Inventions

What is the significance of the date 2 June 1953?

2011-01-19T21:08:00.002-08:00

In London a moment of historic pageantry was the famous Sherpa porter from Nepal. The London Times wrote:

‘Seldom since Francis Drake brought the Golden Hind to anchor in Plymouth Sound has a British explorer offered to his Sovereign such a tribute of glory as Colonel John Hunt and his men are able to lay at the feet of queen Elizabeth for her Coronation day. The Queen sent a message to the Everest expedition expressing her ‘warmest congratulations on (their) great achievement’.

Why was Africa the centre of the slave trade?

2011-01-19T21:08:00.001-08:00

Trade in human slaves began in the earliest times and went on until the nineteenth century. But it was in the sixteenth century, after the discovery of America when the need grew for labour on the new plantations, that the slave trade began to increase. Its centre was Africa. Millions of slaves were transported from that continent. The British, French, Dutch, Portuguese and Spanish all engaged in the trade. There was also a trade by the Arabs across the Sahara and from East Africa to Asia. The Arabs had a long history of slavery, and their African traffic in human merchandise was only suppressed to wards the end of the nineteenth century. After the trade had been made illegal by western nations. Arab dealers in Africa continued to buy and sell people. They took them from the interior of Africa in caravans to the shores of the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean. Some were sold at the coast but most were shipped on to Turkey, Arabia, Iran and other eastern lands. The biggest slave market in those days was in Zanzibar. In 1845 the British reached an agreement with the sultan of Zanzibar by which his territory ceased to be the centre of the traffic, but it persisted on the African mainland and was abolished only gradually.

What are mosaics?

2011-01-19T21:05:00.000-08:00

A mosaic is a picture or pattern made by placing or fixing, small different-coloured pieces of stone or glass side by side.

The art was an invention of the Mediterranean peoples and flowered between c. 300-31 B.C. In the Roman period, or about the first five hundred years of the Christian era, mosaics of great beauty and variety were designed all over the empire spreading from

Syria

Spain

, and from Africa to

Britain

. The most brilliant mosaics in the world adorn walls and ceilings of sacred building in Rome, Ravenna and Salonika. Mosaics which have been discovered dating from the Pre-Christian eras were for the most part laid on the floor.

Self appreciation Statements or Self Celebration techniques

2010-10-14T21:21:00.000-07:00

The best self apprecitation techniques I learned from the site

are http://www.poombatta.com/yoga/selfappreciation.html

Here is some examples :

15. I can’t change others, but I can change my reaction to others.

16. I am an important and valued member of my family.

17. I am my final authority for everything I do.

18. I accept full responsibility for all my actions.

19. Allow myself the freedom to make mistakes.

20. I make my own decisions an willingly accept the consequence.

21. I love and appreciate myself just as I am.

22. I accept all my feeling as part of my life.

23. I love to love and to be loved.

24. The more I love myself the more love I have to give to others.

25. I think for myself and speak and act with deliberation.

26. I stand up for healthy opinions and conviction for growth promoting.

27. I do not blame others for my problems, mistakes, defeats or handicaps.

28. I take deep satisfaction in doing my work conscientiously and well.

29. I face reality and resist nothing I cannot change.

30. I accept every problems and goal as a challenge to my awareness and growth.

31. My relationship with God, other and self is growing happier and more fulfilling everyday.

32. I am now enjoying every I do.

33. I vibrantly healthy and radiantly beautiful.

34. I feel happy and blissful just being alive.

35. I open to co-operate with the blessings of my loving God.

36. The light and grace of God within me is creating miracles in my life hair and now.

37. All things are now working together for good in my life.

continue reading here : http://www.poombatta.com/yoga/selfappreciation.html

Why do nitrogen filled in modern vehicle tyres, Does filling nitrogen in tire have any benefit ?

2010-09-12T08:43:00.000-07:00

Normal air contains about 73 % of nitrogen and rest contains 20% of oxygen and other vapor. Filling nitrogen instead of air is generally in racing cars tyres, aircraft tires and in heavy commercial vehicles. In normal air filled tyres commonly heats when running due to the moisture inside the tire. If we filled nitrogen in tires the running temperature reduces dramatically and the result is longer tyre life. In case of tubeless tires nitrogen doesn't reacts with rims. We do not need to check tyre pressure regularly if filled the tire with nitrogen ( check it after 5 months).

Some major benefits of filling nitrogen in tires are

Low inflation pressure loss.
low wheel corrosion.
Nitrogen prevents inner rubber deterioration by oxidation
Tires run cooler.
Increased tread life.
Increased mileage.
Helps prevent uneven wear.

What is a shooting star?

2010-09-05T20:33:00.000-07:00

In fact, shooting stars are not stars at all. We call them meteors, and scientist’s believe that they are broken fragments of comets, which still move about in space when the comet itself does so no longer. We see them when they enter our atmosphere because they leave a trail of light behind them, caused by the friction of the air on their surfaces. Most meteors are very small, but some can weigh several tens, and the vast majority of them disintegrate when they pass through the heat of the earth’s atmospheres. But some meteors, the larger ones, do land on earth, and when they do we call them meteorites. There are two main types of meteor – those made of minerals, which look like rock and are called aerolites, and those made chiefly of nickel and iron, which were call metallic meteors. Although it is very rare for a meteorite to fall on dry land, scientists think that many fall to earth every day, but that they land in the water which makes up two thirds of the earth’s surface. This is why we hardily ever notice when they do hit the earth.

How do we see?

2010-08-31T09:59:00.000-07:00

The retina is the part of the eye which actually makes sense of what we see. It is sensitive to light, and can sort out all the different colours we see. When light hits the cells of the retina, a chemical change takes place in the cells. This starts message or impulses in the optic nerve at the back of the eye, which takes these message to the brain. The brain turns the images the right way up, and identifies them as something we can recognize. Have you ever wondered why the pupils of the eyes grow bigger and smaller? This happens according to the amount of light available. In bright light, the pupil closes up to black speck, letting through only enough light to be able to see without damaging the retina. When the light is very dim, the pupil opens up to let in as much light as possible, so that, again, we can see.

How do animals and plants depend upon each other?

2010-07-17T08:30:00.000-07:00

The sun is the driving force in all of the Earth’s processes. It is the sun’s rays that keep our planet warm enough for us to be able to survive, it is the weather’s motor, and provides energy for the most important process of all so far as plants and animals are concerned. The sun provides plants with the energy for photosynthesis. It is by photosynthesis that plants use the sun’s energy to convert carbon dioxide taken in from the air, and water from the soil in to the sugars and starches that make up their stems, leaves, and roots. It is a little more complicated than this, and plants need other substances as well, but this is the important process. Photosynthesis only occurs in plants that contain the complex green pigment chlorophyll, in other words in green plants.

Other types of plants depend on other means of manufacturing these materials. It is interesting to note that green plants can store energy so that photosynthesis can even occur at night.

We now have the basic food supply for the rest of the planet’s the basic food supply for the rest of the planet’s life forms. You know that cows, for example, eat grass. Without grass or other plant material available, cows could not survive. We then make use of the cow’s ability to digest grass and convert into meat and milk which we eat and drink. Thus, the cow is a herbivore, that is, an animal that feeds on plants. When we eat meat, we are behaving as carnivores or meat eaters. This demonstrate a simple chain of events, in fact, it is known as a food chain. The grass grows and is eaten by the cow which is eaten by man.

There are many other such chains. A fox may feed on rabbits, which may be eating clover. The clover may be dependent not only on the sun, water, and the air, but also on bees for pollination. These chains can be disturbed quite easily sometimes with far reaching effects. For example, should bees become reduced in number for any reason, such as a farmer using insecticides, in time the amount of clover would fall back and the rabbits might be forced to feed on the farmer’s lettuces. Obviously, the farmer will not be happy about this and may set about reducing the rabbit population. If he was too enthusiastic and all the rabbits in an area were to be wiped out, the fox would have to look elsewhere for its meals – it might even be the same farmer’s chickens.

Try to imagine multiplying these simple chains thousand of times to take the multitudes of different animals and plants into account. Now you begin to have some idea of the complicated nature of life on our planet, how animals and plants depend upon their surroundings and each other, and how easily the balance can be upset.

Who stole the British crown jewels?

2010-06-28T06:48:00.000-07:00

You might think nobody would have the skill or the courage to steal something as precious and easily recognizable as the crown jewels. But on 9 May, 1671, a daring Irishman, Colonel Thomas Blood, made a near successful attempt to steal them. Although he and his accomplices were caught and imprisoned in the Tower of London, they were not executed, as everyone had expected. Instead, the King, Charles II was so impressed by the audacity of the robbers that he pardoned them, and even gave Colonel Blood a place at court and lands in Ireland!

Where will you see Orion the hunter?

2010-06-21T20:52:00.000-07:00

In the sky, as Orion is a constellation of stars above the celestial equator. In Greek mythology Orion was a mighty hunter, and when he was slain by Diana he was taken up to the heavens together with his dogs. The constellation contains the shoulder stars. Betelgeuse, an orange-red, first magnitude, irregular variable star, and Bellatrix, and the giant pure white star known as Rigel.

In which country would you see the zebra mouse?

