Posted on May 16, 2012 by Rashid Faridi
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Healthy Foods for Exams

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Rashid Faridi

Guest Post by  Jay Smith

Final exams are here again and you’ve probably locked yourself in your room or a study cubby surrounded by books, notes, and junk food. There’s something very comforting (and convenient of course) about shoveling chips and candy into your mouth as you try to memorize historic dates, analyze poetry, and go over lectures you don’t remember ever attending. But putting a little bit of thought into what you eat can actually help your brain hold onto that information and keep you sane until your finals are over. Start with these eight foods and see if you don’t start feeling more alert, focused, and able to retain information.

  1. Carrot sticks

    High blood sugar is known to impair memory, meaning all those sweets you want to eat while you study could actually be holding you back. Even some salty foods, like pretzels, are high on the glycemic index, meaning they make your blood sugar rise quickly. Instead, reach for snacks with a low glycemic index like carrot sticks. You’ll be able to memorize things more easily and you’ll make your mother happy by eating your vegetables!

  2. Acai berries

    If you’ve never tried this healthy (and trendy) berry, now is the perfect time. Acai berries can work in your favor in several different ways. Their high dose of antioxidants will boost your immune system so you don’t get sick in the middle of this stressful and important time. They also are high in healthy Omega fats, which keep your brain functioning at its best. If you’re having trouble finding the acai berries in your grocery store, grab some blueberries. They have many of the same great qualities and can help alleviate stress.

  3. Walnuts

    Besides looking a bit like a tiny brain, walnuts can also help you get the most out of your own noggin. Many components in the nuts, including protein, vitamins, and fatty acids, contribute to a healthy nervous system, which helps you think more clearly and positively. Walnuts also affect your serotonin levels, staving off depression and insomnia, the last things you need during exams. So not only will you be better able to retain the things you’re studying, you’ll be happier doing so.

  4. Whole grains

    Not all carbs are good for brain function. Processed carbohydrates, like those found in white bread and cookies, don’t have any of the beneficial nutrients, and can slow you down and make your blood sugar spike. However, good carbs can actually benefit your thinking skills, even in the long term, and reduce anxiety. Have some whole wheat bread, brown rice, or oatmeal as part of a study-break snack or a pre-test meal. You’ll feel better and even more prepared.

  1. Spinach

    You may not get muscles like Popeye, but spinach can help you flex your brain. The folate in spinach can improve memory and learning abilities, and get rid of toxins in your body that might harm your brain. The green, leafy vegetable is also particularly smart to eat during finals weeks because its high levels of magnesium are known to reduce stress. Cook some up with some olive oil and garlic or add it to a sandwich, pasta, or whatever else you’re munching on.

  2. Beans

    Of course we know why we all called beans the magical fruit when we were kids, but they actually have some almost-magical qualities that we weren’t aware of back then. Several types of legumes have a low glycemic index, keeping your mood steady and relaxing the brain if you’re feeling stressed. Black beans are the best brain beans because they are full of antioxidants that increase brain function and keep you healthy. Pinto, kidney, and lima beans, as well as peas and lentils, will also keep you going until your tests are done.

  3. Yogurt

    This popular breakfast food and snack can have more brain benefits than just those of the fruit and berries it contains. Sure, it’ll probably help you digest all the other junk you shouldn’t be eating (but probably eat anyway), but yogurt’s probiotic bacteria can ease the stress in your brain, keeping you sane, healthy, and thinking until summer arrives. Have some for breakfast or a late-night snack. Add some berries and whole grain granola for a super brain boost.

  4. Dark chocolate

    So you can’t go without the occasional sweet when you’re stressed? No one can really blame you. Just make sure that you opt for dark chocolate when your sweet tooth hits. Not only is it more filling than milk chocolate, it actually has some brain benefits for a few hours after you eat it. The cocoa flavanols found in dark chocolate increase blood flow to certain parts of the brain and help your brain function, particularly if you’re feeling tired. And who’s not feeling tired after a couple hours (or days!) of studying?

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The Muqaddimah of Ibn Khaldūn

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Rashid Faridi
The symbol of the Ibn Khaldun Institute

The symbol of the Ibn Khaldun Institute (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Muqaddimah , also known as the Muqaddimah of Ibn Khaldun or the Prolegomena  is a book written by Ibn Khaldun in 1377 which records an early view of universal history. Some modern thinkers view it as the first work dealing with the philosophy of history or the social sciences  of sociology, demography, historiography or cultural history  and economics, The Muqaddimah also deals with Islamic theology, political theory and the natural sciences of biology and chemistry. Ibn Khaldun wrote the work in 1377 as the preface or first book of his planned world history, the Kitab al-Ibar (full title: Kitābu l-ʻibār wa Diwānu l-Mubtada’ wa l-Ħabar fī tarikhi l-ʻarab wa l-Barbar wa man ʻĀsarahum min Đawī Ash-Sha’n l-Akbār “Book of Lessons, Record of Beginnings and Events in the history of the Arabs and Berbers and their Powerful Contemporaries”), but already in his lifetime it became regarded as an independent work.

