The Poetry of Physics

Happy new year to Chowk readers, writers, inter-actors, and staff. May you see many more.

Mohammad Gill

Inquirer: response to #39

Yep, you are right about the Chinese. Prior to Communism they have been pretty much peaceful. And they will eventually return to the roots. The entire world functions on 2 basic laws. Survival of the fittest and Natural selection both at biological and civilizational level.

So natural selection will see to that anything that is Un-natural is rooted out. Thats why Christianity, Islam, Communism will eventually be sidelined. Christinaity will continue its drive without the passion due to the $$$ left in the Christianity corporation. But as the $$ gets milked out it will slowly turn into spiritual version not much different than buddism/dharmic faiths, from which Jesus Christ learnt his trade in the first place.

And if we look at the big picture the world has generally been getting more peaceful every passing century. The increase in human population and wealth spread is proof enough. Though looking at it from the micro level, it will look as if we are going through the worst of times. Besides, without the constant churning and destruction of the old and rotten nothing new will be created. Hindus(meaning Indians, since Hindu is a geographical term) were genius in recognizing this milleniums ago in the symbolisms of Shiva, Brahma and Vishnu.

So with the advent of the resurgent India and China as economic leaders, a post they both held until about 1700, things will take a positive turn. Quoting Gita,``All that happens is for the Good``

Inquirer: You may think the earth`s moon is unlivable - however, those who are in the business of space exploration (NASA and space agencies of other nations), beg to differ with you. Thus, at least two space probes have been sent over the past couple of years as I recall looking for water on the moon - and from all indications there is very likely that there is a reservoir of frozen water on the south pole of the moon. And much thought is being given to tapping into this reservoir to establish a permanent moon base.

You are also showing a lack of imagination by saying that the moon`s of other planets are unlivable. Indeed, Europa (one of Jupiter`s moons) has been shown to be covered with ice, with perhaps an ocean of liquid water underneath it (heated by the internal core of the moon, just as the earth`s core creates liquid lava) - and again, the world`s space agencies led by NASA are spending considerable effort in exploring Europa and other moons in the solar system.

EVEN if all the efforts of the space agencies of various nations prove wrong and you prove to be correct in saying that these moons are unlivable (a very unlikely thing, imho), you ignore the fact that mankind can still harness the various assets of the solar system that I listed earlier. This would be done through remote control. And the Mars robots that I mentioned earlier - not to mention vehicles like Voyager 11 that is I think already beyond the Oort cloud and thus beyond the outer reaches of the solar system itself - have already proved this to be a viable concept. Machines can go where it is unsafe to send a human, and act as extensions of the human sensory organs, muscles, brains.

The world`s scientists are already doing things that are beyond the imagination of most people, it seems.

#37,tahmed32:
I thought you were not as shallow as come out to be in these two posts. You belie your father`s objectivity as you described once to me.

I have participated in Casini-Huygens rocket safety analysis. And I do think, though am not sure, 141 moons have been identified for stars other than the sun.

Since it has been established that the Earth`s moon can not support the human population of any size since 1975, no moon of solar planets is livable. Do you know the temperature beyond Mars? The temperatures beyond Jupiter are all below -100degree celsius.
WHY DO YOU THINK THAT MANNED MISSIONS WERE DISCONTINUED AFTER 1975?!!!

#35,singularity:
Thanks for the review of the analysis and question presented by me.

WE NEED TO STOP EXPECTING SCIENCE FROM RELIGION AND VICE VERSA. ALL RELIGIONS WERE THOUGHT UP BY HUMANS AND DESIGNED BY HUMANS LESSER THAN THE THE ORIGINATORS. THIS HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED BY all religions EXCEPT ISLAM.

