are actively pushing back against what they call “the worldview of science.” Many question the methods, the practices, the assumptions, and the funding priorities of science. But the same people bring no such skepticism to the fruits of science. People want good cell phones, good cars, state-of-the-art hospitals, safe food, modern cities, stable bridges, and the most modern technology.

Religion versus science. Interpreted in the context of warfare, science exists as a challenge to religion, and the duty of religious persons is to protect their tradition against the dangerous encroachments onto their territory by scientists and their theories. Both sides must be ready to fight at a moment’s notice.

This, at any rate, is the dominant view in our day. This is how we’ve been conditioned to behave: we defend the group we feel closest to and attack its enemies. We see science or religion – not science and religion.

But then there are the peacemakers — the ones who seek other solutions to conflict; the ones who prioritize partnership over war. I believe that it’s possible to develop constructive relationships between science and each particular religious tradition. Harmony will be found in the opening of specific religious traditions to the world of science. Until we acknowledge the vastly different challenges faced by the different religions, genuine progress is unlikely.

Before we get to the differences, however, let’s see how much common ground we can find.

Partnerships more urgent than ever

One obvious area of partnership is global climate change. But the environmental crisis is not the only area of common ground: science-religion partnerships are crucial across a wide variety of areas. Medical ethics and assessments of the patient’s quality of life profit from religious input. Moral outrage at the design and use of atomic, biological, and chemical weapons is often fueled by religious intuitions about what is unacceptable for one human being to do to another. The rapid expansion of technology inevitably raises ethical dilemmas. Yet there are relatively few religious thinkers who are well enough versed in the scientific details and nuanced enough in their judgments that they can make useful recommendations for when and how technology should be used.

Cutting-edge scientific research also raises some of the most interesting conceptual questions that humans have ever encountered. Physics raises fundamental questions about the birth of the universe and its distant future. Since the time of Darwin, philosophers and theologians have speculated whether biological evolution is guided in some way, or whether evolution is random.

Finally, the rapid advances in the neurosciences, fueled by greatly enhanced imaging techniques, raise urgent questions about the nature and causes of consciousness and cognition, of rationality and morality. Does the power of neuroscientific explanation prove that we are (as Francis Crick once wrote) “nothing but a pack of neurons”? Does it force us to conclude (as another neurologist put it), “Wires and chemicals, that’s all we are — wires and chemicals.” Many religious (and non-religious) scholars stand opposed to this view. They make the case that we are somehow more, that our conscious experience is unique among the species on this planet. They stand much closer to the response by the secular Jewish scientist Melvin Konner:

I suspect that we are seeing [in this example] the most rudimentary form of the key to being human: a sort of wonderment at the spectacle of the world, and its apprehensibility by the mind; a focusing, of the sheer purpose of elevation; an intelligent waking dream. In that capacity, perhaps, we find our greatest distinction, and it may be our salvation.

The questions I have just summarized are among the fundamental questions about human nature and the cosmos that are posed for us by this age of science. These questions arise naturally, compellingly, at the boundaries between recent scientific developments and the world’s most significant philosophical and religious traditions. Some of them are metaphysical questions. But they are also existential questions — questions about meaning, the construction of meaning, the search for meaning. Because they are about the creation of meaning, social sciences such as psychology, sociology, and anthropology play important roles in researching them.

To aid in a dialogue, scientific scholars should not let their reports delve into highly technical prose, written for a narrow circle of academic specialists. The best scientists express the complex dilemmas and provocative possibilities that emerge at the ever-expanding intersections of science and religion, yet they do so in ways that are broadly accessible. Our audience is every person who seeks to understand the implications of being part of a single web of life that is becoming conscious of itself, its origins, and its ultimate future.

A new dialogue

What would be the signs that we are working constructively together on overlapping topics characterized by common questions and assumptions?

I suggest three.

1. A core set of agreed-upon data and assumptions, however minimal.
2. Clear and honest formulation of disagreements. Can we clearly name the issues that threaten to tear us into warring factions? For example, for one research group all valid explanations must be naturalist explanations, of the sort accessible to contemporary science; for another group, if explanations do not include some reference to God’s supernatural actions, they cannot be valid.
3. Constructive proposals to bridge differences. Scholars must help us to analyze differences, to formulate the underlying assumptions of the other side, and to construct theories that might synthesize opposing positions.

