Every year on September 1st, and for the following 6 months, this, and more, is exactly what happens to dolphins. Hundreds and thousands of these peaceful creatures are murdered annually in Taiji, Japan. This harsh practice is done so people can eat dolphin meat or keep the animals captive for entertainment in marine parks or aquariums (Dolphin Hunt – Focus on Taiji, Japan, 2015).

Types of dolphins hunted down include the bottlenose dolphins, striped dolphins, false killer whales, pantropical spotted dolphins, Risso’s dolphins, pacific white-sided dolphins, and short-finned pilot whales, and if any of these are to go extinct, there would be a major issue in the ocean’s environment.               The brutality of these hunts is hard to imagine. A group of fisherman signal each other when they find a pod of dolphins. Their boats strategically position themselves around the pod, and lower steel pipes, which they strike to create a sound dolphins find distressing. This causes the dolphins to swim towards shore, where the fisherman can better trap them with nets. After they are trapped, the dolphins are left in the sheltered cove overnight to recover from the abrupt disturbance that drove them to this new, foreign place. The next day, one by one, the dolphins are slaughtered with spears and blades. Their bodies are stabbed, or their throats are cut, causing them to die of exsanguination and trauma. Some dolphins can be laying on the boat paralyzed, bleeding out for several hours (Butterworth, Brakes, Reiss & Vial, 2013). By the end of the day, the clear blue water, turns into a thick, murky blood bath.

This process would not “be tolerated or permitted in any regulated slaughterhouse process in the developed world” (A Veterinary and Behavioral Analysis of Dolphin Killing Methods Currently Used in the “Drive Hunt” in Taiji, Japan). Adding to the controversy is that dolphins are very intelligent and emotional compared to most other animals. It has been found that dolphins suffer from loneliness and feel grief. Such a painful death with massive pain for prolonged amount of time hurts them both physically and psychologically.

Adding to the inhumanity of the hunts is the fact that dolphins are vital to the ocean’s food chain. Killing them on such a large scale hurts every other animal that depends on balance in the oceans, including humans. Dolphins act as top-level predators, bio indicators, and as sanitary police. When studying dolphins, a lot can be concluded about their surrounding environment. If they are found to be sick, it indicates that there is a problem with the water. This discovery can help clean up polluted waters, protecting other living beings from being harmed – and preventing people from eating those sick animals (Revermann, 2016).

Dolphins don’t just alert humans to toxic waters, they also eat diseased fish. Fish afflicted with the toxin ciguatera are amongst the ill fish that dolphins eat. Ciguatera-infected fish can cause food poisoning when consumed by people, and dolphins help keep these fish off of the dinner table (Revermann, 2016).

After examining the vital significance of dolphins to their environments, one might question why the Japanese government is still so persistent about continuing these annual hunts. The answer they give is simple yet ludicrous: pest control. The Japanese government and fishermen claim that dolphins eat too much fish, decreasing the amount of seafood people in Japan can eat (Frequently Asked Questions for Dolphin Hunts, 2016). While dolphins balance out the food chain, humans are the ones who are truly responsible for any imbalance. We are the ones forcibly inviting ourselves into the sea and tinkering with its delicate balance. It is unreasonable to punish dolphins for our actions. If there is a small amount of fish left to hunt, this is due to human activity and growth, not dolphins’ natural eating habits. Instead of defending their practice with unreasonable statements, the Japanese government and their fishermen could do more to understand the effects of their hunting. Recognizing the role these dolphins play in the grand scheme of things is the first step to stopping, or at least limiting, these senseless hunts.

Perhaps the worst indignity of these hunts is the fact that dolphin meat isn’t even good for humans to eat. Dolphins are high in mercury, a metal considered to be the second most toxic poison in the world. Mercury attacks the brain and the nervous system, causing damage to eyesight, hearing, and motor-skills. It interferes with one’s memory and thought processes, eventually leading to dementia. For women who are pregnant, it can cause their fetuses to suffer life-long brain damage. In extreme amounts, it can also result in death (O’Barry, 2016). People who eat dolphin meat expose themselves to all of these risks.

How much mercury is in dolphin meat? In some cases, the levels of mercury are up to 5,000 times higher than the levels suggested by the UN World Health Organization and the Japanese Ministry of Health. Besides mercury, dolphins are also contaminated with other hazardous pollutants like PCBs and cadmium. PCBs are chemicals associated with the “estrogen effect,” meaning it mimics the female hormone estrogen. In women, this excess of estrogen may lead to breast cancer (Dolphin Meat Obtained in Japan Drive Fisheries: Toxic to Humans, 2007). Since dolphin meat is so deleterious, it stands to reason that it should not be sold in markets.

Dolphins are peaceful, warm creatures. They have become well known for their sociable nature and high level of intelligence. They are also crucial to their environments. No matter how much dolphins are worth in dollars, it is not worth taking their lives and further threatening the already precarious state of our oceans. Yes, thousands of dolphins have already been killed, but further and irreversible damage can still be prevented.

References

“Dolphin Hunts – Focus on Taiji, Japan.” WDC, Whale and Dolphin Conservation. WDC, 2015. Web. 12 June 2016.

“Frequently Asked Questions for Dolphin Hunts.” WDC, Whale and Dolphin Conservation. WDC, 2016. Web. 11 June 2016 Butterworth, Andrew, et al.

“A veterinary and behavioral analysis of dolphin killing methods currently used in the “drive hunt” in Taiji, Japan.”

Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 16.2 (2013): 184-204. Revermann, Susan. “Dolphin’s Ecological Importance.”

Education. Seattlepi, 2016. Web. 122 June 2016.

“Dolphin Meat Obtained In Japan Drive Fisheries: Toxic To Humans.”BlueVoice.org. N.p., 2007. Web. 11 June 2016. O’Barry, Rick.

“DANGER: Dolphin Meat Is Poisoned by Mercury.” Ric OBarrys Dolphin Project RSS. N.p., 2016. Web. 11 June 2016.

“Google.” Google. Google, n.d. Web. 13 June 2016.

Jakus AE et al. Hyperelastic “bone”: A highly versatile, growth factor-free, osteoregenerative, scalable, and surgically friendly biomaterial. Science Translational Medicine. September 2016.

Bone implantation surgery is both challenging for doctors and a painful process for patients, especially children. It usually requires either harvesting existing bone tissue from elsewhere in the body, or using metallic implants. While these approaches may work for adults, they are not a permanent solution when used for growing children. In a recent study, scientists reported a 3D printable ink that forms a synthetic bone implant and induces bone generation and growth. This biomaterial is composed of a mix of 90% hydroxyapatite, a calcium mineral found in human bone, and 10% biodegradable polymer, which is commonly used in medical applications, including sutures. The key feature of this new hyper-elastic biomaterial is its ability to create porous structures where blood vessels and other cells can infiltrate to create a scaffold. Animal studies showed that when stem cells are placed on these scaffolds, they turn into bone cells and initiate the regeneration process. Additional factors can also be easily integrated into the biomaterial, such as antibiotics to prevent post-surgery infections or growth factors to further enhance the regeneration process. The advantage of 3D printing technology will enable doctors to create personalized bone structures with custom shapes and properties for each patient.  In the near future, hospitals with biomaterial and 3D printing facilities may revolutionize the field of craniofacial and orthopedic surgery.

