Signs, signs, everywhere a sign: Mankind is coming of Age

A surprising breakthrough in nuclear technology promises to bring radical improvements to the safety and efficiency of nuclear power generation; simultaneously destroying most of the nuclear waste and drastically reducing storage time for the remainder. Could these advances signal the emergence of the radical new science foretold by Baha’u’llah as one of the “two signs for the coming of age of the human race?”

Animated image of our sun courtesty of NASA's SOHO Observatory

Centuries before Albert Einstein’s E=mc², Persian mystics had a saying: “Split the atom's heart, and lo! Within it thou wilt find a sun.” Not too bad, considering, as we know now, splitting an atom releases its nuclear energy, and that the Sun and stars are, in fact, enormous fusion reactors. Several decades before Antoine Henri Becquerel (1852-1908), Pierre Curie (1859 - 1906, and Marie Curie,(1867 - 1934) won the 1903 Noble prize in physics for their discovery of radioactivity, and some fifty years before the Manhattan Project and the successful splitting of the atom, another Persian “mystic” Baha’u’llah, (1817-1892) wrote: “Strange and astonishing things exist in the earth but they are hidden from the minds and the understanding of men. These things are capable of changing the whole atmosphere of the earth and their contamination would prove lethal" (Words of Paradise). Anyone who has seen a nuclear explosion, or who seen the horrifying images of the devastation and destruction unleashed on Hiroshima and Nagasaki Japan, and knows about the lingering contamination tragedy which resulted from the reactor meltdown at Chernobyl, or reads the headlines about the nations who have obtained or are seeking to obtain their own nuclear weapons no doubt wishes these “strange and astonishing things” could have remained hidden from the minds of men just a bit longer.

However, nuclear technology is not a bad thing in and of itself. Like almost any thing else, it has the capacity for harm or good, depending on who wields it and how it's applied. Abdu’l-Baha observed in the Secret of Divine Civilization: “For every excellent thing, peerless though it may be, can still be diverted to the wrong ends. A lighted lamp in the hands of an ignorant child or of the blind will not dispel the surrounding darkness nor light up the house–it will set both the bearer and the house on fire”(72). If only the nations were less “childlike,” to continue the analogy, and ceased being antagonistic and defensive to each another, there would be little reason to fear nuclear technology’s capacity for devastation.

A montage of nuclear explosions

Another facet to nuclear technology, which has been disliked almost as much as nuclear weapon technology, is energy. Although nuclear power is a highly efficient, carbon free means of generating electricity, concerns over storing the radioactive waste, fears of potential leaks and contamination, combined with decades of sufficiently low oil prices, have kept nuclear power out of favor for a long time. Only recently, when fears of global warming have reached an all time high, and (before the recent global economic crisis) oil prices peaked at record levels, has serious interest in nuclear energy resurged.

People's fears over nuclear waste, the dangers of potential accidents, and contamination are well-founded. The quantities of waste generated at a nuclear power plant are enormous, and safely storing it for the thousands of years it presently takes for the waste to cease being radioactive is extremely costly and risky. The Chernobyl disaster, which may seem like old news, is still a very current, real and persistent environmental and public health challenge, and will remain so for generations to come.

Recently, there has been a significant breakthrough in transmutation technologies that may revolutionize the way nuclear power is generated, while substantially mitigating the problems of nuclear waste. In simplest terms, nuclear transmutation is changing one element to another by changing the number of neutrons and/ or electrons of the atom, by fission and fusion. While the alchemist dream of changing copper or lead into gold is now considered folly, transmutation of the elements is in fact a reality that most of us take for granted every day, since the Sun’s nuclear furnace constantly transmutes hydrogen into helium; giving us our daily warmth and light. Moreover, scientists have successfully transmuted certain elements in laboratories, even though it remains an emerging technology that is too costly be of much practical benefit. However, in the case of nuclear energy, there is a emerging a practical and feasible use for transmutation. The transmutation of thorium to uranium does a neat litle trick where nuclear waste becomes inert in 300 to 500 years, rather than the current thousands of years required.