Back to the frontiers

The birth of religion and science as a field is often cited as the 1960s; it’s sometimes connected with the 1966 publication of Ian Barbour’s Issues in Science and Religion. I can remember the early work in the 1980s and ’90s, when there was a clear excitement about sharing these discussions with one’s religious and scientific friends. There was a clear sense that a real partnership was emerging.

I wonder what it would be like to recover some of that open spirit of inquiry that characterized those early years — that sense of exploration and discovery. What would it take?

My list would include some of the following qualities:

1. willingness to compromise
2. a sense of journeying, learning, and exploring together
3. an interest in new data, in new things humans are learning about the world, and about ourselves
4. Everyone, including religious people, would admit they don’t know all the answers in advance.
5. We would see an excitement about differences, with the conviction that pursuing these differences can lead to deeper understanding

Let’s consider this last point for a moment. What does it point to, and what does it reveal?

Irreconcilable differences

When two people file for divorce in the United States, they often cite what they call “irreconcilable differences.”

In certain cultures, and at certain periods in the past, the marriage between science and religion was seen as a healthy and productive one. Today, many commentators are speaking of “irreconcilable differences” and are claiming that a complete divorce is the only solution.

Many of us hold a different view. We believe that declaring a complete divorce between science and religion would be a tragedy. The partnership that they have had could and should be continued. It is essential for the good of humanity. Those of us who identify as Muslim, Jew or Christian, as Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh or Jain, feel that we must speak up when our co-religionists dismiss science as an enemy of our religion. We want them to understand that this divorce is not necessary.

Those of us who are scientists argue the same way with our fellow scientists. Sure, we say, some religious people are fundamentally opposed to science, and some religious beliefs are incompatible with science. Still, religion as such is not our enemy. We can learn to build useful bridges between our science and their religion. Indeed, we argue, we have already found some neutral territory, and even some places of harmony. We are convinced that the actual and potential partnerships between science and religion are valuable enough that it would be a tragedy to declare that the two sides are irreconcilably at war.

Sciences and religions as a new paradigm

Predictions of secularists notwithstanding, religion is not “withering away”; globally, it is expanding faster than ever. And yet religious language is used by some to promote dogmatism, the rejection of science, and even violence.

There is some encouraging data, however. In most cases, extremism in religious communities is inversely correlated with the degree of their engagement with science. To the extent that we can promote a serious and ongoing engagement with the methods and results of the sciences, we decrease the probability that religious communities will turn toward fundamentalism.

Our challenge is, each tradition makes its peace with science in different ways. Until we as scholars in this area learn to understand and acknowledge the vastly different ways that the various traditions engage with science — what each tradition wants, what it needs, and what it fears — we will continue to misunderstand and misrepresent the other as if it shared the same concerns that define our own tradition.

Let’s consider some examples. I begin with two religious traditions that have been able to live in a mostly non-conflictual way with science: Judaism and Buddhism.

The Jewish intellectual tradition has been able to incorporate modern science with relative ease. The reasons lie deep in the Jewish tradition — in midrash, in the Rabbinical tradition, and in the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 CE. Although all of Tanak, the Hebrew Bible, reveals the nature of the Almighty, the first five books (the Torah) have the highest authority for Jews. Observance of the Mitzvot, the 613 commandments in the Torah, stands at the center of Jewish observance, and hence Jewish identity. Because the actions of observance are most important, the interpretations that one offers about the commandments, and even the beliefs that one holds about God, come second.

Over the centuries, Jewish thinkers were able to draw on a wide variety of philosophical schools to express emerging understandings of Jewish identity and Jewish views of reality. Rabbinical discourse valued multiplicity, difference of opinion, and debate. When modern science arose, the sphere of debate was simply expanded to include the new theories. Jewish communities valued the growth of knowledge, and many observant Jews became leading scientists.