Ibn Khaldun starts the Muqaddimah with a thorough criticism of the mistakes regularly committed by his fellow historians and the difficulties which await the historian in his work. He notes seven critical issues:

“All records, by their very nature, are liable to error…

  1. …Partisanship towards a creed or opinion…
  2. …Over-confidence in one’s sources…
  3. …The failure to understand what is intended…
  4. …A mistaken belief in the truth…
  5. …The inability to place an event in its real context
  6. …The common desire to gain favor of those of high ranks, by praising them, by spreading their fame…
  7. …The most important is the ignorance of the laws governing the transformation of human society.”

 Laffer curve

The Khaldun-Laffer curve has also been used in Solid State Physics and Chemistry to interpret the dependence of certain macroscopic properties of solids on hydrostatic pressure (e.g. dynamical effective charge, polarizability) .

Ibn Khaldun’ makes the following comments on his scientific historical method in his Muqaddimah:

  1. “History is a science”
  2. “History has a content and the historian should account for it”
  3. “The historian should account for the elements that gather to make the human history”
  4. “He should also work according to the laws of history”
  5. “History is a philosophical science”
  6. “History is composed of news about the days, states and the previous centuries. It is a theory, an analysis and justification about the creatures and their principles, and a science of how the incidents happen and their reasons”
  7. “Myths have nothing to do with history and should be refuted”
  8. “To build strong historical records, the historian should rely on necessary rules for the truth comparison”

The Muqaddimah on Climate theory

The Muqaddimah anticipated the meteorological climate theory of environmental determinism, later proposed by Montesquieu in the 18th century. Like Montesquieu, Ibn Khaldun studied “the physical environment in which man lives in order to understand how it influences him in his non-physical characteristics.” He explained the differences between different peoples, whether nomadic or sedentary peoples, including their customs and institutions, in terms of their “physical environment-habitat, climate, soil, food, and the different ways in which they are forced to satisfy their needs and obtain a living.” This was a departure from the climatic theories expressed by authors from Hippocrates to Jean Bodin. It has been suggested that Ibn Khaldun may have had an influence upon Montesquieu’s theory through the traveller Jean Chardin, who travelled to Persia and described a theory resembling Ibn Khaldun’s climatic theory.

Assessment of various civilizations

While discussing his “new science”, now associated with the social sciences, Ibn Khaldūn states that no other author before him, as far as he was aware, had written about it. However, he was aware that much knowledge of the past had been lost, and thus he was open to the possibility that someone might have anticipated him but that their work had not survived:

Perhaps they have written exhaustively on this topic, and their work did not reach us. There are many sciences. There have been numerous sages among the nations of mankind. The knowledge that has not come down to us is larger than the knowledge that has. Where are the sciences of the Persians that ‘Umar ordered to be wiped out at the time of the conquest? Where are the sciences of the Chaladaeans, the Syrians and the Babylonians, and the scholarly products and results that were theirs? Where are the sciences of the Copts, their predecessors? The sciences of only one nation, the Greeks, have come down to us, because they were translated through Al-Ma’mun’s efforts. He was successful in this direction because he had many translators at his disposal and spent much money in this connection.

Ibn Khaldūn characterized Aristotle as “the First Teacher”, for his having “improved the methods of logic and systematized its problems and details.”

Links and Sources:

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Useful iPad Apps For Writers

Posted on May 13, 2012 by Rashid Faridi
Apple iPad Event

Apple iPad Event (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Guest Post by  Emma Taylor

Today’s writers benefit from an incredible assortment of digital tools from which they can draw inspiration and productivity. Although some writers prefer to stick to old-fashioned pen and paper or even typewriters, there’s a vast population of others that are happy to take advantage of all the new tools out there. Some of the brightest of these tools can be found on the Apple iPad, and we’ve highlighted 32 of them here. Whether you’re looking for a place to scribble ideas, organize plotlines, or just find your zen before sitting down to write, these apps have got you covered.

  1. Adobe Ideas

    Keep this app handy for moments of inspiration. You can scribble notes, write on images, and create sketches to make your vision come to life.

  2. Manuscript

    This app will walk you through the steps of writing to create a publication-ready document. You’ll flesh out your pitch synopsis, chapter outlines, and finally, the content. The app also offers the option to create storyboards, organize your blog, track page and word count, and more.

