Stumbled upon this on twitter (“Finally, an easy way to reconcile the differences between Jews, Christians, & Muslims, with a nod to the mormons!” via @god appropriately enough). It’s a pretty funny observation… Speaking of trilogies, the next Trek is due out in 2011. Hopefully it follows the Lord of the Rings and not the Matrix sequel trajectory.

Think of it like a movie. The Torah is the first one, and the New Testament is the sequel. Then the Qu’ran comes out, and it retcons the last one like it never happened. There’s still Jesus, but he’s not the main character anymore, and the messiah hasn’t shown up yet.

Jews like the first movie, but ignored the sequels, Christians think you need to watch the first two, but the third one doesn’t count, Moslems think the third one was the best, and Mormons liked the second one so much they started writing fanfiction that doesn’t fit with ANY of the series canon.

I was about nine or so, standing in front of my grandmother’s house an early spring evening, looking mesmerized at the ever-falling comet Hale-Bopp illuminating the dark sky. Emotions can hardly be transcribed into words, but looking at this falling star, one that would come back in 2500 years– when we would all be nothing but star dust– I was overcome by how incredibly small I was in the face of infinity. All the while sensing how incredibly significance we must be, to have the privilege being witness to and a part of this infinity. I’ve kept that moment. And now, all these years later, when I look up at the sky I still feel vividly the awe and wonder I felt then.

Galactic Center of Milky Way Rises over Texas Star Party byWilliam Castleman.

Spring has arrived and the McGill campus looks absolutely stunning…

In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.

- Albert Camus        

I’ve been absolutely immersed in brain anatomy (which I now heart) for the past eight months. In the process I’ve amassed a rather large collection of links. I’ve listed some of the better resources below, hopefully others will find this helpful.

Image Source: the Morbid Anatomy Collection

1. The Brain from Top to Bottom (McGill University) offers a fantastic overview of the brain. It can serve as a good starting point for introducing the molecular to histological to social aspects of the brain. The nice design is a great bonus.

2. The Digital Anatomist (University of Washington) is a site I use frequently for my studies. The organization is a bit confusing but the site has amazing gross and histological sections, vascular and pathway diagrams, and MRI animations. There is a self-test for almost every slide, which is a great way to reinforce the structures and pathways.

3. Salamon’s Neuroanatomy and Neurovasculature Web-Atlas Resource (UCLA) is a pretty comprehensive tutorial resource covering both anatomy and vascularization of the brain. With clear explanations and diagrams, the site is good for self-study or as a complement to neuroanatomy classes. The interface could be better (the text is all in jpg form) but the thorough quiz section makes up for that.

4. Neuroanatomy Tutorial (University of Utah) is a fairly simple but highly effective site for learning gross structure of the brain. Its labeling system is particularly useful.
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“Birth”

At the edge of the crimson horizon,
The last crescent of light dims,
As a veil of darkness,
Adorned with precious jewels,
Settles across the vast land.
The howlers, the prowlers,
The day-scavengers fall into a deep sleep,
As a new world awakens.

An oasis lies near.

Touch, let the golden grains of sand
Run through your fingers
Feel the warmth that remains.

Smell, the brisk mountain air
These ancient peaks stood tall,
As a mighty deluge consumed the world.

Taste, the evening dew
As it trickles down every leaf
Carrying the sweet nectar of life.

Listen, to the nightingale’s soliloquy
The melody, a tribute to the heavens
Flowing, piercing through the landscape.

A river, riveting, reviving.

Watch, as the rays of light slowly penetrate
Through the entwined branches
Of the ancient baobab tree.

Fall, fall on your knees
Before this majesty, before this splendor.
The misty morn settles across the plains.

The night, a fleeting memory
As the pitch black
Transforms into a heavenly azure.

- Marzieh Ghiasi (March 2005)

*Image Source Baobab tree at sunrise. © Shahidul Alam/Drik/Majority World