EFest - 2011 Award Ceremony

EFest Semi Final Papers

   Weather changes all the time. The average pattern of weather, called climate, usually stays pretty much the same for centuries if it is left to itself. However, the earth is not being left alone.

What are the main indicators of Climate Change?
•    Sea level Rise
•    Predominance of Westerly Weather
•    Risk of Tidal Flooding in London
•    Marine Plankton
•    Appearance of Ice on Lake Windermere
•    Upstream Migration of Salmon

Causes of Climate Change

                        The causes of climate change can be divided into two categories, human and natural causes.
                       It is now a global concern that the climatic changes occurring today have been speeded up because of man's activities.

Natural Causes of Climate Change

                   The earth’s climate is influenced and changed through natural causes like volcanic eruptions, ocean current, the earth’s orbital changes and solar variations.

Volcanic eruptions -  When a volcano erupts it throws out large volumes of sulphur dioxide (SO2), water vapour, dust, and ash into the atmosphere. Large volumes of gases and ash can influence climatic patterns for years by increasing planetary reflectivity causing atmospheric cooling.

Ocean current - The oceans are a major component of the climate system. Ocean currents move vast amounts of heat across the planet. Winds push horizontally against the sea surface and drive ocean current patterns. Interactions between the ocean and atmosphere can also produce phenomena such as El Niño which occur every 2 to 6 years.

Earth orbital changes - The earth makes one full orbit around the sun each year. It is tilted at an angle of 23.5° to the perpendicular plane of its orbital path.. Slow changes in the Earth’s orbit lead to small but climatically important changes in the strength of the seasons over tens of thousands of years. Climate feedbacks amplify these small changes, thereby producing ice ages.
Solar variations - The Sun is the source of energy for the Earth’s climate system. Although the Sun’s energy output appears constant from an everyday point of view, small changes over an extended period of time can lead to climate changes. Some scientists suspect that a portion of the warming in the first half of the 20th century was due to an increase in the output of solar energy.

Human Causes of Climate Change

           "It has been demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt that the climate is changing due to man-made greenhouse gases. We are already committed to future substantial change over the next 30 years and change is likely to accelerate over
"There is strong evidence that the warming of the Earth over the last half-century has been caused largely by human activity, such as the burning of fossil fuels and changes in land use, including agriculture and deforestation."

The certainty of global warming can be seen through some of the natural phenomenon like the effect on crops and extreme weather conditions around the world. It is especially clear in the dramatic change of the polar caps, i.e. the Arctic ice cap is shrinking and the Antarctica ice shelf is melting.
 Main Contributors and Causes of Climate Change
* 4% of carbon emissions come from industrial processes

* 7% come from agriculture – for example methane emissions from livestock and manure, and nitrous oxide emissions from chemical fertilisers21% carbon emissions from transport

65% come from the use of fuel to generate energy (excluding transport)

About 40% of carbon emissions in the UK are the result of decisions taken directly by individuals. The biggest sources of emissions for most people are likely to be:


* energy use in the home (the main use is heating)

* driving a car

* air travel

Agriculture as a Contributor to the Causes of Climate Change

        According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the three main causes of the increase in greenhouse gases observed over the past 250 years have been fossil fuels, land use, and agriculture.

        Agriculture has been shown to produce significant effects on climate change, primarily through the production and release of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide.

The causes of climate change continued

Increase in global temperatures - Inter-government Panel

       The most recent assessment report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says that the earth’s average temperature has risen by 0.74 degrees in the period from 1906 to 2005, and that the average temperature will continue to rise.
 Scientific Basis of Climate Change and Causes

       The IPCC's report "Climate Change 2011The Scientific Basis" is the most comprehensive and up-to-date scientific assessment of past, present and
future climate change.
The report:

• Analyses an enormous body of observations of all parts of the climate system

• Catalogues increasing concentrations of atmospheric greenhouse gases

• Assesses our understanding of the processes and feedbacks which govern the climate system

• Projects scenarios of future climate change using a wide range of models of future emissions of greenhouse gases and aerosols.