2010-06-20T00:40:00.000-07:00

This tiny creature with its black and brown stripes running its back is now only found in Africa. As well as being known as the zebra mouse it is also called the striped fieldmouse. It is found in many regions, amking its home in a grassy hollow, where it rests during the hot time of day, after a busy morning scampering about on the savannah. It goes searching for food in the form of pulses and grasses, but it always wary of snakes or birds of prey for whom this little mouse makes an excellent meal!

Which American President was born in a log cabin in Kentucky?

2010-06-17T04:46:00.000-07:00

Abraham Lincoln. Lather the family moved to Indiana where the family built a ‘half-face’ which was a three-sided shelter, framed with poles and thatched with bark. He ate wild berries and learned to shoot wild turkeys for food. Later still the family went by covered wagon to New Salem, and years later his new home became the White House in Washington.D.C

Why do we shake hands with our right hands?

2010-06-13T09:05:00.000-07:00

The western custom of shaking hands has its origins in the past. Centuries ago men carried weapons; usually in their right hands (most people are right-handed). When one man wanted to show friendship to another, he threw down his weapons and offered his empty right hand to the other person as a sign of peace. The custom has remained. You should shake hands firmly as it is a sign of friendliness or agreement, and a limp, weak handshake does not seem genuine. But you have to be careful not to overdo it, or hurt the other person’s hand!

Who was Sir Isaac Newton?

2010-06-07T04:37:00.000-07:00

Sir Isaac Newton is often considered to be the world’s finest scientist. Born in Lincoln in 1642, he studied at Cambridge and went on to discover the law of gravitation, and invent the first reflecting telescope. He was knighted in 1702 and died in 1727. He is buried in Westminster Abbey. He wrote his masterpiece, Principia, in 1687.

Who is Anastasia?

2010-06-07T04:24:00.000-07:00

In 1917 the Bolshevik revolutionaries in Russia forced the Tsar, Nicholas II, to abdicate, and then imprisoned him and his family, his wife, his son and four daughters, in various places in Russia. Then in 1918 an announcement came that all the royal family as well as four of their servants, had been killed. No bodies were ever found, and there was doubt at the time as to whether all the royal family were killed. Several people later claimed to the members of the Tsar’s family, and the one who claim to be the Tsar’s youngest daughter, Anastasia. Although some relatives of the Tsar refuted her claim, others have confirmed it. Her claim is still being urged by her friends and certain members of the Romanov family. If she is indeed Anastasia, she may be able to tell the world exactly what happened to her family. And so solve a very puzzling mystery.

How does day turn into night?

2010-02-13T08:55:00.001-08:00

As the Earth moves around the Sun. It also spins round on its axis. This means that different parts of the Earth are lit up at different times. When our art of the Earth is lit up it is daytime for us. As we move round, away from the Sun, it becomes dark and we can see the stars; this is night-time.

The sun appears to move across the sky, but in fact the Earth is moving around the Sun.

What’s the Difference between a star and Planet?

2010-02-13T08:47:00.000-08:00

Planets are different. A Planet is much smaller and more solid than a star. It does not shine by its own light, because it is not nearly hot enough to produce that light. Instead, it shines by the light of the nearest star.

Our sun is a star, and in its solar system there are nine planets-Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto

Which tree is almost always found near water?

2010-01-02T05:57:00.000-08:00

The alder. It grows by the slides of rivers and lakes, or beside a water spource which has since dried up. Its tiny seeds have ‘wings’ to make them water-borne and it will only sprout in damp mud. The roots like swampy soil and the leaf-fall enriches the land. The alder has dark-grey or black bark, deeply cracked and fissured, and rich green, tooth-edged leaves. The cones, the alder’s most distinctive features, bear the seeds which float away on the water to take root else where.

What is volvox?

2009-12-12T08:43:00.000-08:00

Volvox is probably the simplest living organism composed of a number of cells that show as common purpose. Volvox (Latin for rolling) is a plant, looking like a tiny green ball as big as this ‘o’,. If you look carefully into the surface of a freshwater pool or pond you will probably see, rolling through the water, tiny green balls-these are volvox.

What is show-jumping?

2009-12-08T06:07:00.000-08:00

Show-jumping is a competition to see which horse and rider can best jump a series of walls, fences and other obstacles . Points are won and lost as the horses, one after the other, attempt each obstacles on a specially prepared course. Some times, extra points are awarded to the horse which completes the course successfully in the fastest time.

Some of the special walls on a show-jumping course are made of brick, and if the horse kicks any of the bricks off the wall as it goes over the top it will lose its rider points. Fences are often made of wooden poles, and again, none of the poles must be kicked out of place by the horse if its rider is to score full points. Also there are often ditches filled with water, which the horses must be able to clear. If a horse refuses to jump a fence, it will mean a serious loss of points, And if a horse throws its rider out of the saddle, this is worse still.

Show-jumping is popular with millions of people today who can see such contests on television. Some show-jumping horse riders are now as famous as racing jockeys.

What do guide-dogs do?

2009-12-01T05:22:00.000-08:00

Dogs are what we call Domesticated animals, meaning that for thousands of years they have played a very close and important part in men’s lives. One of the most valuable jobs a dog can be trained for is to act as a guide-dog.

These dogs are owned by blind people and lead the way when they want to go out. Such dogs are selected for this job when they are about two years old, and it takes four or five months to train them. They are trained to lead their blind master down a street so that he won’t bump into other people or walk into building or lamp posts. They are also taught to stop at the curb and not lead their master across the road until the traffic has stopped or is a safe distance away. As they are highly intelligent animals, they can even help their masters safely in and out of buses and trains.

Who are the Bedouins?

2009-11-29T08:45:00.000-08:00

The Bedouins are a nomadic Arab tribe whose name is derived from badawi meaning ‘desert-dweller’. They make up about one-tenth of the population of the Middle East, but cover in their wanderings nearly nine-tenths of its land area. Their Pattern of life is determined by the grazing needs of their flocks which they follow all the year round, living in black goats’ hair tents. Traditionally they despise agricultural or manual work, and happiest tending their herds of sheep, camels and highly-bred horses.

What is Valhalla?

2009-11-28T09:16:00.000-08:00

The word means Hall of the slain and, in Norse mythology, was the great hall of the dead heroes. The hall had 540 doors, so wide that 800 men could enter side by side, and the guests were seated at long tables where they were served with wondrous food and drink.

Valhalla’s walls were of gold, lined with battle shields so highly polished that the light they cast made candles unnecessary, and coats of mail and armour hung from the walls.

What is knur and spell?

2009-11-26T09:49:00.000-08:00

A word game? A Viking singing duo? A witch’s curse? No, knur and spell is a little-known game that has been played in the Pennine area of Northern England for the last 300 years.

The game has a terminology all its own. The knur is a small baked clay ball, sometimes known as a potty. The spell is a wooden structure something like a miniature gallows, from which the knur is suspended. The players-known locally as laikers – must hit the knur with a long sycamore cane, the laiker whose knur travels furthest being the winner. The game had almost died out until recently, but now there has been lots of new interest, and a world championship is planned.

What is pall-mall?

2009-11-23T07:40:00.000-08:00

This game is similar to croquet, played with a wooden mallet and ball. The name derives from the Italian, Palla (ball) and maglio (mallet). Though not played much nowadays, pall-mall enjoyed great popularity in

England

Italy

and other parts of Europe in the 1600s.

What is tropic of cancer ?

2009-05-25T09:19:00.000-07:00

The farthest northern latitude at which the sun can appear directly overhead, which occurs on the June solstice. North of this line is the subtropics and Northern Temperate Zone. The Tropic of Capricorn is at the opposite latitude south of the Equator. South of the Tropic of Cancer and north of the Tropic of Capricorn are the Tropics. The center line is called Equator.

What is an atomic clock?

2009-05-25T04:08:00.000-07:00

Atomic clock is a special type clock that shows almost accurate time. Atomic clock maintains continuous and stable time scale. the first model of atomic clock was build on 1949 by the U.S National Bureau of standards. First successful atomic clock was designed on 1955 in UK by National physical laboratory. A chip scale atomic clock designed in august 2004 by NIST scientists. Chip type atomic clock consumes only 75 mw current. Major application of atomic clocks are to generate standard frequency and serve time signals to time signal sites. They also installed at navigation transmitters and broadcasting stations. By the help of this atomic clock signals broadcasting stations produces accurate carries frequency. GPS navigation systems base signals are also from atomic clock.

How to download youtube videos to your computer?

2009-05-24T07:24:00.000-07:00

Every one knows about youtube, we can search and watch a youtube video when the computer is connected to internet. without connected online we cant see a video in youtube unless its streamed.

whats the remedy for it. To watch your favorite youtube video in offline just download this software and paste the url of your youtube video and download it to your computer.

Watch youtube videos offline with this software

Download youtubedownloader

How many languages are in the World?

