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s Issue 1

OURMANIFEST(O) /DESTINY:

Stop that. Stop what you’ re doing, and think. Deliberate.Continue. Stop again, and deliberate some more, because youprobably don’ t know why you’ re pouring out so much energy

doing whatever it is you’ re doing. The inertia of starting upagain is always greater than the desire to stay put, so takea few more seconds and think about really why you’ re slavingover something you probably don’ t find natural or inviting orwarming. That’ s what we here at Gravitas want. We want you to

be happy, at our core. It’ s our belief that the blind anduncritical acceptance of social and physical phenomena is

what breeds sadness, regret, and mistrust. Help us help youby opening up the pages of this journal and letting knowledge

and skepticism and critical analysis flow through andenlighten you. Not only will you become more privy to the

inner workings of these phenomena, but you will leave a moreintentional and fulfilled person. Our aim is not to say thateverything is bad (or even good or untrue), but rather to

enable you, our readers, to question what you see around youand make the important life choices yourselves knowing fullwell the reasons for your actions. It is in this notion of

questioning that Gravitas’ s mission lies.

Evolution:This article on evolution seeks to debunk the myth that evolution is entirely rooted

in science and actual ly compares evolution effectively to its common enemy:genesis. The article i l luminates that macroevolution (or evolution from one distinctkind of organism into another) has never been witnessed in real l ife or in fossils. Inl ieu of this hard evidence for evolution, evolutionists are increasingly citing dubious

genetic evidence such as “similar” DNA as proof for their cause. He sums up thearticle by saying that “evolutionists believe in evolution because they want to,”

drawing a paral lel with creationism and elucidating their commonalities. The articleenl ightens us and challenges us to think against the grain and not take for granted

what we are told, which is why it fits in well with Gravitas’s mission.http: //www.icr.org/home/resources/resources_tracts_scientificcaseagainstevolution

The Journal of the Angel of Death:Josef Mengele, the infamous Angel of Death, is often charged with conducting

unspeakable crimes against humanity. However, as i l luminated by excerpts fromhis journal, this "Angel of Death" was interested in nothing else but preserving l ife.

His l ife's work, while tainted with death, added a considerable breadth ofknowledge to our understanding of medicine and the human body. Here are his

accounts of the work he considered necessary for the improved survival ofhumankind.

Beauty is Pain:This short article wil l discuss the abominable horror that has been imposed on ourlower bodies in the form of denim jeans. Monopolizing the pant scene since 1 973,these stiff pieces of ungodly material are extremely unsanitary (it is advised thatyou not wash them too often lest they lose their jean-l ike quality); not to mention

they are responsible for health issues due to poor blood circulation, low self-esteem and are wildly notorious for causing division within society (flared vs.skinny, boot cut vs. high-waist etc.) The article wil l elaborate on all of these

arguments citing both Dr. John England, of the American Academy of Neurologyand chiropractic physician Dr. Wil l iam Madosky from the Daily News as its

sources.

Deviance and Conformity:Robert K. Merton was a leading American Sociologist best known for coining terms

such as “role model” and “self-fulfi l l ing prophecy”. He also did some workresearching driving forces behind deviance and conformity in society. He came up

with the fol lowing chart:[ insert Merton's Paradigm of Deviant Behaviour here]

Being a journal that looks to go against the grain and question the establishedorder, we would l ike to commission the late Robert K. Merton to write a

sociological article incorporating his existing knowledge on dangers of conformistbehavior.

The Good Ol’:We all remember things in our past fondly. We yearn for the good old days, when

times were simple and people were happy. However, this mode of thinkingidealizes and falsifies the truth of the past. Nostalgia is a dangerous entity that

pushes against human innovation and progress. I t cal ls for ways of l iving that areunsustainable and environmental ly disastrous. Most of al l , i t negates our abil ity to

appreciate the present in the present.

The Dead Art:History seems to revere the poet: the Shakespeares, the Robert Frosts, the Dr.Seusses. The way they worked their words provided insight and solace to thosewho read them. However, that was then; this is now. We find ourselves at a point

in time where new poetry is cranked out and ignored at unprecedented levels.Poets no longer write for an audience; they write for themselves. This is a call for

the end of published poetry.

Time Travel and the Brain:This article elaborates about the incredible abil ity of the mind to travel back and

forth through time--in fact, we spend more time outside of the present than in it. I tis only when the immediate environment demands our attention that we are

actual ly attentive. Otherwise, we are learning from the past and expecting thefuture, and the most impressive feat is that the brain is able to bring back lessons

from the past at moment’s notice. This article fits in with Gravitas’ missionbecause it seeks to redefine how we view the mind and develop a greater

appreciation for it. In addition, it reveals an alternative view on time travel, an actmany consider impossible.

“I don’t remember what my life was like before Gravitas."The San Francisco Monocle“In Gravitas we trust.”The Daily Fail

“Haters gon’ hate, but they still read Gravitas.”-Appall Street Journal“There are four ingredients in the good life: learning, earning,yearning, and Gravitas."USA Astray

Conclusions from the field:(Or maybe just our friends)