Researchers at the University of Texas have built on this and taken transmutation a step further, in something called the “Super X Diverter.” With this technology, UT researchers say it is possible to destroy 75% of a reactor’s waste by burning it in the light water reactors (LWRs), the most common type of nuclear reactor, presently in use generating energy.

Hybrid Nuclear Waste Destruction System

The 25% remaining waste is then processed in a Compact Fusion Neutron Source (CFN) which bombards the highly radiotoxic, transuranic, long-lived waste, called "sludge," which cannot be burnt in conventional systems, with high energy neutrons and destroys the radioactive properties of 99% of the material. After this process, only the remaining 1% of the waste requires long term storage, but on the scale of several hundred years, rather than thousands. The waste from 10 to 15 LWRs can be processed by just one CFN, and if that isn't enough, a second round of electrity generation can be accomplished in the process of destroying the waste.

It is interesting to note that Baha’u’llah wrote that there are “two signs” appointed for mankind’s collective coming of age and maturity. The first is: “the emergence of a science which is described as that "divine philosophy" which will include the discovery of a radical approach to the transmutation of elements” (Notes, Kitab-i-Aqdas, 250) and the second is “the selection of a single language and the adoption of a common script for all on earth to use” (ibid).

Considering that some of the brightest minds of our time, believe that global warming, energy, and fossil fuel dependence, are the most serious challenges our world faces, it is remarkable that Baha’u’llah had the foresight and vision, to speak of transmutation and an international auxiliary language as the signs that the human race is all grown up. Indeed, energy seems to be the Achilles heel of the current global-economic system in which we live. Solving it, and the numerous other global challenges we face will require international education, communication, and cooperation at levels yet unattained. Clearly if we have solved the communication and energy problem of the world, we will have gone through a lot of growth and solved a great many other problems first to get there. It will be interesting to see how stories like this unfold, and shape the world in which we live. The challenges that humanity faces these days are enormous and daunting, but the writings of Baha’u’llah are hopeful; drawing a road map to, and painting a picture of, our collectively glorious destiny. It will be exciting to see if this and similar technologies will help lead us there.

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Hooray for the world, Kathy Grammer was on it!

Maybe you've never heard of Kathy Grammer. She was a wife, mother of two boys, and a member of a Baha’i community in Ventura County, California. She had been a professional educator, and liked to give "oneness workshops" to promote unity in her community and also enjoyed traveling across the country giving seminars on virtues. As if that wasn't busy enough, she was also half of a very successful song writing duo. If you have children, maybe you're even one of the millions who loves her husband Red's fun, virtue filled music. If so, maybe you'd like to know something about Kathy; wife, collaborator, wind beneath the Grammy nominated, award winning singer's proverbial wings.

Kathy was largely behind the scenes, but it was very possibly her background in special education and her passion for children that ultimately led Red away from singing for the grown-ups, in bands such as the Limeliters, and inspired him to write and perform songs for children. But Kathy was more than just an inspiration: she penned and co-wrote some of his most successful songs, including "I Think Your Wonderful" and "See Me Beautiful" to name only a couple. So if you've enjoyed any of Red's seven bestselling CDs, possibly while singing along on a road trip with the kids and family, then you probably already share a special bond with this remarkable woman through her special gift of music. You wouldn't be alone either, because the renown of Red and Kathy's music is a big as the pair was humble. For example, recently Red was a guest in China on the television special on "Children's Day" taped in the Children's hospital in Beijing and broadcast to 100 million viewers as one of the highest rated music show on Chinese television. He also televised a concert from the Great Wall of China. Even here, on the remote little island of Sakhalin in the Russian Far-East, Baha'i children and adults love to sing "I Think You're Wonderful" in their native Russian.