2009-05-23T08:33:00.000-07:00

When people are asked how many languages they think there are in the world, the answers vary quite a bit. One random sampling of New Yorkers, for instance, resulted in answers like “probably several hundred.” However we choose to count them, though, this is not close. When we look at reference works, we find estimates that have escalated over time. The 1911 (11th) edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica, for example, implies a figure somewhere around 1,000, a number that climbs steadily over the course of the twentieth century. That is not due to any increase in the number of languages, but rather to our increased understanding of how many languages are actually spoken in areas that had previously been underdescribed. Much pioneering work in documenting the languages of the world has been done by missionary organizations (such as the Summer Institute of Linguistics) with an interest in translating the Christian Bible. As of 1997, at least a portion of the Bible had been translated into 2,197 different languages, still a long way short of full coverage. The most extensive catalog of the world’s languages, generally taken to be as authoritative as any, is that of the Ethnologue organization

(http://www.ethnologue.com), whose detailed classified list currently includes 6,809 distinct languages.

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2009-05-21T20:11:00.000-07:00

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2009-05-21T09:13:00.000-07:00

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How "Ida" named new fossil help the study about human origins?

2009-05-21T08:33:00.000-07:00

Ida is a new fossil found in Germany that will help to created a good media attention and will likely continue to make waves among those who study human origins.

The paleontologist team that analyzed the 47-million-year-old fossil seen above, suggests Ida is a critical missing-link species in primate evolution. This fossil, reduces the gap between higher primates (monkeys, apes, and humans) and their more distant relatives such as lemurs.

What is Casimir force?

2009-05-19T20:40:00.000-07:00

When two uncharged metals are kept micrometers away from each other in a vaccum. There is a quantum force betwen them (repulsion or attraction) depending upon the arrangement of the metals. The repulsion properties of casimir force can be used in levitationg micro objects. Casimir force is very significant in nanotechnology as this helps to reduce the friction between submicromillimeters parts. Since this force is created in vaccum It is also described as force from nothing.

What is AVATAR and where does that word came from?

2009-05-19T20:13:00.001-07:00

Avatar is a word came from Hindu vedas. Avatar means incarnation mostly from an upper spiritual being (God) to a lower spiritual being (Human), also posses supernatural powers mainly objected for a special purpose.Avatar is mainly connected with Vishnu one of the three main Gods of Hinduism. Dasavataram denotes ten avatars of Vishnu in the world for certain purposes. The tenth avatar KALKI is believed to be in our Living age and yet to come.

Latest movie news

2009-05-17T10:19:00.000-07:00

Xmen Wolverine

Ghost of Girlfriends Past

Night at th museum:Battle of smithsonian

Trasformers revenge of the fallen

GI JOE Rise of Cobra

Harry Potter and the half bood prince

Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaurs

Shutter Island

A Christmas Carol

Public enemies

What Is Biogas?

2009-05-03T00:22:00.000-07:00

Biogas is a mixture of carbon dioxide, methane and some other gases. It is produced by some kinds of microorganisms, usually when air or oxygen is absent. (The absence of oxygen is called “anaerobic conditions.”) Animals that eat a lot of plant material, particularly grazing animals such as cattle, produce large amounts of biogas. The biogas is produced not by the cow or elephant, but by billions of microorganisms living in its digestive system. Biogas also develops in bogs and at the bottom of lakes, where decaying organic matter builds up under wet and anaerobic conditions.

Source: re-energy.ca

How to build a biogas generator Visit: http://www.re-energy.ca/t-i_biomassbuild-1.shtml

How can Robots help us ?

2009-04-29T22:09:00.000-07:00

Robots can help humanbeing in different ways. We can send robots to space, under the deep sea, into the earth for complicated mining process that ordinary people cant done. Robotos can go into extreme temperature and do the tasks correctly without human error. Nasa also use robots to repair space ships and space stations. We can use robots to manipulate the environment.

How Rice cooker works ?

2009-04-08T07:26:00.000-07:00

Basically Rice cooker consists of a heating coil and thermostat. A bowl is placed on the heater which contains rice and water. During cooking the temperature will not increase above 100 degree due to the boiling point of water. In final process of cooking, water boiled off and temperature increases in the absence of water and thermostat trips. In market there are electric and microwave rice cookers are available. Rice cookers also included steamer. The new technological rice cookers are Induction Heating, Microcomputer controlled rice cookers.

Where does vanilla come from?

2009-04-01T07:19:00.000-07:00

Vanilla falvouring is something we are all familiar with. But did you know that from whrer we get vanilla? We get it from the vanilla orchid, which grows in Madagascar and other islands in the Indian Ocean. What is more, the vanilla orchid is the only orchid which produces a useful product.

When was history made in twelve seconds?

2009-03-05T16:53:00.000-08:00

The date was 17 December 1903; the scene: the cold windy hills of North Carolina; the name of the place which was to go down in history: Kitty Hawk; the occasion: man’s first powered flight. The aero plane had arrived. Orville Wright was at the controls. The aircraft, powered by a four cylinder engine, careered through space for twelve seconds at 48Km. p.h. airspeed, swept down and landed in soft sand. Orville wrote: ‘This flight lasted only twelve seconds but it was, nevertheless, the first in the history of the world in which a machine, carrying a man, had raised itself by its own power into the air in full flight, had sailed forward without reduction of speed and had finally landed at a point as high as that from which it started’. The Wrights’ aircraft was called flyer. Only five people were there to watch it make history. One photograph recorded the scene. It was not until three years after Kitty Hawk that the Scientific American wrote” ‘In all the history of invention there is probably no parallel to the unostentatious manner in which the Wright Brothers of Dayton, Ohio, ushered into the world their epoch-making invention of the first successful aeroplane flying machine’.

Where do we get the word denim from ?

2009-02-12T15:00:00.000-08:00

If you have a pair of Jeans you will know that what they are made of is called denim, but do you know where the word comes from?
At first, it was used to describe a serge cloth made in Nimes, France – the original name was ‘serge de Nimes’. Gradually, these last two names were shortened and adapted to the word we know as denim, although now denim is made all over the world sand not just in Nimes.

How did the Oscar get its name?

2009-02-06T02:00:00.000-08:00

In 1929, the first awards for best performances in films were made. These awards where shaped like as man, and a secretary at the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences on seeing one for the first time, remarked that it looked just like her uncle Oscar. The name stuck, and the awards have been called Oscars ever since.

Quiz 2

2009-01-15T07:49:00.000-08:00

1. Who wrote about the Jabberwockey?

2. What is a ‘Kentucky Pill’?

3. Where is the ‘Land of the White Eagle?

4. What does MS stand for ?

5. What is a Naiad?

6. Who hid from his enemies in an oak tree?

7. What is a Palindrome?

8. What is another name for Quicksilver?

9. What name is given to the sign of the ram in the Zodiac?

Answers

1. Lewis Carroll.
2. A Bullet.
3. Poland
4. Manuscript
5. A water nymph.
6. Charles II.
7. A word which reads the same when read wither backwards or forwards.
8. Mercury.
9. Aries.

QUIZ 1

2009-01-01T02:03:00.000-08:00

1. Who is the patron saint of travelers?

2. What is the ‘Third Estate’?

3. Who was the first person to use an umbrella in Britain?

4. By what name is Van Dieman’s Land now known?

5. What is wampum?

6. What kind of musical instrument is a xylophone?

7. What is the song of the Yellowhammer?

8. What are the Zingari?

ANSWERS

1. St. Christopher
2. The House of Commons
3. Jonas Han way
4. Tasmania
5. Shell bead money used by the North American Indians
6. A percussion instrument.
7. “A little bit of bread and no cheese”.
8. This is the name given to gypsies in Italy.

How do we see?

2008-12-02T00:42:00.000-08:00

The human eye is shaped like a ball with a bulge in the front. In the middle of this bulge is a hole called the pupil, which is the part we see as the black circle in the middle of the colored iris. The pupil lets in light to the eye. Behind it is the lens, which focuses the picture of what we can see. When light passes through the lens. It is turned upside down, so that an upside down pictures is the image which hits the retina.
The retina is the part of the eye which actually makes sense of what we see. It is sensitive to light, and can sort out all the different colors we see. When light hits the cells of the retina, a chemical change takes place in the cells. This starts message or impulses in the optic nerve at the back of the eye, which takes these messages to the brain. The brain turns the images the right way up, and identifies them as something we can recognize. Have you ever wondered why the pupils of the eyes grow bigger and smaller? This happens according to the amount of light available. In bright light, the pupil closes up to black speck, letting through only enough light to be able to see without damaging the retina. When the light is very dim, the pupil opens up to let in as much light as possible, so that, again, we can
see.

What is a Dowser?

2008-12-01T18:36:00.000-08:00

A dowser is another name for a water-diviner – someone who can tell where there is water lying underground. The dowser uses a whole variety of tools to find the water, but one of the most common is the Y-shaped twig from a hazel tree. The dowser holds the twig by the two prongs of the Y, with the long stem pointing upwards. When the twig is above a spot where there is water beneath the surface of the earth, the stem of the twig will suddenly dip downwards, or in some cases it will twist itself violently out of the hands of the dowser.

Nobody knows exactly how this is done, not even the dowsers themselves, but it may be that they have some special powers which the rest of us don’t possess – it is certainly true that only a very few people can do this.

Why don’t we all have the same color hair?

2008-11-13T05:38:00.000-08:00

Melanin, as brown pigment which gives color to skin, also gives color to hair. Because some people have more melanin, they have darker hair. Hair colors range from blond to black. People who have a shortage of pigment have very pale skin, hair and eyes. They are known as albinos.
Old people have grey hair because as the body gets older it produces less melanin, so the natural hair color fades.

