Thanks to popular documentaries and programs like "Fearless Planet" and "Through the Wormhole" on TV's Discovery and Science Channel, studying the universe is no longer reserved for academicians in lecture halls.

"Because filmmakers and producers have made it entertaining and present science in language everyone can understand, there's an increased interest in the genesis of the universe, and its future," says Sanjay C. Patel, (www.SanjayCPatel.com), author of God Is Real, a book that explores similarities between modern science and ancient cosmology.

What many people don't realize, says Patel, is that ancient Indian yogis, Israelites and early Christians all agreed on the origins of life and the universe. Moreover, new studies indicate many of their ancient beliefs correspond with the findings of modern science
For instance, the scientific age of the universe is 13.7 billion years old, says Patel. When comparing this age to the Bible, if it is divided into six equal days spanning 2.28 billion years each, biblical Genesis's timeline across all seven "days" suddenly corresponds with past and future episodes in our galaxy and Earth. In total, 21 major correspondences emerge.

One among them is the following timeline:

• Science says: the Sun and moon formed about 4.6 to 4.5 billion years ago.

• Bible says: On Day 4 - "God made the two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night." This would be 4.56 billion years ago. (2 days or eons ago since we are currently at the beginning of day 7.)

Other interesting correspondences:

• Science says: Volcanic fire scorched India about 118 million years ago. Nearby oceanic volcanoes submerged about 100 million years ago. These submarine volcanoes suck in seawater through cracks and pores and remove salt from the water. They then expel the desalinated water back into the ocean through hydrothermal vents.

• Ancient Yogis said: Volcanic fire scorched India about 120 million years ago. Related volcanoes in the ocean south of India submerged about 117 million years ago. "The submarine Fire exists in the ocean. It drinks the seawater and removes its saltiness. It then expels the desalinated water from another opening."

For those who believe 2012 marks an end - be it because of the Mayan Long Calendar's end or some other prophecy - Patel offers this far-future convergence:

• Science says: In about 2 billion years time, Earth will be so hot there will be no life on it. Volcanism will be common and the planet's surface will be scorched by the fire of lava and sulfur.

• Ancient Yogis said: In about 2.35 billion years time, there will be no life on Earth due to volcanic fire.

• Bible says: in about 2.28 billion years - by the end of day 7 - life on Earth will end in volcanic fire and brimstone (sulfur).

Patel has found 121 points of agreement across 30 years of analysis and research based on expert translations of yoga literature dating back to 1500 B.C., biblical texts which date back to about 1000 B.C., and translations of the Talmud - an equally ancient biblical tradition.

"So many correspondences cannot be coincidence," says Patel, whose research has appeared in peer-reviewed scientific journals, including Marine Scientist in the United Kingdom.

About Sanjay C. Patel

Sanjay C. Patel studied theology, Sanskrit, ancient cosmology, advanced yoga and meditation techniques, among many other subjects, earning a degree in Divinity at the BAPS Swaminarayan Ashram in India. He continued studies of modern science and ancient spiritual texts for 30 years. His discoveries regarding the convergence of science and ancient texts were published in mainstream science journals and presented at the 22nd International Congress of History of Science in Beijing.

CHICAGO - August 16, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today took action on the following bills:

Bill No.: HB 3969

An Act Concerning: Public Employee Benefits

Changes the entity responsible for paying the difference in annuity attributable to a former General Assembly Retirement System (GARS) participant's higher final average salary if the employee works for a reciprocal employer for less than two years after ending participation in GARS; allows individuals who became GARS participants prior to Aug. 22, 1994 to make themselves subject to the final average salary limitations that took effect for new GARS participants on that date.

Action: Signed

Effective Date: Immediately

Bill No.:  HB 4996

An Act Concerning: Public Employee Benefits

Creates a return to work policy for State University Retirement System (SURS) affected annuitants and requires employers to make contributions to SURS for the retirement annuities of affected annuitants.

Action: Signed

Effective Date: Immediately

Bill No.: HB 5337

An Act Concerning: State Government

Amends the State Comptroller Act by requiring itemized vouchers under $5 to be processed electronically.