By all accounts, Kathy Grammer was a very talented, and accomplished woman who, in January around the first of the year, lost her battle with cancer and ever so quietly slipped off her mortal garb and winged her flight to the spiritual realms. As Baha'is strongly believing in, and taking to heart Baha'u'llah's words that: "I have made death a messenger of joy to thee," Red and his sons refused to give in to grief and insisted that her passing be marked as a celebration of life. Red and Kathy were largely private people, despite Red's successful career as performer. This fact will become clear to anyone trying to find out something about Kathy (in life or death) as I have. Nevertheless, and in the spirit of celebrating a great life of achievement and service, I want to share with you what few gems I was able to dig up on this truly remarkable woman.

Here is a short and interesting biographical note I was able to find on Divinenotes.com, about the life of Kathy and Red:

Raised in Little Silver, New Jersey, Red completed his first two years of college at Rutgers University and then transferred to Beloit College in Wisconsin where he met his wife and co-lyricist, Kathy, a special education teacher. They began collaborating on children's music while Red was still lead vocalist for the legendary folk group, The Limeliters.

Believing that other children might enjoy the songs, games, and finger plays that they had written for their young son, Red and Kathy released their first album, "Can You Sound Just Like Me?” in 1983. Introduced on National Public Radio's(NPR)All Things Considered, their first recording was received with open arms by the critics. They still did not view themselves as children's musicians--just musicians. That would soon change. Encouraged to write another album for children and inspired by "The Promise of World Peace" statement issued by the Bahá'í World Community, Red and Kathy set out to create an album illustrating what children and their families could do to bring about peace. In 1986 the groundbreaking recording, "Teaching Peace" hit the market. It was immediately heralded for its ability to address such topics as acceptance of diversity, self-esteem, and cooperation.

See Me Beautiful, from the album Teaching Peace

What seemed unusual about the album, however, was that it could do all that and tickle a child's funny bone. Parents embraced the album--they loved Red's voice and the messages in the lyrics Grammer had not only become a commercial success, he had become an overnight sensation in the educational community as well. This remarkable recording was honored by Parents' Choice with a Classic Children's Audio Recording Award--an award few albums ever achieve. The All Music Guide declared "Teaching Peace" "one of the top five children's recordings of all time."

I Think You're Wonderful from the album Teaching Peace

As children, parents, educators and reviewers were discovering, there was something very special about what the Grammers had created for children.

At the same time, Red was discovering, as a performer, the perfect venue for his natural playfulness, vocal talent, and artistic sensibilities...the family. His clear, high tenor voice, and the songs that he and Kathy were writing for it, were tailor-made to entertain and inspire everyone from toddlers to grandparents. At long last he was finally "home" and his audiences knew it.

Today Red has become one of the most sought after children's performers in North America, appearing in major performing arts centers and children's festivals, as well as local theaters and schools, all across the U.S. and Canada.

Red Grammer

Together, Red and Kathy Grammer have a unique talent for conveying messages of hope and giving voice to children's feelings--entertaining, inspiring and educating with every beat. The Grammers live with their two teen-aged sons, David and Andy, in the Hudson Valley in New York State”(Original text here).

Together Kathy and Red pioneered the modern children’s music genre that would later see the emergence of other successful children’s acts like the Wiggles. Red isn’t the only children’s act these days, and has paved the way for a generation of sound-a-likes. Nevertheless, he is considered by many the undisputed godfather of children’s music. The impact Kathy made in crafting these timeless, beautiful, and inspiring songs—loved by parents and children alike—is significant, and the commitment she made to making children’s music that was not only fun, but filled with lyrics worth singing about, will be touching lives of for generations to come.

Here is a excerpt from a touching memorial published in the Ventura County Star:

This planet we call Earth, our home, has many surprises to offer us each day. Little did I think that when attending a memorial service for a friend I would be subject to many hours of remembrances in a place that seemed not of this world.

Kathy Grammer was someone I had met several years ago. She suffered from an illness that eventually took her body out of this world. Her memorial service was offered as a joyful remembrance of her life, love and work. If you had met Kathy once, you were not likely to forget her.