What are nerves?

2008-11-13T05:24:00.000-08:00

Nerves are the organs which tell us what is going on in the world outside our bodies, and which take messages about this world outside our bodies, and which take messages about this world to the brain, which translates the messages into feelings. There are four types of nerve in the body. The first is the one which picks up messages like pain, light, cold and heat. The second type of nerve receives these messages and sends others to parts of the body which cause swift action to be taken. For example if you touch a hot iron, the first type of nerve tells you it is hot, and a spilt second late the second sort of nerve makes your muscles pull your hand away in what is called a reflex action. The third type of nerve takes messages over longer distances in the body, and is the type of nerve which makes our body do the things our brain orders it to do, such as moving parts of the body to perform certain actions. The final sort of nerve is that which transmits messages from the first type, called sensory nerves, to the brain where the messages are translated into feeling. This is why, having touched the iron, we may not feel the pain until just after we have pulled our hand away. We have nerves all over our body, although there are more in certain parts than in others. The central nervous system, through which all messages pass, is composed of the brain and the spinal cord, which is why we have to take special care not to damage our head or backs.

Which animals and plants are in the most danger?

2008-10-01T00:44:00.000-07:00

In this question, the ‘word’ danger does not refer to the danger to which individuals of any species may be subjected. Danger in this case means the danger to which a whole species is liable. In other words, species may be in danger of becoming extinct, and disappearing for ever from the face of the planet. Of course, we can tell from the fossil record that hundreds of species of animals and plants have come and gone throughout the span of life on Earth. In the past, however, those species that have died out have done as a result of natural causes. The animals and plants that disappeared were those that were unable to adapt fast enough to changing conditions or were unable to compete with their rivals for the available food supplies. There are instance, however, such as that of the dinosaurs, in which it is not at all clear why they became extinct. Many dieas have been suggested, but none of them is wholly satisfactory.
For today’s wild life, there is another, more terrible threat to their existence – man. Man is endangering the lives of many species of animals and plants which are unable to adapt to the pressure of man’s increasing numbers and his changes to the natural environment. On the other hand, there are those species that have certainly benefited from man’s activities. In Britain, for example, birds such as the black headed gull have increased in numbers quite dramatically in the last fifty years, adapting well to a semi-urban environment and feeding on man’s waste. Even the fox has been able to survive by adapting to become an urban scavenger in many large cities. Unfortunately, the lack of suitable foods has led to the foxes becoming deformed so that individual probably spends a great deal of their lives in considerable pain.
But man is threatening wild life in many ways. Firstly by his spread further and further into the rural areas, man is reducing the areas in which wild life can live. This also includes the effects of widespread farming where forests and heaths come under the plough and many kilometers of hedges are removed. Secondly, man has hunted many animals to extinction. A good example of this is the destruction of the great auk during the last century or perhaps even more famous the death of the dodo. More recently the fate of many species of the giant sea mammals, whales, has been in the news, as their numbers fall to the more efficient whaler’s harpoon gun with its explosive harpoon. Pollution is also affecting the lives of many animals. Millions of sea birds die very unpleasant deaths as a result of their feathers becoming covered in sticky, black oil waste.
It is sometimes argued that if an animal or plant cannot survive man’s ravages, then this is just the course of evolution. Unfortunately, many beautiful and valuable species, on which man himself depends, may never be seen again.

What is Unicorn?

2008-09-19T23:49:00.000-07:00

On the royal coat of arms of Britain there are two creatures, one on either side of the shield. One animal is, of course, the lion and the other is a strange, horse-like creature with a long elegant horn on its forehead. This is the unicorn. It is a creature of legend, and probably never existed; the tales of it brought back by ancient travelers were probably the result of sighting of rhinoceroses and a good deal of imagination. Nowadays, nobody believes in the unicorn except as a legendary animal, and a heraldic beast, but years ago people did believe in its existence.

Queen Elizabeth the First was supposed to have possessed a unicorn’s horn, which was worth an enormous sum of money, and the horn was supposed to have healing powers and could protect people against poison. There were special rules and down about how to catch a unicorn. A Young girls was the effective bait, and unicorn would lay its head in her lap while the hunters crept up to do their work. The Unicorn became part of the British coat of arms when Scotland and England were first united under King James the First. Before that England’s heraldic beasts were a lion and a dragon and Scotland’s were two unicorns. Legend has it that the two beasts, the lion and the unicorn, were deadly enemies and that the only way to stop them killing one another.

Who was Robin Hood?

2008-09-18T09:37:00.000-07:00

“He stole from the rich and gave to the poor” is a favourite saying about this notorious outlaw. According to legend, Robin is supposed to have lived in Sherwood Forest with his band of Merry Men, robbing wealthy travelers and giving their gold and jewels to the poor people of Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire. The first written account of him is The vision of piers Plowman, a poem written by William Langland in 1377, and since then legends have grown up, showing Robin as a sort of medieval superhero, although obviously these legends were well known before the poem was written. In spite of these tales, not much is known of the real Robin Hood, and some People even believe that he may be sort of woodland spirit, since Robin was often a name given to spirits, elves and pixies. It is doubtful whether anything will ever be known about the real outlaw Robin Hood, unless some startling evidence is found, proving him to have really been what all the stories say he was.

What is the most common surname in the world?

2008-09-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

In English-speaking countries, the most common surname is what you expect: Smith. But the most common surname in the world is Chang, with a total of more than 80 Million! And the Most common first name in the world? Mohammed!

What are the Northern Lights?

2008-09-01T01:55:00.000-07:00

The Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, are seen in the areas near the north pole, but they are also to be seen near the south pole, where they are called the Aurora Australis. Scientists are not sure about what exactly causes the aurorae, but they think that the beautiful rays of dancing pink, green and yellow lights may be caused by sudden discharges of electrical energy from the sun, which hit the high layers of the earth’s atmosphere near the poles. Here the earth’s magnetic field does not protect the atmosphere from the sun’s particles as it does over the rest of the planet, and so we see the lights in these regions. When they do appear, the sky in these regions. When they do appear, the sky may sometime be heard to crackle , just like the noise you hear when san electric spark sometimes jumps between your hand and a glass or metal surface.

Why don’t newly-born babies have teeth?

2008-08-30T17:09:00.000-07:00

When a baby leaves the mother’s womb to live in the outside world, his small stomach does not immediately adapt to a mixed diet. This is why the baby needs his milk. Teeth are not needed for this type of food because the baby does not have to chew. Indeed, they would be in the way as the baby has to suck his food into his mouth. And it would not be very comfortable for the mother to breast-feed a baby who had a mouthful of teeth.
As the baby grows, teeth begin to appear in the gums of his mouth. This stage is called teething, It can be a little painful for the baby and he may cry when his teeth come through. When the baby has teeth he can start to eat solid foods
t is very important to look after a child’s teeth right from the start. This is one reason why babies need milk as the calcium in it helps to make teeth grow healthy and strong.

What is taste?

2008-08-21T06:51:00.000-07:00

Taste is one of the five senses, the others being sight, smell, touch hearing. Our chief organ of taste is the tongue, which is covered with tiny cells or taste buds. These react to different taste and send messages to the brain
You may be surprised to learn that there are in fact only four kinds of taste; sweet, sour, salty and bitter. All the flavours we know are a combination of these four.
Just as there are four kinds of taste, so there are four kinds of taste bud, and these are situated in different areas of the tongue. Only the centre of the tongue has no buds at all, as you will see if you put a little salt on the middle of your tongue. Experiments with other flavours to find the areas of taste buds on your tongue, and then see how placing an ice cube on your tongue affects your sense of taste.

What is an albino?

2008-08-21T06:45:00.000-07:00

An albino is a person or an animal without any colour at all in their skin except red caused by blood vessels. This is quite rare, and means that person has very white skin, white hair and pink or red looking eyes. The red colour appears because there are lots of blood vessels in the eye. Albinos live all over the world – there are albino people in Africa, where rest of their family is the colour you would expect. As well as being striking to look at, albinos also have problems if they live in sunny countries. Because they have no colour in their skin, they also have little or no protection against the harmful rays of the sun, and can burn very easily unless proper care is taken. Albino also have no colour in their eyes, which means that there is little or no protection against strong light, so many albinos have to wear dark glasses for most of the time.

Why do soldiers wear Khaki?

2008-08-11T09:43:00.000-07:00

Soldiers wear khaki for camouflage, or course, to ensure that they blend with their background and make them lees easily spotted by their enemies.
In early times camouflage was not so important to soldiers; fighting at that time was usually hand to hand, and distinctive uniforms were necessary so that the combatants could discriminated between friend and foe. The uniforms were as colorful as possible and were covered with feathers, ribbons and to other decorations to give the fighting men a sense of unity, a feeling of belonging to, and being a part of their own regiment.
But with the invention of the breech-loading gun and long-range artillery, camouflage became very important indeed, as the British soldiers fighting in the American War of Independence found to their cost. Many of the Americans had no uniform as such, and wore their usual hunting shirts, whose neutral colour gave them good protection. The British soldiers, in their red coats and white breeches, presented perfect targets, and were unable to melt into the landscape.
In the 1840s Lieutenant Harry Lumsden was forming a regiment cavalry and infantry in northern India, and was given permission to arm and dress his men as he whished. Since their duties would involve skirmishes with the natives he decided that his men should wear with the natives he decided that his men should wear uniforms the color of the local ground, so that they would be inconspicuous, and cloth specially dyed locally. It was called Kahki after the Urdu word for dusty, and when Lumsden’s regiment went into action in 1849 they were known as the ‘Mudlarks”.
The success of the Khaki camouflage led to all British soldiers being issued with Khaki uniform when they were posted overseas, though colours charged slightly in accordance with the surrounding countryside.
When the First World War started in 1914 some cavalry regiments were their traditional colourful uniforms, but they soon changed to Khaki, the colour of the med in the trenches and the dust of the roads they had to travel.
Today soldiers all over the world dress in Khaki, glad to the protection it affords them. The bright, colourful uniforms that once glamourized war have disappeared.

