diverbetty

yes, and I remember something about Constantine choosing Dec 25 as a significant pagan date for worship of the sun, so why not use that date to celebrate the birth of the new religion's deity,so his subjects would not have such a difficult transition to a new belief?

Wow - And I was excited that my 16-year old daughter in her Junior year is taking AP BC Calculus (continued from Sophomore year), AP Latin, and AP Physics. She's smart enough, but not a genius. Anymore than this, and she wouldn't have time for varsity sports, or friends. But how did this guy get so many AP credits from highschool?! Even if a high school offered that many AP classes, wouldn't a lot of them overlap and conflict timewise? Sheesh! -Impressed but flabbergasted mom.

I think Rowling originally intended for Harry to die at the end, because he, or his scar, is a Horcrux. Otherwise, why the big fuss from the beginning about an odd-shaped scar on his forehead? It believe Harry is the character that she gave a reprieve to, because, just as with Sir Conan Doyle who killed off Sherlock, he received so much hate mail and anguish from his fans that he resurrected his hero in a subsequent book. (Phooey, I say, the masses have commercial influence over true literary expression). As for Snape, one of the most fascinating characters in this series - There is a theory going around that mirrors 'Severus', a character prominent in 'The Prince'. This diabolical, cunning, conniving 'Severus', a fictional creation of none other than Niccolai Machiavelli, schemes to kill both his rivals by tricking each into thinking he is on one's side, fighting the other rival, and taking each one's life when their guard is down. Thus, Machiavelli's 'Severus' comes out on top, with no rivals to stop him anymore. What Harry Potter reader would doubt that after Dumbledore and Voldemort, the next most powerful wizard is Snape? Snape not in allegiance with Dumbledore, or with Voldy. He is strictly out for himself. With D and V out of the picture, Severus Snape rules supreme. This does justice to Machiavelli's original Severus character. HOWEVER, Snape is going to need Harry's help in bringing down Voldy. This is where Book 7's plot will twist and turn and keep us at the edge of our seats. Harry will feel that Snape is helping him, but once he defeats Voldy - watch out Harry!

Actually, I am not much of a religious person in daily life. I wasn't referring to looking to a higher purpose to explain the meson. I find it an interesting puzzle that when you blast apart a quark, a meson is observed for a nanosecond, then disappears. Like a meson cannot exist in a meaningful way (okay, okay, I know) without it being a part of something else. It has no identity of its own, really - except for the nanosecond. So that's what I mean by maybe it is not meant to be. Try as we might, and expend huge amounts of energy to do this, the meson is not going to stick around for us to analyze further. However, I see where this thread may be going - we must invent the instruments that will analyze this elusive particle somehow, so that we can pick it apart even further. I have no doubt that mesons do exist in this physical world for a nanosecond, but my first thought was, what's the point?

Hi - I am a new user, just registered, so please forgive if I am not getting the point here. However, I think I understand what you are getting at. Physicists have tried to mechanically separate subatomic particles, to blow apart the identity of quarks, so to speak. What they have managed to observe is that when quarks are forcibly separated, the tiny meson particle is revealed, which is either a smaller component of a quark, or a factor in what holds quarks together. However, the meson only lasts for a trillionth of a trillionth of a second and then disappears. If such a meson is incapable of existing in this physical world of ours after being forcibly brought into existence by man-made mechanical means (I think this was done at Fermilab), then perhaps we cannot consider this as part of our physical reality, it is not meant to be, and we must look to other non-physical disciplines to explain what this sub-atomic exercise reveals to us. Am I on the right track here? Need some help here, people.

Hello - this is my first ever post. I registered on this forum just so I could reply to this thread, if anyone is still interested in it. History Channel's recent "Exodus Decoded" claims that for the first time, we actually know what the Ark of the Covenant looked like. Sure enough, 2 winged birds (okay, cherubs by far stretch of the imagination) sit atop a large box or chest. This image is extracted from a golden image on a plaque, or pin, of objects inside the Temple of Jerusalem. This golden image is among many gold artifacts attributed to the people who the Bible refer to as the goldsmiths who designed the Ark. Does anyone know anything more about this? I am an amateur historian, just getting into the subject. I defer to anyone who cares to respond. Thanks.