Over the last decades Buddhism has also evolved to become one of the most science-friendly religions in the world. As always, there are personal and political reasons behind this phenomenon. The 14th Dalai Lama has promoted and personally sponsored a wide variety of projects in religion and science. His famous comment is often repeated: “if scientific analysis were conclusively to demonstrate certain claims in Buddhism to be false, then we must accept the findings of science and abandon those claims.”

Still, the reasons for the Dalai Lama’s support of science lie deep within Buddhist thought and practice. He speaks for much of the Buddhist tradition when we writes, “The … dimension … of basic spiritual well-being — by which I mean inner mental and emotional strength and balance — does not depend on religion but comes from our innate human nature as beings with a natural disposition toward compassion, kindness, and caring for others.”

“Buddhism, like Judaism, places the major emphasis on practice. Meditative practices are central, along with certain types of experience and states of consciousness that meditation can produce. In Mahayana Buddhist in particular, achieving the state of compassion, and expressing it in action, is the highest goal; metaphysical concepts are important only to the extent that they promote this outcome. Compassion simply means the desire “to alleviate the suffering of others and to promote their well-being.”

This approach leads to an avid interest in certain areas of science, which Buddhist practitioners, like many Hindu practitioners, view as natural allies to their own spiritual quest. They look to science to support traditional claims about the benefits of meditation and to verify the unusual physiological achievements of advanced meditators. Many practitioners are willing to distance themselves from ancient metaphysical teachings in the belief that what is most important to Buddhism will find scientific support and confirmation over the long term.

While Judaism and Buddhist offer the most unambiguous cases, many other traditions have openings to science that are currently being emphasized and explored.

In my opinion, of these various traditions that we are considering, none is more important globally today than the engagement of Islam with science.

In 2008, the Islamic Forum of Science, Cultures, and the Future of Humanity adopted a declaration which stated, with reference to Islam, that “the so-called ‘warfare between science and religion’ is unnecessary and destructive—to religion, to science, and to the future of our species and our planet,” and that it “is possible in this century to bridge the gap between the cultures of science and religion. Succeeding in this task will require greater openness to contributions from all fields of knowledge…” They also stated that they “encourage an interdisciplinary approach to the discussion of science, culture, and religion. Yet this discussion must be conducted with discipline and intellectual rigor by people with the requisite expertise.”

It is not my place as a non-Muslim to specify how Islam should make peace with science. To find solutions, Muslim scholars and imams are engaging in deep study of the Holy Qur’an, the classic tradition of Islamic philosophy and theology, and of course scientific theories and the history and philosophy of science. We as non-Muslim scholars can offer resources in these fields, and we can share solutions that our traditions have found useful. And of course we can share our confidence that solutions can be found, that Islam does not face an either/or: either reject modern science, or question the words of God’s Prophet.

Many scholars are focusing on the most pressing issues in the Islam-science dialogue: Qur’anic support for the pursuit of knowledge of the natural world; how to connect natural causes with God as the final cause of all beings and all phenomena; natural knowledge and revealed knowledge; the apparent randomness of the evolutionary process versus God’s direction of all creation; the uniqueness of human beings; naturalism versus God’s supernatural acts; and, of particular importance, how to read the Holy Qur’an so that it does not become a direct competitor with science, while still allowing the Holy Book to function as the authoritative record of the teachings of the Prophet, on whom be peace.

When it comes to my own tradition, I am obliged to speak not just of the strengths of Christian engagement with the sciences, but also of where we have fallen short.Some of the most extensive literature comes from Christian authors, and virtually every topic of Christian theology has been brought into dialogue with the sciences. One finds conservative and fundamentalist answers that reject science in toto as incompatible with Christianity, or that argue that Christian beliefs actually constitute better science than the natural sciences. At the other end of the spectrum, one finds Christian doctrines interpreted in purely scientific terms, so that no supernatural elements remain. In between these two extremes Christian authors have explored a vast variety of science-inspired interpretations of their tradition.

This radical pluralism is a strength: Christian scholars propose, for each other and for other traditions, a great number of ways that compatibilities and incompatibilities with science can be expressed and incorporated.

