Archive for the ‘World Mysteries’ Category

The Werewolf`s Transformation

Tuesday, July 14th, 2009

The werewolfThe werewolf is a fascinating creature in human literature. It is the imaginative link between the raw, natural, animal world, and the modern civilized human. The werewolf is a sort of symbolic representation of the primal being that still exists, to some extent, in all of us. However in this case that inner nature gets out, and the person takes on the form of their hidden primal self.

The nature of the werewolf’s transformation is one which is defined by the type of creature they are. There are many different stories and myths pertaining to the werewolf. Ancient claims have them as humans possessed by demons, or animal spirits. In more modern tales they are also the result of genetic manipulation, disease, or chemical induction.

The change itself is an issue that has been difficult for writers, and especially for makers of movies. There is no real way to show a person completely changing into something else without it looking like a fake. Just morphing looks cartoonish, and having the person simply grow tufts of hair is usually inadequate for the effect.

Some modern stories tell of a person growing into the werewolf form. This can be through muscles suddenly bulging, hair popping out, teeth growing, and the like. In general this is the easiest and most believable way to demonstrate the change.

Another method has the person becoming transfigured in a relatively gruesome way. In this method the body grows out of itself, but it is much more dramatic and violent, and makes for a better horror story.

The werewolf is a powerful symbol of the primal instinct that is within us all. By seeking to understand its nature in literature and movies, we can better come to understand our own nature, and the soul of human beings.

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Origins of Mosaic

Monday, May 4th, 2009

MosaicMosaic is an art form used to decorate both the interior and exterior of a house that aspires to depict a unique décor. Its origin can be traced back to several thousand years. The Greek craftsmen were proficient in the creation of mosaic art. The oldest sample of Mosaic that has been found was made in 8th century BC. In earlier days the pebbles were used to make mosaic.

Even with the rudimentary techniques and provisions used thousands of years ago the Greek craftsmen created marvels of art that attract gazes of admiration. They made several types of complex and elaborate designs. In the 4th century, painted green and red pebbles began to be used along with traditional black pebbles. In those days mosaic was primarily used to adorn the pavement and floors. The ancient people liked mosaic for its durability and resistance to damage.

The stones like marble and limestone were preferred for this purpose. Even though the mosaic art form is often associated with Greeks the Egyptians, Assyrians and Persians also made considerable progress in developing mosaic art form. The Romans carried forward the tradition of Mosaic art and they took it to a higher level. They incorporated mosaic in the household of elite and rich people.

Even after the collapse of The Roman Empire, Mosaic art form continued to flourish and with time it made foray into Byzantine, Persian, Christian and Indian architecture. It is quite amazing that this ancient architectural art form has survived the test of time and got acceptance in various parts of the world. As one can assume, the art form imbibed various elements and techniques from those civilizations.

The theme of the mosaic art varied across different civilizations. For instance, the Greeks made use of lots of well-defined and intricate geometric patterns. They also used animal themes in the mosaic art. The Romans used religious as well as domestic theme. They used mosaic mainly on the floors of the buildings and cathedrals.

The Mosaic art evolved further after seeping in to Byzantine civilization in the 5th century AD. Several new features were added to this art by the Byzantinians. They started using glass tesserae. The Byzantinians use mosaic to adorn the ceilings and walls of the buildings. They dealt with themes like monarchy and religion. Over all popular mosaic motifs have been used in home decoration since time immemorial.

This is a tradition that has not changed even today. In fact the magnificence and sheer beauty of the mosaic art form still attracts thousands of people worldwide. Phoenician Arts links this art form with modern world. The modern artists use their expertize with the age old techniques to create pristine works of art. A person can give a new dimension and touch of elegance to his house if he uses mosaic in the interior and exteriors.

The Mosaic marble came in the market in late 1960s. It owes the technique to ancient human civilizations nevertheless. With the advent and growth of modern technology the time used to make mosaic has reduced considerably.

Source: Factory Plaza is one of the largest producers of kitchen countertops and vanity tops in the USA.

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Sharia – a matter of interpretation

Thursday, June 28th, 2007
 

PhD Dorthe Bramsen from the Faculty of Humanities uncovers the reality of and argumentation behind Sharia in her recent thesis called “Divine Law and Human Understanding: Interpreting shari’a within the institutions of ifta’ and qada’ in Saudi Arabia”.

Women and Cars

In her analysis of Islamic law in Saudi Arabia, Dorthe Bramsen analyses a number of concrete issues of current interest, such as why Saudi women are not allowed to drive cars.

Sharia is often compared to Islamic law, but Dorthe Bramsen argues that Sharia is ambigous and not a defined concept. It is rather to be understood as a theological principle, which can be interpreted differently by different people at different times. In her thesis, Bramsen explains how Saudi Arabian religious sholars understands and interprets Sharia today.

