If God wanted us to live in outer space, we wouldn't have balancing systems in our inner ears

When the Apollo astronauts landed on the moon, many assumed that this was the first step toward permanent colonization of the moon and journeys by astronauts to other planets. From today's perspective, though, the space race was like the races to the North Pole and the South Pole. Once explorers had reached those destinations, the world lost interest.

Another parallel is ocean exploration. Back in the 1960s, visions of colonies on the moon competed with plans for domed cities on the ocean floor that gave a new meaning to the phrase "real estate bubble." Scientific exploration of the ocean depths continues to produce marvelous discoveries, like whole ecosystems that have evolved to take advantage of the heat and emissions of undersea volcanic vents. But the year 2000 came and went and millions of homeowners are "underwater" only in metaphor.

The parallel is not complete, of course. The poles and the ocean depths are far more hospitable to human life than near Earth orbit or the moon or Mars. Astronauts have learned that prolonged weightlessness does terrible things to the bones and the circulatory system. If God wanted us to live in outer space, we wouldn't have balancing systems in our inner ears. (more...)

33 miners in Chile will be stuck for months....but they are HAPPY?!!?

"Patience and faith. God is great and the help of my God is going to make it possible to leave this mine alive."

COPIAPO, Chile — For 33 men found alive after 17 days trapped deep in a copper and gold mine, the toughest challenge now may be preserving their sanity during the months it may take to carve a tunnel big enough for them to get out.

Chileans were euphoric Sunday after a narrow drill broke through 2,257 feet (688 meters) of solid rock to reach an emergency refuge where the miners had gathered. The trapped men quickly tied two notes to the end of a probe that rescuers pulled to the surface, announcing in big red letters: "All 33 of us are fine in the shelter."

"Today all of Chile is crying with excitement and joy," President Sebastian Pinera said at the mine.

And where many were beginning to give up hope, the scene above ground became a celebration Sunday night, with a barbecue for the miners' families, roving musicians, lit candles and Chilean flags making the barren landscape seem festive.

But rescuers said it could take as long as four months — until around Christmas — to carve a second shaft some 27 inches (68 centimeters) in diameter, wide enough for the miners to be pulled up one by one(more...)

It's virtual meditation

Too busy to breathe? Too frazzled for fun? Meditainment's for you. The strange thing is, writes GAYLE MACDONALD, it actually works

'Imagine you are the navigator of a canoe, gliding down a river on a warm sunny day," says a honeyed voice. "You are looking forward to arriving at a destination that is all your own. There is no need for any haste. This place is always here for you."

Ah. Forget virtual reality. This is virtual relaxation. I am not actually in a cedar-strip canoe, floating down a river. Instead, I'm sitting at my computer, headphones on, eyes clamped shut. The chirps of birds and the sound of water lapping against my boat is all, literally, in my head, the brainchild of a British Web designer named Richard Latham.(more...)

Workers 'stressed out' by e-mails

More than a third of workers say they feel "stressed out" by the number of e-mails they receive in the office and the pressure to respond promptly.

Scottish research found some workers are viewing their inbox up to 40 times each hour, leaving them tired and frustrated - as well as unproductive.
"E-mail is the thing that now causes the most problems in our working lives," said lead researcher Karen Renaud, a computer scientist.

"It's an amazing tool but it's got out of hand."
Experts suggest a simple stress-beating strategy: check your e-mail less often.
The advice is to set aside two or three dedicated e-mail reading times each day.

'$100 laptop' production begins

Five years after the concept was first proposed, the so-called $100 laptop is poised to go into mass production.

Hardware suppliers have been given the green light to ramp-up production of all of the components needed to build millions of the low-cost machines.

Getting the $100 laptop to this stage has been a turbulent journey for the organisation and its founder Nicholas Negroponte.Since the idea was first put forward in 2002, the low-cost laptop has been both lauded and ridiculed.

Intel chairman Craig Barret famously described it as a "$100 gadget" whilst Microsoft founder Bill Gates questioned its design, particularly the lack of hard drive and its "tiny screen".

Professor Negroponte's response has always been the same: "It's an education project, not a laptop project."

The view was shared by Kofi Annan, ex-secretary General of the UN. In 2005, he described the laptop as an "expression of global solidarity" that would "open up new fronts" for children's education.And as time passed, even some of the critics have changed their stance. Earlier this month, Intel, which manufactures what was considered a rival machine, the Classmate PC, joined forces with OLPC.(more...)

Statue of Christ Redeemer among new seven wonders of the world

Lisbon, Portugal: The Great Wall of China, Jordan's Petra, Brazil's Statue of Christ Redeemer, Peru's Machu Picchu, Mexico's Chichen Itza pyramid, the Colosseum in Rome and India's Taj Mahal were named the new seven wonders of the world on Saturday.

They were chosen according to a tally of around 100 million votes cast by people around the world over the Internet and by cellphone text messages, the non-profit organisation that conducted the poll said.People from every country in the world voted by internet or by phone message for the world's top architectural marvels, according to New7Wonders, the nonprofit organisation conducting the balloting.

The Colosseum, the Great Wall, Machu Picchu, India's Taj Mahal and Petra have been among the leaders since January.

The Acropolis and the Statue of Christ Redeemer recently received a surge in votes.

Muslim Youth Urged to Examine Themselves During This Ramadan

Ghana,Africa : It is the commonest belief in the Muslim, Christian, Jewish and Hindu societies that fasting and prayer are the only channels whereby one can speak to God or communicate with the Infinite.

For example, before Jesus started his earthly ministry, he went forth into the wilderness to be alone with God that he might look into his inner heart, and note its strength and worthiness. This took him 40 days and 40 nights. He succeeded.

In the material world, we have automobiles to speed our ways, steam engines to shorten distance and airplanes to make distance easy. The same applies to spiritual development. Fasting and affirmative prayer shorten its course. Without them no spiritual development is realized. We fast to free the soul from earthly chains and bondage. We fast to gain healing power, spiritual development, spiritual inspiration, for health, purification of one's self and obtain favour and blessing from God.

The ADM, therefore, calls on all Muslims, especially the youth to use this fasting period to examine themselves deeply, as regards to their behaviours and actions to bring their passions under control, work to give shine to their souls, remove the false sense of prestige and keep their faith in Almighty Allah a living force.(more...)