Arab Contributions to Civilization

” The history of the word ‘zero’ is an informative tale.The Arabs borrowed their numerical system – which is far better adapted to arithmetic than the Roman system – from ancient India. When they did so, they named the ‘0′ al-sifr, literally ‘void’. The Arabic word was Latinised as cephirum and cifra, which in Italy was deformed to zefero, and then zero. It is the latter which passed into English and French as the name for the symbol indicating the absence of quantity or magnitude. At the same time, French borrowed the Medieval Latin word cifra, transforming it into chiffre (’number’), to designate numerical characters in general. It is from this same origin that English derived the word ‘cipher’, originally designating both ‘nought’ and ‘[any] Arabic numeral’, before taking on its present-day meaning of ‘code’ (from the technique of transposing letters according to a numerical key).The history of mathematics is full of Arab inventions. The word ‘algorithm’, for example, comes from the name of the great mathematician Al-Khawarizmi, who is the father of algebra – another Arabic word, coming from the title of Al-Khawarizmi’s work Kitab Al-Jabr (from jabara, ‘to set bones’). The Arabs are also ultimately responsible for the fact that mathematicians the world over today use the letter ‘x’ to designate the unknown quantity – ‘x’ being the first letter of the Spanish word xay, which is a deformation of the Arabic shay, meaning simply ‘thing’. In the golden age of Arab science, mathematical research was frequently carried out by great polymaths such as the poet Omar Khayyam, who in addition to penning his famous Quatrains also proposed solutions for equations of the third degree. But such research generally had a practical end in mind, such as calculating surface areas in order to assist in urban planning, for example. The study of astronomy was likewise encouraged with a view to practical ends, and more specifically with a view to predicting the future. On the basis of ancient Persian astrology, numerous Arab-Islamic scholars established longitudes, reformed the calendar, and went against Ptolemy’s teachings by building a planetary model centred on the sun. Much later, Copernicus was in part inspired by their writings.

AIn the Middle Ages, the Arabs, having conserved the science of Antiquity and the teachings of Hippocrates and Galen, were the pioneers of medical research. In particular, they took up the theory of humours, according to which illness is the result of imbalances between four bodily fluids – blood, phlegm, yellow bile (or choler) and black bile (or melancholy) – which govern the body and the personality. Treatments prescribed under this system aimed to re-establish the initial balance, through medication and diet.Arab doctors developed these teachings, leaning on a logical conception of ailments and a methodical approach. Thus they listed and described symptoms, improved the art of diagnosis and clinical practice, and laid down the basis of a professional code of conduct.Their contributions to medical science were legion, encouraged by the construction of hospitals (in Baghdad, Cairo, Damascus, Samarkand and elsewhere), each under the command of a master. The basic principles of hygiene (asepsis, and the isolation of contagious cases) were discovered, at a time when Europe believed that leprosy and the plague could be transmitted by sight, and a very wide range of medications was developed thanks in part to wide-ranging international trade, be it by caravan or by sea. Countless plants, animal extracts and minerals were used in plasters, unguents, cataplasms and tablets. Avicenna’s famous Canon (or Qanun) was a monumental medical encyclopaedia, which presented and categorised almost 800 remedies. European medical vocabulary to this day bears traces of the pharmacological inventiveness of the Arabs, in the form of words with Arabic etymologies such as ‘alcohol’, ‘benzine’, ‘benjoin’, ‘elixir’, ’soda’, ‘talc’, ‘amber’, ’senna’ and so on. Avicenna (the Latinised form of the Arabic name Ibn Sina) was of course the outstanding figure in medieval Arab medicine. Born in 980 CE, Avicenna began to practice medicine at the age of 16. It is to him that we owe the first descriptions of meningitis and pleurisy, as well as over 100 medical and philosophical works. His Canon was translated into Latin and published in Europe for the first time in 1473. Less than a hundred years later, it had already run to 36 editions.

In the fields of optics and mechanics, the Arabs did not merely content themselves with preserving the heritage of Antiquity – they pushed beyond its limits, inventing astonishing automata and precious new techniques (notably for agricultural purposes, such as presses for olives and sugar cane, or the bucket waterwheel). Al-Jazari built a monumental clock, in which moving circles represented the movement of the zodiac, the sun and the moon, while mechanical birds dropped marbles onto cymbals to strike the hour and animated figurines played drums and other instruments.Arab alchemists, meanwhile, managed to create new substances (acids, alcohols, etc.). Starting out from the quest for the ‘philosopher’s stone’ that would turn base metals into gold, some of them ended up turning their backs on magic altogether, preferring to concentrate on pure experimentation.