Action: Signed

Effective Date: Immediately

Bill No.: SB 180

An Act Concerning: Government

Includes circuit court clerks among entities that can apply to the comptroller for the offset of claims.

Action: Signed

Effective Date: Immediately

Bill No.: SB 679

An Act Concerning: Regulation

Allows individuals previously diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders to remain eligible for insurance coverage even if diagnostic criteria are changed in the future.

Action: Signed

Effective Date: Jan. 1

Bill No.: SB 3629

An Act Concerning: Public Employee Benefits

Amends the Illinois Pension Code to align the fiscal year of the Chicago Park District pension fund with the fiscal year of the Chicago Park District.

Action: Signed

Effective Date: Immediately

EAST ST. LOUIS - August 16, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today signed a new law to create the Metro East Police District and increase public safety in the region. The new law will strengthen law and order in four Metro East communities. Today's action was the latest by Governor Quinn, who was joined by local legislators at the Illinois Army National Guard post, to improve public safety in Illinois.

"There is no place for corruption in East St. Louis, Alorton, Brooklyn, Washington Park or anywhere in Illinois," Governor Quinn said. "The Metro East Police District will bring the full force of law to these communities and better protect the residents of the region."

Sponsored by Sen. James Clayborne, Jr., (D-East St. Louis) and Rep. Eddie Lee Jackson, Sr., (D-East St. Louis), Senate Bill 549 establishes the Metro East Police District and the Metro East Police District Commission to oversee the district.

The 17-member Commission will provide oversight for the four municipal police departments and will tie funding to the meeting of standards set by the Commission. While all four departments will continue to operate independently, the Commission will establish financial and ethical rules for them, and will be responsible for applying for and spending state and federal appropriations and grants.

The Commission will be comprised of seven members appointed by the Governor, four members appointed by the Mayor of East St. Louis with city council consent, and one member each appointed by the Village Presidents of Alorton, Brooklyn and Washington Park, with village board consent. The Director of the Illinois State Police, St. Clair County State's Attorney and Director of the Southern Illinois Law Enforcement Commission (or their designees) will serve as ex-officio members. Commission members will be unpaid.

The legislation is designed to respond to cases of corruption and crime in the region. Felony charges have been filed against 14 members of law enforcement agencies from these four communities in the past 18 months, according to the St. Clair County State's Attorney's Office. Offenses included stealing evidence, texting a fugitive to warn him police were moving in, offering to drop arrest charges against a female driver in exchange for a sex act, defrauding the state and theft of bulletproof vests.

"The double threats of violence and corruption have cast a shadow on these cities for a long, long time, one continuously perpetuating the other," said St. Clair County State's Attorney Brendan Kelly, who spearheaded the reform. "This law is a first step towards giving the people a fighting chance at justice."

"As an educator in East St. Louis, I saw children who were doomed before they even had a chance," said Rep. Jackson. "This law puts the crooks on notice: the bad old days are over." The Metro East Police District is wholly in Rep. Jackson's legislative district.

"This is a unique solution to an unacceptable problem," said Sen. Clayborne, a former St. Clair County Assistant State's Attorney. "Corruption in the criminal justice system will not be tolerated."

The conditions in the four communities have also caught the eye of the Federal Government, which has prosecuted several official corruption cases there.

"I strongly support this legislation which will bring much needed reform to police departments in East St. Louis, Washington Park, Alorton and Brooklyn," said U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL). "For too long, residents of these communities have lived in a climate of violence. I commend Senator Clayborne and Representative Jackson for spearheading the passage of this important reform legislation that will not only improve the safety and security of the Metro East area, but will also help the police departments conduct themselves with professionalism and without corruption. I thank Governor Quinn for signing it into law."

"This is an historic moment for the Metro East region," said Steve Wigginton, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois. "The formation of this commission is the beginning of a new era of professional law enforcement for four communities that desperately need it.  From the beginning, State's Attorney Brendan Kelly and I agreed that the status quo is unacceptable and we needed to bring historic change to law enforcement in the affected communities. I thank those stakeholders and elected officials for supporting our vision and bringing this commission to life."