As for the comparison between Indians and Chinese, both have the documented record of living in peace and letting others do the same except the Communist regime which wants to emulate the Christian West. This in stark contrast to the records of the Sunnis as well as Shias including Hazarat Mohammad. The only minor exceptions have been the Sufis and the Ahmeddiyas (Physicist Abdus Salam was one. Nehru had invited him to India and I heard him say that he would return to United India. He died totally abandoned and denigrated in Pakistan - he returned to not to Pakistan but his village - as has been documented in Chowk discussions). Shias and Sunnis do not even recognize them as belonging to Islam Widespread illiteracy and dire poverty are the causes which sustain Islam in this totally ridiculous stance. They, most of the Islamics, are characterized by the story I gave in #30. At least in Pakistan under Musharraf there is a Human Rights Commission. Other Muslim countries do not even report such instances.

Inquirer: I think, my friend, that you dont read too well either. I never said anything about colonizing the stars. Go back and read what I wrote, THEN pass judgement or offer comments.

Inquirer: further to my previous post, I was referring to the 141 moons WITHIN the solar system identified todate. NOT to planets on OTHER stars. Even as I write this we have the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft examining Saturn and its moon Titan up close. This is not mere purposeless investigation, but with a long term view of space colonization.

The problem is not spacecraft speeds, but ignorance of what is commonplace knowledge today on your part.

Inquirer: Response to #34

That was thorough analysis. Obviously having a physics background helped you to call the bluff. I simply cant comprehend how and why a highly educated, otherwise very analytical muslim, looses all sense of reason to go to any extent to prove that Koran contains answers to all questionsin the Universe. I think they inherently know that Islam is very weak coz all we need to do is to prove that Mohamad is Human and Islamic beliefs collapses. Same applies to Christianity. Both are dependent on the IL-Logical and Un-sound beliefs about GOD sending Prophets to Earth. That is very very thin on facts and is very `Un-natural`. That is the Achilles heel.

The advantage of Dharmic(Indic) or confucian/taoist beliefs is that they are more grounded and is not dependent on any UN-NATURAL beliefs or one single man. So thats the reason why both Christianity and Islam failed to make any Impact in India and China. Especially in India coz the Hindus though subjected to close to 800 years of foreign rule,halted the march of Islam and Christianity and defeated them once and for all. I doubt the chinese would have done it if they had been exposed to barbaric invaders for such a long time. The Chinese were lucky to be secluded for so long.

Though the Muslim mullahs and Missionaries alike claim that Dharmic faith is weak, anybody who engaged in a slightly deeper study will come out with the opposite fact . They were beaten so badly and this defeat literally halted their sweep of the Earth between themselves. Now the tiding is changed so much that there is no turning the clock back. Now as information age dawns the power of the Church and Mullahs will decline dramatically bringing a closure to the Conversion drives. The church will continue the drive as long as it continues to make a profit and there are millions dependent on the $$ coming out of the Christianity Corporation. But the writing is on the wall.

Thanks.

#17,urstruly: Also singularity and malik99 to note.
Your derivation of speed of light is given below:

``[Quran 32.5] (Allah) Rules the cosmic affair from the heavens to the Earth. Then this affair travels to Him a distance in one day, at a measure of one thousand years of what you count.

It is the angels who carryout this ‘cosmic affair’. Hence in 1 day, the angels (who travel at the speed of light) will travel a distance of 1000 years of what they counted . Obviously they counted lunar years (see Arabic wording at footnote [1]). So Allah is saying that angels travels in one day the same distance that the moon travels in 1000 lunar years, that is, 12000 lunar orbits (1000 years x 12 orbits/year).``

****Note above the statement:``Obviously they counted lunar years (see Arabic wording at footnote [1])``. the note [1] is given below.****

[1]The Arabic word ``Araj`` means a man with a lame leg. In this verse, the Quran specifically uses it`s verb ``Yaruj`` which simply means a man walking on a lame leg. The Quran is describing the lame steps of this `cosmic affair` and literally says that it is `at a measure of one thousand years of what you count`. And since this verse is describing something quantitative and emphasizing the lame steps then it has to be pointing to the distance. The distance is the only thing quantitative in this case.

