Indo-Asian News Service (from NDTV.com)
Saturday, November 29, 2008 6:48 PM (Mumbai)
At least 183 people, including 22 foreigners, were killed in the 60-hour terror trauma in India's financial capital that began on Wednesday night. Following is the long-drawn ordeal in cold figures:
Hours of operation: 60
Total people killed: 183
Civilians (Indians): 141
Security forces: 20
Foreign tourists killed: 22 (Three each from Israel and Germany; two from Canada and one each from US, Italy, China, Thailand, Mauritius, Singapore, Britain, Japan and Australia. Five are yet to be identified)
Total Injured: 239
Indians: 216
Foreigners: 23
NSG commandos:
In operation: 477
Killed: 2
Injured: 8
Policemen killed: 18
Terrorists
Total: 10
Killed: 9
Arrested: 1
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Copy of famed Lincoln letter turns up in Dallas
From NDTV page on 18 Nov 2008
A Texas museum hopes a document found in its archives turns out to be an authentic government copy of Abraham Lincoln's eloquent letter consoling a mother thought to have lost five sons in the Civil War.The famed Bixby Letter, which the Dallas Historical Society is getting appraised as it prays for a potential windfall, has a fascinating history.
The original has never been found. Historians debate whether Lincoln wrote it. Its recipient, Lydia Bixby, was no fan of the president. And not all her sons died in the war.The letter, written with "the best of intentions" 144 years ago next week, is "considered one of the finest pieces of American presidential prose," said Alan Olson, curator for the Dallas group."It's still a great piece of writing, regardless of the truth in the back story."Historians say Lincoln wrote the letter at the request of a Massachusetts official, who passed along news of a Boston woman grieving the loss of her five sons.
The letter is addressed to "Mrs. Bixby, Boston, Mass." and begins with an acknowledgment that nothing written could possibly make a grief-stricken mother feel better about such a horrific loss."I feel how weak and fruitless must be any word of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming," Lincoln wrote.
After thanking Bixby on behalf of a grateful nation, Lincoln wrote that he would pray that God relieve her anguish and leave her with only the "cherished memory of the loved" along with "the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom."The letter, as was the president's custom in his personal correspondence, is signed "A Lincoln."
A Texas museum hopes a document found in its archives turns out to be an authentic government copy of Abraham Lincoln's eloquent letter consoling a mother thought to have lost five sons in the Civil War.The famed Bixby Letter, which the Dallas Historical Society is getting appraised as it prays for a potential windfall, has a fascinating history.
The original has never been found. Historians debate whether Lincoln wrote it. Its recipient, Lydia Bixby, was no fan of the president. And not all her sons died in the war.The letter, written with "the best of intentions" 144 years ago next week, is "considered one of the finest pieces of American presidential prose," said Alan Olson, curator for the Dallas group."It's still a great piece of writing, regardless of the truth in the back story."Historians say Lincoln wrote the letter at the request of a Massachusetts official, who passed along news of a Boston woman grieving the loss of her five sons.
The letter is addressed to "Mrs. Bixby, Boston, Mass." and begins with an acknowledgment that nothing written could possibly make a grief-stricken mother feel better about such a horrific loss."I feel how weak and fruitless must be any word of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming," Lincoln wrote.
After thanking Bixby on behalf of a grateful nation, Lincoln wrote that he would pray that God relieve her anguish and leave her with only the "cherished memory of the loved" along with "the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom."The letter, as was the president's custom in his personal correspondence, is signed "A Lincoln."
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Rising Income And Declining Satisfaction
Special Article (Growth and Welfare), The Saesman, Nov.1, 2008
Rising Income And Declining Satisfaction
By Bharat Dogra
In recent years whenever our ruling politicians have been told about increasing problems and discontent of the people, they have responded in various ways. They never forget to draw attention to the high rate of economic growth. “Look at the 9 per cent growth rate, things can’t be bad”. But what politicians forget is that there is an increasing disconnect between the growth rate and GNP figures on the one hand and the real well-being of people on the other. This leads to growing disenchantment with existing economic indicators like the GNP. So much so that the French government, responding to people’s changing perceptions, has now launched efforts to find other indicators which can be a better reflection of the real condition of the people. Even the 23 high-income OECD countries, which are supposed to be the biggest achievers and beneficiaries of the existing path of development, are discontented. The Human Development Report states: “Although per capita incomes in the OECD countries now average $20,000, surveys reveal growing insecurity and considerable dissatisfaction.” In Britain, a study by the New Economics Foundation which prepared an index of ‘Sustainable Economic Welfare’ revealed that during 1975-1990, the GNP rose by about 33 per cent but sustainable economic welfare fell by about 50 per cent.
