Skip to main content

Issue 76 (July - August 2010)

Issue 76 (July - August 2010)

Subscribe to The Fountain Magazine

Articles

The Inner System of Life

30 June 2010 | The Fountain | Issue 76 (July - August 2010)

The human model that has been fantasized in modern times is a heavily downgraded form of the “authorized version”. Under extreme interpretations of materialist philosophies, the human being has been perceived as an animal, with somewhat superior qualities, qualities that are nothing more than a com…

The Inner Dimension of Existence

30 June 2010 | M. Fethullah Gulen | Issue 76 (July - August 2010)

The inner dimension of existence, for those who are open to it, is never a fantasy, a dream, an illusion or a delirium, but instead a phenomenon and an inner system. It seems feasible only through such an inner dimension that the satisfactory explanation of our existence, the secret of our life, th…

Quantum Physics and Free Will

30 June 2010 | Mustafa Tabanli | Issue 76 (July - August 2010)

Is life unpredictable? Do we choose our own thoughts or our own path through this life? Are we beings who truly have the free will to decide which path we will take or which choice we will make? Or do we live and breathe in a completely deterministic world? Are we merely an aggregation of particl…

Are You Pregnant with Yourself?

30 June 2010 | Seth Mette | Issue 76 (July - August 2010)

Have you ever been pregnant? No matter your gender or age, you have been pregnant in your life! Even now, you may be pregnant. Do you wonder why? To learn the answer, we need to set out on an exploration. During our journey, we will face hardship and hunger. The inability to know when we will reach…

Sounds in Nature and Journey to the Beginning

30 June 2010 | Mustafa Tabanli | Issue 76 (July - August 2010)

If we seek solace and peace in the sounds of nature and in our houses of worship, what happens to us the rest of the time when we are bombarded by sound at every turn? It seems like no matter where we are these days, it is impossible to escape the sound of traffic, sirens, the phone ringing… just t…

Music of the Spheres

30 June 2010 | Julie Ann Cunningham | Issue 76 (July - August 2010)

Music is a moral law. It gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, a charm to sadness, gaiety and life to everything. It is the essence of order, and leads to all that is good, just and beautiful. –Plato Music surrounds us. We may not always be attuned to hear…

Medina Charter and Pluralism

30 June 2010 | Sean William White | Issue 76 (July - August 2010)

The clash of civilizations, cultures, tribes, and religions seems to be prevalent throughout all of history. At the same time, history reveals simultaneous conflict and efforts to resolve tensions and division feeding animosity through mediation, diplomacy, and dialogue. Many conflicts seem too com…

A Landscape of Beauty: the Alteration of Colors in Autumn

30 June 2010 | Abdullah Akpinar | Issue 76 (July - August 2010)

Every autumn we find ourselves in the beauty of a variety of colors. A mixture of orange, red, yellow, and purple appears in the trees as the seasons change from summer to winter. That is when we all enjoy the colors of the autumn leaves. However, have you ever wondered why and how an autumn leaf c…

Keep Your Blood Pressure under Control

30 June 2010 | Hasan Gul | Issue 76 (July - August 2010)

Hypertension occurs when the force of blood in the veins rises higher than the normal level. So what are the blood pressure levels that indicate we may be suffering from hypertension? If the blood pressure level of a resting person is 140/90 mmHg or higher on two different occasions, this is classi…

The Influence of Islamic Art on M.C. Escher

30 June 2010 | Fatih Gelgi | Issue 76 (July - August 2010)

Although most of us do not remember or have not ever heard the name M.C. Escher, we are probably familiar with the world-famous illustration shown below: Figure 1: Drawing hands, 1948 Maurits Cornelis Escher (1898–1972) is one of the world’s most famous graphic artists of impossible structures (…