• Makes a detailed study of whether causes by a human influence on climate can be identified

• Suggests gaps in information and understanding that remain in our knowledge of climate change and how these might be
addressed

 
Climate Change and the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change)

            The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was jointly established by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 1988.

Its terms of reference include:

             1. To assess available scientific and socio-economic information on climate change and its impacts and on the options for mitigating climate change and adapting to it and
              2. To provide, on request, scientific/technical/socio-economic advice to the Conference of the Parties  (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). From 1990, the IPCC has produced a series of Assessment Reports, Special Reports, Technical Papers, methodologies and other products that have become standard works of reference, widely used by policymakers, scientists and other experts.

What is Global Warming  (Effect by Climate Change)

            Global warming and climate change refer to an increase in average global temperatures. Natural events and human activities are believed to be contributing to an increase in average global temperatures. This is caused primarily by increases in “greenhouse” gases such as Carbon Dioxide (CO2).

                A warming planet thus leads to a change in climate which can affect weather in various ways, as discussed further below.
What is the Greenhouse

          A greenhouse (also called a glasshouse) is a building where plants are grown. These structures range in size from small sheds to very large buildings. A miniature greenhouse is known as a cold frame.Greenhouses can be divided into glass greenhouses and plastic greenhouses. Plastics mostly used are PEfilm and multiwall sheet in PC or PMMA.

What is the Greenhouse Effect?

         These gases, which are all naturally occurring, act as a blanket, trapping in the heat and preventing it from being reflected too far from the Earth. They keep the Earth's average temperature at about 15°C: warm enough to sustain life for humans, plants and animals. Without these gases, the average temperature would be about  -18°C... too cold for most life forms. This natural warming effect is also sometimes called the greenhouse effect

•    Energy from the sun drives the earth’s weather and climate, and heats the earth’s surface;
•    In turn, the earth radiates energy back into space;
•    Some atmospheric gases (water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other gases) trap some of the outgoing energy, retaining heat somewhat like the glass panels of a greenhouse;
•    These gases are therefore known as greenhouse gases;
•    The greenhouse effect is the rise in temperature on Earth as certain gases in the atmosphere trap energy.

         Six main greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) (which is 20 times as potent a greenhouse gas as carbon dioxide) and nitrous oxide (N2O), plus three fluorinated industrial gases: hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6). Water vapor is also considered a greenhouse gas.

Carbon dioxide (CO2):

Carbon dioxide is the main culprit

         The single human activity that is most likely to have a large impact on the climate is the burning of "fossil fuels" such as coal,
oil and gas. These fuels contain carbon. Burning them makes carbon dioxide gas. Since the early 1800s, when people began burning large amounts of coal and oil, the amount of carbon dioxide in the earth's atmosphere has increased by nearly 30%, and average global temperature appears to have risen between 1° and 2°F.

         Carbon dioxide gas traps solar heat in the atmosphere, partly in the same way as glass traps solar heat in a sunroom or a greenhouse. For this reason, carbon dioxide is sometimes called a "greenhouse gas."

         If global warming occurs, not every day or every place will be warmer. But on average most places will be warmer. This will cause changes in the amount and pattern of rain and snow, in the length of growing seasons, in the frequency and severity of storms, and in sea level. Farms, forests, and plants and animals in the natural environment, will all be affected.
The ozone hole is a different problem:

         Many people confuse the hole in the ozone layer with climate change. However, these two problems are not closely related. The ozone layer protects the earth from harmful ultraviolet light that can cause skin cancer and damage plants and animals. The main cause of the hole in the ozone layer is chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), gases that are used in refrigerators, air conditioners, and industrial applications.                      

         While CFCs alone cause warming, their ozone destruction can cause cooling. So far these warming and cooling influences have approximately balanced. Prior to 1978 CFCs were used as a propellant in aerosol spray cans, but that use has ended in the U.S. Under an international agreement most uses of CFCs are now being phased out to protect the ozone layer.

