Switzerland

A study in Switzerland states that there is a 14 percent greater probability that a person over 60 years of age will die on his birthday rather than on other days. On their birthday, people in general suffer fatal heart attacks 18 percent more frequently, women suffer strokes 21 percent more frequently, and men commit suicide 35 percent more frequently. Scientists assume that stress and alcohol are contributing factors in the increased rates of suicides and accidents. Some experts contest this study, however, believing that human error may account for many matching birth and death dates.

Israel

Good-looking men were more likely to be invited to job interviews when they attached a photo to their résumé; attractive women were less likely. Why? Israeli researchers suggest that this may be because human resource departments​—tasked with deciding whom to interview—​are mainly staffed by women. The “unpalatable” explanation, says The Economist, is that “old-fashioned jealousy led the women to discriminate against pretty candidates.”

United States

Three pacifists​—an 82-year-old nun along with two companions aged 63 and 57—​recently breached the defenses of a site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, that houses 100 tons of nuclear material, and they painted antiwar slogans on one of the buildings. The lapse in security at what is “supposed to be one of the world’s most secure facilities” was described by Energy Secretary Steven Chu as “deeply troubling.”

Australia

The highest court in the nation requires tobacco companies to remove distinctive colors and logos from cigarette packaging. Now, all cigarettes must be sold in drab dark-brown packs bearing graphic images that depict the dangers of smoking.

THE CHALLENGE

When he is upset, your two-year-old launches into a fit of screaming, stomping, and thrashing about. You wonder: ‘Is my child normal? Does he throw tantrums because of something I am doing wrong? Will he ever grow out of this?’

You can help your two-year-old to change his behavior. First, though, consider what could be contributing to it.a

WHY IT HAPPENS

Small children have limited experience in handling their emotions. That factor alone can lead to an occasional tantrum. But there is more.

Think about the change that a child experiences at about age two. From the time that he was born, his parents catered to his every need. If he cried, for example, they came running. ‘Is the baby sick? Does he need to be fed? soothed? changed?’ The parents did whatever was needed to make things better. And that was proper because a baby is fully dependent upon his parents.

At about age two, however, a child begins to realize that his parents are catering to him less and less. In fact, instead of their serving his needs, they expect him to comply with their wishes. The tables have turned, and a two-year-old may not take well to the change without protest​—perhaps in the form of a tantrum.

In time, a child usually adjusts to the fact that his parents are his instructors, not just his caretakers. Hopefully, he also comes to see that his role is to “be obedient to [his] parents.” (Colossians 3:20) In the meantime, a child may test every fiber of his parents’ patience with one tantrum after another.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Be understanding. Your child is not a miniature adult. Having little experience in dealing with his emotions, he may overreact when he is upset. Try to see the situation through his eyes.​—Bible principle: 1 Corinthians 13:11.

Stay calm. When your child is having a tantrum, losing your temper will not help. To the extent possible, ignore the tantrum and react matter-of-factly. Remembering why tantrums occur will help you to stay calm.​—Bible principle: Proverbs 19:11.

Hold your ground. If you give in to whatever it is your child is demanding, he will likely throw another tantrum the next time he wants something. Calmly show your child that you mean what you say.​—Bible principle: Matthew 5:37.

Be patient. Do not expect tantrums to disappear overnight, especially if you have given your child reason to believe that his behavior will sway you. If you react properly and consistently, however, the tantrums will likely diminish. Eventually, they will stop altogether. The Bible says: “Love is long-suffering.”​—1 Corinthians 13:4.

Also, try the following:

• When the tantrum begins, hold your child in your arms (if possible) and, without hurting him, restrict him from thrashing about. Do not shout at your child. Just wait for the storm to pass. Eventually, the child will realize that the tantrum has got him nowhere.

• Designate an area where you can put your child when he has a tantrum. Tell him that he may come out when he has calmed down, and then leave him there.

• If your child has a tantrum in public, remove him from the view of others. Do not give in just because he is making a spectacle. That will only leave your child with the message that by throwing a tantrum, he can get whatever he wants.