Quality down
In a survey on the changes in the quality of life by the British Social Science Research Council covering a five-year period, the people who were interviewed almost unanimously said that their level of consumption had gone up yet the quality of life had gone down during the last five years. They feared that this trend of increased consumption and a decline in the quality of life would continue over the next five years. Most countries have registered an increase in life expectancy in recent decades; but this has been accompanied generally by an increase in chronic health problems, physical as well as mental. The Director-General of WHO said recently, “Increased longevity without quality of life is an empty prize.” The state of the World Health Report 1997 (WHR) prepared by WHO went a step further when it added, “Longer life can be a penalty as well as a prize. A large part of the price to be paid is in the currency of chronic disease.” In Britain, for instance, General Household Surveys after a 16-year gap revealed a 50 per cent increase in ‘long standing illness’ and a 75 per cent increase in acute illness during the preceding two weeks. Walter Yellowlees, a highly experienced doctor of this country said in a paper presented at the Royal College of General Practitioners : “I believe it is true to say that in those countries which have achieved unparalleled advance in technological skill in medicine and in what is called standard of living, we are witnessing the decay of man ~ the decay of his teeth, his arteries, his bowels and his joints on a colossal and unprecedented scale.” Suicide rates are known to be quite high among some of the most economically prosperous countries, raising disturbing questions. In Australia (what appears to be a land of fun and fortune), suicide rates are reported to be among the highest in the world. As many as ten per cent of Australians commit some form of self-harm. China is supposed to have the most impressive record of economic growth in recent years. However, a recent study by WHO, Harvard University and the World Bank noted that China also has one of the highest suicide rates in the world ~ about thrice the world average. In India, the price rise is disconnecting the common people from the widely publicised data of high economic growth. The impact is worse than what is indicated by official statistics of inflation. In recent interviews with weaker section families, this writer found that people would time and again come back to talking of the impact of inflation regardless of what question was being asked. However, even before the present phase of inflation, middle class families were also complaining of a sense of deception ~ of seeing their cash gains being lost in the middle of other, frequently bigger changes. Many people complain bitterly about the steep hike in educational and medical expenses. With the increasing privatisation of education, people have more diverse options for their children’s education and careers, but for many of them this gain has come at too heavy a price. There is increasing economic tension as limited income gains are more than wiped out by sharply rising educational expenses from early school to the university level. At the same time, there has been a decline in the standard of government schools and closer career linkages with expensive educational institutions so that few options may be left for the people to opt out of the expensive system. The lack of options is becoming even more difficult in the case of medical treatment. In most parts of the country, the standards of government hospitals and public health centres have been allowed to deteriorate. Simultaneously, there has been a proliferation of private hospitals and nursing homes, including several in the ‘five-star’ category. People are torn between the desire to avail the treatment here and the prohibitive expenses. A single serious illness or accident in a family can eat up all savings, perhaps also lead to indebtedness. Close family ties push people to seek better and convenient medical treatment at all costs, leaving behind a legacy of debt and economic stress even in the middle of rising cash earnings. Steeply escalating expenses of medicare and medicine cause tension and uncertainty among people regarding how to cope with a medical emergency.
Lopsided growth
Although India has been known for its closely-knit families, the trend towards a breakdown of ties has increased. This is partly because of the same factors that promise a rise in monetary gain. The disruption of family life leads to stress and depression, above all for children, and increasing economic problems as well. Growing inequalities in the wake of fast but lopsided growth leads to social tension and a feeling of being left out among many people. In the middle of all the glitter and glamour of fast economic growth, many may feel squeezed out or alienated compared to those who can join in the celebrations. Thus in a situation of rising inequalities, in terms of relative gain and loss even many of those who have not lost in real terms may nevertheless feel like losers. Such feelings get aggravated in times of inflation when the majority suffer a huge pinch even as the party goes on uninterrupted for a select few. There needs to be a wider and deeper realisation of these factors which matter a lot for the well-being of people beyond the statistics and rhetoric of growth and GNP. A better realisation of the real basis of people’s well-being will make it possible for economics and governance to become more involved in the true welfare of people.
Rising Income And Declining Satisfaction
By Bharat Dogra
In recent years whenever our ruling politicians have been told about increasing problems and discontent of the people, they have responded in various ways. They never forget to draw attention to the high rate of economic growth. “Look at the 9 per cent growth rate, things can’t be bad”. But what politicians forget is that there is an increasing disconnect between the growth rate and GNP figures on the one hand and the real well-being of people on the other. This leads to growing disenchantment with existing economic indicators like the GNP. So much so that the French government, responding to people’s changing perceptions, has now launched efforts to find other indicators which can be a better reflection of the real condition of the people. Even the 23 high-income OECD countries, which are supposed to be the biggest achievers and beneficiaries of the existing path of development, are discontented. The Human Development Report states: “Although per capita incomes in the OECD countries now average $20,000, surveys reveal growing insecurity and considerable dissatisfaction.” In Britain, a study by the New Economics Foundation which prepared an index of ‘Sustainable Economic Welfare’ revealed that during 1975-1990, the GNP rose by about 33 per cent but sustainable economic welfare fell by about 50 per cent.
