n one episode of the series Black Mirror, a world is depicted where everyone has gadgets that allow them to rate each other – not on social media, but in real life. Smile at a passerby, yield to someone, help a neighbor – they give you five stars. Be rude, insult, or deceive – they give you one star. …
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One of my relatives, a devout Muslim who observes fasting, lives in a regional center of Kazakhstan. He told me that every year, with the arrival of the holy month of Ramadan, a certain tradition is upheld in their region.
On the first day of fasting, the regional akimat organizes an iftar (evening meal to break the fast) at the …
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It’s well known that “tois” (celebrations) are an integral part of Kazakh national culture. This tradition dates back to ancient times, when nomads used major life events — such as weddings, childbirth, and so on — as long-awaited opportunities to reunite with relatives and friends, to socialize and strengthen ties.
However, over time, “tois” have taken on a different meaning. …
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To many of our men, Europeans seem like weaklings who can’t stand up for themselves. In case of conflict, they don’t “settle things like men,” they don’t fight — they go straight to the police. In our culture, this kind of behavior is often seen as a sign of weakness.
But in reality, it’s the flip side of being civilized. …
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Imagine that at the end of 1941, when Nazi Germany had occupied a significant part of the Soviet Union’s territory—Ukraine, Belarus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and so on—Donald Trump suddenly became the President of the United States. And then he declares that this bloody war must be stopped. Millions of people are dying—that’s not good. He proposes that Hitler and Stalin …
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Do you remember the chemistry lesson in school where we conducted an experiment with a salt solution? We added salt to a glass of water, stirred it, placed a thread in the solution, and watched as salt crystals began to form on the thread. It was an incredible moment, wasn’t it?
Now imagine if, before the lesson, someone stopped you …
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Superstitions arise from a lack of information and fear of the unknown. People often instinctively spit over their shoulder or say “knock on wood” in moments of joy, fearing they might “jinx” successful events. This is superstition. As a materialist and pragmatist, I view such rituals with irony. In the modern world, with its scientific and technological achievements, such actions …
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Science has developed, is developing, and will continue to develop, always moving forward, like chasing the horizon. We advance, but beyond the horizon, there are always unexplored natural phenomena and unexplained mysteries. Humanity will continue to evolve, knowledge will expand, but that unknown area will always exist. As long as there are phenomena not explained by science, there will be …
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Science has developed, is developing, and will continue to develop, always moving forward, like chasing the horizon. We advance, but beyond the horizon, there are always unexplored natural phenomena and unexplained mysteries. Humanity will continue to evolve, knowledge will expand, but that unknown area will always exist. As long as there are phenomena not explained by science, there will be …
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I believe that the main purpose of faith is protection and support—both for society as a whole and for each individual. People turn to religion in moments of difficulty, fear, and uncertainty. They seek something to lean on when the circumstances around them seem too overwhelming and impossible to overcome. The belief in higher justice, which will balance all the …
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