Why do we need water?

2008-08-07T03:21:00.000-07:00

Very simply – because our bodies are about two thirds water. The human body contains about eleven gallons of water, and as we get rid of our body water by sweating and other means, we must replace it. The water in our bodies is not the same as ordinary drinking water, or course. There are many chemicals in it, which the body needs to grow and repair itself, and the water moves these substances around inside the body so that each part gets the amount it needs. Although on some days you may not drink as much as on others, you take in water from the solid things you eat - vegetables, fruit, meat and bread are about a third water themselves.
Blood is mainly water. About a gallon of all water in our bodies is in the blood, but that level always remains the same, no matter how much you drink.

What would we do without Coal?

2008-08-05T03:26:00.000-07:00

Coal is something which we all need in some way or other. We need coal to produce heat and light for our homes and offices; our industry needs coal to provide many commercial and household goods to export all over the world.
Different types of coal are often found in a coalfield. There are ‘coking coals’, for instance which, when mined, aren’t used for home consumption but are valuable for the belts furnace of a steel works. Then there is anthracite, a hard kind of coal which burns with a very intense heat.
Coal is still mined today by men going down into the earth and risking their lives to bring the coal from the seams up to the surface. Despite a great many new safety measures mining is still a difficult and dangerous job. At least the practice of taking children to work down the mine shafts has ceased now, although pit ponies are sued to pull loads of coal under ground.
There are quite a few mines in Britain, mostly in Wales. Scotland and North-East England. A world famous mining area is the of the Rhur valley in Western Germany.

How is coal made?

What would we do without Wool?

2008-08-02T10:15:00.000-07:00

Wool has kept us warm since ancient times when man first domesticated sheep, and even in this age of synthetic fibers wool still remains a firm favourite with most of us. Britain, especially, has a lot sheep grazing on the hills of Scotland, Wales and Ireland, and has a thriving wool industry.
Britain was very important when it came to wool-producing in the Middle Ages, and a sack of wool became a status symbol of wealth, hence the Lord Chancellor’s seat in the House of the Lords becoming known as the wool sack. All in all, the sheep population of the world is about 970,000,000!
When shorn, the sheep’s fleece is matted and oily and unfit for spinning, so the fleece must be washed and ‘carded’ before going on to the next process. Once spun, the wool goes on to be woven into the woollen clothes and rugs, carpets, etc., we are familiar with in the shops. In the middle Ages the Flemish were celebrated weavers; these days Bradford and Leeds are well known for their fine weaving.

Why can’t babies walk at birth as some animals do?

2008-07-30T04:29:00.001-07:00

From the moment of birth a baby can carry out all natural functions, just like any animal’s offspring. However, unlike other species, a human baby cannot walk straight away. This is party because man walks on two legs whereas animals walk on four legs. So it is more different for babies to learn to walk and they have to crawl on all fours first. Man also has a longer life than most animals and he takes longer to grow into an adult. Therefore, the baby stage lasts longer.
Another point is that offspring of animals often have to start looking after themselves when they are very young, so they need to be able to walk as early as possible.

Why do we have to pay taxes?

2008-07-30T01:26:00.000-07:00

A tax is a sum of money which is paid by the citizens of a country to its government. Some taxes are direct, such as those you pay when you own certain things like a house or a car: others are added on to things you buy like electrical goods, and petrol, or services such as repairs, building work, and restaurant meals. The government then claims the money back from the shops and service operators.
Taxes are the main income of the government and it uses this money to pay for public services such as roads, health, schools, police and national defense. In democratic countries, people usually pay more or less tax according to how much they earn.

FASCINATING FACTS

2008-07-25T19:53:00.000-07:00

Who knows what?
The average woman’s brain weighs around 4 oz lighter than a man’s. The Brain of Neanderthal man was bigger than both.

Super tankers
The rudder of a giant oil tanker could provide parking space for nearly fifty cars if laid on its side.

Windy
Workers on Japanese building sites sometimes use kites to carry bricks up tall buildings.

Slow risers
Some species of snail have been known to sleep continuously for four years.

Bare-faced Piggery
At the turn of the century, a shaved bear dressed in female clothing was exhibited as ‘The Pig – Woman’, a fortune – teller whose grunted replies were prompted by a man beneath the table with a sharp stick.

Wet lot
The average American uses sixty gallons of water every day.

Passing fancy
Inmates who escaped from Sing. Sing prison could rely on change of clothes at the home of millionaire Whitelaw Reid, who kept two suits hanging in an outside barn for that purpose.

Strict Upbringing
Young men in Malagasy Indian tribes must pay their fathers for the right to grow taller than them. While their fathers are alive they cannot shave or eat animal rumps.

Peace on earth
Just under three quarters of the earth’s population live without radio, television, newspapers or telephones.

Museum Piece
A coin described as a ‘Roman sesterce coin from between 135 and 138A.D. was removed from display when a nine-year-old boy recognized it as a plastic medallion given with bottles of Pop.

Hello, XLZPTZ Speaking
There is enough telephone cable under New York to reach Venus.

Cheeky Monkey
An art student in Pretoria who submitted a chimpanzee’s picture instead of his own was awarded a pass mark by examiners.

Larger than life
Western sets in old Holly wood movies were built smaller than in real life to make the cowboys look big.

Vintage stuff
The word vinegar comes from the French VIN aigre, meaning sour wine.

Not cats and Dogs
During a freak storm in France, thousand of small toads rained down on the startled population.

Thick-Skinned
Although toads are capable of surviving 10,000 mg. of fluoracetic acid, as little as 1 mg. will kill a dog.

Spider Dressing
High-Class barbers in Roman time used to dress the cuts of their clients spiders’ webs soaked in vinegar.

Early Start
Female children in the Tiwi Islands in the Pacific are engaged they are born. They are married at birth to the adult of their parents’ choice.

Deep freeze
A Lizard discovered inside a block of a ice buried 33 ft. below ground level in Siberia, was found to be alive.

Going up
The three astronauts who spent twelve weeks in space on the sky lab mission had grown two inches taller by the time they returned to Earth.

Sweet teeth
One third of the world’s boiled sweets are eaten in Britain.

Why do some Plugs spark when disconnected?

2008-07-19T15:22:00.000-07:00

The electricity supplied to a building travels round a circuit in cables under the floor and back to the main supply point. A Plug socket is a point where there is a deliberate break or gap in that circuit. When you plug something in, the circuit is complete, and the electric current passes through the apparatus, making it work.
If you pull the plug out when the current is switched on, the contact surface of the plug pins gets smaller as it is pulled out. The ends of the pins heat up very quickly and then the remaining electricity in them jumps across the gap between the pins, which we see as a spark. You should always switch off a plug before disconnecting it.

Why do you put water in Car Radiators?

2008-07-18T00:16:00.000-07:00

When Petrol is burnt in a car engine it gives off a lot of heat, which affects the various parts of the engines. Although the heat only rises slowly it could cause the engine to seize up. So these parts have to be cooled by water which circulate around the engine is special channel.
The water first passes through the radiator which is made up of lots of thin pipes, kept cool by the air which blows against them as the vehicle is moving. The cooling action is also helped by a fan turned by the engine. This water is carried around the rest of the engine to cool it down. Heat is transferred to the water which returns to the radiator and is cooled again.

How do Telephones work?

2008-07-17T07:07:00.000-07:00

The way that Telephones work is similar in some ways to television, but the transmission uses an electric current rather than air waves, and telephones transmit only sound, not pictures.

When you speak on the Telephone, the microphone inside the mouthpiece transforms the sound waves into electrical impulses. These are transmitted through the telephone cable to the ear piece of the other person’s receiver. This turns the impulses into sounds which are nearly identical to those made by the caller, so that it is like listening to the actual voice of the person talking.

Years ago, and still today in some isolated places, you had to ask the operator or at the telephone exchange to connect your telephone with someone else’s in order to speak to them. Nowadays, thanks to the progress of electronics, the connection is made automatically, even to countries on the other side of the world.

How an Electronic Calculator Works?