Quality down
In a survey on the changes in the quality of life by the British Social Science Research Council covering a five-year period, the people who were interviewed almost unanimously said that their level of consumption had gone up yet the quality of life had gone down during the last five years. They feared that this trend of increased consumption and a decline in the quality of life would continue over the next five years. Most countries have registered an increase in life expectancy in recent decades; but this has been accompanied generally by an increase in chronic health problems, physical as well as mental. The Director-General of WHO said recently, “Increased longevity without quality of life is an empty prize.” The state of the World Health Report 1997 (WHR) prepared by WHO went a step further when it added, “Longer life can be a penalty as well as a prize. A large part of the price to be paid is in the currency of chronic disease.” In Britain, for instance, General Household Surveys after a 16-year gap revealed a 50 per cent increase in ‘long standing illness’ and a 75 per cent increase in acute illness during the preceding two weeks. Walter Yellowlees, a highly experienced doctor of this country said in a paper presented at the Royal College of General Practitioners : “I believe it is true to say that in those countries which have achieved unparalleled advance in technological skill in medicine and in what is called standard of living, we are witnessing the decay of man ~ the decay of his teeth, his arteries, his bowels and his joints on a colossal and unprecedented scale.” Suicide rates are known to be quite high among some of the most economically prosperous countries, raising disturbing questions. In Australia (what appears to be a land of fun and fortune), suicide rates are reported to be among the highest in the world. As many as ten per cent of Australians commit some form of self-harm. China is supposed to have the most impressive record of economic growth in recent years. However, a recent study by WHO, Harvard University and the World Bank noted that China also has one of the highest suicide rates in the world ~ about thrice the world average. In India, the price rise is disconnecting the common people from the widely publicised data of high economic growth. The impact is worse than what is indicated by official statistics of inflation. In recent interviews with weaker section families, this writer found that people would time and again come back to talking of the impact of inflation regardless of what question was being asked. However, even before the present phase of inflation, middle class families were also complaining of a sense of deception ~ of seeing their cash gains being lost in the middle of other, frequently bigger changes. Many people complain bitterly about the steep hike in educational and medical expenses. With the increasing privatisation of education, people have more diverse options for their children’s education and careers, but for many of them this gain has come at too heavy a price. There is increasing economic tension as limited income gains are more than wiped out by sharply rising educational expenses from early school to the university level. At the same time, there has been a decline in the standard of government schools and closer career linkages with expensive educational institutions so that few options may be left for the people to opt out of the expensive system. The lack of options is becoming even more difficult in the case of medical treatment. In most parts of the country, the standards of government hospitals and public health centres have been allowed to deteriorate. Simultaneously, there has been a proliferation of private hospitals and nursing homes, including several in the ‘five-star’ category. People are torn between the desire to avail the treatment here and the prohibitive expenses. A single serious illness or accident in a family can eat up all savings, perhaps also lead to indebtedness. Close family ties push people to seek better and convenient medical treatment at all costs, leaving behind a legacy of debt and economic stress even in the middle of rising cash earnings. Steeply escalating expenses of medicare and medicine cause tension and uncertainty among people regarding how to cope with a medical emergency.
Lopsided growth
Although India has been known for its closely-knit families, the trend towards a breakdown of ties has increased. This is partly because of the same factors that promise a rise in monetary gain. The disruption of family life leads to stress and depression, above all for children, and increasing economic problems as well. Growing inequalities in the wake of fast but lopsided growth leads to social tension and a feeling of being left out among many people. In the middle of all the glitter and glamour of fast economic growth, many may feel squeezed out or alienated compared to those who can join in the celebrations. Thus in a situation of rising inequalities, in terms of relative gain and loss even many of those who have not lost in real terms may nevertheless feel like losers. Such feelings get aggravated in times of inflation when the majority suffer a huge pinch even as the party goes on uninterrupted for a select few. There needs to be a wider and deeper realisation of these factors which matter a lot for the well-being of people beyond the statistics and rhetoric of growth and GNP. A better realisation of the real basis of people’s well-being will make it possible for economics and governance to become more involved in the true welfare of people.
Life springs from dead: clones of dead mice frozen for 16 years
Japanese scientists have produced clones of deadmice frozen for 16 years, demonstrating the first successfulresurrection of the full genome of a long dead animal stored at thetemperature of a supermarket freezer. (The Telegraph, New Delhi, Nov. 3, 2008)
Indian lands on Moon
India marked its presence on Moon on Friday night to become only the fourth nation to scale this historic milestone after a Moon Impact Probe with the national Tricolour painted successfully landed on the lunar surface after being detached from unmanned spacecraft Chandrayaan-1.Once Chandrayaan-1 reached the designated lunar orbit, it re-oriented itself for this special task.An instrument, about the size of a computer monitor and so far carried piggyback by the Chandrayaan-1, was released from 100 kilometres above the moon.The instrument struck the moon's surface at a designated spot in 25 minutes. During the journey it took images of the moon and sent back data to the mother ship before it crashed into pieces.
Friday, October 31, 2008
First ever video of initial 24 hours of human life
For the first time, it is possible to actually watch the initial 24 hours of the life of an embryo at the cellular level.
Previously, scientists had only been able to piece together the first hours of a couple invertebrate organisms with only a few hundred cells such as a nematode worm -- work that resulted in a Nobel Prize. But doing the same for a vertebrate animal was essentially impossible.