Gene behind “sixth sense” discovered

Chesler AT et al. The Role of PIEZO2 in Human Mechanosensation. The New England Journal of Medicine. September 2016

Close your eyes and bring your finger to your nose. It’s an easy task for almost all of us, isn’t it? Awareness of the position of one’s body in space is called proprioception, also commonly known as the “sixth sense.” A recent study describes the cases of two patients who lack proprioception. These patients could not walk, keep their balance, or even touch their noses when blindfolded. Genetic analyses revealed that both patients had mutations on a gene called PIEZO2, suggesting that this gene is responsible for the sense of touch and proprioception in humans. Further investigation of the PIEZO2 gene showed that it controls mechanosensation by generating nerve signals in response to any force touching the skin, thus allowing us to sense the touch. The patients seem to compensate for a lack of proprioception by relying primarily on vision. While these patients have non-functional PIEZ02 genes, there is an intriguing possibility that there could be other variations of this gene in the human population, which may generate a spectrum of symptoms from superior athletic performance to clumsiness, depending on the P

The same ideas are expressed in Spain’s Moorish architecture. There is no greater achievement in Moorish architecture than the Alhambra, located in Granada. This fortress complex is situated atop a mountain, with panoramic views of the city below. The enormous palace complex is rich in ornamentation, which was used to enhance the architectural forms and add character to the buildings. The ornamentation present in the Alhambra includes the elaborate muqarnas, lavish courtyards, and geometric patterning.

Muqarnas

The fact that the Alhambra is probably the most important piece of Moorish architecture is due to its sculptural elements, known as muqarnas. “…found in the Alhambra, and unprecedented in the West, (muqarna) is one of the greatest of all Muslim contributions to the history of architecture, originating in some North African structures… the muqarnas work in the star-shaped vaults” (Trachtenberg and Hyman 1986, 219).

It is important to note that the muqarnas were not just thrown all over the walls without reason; they were added for the purpose of enhancing form, and resolving rough transitions: “The Moors ever regarded what architects hold to be the first principle of architecture—to decorate construction—never to construct decoration. In Moorish architecture, not only does decoration arise naturally from the construction, but the constructive idea is carried out in every detail of the ornamentation of the surface” (Calvert 1907, 108).

This idea illustrates the distinction between ornamentation for the sake of decoration and ornamentation that arises from the construction, which is what the Moors of Spain did. In terms of muqarnas enhancing architectural form, they blur the line between where the dome begins and where it ends, so that a seamless transition has been created. “The empty portions of the four corners must be filled to redistribute the load of the dome (in fact there are two domes: the muqarna dome, just decorative, and the structural dome, which can only be seen from the exterior and from which the muqarnas are suspended). This redistribution is achieved with an assemblage of muqarnas, and the four angles are connected with a very simple muqarnas frieze” (Castera 2007, 108).

This interior treatment of the dome gives the illusion of a honeycomb-like appearance that is both striking and functional. A plain dome would not suffice and would not match the characteristics of the rest of the Alhambra. The muqarnas are also used in the various arches that flank some of the Alhambra’s courtyards. These muqarnas are used once again as ornamentation, but they serve a greater purpose: “…They support, like a canopy, filigreed, muqarna (honeycomb) arches that echo the protective role of the palm leaves around oasis pools in the desert. These muqarnas break up the contours of the arches into small, three-dimensional, decorative elements which merge with the surrounding geometric, vegetal and calligraphic ornamentation” (Irwin 2004, 167).

In this instance, the muqarnas grow out of the arches to resemble leaves, giving character to the arches but also breaking up their contours and playing with the lighting. The overall effect enhances the architecture. The muqarnas have been important to the palace because they bring texture, and for lack of a better word, harmony, to the domes and arches.

Courtyards

Another form of ornamentation are the courtyards that give character to the Alhambra. Courtyards might not be considered ornamentation in the conventional sense, but here, courtyards have been important in making connections between architecture and religion. “The romantic imagination of centuries of visitors has been captivated by the special combination of the slender columnar arcades, fountains, and light-reflecting water basins found in those courtyards—the Lion Court in particular. This combination is understood from inscriptions to be a physical realization of descriptions of Paradise in Islamic poetry” (Trachtenberg and Hyman 1986, 219). In Islam and in the Quran, there are many mentions of paradise and the afterlife. In those descriptions, God refers to the greenery and the flowing rivers and coolness of shade and water. At the Alhambra, the goal was to recreate Paradise on Earth within the courtyards.

The courtyards are primarily intended to give character to the palace and make implicit connections with both Paradise and mosques. Ornamental columns that do not bear loads frame the courtyard: “We get very thin columns, single or paired, with no entasis or fluting to show any sense of compression. Exaggerated impost blocks further isolate the supports from their dainty load. The whole seems not so much constructed as spun, painted, conjured” (Kostof 1995, 398). This further contributes to the idea that the courtyard is ornamentation for the palace. It is not necessary, but implemented for the sake of character and symbolism in Islam.

Water

Water is an important element of ornamentation both in the Qur’an and in the courtyards. Kostof elaborates on this idea a lot: “In the Court of Lions, an open space surrounded by porticoes is crisscrossed with thin water channels that slice through the axial pavilions and enter the rooms behind, like a trickle of life seeking its source. The slender columns find what mooring they can in this watery stage, their fragile presence devitalized even more in pale, tremulous reflections.” He continues: “We recall the Koranic descriptions of Paradise, those ‘pavilions beneath which water flows,’ and we see them in the channels and hooded porches of the courts” (Kostof 1995, 398-399).

Geometric patterns

Lastly, geometric patterns are used extensively throughout the Alhambra, as they are in many Islamic pieces of art. The geometries and patterns both give character to the forms, and also enhance the forms by bringing light to certain elements, such as entryways or arches. In the following explanation given by author Robert Irwin, it is evident that the geometric patterns are used to accent the structure of the palace in places like doorways: “The geometric patterns of some of the hangings mimic the structures of the palace’s doors. One has to imagine brilliantly colored carpets and silks blending in with the no less brilliantly colored stucco and woodwork” (Irwin 2004, 33).

The geometric forms are used to enhance architectural forms. But the geometric patterns also give character to the palace: “The most obvious application of tessellation in the Alhambra is in the tile work of the various dados, where repetitive pattern is used to rest the eye” (Irwin 2004, 119). A tessellation of a flat surface is tiling using repetition in geometric forms but with no overlaps or gaps—every surface is covered. In this instance, the geometries provide balance for the viewer because in a palace like the Alhambra, it could cause a sensory overload if there is too much detailing.