Conclusion: Finding common cause across differences

As scholars study relations at the various intersections of science and religion, we develop a shared body of knowledge.

I hope that we will be able to express differences without being dogmatic. I continue to be inspired by the examples of Muslim, Jewish, and Christian scientists who have accepted the call to productive scholarship, and thus have been able to make progress even in areas where there is real conflict. Deep scholarship involves deep listening. Where will we find that common foundation of respect today, without which we cannot succeed?

We do best when we connect with affection and interest across the two cultures of science and religion — when we find common cause, common interests, common challenges.

I believe that certain common values characterize our work. We value empirical data and seek to apportion our beliefs to the evidence. Because we recognize that specialization can lead to fragmentation, we value interdisciplinary scholarship and the crossing of boundaries. We know that the natural sciences, although crucial for knowledge of the world, do not tell the entire story, for the techniques and conclusions of the social sciences also play an important role. And both are supplemented by the humanities — by philosophy, ethics, and religious studies.

It is with a call to compassion and action that I wish to conclude. For the first time in the history of humanity, humans now face a truly global crisis, one for which we, ultimately, are responsible. We have upset the natural rhythm of the planet. The effects of human-induced climate change are already producing mass migrations, starvation, deaths, and extinctions of species. No one will be able to understand the crisis and take appropriate actions unless they listen carefully to science — to climatologists, environmental theorists, ecologists, and others. Yet science alone will not be sufficient to motivate the necessary response: a global turning toward a sustainable, ecologically based civilization is also necessary.

Fortunately, humanity does have resources that can supplement scientific knowledge and technological ability: we have the call to compassion, and the reminder of the sacredness of all life, that resounds across the world’s great religious traditions. These values, brought to bear on what may be the biggest crisis that humanity has ever faced, can make the crucial difference. If the decision is separation — “science or religion” — then I do not think that humanity will be able to marshal the moral and spiritual resources that it needs to slow the pace of climate change. If the decision is integration — “science and religion” — then we have a chance, a fighting chance.

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 never been more reliant on the fruits of science. Yet the tree of knowledge that produces this fruit is often viewed as suspect. Around the world, it’s often religious people whose condemnations of science are the most vocal.

Religious people in much of the world are actively pushing back against what they call “the worldview of science.” Many question the methods, the practices, the assumptions, and the funding priorities of science. But the same people bring no such skepticism to the fruits of science. People want good cell phones, good cars, state-of-the-art hospitals, safe food, modern cities, stable bridges, and the most modern technology.

Religion versus science. Interpreted in the context of warfare, science exists as a challenge to religion, and the duty of religious persons is to protect their tradition against the dangerous encroachments onto their territory by scientists and their theories. Both sides must be ready to fight at a moment’s notice.

This, at any rate, is the dominant view in our day. This is how we’ve been conditioned to behave: we defend the group we feel closest to and attack its enemies. We see science or religion – not science and religion.

But then there are the peacemakers — the ones who seek other solutions to conflict; the ones who prioritize partnership over war. I believe that it’s possible to develop constructive relationships between science and each particular religious tradition. Harmony will be found in the opening of specific religious traditions to the world of science. Until we acknowledge the vastly different challenges faced by the different religions, genuine progress is unlikely.

Before we get to the differences, however, let’s see how much common ground we can find.

The major source of freshwater is, of course, rain. Rain is an extraordinary blessing given to humanity. It brings nutrients to our soil, nourishing trees and plants. It provides us with the hydration we need to live. But just as some rain is necessary, too much rain can be destructive. As with most things in life, we need a balance.

Green water

Let’s think of a rainy moment. While some portion of rain water flows over the ground’s surface, some is absorbed into the soil. A certain volume of the absorbed water is stored in the soil, but an excess amount then leaks further into the earth. With the aid of the stored water, the nutritional elements in the soil are dissolved and this solution is taken up by the roots of plants, thus enabling growth and development.