ON December 17, 2010, Mohamed Bouazizi reached his limit. He was a 26-year-old street vendor in Tunisia who was frustrated with being unable to find a better job. He was also aware of corrupt officials’ demands for bribes. On that particular morning, inspectors confiscated Mohamed’s supply of pears, bananas, and apples. When they took his scales, he resisted; and some witnesses say that a female police officer slapped him.

Humiliated and enraged, Mohamed went to the nearby government office to complain but could not get a hearing. In front of the building, he reportedly shouted, “How do you expect me to make a living?” After dousing himself with a flammable liquid, he struck a match. He died of his burns less than three weeks later.

Mohamed Bouazizi’s desperate act resonated with people in Tunisia and beyond. Many consider his actions the trigger for an uprising that toppled the country’s regime and protests that soon spread to other Arab countries. The European Parliament awarded Bouazizi and four others the 2011 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, and The Times of London named him its 2011 person of the year.

As that example shows, protest can be a powerful force. But what is behind the recent wave of protests? And are there any alternatives?

Why the Surge in Protests?

Many protests are ignited by the following:

• Dissatisfaction with social systems. When people believe that the local government and economy serve their needs, there is little desire to protest​—people work within the existing order to address their problems. On the other hand, when people feel that these systems are corrupt and unjust and rigged in favor of a select few, conditions are ripe for social unrest.

• A trigger. Often, an event moves people to action, to change from resignation to a belief that they must do something. Mohamed Bouazizi’s case, for example, set off mass protests in Tunisia. In India, a hunger strike against corruption by activist Anna Hazare set off protests by his supporters in 450 cities and towns.

As the Bible long ago acknowledged, we live in “a world where some people have power and others have to suffer under them.” (Ecclesiastes 8:9, Good News Translation) Corruption and injustice are even more widespread today than they were back then. Indeed, people are more aware than ever before of how political and economic systems have failed them. Smartphones, the Internet, and 24-hour news broadcasts now allow events even in isolated places to trigger a response over a large area.

What have protests accomplished?

Proponents of social unrest would claim that protests have accomplished the following:

• Provided relief for the poor. In response to so-called rent riots in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A., that occurred during the Great Depression of the 1930’s, city officials suspended evictions and arranged for some of the rioters to get work. Similar protests in New York City restored 77,000 evicted families to their homes.

• Addressed injustices. Ultimately, the 1955/1956 boycott of city buses in Montgomery, Alabama, U.S.A., led to the overturning of laws for segregated seating in buses.

• Stopped construction projects. In December 2011, tens of thousands of people protested the construction of a coal-fired power plant near Hong Kong because of concerns about pollution, so the project was canceled.

Of course, protesters do not always get what they want. For example, leaders may crack down rather than give in to demands. Recently, the president of one Middle Eastern country stated regarding the protest movement there: “It must be hit with an iron fist,” and thousands have died in that uprising.

Even when protesters accomplish their aims, the aftermath invariably brings new problems. A man who helped depose the ruler of an African country told Time magazine about the new regime: “It was utopia that immediately descended into chaos.”

Is there a better way?

Many well-known people have felt that protesting oppressive systems is a moral imperative. For instance, the late Václav Havel, a former Czech president who spent years in prison for his human rights activities, wrote in 1985: “[The dissident] can offer, if anything, only his own skin​—and he offers it solely because he has no other way of affirming the truth he stands for.”

Havel’s words foreshadowed the desperate acts of Mohamed Bouazizi and others. In one Asian country, dozens have set themselves on fire recently to protest religious and political repression. Describing the feelings behind such extreme actions, one man told Newsweek magazine: “We don’t have guns. We don’t want to harm other human beings. What else can people do?”

The Bible offers a solution to injustice, corruption, and oppression. It describes a government that God has set up in heaven that will replace the failed political and economic systems that lead to protest. A prophecy about the Ruler of this government says: “He will deliver the poor one crying for help, also the afflicted one and whoever has no helper. From oppression and from violence he will redeem their soul.”​—Psalm 72:12, 14.

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that God’s Kingdom is mankind’s only true hope for a peaceful world. (Matthew 6:9, 10) Thus, Jehovah’s Witnesses do not engage in protests. But is the idea that a government by God could eliminate the reasons for protest unrealistic? It might seem to be. Yet, many have developed confidence in God’s rulership. Why not look into it for yourself?