****WHERE IN THE NOTE ABOVE NOTE[1] IS THE LENGTH OF LUNER ORBIT DERIVABLE? IN ORDER TO DERIVE THE SAME DISTANCE FOR LUNAR TRAVEL YOU NEED TO SPECIFY THE RADIUS OF THE LUNAR ORBIT. PLEASE POINT OUT WHERE IS THE VALUE OF LUNAR ORBIT IS SPECIFIED??????

IF YOU CANNOT THEN WHOLE OF THE QUOTED ANALYSIS IS A FIB.



About this Preserved Tablet:

[Quran 85.21-22] But it is a Glorious Quran. 22 Inscribed on a Preserved Tablet.

Moslems believe that Archangel Gabriel got the Quran to their prophet from this Preserved Tablet:

[Quran 15.8-11] We only send down the angels in Truth; if they were not (in truth), no respite would they have 9 We have sent down the Message; and We will preserve it 10 We did send Messengers before you among the religious sects of the old 11 But never came a Messenger to them but they mocked him.

The Quran and all the instructions to all angels are inscribed on this Preserved Tablet. The angels were originally made of light, and the speed at which they commute to and from this Tablet turned out to be the known speed of light.

#31,tahmed32:
Suffices it to say that for me you ARE a young man!
We know the situations about the planets in our solar system. They are unlivable.
The nearest star from earth other than our sun is 4 light years away. So much for the other 141 planets!!!!!!!!!!
Our rockets travel at the speed of less than 30,000miles/hr. When do you estimate will we reach the speeds of 100,000 miles/hr?!

Malik99: Response to #11

Well, Check UrsTruly`s response #16 which proves my point that Somehow Koran should talk about Relativity and Quantum Physics etc. When even a glimpse of koran suggests that it was not even considering any attempts at science. It is not even close. Yet, people SOMEHOW interpret it to mean what they want it to mean. What does that say?

Also, it is disappointing that such intelligent young chaps like Fitaa who analyzes everything very well and critically evaluates theoretical physics, fails to do the same with respect to Mohamad and Koran. What gives? Why are they not applying the same set of analytical and critical evaluation of koran and Mohamad. Obviously, Mohamad and Koran is ``holier than thou`` and cant be put to the same critical analysis, coz it wont come out unscathed. And that will Expose Islam to be nothing more than Tribal Arab Imperialism imposed on everybody else in the garb of God.

Mohamad exhibits classic case of Paranoid Megalomania, very similar to Hitler. Yet muslims consider Mohamad to be Prophet and Hitler to be evil. Why so? Coz we have the luxury of Psychiatrists and easy communication today. But the tribal arabs didn`t have psychaitrists or asylums then.

That is my point. Critical analysis of every historical figure will bring to light the fact about all prophets being HUMAN and nothing more. That will also bring down the NON-muslims are satan/evil BS which is the fundamental reason behind a lot of tensions in the world. That will bring down the colossus called Islam coz it can no longer protect itself against sustained critical evaluation and can no longer sustain the BRUTAL Conversion drives.

That is why Information wave will make sure Dogmas will be sidelined and more spiritual all inclusive faiths will emerge out. That will be the day when 2 major virus,christianity and Islam, both of which has destroyed many millions of lives and destroyed in-numerable cultures, will be made to rest their il-logical dogmas.

So lets all look forward to that day.

Inquirer: I am much older than you, I am sure. I am 54. How old are YOU, young man?? And why is age so important to you??

While colonization of the solar system may appear a pipe dream to you - all you have to do is read the newspaper (other than the local news about all the bad things happening in Pakistan that you Indians seem so obsessed with pointing out as in case of your posts to Fitaa below). If you read the newspaper (other than local news, of course) you will find that even as you read this, there are two robotic explorers on Mars already - studying the geology as precursor to future space landings (rest assured that the US would not spend billions studying the geology of Mars simply for academic purposes).