During this stage, while a small ratio of water remains in the plant, much of it passes into the atmosphere via transpiration. Even more water is lost from the soil via surface evaporation. This water goes into the atmosphere, and it then forms into precipitation.The portion of rainfall which is initially passed into the atmosphere through transpiration or soil evaporation is called green water (Figure 1). This concept was first proposed at a seminar of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 1993.

Green water is a significant source of water and has a much larger volume than the water belonging to rivers, lakes, and aquifers, which are constantly refilled and replaced. This water is very important for land ecosystems. Rainfall-dependent crops, lumber, bio-fuels, and cotton all need green water.

Blue water

All floods, streaming waters, and ground springs that are not absorbed by soil make up what we call blue water. Blue water is utilized in irrigation, industry, energy generation, and housing. Aquatic and wetland ecosystems are dependent on this water. Blue water also carries solutions and silt which are used in river deltas, which help protect ecosystems, and can also be utilized – with the aid of dams – in hydroelectric power. As a great deal of water is needed for hydroelectric power, a shortage of blue water can lead to violence, or even war.

Blue water is the only source of hydroelectric power. It is used for other sources, too, but green water is far more abundant than blue. Thus, conservation efforts should be aimed at preserving and protecting green water.

Green water management

After a rainfall, depending on the vegetative cover, the permeability of the ground, and the slope of the water basin, anywhere from 5 to 95% of the water starts to flow. This ratio is called the flow coefficient. A lower flow coefficient means that a greater portion of the rainfall is captured by the soil; therefore, precipitation is efficiently used.

On the contrary, a bigger flow coefficient means that most of the water drains away and the rain is not properly utilized. In addition, excessive soil erosion takes place in places where there is more surface flow; as a result, areas without forest and vegetation develop. Over time, the surface flow increases, until no soil is left to hold water. Once soil is unable to absorb water, evaporation decreases, thus increasing the likelihood of a drought.

In heavily forested regions, the flow coefficient is usually between 5 – 20%. This number is around 5–35% for grass covered pastures, 30-75% in residential areas, and 70-90% for roads.

Water in soil is stored for plants

Even though the everlasting exchange among water, soil, and plants may seem very simple and ordinary, it is actually a wise, calculated, and balanced process. Without air, plant roots die because of hypoxia; without water, plants die from dehydration. In exchange for these blessings, roots support the soil, as if in expression of their gratitude. Without roots, water carries soil away. As a result of the cooperation among these three main elements, plants and clean water are constantly produced.

Unfortunately, this balance is at risk. Present field management practices show that rain water is not conserved and major losses are taking place. These losses happen in two ways:

1. With flash floods and erosion causing high surface flow volumes;
2. or via direct evaporation of water from barren soil.

After carefully considering the situation above, it becomes obvious that rainfall water must be conserved. The following steps can be taken to improve water conservation and crop production.

● Farmers can improve the local water balance. For this to be achieved, surface flow and erosion must be slowed down, soil absorption (or infiltration) should be enhanced, inefficient evaporation must be decreased, and water in the soil must be conserved.

● The water reserves of the lower basin are related to the upper basin through field management. If the water and soil of the upper basin are managed properly, the lower basin water sources become enriched, access to water becomes easier, water investment costs drop, floods decrease, and the cost of future preventive measures are lowered.

● The most important source of freshwater or clean water (blue water) is green water; as such, with better soil and water management, blue water can be regulated proficiently.

● Farmers play the key role in water management and should be supported. To do so, farmers must be educated; cooperative, union-like organizations must be formed; equipment should be provided for; and regulatory laws must be put in place.

Food shortages are perhaps the most severe consequence resulting from climate change. One way to help alleviate this problem is through better agricultural practices, especially in developing countries. Due to many factors, agriculture is a very local undertaking; it can be developed at the community level.

The key to improved agricultural production is better use of water. We must use water carefully, especially in places suffering from water shortages. Despite less rainfall, if already-present green water is well administered and locally suitable agricultural production is practiced, food shortages can be solved, and poverty at least somewhat alleviated. This can be achieved and maintained by educating people, informing them professionally, and supporting them via new technologies and improved infrastructure.

These measures should especially be adopted and implemented in dry or semi-arid regions like Turkey. This will help to preserve the already endangered water basins in these regions.