2008-07-13T20:59:00.000-07:00

The operations of an electronic calculator are not only very quick, they are also very basic. Most of the calculations are done using simple addition and subtraction, and a number system which has only two numbers, 0 and 1.
This binary (two-state) number system is used in calculators and other electronic devices, because they operate on a system of electronic switches, which at any time can only be in one of two states; off or on. In the Binary code, ‘off is represented by 0, and ‘on’ by 1.
The calculator keyboard uses our usual (decimal) numbers, from 0 up to 9, on its keys, but when a key is pushed down, the calculator understands this in the binary equivalent, which is fed through a ‘switch point’ situated under the key, and from there into the heart of the calculator – the ‘chip’.
This is a tiny integrated circuit, an incredible network of electronic components in a piece of Silicon, itself smaller than a Do stage stamp.
The chip carries out the binary operations at the speed of light, and its answers are sent back to the display, and its answers are sent back to the display. The Calculator converts binary into decimal again, using a ‘decoder’ (a circuit based on switches),and these decimals appear on the display panel, using LED, or light emitting diode, segments.
The space for each unit on the display has seven such segments, plus a decimal point, and each LED gives off a reddish glow when required. Different combinations of these segments light up any decimal number from 0 up to 9, as the chip instructs through the switching circuit.
The chip adds in the standard binary way: 0+1 = 1; 0+) = 0’ and 1=1 = 0 (equivalent of 2). And it subtracts by reversing this procedure.
The operations of multiplication and division are carried out by continued addition and subtraction, respectively. For example, to multiply 43 by 17, the calculator adds 43 seventeen times. This may seem show to us, but electronically the answer is arrived at almost immediately.
Just try dividing 1,089 by 33, and see how long you take! How would the calculator solve this one? And because it works electronically, it can do harder sums in about the same amount of time. It would divide 582.31 by 34.9 as soon as add two and two!

Which language is spoken by most people?

2008-07-11T07:27:00.000-07:00

Over 500 million people speak one of the Mandarin Chinese dialects. Chinese is unlike most other languages as it has no alphabet, but uses instead several thousand characters or symbols, each of which conveys one complete idea. Each character has only one syllable, and most words are made up of two or more characters. A character can change its meaning by the way its pronounced or by changing its position in a sentence, It is only in the last hundred years that ways have been invented to write Chinese in the Roman alphabet.

Why is playing important?

2008-07-02T04:41:00.000-07:00

Some adults think that when children play they are wasting their time and that it is more important to study. They couldn’t be more wrong. Children need to play both by themselves and with others as they develop their personalities this way. Babies, especially, learn through playing, and children’s games change as they grow up, until they reach an age where they are gradually replaced by other activities and pastimes. Adults do not play in the same way as children, but they also need leisure interests – more than ever now that working hours are less – both to amuse themselves and to relax.

Why is it better to eat at set times?

2008-06-28T02:24:00.000-07:00

The process of digesting food takes a certain amount of time. It makes sense to eat at set times, leaving a sufficient amount of time between each meal for the stomach to digest the food. The Stomach juices have to break down the food, so that it can be absorbed by the body.
Naturally, the times and sizes of meals vary from society to society, and habits and customs tend to decide these.

What alphabet is used by deaf People?

2008-06-26T01:06:00.000-07:00

Understanding what somebody else is saying when you are deaf can be an impossible task, making the deaf person feel isolated and alone. Dumb people, unable to speak, are similarly denied the basic human medium of communication. Finger spelling is a method of talking to someone using a signaling code, similar to semaphore. The two-handed method used in Australia. Britain, Burma, India and some other countries, utilizes relative positions of the hands and fingers to spell different letters. It is quicker to learn than the one-handed method and can be seen more clearly at a distance.

Is there life on other planets?

2008-06-14T09:50:00.000-07:00

Ever since man has been aware of worlds beyond our own, he has begun to wonder whether he is alone in the Universe. Do other races of creatures very different or perhaps quite similar to ourselves exist on distant planets? This desire to explore beyond the confines of our world and to imagine what possible life forms could exist on other planets has let science fiction writers to describe all kinds of strange creatures. In the first men on the Moon, H. G.Wells tells of a species living in the craters and caves of the Moon that he calls the Selenties. These creatures resemble giant, intelligent ants. Of course, we are aware today that no such creatures exist and there never has been any form of life on the Moon, least of all the ‘Man in the Moon’. There have been other creatures from the Pages of science fiction such as the Mekons with tiny green bodies and huge heads whom Dan Dare met in his space travels in the Eagle comic. More recently, television has brought the terrifying, war-like Daleks who confronted Doctor Who in the programmed of the same name.
These are just a few of the imaginary men from outer space, but what are the possibilities of actual life forms? The first point to make is that there is little to be gained from trying to picture weird and wonderful creatures sprouting radio antennae from their heads and breathing liquid ammonia. We should try to confine ourselves to examining whether or not there is any chance of living systems much like our own somewhere else in the universe. It must also be remembered, however, that a living world elsewhere could be more or less developed than our own. In other words it could still be at the stage of a ‘primordial soup’ of primitive life forms or thousand of years more advanced than our own world.
Scientists have attempted to calculate how many galaxies there are in the Universe and how many solar systems are contained within these galaxies in a effort to work out how many planets there might be similar to our own. Even the most cautious would probably agree the number of planets in the Universe similar to our own probably runs into the thousands. This means that the chances are heavily in favour of there being many other worlds just like our own in which there are plants and animals and humans breathing air made of oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and a few others gases.
Are these intelligent creatures trying to make contact with us using radio waves? Some people think so, but of course, they may be thousands of light years away so that by the time we received any message, they could be extinct. The possibility exists that we have already been visited by spacemen and that such wonders of the world as the Pyramids of Egypt were constructed with their help. Perhaps soon we shall know more of the creatures from outer space.

How is man exploring outer space?

2008-06-12T01:58:00.000-07:00

From earliest times men have dreamed of traveling in space, exploring new worlds, reaching for the stars – an apparently impossible dream. Then rocket research which took place during World War II gave a great impetus to space travel for which rocket propulsion is essential. After many experiments the first major break-through came in April 1961 when a Russian, Yuri Gagarin, spent 108 breath-taking minutes in space. Three weeks later Commander Alan Shephard of the U.S. Navy also journeyed into out space. The greatest milestone so far passed was in July 1969 when two more Americans, Neil Armstrong and Edwin J. Aldrin Jr. stepped on to the moon.

Why do we keep food in a fridge?

2008-06-09T08:19:00.000-07:00

Food goes bad because bacteria, mould and microbes attack it. This happens more quickly in warm temperature, where as cold interrupts and even stops this process. So food will keep fresh for longer in a fridge.
Nowadays, there are enormous refrigerated rooms, fro string meat and vegetables which can then be eaten in perfectly good condition at any time of year. The technique of keeping foods refrigerated is most important in transporting fish from the sea to the markets where they are sold.

Why do people look so big on a film screen?

2008-06-03T22:42:00.000-07:00

When we pass light through a film on to a screen a little distance away, we obtain a picture which is larger than the film itself. This is because there is a magnifying lens at the ends of the projector. The size of the image depends on the distance between the projector and the screen, and on the focusing power at the end of the projector. Projectors also have a system of lenses which help to make the picture clearer and sharper.

Why did Columbus sail westwards?

2008-05-26T08:10:00.000-07:00

Christopher Columbus was an Italian from Genoa living in

Portugal

. Although in the fifteenth century most people still believed that the world was flat, others, including Columbus, had come to believe it was round. If this was so, he argued, a ship could sail around the globe and return to its original starting point. Thus the shortest route to the spice Islands of the East Indies would by sailing Westwards. He sought support for his theory but it was rejected again and again. Finally, after years of disappointment, he gained the help of Ferdinand and Isabella, the king and queen of

Spain

. In August 1492, three small ships set sail from

Spain

, their bows pointing westwards across the wide, unknown Atlantic. They were the Santa Maria, the Nina and the Pinta. On 12 October land was sighted. Columbus was convinced that it was an island off the coast of

India

. When other islands came into view he named them the ‘Indies’. His ‘mistake’ was nevertheless a vitally important event in the discovery and exploration of the west.

Why Australians are called “Diggers”?

2008-05-23T07:19:00.000-07:00

Early in the 1800s, gold was discovered in Australia. Most of the ‘Strikes’ were in the vicinity of the Blue mountains near Bathurst. In 1851, a prospector named Hargraves – Who had been in California during the gold-rush two years earlier discovered rich traces of gold in Summer Hill Creek. The news spread rapidly and within two months the whole are was swarming with prospectors. The fact that there was gold to be had sent men digging in other areas, especially around Melbourne. In time the cities were deserted and ships lay empty in the harbours, for everyone seemed bitten by the lust for gold. Town sprang up overnight and were soon the scenes of rioting and bloodshed. The army has to be called in and a battle took place between soldiers and diggers. The incident became known as the battle of Eureka Stockade. By 1856, however, the day of the ‘amateur’ digger was almost over. Deep shafts had to be sunk to reach the gold and such mines had to be run by companies. But, in memory of the gold-flush days, Australians are still sometimes called “Diggers’.

What is a Cyclone?

2008-05-16T07:50:00.000-07:00

Very simply, a cyclone is a kind of storm, and storm is air which is moving quickly from one Place to another.

A storm begins when a mass of warm, moist air from the equator meets a mass of cold, dry air from the northern hemisphere. The two masses of air will not mix- instead they form a front, which is just the name of the boundary where the two meet. The air in them continues to move, and the warm air rises above the colder air, becoming cooler as it does so. Then the moisture which was in the mass of warm air condenses and forms clouds.