CO2 - the major cause of global warming

            Global warming is caused by the emission of greenhouse gases . 72% of the totally emitted greenhouse gases is carbon dioxide (CO2), 18% Methane and 9% Nitrous oxide (NOx). Carbon dioxide emissions therefore are the most important cause of global warming. CO2 is inevitably created by burning fuels like e.g. oil, natural gas, diesel, organic-diesel, petrol, organic-petrol, ethanol. The emissions of CO2 have been dramatically increased within the last 50 years and are still increasing by almost 3% each year, see graph below:

Graph 1: CO2 emissions world-wide by year and CO2 concentration in the atmosphere by year
 Chart 2: Increase of global average temperature for the last 20 years (source: wri.org)
            The carbon dioxide is released to the atmosphere where it remains for 100 to 200 years. This leads to an increasing concentration of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere (see above on the right hand side), which in turn causes the average temperature on Earth to raise (see graph below).
            Recent investigations have shown that inconceivable catastrophic changes in the environment will take place if the global temperatures increase by more than 2° C (3.6° F). A warming of 2° C (3.6° F) corresponds to a carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration of about 450 ppm (parts per million) in the atmosphere.

Rising Sea Levels

            Water expands when heated, and sea levels are expected to rise due to climate change. Rising sea levels will also result as the polar caps begin to melt.
            Rising sea levels is already affecting many small islands.
            Rising sea levels will impact many coastlines, and a large mass of humanity lives near the coasts or by major rivers.               Analysis by the World Wildlife Fund has found that many cities are unprepared for climate change effects such as rising sea levels
Agriculture and livelihoods are already being affected
            Failing agriculture in the future have long been predicted.
            Looking to 2100, scientists who looked at projections of global warming’s impact on the average temperatures during the growing season fear that rising temperatures will have a significant impact upon crop yields, most noticeably in the tropics and sub tropics.
            While warm weather can often be good for some crops, hotter than average temperatures for the entire season is often not good for plants.
            This would affect at least half the world’s population that either live in the region or rely on food coming from that region.

Effects of Global Warming

            The increase in the warming of the atmosphere has significant effects on both natural environment and human life. Obvious effects include glacial retreat, Arctic shrinkage, and worldwide sea level rise. There are also less obvious effects such as economic trouble, ocean acidification, and population risks. As climate changes, everything changes from the natural habitats of wildlife to the culture and sustainability of a region.
Melting of the Polar Ice Caps

             One of the most obvious effects of global warming involves the melting of the polar ice caps. According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center, there are 5,773,000 cubic miles of water, ice caps, glaciers, and permanent snow on our planet. As these continue to melt, sea levels rise. Rising sea levels are also caused by expanding ocean water, melting mountain glaciers, and the ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica melting or sliding into the oceans. Rising sea levels result in coastal erosion, coastal flooding, increased salinity of rivers, bays, and aquifers, and shoreline retreat.

             Melting ice caps will desalinize the ocean and disrupt natural ocean currents. Since ocean currents regulate temperatures by bringing warmer currents into cooler regions and cooler currents into warmer regions, a halt in this activity may cause extreme climate changes, such as Western Europe experiencing
. 
Another important effect of melting ice caps lies in a changing albedo. Albedo is the ratio of the light reflected by any part of the earth's surface or atmosphere. Since snow has one of the highest albedo level, it reflects sunlight back into space, helping to keep the earth cooler. As it melts, more sunlight is absorbed by the earth's atmosphere and the temperature tends to increase.
To Control Climate Change, Alternative Energy Technologies Must Be Developed

           To Control Climate Change, Alternative Energy Technologies Must Be Developed

            Uncertainty in the climate sensitivity to growing levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide has been a stumbling block to policy makers addressing the climate change issue. A study published in the March 28 issue of the journal Science, however, concludes that huge reductions in fossil-fuel carbon emissions will be required by the middle of this century -- regardless of the likely climate sensitivity.

               "To reduce carbon dioxide emissions and avoid dangerous interference with the climate system, we must switch to alternative, carbon-free energy sources," said Atul Jain, a professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a co-author of the study.

          Jain and his colleagues -- lead author Ken Caldeira, a senior scientist at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Martin Hoffert, a professor of physics at New York University -- found that even if climate sensitivity is in the low end of the accepted range, climate stabilization will require a massive transition to carbon-emission-free energy technologies during this century.