Metro East includes six counties in southwest Illinois and is home to 700,000 residents. Other proponents of the new law include the Illinois Municipal League, NAACP and Illinois Fraternal Order of Police. The law takes effect Jan. 1, 2013.

Child trafficking, particularly for sexual exploitation, has increased dramatically in the United States over the past 15 years, and the numbers of victims continue to rise each year.

"The average age keeps getting younger and younger -- for girls, it's now 12," says activist and novelist Heather Huffman (www.heatherhuffman.net), whose newest book, Devil in Disguise, aims to raise awareness of the problem.  "The rise of the internet is a huge part of the problem, and society has found no effective way to address it."

In fact, she says, those who profit from the internet seem determined to thwart safeguards. Social media giant Facebook, she notes, is working on technology that would allow it to circumvent federal law by allowing children 13 and younger to become members. And in June, a website that advertises escort services successfully sued to stop Washington state from enforcing its new law requiring publishers to verify the ages of people in sex ads.

"The law was intended to help prevent trafficking children," Huffman says. "Other states have similar laws either soon to take effect or in the works, and this ruling threatens that potentially effective preventative measure."

The plaintiff in the Washington suit was Backpage.com, the second-largest online classified ad service in the country. Such websites, including the biggest, Craigslist, regularly post ads for escort services and the like, Huffman notes. They make it easier than ever for traffickers to appeal to a mass audience for paying customers.

They, along with social media sites where children freely chat and post photos of, and information about, themselves, account for much of the growth in domestic child trafficking, she and others say.

"When we place our children's pictures on sites like Facebook, or allow them to do so, we're adding them to a human trafficking catalog," Huffman says.

Whether you're a parent, an educator, a law enforcement or another adult who deals with children, she offers these suggestions for helping prevent, recognize and stop the trafficking of children.

• Watch for repeated unexplained absences from school. Children being used for prostitution often don't attend school regularly and seem to have no control over their schedule or personal identification papers. They may talk of frequently traveling to other cities. People working in shelters, courts and law enforcement should strive to identify whether children detained as runaways, truants or for drug-related offenses are actually trafficking victims. They are often too afraid or ashamed to volunteer the information.

• Be alert to physical problems. These children tend to be underfed and inappropriately clothed. They may have bruises and other evidence of trauma. They're often fearful and/or withdrawn, and may show signs of drug addiction.

• Lobby for legislation in your state to make all minors immune to criminal prostitution charges. Some states, including Illinois and Tennessee immunize anyone younger than 18 from prostitution charges. Connecticut immunizes children 15 and younger, and requires a presumption by law enforcement that 16- and 17-year-olds are victims. Huffman and other experts say that charging and jailing trafficking victims compounds their trauma and prevents them from seeking help, since they feel they can't trust law enforcement. It also unfairly burdens them with an arrest record for being a victim! Find out the status of your state and lobby for change, if necessary.

• See if your city's mayor has joined an ad boycott of Village Voice Media. In 2011, the mayor of Seattle asked Village Voice to protect the city's children by ensuring they were not being advertised on its website, www.backpage.com. When the corporation failed to respond, he pulled city advertising from all its publications. Other mayors have since followed suit. At www.sharedhope.org, you'll find a list of mayors who have yet to take action. If yours is on the list, click to send him or her a letter. Get to the list by clicking the "Get Involved" tab, and then "Join the campaign."

"Solving this problem is the responsibility of all adults," Huffman says. "If you don't believe it can happen in your family, be aware that runaways are now targeted, on average, within 48 hours of leaving home. And even 'normal' kids sometimes get mad and run away, if only for a day. It's horrifying to imagine the disastrous results a momentary pique of childish temper might have."

About Heather Huffman

Heather Huffman is a writer, former human relations specialist and mother of three, whose 12-year-old son has started his own group to fight human trafficking, 61 Strong. She is the author of six previous books in the romance fiction genre, including "Throwaway" and its prequel, "Tumbleweed." A portion of proceeds from sales of "Devil in Disguise" will benefit groups fighting human trafficking.