"The digital embryo is like Google Earth for embryonic development," Jochen Wittbrodt of the University of Heidelberg said in a release. "It gives an overview of everything that happens in the first 24 hours and allows you to zoom in on all cellular and even subcellular details."
Already, the research has shown that the initial stages of heart development do not happen as scientists thought. (From Wired Science, Oct 9, 2008)
Previously, scientists had only been able to piece together the first hours of a couple invertebrate organisms with only a few hundred cells such as a nematode worm -- work that resulted in a Nobel Prize. But doing the same for a vertebrate animal was essentially impossible.
"The digital embryo is like Google Earth for embryonic development," Jochen Wittbrodt of the University of Heidelberg said in a release. "It gives an overview of everything that happens in the first 24 hours and allows you to zoom in on all cellular and even subcellular details."
Already, the research has shown that the initial stages of heart development do not happen as scientists thought. (From Wired Science, Oct 9, 2008)
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Controversy shrouds Sanjeevani discovery
(Statesman 1 Oct 2008)
Swati R SharmaDEHRA DUN, Sept 30: Sanjeevani Booti has remained elusive for centuries. but thanks to Baba Ramdev's Patajanli Yoogpeeth, it may have finally have been stumbled upon.However, the claims made by Patajanli Yoogpeeth regarding the discovery of the Sanjeevani Booti, mentioned in the Ramayana, have been challenged by some scientists. The government too feels that more research is needed in the field. The legendary herb, which is said to have powers to restore life, could not be traced by botanists across the country. But Acharya Balkrishan, the closest aide of Yog maestro Baba Ramdev, and his teammates have claimed to have found it in just six days. “A group of acharyas of the Yogpeeth, accompanied by two ayurvedic doctors, went to the Dronagiri hills in search of the Sanjeevani Booti and were successful in finding it at a height of about 15,000 feet,” stated Acharya Balkrishan . The herb is also called Mrit Sanjeevani ~ a medicinal plant which has been mentioned in the Ramayana as Sanjeevani Booti. As the legend goes Laxman was brought back to life by Sanjeevani Booti found in the Dronagiri hills in Uttarakhand. But the booti which even Hanuman failed to identify has now been claimed to discovered by Baba Ramdev's disciples. However, challenging this discovery, Botanist Prof. R.D. Gaur said that the herbs which are being claimed as Sanjeevani Booti, are common herbs found above the height of 10,000 feet in the Himalayan region. Prof. Gaur, who has done extensive research on the flora and fauna of Garhwal says that Kasturi Komal (Gossipiphora) and Bhotkesaria (Pleurospermum Candollei) are commonly referred by the locals as Sanjeevani Booti. But these are not only found on Dronagiri hills but other Himalayan areas as well. He also clarified that these herbs have the ability to restore consciousness in a patient but cannot bring them back to life. Contrary to Prof Gaur's claims, Acharya Balkrishan said that apart from the the two, they have also discovered Mrit Sanjeevani, which is one of the rarest plants. Meanwhile the medicinal plants minister Dr Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank asserted that more research is needed to be done on Sanjeevani Booti. In fact it all started when Dr Nishank announced during his visit to Colombo that the government would try to find Sanjeevani Booti . Thereafter on his return a team was constituted which included 16 experts.
Swati R SharmaDEHRA DUN, Sept 30: Sanjeevani Booti has remained elusive for centuries. but thanks to Baba Ramdev's Patajanli Yoogpeeth, it may have finally have been stumbled upon.However, the claims made by Patajanli Yoogpeeth regarding the discovery of the Sanjeevani Booti, mentioned in the Ramayana, have been challenged by some scientists. The government too feels that more research is needed in the field. The legendary herb, which is said to have powers to restore life, could not be traced by botanists across the country. But Acharya Balkrishan, the closest aide of Yog maestro Baba Ramdev, and his teammates have claimed to have found it in just six days. “A group of acharyas of the Yogpeeth, accompanied by two ayurvedic doctors, went to the Dronagiri hills in search of the Sanjeevani Booti and were successful in finding it at a height of about 15,000 feet,” stated Acharya Balkrishan . The herb is also called Mrit Sanjeevani ~ a medicinal plant which has been mentioned in the Ramayana as Sanjeevani Booti. As the legend goes Laxman was brought back to life by Sanjeevani Booti found in the Dronagiri hills in Uttarakhand. But the booti which even Hanuman failed to identify has now been claimed to discovered by Baba Ramdev's disciples. However, challenging this discovery, Botanist Prof. R.D. Gaur said that the herbs which are being claimed as Sanjeevani Booti, are common herbs found above the height of 10,000 feet in the Himalayan region. Prof. Gaur, who has done extensive research on the flora and fauna of Garhwal says that Kasturi Komal (Gossipiphora) and Bhotkesaria (Pleurospermum Candollei) are commonly referred by the locals as Sanjeevani Booti. But these are not only found on Dronagiri hills but other Himalayan areas as well. He also clarified that these herbs have the ability to restore consciousness in a patient but cannot bring them back to life. Contrary to Prof Gaur's claims, Acharya Balkrishan said that apart from the the two, they have also discovered Mrit Sanjeevani, which is one of the rarest plants. Meanwhile the medicinal plants minister Dr Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank asserted that more research is needed to be done on Sanjeevani Booti. In fact it all started when Dr Nishank announced during his visit to Colombo that the government would try to find Sanjeevani Booti . Thereafter on his return a team was constituted which included 16 experts.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Fewer Men Are Choosing To Teach
