Planet X? - Distant object found orbiting Sun

Astronomers have found a large object in the Solar System's outer reaches. It is being hailed as "a great discovery".

Details of the object are still sketchy. It never comes closer to the Sun than Neptune and spends most of its time much further out than Pluto. It is one of the largest objects ever found in the outer Solar System and is almost certainly made of ice and rock. It is at least 1,500km (930 miles) across and may be larger than Pluto, which is 2,274km (1,400 miles) across. The uncertainty in estimates of its size is due to errors in its reflectivity. It might be a large, dim object, or a smaller, brighter object. Whatever it is, astronomers consider it a major discovery. In 2004 scientists discovered Sedna, a remote world that is 1,700 km across.

Read the article at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4726733.stm

Japanese scientist develops first 'female' android

It was bound to happen, and who better than the Japanese to accomplish it – the first human looking android robot. Like some fantasy science-fiction concept out of a Manga or Anime comic book, a Japanese scientist is  well on the way to creating the perfect companion – to a male scientist that is – a beautiful Japanese female robot with silicone skin that mimics human behavior and has over 30 sensory receptors. And his greatest challenge – to fool people into thinking that his Robots are human. I wonder if Asimov would be jumping for joy or rolling in his grave...From the BBC article (click to see the picture – quite amazing!! - looks like a Stepford Wife!)

Japanese scientists have unveiled the most human-looking robot yet devised - a "female" android called Repliee Q1.

She has flexible silicone for skin rather than hard plastic, and a number of sensors and motors to allow her to turn and react in a human-like manner. She can flutter her eyelids and move her hands like a human. She even appears to breathe. Professor Hiroshi Ishiguru of Osaka University says one day robots could fool us into believing they are human.
Repliee Q1 is not like any robot you will have seen before, at least outside of science-fiction movies. She is designed to look human and although she can only sit at present, she has 31 actuators in her upper body, powered by a nearby air compressor, programmed to allow her to move like a human.

Read the full article.... http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4714135.stm

EU: Thousands of vitamin products threatened by ruling

An interesting article from the Independent in the UK:

Campaigners for Britain's millions of vitamin and supplement users have reacted with dismay to a ruling that could sweep up to 5,000 products off the shelves. The European Court of Justice has rejected British health food industry claims that the proposed Food Supplements Directive, coming into force on 1 August, breaches EU rules. Yesterday's decision means some 300 nutrients and nutrient sources in the UK will be banned unless they can obtain inclusion on a 'positive' list -- a move that supplement manufacturers say requires excessive levels of testing and red tape. Among the vitamins and supplements facing a ban are boron, important for healthy teeth and bones; sulphur, important for healthy skin; and 1,000mg Vitamin C tablets...

Read the full article at: http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/health_medical/article298799.ece

A film on the life of the Buddha

With Buddhism’s popularity on the rise around the world as a way of living spiritually in a secular, scientific age, it was only a matter of time before talk of a movie on his life would arise. Bertollucci’s “Little Buddha” was the last brave effort at retelling this story on the silver screen using a modern tale of reincarnation to weave in the story of the making of the “Buddha”. In more recent years, Karen Brown’s wonderful biography, just called “Buddha”, made a real impression on me with its casting Buddha in a very post-modern context as a man very much of his time during the Axis Age (around 500BC, as humans settled down to urban civilizations, philosophers began discussing the self and the purpose of life around the world – Buddha, Confucius, Socrates, the Upanishadic Sages and Elijah were all contemporaries.) Brown managed to beautifully present a life lived in questioning and doubt leading to an amazing spiritual awakening of compassion and universal consciousness. Let’s hope the movie can imbibe of some of that intelligence and perspective.

This is from the London Times of 23 July:

More than a decade ago an epic film about Buddha was abandoned after it provoked such threatening protests in India that the director needed police protection. Now the Anglo-Indian director Shekhar Kapur, is embarking on his own ambitious project, with a possible role for Richard Gere, a devout Buddhist. Although the film has yet to be cast, reports suggest that Brad Pitt and Aishwarya Rai, the former Miss World and star of Bride & Prejudice, might also be involved.

The film will tell the story of the man who appeared to have everything — a royal title, looks and the most beautiful girls — but who felt that something was missing and went on to attain enlightenment. Some 2,500 years after his death, Buddha looks likely to be brought to life on the big screen as the film-makers have secured the blessing of the Dalai Lama. The film has a big budget — up to about £70 million, it is believed — funded entirely by the Indian billionaire industrialist Bhupendra Kumar Modi. In India it is not unusual for a sole person to back a film. In this case, he is supporting one of the industry’s leading directors. After making the critically acclaimed Bandit Queen, Kapur directed Elizabeth, which was nominated for seven Oscars and 12 Baftas, and made a star of Cate Blanchett.

Read the full story....http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-1704639,00.html

Religious hate crimes rise fivefold after London Bombing

In a worrying turn following the bombings of 7/7 in London , British Muslims are facing an unprecedented rise in hate crimes including taunts, telephone attacks and physical violence. Additionally, it looks like the British Police are adapting a “shoot first” and “ask questions later” approach to tracking potential terrorists as was demonstrated in yesterday’s shooting of a Brazilian student. The Guardian newspaper, probably the UK’s most progressive paper, is covering both these issues extensively.

The number of faith hate crimes has risen fivefold in the fortnight since the London bombings, the Guardian has learned. The Metropolitan Police has recorded 800 race and faith hate crimes since the July 7 attacks.