Looking at the water shortages around the world, it’s clear that we do not fully appreciate what a blessing rainfall is. We are wasting our water sources and destroying our soil. To help fight climate change and poverty, we must start giving this blessing its proper due.

She was wearing a baseball hat and jeans with a blue shirt. She held a big pair of garden scissors.

-” I am definitely going to plant next year after this whole remodeling mess is cleared up.”

-“You should. It’s delicious, a lot of fun, and clears your head.” Jennifer said pruning a branch.

-“I can’t wait. They look so beautiful.” She continued, looking at the abundant flowers of the plants proudly. The weather was getting cooler and the wind was picking up.

“It’s almost dinnertime. We have to go.” said Hannah. “Say bye to aunt Jen, Henry.” The nine month old boy looked at her and gave a huge smile. Then he went back to sucking his thumb. The two friends chatted a little more on the lawn and eventually parted. Jennifer waved at Hannah and watched her pushing the stroller with a knot in her stomach .She took a deep breath of fresh air. “Tomorrow is the big day,” she thought.

She was startled by a figure a few feet away from her. “Hi, Mrs. Field” said Daphne, her neighbor’s daughter. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

-“You didn’t scare me. How are you?”

-“Good. I was with Tonya working on our math test.”

-“Are you ready for the test?”

“Not yet. I still have three more days.”

-“You know I can always help. I like to tackle those math problems.”

-“Oh! Mrs. Field I would love that. But I know you are so busy. I don’t want to bother you.”

“If you plan well, you can do anything and everything. Matt is working late tomorrow. We can meet at seven and continue until about 8:30.”

-“Thank you Mrs. Field.” the girl said with a huge smile. “You helped so much last time for the science test.”

-“I’ll be at your door at seven.”

-“Okay Mrs. Field.”

Daphne had light brown skin and shoulder length straight black hair. She was a timid, precious child in seventh grade; the oldest of four kids in the family .Their house was not the best place to study. It was noisy all the time. But Jennifer knew her mom would not let her go out after seven. Her father worked in real estate. The mom and dad spoke with an accent which Jennifer couldn’t make out. She remembered asking the dad about where they were from. It was somewhere from the Middle East but she could not remember exactly where. For her, those countries were all the same anyways. Hot, gloomy, and generally unsafe to visit. The people ignorant and the women oppressed.

The wind was getting stronger. She felt the chill in the air and went inside. Suddenly, the thought hit her : What if it didn’t work? Her pulse quickened. She tried to brush the thought away. We planned everything to the last detail, she thought. Dr. Brown is one of the best doctors in this area with a great staff. I took all my injections right on time. I rested. We went over all the possible complications. I didn’t miss any of my appointments. The ultrasounds and blood tests looked fine. She thought and thought. She felt a little better.

She switched the TV on and turned up the volume. Maybe the sound of that would bury the “What if?” in her head.

Then her thoughts swung the other way. That made her whole chest feel with happiness .Finally it would happen…after waking up extra early to catch her appointments, injections, side effects of the medications, all her planning would pay off. She spent three weeks just to find the best doctor in the area. All she wanted was a curly haired little girl. She would have her nose and Matt’s eyes.

Jennifer was hard-working, organized, responsible, polite, educated. She deserved it. The sound of the TV could not stop her going back again to that first day with Dr Brown. He explained her different methods to do this. They chose the most expensive and invasive one, with the best probability of a positive outcome. Jennifer Field didn’t like small numbers when it came to chances, an attribute of hers which made her very successful professionally.

The whole process was painful, but especially the day they harvested her eggs. She even had to take 2 days off of work after the retrieval because of the pain, discomfort, and nausea that came with anesthesia. Every minute of it was carved in her brain.

She could hear the even stronger wind now. It was unusually cold for this time of the year. She took a book, a heavy blanket, and went to bed. She assured herself that everything is going to be okay and it is going to be the happiest day of her life. They would celebrate on Friday with Matt. She already made the reservations for a nice dinner.