LONDON, Sept. 26: Teaching is becoming an increasingly female dominated profession with men making up fewer than one in four new recruits, official figures revealed yesterday. Despite a multi-million pound campaign to attract more men into teaching, the latest statistics reveal a widening gap between the sexes among those gaining teaching qualifications from universities and teacher training colleges. In 2006-07, fewer than a quarter (23.8 per cent) of teaching qualifications were obtained by men, according to figures published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency in the lowest figure in five years. This was a fall of 1.5 per cent from the previous year. Meanwhile, between 2005-6 and 2006-7, the number of women qualifying as teachers from higher education rose by two per cent, from 23,865 to 24,335, while the number of men fell 5.7 per cent, from 8,065 to 7,610. The figures will be a blow to the government, which has repeatedly tried to persuade men to train as teachers. The former education secretary Mr Alan Johnson announced a drive to get more men into the profession in March 2007 after concern that just 16 per cent of teachers in primary schools, and 46 per cent in secondary schools, were male. Mr Johnson said there was a need for more men in primary school teaching so they could provide role models, arguing: “Our schools should contain more male role models, such as ‘old boys’ or local boys made good.” ...... The Independent
Sunday, September 14, 2008
The CERN experiments: Tracing small particle in Large Hadron Collider
End of the world, or God’s own particle?
A bewildered Cole Moreton goes in search of the science behind the spin of the Large Hadron Collider.
YES, but what is it? That has been many people’s reaction to the furore over the Large Hadron Collider, due to be switched on even as you’re reading this. The biggest, most expensive experiment in history is attracting both scientific hyperbole and hysteria. Some say it will reveal the universe’s secrets and lead to the elusive Theory of Everything. A few fear that unleashing unimaginable power beneath the Swiss countryside will result in the end of the world. But how? And what do all these words mean?Large: Is an understatement. A giant circular tunnel, with several loops, stretches for 27 km under the land between France and Switzerland. One of its experimental chambers is bigger than the nave of Westminster Abbey. Hadron: The name for one of the types of particle that make up an atom. These tiny bits of energy will be propelled by giant magnets around the tunnel circuit at almost the speed of light.Collide: Is what they will do when they meet other hadrons being beamed in the opposite direction, at the same great speed. The resulting explosion will create 100,000 times more heat than the sun, apparently. Thankfully, it will only happen for a moment, in an area a billion times smaller than a speck of dust.Cern: Pronounced “sern”. The French acronym for the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, which built the £5 billion collider. The money came from 20 countries, including Britain, which has played a leading role.The Big Bang: Is what they are trying to recreate. Or rather what happened a trillionth of a second after the universe was created by an explosion 13.7 billion years ago. For that tiny moment, it is believed everything was molten plasma. This cooled to create everything we see around us. The hope is that by remaking the moment, in miniature, the scientists will be able to see things that are invisible now.The God Particle: Big name, very small thing; and the first great discovery they hope to make. It is believed we have only detected a quarter of the particles in everything. We don’t, for example, know why things have mass. (To get a feeling for what that is, hit yourself over the head with an inflatable hammer, then a real one. The one that hurts has more mass.) In 1964 Professor Peter Higgs of Edinburgh University predicted an unseen particle that provided mass (its official name is a Higgs boson). The hope is it will be detected for the first time. Other possible revelations include so-called dark matter, which in theory “stretches through space like an invisible skeleton”. The Theory of Everything: The Holy Grail of science. A unifying theory providing one explanation for the forces at work in the natural world, from the nucleus of an atom to the movements of the planets. Sounds like alchemy to non-scientists, but some very respectable minds believe it is possible, and that the collider may show the way. The End of the World: Some scientists, on the other hand, went to the European Court for Human Rights to try to stop the collider being turned on. They fear it may create a black hole — which would certainly violate our rights by sucking the planet into... well, we don’t really know.Professor Sir Chris Llewellyn Smith of Cern says, “The chance we produce a black hole is minuscule.” Which is not all that reassuring. But he adds, “Even if we do, it can’t swallow up the earth.” It would be too small, and disappear in moments. In any case, they will only send the hadrons in one direction this week. The collisions start in October. Until then, at least, we’re not all doomed.— The Independent, London.
A bewildered Cole Moreton goes in search of the science behind the spin of the Large Hadron Collider.