Interestingly enough, the Alhambra is unique in its geometric ornamentation because it has all different types of mosaic tiling present throughout the palace: “All seventeen plane groups are present among the mosaics in the Alhambra” (Lovric 2012, 6). This is remarkable, because such mosaic work was costly and time-consuming. But this thoroughness and attention to detail added to the character of the palace, and helped make it world-renowned.

Ornamentation was used in the Alhambra as a means of expressing character and also enhancing the architectural forms. This was done through the use of muqarnas, interpretations of Paradise, and geometric forms. If the palace were stripped of its ornamentation, it would lack a certain magic. Kostof sums it up nicely when he says, “It is impossible to think of this environment of fantasy and introspection, set in an idyllic hilltop amid myrtles, evergreens and running brooks, as anything other than an earthly paradise” (Kostof 1995, 399).  

References

• Calvert, Albert Frederick. The Alhambra, Being a Brief Record of the Arabian Conquest of the Peninsula with a Particular Account of the Mohammedan Architecture and Decoration. London: John Lane, 1907.
• Castera, Jean-Marc. “The Muqarnas Dome of the Hall of the Two Sisters in the Alhambra in Granada.” Ed. Emmer, Michele. Mathematics and Culture V. Berlin: Springer, 2007.
• Irwin, Robert. The Alhambra. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP, 2004.
• Kostof, Spiro. A History of Architecture: Settings and Rituals. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 1995.
• Lovric, Miroslav. “Magic Geometry: Mosaics in the Alhambra.” Journal of Art Historiography 6 (June 2012): 1-29.
• Trachtenberg, M & Hyman, I. Architecture: From Prehistory to Postmodernism: The Western Tradition. New York: Abrams, 1986.

In their rooms, your twins are using a 3D printer to print their new transformer robot toy. Meanwhile, your daughter is ordering a dress online – not the dress itself, but the new textile cartridges and 3D blueprint of the dress. It’s been nearly 5 years since you replaced most of your cooking utensils with a new iCOOK3D portable food printer, which comes with 3 months of food cartridge refills, available in thousands of different flavors. Your new neighbors are excited to be living in their 3D printed homes, although you are not as happy since they copied the design of your French Colonial house. On your holographic TV, which you purchased last week from the print shop in your neighborhood, you are watching news about police investigating a 3D-printed-organ black-market.

All this may sound like a scene from a sci-fi movie; however, we have already taken major steps toward making this dream a reality.

3D printing (or additive manufacturing) is the process of making three dimensional objects from a digital model using materials such as plastic or metal. While traditional manufacturing techniques (subtractive processes) rely on the removal of materials (e.g. by drilling, cutting, etc.), 3D printing is achieved using additive processes to create an object by laying down successive layers of material. It will reach the masses sooner than many thought, thanks to recent developments in manufacturing and low cost prototypes now available. 3D printing is expected to change nearly every thing [1] in our daily lives, from manufacturing and transportation, to shopping and consumption. Scholars have already started to discuss how these changes will affect our societies, health, and daily habits.

Let’s start with manufacturing. 3D printing allows rapid and cheap prototyping, as well as the creation of highly customized products. While manufacturers have been using 3D printing to prototype their designs for years, expect to see 3D printing machines appearing in factories very soon. Some highly customized components are already produced more affordably on 3D printers as the capabilities of 3D printers have improved over the last 5 years. Factories are incorporating hybrid manufacturing processes by integrating 3D printing into the production line and supply chains.

Assembly lines and supply chains for many products can be reduced with the help of 3D printing. Complex structures and designs can be printed in one process, eliminating the separate manufacturing processes, shipping, and assembly of thousands of small parts for products like cars. Products and spare parts can be manufactured on demand, eliminating the need to build-up inventory. Manufacturing facilities will be capable of printing a wide range of products without   retooling.

Customization will become the norm in manufacturing. Products will be customized not just by allowing you to engrave your name on it, but by providing the option to change size, color, shape, and ergonomy. Nike plans to use 3D printing for manufacturing their final products. The Nike Vapor Laser Talon [2] is an ultra-lightweight football shoe (159 grams, including cleats), which was produced by using selective laser sintering. 3D printing will allow highly customized products like shoes that perfectly fit the 3D scanned structure of a customer’s feet.

3D printing will improve the innovation cycle and streamline the path from design to final product. Rapid prototyping using 3D printers reduces the time needed to turn a design or concept into a final product by allowing designers to test many concepts easily while using limited resources. This will improve all steps of the manufacturing cycle – from design to production, and modification to reproduction. It will also reduce the carbon footprint of a given product thanks to a more efficient use of raw materials, limiting the amount of energy used and reducing the need for shipping products around the globe.

In the early stages of 3D printing, print shops will begin appearing in shopping malls, some of them offering online printing services. This will allow you to upload your design, select your material and production options, and order a print of your product to pick up from your local store – or even have it directly shipped to your home. Retailers will be able to focus on selling designs with interactive web platforms that allow you to create a new design or customize selected designs.

With more materials supported in high precision 3D printing (plastic, wood, ceramic, metal, etc.), repairs will be easier and more affordable than ever. Instead of ordering parts, replacing the equipment, or looking for a repair shop, you will be able to order parts or designs online to print at your home. New 3D printing techniques [3] allow microscopic printing with nano-precision, and this is 100 times faster than traditional printing processes. Producing no scrap, 3D printing will also reduce material waste and energy usage. While you are already flying on planes with 3D-printed parts, which makes it lighter and more fuel efficient, NASA is already testing [4] 3D printers in space to build and repair space crafts and satellites.

A new revolution will be started through the development of “printed” electronics. A group of researchers developed a material called carbomorph, which is a conductive, inexpensive, and printable plastic. It can be loaded into most 3D printers on the market. The carbomorph makes it possible to print 3D objects like game controllers, complete with electronic tracks, sensors, and touch-sensitive areas. We still need a bit more time before we can print a smartphone complete with its electronic components.

3D printing will also transform education. Teachers will give 3D printing assignments in science and art classes to teach about complex geometrical shapes or help students better understand the structure of a molecule.

Students can develop an idea, design it, and make it real with the help of 3D printing. A number of middle and high schools in the US are already equipped with 3D printers. Some courses provide materials for integrating 3D printing into classes. A 3D printing pen [5] allows students to print in the air, and combine the design and production processes into one step.

While minimizing the use of harmful chemicals for production and making environmentally friendly product designs possible, the main benefit of 3D printing might be found in the health sector. 3D printed medical implants will improve the health of someone close to you by allowing better bone implants, prosthetic limbs, custom-fit medical devices, and personalized medicine. The ability to print soft-tissues, skin, arteries and veins is already under development.

Researchers are working hard to eliminate the need for organ donations, as well as any issues with organ transplant rejections, while also improving laboratory drug tests – all using 3D printable organs. The process is called biofabrication: printing organs on demand using living cells (bio-ink) instead of ink [6]. These printers use specialized valves to control the rate of cells released, and place them in a 3D structure. Stem cells, the building block of organs and tissues, are used as the bio-ink since they are “generic” cells that can become specific cells under the right conditions. These printers are able to print millions of cells per minute. In the not-so-far future, printed tissues and organs will be available in labs for research, but down the line, they will hopefully replace organ transplants.

