LATE at night on a sultry evening, I watch intently as the predator senses its prey, gathers itself, and strikes. It could be a polecat, or even a mantis – but in fact it’s a microbe. The microscopic world of the single, living cell mirrors our own in so many ways: cells are essentially autonomous, sentient and ingenious. In the lives of single cells we can perceive the roots of our own intelligence. Molecular biology and genetics have driven the biosciences, but have not given us the miraculous new insights we were led to expect. From professional biologists to schoolchildren, … Continue reading The secrets of intelligence lie within a single cell

Humans can build spaceships capable of reaching the Moon within minutes; a flight to Mars will take 2.5 hours, and a flight to Alpha Centauri, which is scores of light years away from Earth, will take a mere 80 days. Spaceships of the future will take humans to the depth of the Universe .. Incredible journeys can be a reality, say two German Doctors of Physics who put forth an audacious theory. Walter Dresher from the University of Innsbruck joined forces with Joachim Hoiser, a leading scientist with the German company HPCC-Space Gmbh. “The German physicists build their work on … Continue reading Mars in 2.5 hours space flight!

Archaeology from the dark side Creationists and New Agers have formed a common front to undermine mainstream archaeology and its scientific view of the human past. Are they winning? By Andrew O’Hehir In February of 1961, three amateur gem collectors dug a mechanical gizmo encased in fossil-encrusted rock out of a mountainside in the Southern California desert. They didn’t know what it was, and began showing it to friends and associates. Within a few years this thingummy, which became known as the Coso artifact, had assumed an almost mythic importance. It consisted of a cylinder of what seemed to be … Continue reading Creationists and New Agers have formed a common front

Is Sarah Palin Trying to Become a Loon? loonwatch Is former 1/2-governor of Alaska and Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin trying to join the ranks of the Loons? On her Facebook page, Palin wrote: My, have things changed. I was honored to have Rev. Franklin Graham speak at my Governor’s Prayer Breakfasts. His good work in Alaska’s Native villages and his charitable efforts all over the world stem from his servant’s heart. In my years of knowing him, I’ve never found his tempered and biblically-based comments to be offensive – in fact his words have been encouraging and full of … Continue reading Sarah Palin asks for more support for Taliban and Al Qaeda!!!

Harvard scholars respond to Martin Kramer’s support of a eugenics program against Palestinians loonwatch Prof. Martin Kramer advocated starving out Palestinians so that they cannot reproduce, a view that some have called “genocidal” Prof. Martin Kramer, a right wing loon (who unlike the garden variety loon has a Harvard affiliation), advocated starving out the population of Gaza so that they could not reproduce–a view which flirts with genocide and is a form of eugenics.  We covered his hate-filled words earlier on our site.  I am a firm believer in Godwin’s Law and very rarely like using Nazi comparisons, but I … Continue reading Harvard scholars stand up to Neo-Nazi!

Chief of Mecca’s Virtue Commission, who Says Women & Men Can Mix, Keeps His Job IslamToday / Agencies A senior member of the Saudi religious police repeated on Wednesday his support for Muslim men and women mixing, and denied that his stance against strict separation rules had got him fired. Sheikh Ahmed al-Ghamdi (pictured), the Islamic scholar who heads the Mecca branch of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, told Al-Arabiya television that a widely circulated news report that he had been sacked by the head of the organisation over his views was not true. … Continue reading Chief of Mecca’s Virtue Commission Says Women & Men Can Mix – Keeps His Job!

Obama Invites Muslim Entrepreneurs from Around the World to Washington Summit IslamToday / Agencies US president Barack Obama will lay a key plank of his strategy to mend ties with the Islamic world next week when he hosts a summit to boost economic development in Muslim nations. In a step the White House hopes will help shift relations beyond decades of talk about terrorism and conflict, a senior official said Mr Obama will bring entrepreneurs from 50 countries to Washington on Monday and Tuesday to spur economic ties. The event — entitled “A New Beginning: The Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship” … Continue reading Sheikh Obama Invites Muslim Entrepreneurs to Washington

Al-Qaradawi Criticises South African Muslims for Denying Women Access to Mosques IslamToday / Agencies Qatar-based Islamic scholar Yusuf al-Qaradawi yesterday criticized the practice of denying women access to mosques by Muslims in South Africa and said that he was surprised that women were not allowed to attend any of his lectures in Johannesburg during his recent visit there. He lamented that the same tradition, which he called “un-Islamic”, exists among the Muslims of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The South African Muslims in the Johannesburg area are mainly of South Asian descenmt, and their practice of Islam often reflects practices forund … Continue reading Its Kufr to deny Women access to Mosques!

A Number of Muslim Women are Poised to Become British MPs IslamToday / Agencies A large number of Muslim women candidates have a good chance of being one of the first British Muslim women MPs. Among them are: 1. Salma Yaqoob: parliament candidate for the new Hall Green constituency. 2. Shabana Mahmood: fighting Clare Short’s old seat in Birmingham Ladywood. 3. Nusrat Ghani: the Conservative parliamentary candidate for Birmingham Ladywood 4. Yasmin Qureshi: who inherits a big Labour majority in Bolton South. 5. Rushanara Ali: who could well take the Bethnal Green seat back for Labour. 6. Maryam Khan: the … Continue reading British Muslim Women are Poised to Become MPs?