Eye on Faith

Thursday, August 6, 2015

Taylor Swift: Morality trumps fame

Swift in 2009 (Photo by Angela George)

Taylor Swift certainly seems to have it all. Nevertheless, she insists upon morality as a vital companion to fame and fortune.

In fact, Swift has stated: I judge people based on their moral code; I think someone is nothing without a moral code. She then went on to explain that morality trumps talent, wealth and popularity.

Swift belongs to a "sisterhood" that she cherishes. This “inner circle” of females even includes those who have dated the same men. Swift says, “…just because you have the same taste in men, we don’t hold that against each other.”

What Swift does hold against others is a sense of betrayal. She firmly vows to shun those who will talk her down and try to humiliate her.

Being human, Swift has made her share of mistakes. However, she tends not to repeat the same ones, especially with regard to friendship and romance.

She is particularly on guard against a tendency of companions to try and change her. She concludes: That can be the most painful thing, trying to love someone who is critical in their nature.

Resources

http://www.msn.com/en-us/music/celebrity/taylor-swift-gets-personal-about-friends-and-romances-i-dont-make-the-same-mistake-twice/ar-BBlnTE1

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Natalia Molchanova: We are whole

Natalia Molchanova (Photo by Divot)

As the world mourns the presumed loss of “the greatest free diver in history,” some might be wondering what made Natalia

Molchanova engage in such risky activity.

She herself provided the answer to this question. The New York Times reports that Molchanova had explained, “Free diving is not only a sport, it’s a way to understand who we are.”

She went on to contrast the thinking-based life with the be-here-now one. Molchanova had said, “When we go down if we don’t think, we understand that we are whole. We are one with the world… We need to reset sometimes. Free diving helps do that.”

In whatever world Molchanova is currently at one with, may she find the peace that passeth thinking, the wholeness she was willing to give her all for.

Resources

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/05/sports/natalia-molchanova-champion-free-diver-is-missing-near-ibiza.html?_r=0

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Gaia's gigantic galactic goals

Gaia (Artist's Impression, uploaded by Pippo skaio)

Way out in space, at a point 1.5 million kilometers from Earth known simply as L2, the satellite Gaia is carrying out “its surveillance of the Galaxy.”

Forbes reports that Gaia’s findings are slated to increase our current knowledge thousands of times over. Stars, planets, asteroids and comets will be scrutinized by the “two telescopes, photon detectors, video processing unit, Sun shield, and other instruments” on board.

One expected result is the mapping of a billion stars, approximately one-hundredth of the total number of such luminaries within the Milky Way.

Even more ambitious are the plans to test “Albert Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, the space-time continuum, and gravitational waves…”

It's one thing to chart heavenly bodies, yet quite another to reach for Heaven itself.

Resources

http://www.forbes.com/sites/oracle/2014/02/20/one-billion-stars-30000-light-years-and-petabytes-of-data/?sr_source=lift_amplify&nowelcome

Monday, August 3, 2015

Cecil: A lion's share of NY care

Cecil the Lion (Photo by Daughter#3)

Not very long ago, Cecil roamed the wilds of Zimbabwe, unbeknownst to most Americans.

This lion, beloved by many in his native land, was then mercilessly “killed by an American trophy hunter.”

The AFP reports that Cecil’s image is now lighting up New York City’s Empire State Building. His giant photo spans 33 floors of the landmark’s southern face.

This grand spectacle is the result of an innovative initiative to help save endangered animals. The initiative, called “Projecting Change on the Empire State Building,” was designed to get people talking about the plight of these creatures.

Louie Psihoyos, director of a 2009 film about the grisly methods used by Japanese dolphin hunters, is the force behind this “Projecting Change” initiative. He is also “founder of the Oceanic Preservation Society.”

Resources

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/cecil-the-lion-lights-up-new-yorks-empire-state-building/ar-BBlkcyz

Bonsai: Where love meets nature

The Japanese White Pine Bonsai (Photo by Ragesoss)

It just goes to show: care for anything long enough, and love will win out.

Faiz Siddiqui of The Washington Post reports that there is a “mushroom-shaped” Japanese white pine in the National Arboretum of Northwest Washington that began its life in

1625 AD.

This bonsai tree has been lovingly fussed over every single day for of all these centuries. This care has included daily watering and inspection for insects. The tree has also been “rotated for the sun twice a week and repotted on occasion.”

The maximum life expectancy of this 390-year-old wonder had actually been 200 years. That it has so far lived an additional 190 years is just part of its miraculous story. Siddiqui explains that it also survived the atomic blast at Hiroshima in August 1945.

Living only two miles from the epicenter of the blast, the tree had been nurtured by bonsai master Masaru Yamaki. That Yamaki ended up donating this treasure to the country which dropped that bomb is perhaps the biggest miracle of all.

Resources

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/this-390-year-old-bonsai-tree-survived-an-atomic-bomb/ar-BBllbHc

Saturday, August 1, 2015

Chury: The little comet that could

'Chury' (Photo by ESA/Rosetts/NAVCAM)

Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (aka “Chury”) could possibly reveal secrets about the origin of life within our solar system and beyond.

The AFP reports that the European Space Agency’s probe Philae, which is hiding out on Chury’s rocky surface, has found “several organic molecules… important building blocks of life” there.

The 16 compounds that Philae has thus far found “have been identified from six classes of organic molecules, including alcohols and amino acids.” Although Philae has not been heard from for almost a month, all is not lost. It may simply be in survival mode for a while.

Since Chury has remained in relatively stable condition for the past 4.6 billion years, it can serve as a “time capsule” for those who wish to retrace the evolutionary chain of organic components.

The fact that Philae has even managed to land on Chury’s surface seems miraculous. The information gleaned from this landing stands to be even more miraculous yet.

Resources

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/philae-the-little-lost-lander-finds-organic-molecules-on-comet/ar-BBlfuXc?ocid=ansnewsafp11

Music: Why so seductive?

Muse (circa 430 BC)

There’s a reason why sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll are often closely linked.

Rachel Cruz of HNGN reports that feelings about music can “be as intense as having orgasms.” While hearing their favorite songs, some listeners experience a “tingling sensation,”

This sensation, also known as “frisson” or “skin orgasm,” is sometimes accompanied by “sweating, trembling and even arousal.” There are universal aspects to this response, but also highly individual ones. Sensations may be similar, but can vary in their bodily locations.

Researchers have tracked pertinent brain activity with an fMRI scanner, and found that “at least 80 percent of the [listening] participants exhibited the [above-mentioned] physical reaction.”

Some reacted strongly to classical music, others to pop and folk tunes. “Marked changes in the brain” seemed to directly correlate with fluctuations in harmony, melody and volume.

Because similar responses occur with sex and drugs, “shiver-inducing songs” have been called “addictive.”

Resources

http://www.hngn.com/articles/112889/20150727/music-orgasm-melodies-harmonies-bring-similar-sensations-sex-study.htm