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#26,Fitaa:
``Religion cannot be changed and Science does change on logic and experiment. Call this the beauty of science or the beauty of religion but this also implies religion cannot be based on science.``
****Your first sentence merely shows the subservience of West Asian Intellectual movements to the Mullah-King combine that has controlled the region since Mohammad. I agree that Islam as enunciated at the early times provided a rational backdrop to the sociological roots of the society but its tunnel vision in all other areas completely destroyed the scientific spirit in the region which had developed well prior to the conversion-by-sword frenzy that began with Hazrat and his followers. They are well known and documented invaders of all other societies (This may now be expressing as Wahaabism and other terroristic movements glorifying suicide now.).

As for founding religion on science, I believe you are right. Religions are a set of arbitrary rules developed for the benefit of select groups in all societies. This has been well established. Science on the other hand is an objective body of thought - defined by independence on and freedom of domination by the formulators of science. Also, it is repeatable on will by all. Science and religion are inherently contradictory except for those who know neither religion nor science.

#26, tahmed32:
How old are you, young man?! I wish you well for expressing the indomitable but currently quixotic optimism about the ability of humans and scientific innovations. But what do you say to Fitaa and followers who would be so disappointed to find no Allah outside the Earth ruled by him (excuse me for not using the capital H)?
I SHARE YOUR AWE!

Fitaa:
Here is the beauty of religion!

In the small village of Meerwala in Pakistan, Mukhtaran Bibi survived a horror few can imagine. Two years ago, the 28-year-old woman was gang-raped as ``punishment`` meted out by a local tribal council (jirga) in retaliation for her teenage brother`s alleged affair with a woman from another tribe. The story has its roots in the centuries-old conflict between Mukhtaran’s tribe, the Gujjar, and the higher-caste Mastoi tribe.
Although Mukhtaran’s family’s offered to settle the matter peacefully, the Mastoi called for revenge–the violation of a Gujjar woman. The jury, dominated by Mastoi elders, selected Mukhtaran. She was dragged to a hut and raped at gunpoint by four Mastoi men. Armed guards prevented her family from saving her.

Hours later, the girl was forced to walk home covered only by a torn shirt, jeered at by villagers. Her brother was released from jail; the accusation against him had been withdrawn.

The charge against the boy was later found to be false, and Mukhtaran said that in fact her brother had been sodomized by Mastoi tribesmen who then fabricated the story of the boy’s crime.

Instead of killing herself as tradition demanded, Mukhtaran reported the rape to the police. An imam, outraged by the rape, asked a local reporter to talk to her, and her story was soon picked up by the national and international media.

Today, several of the rapists are on death row, and others on the tribal council face prison sentences.

President Pervez Musharraf presented Mukhtaran with about $8,300 as compensation. Rather than take the money and leave her village, Mukhtaran used the funds to build two schools, one for girls and one for boys. (Although a lack of the funds promised by the Pakistani government threatened to close the schools, an article in the New York Times by columnist Nicholas Kristof reportedly garnered $90,000 in donations.)

According to the Pakistan Human Rights Commission, Mukhtaran was one of hundreds of women raped or gang-raped in Pakistan each year. Most of those crimes go unreported and unpunished. Mukhtaran’s rare courage in speaking out and her determination to stay and help others have shed light on a critical human rights issue.

Inquirer: While it is true that earth is all we have AT THIS TIME, given time (a few decades) and barring a catastrophe, there is no question that mankind will start colonizing other heavenly bodies in the solar system - not just the 9 planets (some of them containing more matter than thousands of earth sized objects), but the 141 moons identified to date (some comparable in size to the earth), the over 700,000 objects over 1 kilometer in diameter in the asteroid belt that circle the sun outside of the orbit of mars, as well as the large number of objects in the Kuiper belt outside Plato`s orbit, AND the large number of objects in the Oort Cloud that are on the fringes of the solar system and are in fact close enough to be affected by the gravitation of nearyby stars and last but not least, the vast energy tossed out by the sub itself in the form of the solar wind (travelling at close to the speed of light)!!

And all this is within our physical grasp (as opposed to sensory reach, made possible by telescopes of all kinds plus some brilliant reasoning by many, many dedicated people who are the unsung heroes of the human race) with linear improvements to today`s technology.

