Department of Physics

Lee Hye-gyongDepartment of Physics
Lee Hye-gyong
Department of Physics

​​​​​​​In 2004 British Council carried a survey of 40,000 people in 102 non- English speaking countries around the world about what the most beautiful English word is. It turned out to be “mother.” The word “mother” is the most beautiful word in the world whether it is the East or the West as the epitome of sacrifice, devotion, and love. How can we measure a mother’s warm, deep, and infinite love: giving life, feeding, dressing, taking care of all situations with the full understanding of her children. A mother loves her children more than they do and do not spare anything for the children.

 

On one ethics class of 6th grade of elementary school, a teacher tried to make an imaginary situation, educating the students with an enlightening lesson. Each student had eight empty cards. The teacher told them to write a thing they liked most on each card. The student wrote eight precious things on their cards and held in hands. They supposed to think sailing on the sea but because of the heavy weight of the ship, including the students and the things they chose, the ship began to sink down. So the teacher told them to pick up one card and throw away into the sea to lighten the weight. The kids hesitated a bit but soon pick up one card and put it down on the table from their hands. On the card, it was written like doll, game console, jewelry shoes, cellphone... The teacher kept asking to throw away the 2nd card and 3rd card continuously to lighten the ship’s weight because still the ship was sinking. It looked to be hard for them to choose things to throw away because they liked much. What they wrote on the cards were brother, Hamster, sister, friends’ name, puppy... When there were left only three cards on their hands, they wished for the teacher to say not to throw down anymore because it became very difficult to throw away. Finally, the moment came only one card left in their hands. The teacher said they had to throw even the last card because still the ship was sinking down. There was no way to keep it. Suddenly, here and there in the class the students began to cry aloud by saying, “I cannot throw this, I can’t, no please!’ The teacher was embarrassed and did not know what to do. When the teacher asked them what it was they held till the end in their hands, all the students showed the last card written “Mother” on it. The children already knew their mother is the most precious being.

 

We remember Mitochondria’s maternal inheritance. Sons and daughters only have their mothers’ mitochondria. The mitochondria in each person’s cells are all from his or her mother. Mitochondria is the cellular bodies in charge of providing most energy required for cellular activity. It generates energy for the cell to use, referred to as “powerhouse” of the cell—life. Mitochondrial DNA is passed down from a mother to her daughter. This feature of mitochondrial DNA allows us to track the maternal ancestors from a mother to her mother and to her mother’s mother... , back until all lines converge on one woman— the first matrilineal ancestor of all living humans. She is defined as the “Mitochondrial Eve” in human genetics. Eve in Hebrew is life in English. Whereas Eve, who was created by the image of God the Mother, gives 70 or 80-year life-span, God the Mother will give us eternal life that humans yearn for for a long time. It is not so difficult to infer that God the Mother is the source of love and that Her strength of love is fathomless, when we think of human mothers on the earth.

저작권자 © Ewha Voice 무단전재 및 재배포 금지