Today’s world is not different than the world of past millennia in the sense that its dominant nations are those that have scientific and technological edge. Science and technology are indeed at the core of any kind of development; to secure equilibrium, stability, and thus peace in today’s world, more nations need to reinvigorate their citizens’ involvement in these fields. Nevertheless, to reach scientific and technological advancement, a nation needs to be primarily educated. It is no wonder then that, throughout history, education and knowledge have been used as weapons of dominance.

Education is not, and should never be, a luxury; for human beings, it is a bare necessity. As such, it needs to be at the top of any nation’s priorities, especially in struggling developing countries such as ours. In this issue, we tackle very lightly the bare necessity that is education. Within such a very wide theme, we discuss some relevant historical aspects, as well as some current social and economic perspectives. We hope you enjoy the issue.

A new year begins; and with every new beginning, we look back at how far we have come, where we started, and where we are now. The truth is we all start at the same place; only we do not know it, or at least do not recognize it. Mankind has struggled for millennia to secure sources of fresh water, catch food, find or build shelters strong enough to give us a sense of security, and warmth. Mankind has always had to fight for these bare necessities; fights that sadly, but inevitably, have and will invoke ugly wars. However, the truly sad part is that, with all the development, progress, and prosperity we have achieved, we should have matured enough to make sure we all get what we need without hurting each other or future generations.

In this issue, we simply tackle the bare necessities; the original necessities, Mankind’s struggle to secure them, the challenges they still present to us. We also tackle new necessities that modernism has both blessed and damned us with. We hope you enjoy the new issue and the new year, and to hopefully make a new, more sustainable, beginning out of it for yourself and others.

Every day, we wake up, shower, brush our teeth, have breakfast or just grab a cup of coffee, rush out to school, university, work, or errands, to later return home to eat, study or work some more, spend some time with our family, and eventually go back to bed to rest for a few hours before starting the cycle all over again, and again, and again.

As we go through the motions, we encounter and experience infinite intricate processes, inventions, and technologies we take for granted, or at the very least rarely ever wonder about. In this issue with which we conclude the year 2014 series, having discussed human civilization, human health, and the environment in which humans exist, we have chosen to highlight facts, occurrences, activities, processes, and technologies that are so important to human’s everyday life. We hope you enjoy this Issue.

We are what we eat. We often hear this statement in relation to health issues; but, are we just what we eat? We are what we eat, we are what we drink, we are what we inhale, we are what we build, we are what we make, we are what we sow, and eventually, we are what we reap.

Mankind had started out on Earth as just another creature. However, humans have had spread their reach over the planet, tightened their grip on its resources and treasures, and squeezed greedily for more power and luxuries. As humans progressed, they have just recently realized they have started to pay the price; a price other creatures have been paying for a long time.

If humans are capable of doing all this damage, they are also capable of salvaging it; after all, we are the creative creatures with the opposable thumbs.

In our last issue, we have embarked on a new journey to explore, and re-explore, the different aspects of human life. The first eternal theme to pop into anyone’s mind in such a journey is without a doubt the closest to home: our own bodies; our health.

It is truly amazing to look back at how humans have dealt with their health since ancient times up to this minute; and to also check out what humans are capable of doing to their own selves and bodies. The truth is, human health is indeed a perpetual enigma; the more we learn about it, the more complicated we realize it is.

With our limited space, we have tried to tap into a diversity of health issues that vary from the historic, the cultural, and the controversial, to the current, the challenging, the psychologically damaging, and the potentially devastating. We hope you enjoy the selection of articles we offer in this issue.

Plunging into a new phase, a new era if you may, it is only appropriate to dig deep, to excavate the roots, to search for the beginnings of progress, of the future. In our diverse features and articles, we are tackling the theme of “Human Civilization: the Rise and Fall”, from a variety of angles, in an attempt to find the root, the starting point of progress as our nation struggles to stand tall once more after centuries of decline from the pinnacles of glory to the depths of despair.

Human life is nothing but contrast between the two; glory and tragedy, often going hand in hand. Nevertheless, human life is precious because it is unique; we have one shot at it. It is only logical to make this one shot meaningful; not just to ourselves, but to the world, to the future, to our children and grandchildren who will one day walk the Earth in the shadow of the legacy and heritage we leave them with.

The PSC newsletter is a milestone on the path to achieve the Planetarium Science Center’s goal of science popularization, and realizing the vision of Science For All! The newsletter aims to publicize the Center’s easy, yet unique variety of activities that aim to educate through entertainment, targeting the general public with emphasis on children and youth.

The PSC newsletter is a milestone on the path to achieve the Planetarium Science Center’s goal of science popularization, and realizing the vision of Science For All! The newsletter aims to publicize the Center’s easy, yet unique variety of activities that aim to educate through entertainment, targeting the general public with emphasis on children and youth.

The PSC newsletter is a milestone on the path to achieve the Planetarium Science Center’s goal of science popularization, and realizing the vision of Science For All! The newsletter aims to publicize the Center’s easy, yet unique variety of activities that aim to educate through entertainment, targeting the general public with emphasis on children and youth.

The PSC newsletter is a milestone on the path to achieve the Planetarium Science Center’s goal of science popularization, and realizing the vision of Science For All! The newsletter aims to publicize the Center’s easy, yet unique variety of activities that aim to educate through entertainment, targeting the general public with emphasis on children and youth.