The use of 3D printing could significantly change how we do business and live our everyday lives. As in every other scientific development, 3D printing will bring along new problems and issues. Defense Distributed, an open source group working on designs of both guns and their accessories, is trying to make the blueprints of guns accessible to everyone to download and print using 3D printing technology. They successfully demonstrated printing and testing a 30-round AR-15 magazine recently. The success of 3D printing firearms and components causes significant concern for public safety.

Another debate surrounding 3D printing is about copyrighting. Manufacturers and designers are concerned about ease of distribution and replication of their copyrighted designs and products via 3D printers. Even though there are methods to protect and limit the distribution of copyrighted content online, new 3D scanners allow people to digitize real objects, and make the replication process much easier. As the music and movie industry was affected by the distribution of digital content, the 3D printing of products will bring more intellectual property and copyright discussions to the table.

Environmental, health, and safety issues are the major concerns around 3D printing. People will face health issues connected with using nanomaterials in the printing process, ethical issues around the possibility of printing living cells or organisms, and the social dangers presented by the ease of access to firearms and accessories. Despite these and other unforeseen problems, 3D printing can inspire innovation and provide significant improvements in medicine, science, technology, and education, just as computers and the internet brought us similar changes over the last 20 years. We need to continue supporting innovation while addressing the concerns that come with these changes.

Acknowledgment: This article was produced in Mergeous [7], an online article and project development service for authors and publishers dedicated to the advancement of technologies in the emerging realm of science and spiritual thought.

References

[1] Manufacturing The Future: 10 Trends To Come In 3D Printing, CIO Network Insights and Ideas for Technology Leaders, December 7,   2012.

[2] Nike Vapor Laser Talon, Nike Inc., 2013.

[3] 3D-printer with nano-precision, Florian Aigner, Phys.org, March 13,    2012.

[4] NASA Turns to 3D Printing for Self-Building Spacecraft, Jeremy Hsu, Space.com, September 14, 2012

[5] A 3D-printing pen, kurzweilai.net, February 25,   2013

[6] Printing a human kidney, Anthony Atala, TED Conferences, March 2011.

[7] Mergeous, Online article and project development service,   mergeous.com

At its best, the internet is a place where such online dialogues occur in a space of absolute equality. People can persuade and be persuaded. The importance of this form of communication led Benson (1996) to note in the late 90s that, “computer mediated communication has become a highly visible activity for academics, professionals, and the press, attracting powerful claims about its potential to contribute to the formation of a spirit of community and civility” (p. 361). People interested in interfaith dialogue can form a virtual community that contributes significantly to the goals of interfaith cooperation and harmony.

Unfortunately, despite the many positives of increased connectivity, there are also some negatives, including online incivility. Anyone who has ever spent a bit of time on the internet has probably seen the way comment sections or discussions can devolve into name calling and hostility. Can online conversations about important issues, like interfaith dialogue, remain civil?

Robin George Collingwood, who was a 19th and 20th century British historian and philosopher, felt that the first virtue of all social and political institutions rested on civility. At the heart of civility was respect for others, which also implies an interest in reaching agreements with others. The uncivil person was likened to the yahoo in the classic novel Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift. In the story, the yahoo was given to persistent quarrel, lack of agreement and resorted to force to settle issues over reasoned understanding (Johnson, 2008).

In essence, civility is manners, tolerance, peacefulness, and a healthy respect for others. The absence of civility in online discussions has led some to call for an end to anonymous dialogues online. As noted by Hlavach and Freivogel (2011), “anonymity seems to unleash the worst in some of these posters; they hide their faces behind a pseudonym while their voices shout out angrily, free of the normal bonds of civility (p. 24).”

When discussing online dialogues, the dangers must be weighted with the benefits. While the perceived safety of remaining anonymous allows people to explore ideas they might not be comfortable with if their identity was known to others, conversely, the banning of anonymous comments could also hurt the poor, the vulnerable, and the dispossessed for the simple reason that they may be targeted for participating in online forums. The use of online blogs for interfaith dialogues where there is a specific viewpoint towards interfaith cooperation and understanding may also prevent many who would seek to disrupt those conversations from joining those groups. Still, it is always possible some may join these groups specifically to disrupt them (McCluskey & Hmielowski, 2012; Hlavach & Freivogel, 2011).

Despite valid concerns, anonymity is a protected right in the United States, first recognized in Talley v. California (1960). This was confirmed in McIntyre vs. Ohio (1995) that anonymity was protected in the Bill of Rights. This reality has motivated many who allow online dialogues of news articles or blogs / forums to seek a balance between unrestricted dialogue and controls on profanity and inappropriate comments. Thankfully, despite the cover of anonymity, most commenters behave respectfully. It is only a minority of people who cause problems; but left unattended, these “trolls,” as they are known in cyber-talk, can disrupt online dialogues (Reader, 2012; Rich, 2011; Hlavach & Freivogel, 2011; Gsell, 2009).

How do these trolls disrupt online conversations? Incivility usually manifests as attacks, such as name-calling and the devaluation of an opponent. These attacks can be personal in nature, or directed at one’s religion and ethnic group. Such attacks are almost never based in fact or sound reasoning, but are based purely on emotion. In many uncivil online exchanges, racist and bigoted comments are commonplace (Hwang, Borah, Namkoong & Veenstra, 2008). Why are some people using internet discussions as forums for unrest and bigotry? Johnson (2008) wrote that the absence of civility, according to Collingwood, is due to a collapse in traditional ways of life. The norms and values that form the backbone of all societies are constantly shifting with generational, demographic, and technological changes. These changes can be both positive and negative. When these changes lead to greater alienation and disregard for others, the effects are negative. One negative externality can be greater incivility in society, which is reflected in online discourse.

In the absence of these agreed societal norms and values, some proactive bloggers have attempted to create a “code of conduct” for cyber-exchanges. One rule states that posters cannot say anything online they wouldn’t also say face-to-face. It has been found that when rules like this have been developed, most people have upheld them in their exchanges. The problem is that although most people do uphold these codes and follow the rules of civility, the minority that engages in “flaming,” the intentional use of derogatory language to create online discord, can disrupt almost any online dialogue (Miller, 2007; Hurrell, 2005).

