Eye on Faith

Thursday, May 28, 2015

News from Afar: Loving 'Lucy' not enough

Valley of Dry Bones (Gustave Dore)

It seems as though Australopithecus afarensis (friends call her “Lucy”) may have hogged the evolutionary spotlight long enough.

These days, another hominid has joined the party of alleged human ancestors. This latest “find” (consisting of “fossilized remains” with “bones that are clearly different from Lucy’s”) has been named Australopithecus deyiremeda (“deyiremeda” meaning “close relative” in the Afar language).

Zacharias Abubeker of the AFP explains that both these hominid remains have been found in the Afar region of Ethiopia, within a mere 35 km of one another. “Fierce squabbles” have already been developing as to where each should be placed “in the [human] family tree.”

Whether this “family tree” is rooted in the Afar, rather than in the Garden of Eden, is by far the bigger and fiercer “squabble.”

Yohannes Haile-Selassie of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History has confessed: Some of our colleagues are going to be skeptical about this new species, which is not unusual.

Perhaps such essential research should extend beyond the Valley of Dry Bones and into the realm of Living Waters.

Resources

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/lucy-may-not-be-our-mum-say-scientists/ar-BBkjzeb

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Mars: Arrival versus survival

Curiosity rover (NASA/JPL)

Although it is laudable that scientists are developing the means to transport humans to Mars, the venture may be tragic if we don’t yet have to means to ensure survival on that planet.

Once folks have actually landed (and that in itself is a challenge, due to the very thin atmosphere surrounding Mars), they will then be exposed to extremely fluctuating temperatures.

Loren Grush of Popular Science explains that the average there is “around -81 degrees Fahrenheit,” but that Mars temperatures can “swing wildly… from 86 degrees Fahrenheit near the equator to -284 degrees Fahrenheit near the poles.”

Because Mars has some atmosphere, as opposed to the vacuum conditions within the International Space Station, scientists will have to come up with new methods of protecting people from such temperature changes.

Although food and supply issues are somewhat similar to those facing Antarctica crews, Mars is a lot further “from mainstream civilization than Antarctica is.” Self-sustainable farming skills that work well in an alien environment would therefore be essential to long-term colonization.

Grush points out the dilemma of providing enough CO₂for crops to survive. The CO₂produced by people within the Mars colony would only be enough to meet “half the crew’s dietary requirements.” Adding more people would not solve the problem since the need for food would then also increase.

Resources

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/how-youll-die-on-mars/ar-BBkgkSH

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Turban or tourniquet? Love wins

Sikh Man at Agra (Photo by Yann)

Sikhs are often publicly identified by the wearing of turbans.

Sikh Net explains that the turban signifies “you are committed and have dedicated yourself to the Guru and shall serve ALL…”

So what happens when removing the turban in public is the very thing that will serve someone who is urgently in need?

What hopefully happens is that love trumps protocol, for love seems to be the essence of all true religions.

And love did, indeed, prevail when a Sikh man recently used his turban as a first-aid measure for a boy who was struck by a car.

Ariel Bogle of Mashable explains that this man, Harman Singh, rushed to the boy after witnessing the accident. Singh

then quickly “took off his turban in order to help staunch the flow of blood.”

It is equally commendable that Singh's action has “been credited by fellow Sikhs, as well as by the public at large.” Perhaps the world is finally beginning to realize that love is not only the goal, but also the path.

Resources

http://fateh.sikhnet.com/s/WhyTurbans#Gift%20of%20the%20Guru

http://mashable.com/2015/05/26/sikh-man-turban-young-buy/

Monday, May 25, 2015

One 'Adam' plus One 'Eve' equals How Many?

Adam and Eve (Public Domain)

If there were just one man and one woman left on earth, would they be able to repopulate the human race?

Assuming that this “Adam” and “Eve” each had reproductive capabilities, the answer may still be what Morgan Kinney of Popular Science calls “a resounding… maybe.”

Known as a genetic "bottleneck situation," this kind of a limited “founder population” can easily lead to lethal gene combinations.