I WAS born in 1965 into a poor family in Northern Ireland. I grew up in County Derry during the “Troubles,” the violent conflict between Catholics and Protestants that lasted for more than 30 years. The Catholic minority felt discriminated against by the majority Protestant establishment, accusing them of gerrymandering, heavy-handed policing, and employment blacklisting, as well as unfair housing practices.

I saw injustice and inequality everywhere I looked. I lost count of the times I was beaten up, was pulled from a car and had a gun pointed at me, or was questioned and searched by police or soldiers. I felt victimized, and I thought, ‘I can either accept this, or I can fight back!’

I shared in the 1972 Bloody Sunday marches, in memory of the 14 people who were shot dead by British soldiers, and the hunger strike marches, which honored the republican prisoners who starved themselves to death in 1981. I put up banned flags and scrawled anti-British graffiti everywhere I could. It seemed there was always another atrocity or murder of a Catholic to protest. What began as a parade or march often escalated into a full-scale riot.

While at the university, I joined student protests for the environment. I later moved to London, and there I took part in socialist marches against government policies that seemed to benefit the upper classes at the expense of the poor. I participated in trade union strikes against pay cuts, and I shared in the poll tax march in 1990, which resulted in Trafalgar Square being heavily damaged by the protesters.

Eventually, though, I became disillusioned. Rather than achieving our goals, protests often stoked the fires of hate.

It was about this time that a friend introduced me to Jehovah’s Witnesses. They taught me from the Bible that God cares about our suffering and that he will undo all the harm ever caused by humans. (Isaiah 65:17; Revelation 21:3, 4) Despite noble intentions, humans cannot bring about justice and equality. Not only do we need God’s direction but we also need his power to overcome the unseen forces behind the world’s problems.​—Jeremiah 10:23; Ephesians 6:12.

Now I feel that my protest against injustice was like trying to straighten deck chairs on a sinking ship. It has been such a relief to learn that a time will come when there will be no injustice on this planet, when all humans are truly equal.

IN THE heart of an arid desert, during the dark hours of the night, a sand cat emerges from its den and stops. It looks around and listens. Then, crouching low to the ground, the animal quietly begins its trek across the sandy terrain.

Suddenly, the sand cat leaps upon its unwary prey​—a gerbil. Afterward, the prowl continues through the night, with the sand cat making occasional leaps into the air to catch more prey. If it catches more than it can eat, the sand cat will cover what is left with sand. It returns to its den in the early morning and seldom appears during the day. Consider some intriguing features of this elusive creature:

AZERBAIJAN is the largest of the three countries of the Southern Caucasus. About a thousand years ago, Turkic tribes began settling in this territory in large numbers. Those settlers absorbed some of the local traditions, and the locals adopted some of the settlers’ culture. Not surprisingly, therefore, the Azerbaijani language is closely related to Turkish and Turkmen.

Azeris are known to be a lively and warm people. Family ties are close, and relatives rely on each other in times of difficulty.

Azeris love music and poetry. In one form of music called mugam, a singer recites classical Azeri poems to the accompaniment of folk instruments. A mugam performer has to have thorough knowledge of traditional mugam repertoire and a knack for improvisation.

Tea is an important part of Azerbaijani culture. The beverage is served in small pear-shaped glasses with a sugar cube, perhaps accompanied by pistachios, almonds, and raisins. Tea houses can be found in even the smallest of towns.

The Caspian Sea, to the east of the country, is a habitat of the sturgeon. The beluga sturgeon can live more than 100 years. One of the biggest ever caught was 28 feet (8.5 m) in length and weighed 2,860 pounds (1,297 kg)! Sturgeons are prized for their eggs​—their roe—​the famous and costly black caviar.

Azeris are religious people who like to talk about God. Most of the population are Muslims. Other religious groups are also present, including more than a thousand of Jehovah’s Witnesses​—many of them native Azerbaijanis.

Is God’s Kingdom a condition of the heart?

“You are not far from the kingdom of God.”​—Mark 12:34.

WHAT PEOPLE SAY

Many people believe that God’s Kingdom is, as one major denomination of Christendom put it, “the reign of God in the heart and life of the individual.”