What lies beyond - given advancements into other dimensions (and such advancements are even now being conceived at the heels of scientific advancements based on the string theory) - is beyond our imagination. And even that may one day be within our physical reach (including the multiple dimensions envisioned by the M-theory). But try as we might, it is hard to imagine mankind ever making a dent even the known universe, or even in galaxy sized objects like the eagle nebula pictured below.

Inquirer:

I will standby what I said. Religion cannot be changed and Science does change on logic and experiment. Call this the beauty of science or the beauty of religion but this also implies religion cannot be based on science. I was just giving my opinion in response to some interacts who were trying to support religion or Islam through Science. I also do not want to say that Quran says something that is wrong as I am tolerant about religious people just like the way I am tolerant about the people who are non-religious.

Fitaa:
Sorry, I came out stronger than I should or had to. But it is frustrating to see religion being touted as superior science, when in reality its effect on humans has been mostly negative.
Your article is OK as far as it goes. Though I do not think it brings ut the comparison and contrast between physics and poetry.
#20: You do not think that your last paragraph utterly confuses physics and religion and justify superiority of religion over science? If so, I am afraid we have different logics of thinking.

tahmed32,#23: I totally agree only your second paragraph!
#24: The picture should put in perspective, the importance of earth and its inhabitants but remember humans have only earth, hence, though there be riches, they have to protect the mere penny that they have!

Very well written article on a subject far, far more important than the stuff the newspapers fuss about.

Through use of inductive and deductive reasoning, the human mind has been able to extend its reach way beyond what our intuition can grasp. As Shakespeare said: ````The heavens are not stranger than we imagine. The heavens are stranger than we CAN imagine.``

Fitaa: Here is some visual poetry (the famous picture of the Eagle Nubula, the enormous dust cloud where stars are being formed - the earth would be a microscopic point in this picture

Inquirer:

Read the article again and then other interacts and then my interact.

Leave it to Muslims, they will insert religion and quran in everything. They need to grow out of this childishness!!
All religions, including quran, talk about things in vague terms, if they really undestood scientific princiles, they would invent things and achieve ability to do things at will!!!!!!!!!!!
Then Muslim world would not have been the backwaters of Garedrlias (camel-tenders) they have been!
Fitaa, you need to study physics, not try to sell Islamic religion throuh the camouflage of physics.

Thanks readers for all your comments. I really appreicate these but please dont get political or religious. I dont write about politics or religion as it sparks mostly meaningless debates.

But i would say one thing. This is not against religion but in favor of religion.

``Religion must not be supported by Science. Science keeps changing but religion does not``. I remember my Science teacher giving a reference to Quran when teaching about electron and proton implying everything is made in pairs as said in Quran but we know now that the `world of atom` can be very well infinite. I am not saying what is written in Quran is wrong but it could have some other meaning. Some could argue that it is matter and anti matter but the point is we shouldnt base religion on some changing facts.

``Our sixth sense feels them and we have deviced mathematical interpretation to understand them or to predict them but that is all they are - mathematical interpretations.``


very enlightening - i didnt know (in my very limited understanding) that Mathematicians have been in the business
of making non-falsifiable claims like for instance: sixth sense itself.

Nice, but it could have used a better title. There`s emphasis on poetry but no poetry in this article. Which also explains the over-whelming nature of Physics. May I suggest you dig deeper into the history and philosophy of Physics. Knowing your Physics and the way physicists thought and think, you can definitely sound like a poetic physicist, and inspire the masses. Please keep going.

hamidm

For your eyes only:

Theory of Relativity in Qura`n; speed of angels etc.

http://islam.speed-light.info/relativity_quran.htm#RELATIVITY_QURAN_KORAN_Speed%20of%20Light%20a%20constant%20299792.5%20km/s

I am a physics enthusiast myself. It took me almost a year to finsih `a brief history of time` since it takes you to such imaginative tours as fitaa wrote.