  3. Clockwork Notebook

    This super simple doodling app is great for typing notes, doodles, and more, with stickers and even an option to paste photos from your photo library. Notes can be exported as PDFs.

  4. MaxJournal

    Write a daily diary, write down notes, and create outlines with this iPad journaling app. You can attach tags for easy organization, as well as attach a few photos. Then, bring it all together on your computer by exporting entries as a PDF, text, or email.

  5. Chapters

    In this app, you can simply organize your chapters, journal entries, notes, and more. Chapters allows you to search, autosave, and even protect private notebooks with a passcode.

  6. Pages

    Although this app comes with a high price tag, writers say it’s worth every penny for all of its useful features. You’ll find formatting options, printing support, and the ability to save your document in a number of different formats.

  7. iZen Garden

    Go to your happy place and allow inspiration to find you with this tabletop zen garden for the iPad.

  8. My Writing Spot

    For a distraction-free writing environment, this app can’t be beat. But this app isn’t bare bones: it offers word count, password protection, dictionary lookup, spellcheck, and more.

  9. PrintCentral

    Get your notes and writing off your iPad and physically into your hands with this app. Find the best printer, and print via Wi-Fi, 3G, or even EDGE.

  10. Clean Writer

    Created for writing minimalists, Clean Writer has a zen interface with precious few features to distract you from the task at hand.

  11. Kindle

    Although this app is not for writing, reading is an important task for any writer. Find free classics, download new favorites, and sync it all up with this app.

  12. Dragon Dictation

    If inspiration strikes, but you can’t stop to type it all out, this dictation app will come in extremely handy. Turn your words into text lightning fast, and you’ll be amazed by its accuracy.

  13. Due

    Use this timer app to encourage short bursts of intense writing and get your book written in no time.

  14. Writers App

    Get your ideas out and organized with the help of this app. You can use it to collect your plot, chapters, characters, and more, all in one handy spot.

  15. GoodReader

    This app is perfect for annotating PDF documents on your iPad. Highlight, comment, and make notes all over to get your thoughts in order.

  16. QuickVoice Recorder

    If you need a quick fix for getting your ideas down in spoken word, this app will do it for you. Record audio clips, email them to yourself, and use them to remember all of your great ideas and inspirations.

  17. Chronicle

    Find a home for your stories, life events, and ideas in this journal. The app offers password protection, cloud backups, and event the option to export your journal as a website.

  18. miTypewriter

    If you’re longing for the old days of typewriters, this app can help you reminisce. It’s simply an easy way to use a typewriter interface for writing on the iPad.

  19. iA Writer

    This super simple text writer can help you get your ideas out onto paper with minimal distractions and plenty of ease of use.

  20. Advanced English Dictionary and Thesaurus

    This app combines the power of a dictionary and thesaurus, both available offline any time you need help finding the right words.

  21. Whiteboard HD

    Capture your brainstorming sessions in style with this app. You can write notes, sketch charts, and even make simple freeform drawings.

  22. Grammar App HD

    Find tips, rules, and other great resources for cleaning up your grammar right on the iPad with this app.

  23. Colorful Aquarium

    Find relaxation and entertainment in this colorful aquarium. You don’t even have to clean it!

  24. Wikihood

    For doing quick research on settings, Wikihood is a great option. The app will show you all of the Wikipedia entries for any given area, sharing the history, politics, and culture that can be reflected in your work.

  25. Dropbox

    Make your novel available to you anytime, anywhere by putting it on Dropbox. Access your photos, documents, and notes easily with this app that saves them all automatically to all of your devices.

  26. Notepiler 9

    Using N9, you can capture media-rich notes, with an easy to find visual catalog. Record audio notes, annotate photos, map points of interest, and more, all in one app.

  27. Todo for iPad

    Stay on top of your to-do list with this app, which keeps your tasks up to date and synched between all of your devices. You can even take advantage of the app’s GPS capability to get reminders based on where you are.

  28. Index Card

    TV writers love this app for thinking through and organizing scripts. It has an easy to use, attractive interface that makes writing more fun.

  29. Fancy Pages

    Using this app, you can create graphics-rich documents including presentations or even a children’s book.

  30. Infinote Pinboard

    Similar to Index Card, Infinote Pinboard allow you to create note cards to pin to your message board. You can share them, print them, and order them by date, color, or even deadline.

  31. Evernote

    Evernote is a super capable writing app that pretty much goes everywhere. You can update notes and documents on your iPad, then have them synched up to work on your iPhone, computer, and more.

  32. SimpleNote

    A lot like Evernote, SimpleNote syncs your notes online for access anywhere. This app also allows you to go back and recycle pieces of text from previous drafts, and shows the word count of your document.

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