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS

The Kingdom is a real government, not just a metaphor for a person’s submitting to God in his heart. God’s Kingdom will rule over the entire earth.​—Psalm 72:8; Daniel 7:14.

What, though, about Jesus’ statement that “the kingdom of God is within you”? (Italics ours; Luke 17:21, King James Version) Jesus could not have meant that the Kingdom was in the hearts of his listeners. Why not? Because on that occasion his listeners were the Pharisees. Jesus said that they would be excluded from the Kingdom because their form of worship was hypocritical and thus unacceptable to God. (Matthew 23:13) However, Jesus could rightly say that God’s Kingdom is “within you” or, as the New World Translation says, “in your midst.” Why? Because he, as the future King of the Kingdom, was standing right before them.​—Luke 17:21.

What is God’s Kingdom?

“Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth.”​—Matthew 6:10.

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS

The Kingdom is a real government by God with Jesus Christ as Ruler. (Matthew 28:18; 1 Timothy 6:14, 15) Its mission is to accomplish God’s will in heaven and on earth. (Matthew 6:10) Thus, by means of his Kingdom, God will solve man’s problems. The Kingdom will do what human institutions could never accomplish.

Under the rule of God’s Kingdom, the human family will experience peace, security, and prosperity on a paradise earth. (Psalm 46:9; Isaiah 35:1; Micah 4:4) No one will get sick or die anymore, and disease will be eliminated. (Isaiah 33:24; Revelation 21:4) Even the aging process will be reversed. The Bible foretells: “Let his flesh become fresher than in youth; let him return to the days of his youthful vigor.”​—Job 33:25.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Regardless of your ancestry or place of birth, you can become a subject of God’s Kingdom if you do what God asks of you. The Bible says: “God is not partial, but in every nation the man that fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him.”​—Acts 10:34, 35.

Will human efforts bring God’s Kingdom?

“The God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be brought to ruin.”​—Daniel 2:44.

WHAT PEOPLE SAY

Some believe that humans will establish the Kingdom of God on earth, either by converting others to their faith or by working for world peace and brotherhood.

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS

God​—not man—​sets up the Kingdom. (Daniel 2:44) At the inauguration of the Kingdom, God says: “I, even I, have installed my king.” (Psalm 2:6) Humans do not bring God’s Kingdom, and they cannot disrupt its affairs, since it will rule over the earth from heaven.​—Matthew 4:17.

WHY SHOULD IT MATTER TO YOU?

It is only natural to wish that humankind could one day achieve peace and unity. You might even expend yourself trying to bring these about but then despair when your goals are not reached. Knowing that God’s power is behind his Kingdom will allow you to direct your efforts most productively, by becoming a subject of that Kingdom.

AS A hibernating animal begins its sleep, its body temperature cools. How low can it go? A dozen arctic ground squirrels appear to have set a record​—when their body temperature dropped to 26.8 degrees Fahrenheit (-2.9°C)! At that temperature, we would expect their brains to freeze. How does the arctic ground squirrel survive?

Consider: Every two or three weeks during hibernation, the arctic ground squirrel shivers itself back to its normal body temperature of 97.5 degrees Fahrenheit (36.4°C) and does not get cold again for some 12 to 15 hours. Researchers say that this warming period, although brief, plays a role in the brain’s survival. Moreover, during hibernation the arctic ground squirrel’s head seems to remain slightly warmer than the rest of its body. During lab experiments, the neck temperatures of the squirrels mentioned above never dropped below 33.3 degrees Fahrenheit (0.7°C).

When the squirrel emerges from hibernation, its brain returns to normal activity within about two hours. In fact, one study suggests that the squirrel’s brain works even better after hibernation! Experts are baffled by this astonishing recovery. They compare it to new growth emerging from scorched earth within days of a forest fire.

Researchers hope that their study of the arctic ground squirrel will help them understand the human brain’s potential more fully. Their goal is to learn more about how to prevent or even reverse the cellular damage that occurs in brain diseases, including Alzheimer’s.

What do you think? Did the arctic ground squirrel’s resilient brain come about by evolution? Or was it designed?