But more I think about it the more I am getting convinced that there does not exist any universe out of Newtonian Mechanics. That is absolutely complete model of our existence. I am begining to accept the insignificance of the universe that surrounds us. Sure there are phenomenons which can only be interpretted thru the theory of relativity or Quantum Physics, but these phenomenon lie beyond our five senses. Our sixth sense feels them and we have deviced mathematical interpretation to understand them or to predict them but that is all they are - mathematical interpretations. Our world ends at Newtonian mechanics.

``If you want to know the mind of man, study religion; if you want to know the mind of God, study physics``

``....There was a time, when one could create controversy, get a fatwa passed against one`s self, and get a good publishing contract. But I think this phase will eventually pass.....

Anyone looking towards Rushdie and Nasreen for any kind of revival of Islamic thought are more lost than most of the mullahs out there..........``

OTH I find Rushdie and Nasreen extremely well articulated on the entrenched religious positions and which is the reason why the mullahs and their ``supporters`` continue rubbing their @rse and spewing fatwas.
After 9/11 I am glad that disenchantment with the mullah brigade has already begun. And I find that the world had started gathering it`s intellectual resources to fight them at an ideological level as well. Infact the supporters of dictators are well know supporters of theocratic form of governance and there is an increasing intellectual focus on these issues as well. You are bound to find more Phds and books getting published in the academic circles in the next few years. So, my prediction- just as Soviet Communism as an elite ideology got exposed and banished we are bound to find these mullah brigade getting exposed and banished forever within the next decade.......

singularity # 7 - u write ``Too bad it is gonna be hijacked by the Mullah brigand which is gonna make tall claims like KORAN already stated Einstein`s Theory of relativity and that Mohamad is the LAST Scienctist and no other scientist`s claim is true. ``

actually, with all due respect, you seem to be coming across as more ignorant of the role of religion than the mullahs. Just like ignorant mullahs, you have made a claim (about Quran being a book of science) and generalized it to include all of Islam.

Now before you worry about whether muslims will get into the bandwagon of 21st century or not, it may not be a bad idea that you get on as well by understanding that Bible, Torah, and Quran are not meant to be science books. They provide a code of conduct and thought to the people of faith. But at the same time they implore their adeherents to ``explore``, ``reason``, and ``discover``.

Some of the biggest jewish scientists were also very religious. And Quran certainly did not impede Avecena (ibn Sina) and Averros (Ibn Rashid) from exploring space or setting the basis of modern day maths.

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``....There was a time, when one could create controversy, get a fatwa passed against one`s self, and get a good publishing contract. But I think this phase will eventually pass.....

Anyone looking towards Rushdie and Nasreen for any kind of revival of Islamic thought are more lost than most of the mullahs out there..........``

OTH I find Rushdie and Nasreen extremely well articulated on the entrenched religious positions and which is the reason why the mullahs and their ``supporters`` continue rubbing their @rse and spewing fatwas.
After 9/11 I am glad that disenchantment with the mullah brigade has already begun. And I find that the world had started gathering it`s intellectual resources to fight them at an ideological level as well. Infact the supporters of dictators are well know supporters of theocratic form of governance and there is an increasing intellectual focus on these issues as well. You are bound to find more Phds and books getting published in the academic circles in the next few years. So, my prediction- just as Soviet Communism as an elite ideology got exposed and banished we are bound to find these mullah brigade getting exposed and banished forever within the next decade.......

And which of the Mercies of your Lord will you deny?

singularity #7: ``More Rushdies, Anwar shaikhs, Ibn Warraqs, Taslimas and Van goghs will come.``

I doubt it. And I certainly hope not. There is only so much money to be made by creating controversy around religion. Most of the poeple on your list and a few others, have milked it for all that they could. There was a time, when one could create controversy, get a fatwa passed against one`s self, and get a good publishing contract. But I think this phase will eventually pass.....

Anyone looking towards Rushdie and Nasreen for any kind of revival of Islamic thought are more lost than most of the mullahs out there..........What is needed is to take the debate out of the hands of the mullahs and the Rushdies. Both of these groups are in it for personal fame and authority..........None of either`s groups` works show any kind of knowledge of the subject. They do show a strong desire of prejudice and bigotry, as well as a desire to create profits through controversy...........