A view from Meher Mount in Ojai

She lived in Ojai as a member of the Baha’i faith and was a true reflection of it. Baha’is believe in one God, and in the oneness of humanity. They believe in the essential harmony of science and religion, and in the equality of men and women. They believe in the elimination of prejudice and in a universal compulsory education. They believe that there should be just one universal language, and that there should be universal peace upheld by a world federation. There are many Baha’is in Ventura County and Kathy did her utmost to tell people about the faith and encourage membership.

The memorial service was held in a place I had not visited before: Meditation Mount in Ojai. I cannot think of a more appropriate place to have a memorial service for Kathy. It is indeed on the top of a mountain with a vista so beautiful that it had to be formed by someone other than man. The varied colors of the mountains were breathtaking. It is no wonder that the film “Shangri La” was shot here. There can be no other place that exudes so much peace and love. Kathy loved it” (Read the whole article here).

Another short yet touching mention of Kathy can be found in this excerpt from a personal blog by someone who had had the privilege of getting to know her if only briefly:

"kathy grammer and i only spent two days in each other’s company but i think of her like an angel that whisked into my world with perfect timing. i was raw and hurting and confused. she was loving and wise and empowering. she gave me a vital gift - taking steps on the journey to figuring out my divine blueprint. there is no gift much better than that" (Read the whole blog here).

A prayer from the Baha'i Writings on Kathy's behalf as I think she might want it:

O Thou kind Lord! These lovely children are the handiwork of the fingers of Thy might and the wondrous signs of Thy greatness. O God! Protect these children, graciously assist them to be educated and enable them to render service to the world of humanity. O God! These children are pearls, cause them to be nurtured within the shell of Thy loving-kindness.

Thou art the Bountiful, the All-Loving. - 'Abdu'l-Bahá

To buy Red and Kathy’s music visit Red’s official website at www.redgrammer.com, or www.divinenotes.com. To learn more about the Baha’i faith in the U.S. visit www.bahai.us.

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In an age of uncertainty and trouble, Baha'u'llah exhorts mankind to do good

In Baha'u'llah's Tablet of Wisdom he exhorts us to be different, and to do good in the world despite the times of trouble and uncertainty in which we live:

"We exhort mankind in these days when the countenance of Justice is soiled with dust, when the flames of unbelief are burning high and the robe of wisdom rent asunder, when tranquillity and faithfulness have ebbed away and trials and tribulations have waxed severe, when covenants are broken and ties are severed, when no man knoweth how to discern light and darkness or to distinguish guidance from error.

O peoples of the world! Forsake all evil, hold fast that which is good. Strive to be shining examples unto all mankind, and true reminders of the virtues of God amidst men. He that riseth to serve My Cause should manifest My wisdom, and bend every effort to banish ignorance from the earth. Be united in counsel, be one in thought. Let each morn be better than its eve and each morrow richer than its yesterday. Man's merit lieth in service and virtue and not in the pageantry of wealth and riches. Take heed that your words be purged from idle fancies and worldly desires and your deeds be cleansed from craftiness and suspicion. Dissipate not the wealth of your precious lives in the pursuit of evil and corrupt affection, nor let your endeavours be spent in promoting your personal interest. Be generous in your days of plenty, and be patient in the hour of loss. Adversity is followed by success and rejoicings follow woe. Guard against idleness and sloth, and cling unto that which profiteth mankind, whether young or old, whether high or low. Beware lest ye sow tares of dissension among men or plant thorns of doubt in pure and radiant hearts.

O ye beloved of the Lord! Commit not that which defileth the limpid stream of love or destroyeth the sweet fragrance of friendship. By the righteousness of the Lord! Ye were created to show love one to another and not perversity and rancour. Take pride not in love for yourselves but in love for your fellow-creatures. Glory not in love for your country, but in love for all mankind. Let your eye be chaste, your hand faithful, your tongue truthful and your heart enlightened." (Tablets of Baha'u'llah, 137)

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