“It is inconceivable that God could have singled out certain men that they should prevail over the mass of their fellows.” – Al-Razi.The Arab passion for books and the great wave of translation (from Greek to Syriac, and then to Arabic) effectively saved works by Aristotle, Plato and others from being lost to humanity. Public libraries became commonplace (there were more than 100 in Baghdad by the year 900 CE). The library of Cairo contained some 1,600,000 volumes. The passion for ideas was a distinguishing mark of men of quality. Inevitably, therefore, in a society structured by the precepts and practices of Islam, the question of the relationship between reason and faith was posed.The most radical position was adopted by Al-Razi (d. 925), who rejected all revealed religions en bloc, along with miracles. His atheism was based on a progressive conception of knowledge as both provisional and perfectible. But for most medieval Arab thinkers, Islam remained the anchor of their falsafa (philosophy). A commonly adopted principle was that truth is one and indivisible, be it revealed or obtained by reason, and no matter whether it was of Arab or non-Arab origin. This was the thesis of Al-Kindi (d. 873), traditionally honoured as the “philosopher of the Arabs”, who in the end gave divine knowledge the benefit of the doubt and became a mystic. After him, Farabi (d. 950) wrote numerous commentaries which tried to demonstrate the compatibility of the writings of Plato and Aristotle with Islamic thought. His “model city” is effectively an adaptation of Plato’s Republic. However, philosophical thought touched on such delicate topics as the oneness of creation or the survival of the body and/or the soul after death, and any reference to “Arab science” remained, for most believers, dangerously innovative and suspiciously close to heresy. The counter-attack against the Arab philosophers was led by Al-Ghazali (d. 1111 CE). He condemned the impurity of their ideas (for example their denial that the world was created and would come to an end, or that the bodies of believers would be resurrected). Al-Ghazali underlined the importance of sciences that are useful to the community, but his distinction between religious and non-religious (ghayr shar’iyya) sciences pushed philosophy out to the farthest margins of what was religiously acceptable. There was to be no real riposte to Al-Ghazali until a century later, when Ibn Rushd argued in favour of the compatibility of Qur’anic doctrine and the philosophical enterprise, and, above all, in favour of the right to use one’s reason to its fullest extent. Ibn Rushd (whose name was Latinised as Averroes) no doubt left a more profound mark on human thought than any other Andalusian. A doctor, an administrator and an astronomer as well as a philosopher, Averroes built up an enormous reputation in both the Arab world and Christendom. Anecdotes about his life present him as an archetypal atheist, but his works are more concerned with reconciling faith and reason. His commentaries on Aristotle express the need for incredulity as well as the diversity of ways of expressing the truth. Averroes exerted a deep influence on medieval scholasticism. But his works could hardly satisfy Christian theologians such as St Thomas Aquinas, who were ill disposed to consider philosophy as an independent discipline. The Arabs had already burnt Averroes’ books; the Christians followed suit, and philosophy was subjugated. Read More Here

Reverend Wright’s Intention

a perfect example of idiocy

Who is the shortest world leader?

Jon Henley
The Guardian,
Tuesday March 4 2008
Article history

About this article

This article appeared in the Guardian on Tuesday March 04 2008 on p3 of the Comment & features section. It was last updated at 00:02 on March 04 2008.

Until yesterday there was little argument about the holder of this coveted title: at 162cm, or a shade over 5ft 3in, Kim Jong-il, supreme commander of the Korean People’s Army, general secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea and Great Leader of the People’s Democratic Republic of North Korea, stood head and shoulders below the rest of the field. The only other man in with a shout, according to the list at shortsupport.org, was Nicolas Sarkozy, president of France, who stands 168cm, or just over 5ft 5in tall. This may make him about 4in shorter than Mrs Sarkozy, but is unlikely to give Kim many sleepless nights.

The election of Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev as president of Russia, however, has upset things. For, contrary to the impression given by a campaign poster that shows him standing shoulder-to-shoulder with his mentor Vladimir Putin, Medvedev also measures 162cm from top to toe - a figure that puts him very much in contention. (For the record, Putin is fully 8cm taller; Medvedev’s minders make sure he is photographed from a low angle, and advise him to take a step forward when he’s in a group.)

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THE QUANTUM MECHANICAL BRAIN & CREATIVITY

THE QUANTUM MECHANICAL BRAIN & CREATIVITY

We create our reality moment to moment. Noted physicists and mathematicians, as well as psychiatrists and neurophysiologists, are now supporting this opinion. Quantum mechanics supports the theory that personal creativity plays an essential role in our perception of the what we call reality.

