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Issue 102 (November - December 2014)

Issue 102 (November - December 2014)

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Articles

Rights, Justice, and Games

31 October 2014 | The Fountain | Issue 102 (November - December 2014)

One picture that has been viral these days depicts a diver next to a giant shark. It reads "This is the most dangerous animal in the world. It is responsible for millions of deaths every year. By its side, a great white shark swims peacefully." The irony is not only funny to read but also hard to d…

Never Say "I Will Eat My Hat"!

31 October 2014 | Tugrul Cagri Yavuz | Issue 102 (November - December 2014)

It had been only 23 weeks since we got the good news that we were going to have our first baby. However, on that warm September day, we were also told that the delivery was quite close. Considering that a full-term birth usually occurs around the 40th week of pregnancy, our baby would come to this…

Right vs. Might

31 October 2014 | M. Fethullah Gulen | Issue 102 (November - December 2014)

In a world where right is equated with might, we must learn that what is truly right is pursuing basic human rights and dignity for all. The highest ideal of human life is an individual elevating to unite with their soul, reaching radiant metaphysical realms, having divine secrets divulged to…

Brittlestars: Fabricating Microlenses with Perfect Geometry

31 October 2014 | A. Ali Eren | Issue 102 (November - December 2014)

The unity underlying nature manifests itself in many different forms. Sometimes various "things" work towards accomplishing only one task while sometimes only one "thing" is utilized in many different tasks. We can already see countless examples of both phenomena with our naked eyes; however, the d…

Revisiting Psychokinesis: Time, Ether, and Kozyrev

31 October 2014 | Abdullah Aymaz | Issue 102 (November - December 2014)

For many of us ordinary people, time is nothing more than how long we spend at work, at the gym, or the hour at which we come home to meet our families. But time is also a phenomenon; many scientists and philosophers strain their brains trying to understand its nature. Dr. Nikolai Kozyrev (1908-198…

The Minimum Work Principle in the Universe

31 October 2014 | Ihsan Kose | Issue 102 (November - December 2014)

Gravity is usually accepted as the reason behind the fall of every object we drop. Physicists, however, associate this fall with the trend of an object to reach the lowest potential energy level. Yes, even though in terms of causation, it is not incorrect to say that the objects fall under the effe…

Gamification: A Tool for Motivating Children

31 October 2014 | Ahmet Tugra | Issue 102 (November - December 2014)

Jack had been the ruler of the village for more than six months. He had many ups and downs during this time. He was not complaining, as he knew that he chose to take this responsibility and didn't have the right to complain. But things were getting more difficult in the village. There were many thi…

Bipolar Equation

31 October 2014 | Seth Mette | Issue 102 (November - December 2014)

Hello. My name is Bernoulli. Bernoulli Equation, to be more precise. One of the best established and most beautiful equations in the history of science. I am the spirit of the elegant curves on the aircraft. I am at work in every breath living creatures take. I am at the heart of the mighty winds o…

How Much - if any - Alcohol is Safe?

31 October 2014 | Asli Tahan | Issue 102 (November - December 2014)

Findings show that even though some findings have suggested health benefits for light alcohol consumption, risk of cancer increases with "any" sort of alcohol consumption. Every thirty minutes, a person dies in an alcohol related car accident. Alcohol is the most common addictive substance used in…

Animated Vignettes in Character Education

31 October 2014 | Namik Top | Issue 102 (November - December 2014)

It is obvious for many people that to ensure a safe school environment for students, it is needed to realize the early detection of problematic behavior through school violence prevention or reduction programs. J. Bowen, Jenkins, and Clark (2004) express that "[Five] to 16% of children in the Unite…

Absolute Justice and Bediuzzaman's Cup

31 October 2014 | Hasan Horkuc | Issue 102 (November - December 2014)

Bediuzzaman Said Nursi (d. 1960) defines justice either in terms of absolute, as opposed to relative, or positive, as opposed to negative. In this paper we explore the absolute nature of Nursi’s approach to justice, with the aim of elucidating those areas of his thought which have not hitherto been…

Imitation Teeth: Implants

31 October 2014 | Hasan Ali Gunes | Issue 102 (November - December 2014)

Our teeth were designed in a harmonious and organized fashion, just like each and every particle of our body. It becomes unbearable when one tooth is missing, as this harmony is spoiled. Dentists are trying to compensate for such absences with artificial teeth called implants. This kind of applicat…

Riyada (Austerity)

31 October 2014 | M. Fethullah Gulen | Issue 102 (November - December 2014)

Riyada (austerity), which we can describe as disciplining life, appetite and thirst, and sleeping and waking only in order to develop the feelings of praise for and thankfulness to God and balancing these by keeping them within the limits of needs, has been used in the terminology of Sufis to mean…

21st Century Skills for Students

31 October 2014 | Alpaslan Sahin | Issue 102 (November - December 2014)

Economic projections for the next fifty years indicate that, both within the US and world economies, there will be an explicit shift in the Qualifications needed from the adult workforce; these reports urge citizens to take action to keep up with new demands (National Research Council, 2010). As in…

Promoting Global Fellowship around the Kitchen Table

31 October 2014 | Gary Behrman | Issue 102 (November - December 2014)

As a child growing up in rural Illinois in a small farm town, I only dreamt that I would some day travel beyond the boundaries of my homeland. No one in my circle of relationships traveled very far from home, so I was left with my imagination and assumptions about people who are different from my c…

By the Pen

31 October 2014 | Sumayya B. Sharaf | Issue 102 (November - December 2014)

and the deeds that are not revealed yet, I am an ink without pen; I am a pen without ink, both without paper. I am all, I am neither; I do not know anything other than things bestowed upon. By the Nun and whatever the pens cover, whatever the pens reveal Ink heals, Pen befriends. Paper mirrors, Wo…

Love Is...

31 October 2014 | Nihal Balci | Issue 102 (November - December 2014)

I had been asked to talk about love at a gathering right after Valentine's Day. I thought about this talk for a month. I could not find anything to say. It is so hard to talk about love - it can't be described, understood, limited, or defined by borders. We are all born with a need to love and be l…

Becoming a "Good" Foreign Language Teacher: Knowledge, Skills, and Dispositions

31 October 2014 | Saban Cepik | Issue 102 (November - December 2014)

Most language educators would agree that the ultimate goals of a foreign/second (L2) language education are trifold: language skills, cultural knowledge, and academic achievement. The needs and expectations of L2 learners can no longer be defined in terms of grammar knowledge, or translation skills…

Islamic Civilization and Science: A Forgotten History

31 October 2014 | The Fountain | Issue 102 (November - December 2014)

If you are interested in Muslims' contributions to science and some of their inventions, this interview may be an enjoyable read. We paid a visit to Professor Salim Ayduz, a historian of science who is presently a senior researcher at the British Muslim Heritage Centre in Manchester. According to A…

The Islamic world and cultural revival

31 October 2014 | M. Fethullah Gulen | Issue 102 (November - December 2014)

Question: The Islamic world has been in a period of stagnation for a long time regarding scientific development and cultural life. What are your thoughts? The most significant task falling on our shoulders nowadays is to serve the development of the world's capacity for knowledge and learning. Fal…

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