Meanwhile, at the center of the storm, the air pressure begins to fall, and winds blow round this area of low pressure. In the northern hemisphere, the winds blow in the anti-clockwise direction, and this means that the warm air moves north round the eastern side of the storm, and the cold air moves south around the western side.

So a cyclone is just another word for a low pressure area. Such cyclones can be enormous, sometimes about a thousand miles in diameter.

What is a Nebula?

2008-05-03T04:11:00.000-07:00

One of the most stroking objects in the sky is the Great Nebula in the constellation of Orion. It can be seen as a faint greenish patch with the naked eye just below Orion’s Belt, but through binoculars or a telescope it is seen as a mass of glowing gas. Nebulae are large clouds of dust and gas in space. Many produce their own light, and others are illuminated by stars. Some are dark, and we see them as black clouds or bands against the stars. Many luminescent nebulae are formed when stars explode into supernovae. The remains of the star move out through space as an expanding shell of glowing gas. Nebulae are among the most striking sights in the heavens. Photographs show them to have beautiful colours, but these colours may not show in a telescope.

What are Quasars?

2008-05-01T02:59:00.000-07:00

The word quasar is short for quasi-stellar object, which means an object that resembles a star. But quasars are not like ordinary stars. Many are thought to be near the edge of the observable universe and moving away from us at nearly the speed of light. But quasars produce intense amounts of light and radio waves, and may be as much as 200 times as bright as an ordinary galaxy. And they appear to be much smaller than a galaxy-about one light-year across. No one can account for how quasars produce such immense amounts of energy. Perhaps they are much nearer, much larger, and not moving so fast.

How fast can a dog run?

2008-04-27T04:55:00.000-07:00

Some breeds of dog can run much faster than others, and the fastest dog of all is the greyhound. A fully grown greyhound can run at the astonishing speed of about 56 k.p.h., that is, at nearly a kilometers a minute. Because greyhounds runs so fast, greyhound racing is a popular sport. At a Greyhound racing track, the dogs are put in a series of boxes called traps. Then an electrically-driven imitation hare starts to move round a rail running beside the track. As the hare runs past the traps, the doors are released and in their excitement the dogs rush out in pursuit. As in horse racing, people place bets on which dog will be first past the winning post.

Where is Pampa?

2008-04-21T09:47:00.000-07:00

The Pampa is a region of grassland in

Argentina

. It runs inland from the town and cities, such as Buenos Aires on the Atlantic coast, and stretches for hundreds of miles up to the foothills of the Andes. The Pampa is very like the great plains, or prairies, of north America which stretch across the states of Texas, Kansas and Nebraska. Like the prairies, the Pampa is most famous for its cattle ranches, and the cowboys which look after the herds of cattle as they roam across the plains. One of

Argentina

’s most important exports is beef, which comes from the huge cattle ranches which are situated on the Pampa.

What is a king crab?

2008-04-17T02:21:00.000-07:00

The King crab, or horseshoe crab, is not really a crab at all. In fact it is not even a crustacean but a very primitive arthropod which belongs to a group of its own. From fossil evidence we know that king crabs were abundant in seas about 175 million years ago. The few species that survive today are virtually unchanged from those early ancestors and for this reason they are sometimes called 'living fossils'.
King crabs have some unusual features. They are about a foot across, have heavy domed shell divided by a joint across, have a heavy domed shell divided by a joint across the middle, four pairs of walking legs and a long spiky tail. The bony mouth extends between the bases of the legs which help in chewing up the food. These characteristics, together with their gills and mouthparts, tell us that the King crab is actually descended from the forerunners of another group of arthropods adapted for life on land-the arachnids. These include the scorpions, spiders, mites and ticks, and daddy long legs or harvest men.

Good reasons to read books

2008-04-10T07:42:00.000-07:00

Reading helps to feel more confident.
Help to travel around the world in the cheapest way.
Develop your personality.
Provide food for thoughts.
Reading make you laugh and think.
Draw you towards perfection.
Stimulate creativity.
Brings out writing talent.
Helps in communicating.
Clear your vision.
Satisfies your curiosity.
Help you make more choices.
Help you to build literary talent.
Book reading do not require any special device to teach.
Increase your attention span.
Books are fruitful pastime
Books can be used any time anywhere.
Provides entertainment when others fail.
Reading makes you powerful.
Helps you to know the ' whys and hows ' of everything.
Helps you to create and spread fun.
Help you to travel across time intelligently.
Keep you updated with facts and figures.
Spreads love, affection and knowledge.
Make the best of friends.
Take you to intellectual environment.
Helps you to feel the world around you.
Entertain your mind.
Broaden your horizon.
Books bring nature to your doorstep.
Books bring about a personality change.
Increases comprehension.
Books do not require company.
Books are stress busters.
Develop a sense of belonging to people around you.
Provides mental and physical relaxation.
Act as a communication tool.
Books are intellectually satisfying activity.
Provides spiritual experience.
Provide emotional strength.
Build your self esteem.
Encourage your imagination to soar.
Make you smarter and wiser.
Books help you grow.
Takes you to a world of dreams.
Change your life and vision.
Helps in achieving life goals.
Books develop wonderful experience.
Books transform lives.
Books inspire, books motivate, books build nations.

What’s the Difference between a star and Planet?

2008-04-07T02:18:00.000-07:00

A star is a huge ball of hot, glowing gases, which whirls in space. All stars are made up of the same two gases, hydrogen and helium, and they shine by their own light, which is produced as a result of atomic reactions in their centre, causing great heat.

Planets are different. A Planet is much smaller and more solid than a star. It does not shine by its own light, because it is not nearly hot enough to produce that light. Instead, it shines by the light of the nearest star.

Our sun is a star, and in its solar system there are nine planets-Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.

What is Ultrasound Scanning.

2008-03-31T09:26:00.000-07:00

Ultrasound scanning is used to analyze the structure of internal organs, muscle and their size. Ultrasound scanning (Obstetrical ultrasound) is commonly used to scan and analyze the pregnancy period. Ultrasound scanners operating frequency is between two to eighteen mega hertz. Lower frequencies also uses in scanning to get deeper image from body. The Ultrasound scanner operators are called sonographers. A gel is applied on the body of patient before scanning, a probe called transducer produces ultrasound frequency. This probe directly placed on the patient and ultrasound passes from the transducer through the applied water based gel to body. Mainly ultrasound scanning is used to observe the development of fetus during pregnancy. Another applications of ultrasound is in Dental section to clean tooth, cancer treatment, surgery, eye treatment etc.

The working principle of ultrasound scanner : It produces a wave and analyze the echo of that wave, especially how strong the echo was and how long the echo to be received. From these things it produces a digital image as output.

What is MRI Scan

2008-03-24T07:10:00.000-07:00

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Scan is the latest system to scan and analyze the functions of human body. Normally MRI scanning is used to find brain diseases. MRI is used to scan all organs in our body very successfully. But MRI scanning is harmful to pregnant ladies. MRI Scanning is more secure than X-rays and CT scan. An electromagnetic radiation is used in MRI scanner. If atoms comes in a high electromagnetic field the nucleus of each atom produces radio signals, these signals are fed to a computer and creates an image of internal body parts. The good cells and weak cells produces different type of radio waves. Working of MRI scanner is depend upon the different types of radio waves from the cells. In 1977 Raeymond V Damadian make a MRI scanner and he named it as Indomitable.

What does the future have in store for our planet?

2008-03-23T00:09:00.000-07:00

This question has many parts to it. We know, for example, that eventually our star, the Sun, will die and in doing so will destroy the Earth. The very distant future, then means the end of the Earth, but this will not occur for many millions of year and need not concern us here. It has also been suggested that our climate is changing and that we are at the beginning if another Ice Age, but opinion is divided. It is enough to say that large scale changes to the planet as a whole take place so slowly when compared to our short life span that they may go unnoticed, disguised by the much more rapid changes which man is causing to his own life and that of all other living creatures on Earth.

The usual way of attempting to ‘see’ into the future is to look at the way changes have occurred in the past up to the present day and then try to project into the future, but this is not easy because it is not always possible to anticipate the effects of a particulars set of circumstances. Try a simple experime4nt. Draw two lines on a piece of paper at right angles to one another to form the axes of graph. The graph could represent, say, the rate at which a hot water bottle cooled after it was placed in your bed. Suppose one axis represented temperature and the other time. Suppose also that you had measured the temperature on two occasions so that you could plot two points on your graph. These could be joined by a straight line, and if you wanted to know the temperature of the bottle sometime later, you would simply project that straight line to the required point in time. But, if, in the meantime, someone removed the blankets from the bed, the bottle would cool much more quickly and your prediction would be wrong.

The subject of many science fiction stories deals with ideas of what conditions might be like in years to come. Some suggestions seem to be widely far fetched, but a hundred years ago who would have believed in the possibility of supersonic flight or submarines that can stay under the Arctic ice for two years without surfacing, or even in satellites circling Venus? On the other hand in the heyday of the motor car a few years ago, most of us would have laughed at the idea of fuel shortage. How do we know what the world’s population might be in a hundred or even twenty years time? Can we predict whether science and technology will be able to find solutions to the problems of overcrowding, food shortage, and pollution choking our rivers and seas, or the ever-decreasing numbers of wild animals and plants with the accompanying dangers to our own species. Will be able to able to take a rocket to a distant planet as easily as we can now take a bus to the next town, or will we return to more rural living, each community growing its own food and making clothes by hand? Then there are the danger of nuclear war. If man is to survive in peace and plenty, the watchword seems to be to try to foresee the consequence of any action rather than wait and see, by which time it may be too late.