MECHANICS OF NEURONAL FIRING When a perception of any kind takes place, an electrical impulse is sent from the senses to appropriate neurons in the brain. This impulse is carried along the axon out to the dendrites. Between each of the billions of dendrite connections within our brains there are little gaps. These gaps, called synapses, are microscopic in size. Communication takes place between these synapses through the use of neurotransmitters.

Quantum physics has determined that wave patterns are the essential building blocks of the brain’s electrochemical neurotransmitters. It is at the synapse that quantum wave patterns are transformed into neurotransmitters. Through this neuronal synaptic firing the translated wave frequencies are made coherent. These coherent frequencies are then transferred from dendrite to dendrite to the appropriate areas of the brain. Psychologist William Greenough conducted studies on rats in isolation as well as in stimulating environments. Upon examining their brains he discovered that the rats in the stimulated environment revealed, “that neurons grew larger dendrites with more synapses in response to complex experience.” It could be concluded, therefore, that a stimulated brain is able to process more information because it is richer in synaptic connectivity. WE CANNOT PERCEIVE WHAT WE CANNOT CONCEIVE We can only perceive, or literally see, what we can conceive of. We must have neuronal firing in our brains, whether it be in the imaginable state or actual perceptual state, for us to register an object as a reality. Joseph Chilton Pearce’s book “The Crack in the Cosmic Egg” purports and shows many examples that we can only perceive what we can conceive of. When Magellan’s fleet sailed around the tip of South America he stopped at a placed called Tierra del Fuego. Coming ashore he met some local natives who had come out to see the strange visitors. The ship’s historian documented that when Magellan came ashore the natives asked him how he had arrived. Magellan pointed out to his fully rigged sailing ships at anchor off the coast. None of the natives could see the ships. Because they had never seen ships before they had no reference point for them in their brains, and could literally not see them with their eyes. Therefore, it is to our advantage to expose our brains to varied stimulus so that the proper neuronal connections are forged. In this way we expand and enrich our ability to experience more of our environment in a meaningful way.   CODED WAVE INFORMATION The brain translates consciousness, as coded wave patterns, into the coherent state we call mind. How does the brain form reality from these wave/particles, or interference pattern codes? Deepak Chopra in “Quantum Healing” gives us an example of the difference between interference patterns and a cohesive image. He says, “A good image for this would be a pianist playing a Chopin etude. Where is the music? You can find it at many levels - in the vibrating strings, the trip of the hammers, the fingers striking the keys, the black marks on the paper, or the nerve impulses produced in the player’s brain. But all of these are just codes; the reality of music is the shimmering, beautiful, invisible form that haunts our memories without ever being present in the physical world.” This is similar to a computer that translates electric impulses of on and off signals. These impulses are translated into bits, the bits into bytes and the bytes into the patterns of language that produce a program. A stimulated brain is richer in synaptic potential, thus able to process more code. It is more like having a 32 bit Pentium as opposed to an 8 bit 286. Not only is the quantity of information processing greater, but with the capability of more sophisticated programming, or wave form transformation, the quality is also greater.     HOLOGRAPHIC MODEL OF CONSCIOUSNESS Neurophysiologist, Karl Pribram has done extensive work to prove that the brain acts holographically to produce our experience of reality. Again, the brain is a transducer of interference wave patterns. It turns these wave frequencies into electrical and chemical patterns. A hologram is produced when a laser beam is split, bounced off of an object, and then reflected from a mirror onto a photographic plate. Another laser beam directed at the holographic plate produces a three dimensional hologram.   HOLOGRAM ON LEFT — CONSCIOUS MIND ON RIGHT READ MORE

Investigating the Power of Prayer

By LEON JAROFF

Dr Elizabeth Targ must be doing some very important work. The National Institutes of Health has already awarded her grants of $611,516 for one study, $823,346 for another. Even greater Federal largesse may be forthcoming before her studies are completed.

Targ is studying the therapeutic effects of prayer on AIDS and cancer patients. That sounds reasonable enough. The presence of a compassionate person reciting soothing prayers has apparently helped some patients, if by nothing more than a placebo effect. Measuring that effect might be useful, but Targ goes a step further. She is investigating what she calls “distance healing,” in which those offering the prayers are far removed from the patients, who themselves are not even aware that incantations are being recited on their behalf.

It’s an effect that would seem to defy reason — yet Targ reports striking results. In a 1998 study, after selecting practicing healers from a number of traditions — Christians, Buddhists, Jews, Indian shamans — she supplied them with the first names, blood counts and photographs of 20 patients with advanced AIDS. For an hour a day, over a ten-week period, the healers concentrated their thoughts on the pictures of these patients, but not on those of a control group of 20 other AIDS patients.