The number of faith hate crimes, predominantly directed at British Muslims, has passed the 200 mark. In the same fortnight last year, 30 faith hate incidents were reported by the Met.
Nationally, the figure for hate incidents directed at Muslims has passed 1,200 as a backlash continues.

Read this story at http://www.guardian.co.uk/attackonlondon/story/0,16132,1534518,00.html

Universe 'too queer' to grasp

Universe 'too queer' to grasp says scientist Professor Richard Dawkins.

Scientist Professor Richard Dawkins has opened a global conference of big thinkers warning that our Universe may be just "too queer" to understand. Professor Dawkins, the renowned Selfish Gene author from Oxford University, said we were living in a "middle world" reality that we have created. Experts in design, technology, and entertainment have gathered in Oxford to share their ideas about our futures.

Read more at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4676751.stm

Let My Country Awake

My God! How little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on earth enjoy!
~ Thomas Jefferson

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world is not broken up into fragments by the narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arm towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit,
where the mind is led forward by thee into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.
- Rabindranath Tagore

Today in Mythology: The dog days of summer and the Rosa Mundi

Today is the start of the “dog days of summer”, in which the Sun moves directly opposite the position of the Dog Star Sirius, marking the hottest day of the year. Historically, many cultures have attached special significance to Sirius. Sirius was worshipped in the valley of the Nile long before Rome was founded, and many ancient Egyptian temples were constructed oriented so that light from the star could penetrate to their inner altars. The Egyptians based their calendar on the heliacal rising of Sirius, which occurred just before the annual flooding of the Nile and the Summer solstice. In Greek mythology, Orion's dog became Sirius. The Greeks also associated Sirius with the heat of summer: the name Sirius is derived from Seirios meaning "the scorcher". This also explains the phrase "dog days of summer" - see the full definition at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sirius.

Today is also Rosa Mundi - Rose of the World - day in the Palestinian Christian Calendar. This day has its roots in Rosicrucian - http://www.rosicrucian.org/ - mythology (a 17th century secret society rooted in Christian mysticism that has influenced many aspects of modern life including Freemasonry. See the definition of Rosicrucianism at the Wikipedia site - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosicrucian .) Esoterically, the Rose is a symbol of wisdom and knowledge with the Rose of the World as a synonym for Pax Cultura, peace through culture. Daniil Andreev, the Russian mystic and poet, saw Rose of the World as a sign of  the future age of Mother of the World, a New spiritual and idealized Age of Aquarius. So now, when you look at a red rose you can see it as a meditation on an ideal new age to come and the dream of world peace and a new awakening.

July rolls in

Welcome to July.

The Romans called this month September ("seventh") until it was renamed in honor of Julius Caesar -- creator of the Western solar calendar -- by his adoptive son Octavian, who would claim the title Augustus and rename the eighth month for himself, thereby pushing September to its present position as the ninth month. The Romans also believed that if it rained on the first day of July, the entire month would be rainy as well.

In our time July starts this month with Live 8 and the G8 summit. Today, millions of people will gather around the world to end poverty, particularly in Africa, where 30,000 die needlessly every day (go to http://www.live8live.com. Today Venus Williams will win Wimbledon after a gruesome battle against Lindsay Davenport and this weekend America prepares to celebrate its independence and freedom from the British.

Hi-Tech Stone Age Site Found

Thought you might find this interesting:

2.34-million-year-old Hi-Tech tool manufacturing site found

A 2.34-million-year-old tool manufacturing site in East Africa may have been the Stone Age's center for high tech, according to French archaeologists who studied more than 2,600 artifacts excavated there.

The archaeologists believe relics at the site in Kenya, called Lokalalei 2C, display a level of tool-making sophistication among its dwellers that was unique to the Late Pliocene, which occurred between 2.6 and 2.0 million years ago.

Read more...<http://dsc.discovery.com/news/briefs/20050627/stoneagetool.html>

Paul: the greatest evangelist

Today is the Feast of St. Paul, the first and most successful evangelist in the history of Christianity, and, if 1 Corinthians 13 and his famous speech on the Areopagus to the skeptical citizens of Athens (Acts 17) are anything to go by, one of the most gifted poets of his time. Christianity would not have become the religion it is today without his faith and evangelical zeal. Here are some of the most beautiful words ever written about faith, hope and charity:

1 Corinthians 13
(from the King James Bible)
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
 not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

America and its religions

"Man is a Religious Animal. He is the only Religious Animal. He is the only animal that has the True Religion--several of them. He is the only animal that loves his neighbor as himself and cuts his throat if his theology isn't straight."
~ Mark Twain

In addition to being the wealthiest, most militaristic and the most armed (citizenry) country in the world today, America turns out to be the most religious as well. There are estimated to be around 250 religions in America, of which over 200 have their origins in Protestant Christianity. According to the recent American Religious Identification Survey, 77% of Americans consider themselves Christian (159 million in over 200 denominations), 13% secular (scientific/humanist/non-religious), 1.3% Jewish, 0.5% Moslem, 0.5% Buddhist, 0.5% agnostic, 0.4% atheist, ).4% Hindu, 0.3% Unitarian Universalist, 0.1%  Pagan and the rest a mix Baha’i, Sikh, New Age, Native American, Scientology and Deist. According to the survey the fastest growing religions (in percentage terms from 1990 onwards) in America are (in descending magnitude): Deism, Sikhism, Hinduism, New Age and Baha’i. One of the most interesting findings is that while the Christian population has increased by 9 million since 1990, the number of people that have become non-religious or secular has doubled to over 28 million – that’s a lot of people dropping out of organized religion. What is it about religiosity that makes us so violent, I wonder?