         Climate sensitivity is the global mean temperature change that would result from doubling the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Based on current models, climate sensitivity is thought to lie between 1.5 degrees Celsius and 4.5 degrees Celsius.

         If climate sensitivity is at the high end of the range, then by the end of this century nearly all of our power will have to come from non-carbon-dioxide-emitting sources, the researchers found. "We must begin replacing fossil fuels with alternative energy technologies that support economic growth and equity," Jain said. "To achieve stabilization at a 2 degree Celsius warming, we would need to bring the equivalent of a large carbon-emission-free power plant into production somewhere in the world every day for the next 50 years."

Prediction for future temperature increase (global warming predictions)

        According to different assumption about the future behaviour of mankind, a projection of current trends as represented by a number of different scenarios gives temperature increases of about 3° to 5° C (5° to 9° Fahrenheit) by the year 2100 or soon afterwards. A 3°C or 5° Fahrenheit rise would likely raise sea levels by about 25 meters (about 82 feet).

Ten Personal Solutions to Global Warming

Individual choices can have an impact on global climate change.

1.    The car you drive: the most important personal climate decision.
         When you buy your next car, look for the one with the best fuel economy in its class. Each gallon of gas you use is responsible for 25 pounds of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere. Better gas mileage not only reduces global warming, but will also save you thousands of dollars at the pump over the life of the vehicle.
2.     Choose clean power:       More than half the electricity in the United States comes from polluting coal-fired power plants. And power plants are the single largest source of heat-trapping gas. None of us can live without electricity, but in some states, you can switch to electricity companies that provide 50 to 100 percent renewable energy.
3.     Look for Energy Star:     When it comes time to replace appliances, look for the Energy Star label on new appliances (refrigerators, freezers, furnaces, air conditioners, and water heaters use the most energy). These items may cost a bit more initially, but the energy savings will pay back the extra investment within a couple of years. Household energy savings really can make a difference: If each household in the United States replaced its existing appliances with the most efficient models available, we would save $15 billion in energy costs and eliminate 175 million tons of heat-trapping gases.
4.    Unplug a freezer.

         One of the quickest ways to reduce your global warming impact is to unplug the extra refrigerator or freezer you rarely use (except when you need it for holidays and parties). This can reduce the typical family's carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 10 percent.
5.    Get a home energy audit.

         Take advantage of the free home energy audits offered by many utilities. Simple measures, such as installing a programmable thermostat to replace your old dial unit or sealing and insulating heating and cooling ducts, can each reduce a typical family's carbon dioxide emissions by about 5 percent.
6.     Light bulbs matter.

        If every household in the United States replaced one regular light bulb with an energy-saving model, we could reduce global warming pollution by more than 90 billion pounds over the life of the bulbs; the same as taking 6.3 million cars off the road. So, replace your incandescent bulbs with more efficient compact fluorescents, which now come in all shapes and sizes.
7.    Think before you drive.
If you own more than one vehicle, use the less fuel-efficient one only when you can fill it with passengers. Driving a full minivan may be kinder to the environment than two midsize cars. Whenever possible, join a carpool or take mass transit.
8.    Buy good wood.
When buying wood products, check for labels that indicate the source of the timber. Supporting forests that are managed in a sustainable fashion makes sense for biodiversity, and it may make sense for the climate too..
9.    Plant a tree.
You can also make a difference in your own backyard. Get a group in your neighborhood together and contact your local arborist or urban forester about planting trees on private property and public land
10.    Let policymakers know you are concerned about global warming.
          Our elected officials and business leaders need to hear from concerned citizens. Sign up for the Union of Concerned Scientists Action Network to ensure that policymakers get the timely, accurate information they need to make informed decisions about global warming solutions.

Global Warming Solutions:

          Even if we stopped emitting greenhouse gases (GHGs) today, the Earth would still warm by another degree Fahrenheit or so. But what we do from today forward makes a big difference.  Depending on our choices, scientists predict that the Earth could eventually warm by as little as 2.5 degrees or as much as 10 degrees Fahrenheit.