Another effort to limit disruptions involves having moderators monitor online discussions. Unfortunately, the sense that some figure of power might “control” the dialogue seems counter to the egalitarian nature of the internet (Benson, 1996). Still, it is in everyone’s interest to limit incivility. The consequence of these uncivil exchanges is increased discord within all communities. Online vitriol drives people away from important conversations. In addition, it can lead to greater fragmentation – both on- and offline. Hwang et.al. (2008) found that, “nasty language and name-calling tend to discourage people from sorting themselves into heterogeneous groups, partly because nasty language is off-putting and partly because people who expect to receive nasty attacks want a group of like-minded folks who will back them up when that happens” (p. 17). The absence of civility encourages stratification and has centrifugal effects on the population. These effects are counter to the goals of interfaith dialogue (Boyd, 2006). While searching for solutions to an increasingly uncivil society, few have discussed the important role religion can play in rejuvenating and maintaining civility. People of faith understand the issue from a celestial perspective. In both the teachings of Jesus, found in the Gospels, and Muhammad, located in the hadith (the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad), the importance of controlling one’s speech is critical if a person hopes to reach Heaven. In Matthew 12:36-37, Jesus said, “But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof on the Day of Judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”

In a very famous hasan hadith, found in the Sunan Ibn Majah, Book 36, Hadith 48, Mu’adh b. Jabal, an important Companion asked the Prophet to tell him an action that would gain him access to Heaven. After going through a number of deeds found in the pillars of Islam, the Prophet explained that the basis of all good deeds required restraining the tongue. Perplexed, Mu’adh asked, “O Prophet of God, will we be brought to account for what we say?” The Prophet responded rhetorically, “Are people thrown onto their faces in Hell for anything other than the harvest of their tongues?”

People of faith engaging in online interfaith dialogues can produce a civil environment by remembering these words. As issues of faith emerge, some of them will be quite divisive; remembering the spirit of the word of Jesus and Muhammad, peace be upon them, will keep people from saying mean and hurtful things. The impetus on being civil does not mean that people will not disagree, but that people will disagree in a peaceful way. This will build a community, not disintegrate it. The fact that both Jesus and Muhammad, peace be upon them, warned their followers that bad speech could lead them to Hell is a strong exhortation for participants in these exchanges to monitor themselves. The idea that words are typed but not spoken is of no consequence to the believer.

Even when teaching one’s faith to others, believers are expected to conduct in a civil manner: “Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and fair exhortation, and argue with them in the best way possible. Your Lord surely knows best who has gone astray from His way, and He knows best who are the rightly guided” (Qur’an 16:125). Certainly, there will be divisive issues that surface when communities of faith come together to talk. In particular, Christians and Muslims could vehemently argue about the dichotomy between Islamic tawhid (the Oneness of God) and the Christian trinity. They could also argue about issues of marriage and divorce, the Hereafter, the death/resurrection of Jesus, and the meaning of the death of Jesus. Despite differences on these topics, the faiths have much in common; interfaith dialogue aims to find these commonalities, but healthy disagreement should not be discouraged. Interfaith dialogues are sometimes criticized for not encouraging a discussion on the differences between the faiths.

Online interfaith dialogues are a real opportunity to reach a larger audience of global believers. In addition, they also present a real opportunity to encourage a civil interfaith exchange between believers. A moderator may start the online discussion by reminding believers of the very words of those they claim to follow. All religions/belief systems have an emphasis on civility, both in words and deeds. After all, early civilization was based on religion, and it could be argued that modern-day secular states still owe a significant portion of their institutions to these early, religion-based societies.

There is a certain amount of sadness when online exchanges break down into uncivil name-calling, defamation, and bigotry. This sadness only increases when the exchange is between followers of the world’s great religions. Religious believers can lead the charge to bring civility back to online environments. In addition, they can be at the forefront of establishing online interfaith exchanges that promote interfaith understanding and tolerance. The world’s believers, now connected virtually, will not agree all the time, but their disagreements will be based in mutual respect and love.

References

• Benson, T. W. (1996). Rhetoric, civility, and community: Political debate on computer bulletin boards. Communication Quarterly, 44(3), 359-378.
• Boyd, R. (2006). The value of civility? Urban Studies, 43(5/6), 863-878.
• Gsell, L. (2009). Comments anonymous. American Journalism Review, 31(1), 16-17.
• Hlavach, L., & Freivogel, W. H. (2011). Ethical implications of anonymous comments posted to online news stories. Journal of Mass Media Ethics, 26(1), 21-37.
• Hurrell, A. C. (2005). Civility in online discussion: The case of the foreign policy dialogue. Canadian Journal of Communication, 30(4), 633-648.
• Hwang, H., Borah, P., Namkoong, K., & Veenstra, A. (2008, May). Does civility matter in the blogosphere? Examining the interaction effects of incivility and disagreement on citizen attitudes. In 58th Annual Conference of the International Communication Association, Montreal, QC, Canada.
• Johnson, P. (2008). Talking with Yahoos: Collingwood’s case for civility. Br.j.Hist.Philos., 16(3), 595-624.
• McCluskey, M., & Hmielowski, J. (2012). Opinion expression during social conflict: Comparing online reader comments and letters to the editor. Journalism, 13(3), 303-319.
• Miller, R. (2007). Blogger behave: Blogger code of conduct proposed. Econtent, 30(5), 14.
• Reader, B. (2012). Free press vs. free speech? the rhetoric of “civility” in regard to anonymous online comments. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 89(3), 495-513.
• Rich, J. (2011). You don’t know my name: In re anonymous online speakers and the right to remain cloaked in cyberspace. Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review, 45(1), 325-339.

Almost every element can be useful to people: every living and non-living thing is made-up of the 92 natural elements. Like all elements, different metals have different properties. As such, they have different melting points, and different degrees of hardness and conductivity. The reason these differences exist have to do with the number of protons and electrons in each metal’s atoms, as well as the atomic diameter, their intensity, and tendency to react. There are dramatic differences in the properties of different metals. Gallium (31Ga) has such a low melting point (29,7 0C) that it can melt in your hand, whereas tungsten (74W), which is used for the wiring in light bulbs, has as a melting point as high as 3410 0C. While sodium (11Na) is a metal so soft it can be cut with a knife, chrome (24Cr) is so hard that it can only be cut with diamond. While potassium (19K) has an instantaneous and very violent reaction when mixed with water, silver (47Ag) does not react to water at all.

The fact that metals have different properties is a great advantage for their uses in different fields. A decrease or increase in the number of protons, a change in the speed of the electrons rotating around the nucleus, or a differentiation in the distance between the nucleus and the electrons, will change the properties of the metal.

For a metal to be “plasticized” – for it can change shape without breaking – it must have atoms that can slide against one another. Thanks to this property, it is possible to shape steel on an anvil or to wring steel construction material. Otherwise, these metals would be useless materials which could not be made into wires or sheets. Thankfully, many metals were designed to be malleable.  

Another quality given to metals is their ability to combine with other metals and form substances called alloys. These combinations develop different characteristics from their base metals. For instance, many metals have what are called “crystal gaps.” As such, they are not very strong in their pure state. But when combined with another metal to make an alloy, these gaps are filled by the atoms of other metals. The alloy thus becomes more durable. These new substances present different qualities than the individual metals that form the alloy. Some of the best known alloys are bronze (copper-tin), brass (copper-zinc), and solder (lead-tin). Alloys are commonly used for producing items with ideal physical properties for their intended field of use. For example, steel is an alloy of iron, and there are tens of different kinds of steel depending on the type and amount of other elements mixed with the iron. Although carbon is generally used when making steel, it is also possible to use metals like magnesium, chrome, vanadium, and wolfram. Thanks to being an alloy, steel has more advantageous qualities than iron, such as its hardness, being stainless, and its stress threshold.