YES, but what is it? That has been many people’s reaction to the furore over the Large Hadron Collider, due to be switched on even as you’re reading this. The biggest, most expensive experiment in history is attracting both scientific hyperbole and hysteria. Some say it will reveal the universe’s secrets and lead to the elusive Theory of Everything. A few fear that unleashing unimaginable power beneath the Swiss countryside will result in the end of the world. But how? And what do all these words mean?Large: Is an understatement. A giant circular tunnel, with several loops, stretches for 27 km under the land between France and Switzerland. One of its experimental chambers is bigger than the nave of Westminster Abbey. Hadron: The name for one of the types of particle that make up an atom. These tiny bits of energy will be propelled by giant magnets around the tunnel circuit at almost the speed of light.Collide: Is what they will do when they meet other hadrons being beamed in the opposite direction, at the same great speed. The resulting explosion will create 100,000 times more heat than the sun, apparently. Thankfully, it will only happen for a moment, in an area a billion times smaller than a speck of dust.Cern: Pronounced “sern”. The French acronym for the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, which built the £5 billion collider. The money came from 20 countries, including Britain, which has played a leading role.The Big Bang: Is what they are trying to recreate. Or rather what happened a trillionth of a second after the universe was created by an explosion 13.7 billion years ago. For that tiny moment, it is believed everything was molten plasma. This cooled to create everything we see around us. The hope is that by remaking the moment, in miniature, the scientists will be able to see things that are invisible now.The God Particle: Big name, very small thing; and the first great discovery they hope to make. It is believed we have only detected a quarter of the particles in everything. We don’t, for example, know why things have mass. (To get a feeling for what that is, hit yourself over the head with an inflatable hammer, then a real one. The one that hurts has more mass.) In 1964 Professor Peter Higgs of Edinburgh University predicted an unseen particle that provided mass (its official name is a Higgs boson). The hope is it will be detected for the first time. Other possible revelations include so-called dark matter, which in theory “stretches through space like an invisible skeleton”. The Theory of Everything: The Holy Grail of science. A unifying theory providing one explanation for the forces at work in the natural world, from the nucleus of an atom to the movements of the planets. Sounds like alchemy to non-scientists, but some very respectable minds believe it is possible, and that the collider may show the way. The End of the World: Some scientists, on the other hand, went to the European Court for Human Rights to try to stop the collider being turned on. They fear it may create a black hole — which would certainly violate our rights by sucking the planet into... well, we don’t really know.Professor Sir Chris Llewellyn Smith of Cern says, “The chance we produce a black hole is minuscule.” Which is not all that reassuring. But he adds, “Even if we do, it can’t swallow up the earth.” It would be too small, and disappear in moments. In any case, they will only send the hadrons in one direction this week. The collisions start in October. Until then, at least, we’re not all doomed.— The Independent, London.
UN Secretary-General Mr Ban Ki-moon in a futuristic solar-powered taxi to his office
Statesman Report Title (14.09.08): Ban Travels To UN HQ In ‘Solar-Taxi’
NEW YORK, Sept. 13: UN Secretary-General Mr Ban Ki-moon has led the way in raising awareness about climate change by commuting to his office in a futuristic solar-powered taxi. Mr Ban’s green commute, which he described as a “fantastic experience”, is part of his efforts to promote environment friendly technologies. “I hope that this ‘solar-taxi’, one of the alternative sources of energy, can give some good messages to the people around the world that we need to be creative, we need to be practical,” he told reporters upon arriving at work. “I hope I can enjoy another ride,” he added. The vehicle, sponsored by Switzerland, is currently in New York as part of a worldwide journey that included a stop in Bali, Indonesia, last December for the landmark climate change negotiations. Mr Louis Palmer, the solar-taxi’s driver and developer, said he was on a mission to illustrate that solutions exist to deal with some of the problems caused by climate change. “As climate change doesn’t stop at borders, it’s a global problem and the UN is playing a central role in the fight to stop global warming,” he said. The voyage, slated to conclude in Poznan in early December, will coincide with the next phase of international talks on measures to respond, mitigate and adapt to global warming, to be held in the Polish city. “This Poznan conference should serve as a very successful bridge to the Copenhagen meeting next year so that we will be able to agree on a globally accepted, very efficient, balanced, effective and ratifiable treaty replacing the Kyoto Protocol by 2012,” the Secretary-General stated. Last month, Mr Ban began the “Cool UN” initiative at UN Headquarters to limit the use of air conditioning and heating, slash greenhouse gas emissions and save money. PTI
NEW YORK, Sept. 13: UN Secretary-General Mr Ban Ki-moon has led the way in raising awareness about climate change by commuting to his office in a futuristic solar-powered taxi. Mr Ban’s green commute, which he described as a “fantastic experience”, is part of his efforts to promote environment friendly technologies. “I hope that this ‘solar-taxi’, one of the alternative sources of energy, can give some good messages to the people around the world that we need to be creative, we need to be practical,” he told reporters upon arriving at work. “I hope I can enjoy another ride,” he added. The vehicle, sponsored by Switzerland, is currently in New York as part of a worldwide journey that included a stop in Bali, Indonesia, last December for the landmark climate change negotiations. Mr Louis Palmer, the solar-taxi’s driver and developer, said he was on a mission to illustrate that solutions exist to deal with some of the problems caused by climate change. “As climate change doesn’t stop at borders, it’s a global problem and the UN is playing a central role in the fight to stop global warming,” he said. The voyage, slated to conclude in Poznan in early December, will coincide with the next phase of international talks on measures to respond, mitigate and adapt to global warming, to be held in the Polish city. “This Poznan conference should serve as a very successful bridge to the Copenhagen meeting next year so that we will be able to agree on a globally accepted, very efficient, balanced, effective and ratifiable treaty replacing the Kyoto Protocol by 2012,” the Secretary-General stated. Last month, Mr Ban began the “Cool UN” initiative at UN Headquarters to limit the use of air conditioning and heating, slash greenhouse gas emissions and save money. PTI
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Google Chrome (BETA) for Windows: Download Link
GOOGLE CHROME: AS GOOGLE CLAIMS
One box for everythingType in the address bar and get suggestions for both search and web pages.
