Free Republic

The question of what happened before the Big Bang long has frustrated cosmologists, both amateur and professional. Though Einstein's theory of general relativity does an excellent job of describing the universe almost back to its beginning, near the Big Bang matter becomes so dense that relativity breaks down, says Penn State physicist Abhay Ashtekar. "Beyond that point, we need to apply quantum tools that were not available to Einstein." Now Ashtekar and two of his post-doctoral researchers, Tomasz Pawlowski and Parmpreet Singh, have done just that. Using a theory called loop quantum gravity, they have developed a mathematical model that...

The Internet provides the perfect forum for cyberbullies, individuals whose aim is to gain gratification from the distress caused by provoking and tormenting others. The anonymity, ease of provocation, and almost infinite source of targets means the Internet is full of predators from pedophiles targeting children to serial bullies targeting ... anybody. Cyberbullies get a perverse sense of satisfaction (called gratification) from sending people flame mail and hate mail. Flame mail is an email whose contents are designed to inflame and enrage. Hate mail is hatred (including prejudice, racism, sexism etc) in an email...

Foster parents arrested on rape, sodomy charges By The Associated Press Thursday, November 17, 2005 SUNNY VALLEY, Ore. (AP) -- Two foster parents from Southern Oregon are facing charges of sexually abusing at least three children in their care, police said. The case began when Josephine County deputies found a 13-year-old runaway last Sunday; the girl told them she'd left home to escape being sexually abused by her foster father, Greg Miller. According to police, Miller and his wife Colleen were the adoptive parents of seven children between the ages seven and 15, who had been adopted from state agencies...

Many of the bitter controversies in every corner of the globe inevitably raise the same ancient question: why does the world hate the Jews? Whether it’s the angry international reaction to Israel’s efforts to defend itself in Lebanon, or Mel Gibson’s drunken rant in Malibu, the age-old specter of anti-Semitism refuses to disappear. With only 13 million Jews in the world – less than one fourth of one percent of the earth’s population – why does this tiny group inspire such bitter, widespread and often violent animosity? The answer is obvious to anyone who monitors anti-Semitic propaganda from all its...

I ask my fellow freepers indulgence for this vanity, because I believe it is too important to be buried in the back of the forum. Can a good Muslim be a good American? I sent that question to a friend who worked in Saudi Arabia for 20 years. The following is his reply: Theologically - no. Because his allegiance is to Allah, the moon god of Arabia. Religiously - no. Because no other religion is accepted by his Allah except Islam (Quran, 2:256) Scripturally - no. Because his allegiance is to the five pillars of Islam and the Quran (Koran)....