Alloys with shape-memory Certain alloys, after being altered by pressure or heat (martensitic state), have the ability to return to their original or initial shape (austenite state) when heated. The most widely used alloy with this “shape-memory” is “nitinol,” which is an alloy of nickel and titanium. If an item made from nitinol is heated beyond its limits, it will return to its original form.

This “shape-memory” trait can be useful, including in unexpected ways, such as preventing strokes. Medical filters made from nitinol are planted in blood vessels. This filter is flattened before it is planted in the blood vessel, so when it enters the body, the body’s heat allows the nitinol to regain its original shape, thus catching any clots that pass through the vein and helping to lessen the likelihood of strokes or heart attacks. Shape-memory metals are now used as connection units, leakage preventers, pincers, and electric keys in a wide variety of industries. These metals are also used as construction materials.

Iron – from the heavens For most of human history, iron has been the commonly used metal in the world. 95% of the metals used, in weight, consist of iron. Iron is so frequently used because it is abundant in nature, cheap, and can be made into many different alloys. Iron is also integral to the human body. The amount of iron in human body is, on average, equal to the amount of iron needed to produce a common nail. It is found in the structure of hemoglobin, and helps circulate oxygen throughout the body. Perhaps due to its importance, there is a chapter in the Qur’an named Hadid – or, Iron. The 25th verse of this chapter reads, “And We have sent down iron, in which is stern might and benefits for humankind, so that God may mark out those who help (the cause of) God and His Messengers, though they do not see Him. Surely God is All- Strong, All-Glorious with irresistible might” (Hadid 57:25).

The expression “We have sent down” is also very interesting. Iron can only be formed in stars much bigger than the sun, by heat that reaches a few hundred million degrees Celsius. The nearly 15 million 0C heat in the sun is not sufficient for forming iron atoms. When stars supernova, the meteors containing iron explode out into space, and keep soaring until they are caught by the gravity of a celestial body. There are other elements that originate in deep space, too, such as Nickel (59Ni). These elements are “sent down” to us from the heavens.

Another opinion about iron being “sent down” is as follows: thousands of meteors of different sizes hit our atmosphere every day and fall to the earth as dust. The iron atoms abundantly found in such dust are the nutrition for the plankton in the world’s oceans. Plankton, which play a huge role in the entire world’s food chain, get the iron they need for photosynthesis from this space dust.   In our everyday lives, we tend to take most things for granted and ignore the amazing reality of our world. We should stop sometimes to think about how remarkable it is that some of the metals we use are produced in remote stars and then “sent down” to us by grace.

Reference http://www.ajnr.org/content/28/5/872.full

Since we cannot help micro expressions, they can expose us when we lie. Psychiatrists, scientists, law enforcement officers, and other professions carefully study micro expressions, hoping to better recognize them. The study of micro expressions is a developing scientific field.

History The modern idea of analyzing micro expressions originated with Paul Ekman and Walter Friesen. Ekman and Friesen used micro expressions in their study of deception, published in 1971. According to his book Telling Lies, published on January 26, 2009, Ekman was asked by his colleagues if there was a way to tell if a patient was lying to a psychiatrist. As a result, he started looking through his old patients’ filmed interviews and found a perfect example in Mary, a forty-two year old housewife, who had attempted suicide three times.

Mary was suffering from midlife depression: her kids had grown and they didn’t need her assistance anymore, and her husband was always at work. She felt useless. In the first few weeks in the hospital, she was treated with medication and psychiatric therapy. She appeared to respond well to the treatments, telling her doctor that she was feeling much better. In one of her filmed interviews she told the doctor she wanted a weekend pass. Before she received the pass, she admitted to her doctor that she had been lying about the way she felt so she could get the pass and confessed that she still wanted to commit suicide. The group of doctors gathered and watched the filmed interview to search for any clues which showed that Mary was depressed the entire time. The filmed interview fooled many of the doctors because they all thought that she seemed genuinely happy. They watched the interview over and over again. They tried viewing it in slow motion to see if any micro expressions would appear. Eventually they found something. Before she answered the doctor about her future plans, the researchers saw a quick facial expression of agony; it was so quick, they had missed it before. Using this ability to identify seemingly hidden micro expressions, Ekman did more research and has worked with many individuals. Eventually, seven universal micro expressions were discovered.

Types / definitions of micro expressions The seven types of micro expressions are: Anger, Sadness, Happiness, Disgust, Fear, Surprise, and Contempt. Here is how the seven are defined:

Anger Anger tends to get people in trouble because it triggers the need to react to one’s environment. People tend to release their anger when triggered. They won’t always know what caused their explosion; it could be as simple as something familiar being out of place. Their anger can be expressed in many forms. Not all of these forms will be violent, of course. For example, a person might get angry when they are driving and traffic starts to form. Even if they do not want to express their anger, it will still be there. A sudden, quick glimpse of anger will form in the person’s face, lasting less than a second. This is the micro expression. When expressing anger, the eyebrows and nose scrunch up, the mouth tightly closes, and the eyes will give a certain glare.

Sadness Sadness is seen more frequently in a person’s life than one can imagine. It can be caused by the loss of a loved one, getting hurt by someone, an unhappy marriage, and more. Even though these kinds of events happen to everyone, people still tend to try hiding their sadness. They may want to hide it because they feel threatened by the situation, or they think other people will consider them weak. They may not want to admit to feeling sad. Of course, they are not exactly hiding their sadness. If someone is observant, they can see the hints of sadness concealed in another person’s face. It will be a quick expression but it will contain of slight pulling down of the lip corners, droopy eyelids, and a loss of focus in the eyes.

Disgust Have you ever discovered stinky leftover food in the fridge or watched a video about a person eating bugs? Either one leads to the same reaction: a scrunched up nose and a raised upper lip. This is another micro expression: disgust. And like all micro expressions, it cannot be stopped. If a person is at a dinner their friend cooked, but they do not like the food, they will try to hide their feelings out of kindness. But even if the person is good at convincing their friend the food tastes good, their disgust will still show in their face.

Fear Fear might be caused by a spider or a frightening mask, but the face reacts the same way: the eyebrows raise and pull together; the upper eyelid rises; the lower lip is tense; the lips are stretched horizontally back to the ears. All of this happens in just a split second. Some criminals have the expression of fear when they are about to get caught. It can also be triggered by simple things, such as flipping through channels and seeing a scary scenario or face. A person will still express fear, even though they know that the threat is not real.