According to Targ, the prayed-for patients had fewer and less severe new illnesses, fewer doctor visits, fewer hospitalizations and were generally in better moods than those in the control group. The technique, she believes, can even work on nonhuman species. In a speech, she described an experiment performed by another group in which remote healing was used to shrink tumors in mice. And, she reported, the greater the distance between healer and mouse in that experiment, the greater the effect! The connection, Targ suggests, “could be actuated through the agency of God, consciousness, love, electrons or a combination.”

Mayo Clinic researchers have found no such connection. They reported last month that in their trials of distant prayer on 750 coronary patients, they found no significant effect. Why the difference?

Skeptics suggest that subconsciously, or perhaps consciously, Targ is emulating practitioners of the paranormal. With preconceived notions about the outcome of an experiment, they generate reams of data from tests that are not rigidly controlled and then sift through the data to find numbers supporting their original thesis, while ignoring anything to the contrary.

Then, there’s the circumstantial evidence. Writing in the journal Skeptical Inquirer, columnist Martin Gardner noted that Elizabeth Targ is the daughter of Russell Targ, best known for collaborating with physicist Harold Puthoff at the former Stanford Research Institute, where the duo was duped into believing that Israeli magician Uri Geller had paranormal powers. While a teenager, Elizabeth immersed herself in psychic experiments and developed what she claimed were powers of remote viewing — the ability to visualize events and objects at distances far beyond the range of vision. In a 1984 book co-authored by her father, she is credited with correctly predicting winners of horse races, as well as the 1980 Presidential victory of Ronald Reagan-feats that I modestly admit to having performed myself.

This might all be amusing if Targ’s research were not being funded at taxpayer expense by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a controversial branch of the NIH. The least we can demand in a time of growing budget deficits is that NCCAM appoint rational, qualified observers from outside the paranormal and quack communities to monitor the work of some of the eccentrics it so generously endows. Past experience suggests that under such safeguards miracles do not occur.

www.time.com

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PROBING THE POWER OF PRAYER   from cnn.com

Feng Shui and Space Clearing

Feng Shui and Space Clearing

 

 

It is a relatively simple process to change our own Chi if it becomes stagnant. Typical symptoms could include tiredness, depression, loss of appetite, moody or withdrawn. A bracing walk, a shower, a refreshing meal or some stimulating and strenuous activity all have the potential to change your Chi quite quickly. The Chi of a building can take longer to change as it absorbs stagnant energy much deeper. Concrete, bricks, stone and wood have the capacity over time to absorb stagnant Chi and because of their Yang nature, it takes longer to discharge. One of the major factors that is taken into consideration in Feng Shui is known as the “predecessor energy”. This is the vibration left behind by the previous owner - a reflection of their health, their moods and their Chi. Next time you leave an empty flat or home, notice the pathways that are ground into the carpet where the previous occupants have walked to and fro. It is easy to spot the main thoroughfares in the major rooms and areas where the furniture was and corners of the space that have been relatively inactive.

On another level, all of us have experienced walking into a room where two people have just been engaged in an argument. We can literally feel the atmosphere and cut it with a knife. Similarly, we are all aware of the energy of staff in a shop or an office when we enter. Sometimes the Chi is bubbly, efferevescent, enthusiastic and at other times you feel greeted by a wall of gloom, despondency, fear or complacency.

Space clearing is a ritual found in almost every traditional or native culture. It is the skill of changing the atmosphere in the home from one of stagnant Chi to one of vibrant, health promoting and spiritually enhancing Chi. Space clearing before moving in to a new home was considered a vital part of any move in traditional cultures and is still practised in some form today throughout the world. In the west, it is probably linked more to having a good spring clean and a house warming party to enliven the new home.

Since Chi is always changing, it is important to remember that this is reflected within our space. Here are some examples of when you could consider space clearing beneficial in your life:-

1. When you move into a new home to help remove what we call the “predecessor energy” in Feng Shui.
2. After physical or psychological illness. If you or a family member have been ill, then the vibration of the home is undoubtedly affected. We have all
experienced visiting someone who is ill at home and noticed how there is an atmosphere of stillness, caution and subdued expectation. Even after a full
recovery, it is worth considering brightening up the space.
3. After big life changes. Bereavements, separations, divorce or a change in job are all major stress factors in our lives. They all have the possibility of creating an atmosphere that can block your progress unless the Chi is changed.
4. Clearing conflict in the home. If you have been burgled or robbed this can
create a very negative feeling in the home. Many people report feeling
uncomfortable when entering their home after such an event. Admittedly,
some of this is related to their own fear but at the same time, their space has
been violated. Similarly, if you have had any violent arguments or quarrels
within the home, these undoubtedly leave their mark in the atmosphere.
5. Making a fresh start in life. What better way to initiate new changes in your life than to have your home cleared on a vibrational level. This can set the
tone for new enterprises, new relationships and a whole new beginning that is not embedded in the past. Good space clearing can provide a fresh new
space for your new adventures.