Signs

30 June 2010 | Sevgi Zubeyde Gurbuz | Issue 76 (July - August 2010)

Verily, in all this there are messages indeed for those who can read the signs. A conversation I had with my mother last November still haunts my dreams. My mom had been sick for several weeks with an unbearable headache, double vision, and facial numbness. Unsure of what could cause such symptom…

The Realm of Zeal

30 June 2010 | M. Fethullah Gulen | Issue 76 (July - August 2010)

Everything comes up roses in our sphere, rapture, zeal, and joy... So enraptured that We’re oblivious to spring and summer. The magical song of faith on our tongues, There’s a love like Majnun’s in our hearts. Those who visit our circle turn to diamonds, Divine lights keep showering all aroun…

Good Nature (Khuluq)

30 June 2010 | M. Fethullah Gulen | Issue 76 (July - August 2010)

Good nature, in addition to meaning temperament, disposition, and character, is a goal to which a traveler aspires, for it is the most important dimension of creation. In brief, this station means that one is characterized (equipped) with God’s qualities or way of acting. For example, God is All-Fo…

In the land of Yooks and Zooks

30 June 2010 | Mirkena Ozer | Issue 76 (July - August 2010)

What you are about to read is a review of a children’s book which had been banned from the shelves of the U.S. libraries during Cold War years. It opens with these peaceful panoramic lines: On the last day of summer Ten hours before fall… ….My grandfather took me Out to the Wall. For a while h…

Mother Tongue: The Language of Heart and Mind

30 June 2010 | Hurisa Guvercin | Issue 76 (July - August 2010)

Today we are all witnessing an aspect of globalization which is the increasing movement of people from one country to another for different purposes, such as education, desire for a better life, the need for employment, escape from conflicts between groups including oppression of one group by anoth…

It's me Peter, your Immune System!

30 June 2010 | Irfan Yilmaz | Issue 76 (July - August 2010)

Peter! Let me tell you a basic, but important thing: in order to create a piece of art, you need to have great knowledge, will, and power, which will be manifested in that work of art. However, creating a work of art is not enough; you have to protect it from breaking, decay or from getting stolen…

Synthetic life: hype or reality?

30 June 2010 | The Fountain | Issue 76 (July - August 2010)

1- Synthetic life: hype or reality? Original Article: Gibson, D.G. et al., Science Express (2010). A team of genome researchers at the J. Craig Venter Institute in the U.S recently announced that after almost 15 years of work and with a budget of $40 million, they had finally built the first bact…

Method of Contemplation

30 June 2010 | Hikmet Isik | Issue 76 (July - August 2010)

Question: There is a saying of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, to the effect: “One hour of contemplation is better than one year of supererogatory worship.” What is the method or path of contemplation? Above all, it should be said that this saying is weak in regard to the hadith criteria…

Most Read in 2023

Climate Change and Our Health

Climate Change and Our Health

Fatih Demirci | Issue 151 (Jan - Feb 2023)

Physiological Effects of Music

Physiological Effects of Music

Sinem Akbulak | Issue 151 (Jan - Feb 2023)

Dunning-Kruger Effect: Audacity Born Out of Ignorance

Dunning-Kruger Effect: Audacity Born Out of Ignorance

Fatma Gunduz | Issue 152 (Mar - Apr 2023)

What Happens After Death?

What Happens After Death?

Betul Gul | Issue 152 (Mar - Apr 2023)

Imbalance in Bowel Movement: Diarrhea and Constipation

Imbalance in Bowel Movement

Naim Yilmaz | Issue 151 (Jan - Feb 2023)

Magic Squares

Most Magically Magical Magic Squares

Hakan Oztunc | Issue 152 (Mar - Apr 2023)

You Are the Placebo

You Are the Placebo

Adam Sahin | Issue 153 (May - Jun 2023)

Our World of Faith or, Being Cool and Peaceful in the Fire

Our World of Faith or, Being Cool and Peaceful in the Fire

M. Fethullah Gulen | Issue 151 (Jan - Feb 2023)