Surprise The micro expression for surprise is very similar to the one for fear. The major difference is that a person is not scared, but shocked. The elements of surprise are raised eyebrows, open mouth, and widened eyes. A perfect example of this is when a person walks into a surprise birthday party. Sometimes people may try to hide their surprise because they don’t want to be embarrassed. But a micro expression of surprise is evident whether one tries to hide it or not.

Happiness Happiness occurs when a person is filled with glee and joy. Genuine happiness causes the lip corners to raise, making wrinkles around the mouth. Wrinkles also appear in the corner of the eyes. A person can be happy for many reasons. For instance, a person might feel happiness when his or her daughter visits for the holidays. Something as simple as receiving a compliment might also make a person happy. A person might want to hide their happiness for many reasons. It might be because they don’t want to reveal the cause of their happiness, or maybe because they don’t feel it’s right to feel happy about the cause of their happiness. Even though they try to hide it, the emotion slips out and reveals a micro expression. Observant people might be able to notice this.

Contempt Contempt happens when a person is full of him or herself. It occurs when a person believes that they are better than someone else. For example, a student might score the highest grade on a test. Though he might try his best to not reveal his pride, it will still show. One corner of the lips will rise. This can also occur when a rich person looks down on a poor person. These are the seven micro expressions scientists have identified. Knowing them can only help you if you know how to interpret them in the real world.

Micro expressions in the real world Knowledge of micro expressions can be used for many things. Many professionals are trained to see micro expressions and observe body language. Ekman has a training program and states that ordinary people can learn a lot about micro expressions in a short period of time. This knowledge can allow them to see things they’ve never noticed before. This training program is called F.A.C.E. (Facial Awareness Compassion Emotion) Training and it is available at Ekman’s website (https://face.paulekman.com). Many of the professionals who receive training need to recognize micro expressions for their job. FBI and CIA professionals, for example, deal with people who lie. If they cannot tell who is lying, they will have trouble doing their jobs.

Recognizing micro expressions can help in many other jobs, too. It can even help teachers who may want to see if a student did their homework. Micro expressions help us to see lies. A person might be suicidal but might smile and say that she is fine. But that smile might be masking agony, if you know how to see it.

There is also the Facial Acts Coding System (FACS). FACS uses Action Units (AUs) to measure micro expressions. FACS is more about measuring than training: its coder breaks facial expressions down into the specific AUs that caused the movement This enables the software to measure expressions, as there is a different measurement that goes with each expression.

It has been scientifically proven that micro expressions are universal. Ekman proved this by going to New Guinea and testing out if a tribe that has had no contact with the outside world still had the same micro expressions as every other society. His results concluded that the tribe’s facial expressions were the same as everyone else’s. No matter what nationality, age, or race, people all have the same universal expressions. We all feel the same emotions. We are made from the same material.

Micro expressions are extraordinary: they help people to see things that they have never noticed. Overall, learning about micro expressions can help increase your understanding of human nature – and it will help you to better read people. And though micro expressions let you know what a person is feeling, they won’t let you know why they are feeling it. So when you accuse someone of eating the last piece of pie, maybe they are really just hiding something else.

Reference

• Ekman, P. 1985. Telling Lies: Clues to Deceit in the Marketplace, Politics, and Marriage. New York: Norton.

Locusts and other similar creatures manage to jump thanks to the strong, fast movements of their rear legs. Unfortunately, since locusts have legs loosely connected to their main body, they do occasionally wobble or divert from their target. Issus coleoptratus, on the other hand, has a gear system in its rear leg joints that are inside the main body. This allows the insect to jump without diversion. In addition, the two rear legs move with the same angular velocity, also thanks to this gear system.

The machinery in Issus coleoptratus is perfectly designed for its task, showing the handiwork of a master craftsman. Every gear in the nymph form is 350-400 µm (microns) long and is made up of 10 to 12 teeth. Please note that a micron is one millionth of a meter. If a tooth is broken in one of the gears, it is repaired during the skin-shedding process. Front teeth are 80 µm long; yet the teeth are gradually shorter toward the rear, down to 30 µm. The teeth are extremely ossified. The fact that these teeth do not lose their dimensions due to friction and abrasion is really amazing. Moreover, the gears in the rear legs of the nymph form of this insect are asymmetric, while the gears we humans manufacture are symmetric. These gears are functional in the synchronous mechanical movement of the insect.

It has been determined through high-speed camera systems that the rear legs of Issus coleoptratus are fast and synchronous while the creature jumps. The speed of both rear legs while jumping is equal to a wheel during at 33,000 RPM (revolution per minute) – or 550 in a second. Please keep in mind that typical cars have a maximum of 8,000 RPM.

It has also been recorded that the gears are strongly engaged during the preparation and the pushing movement for a jump. In this impeccable functioning, gears have revolved through engaging approximately 50,000 times in a second. During this process, power is transmitted to the legs equally and without loss. The front legs start moving in two milliseconds and reach a speed of 3.9 m/s. The gears in the rear legs start moving even faster (within one millisecond) and jump with a speed of 5.5 m/s. 

At this speed, Issus coleoptratus can be exposed to a force of 500-700 G, compared to its body mass. The magnitude of this force becomes more comprehensible when one considers that the regular gravitational force is 1 G; pilots can withstand a force of 9 G; and airplanes can endure 11 G. And yet Issus coleoptratus can withstand up to 50 times more force than an airplane.

Reference

• Science, “Interacting gears synchronize propulsive leg movements in a jumping insect”, 13 September, 2013.

Prophet Moses, upon him be peace, expresses this degree of passion that burns endurance to ashes with the desire of union in the words (20:84), I have hastened to You, my Lord, so that You may be well-pleased (with me). He manifests his extraordinary yearning and excitement to meet with his Lord.

There is another kind of passion manifesting itself in the form of distress in figurative love—the love felt by a person for one of the opposite sex—and that arises from the worry that the beloved may be loved by others. Jami‘ expresses such passion as follows:

When one says that he is a lover, this casts me into worry and distress,
for I am afraid that he is in love with my beloved.

Such passion should not be confused with the passion an initiate feels on the way to God. All sorrows and joys felt on this way are because of Him and from Him. For this reason, any pain or sorrow a traveler to God feels is sweet in itself, and the pleasures are as pleasant as the water of Paradise.

When the zeal and yearning felt to meet with the All-Beloved come to an unendurable point, whatever there is in the heart other than the desire for union vanishes. It even happens that love is, to a certain extent, not considered any more, and seekers progress to the following states according to the intensity of their passion:

• All things, each according to its own “wavelength,” begin to tire the seeker; the result is that at times the heart feels a desire for union with Him, while at other times it burns with the yearning to die to meet with Him eternally. The fire is so great that the seeker sees none other than Him.

• Despite corporeality and bodily desires, the seeker begins to be so immersed in profound spiritual life that neither reason nor will-power retain the capacity to control or give direction. As a result, the person cannot help falling into confusion in matters that require the ordinary operations of common sense and discernment:

I did not know myself as I see me now,
I wonder whether He is me or I am Him?

Not only in the performance of duties of worship and obedience to God, but also in worldly affairs the seeker now travels on the horizons of witnessing God’s signs distinctly.