When she woke up with the alarm at five, Matt was sleeping next to her. Matt had a shop in the mall and usually came late and went to work a little later than she did. She checked the weather, got dressed, gave Matt a kiss and went out. It was chilly. She braced herself and held onto her scarf. The doctor’s office was a 20 minute drive. Luckily, today she would stay less than usual there, only to give blood for the pregnancy test. The nurse was polite as usual.

“Today’s the big day!”

Jennifer smiled back.

“I’ll call as soon as the results are out.”

The rest of the day was like a dream. It was as if she was living in a movie, waiting for the happy ending. “Mrs. Field! Your test result is positive! Congratulations!”

She would dream about it over and over again. Her day at work came to an end. Still, no call…

Half an hour later she parked her car on her driveway. Suddenly, she remembered to check on her tomatoes. She was turning to the back of the house her phone rang and she jumped…

Then it all came crashing down .The pregnancy test was negative, her tomatoes which made her proud every year all frozen and dead, her perfect yard and house disorganized and dirty after all the “taking it easy” for the last month.

She felt the tightness in her throat. She ran into the house. She needed a hug. She called Matt, but it went to voicemail. Where was he? Where was he ever when she needed him? She felt so angry. She went outside and started walking hurriedly and aimlessly on the streets. She didn’t know where she was going or how long she had been walking. She just kept going and going in the cold. Her white cheeks were red. She desperately wanted to cry but tears wouldn’t come.

Was it because of that night she got the injection 15 minutes late? Was the nurse checking her ovaries a little too quick? Did the doctor really prescribe the best meds? Her phone rang. It was her mom.

“Honey, you’re very young. You can always try again.”

“Mom, I’m 32. I’m not so young anymore.”

“You call that ‘not so young ‘? Don’t be silly. Besides don’t worry about anything you can’t change. It’s going to be okay in the end. Believe me. Your baby is going to come. It is just not time yet. “

She felt so cold inside out. She wanted to go back home and curl up in her bed. There was a reminder on her phone. It said: “Study with Daphne in half an hour”

She thought about canceling but didn’t want to disappoint her. For an unknown reason she just wanted to see her and talk to her. Also she didn’t want to face Matt. At 7:30 she was at their door. Daphne opened the door with her big smile. The mom was obviously frustrated with the two-year-old, holding her screaming baby. She said hi to Jen and disappeared with the baby and the toddler. The dinner was not cleared up yet. There were scattered toys and clothes everywhere. The five-year-old boy was bouncing like a ball off of the walls in the living room. Walking into Daphne’s room,Jennifer felt the anger rising in her. “This woman cannot even deal with this many, and she has them all. And me…”

Then she remembered the youngest child being a special-needs baby with cerebral palsy and felt bad for him and his mom. She thought about having a baby with the same needs, and saw that it scared her too much. It did not fit in her perfect world somehow.

Jennifer felt a calm come over her and she talked, studied, and laughed with Daphne. She didn’t realize two hours had passed. Daphne was yawning. Jennifer got up to leave. When they got out of the room they saw that it was very quiet. “The kids must have slept.” Jen said. She was about to leave when Mina, the mom came to the door. She had changed out of her clothes. Her hair was wet.

“Thanks a lot,” she said with the same accent her husband had. “Not a problem.” Jennifer said humbly.

“I was just making some tea for myself. Please join me. We haven’t really got to meet. “

The last thing Jen had in mind right now was to meet and talk with this woman who had four kids. From where she was standing she could see her driveway. Matt was home. She hesitated, weighing her options. Stay here and have tea with this woman, or face Matt to give him the bad news.

“I would love to,” she said.

Daphne went to her room and the two women went into the kitchen. Jen took a chair next to the table. Mina put a pot of water on the stove, and started adding things on it. The first was something that looked like a dark piece of wood Jen couldn’t recognize. If this woman was trying to poison her, she didn’t care right now. She texted Matt that she was next-door and would be late.

“Your tomatoes are famous in the entire neighborhood.” She said and kept adding pieces and teabags to the water.

Jennifer’s face fell. Mina looked concerned and sincere. She asked “What happened?”

