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Maimonides

2008-04-08T15:41:25Z

Jobby: links and smart quotes

[[Image:Maimonides.jpg|thumb|Maimonides - Autograph]]
Moses ben Maimon, '''Maimonides''' (Cordoba, [[Spain]] 1135 - Cairo, [[Egypt]] 1204) (Hebrew: Rambam), was a [[Jewish]] [[rabbi]], [[astronomy|astronomer]], and physician. He is regarded by the Jews as a great [[philosopher]], and called the "Lamp of [[Israel]]" and the "Eagle of the Doctors"; he was a man of immense learning who expanded greatly upon interpretations of the [[Talmud]] (the source of much of Jewish [[law]]), and was physician to the [[Sultan]] of [[Egypt]]<ref>Interestingly, at various points during their history, the Islamic principalities of the near east allowed Jews to hold high office, ranging from personal physician (like Maimonides) to [[vizier]]. However, the tenure of Jews in such high-ranking positions tended to come in and out of vogue with the success of the [[Islam]]ic state; when the state suffered, the Jews would be blamed, face harsher discrimination, and at times be purged from government and killed. For more information, please read ''Under Crescent and Cross: the Jews of the Middle Ages'', by Mark R. Cohen.</ref>; in his relation to the Jews he ranks next to Moses, and taught them to interpret their religion in the light of reason; he wrote a "Commentary on the [[Mishna]] and the Second Law," but his chief work is the "Moreh Nebochim," or "[[Guide of the Perplexed]]" (which had been written in Arabic). <ref>{{Nuttall|Maimonides, Moses}}</ref> The Mishneh Torah, his 14-volume compendium of Jewish law, established him as the leading rabbinic authority of his time and quite possibly of all time.<ref>[http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/maimonides/ Maimonides]</ref> Maimonides also formulated a credo of Judaism expressed in thirteen articles of [[faith]].

::: ''"... no Israelite can have any private interview with me, except on the [[Sabbath]]. On that day the whole congregation, or at least the majority of the members, come to me after the morning service, when I instruct them as to their proceedings during the whole week; we study together a little until noon, when they depart. Some of them return, and read with me after the afternoon service until evening prayers. In this manner I spend that day."'' <ref>[http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Maimonides.html Maimonides/Rambam]</ref>

He was renowned for his efforts to reach fair judgments; in interpreting some of the sexist presumptions and rules of the [[Talmud]], Maimonides often struggled to reach outcomes which would allow women to be happy and fulfilled in their lives.{{fact}} Maimonides also wrote medical treatises on a number of diseases and their cures.

Succeeding generations of philosophers wrote extensive commentaries on his works, which influenced thinkers as diverse as [[Thomas Aquinas]], [[Spinoza]], [[Leibniz]], and [[Sir Isaac Newton|Newton]]. In concert with [[Plato]] and [[Aristotle]], he holds that like the body, the soul can be diseased or healthy... virtue is a habit that can only be developed by practice.

Maimonides died mourned by many congregations in different parts of the world.

::: ''"... morality is not an end in itself but a way of controlling the passions and creating an atmosphere in which science and philosophy can flourish."''

== Medical treatment of souls ==

Acting as a philosopher-physician he wrote:

''"A wise ruler will therefore prescribe actions and moral habits that must be repeated until they are no longer burdensome and become part of a person's character. If a person develops the wrong habits and goes to excess, the ruler "must follow the same course in treating it as in the medical treatment of bodies," which is to reestablish equilibrium".'' ("Eight Chapters" 4).

== See also ==
*[[Virgil]]

== External links ==
*[http://www.religionfacts.com/judaism/people/maimonides.htm Maimonides] Religion Facts.
*[http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/maimonides/ Maimonides] Kenneth Seeskin - Stanford University.
*[http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Maimonides.html Maimonides/Rambam]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Philosophers]]
[[Category:Rabbis]]

Mind and Brain

2008-04-08T15:33:19Z

Jobby: refs & smart quotes

This collection of essays makes a lively contribution to the continuing scholarly debate about the relationship of [[mind]] and [[brain]]. Are they one and the same? How and where does “mind” or [[consciousness]] originate? Does it exist apart from the brain?