The mathematical odds for this restricted a genetic “lottery are not good.” For example, if a congenital heart condition were to be passed on to the next generation, chances are that these children would not survive for long.

Ditto on a multitude of other congenital diseases that could be fostered by such a small gene pool. Kinney points out that “other heritable diseases such as sickle cell anemia could potentially ravage the new population.”

Divine intervention, however, is always the “wild card” that can change everything. The field of epigenetics is discovering that aspects of DNA can be turned on or off, according to lifestyle influences.

Therefore, if God’s people choose to live within God’s will, who really knows the extent to which this could strengthen the biochemistry of future generations?

Resources

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/can-two-people-repopulate-earth/ar-BBk0Gfl

Sunday, May 24, 2015

Immigrants Bless America

Irving Berlin, Age 18 (Public Domain)

Particularly around the time of Memorial Day, you can hear the strains of “God Bless America” from many a house of worship.

This song was written by one of America’s most famous immigrants: Irving Berlin. He was born a Jew in Czarist Russia at a time when entire Jewish villages were deliberately

being destroyed there.

Berlin managed to escape. The gratitude that this young lad felt for his “Promised Land” of America never faded. It was beautifully expressed within the opus “God Bless America.”

Recently, a local church posted this message: “America Bless God.” It serves as a vivid reminder that blessings often work in covenantal fashion. If God is to bless America, then it is incumbent upon Americans to also bless God.

In a way, this is a spiritualized version of John F. Kennedy’s “Ask not what your [blessed] country can do for you, but what you can do for your [blessed] country…”

The Huffington Post reports that immigrants Peter and Joan Petrasek took this covenantal philosophy to heart. He a survivor of Nazi persecution, and she originally from Ireland, agreed to bless their adopted land America by leaving their entire estate of $847,215 to the United States Government.

Resources

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/immigrant-couple-leaves-dollar847000-to-america/ar-BBk8Pil

Saturday, May 23, 2015

Chipotle: Wisdom to go

Brandon, Florida Chipotle (Photo by proshob)

During a recent layover at Baltimore-Washington International Airport, I needed to grab some lunch.

Let’s just say that in the long line of fast-food places, there didn’t seem to be too many healthful options.

When I saw the Chipotle sign, I was therefore relieved. Here was an opportunity to choose such items as brown rice and tofu.

As I sat down with my plateful of of steaming vittles, I noticed something even more nourishing. It was a “Two-Minute Alchemy” tale by Paulo Coelho, printed right on the brown bag that Chipotle had placed the food in.

This Coelho tale told the story of a pitcher with cracks that yielded blessings. If that weren’t enlightening enough, the “flip-side” of the bag featured this Coelho quote: “We all, at some point, grow old and acquire other qualities, and these can always be turned to good advantage.”

While cleaning up after all that salsa-laden food, I noticed these printed words: “This napkin is made from 90% post-consumer recycled unbleached paper. It could have been an electricity bill or a parking ticket in its past life. Forgive and forget.”

Satiated in body, mind and spirit, I ran to catch my next plane. Who knew that a hurried lunch could be that fulfilling?

Resources

http://cultivatingthought.com/author/paulo-coelho/

Friday, May 22, 2015

Letterman set dumped: So much for fame

Ramsesses II (The British Museum)

The applause from David Letterman’s final show had not even grown cold before workmen began hauling off pieces of his iconic stage set.

Most of these remnants were being sent to the nearest dumpster, rather than to the Smithsonian.

Letterman, who during his last hurrah joked about saving some accolades for the funeral, knows all too well the fickle fingers of fame.

One of his farewell jokes went something like this: I’m beginning to think that I won’t be getting the ‘Tonight Show.’

Fox News reports that onlookers gawked as “blocks of blue stage and hacked up pieces of the iconic New York City bridges that made up the set of the ‘Late Show’” were tossed to the street.

If there were a poet in the crowd, he would have uttered: Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair! A philosopher might have echoed: This too shall pass…

Resources

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2015/05/21/late-show-with-david-letterman-set-already-kicked-to-curb/