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One box for everythingType in the address bar and get suggestions for both search and web pages.
Thumbnails of your top sitesAccess your favorite pages instantly with lightning speed from any new tab.
Shortcuts for your appsGet desktop shortcuts to launch your favorite web applications.
Monday, September 08, 2008
Buddha, Mamata reach historic accord
Statesman News Service KOLKATA, Sept. 7: Raj Bhavan today witnessed a new history unfolding itself when the Governor, Mr Gopalkrishna Gandhi, guided chief minister Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Trinamul Congress chief Miss Mamata Banerjee to clinch a new deal that guaranteed that the Tata Motors small car project at Singur is finally here to stay and roll out within the stipulated time frame, while 80 acres of land from within the project site and 150 acres from outside will be returned to the unwilling farmers so that industry and agriculture can co-exist. Though official figures of land to be given to the unwilling farmers were withheld for the moment, highly-placed sources said both sides had agreed that from within the project site 40 acres held by the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation and another 40 acres earmarked for 28 prospective vendors, who are yet to be allotted land, would be given to the unwilling farmers possessing documents to prove their ownership before their land was acquired. The ancillary units that can’t be set up within the project area would be relocated on suitable land later and no construction is to be undertaken on the land kept for the vendors. A committee will be set up to examine the maximum land that can be given to the unwilling farmers from within the project area and how the interests of share-croppers and agricultural labourers, who used to depend for their livelihood on the acquired land, can be protected. The committee will submit its report in a week. Following the accord, Miss Banerjee agreed to suspend the ongoing agitation at Singur. As the Governor announced the outcome of the protracted negotiations around 10-30 p.m. the dharna manch at Singur erupted in unrestrained ecstasy hailing the results as “100 per cent victory.” The historic moment came when the Governor, flanked by Miss Banerjee and Mr Bhattacharjee announced the outcome of the accord in a brief
Ford's fleet of 30 fuel-cell vehicles has exceeded expectations
From The Province, Canada, 8 Sept., 2008
Ford's fleet of 30 fuel-cell vehicles has exceeded expectations of the company's hydrogen-research engineers by accumulating more than a million real-world kilometres without significant maintenance problems since the fleet's launch three years ago.
The Ford focus Fuel Cell test vehicles also have earned accolades from the company's global fleet partners for outstanding durability, reliability and capability. Encouraged by the program's success, Ford recently reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy to extend its three-year-old hydrogen fuel-cell electric-vehicle program for up to 24 months, until the next generation system is ready for deployment in the 2010 time frame.
Ford was one of the first automakers to launch a fleet of hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles in 2005, after unveiling a prototype in late 2003. Its Focus Fuel Cell fleet partners include a variety of government agencies in California, Florida, Michigan, Canada, Germany and Iceland, where cold-climate testing is expected to result in significant performance improvements in the next generation.
The Ford focus Fuel Cell test vehicles also have earned accolades from the company's global fleet partners for outstanding durability, reliability and capability. Encouraged by the program's success, Ford recently reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy to extend its three-year-old hydrogen fuel-cell electric-vehicle program for up to 24 months, until the next generation system is ready for deployment in the 2010 time frame.
Ford was one of the first automakers to launch a fleet of hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles in 2005, after unveiling a prototype in late 2003. Its Focus Fuel Cell fleet partners include a variety of government agencies in California, Florida, Michigan, Canada, Germany and Iceland, where cold-climate testing is expected to result in significant performance improvements in the next generation.
Monday, August 04, 2008
'There are more good people in society than bad ones'
Read why Naresh feels he is lucky: unusual story of an IIT guy; from Rediff:
I get help from total strangers without me asking for it. Once after my second year at IIT, I with some of my friends was travelling in a train for a conference. We met a kind gentleman called Sundar in the train, and he has been taking care of my hostel fees from then on. ... ... ...
Surprise awaited me at IITAfter my first year, when I went home, two things happened here at the Institute without my knowledge.
I got a letter from my department that they had arranged a lift and ramps at the department for me. It also said that if I came a bit early and checked whether it met with my requirements, it would be good.
Second surprise was, the Dean, Prof Idichandy and the Students General Secretary, Prasad had located a place that sold powered wheel chairs. The cost was Rs 55,000. What they did was, they did not buy the wheel chair; they gave me the money so that the wheel chair belonged to me and not the institute.
I get help from total strangers without me asking for it. Once after my second year at IIT, I with some of my friends was travelling in a train for a conference. We met a kind gentleman called Sundar in the train, and he has been taking care of my hostel fees from then on. ... ... ...