Mosque in Afghanistan. Credit: Paul Cruickshank

Mosque in Afghanistan. Credit: Paul Cruickshank

The Saudian rationale

In Saudi Arabia, the law, with a few exceptions, is not laid down in paragraphs. It is defined and construed by Islamic law scholars based on the Koran and the words and deeds of the Prophet Muhammad. Former interpretations of the law do not automatically take precedence in cases where similar matters are discussed.

The rationale is that former desicions could be based on misinterpretations, and all scholars are obliged to seek the truth. Thruth in the shape of Sharia is understood to be universal and can be found in the Koran. If thruth in a specific case can not be directly found in the Koran, it must be found indirectly through consensus among scholars of law or to be concluded by analogi.

The research

The thesis consists of three parts: The first part gives an introduction to Islam and Islamic law in Saudi Arabia and the ”usul al-fiqh” science (Islamic-legal principles and the legal epistemology).

The second part examines and analyses the argumentation of Saudian legal scholars through topical cases.

The final part of the thesis examines and analyses the judicial process and logic of the Saudian court, with a particular focus on production of evidence.

Contact

Dorthe Bramsen, Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies, Faculty of Humanities, University of Copenhagen

Phone +45 61 34 81 86, E-mail: bramsen@hum.ku.dk

 

Source: University of Copenhagen

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New method to analyse ancient DNA

Thursday, February 15th, 2007

What caused the extinction of the mammoth while other ice age mammals like the musk ox survived to present day? A new scientific methodological approach to detect genetic material will help researchers to solve the many mysteries of the past.

“I’m confident that the new methodological approach, will be of great importance to molecular biology”, says Professor Eske Willerslev at the Centre for Ancient Genetics, University of Copenhagen. One of his PhD students recently came up with a brilliant idea enabling researchers to get a full view of total ecosystems or populations dating thousands of years back in time. What usually has taken the DNA-researchers several years of laboratory work can now be done in just a few hours.

The automation of a long research process

Professor Eske Willerslev and his team find DNA traces of ancient life in areas where the ground is permanently frozen like in Siberia or Alaska. Here, inside the frozen ground, the team is able to find ancient DNA material from animals and plants that used to live in the area thousands of years ago. In order to detect the types of DNA material in a sample, the researchers normally use a DNA primer – a kind of ‘fishing hook’ attached to a specific piece of DNA. That particular piece of DNA is then being multiplied, cloned and sequenced which makes it possible for the researchers to identify it. However, this procedure is slow, and it takes years just to identify a fraction of the most common animals and plants available from the many DNA samples.

The technology

A new sequencing machine capable of interpreting millions of pieces of DNA in just a few hours was recently introduced. The machine alone brought in a revolution to the field, but has certain disadvantages and shortcomings. Firstly, an analysis made by the machine is quite expensive. Each analysis costs approximately DKK 45,000 and although the machine reads extensive amounts of DNA material, the cost is still considerable to a research project. Secondly, a vital problem arises when researchers try to benefit from the machine’s enormous capacity by analysing samples from multiple locations or specimens in a single run in order to reduce costs. The machine simply cannot separate more than 16 samples from each other.

Eske Willerslev went to check out the machine for himself at the Danish Cattle Research Centre in Foulum – the only place in Denmark, which operates the new sequencing machine. He realised to his great disappointment that the researchers at the University of Copenhagen could not make use of the machine for their respective projects due to the disadvantages mentioned above.

A simple but brilliant idea!

Then Jonas Binladen, a PhD student from his team, came up with a simple but brilliant idea: By attaching a ‘finger-print’ to the tagged primers (’fishing hooks’ used to amplify DNA from each sample), one should – in theory – be able to localise each of the million sequences produced in each run, to its original sample or specimen. By making it possible to process amplification products from multiple samples or specimens in the same run, the team could make use of the machine’s great capacity.

The research team now wanted to test the idea. And it really did work! The results are now being published in the scientific web magazine PLoS ONE Publication.

According to Eske Willerslev, the new approach have great scientific potentials:

“Today, when using conventional methods to detect ancient DNA, we are only able to test a limited number of samples providing us with a somewhat random image of life in the past. Due to this new method, our knowledge will be put into a whole new perspective. For instance, finding out if species became endangered due to a dramatic change in the climate or if the decline in numbers started many years earlier than we originally thought or estimated”.

Contact:

Eske Willerslev, professor, Centre for Ancient Genetics, Phone: +45 3532-0570, Mob. +45 2875-1309 ewillerslev @ bi.ku.dk,

Jonas Binladen, PhD – student, Centre for Ancient Genetics, Mobile: +45 6067-2620, JBinladen @ bi.ku.dk

Woolly mammoth replica in a museum exhibit in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Foto: Encyclopædia Britannica

Woolly mammoth replica in a museum exhibit in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Foto: Encyclopædia Britannica

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