Suddenly in this warm house, with the aroma of cinnamon and cloves in the air, with this nice woman offering her tea , she wanted to pour out everything inside her. She felt her throat closing again, but she tried to hold herself tight.

“All of the flowers and most branches are frozen and dead. I planned everything. I made sure it was all done perfectly, and on time. The plants were lush, green, and healthy. I picked up a sunny spot .Then this happened. “

All the scenes about the procedures she went through for this pregnancy were playing in her mind. She couldn’t hold the tears anymore and didn’t want to.

Mina knew this was more than tomatoes. She sat next to her quietly and let her cry and gave her tissues. Then she said: “People plot and plan, but Allah is the real planner.” This caught her off guard.

“When you say it that way I feel so powerless.”

“Aren’t you?” Mina said.

Jennifer remembered the time she fell ill with a viral infection and couldn’t get out of bed for two weeks.

“You can have the most fertile soil and the best seeds. You can use the most expensive fertilizer and cleanest water. But you can’t give life. You can’t control the weather either.” Mina brought her back.

“Also you can have the best doctors, the best medication, the best nurses, but you don’t have the power to make it happen.” Jennifer thought. Then she said:

“But shouldn’t we work as hard as we could to get a good result or be successful? Should we just sit and wait, and not do anything.”

“Of course not. That is the other extreme. The stuff that we do to get a good result in something like this, is like knocking on the door of a generous person. If you knock hard enough, or long enough you will probably get an answer. But God is under no restrictions.”

“What do you mean?”

“Everything is in need of him every moment for everything, in every way. And he gets to choose whatever he wants.”

When she sad this, an angry thought of the negative pregnancy test came to her mind.

“What does that have to do with …. uh… my tomatoes?”

“Your tomatoes, other fruit, vegetables, rain, wind, clouds ,they all come from his treasury of mercy. Not from the soil or wood or anything else. It is as if he offers those blessings with the hands of trees, air, or soil.”

Jennifer couldn’t believe her ears. She was listening words of wisdom from a woman that she has looked down upon for so many years.

“A tree can bear fruit one year. The following year, with all the causes present and even better, it might not produce any.”

Saying this she also poured the tea and offered her banana bread. Jennifer took a sip. It was delicious. She took a bite from the bread and loved it too.

“He put laws in nature. If you don’t water your plants, they’ll die. You have to work hard if you want to be successful. But there are also exceptions to the laws. They make you see beyond the causes and appeal to the real doer of things, ” she continued.

“I don’t remember ever praying for my tomatoes.”

“Doing the right things to get the best result as you did in your case is also a type of prayer. There are different types of prayers, and there are different types of answers as well. But listen! Have you ever seen anybody praying for the sun to go up in the morning?”

Jennifer laughed.”Of course not; everybody knows that it will come up and when.”

“Exactly!”

“What do you think God is trying to tell me?” She asked. She wanted her to talk more. The tea in her body and her words were giving her an unexpected relief.

“I don’t know. You have to figure it out.”

“What you said is making me more modest.”

“I feel the same way. But I also feel relief. I can only do as much as I can. I’m not responsible for every outcome of my doing, after I did all I could. That is a big load off my shoulders and feels nice. “

“It’s nice unless it makes you lazy.”

There was silence. After a little bit she continued:

“My pregnancies were more or less the same. I try to eat right, exercise and all but then Ali … “she said and stopped. Her eyes were all teary. Jen put a hand on hers. They stayed quiet for a while.

Jen broke the silence.

“I took so much of your valuable quiet time.” she said.

“No, it’s great to have a conversation with an adult.”

Then she showed Jen her stash of chocolates. The two woman women sat on the sofa together. They talked, and laughed together. Then they ate, and talked and laughed some more. Both realized how much they had in common, and also how different they were. Then they watched the end of an old movie and cried. It was 2 o’clock at night when the baby woke up and needed to be fed. Jen said bye and left. Standing outside alone, breathing the crisp air she felt peace. She thought she would have a baby growing in her. Instead she found a friendship to grow and nurture.

Life brings you so many unexpected and wonderful things. And she was somehow confident it was pregnant with more.