There are as many different methods of space clearing as there are cultures in the world. The rituals that have been used include the use of herbs, chants, potions, symbolism, spiritual ceremonies, rituals, blessings, sacrifices, gifts, fruits, plants, holy water and sometimes the timing to coincide with the planets or moon cycles. Space clearing can be drawn from the Native American medicine wheel, Celtic ceremonies, early Christian rituals and Balinese methods. For further insight into how to utilise space clearing in your life, I highly recommend Karen Kingston’s book “Creating Sacred Space with Feng Shui” or Denise Linn’s book “Sacred Space”.

There are usually 3 steps involved in space clearing. Firstly, it is vital to give the home a really good clean. This involves primarily at each spring clean while at the same time removing all the clutter. Following on from spring cleaning your space is the use of ceremony in purifying the space further. The usual method is to use the 4 elements of:-
Water - holy water, energised water or purified water
Fire - candles or even an open fire
Earth - plants, flowers, crystals, salt
Air - essential oils, incense, feathers, Native American smudge sticks, bells, drums, music or chanting.

Offerings are usually made by placing these different elements in parts of the house. A skilled practitioner will usually start and finish at the front door moving from room to room using one of the air elements - incense, drumming, chanting etc - to move the Chi.

The second step, once the stagnant Chi has been moved, is to refine and lift the atmosphere of the home. This is usually done with a good quality bell or music, prayer or chanting.

The third and equally vital step is to set the “intention” of the space. Once the space has been cleared, it is raised to a higher vibrational level and rather like a void, it is ready to be filled. Here lies the opportunity to set the tone of your new space. Chi energy will naturally follow the intention. Some kind of ceremony is vital now to set the tone. Practically, this can be done by standing at the centre of each room and allowing your energy to expand fill the space while at the same time declaring your intention.

Space clearing is not recommended when your own Chi is low - you feel run down, tired or ill. It is never wise to space clear somebody else’s home - this is much better left for a professional.

link here 

DINOSAUR’S KARMA

Overtime, this Dinosaur’s kidney and other ancient animal’s internal organs became our jewels. Their color and sizes varies, depending on their habitat and diet. What about their brains? Diamonds???

 

Photos courtesy of http://vibrate.wordpress.com/

nature’s hand

View Babi_Santander’s map

Taken in a place with no name (See more photos here)

“At one time they may be carbuncle stones, then coals, then diamonds, then flint stones, then morning dew, then tears.”
quote by - Lope de Vega

surface tension

Quantum Physics, consciousness and the mind

The Mind and Physics

The mind has played a role in physics since the earliest days of quantum physics. The Fifth Solvay Conference in 1927 featured a debate between Niels Bohr and Albert Einstein about whether the mind and consciousness are (Bohr) or are not (Einstein) part of physics. Einstein’s position has dominated mainstream physics for decades, but the battle simmered on for the entire twentieth century.

New Physics

Much of 20th-century physics has proceeded along the reductionist path that seeks quantum gravity at the intersection of the extended lines of quantum physics and relativity.

This reductionist path must always try to force into a stretched standard model the many phenomena of new physics that have been theorized or observed over recent decades:

• extra dimensions of space
• black holes
• dark matter and dark energy
• entanglement
• tunneling
• Bose-Einstein condensates
• neutrino mass
• radical theses about time and matter

How far can the standard models of particle physics and cosmology be stretched before we see the need for new theory-of-everything paradigms?

A Search Exercise for You

Here’s a search exercise for you.

List every phenomenon of new physics that you can think of. Add “consciousness” and “the mind.” See what theories of physics you can find.

From this, create your own Top Tennk of. Add “consciousness” and “the mind.” See what theories of physics you can find.

From this, create your own Top Ten List of Radical Theories of New Physics.

And select your own Number One Theory of New Physics and the Mind.

21st-Century Physics

How many phenomena of new physics does it take to break the standard model?

Are we really getting closer to a theory of everything by reducing our understanding to strings as physics’ smallest pieces?

Can psychologists’, mathematicians’, and physicists’ longstanding p-adic models of thought be brought into modern physics?

What optimal mix of new physics phenomena and p-adic models of consciousness have created holistic models of new physics and the mind, the 21st century’s theory of everything?

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