On the other hand, people like Abdus Salam, Dr. Riffat Hussain (my two favorites writers on Islam) and their writings on religion, will eventually become more popular.....

Fitaa Feeraz,
Nice thought provoking article. Too bad it is gonna be hijacked by the Mullah brigand which is gonna make tall claims like KORAN already stated Einstein`s Theory of relativity and that Mohamad is the LAST Scienctist and no other scientist`s claim is true. All other scientists are all infidel/Satan trying to obliterate ALLAH`S words.

If science proves anything, it is that religion of the past tried to play the role of today`s science and was successful to some extent. But it also clearly proves that religions after all is man`s conception and so it is not complete. If ISLAM is complete then it should have stated Theory of relativity or Quantum Mechanics or the arrival of Micro chips etc.

It is time that people move away from the past and start living in the present. Already Muslims are lagging behind in Science, technology, Research and development of industry or corporations. So it is high time to start asking questions and critical evaluation of koran and mohamad. It is bound to happen as information becomes open and available for everybody at the click of a mouse. Information is no longer under the control of mullahs or churches. So the information age will open up many avenues for anybody who wants to think on their own.

More Rushdies, Anwar shaikhs, Ibn Warraqs, Taslimas and Van goghs will come. Cant issue fatwas to all and kill all. So by the end of this century islam will be forced to jump into 21st century. If history is a pointer those who lag behind will be forced by events and circumstances and the basic human survival instinct to get rid off the il-logical theories. Theories about NON-muslims being all infidels/satan who go to hell (no matter they are Gandhi, Buddha or Confucious) will be cleansed and there will be a more modern, tolerant and acceptable version of islam coming out of the chaos.

So basically the end of the century will see to that Dogmas are left off to the past. That is a big jump to human evolution and thought processes.

Nasah,

You heard of the string theory which states that a big bang is made every time a giant membrane hits another membrane. Think of it as a sheet of cloth touching a sheet of water. The ripple is a big bang. Another way to think of it would be two wires coming into contact. As they do so, an electrical discharge is released. That discharge is like the explosion of stars galaxies etc etc. This means that a Big bang is not uncommon.

Physics is fascinating though I know didly squat of it. Scientists and creative folk are very much alike because in the end the best of them take leaps into the unknown.

Umer M

Fitaa Feeraz,
Nice thought provoking article. Too bad it is gonna be hijacked by the Mullah brigand which is gonna make tall claims like KORAN already stated Einstein`s Theory of relativity and that Mohamad is the LAST Scienctist and no other scientist`s claim is true. All other scientists are all infidel/Satan trying to obliterate ALLAH`S words.

If science proves anything, it is that religion of the past tried to play the role of today`s science and was successful to some extent. But it also clearly proves that religions after all is man`s conception and so it is not complete. If ISLAM is complete then it should have stated Theory of relativity or Quantum Mechanics or the arrival of Micro chips etc.

It is time that people move away from the past and start living in the present. Already Muslims are lagging behind in Science, technology, Research and development of industry or corporations. So it is high time to start asking questions and critical evaluation of koran and mohamad. It is bound to happen as information becomes open and available for everybody at the click of a mouse. Information is no longer under the control of mullahs or churches. So the information age will open up many avenues for anybody who wants to think on their own.

More Rushdies, Anwar shaikhs, Ibn Warraqs, Taslimas and Van goghs will come. Cant issue fatwas to all and kill all. So by the end of this century islam will be forced to jump into 21st century. If history is a pointer those who lag behind will be forced by events and circumstances and the basic human survival instinct to get rid off the il-logical theories. Theories about NON-muslims being all infidels/satan who go to hell (no matter they are Gandhi, Buddha or Confucious) will be cleansed and there will be a more modern, tolerant and acceptable version of islam coming out of the chaos.

So basically the end of the century will see to that Dogmas are left off to the past. That is a big jump to human evolution and thought processes.