Surprise awaited me at IITAfter my first year, when I went home, two things happened here at the Institute without my knowledge.
I got a letter from my department that they had arranged a lift and ramps at the department for me. It also said that if I came a bit early and checked whether it met with my requirements, it would be good.
Second surprise was, the Dean, Prof Idichandy and the Students General Secretary, Prasad had located a place that sold powered wheel chairs. The cost was Rs 55,000. What they did was, they did not buy the wheel chair; they gave me the money so that the wheel chair belonged to me and not the institute.
Child left behind as parents rushed for flight
A four-year-old girl was left behind at Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport today as her mother, father and four siblings rushed to catch a flight to Paris, police said.
... .... ...
According to the police, the girl’s parents realised she was missing when the pilot informed them just when the aircraft was taking off. “It is usual that travellers in a rush forget their luggage but not a child,” a police officer said.
... .... ...
According to the police, the girl’s parents realised she was missing when the pilot informed them just when the aircraft was taking off. “It is usual that travellers in a rush forget their luggage but not a child,” a police officer said.
Nine climbers have died on K2, the world’s second highest peak
Gilgit (Pakistan), Aug. 3 (Reuters): At least nine climbers have died on K2, the world’s second highest peak, in Pakistan in one of the blackest days in the sport of mountaineering and the toll could rise, expedition organisers said today. Those confirmed dead included three South Koreans, two Nepalese, along with Serbian, Norwegian, Dutch and French climbers.
Unconfirmed reports said one Pakistani had died and several foreign and local climbers were unaccounted for.
Catastrophe struck on Friday, when a chunk of ice broke from a serac, a pillar or cuboid of ice, and tore away fixed lines from a perilous steep gully known as the Bottleneck, above 8,200 metres.
Unconfirmed reports said one Pakistani had died and several foreign and local climbers were unaccounted for.
Catastrophe struck on Friday, when a chunk of ice broke from a serac, a pillar or cuboid of ice, and tore away fixed lines from a perilous steep gully known as the Bottleneck, above 8,200 metres.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Boy quits college to let sister continue in school
Nakashipara, July 28: Nineteen-year-old Naresh always stood first in high school, but he will not go to college any more. He will be a labourer in Mumbai instead, so that his sister can study longer. .... ....
.... their mother Basanti, 40, asked Amita to quit Shibpur High School last month and stay at home. “Amita is a girl and she doesn’t need to study more. It is Naresh who should study,” Basanti said.
“I knew her world would crumble. She shut the door and wept for hours.”
Naresh returned from college and learnt about his mother’s decision.
Amita said: “I was crying when dada came home. He heard everything and told me, ‘Don’t worry. You will study. I will quit college’.”
“Dada’s decision stunned us and I broke down again. He said he would go to Mumbai to work as a labourer. It is a very painful decision for him. He was a better student (in Shibpur High School) and the pride of the village,” said Amita.
.... their mother Basanti, 40, asked Amita to quit Shibpur High School last month and stay at home. “Amita is a girl and she doesn’t need to study more. It is Naresh who should study,” Basanti said.
“I knew her world would crumble. She shut the door and wept for hours.”
Naresh returned from college and learnt about his mother’s decision.
Amita said: “I was crying when dada came home. He heard everything and told me, ‘Don’t worry. You will study. I will quit college’.”
“Dada’s decision stunned us and I broke down again. He said he would go to Mumbai to work as a labourer. It is a very painful decision for him. He was a better student (in Shibpur High School) and the pride of the village,” said Amita.
House keeper is crorepati
House keeper is crorepati- LS secretary-general guards cash flashed in Parliament
New Delhi, July 28: You may not have noticed him on TV on trust vote day. A serious-looking 63-year-old with a moustache, he had no chance in the eyeball stakes against wads of cash being waved by MPs.
But P.D.T. Achary, who sat a few feet in front of Somnath Chatterjee in Parliament and had a hard time explaining the voting rules in the din, can now permit himself a chuckle. The money — all one crore of it — is now his prisoner, locked away in a cabinet.
“The money is safe and sealed in my room. There is a guard keeping watch over it. There is also 24-hour security for the room,” the Lok Sabha secretariat’s topmost official told The Telegraph.
Achary admits he cannot remember a time in his 35 years in the secretariat when a House official’s chamber was so flush with cash. “There has never been such a situation,” he said.
New Delhi, July 28: You may not have noticed him on TV on trust vote day. A serious-looking 63-year-old with a moustache, he had no chance in the eyeball stakes against wads of cash being waved by MPs.
But P.D.T. Achary, who sat a few feet in front of Somnath Chatterjee in Parliament and had a hard time explaining the voting rules in the din, can now permit himself a chuckle. The money — all one crore of it — is now his prisoner, locked away in a cabinet.
“The money is safe and sealed in my room. There is a guard keeping watch over it. There is also 24-hour security for the room,” the Lok Sabha secretariat’s topmost official told The Telegraph.
Achary admits he cannot remember a time in his 35 years in the secretariat when a House official’s chamber was so flush with cash. “There has never been such a situation,” he said.
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