Why don’t we see the Moon on some Nights?

2008-03-22T02:50:00.000-07:00

There are several reasons why we do not see the Moon on some nights. The moon does not give out its own light but reflects light from the Sun. Therefore, when the Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon. It casts a shadow over the Moon. This is known as an eclipse. When the Moon moves between the Earth and the Sun only its far side is lit by the Sun’s rays. The side facing Earth is in total darkness. We call this a ‘new’ Moon. Finally, on nights when the sky is over cast, the clouds hide the moon from us.

Where do budgerigars live in the wild?

2008-03-21T06:29:00.000-07:00

The parakeets are a widespread group of small old World parrots. Best Known is the Grass Parakeet or Budgerigar which is popular as a cage bird in so many homes. Budgerigars come from Australia. Large, chattering flocks feed among the grasses of the wide, inland plains. They eat the seeds of a variety of grasses, the fresh shoots of plants and any small insects they may discover while foraging. If you keep a budgie, do not be surprised if its snaps at a fly or other insects, for it is merely supplementing its diet like its wild relatives. Wild budgerigars are predominantly grass green in color with yellow head and blue tails. They make a spectacular sight as they flock each morning and evening to drink at a waterhole.

Which tree’s berries are used to flavor gin and can be used in cookery?

2008-03-21T00:08:00.000-07:00

The juniper. This evergreen tree is small and resembles a gorse bush with its spiky needles and fragrant grey bark. Juniper wood is used for small decorative carving and inlay, but it is the berries which make it useful. These are distilled into oil of juniper, which is then used in perfumery and exotic cookery. Another of its uses was in medicine, but nowadays its main function is to flavor gin.

Does a comet foretell disaster?

2008-03-16T23:29:00.000-07:00

Before we can answer this question, we must look at exactly what a comet is. As you probably know, a comet looks rather like a star with a long, milky ‘tail’ stretching across the sky. In fact these ‘ tails’ are not tails at all because they always point away from the Sun and do not trail behind.

A comet seems to be made up of three main parts. The nucleus in the center of the star-like part is composed mainly of ice and dust particles, surrounded by a coma of much smaller particles and gas. The coma results from the melting of the ice and other substances as the comet approaches the Sun on it’s extremely stretched out elliptical orbit. The Sun’s radiation also tends to force some of these tiny pieces of ice away from the comet and out into space, which explains why the tail is always directed away from the Sun.

A Scientist called Halley, after whom a particularly bright comet is named, discovered how comets moved. He also predicted when some comets which had already been seen would return. For example, Halley’s Comet made its closest approach to Earth for 76 years as predicted in 1986.

Why are comets associated with disaster? It is true that a comet appeared before the Norman conquest of Britain in 1066, and that two more comets were seen before the Great Fire of London in 1666 and the Great Plague in the previous year, but in world terms these cannot be regarded as major events. Perhaps it is the result of people’s belief that what happens in their own country is of world importance that has led to this idea that comets predict disaster. On the other hand, it has been suggested that the Star of Bethlehem that told of the birth of Christ was in fact a comet. It does seem unlikely, however that a body of ice and gas moving around the sky in a quite regular orbit can have anything to do with the events here on Earth. This particularly true of comets because they have such a low density. Although they may have a diameter of as much as 128000 Kilometers they do not have enough gravitational pull to affect the bodies they pass. In fact, their own orbits may be completely changed.

How long has man been walking the Earth?

2008-02-13T23:49:00.000-08:00

Ever since the philosopher and naturalists, Charles Darwin, and his contemporaries including Wallace, suggested that man had evolved from apes, there has been a continuous, and almost frantic quest for evidence of our ancestors. Of course, where we come from has always been a fascinating question, but it is only comparatively recently that systematic searches have been made for traces of ancient men by such eminent scientists as L.S.B. Leakey and still more recently by his son, Richard. As you might imagine, the idea that man came from monkeys brought with it a great deal of public outcry, and in fact, modern research has shown that man did not descend directly from apes but that the apes and man evolved from a common ancestor.

As you know the first thing that monkeys, apes and man have in common is that they all have backbones, so that they all vertebrates. Many characteristics in man have arisen from living in trees. We share them with other primates, as monkeys, apes and man is known. If you suddenly found that you has to live in a tree, what do you think the most use-full adaptations would be? There would bot be much point in having hoofs like a horse which help the horse to run fast. You would need to be able to hold on to the branches, however, as our hands are well able to do. If you wanted to jump from branch to branch, you would have to be able to judge distances. You would need stereoscopic vision, that is, two eyes positioned at the front of your head, not at the sides as in a fish. You are unable to smell the traces of scent that a dog can, but you do have a much enlarged brain. It is the growth of the brain that has enabled man to leave the comparative safety of the trees and compete with the other ground-dwelling animals that are stronger, have better hearing and sense of smell, can run faster and have warm coats to protect them from the extremes of climate.

As you might expect, because man and apes have developed from a common ancestor, it is not easy to tell when the remains of the primates that have found are of men-like apes or ape-like men. But between ten and fifteen million years ago a creature which has been called a Ramapithe-cus lived in parts of Africa, Asia, and Europe. This may have been the ancestor of man and the other apes, though recent evidence suggests that out ancestor was another creature, the ancestor of the orangutan. However, the groups became increasingly diverse until the first creature that could be called human arrived. This was around four million years ago.

How "Ida" named new fossil help the study about human origins?

What is the importance of Plants in life’s framework?

2008-01-01T03:41:00.000-08:00

It is only when we stop to think that we realize the importance of land plants to us. We eat them in our cereals and vegetables, we make use of them for fibers like cotton, we depend on them for many drugs such as penicillin. But even when we eat meat, we must remember that the animals which produce the meat probably lived on Plants.

Plants are nature’s producers. From sunlight, oxygen, and other foods from the soil, plants manufacture the foods upon which all animals ultimately depend. It is worth noting that it was with the rise of land plants in the Devonian, that land animals also began to evolve.

What is the largest freshwater fish in the world?

2007-12-08T23:21:00.000-08:00

The Arapaima from South America is generally thought to be one of the largest freshwater fishes in the world. The biggest one found is said to have been 15 feet in length with a weight of over 400pounds. Most are between 7 and 8 feet long with a weight of 200 pounds, but even this is a colossal size for a fresh water fish.

Spy Cameras

2007-11-09T18:33:00.000-08:00

Different types of spy cameras

1. Wireless spy cameras
2. Night vision spy cameras
3. Hidden cameras to caught the thief
4. Motion activated spy cameras
5. Peep hole spy cameras

Wireless spy cameras are the most selling spy cameras in the world. It is very convenient due to lack of cables. We can place this spy cameras inside the shelf , on ceiling, inside the toys etc.

Who was the French Forest Ranger famous for his fables?

2007-11-08T04:35:00.000-08:00

His name was Jean de la Fontaine. His father was the ranger of the forest of the duchy of Chateau-Thierry in champagne, Jean was born there July 8, 1621, and educated at first for the Church. He turned, however to the law but abandoned this on succeeding to his father’s ranger ship in 1647.

He married the same year but soon separated from his wife and he must have de3cided that forest ranging was not for him for its is known that form 1660 he lived in Paris. He began to write verses and translated some the minor classics.

In 1668 his first six books of animal fables were published. In wonderfully easy verse, they rate high among the glories of French Literature. In them Fontaine demonstrated a deep knowledge of nature, gained probably from the days when he roamed the forest Chateau-Thierry as a ranger.

A second series of fables appeared in 1679 and a third in 1693. They are today still read extensively throughout the world.

Jean de la Fontaine died in Paris April13, 1695.

Why is the Moon not always completely round ?

2007-11-08T04:29:00.000-08:00

The Sun always lights up half of the Moon’s surface the part facing the Sun. But, as the Moon moves around the Earth and the Earth moves around the Sun, different parts of the sunlit Moon are visible to us. Sometimes we see the whole of the sunlit surface, this is what we call the ‘full’ Moon. Sometime we see only the left or right part, which looks like as slice of melon. So we see the Moon in several stages. These are called phases of the Moon and are known as: full moon, warning Moon, new Moon and waxing Moon.

Why are stars grouped in constellations?

2007-11-05T18:55:00.000-08:00

People who gazed at the skies in ancient time’s believce4d that they could see the shapes of animals and peoples traced out in the stars. These star groups, or constellations, have the Latin names of the shapes and astronomers use the names in identifying stars. But the stars in a constellation do not belong to any actual group in space and may be far apart. The twelve constellations lying on the ecliptic, the sun’s path through the sky, are called the zodiac.

What is a lightship?

2007-10-31T00:52:00.000-07:00

A lightship is like a floating lighthouse. It anchors in one spot to warn shipping of such nearby dangers as sand banks or dangerous currents. At night it projects a powerful beam of light. The lamp is fitted in such a way that the beam stays steady, even if the ship is being tossed about by waves. Lightships also have their name painted on each side, so that during daylight hours ships can use them to check their own position.