Issue 145 (Jan - Feb 2022)

Love in our times is associated more than anything else with romance, which usually lasts not that long. Yet true love is way beyond temporary feelings of excitement between two individuals – it is a key for us humans to be “inheritors of the world” if we can adopt it as a foundation of our moralit…

For human society, the last few centuries have been one turmoil after another. In response, we are still searching—sometimes in a disciplined manner, sometimes not so much—for the ways and methods to rise, once again, as ourselves: as human. We continue our search on diverse fronts—in educational a…

Humans can live relatively long lives; some people can even live a century, or more! A lot goes on in our bodies to keep us alive. But nothing is as tireless as our heart. Starting soon after the first month in our mother’s bellies up until our last seconds on this earth, our heart quietly ticks aw…

Why have many people suddenly quit eating fish? Is dumped fishing gear the largest polluter of our oceans? (Spoiler Alert: Yes) (2 & 16). Seaspiracy, A Netflix documentary about commercial fishing and its impact on ocean life has garnered celebrity endorsements and fan outcries alike. Tom Brady…

When calligraphy appeared millennia ago, it was an impressive evolution in writing. Ordinary handwriting simply conveys a message, but in calligraphy, the writing itself is art, allowing one to see each word and phrase as a painting. Besides its visual appeal, calligraphy lingers deep in the subcon…

When the novel coronavirus Covid-19 started to spread across the world at the end of 2019 and beginning of 2020, it challenged not only people but also systems. As Necip Fazil Kisakurek warned in his poem Destan, “Stop, you masses; this street is a dead end!” The Covid-19 pandemic has forced humans…

When we get a prescription from a doctor, the drug usually comes with instructions for how to use it. These include when we take the drug (before or after a meal), how many times a day and for how long we take it, and what we have to avoid while using the drug. Doctors also ask if we use any other…

In the language of Sufism, yaqada (wakefulness) means that an initiate must be aware, careful and sensitive with respect to God’s commandments at the beginning of the journey, and without failing into any confusion, must be straightforward in thought, preserve spiritual balance, and act with insigh…

According to the American Humanist Association, nowadays the word “humanism” is popularly understood to imply “some progressive philosophy of life that, without theism or other supernatural beliefs, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment” (American Huma…

“Man-made chemical” sounds dangerous if we imagined it in relation to what we eat, put on as clothes, or use with our hands. We should not be obsessed with it, but it is important to be aware that there are a lot of things around us which might be contaminated with what is called “forever chemicals…

The 91-year-old man who is my father is slowly going insane. His conversation is rambling, his ideas are fractured, he is jumping from one subject to another, he is telling me a story he already told me two minutes earlier. The 91-year-old man who is my father has now been locked down (or do I mea…

Question: What are the messages given to believers in the parable of Cain and Abel? In relation to this and other stories in the Qur’an, it is important to know that they are not in the holy scripture just for the sake of conveying historical knowledge. The Qur’an is teaching us certain truths by…

Exercise keeps brain connections alive Casaletto K et al. Late‐life physical activity relates to brain tissue synaptic integrity markers in older adults. Alzheimer's & Dementia, January 2022. Physical activity has myriad benefits, including enhancement of cardiovascular health, lowering blood…