Fitaa Feeraz,
Nice thought provoking article. Too bad it is gonna be hijacked by the Mullah brigand which is gonna make tall claims like KORAN already stated Einstein`s Theory of relativity and that Mohamad is the LAST Scienctist and no other scientist`s claim is true. All other scientists are all infidel/Satan trying to obliterate ALLAH`S words.

If science proves anything, it is that religion of the past tried to play the role of today`s science and was successful to some extent. But it also clearly proves that religions after all is man`s conception and so it is not complete. If ISLAM is complete then it should have stated Theory of relativity or Quantum Mechanics or the arrival of Micro chips etc.

It is time that people move away from the past and start living in the present. Already Muslims are lagging behind in Science, technology, Research and development of industry or corporations. So it is high time to start asking questions and critical evaluation of koran and mohamad. It is bound to happen as information becomes open and available for everybody at the click of a mouse. Information is no longer under the control of mullahs or churches. So the information age will open up many avenues for anybody who wants to think on their own.

More Rushdies, Anwar shaikhs, Ibn Warraqs, Taslimas and Van goghs will come. Cant issue fatwas to all and kill all. So by the end of this century islam will be forced to jump into 21st century. If history is a pointer those who lag behind will be forced by events and circumstances and the basic human survival instinct to get rid off the il-logical theories. Theories about NON-muslims being all infidels/satan who go to hell (no matter they are Gandhi, Buddha or Confucious) will be cleansed and there will be a more modern, tolerant and acceptable version of islam coming out of the chaos.

So basically the end of the century will see to that Dogmas are left off to the past. That is a big jump to human evolution and thought processes.

According to the String Theory, Big Bang happened due to the collision of two Branes. It may happen again and may result in yet another Brane (another universe), and so on. Hence it may not be a beginning, and may very well be continuation of `Everything`. The concept of `Everything` is also evolving and hence the second name of `String Theory` is `Theory of Everything`. More interestingly, there are five String Theories that were put forth by scientists. However, recently Dr. Ed Wittens, a scientist known to be the Einstein of our age, was able to prove that the five String Theories are basically a mirror image of each other, hence giving more credibility to the String Theory.

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It definitely is a poetry, since it brings out the beauty and imagination that is so fascinating and inspirational...for the young who are yet to get involved in the world of science...there will be so much more to see from the eyes of the scientists.

I was even more enthralled to read about the recent conclusion, that there exists the 11th Dimension, and that there may be other `Branes` existing along side ours, which is the Universe that we can `see`. A `Brane` is just like a slice of bread that exists along side other slices, yet it is completely independent of the other. Each Brane can hold a complete universe as we see it. Hence the proof for parrallel existance of other life existing alongside ours, and we may be completely oblivious of that. (I can`t help thinking about the mention of Djinns in Quran that states the existance alongside the human race and neither can interact with each other. Till 1995, besides the three dimensions, the dimension of time was added and then six more dimensions were defined that could explain the various aspects defined in the String Theory. Super Symmetry is probably going to be the next most important validation of the theoretical physics. Gravitons may be the most important link between the various dimensions that exists in parrallel. If I understood it correctly, a successful understanding of the Gravitons may eventually enable scientists in understanding the connection between the `Branes` that is know as `Warm Spots`. Warm Spots may be the way from one `Brane` into the other. If that becomes possible then, yes we can standing at Times Square at one instance, and in next we can be in Los Angeles....come to think of it..what would happen to all these travel limitations and boundries?....Scientist claim to have solved the Super Symmetry in a matter or 20 to 30 years....give them 50 years more, and we may be using time machines to travel rather than automotives.....how would be the TwentySecond century look like?...Mind Boggling.....They are waiting for the Cern Laboratory to get completed and carry out conclusive research on Gravitons, and it is expected to complete in 2007....at least I will be able to see the possibilities in my life time.......

the question now what existed before Big Bang -- that is on the OTHER side of the Zero point -- of Infinite density -- a contractiong universe of antigravity... opposite to our exoanding side of the Universe ....in another dimension