As ''Mind and Brain'' delves into these specifics, it also confronts such broader questions as "Where does [[matter]] end and [[spirit]] begin?" "What is the essence of [[human nature]] and [[personality]]?" "Is there such a thing as an immortal [[soul]]?"

[[Sir John Eccles]], winner of the [[Nobel Prize]] for his study of nerve transmission, edited the volume and authored many of its articles. <ref>[http://www.paragonhouse.com/catalog/product_info.php?authors_id=23&products_id=25]</ref>

* According to the prevailing scientific theory of the mind -- known as "[[identity theory]]" -- mental states are identical with physicochemical states of the brain. The brain is regarded as a supercomplex computer in which material processes in the [[cerebral cortex]] somehow generate thoughts and feelings.<ref>[http://www.theosophy-nw.org/theosnw/science/prat-bra.htm]</ref>

==Notes and references==
<references/>

Neil Armstrong

2008-04-07T16:40:18Z

Jobby: caption

[[Image:NeilArmstrong.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Neil Armstrong, astronaut]]
'''Neil Armstrong''' was born on August 5, 1930. He was a pilot for the United States [[Navy]] for three years, and flew combat missions over [[Korea]]. He left the Navy to become a test pilot in 1952. He became a United States astronaut with [[NASA]] and made his first [[space flight]] on Gemini 8, carrying out the first successful space-docking, with the Agena docking module. Neil Armstrong was given the role of mission commander for [[Apollo 11]]. He and his crew [[Buzz Aldrin]] and [[Michael Collins]] boarded the Apollo-Saturn V spacecraft before sunrise on the 16th of July, 1969 and took off from Earth at 9:32 am. On July 20, 1969 at 10:56:15 p.m. eastern daylight time, Neil Armstrong was the first man to set foot on the [[moon]]. <ref>http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/armstrong-na.html</ref>

==One small step==
When he stepped onto the moon surface, he said the well-known words "That's one small step for a man; one giant leap for mankind." that are even today associated to the moon landing. These words are an interesting example of the problems historians faced in finding out what really happened in history. His words were broadcast and millions of people heard them. Yet, for a long time, there was disagreement about ''what'' he had said.<ref>The dispute is significant because it changes the meaning of the sentence. If he mean "man", it's redundant because man and mankind are the same. If he meant "a man", he was comparing and contrasting his personal accomplishment with the implications for all of humanity.
See [http://www.snopes.com/quotes/onesmall.asp One Small Misstep], Snopes urban legend site. A video clip and [[Image:Apollo11_.jpg‎|right|thumb|250px|]]
sound recording are available at [http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/a11/a11v_1092338.mpg NASA]. At the time, many listeners perceived his words as "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Major newspapers and wire services reported it without the "a;" the ''New York Times'' did so as their July 21, 1969 "Quotation of the Day" (p. 35, also in the seventh sentence of their front-page story). Various small noises, short pauses, or transmission artifacts have sometimes been interpreted as the missing word, obscured by technical problems. In September 2006 an audio analyst claimed to have found the missing "a" but this, too is disputed.</ref>

The broadcast seemingly omitted the "a", reducing Armstrong's quote to the senseless "That's one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind.".<ref>[http://www.nasa.gov/62284main_onesmall2.wav "...one small step for (a) man..."] NASA's official recording</ref>

For almost 40 years, historians, academics and fans of space travel debated about the recording, some claiming that Armstrong had forgotten the word while others said that it was merely lost in transmission. Armstrong always said that he had not forgotten the word, but couldn't offer an explanation why it was not heard in the transmission.

However, in 2006, the Australian programmer Peter Shann Ford found the trace of the missing "a" in a downloaded recording he analyzed with audio software and presented his findings at the [[Smithsonian Institution]]'s Air and Space Museum (Washington, D.C.) and at NASA's Washington headquarters. The conclusion is that the transmission reduced Armstrong's "a" to a 35ms sound bit - 10 times too quickly to be heard by human ears.<ref>[http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4225856.html One small step for clarity] Houston Chronicle, Oct. 3, 2006</ref>

==References==
<references/>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Armstrong, Neil}}

[[Category:Astronauts]]

User:Jobby

2008-04-07T16:35:41Z

Jobby: hello

I'm Jobby and not very odd.