• When the veil between a hero of passion and the All-Beloved is partly lifted so that the way to union shows itself to some degree, the initiate goes into a spiritual state of being seized by a fire from which there is no longer any possibility of rescue or escape. The initiate thinks of nothing more than meeting with the Truly Beloved One. The lover is at the same time as being a lover also a beloved, a willed one at the same time as being one who wills, and one sought for at the same time as one who is seeking.

It can be said that in the state in which he was before he began to receive the Revelation, God’s Messenger experienced the first two kinds of passion mentioned in accordance with his progress along the way particular to him. The following verses that we quote from a long poem of Yazıcızade Mehmed Efendi express this in a chaste language:

Why is it that you stay in such a sorrowful mood?
Why is it that there is sadness in your blessed inner world?
….
Without answering them, he turned back again
to where he stayed and unburdened himself to the Almighty.
….
He said: “My heart is in love and desire; my soul is on fire;
Why are these tears coming from my eyes, O Never-ending All-Ruling?
I have lost my patience, having come to the end of my endurance;
What can I say to my Beloved?
I have no strength to bear all that takes place.
….
Climbing the mountain, he prostrated, putting his face on the earth;
He wept and entreated God, saying: “O One never-ending!”
The angels saw him and pitied him,
and the maidens in Paradise shed their tears:
“O God! Your beloved one has made his upright body doubled over.”

Bilal al-Habashi and many other Companions of the Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, made utterances which expressed their burning desire to meet with their dear ones: “Tomorrow, I will join the friends—Muhammad and his Companions,” is only one example of these.

The one who feels the greatest passion is also the Prophet, the master of all creatures, upon him be peace and blessings. At a time when the world offered itself to him with all its pomp and splendor, as the greatest of all creation, as one who had completed his duty and had come to the point where he could express his yearning for union with the Truly Beloved One, he said, “O my God! (Now it is time to go) to the Highest Friend!” and turned with all his being to the Absolutely Beloved One with the desire of fulfilling what was required of him by the rank of being beloved by Him. He put a full stop to the lines of ascent and descent by proving that he uniquely enjoyed the rank of being His beloved one. He was no longer Muhammad but was transformed into being Ahmad, and fully perceived that whatever he had and accomplished was all from God.

On him and his Family be the most perfect of blessings to the fullness of the heavens and the earth.

The theme of the dialogue was Countering Religious Extremism at the Grassroots Level. It was held at the Seoul National University’s Graduate School of International Studies, and was cohosted by the Korean Council of Religions for Peace (KCRP) and the Hangang Network, both organizations based in Seoul. KCRP brings together representatives from seven different religious traditions throughout Korea, ranging from Buddhism and Confucianism to Protestantism and Catholicism. Together in one place, the roundtable discussion permitted an exploration of the problems that lead some persons, especially the young, to turn to extremist, self- and other-destructive beliefs and acts. The panel also discussed how peaceable—faithful— alternatives might be supported at local faith-based organizations. The dialogue was quite fruitful, and helped generate greater appreciation of the struggles within each faith tradition and how those assembled might learn from each other how to creatively respond to those struggles.

While extremely valuable, the point of these brief notes is not to report on the discussions and resulting suggestions. Rather than providing details from those particular dialogue discussions, let’s seek to lay out the different kinds or forms of interfaith dialogue to help set a viable context and reasonable hopes that are appropriate to each. We can thus aid in advancing various forms of dialogue within and between peoples of faith. In short, the term “interfaith dialogue” is ambiguous and too often misleading, since it is used to cover a wide variety of interactions and expectations. Let’s consider the following four forms to help us unpack the term.

Interfaith Dialogue form #1: Persons from various and diverse religious traditions get together to talk, listen, and learn about other religions and groups of people. This form of dialogue typically assumes simple ignorance on the part of participants, and such dialogue becomes an important means of seeking understanding of other groups and belief systems, and thereby also of one’s own faith. This form of dialogue is represented by discussions with groups like the KCRP, where participants were encouraged to share and explain their own beliefs by responding to questions from one another (for example, what does “salvation” or “heaven” or “hell” or “justice” mean for each different faith). Such dialogue ordinarily involves a single meeting of persons who may not formally meet again.

Interfaith Dialogue form #2: Like form #1 the point of meeting in dialogue is to share a greater understanding of and appreciation for and with one another. But there is an additional commitment to continuing dialogue opportunities in order to develop and maintain personal relationships between the participants. Such regular dialogue represents more than an experience of listening and learning about each other’s faith. Rather, it is a chance to grow and mature together as persons of faith, and so requires a consistent commitment over time.

Interfaith Dialogue form #3: Like form #2, such dialogue sessions occur on a regular schedule. But the meetings are not open ended, like forms #1 & #2. Rather, these sessions are focused on reading together and seeking understanding through the sacred texts of all participants. For example, one or two sessions would be devoted to reading and discussing a selected passage from the Qur’an, while subsequent sessions would be devoted to reading and discussing a passage from the Jewish, Christian, or Hindu scriptures. By studying the different sacred texts, all participants can gain a better understanding of how the texts are being realized in daily life. As the cycle of study and engagement repeats, relationships deepen in shared narratives of faith and life.

Interfaith Dialogue form #4: Unlike forms #1-3, this form of dialogue focuses on co-commitments to specific actions of social justice, such as helping one another establish and manage schools or other educational programs of nonsectarian academic excellence; addressing the need for food, clothing, and shelter in some communities; organizing political action on key issues like refugee resettlement or reforming immigration laws; working to establish hospitals and health clinics where access is otherwise limited or nonexistent; establishing and managing summer camps for youth, especially those youth at risk. Thus, while forms #1 & #2 can lead to action (though specific actions do not necessarily follow from those dialogue forms), this form results in dialogue that necessarily flows from people working together to meet common needs. There is a certain complementarity when participating in activities for the benefit and blessing of all, while also seeking nothing in return. In such settings, learning from and committing to one another is unavoidable here, as there is reciprocity in being and doing, joining together in restorative justice. As proclaimed in several traditions, such heartfelt hospitality forms a sacred ground for “welcoming angels unawares.” The resulting experience in interactive dialogue is thus serendipitous, yet more important because of it.

These four forms are not meant to represent an exhaustive list of interfaith dialogue patterns, nor does the list mean to suggest that one can engage exclusively in only one form. Rather, the variety of forms help to clarify just what reasonable commitments and hopes are appropriate to each form, and so help prevent misunderstanding, confusion, frustration, or failure when engaging together in dialogue.

Finally, it must be understood from the start that there is one key caveat: in no form of interfaith dialogue is seeking to convert people an appropriate motivation or desire. Dialogue can never be about turning another into a copy of oneself. True understanding, the knowledge that is from above, is grounded in respect for one another, and the recognition that one is incomplete apart from each other, standing side by side—all being welcome, facing (or as in many traditions, “as if seeing”) the One with whom we all have to do.