          A commonly cited goal is to stabilize GHG concentrations around 450-550 parts per million (ppm), or about twice pre-industrial levels. This is the point at which many believe the most damaging impacts of climate change can be avoided.  Current concentrations are about 380 ppm, which means there isn’t much time to lose.  According to the IPCC, we’d have to reduce GHG emissions by 50% to 80% of what they’re on track to be in the next century to reach this level.

          Researchers Stephen Pacala and Robert Socolow at Princeton University have suggested one approach that they call “stabilization wedges.” This means reducing GHG emissions from a variety of sources with technologies available in the next few decades, rather than relying on an enormous change in a single area.  They suggest 7 wedges that could each reduce emissions, and all of them together could hold emissions at approximately current levels for the next 50 years, putting us on a potential path to stabilize around 500 ppm.

           Some of these technologies have drawbacks, and different communities will make different decisions about how to power their lives, but the good news is that there are a variety of options to put us on a path toward a stable climate.
Conclusion

          Global warming  (or) Climate Change  is affecting plants, animals, humans and the earth. We need to learn how to conserve our use of fossil fuels to minimize carbon dioxide production. This will slow down the effects of global warming

New Energy - Human Hampster Wheel

Green Wheel by is an exercise machine that transforms kinetic energy produced by the human body into electricity. Multiple machines are connected to a central energy storage unit where electricity can then be supplemented to road lights and traffic lights. Designer Nadim Inaty imagines that units could be placed in public spaces, and that users could donate some of their jogging time in exchange for a place to run. If you’re running anyway- why not?!

Designer: Nadim Inaty

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Model Umbrella

The folding umbrella is an incredibly useful and quite simple way of protecting us from the elements, but after making it in from the rain they can be a bit messy and tedious to store. The POPI umbrella provides a simple solution for quick, dry, and easy storage. The handle doubles as sealable housing making it possible to store anywhere, even when wet! Simply pop the cap to release or contain the umbrella, throw it in your bag, and be on your way.

Super Sleek Stadium

This ultra-modern proposal for an urban stadium looks like something outta this world! Radiant curves, sleek lines, and the structure’s material combination of stainless steel, carbon fiber, and concrete create a remarkable contrast to the stadium’s placement in a natural coastal setting. Situated just outside Seoul, the venue would host year-round sports and events for local communities. A bit alien, but I’m liking it!

Funny Game

What is this, a telescope? A sound machine? Hmmmm…it’s a Sony for sure!

Can anyone guess what this is?

Every year Sony holds a workshop for design students in China. Their current theme is ECONNECT, the emotional connection with products and environmental responsibilities like recycling. Keeping this in mind, designer Shen Hao Cheng, designed the Sony Echo, a device that records the life story of a secondhand product. The idea is that we all recycle our stuff, be it furniture or gadgets, and in its course with us, we tend to get emotionally attached to them. The Echo allows you to record your story with the product and the specifically devised stamp allows the new owner to retrieve significant information about the product.

Kinda like a biography of a special chair…mine will have to be these special loveseats that I bought for my marriage and they are now ready for a new home. Heck, the new owner will love to hear my stories for sure!

Know More and Be Proud to be INDIAN!

• The name 'India' is derived from the River Indus, the valleys around which were the home of the early settlers. The Aryan worshippers referred to the river Indus as the Sindhu.
• The Persian invaders converted it into Hindu. The name 'Hindustan' combines Sindhu and Hindu and thus refers to the land of the Hindus.
• Chess was invented in India
• Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus are studies, which originated in India.
• The 'Place Value System' and the 'Decimal System' were developed in India in 100 B.C.
• The World's First Granite Temple is the Brihadeswara Temple at Tanjavur, Tamil Nadu. The shikhara of the temple is made from a single 80-tonne piece of granite. This magnificent temple was built in just five years, (between 1004 AD and 1009 AD) during the reign of Rajaraja Chola.

• The game of Snakes & Ladders was created by the 13th century poet saint Gyandev. It was originally called 'Mokshapat'. The ladders in the game represented virtues and the snakes indicated vices. The game was played with cowrie shells and dices. In time, the game underwent several modifications, but its meaning remained the same, i.e. good deeds take people to heaven and evil to a cycle of re-births.
• The world's highest cricket ground is in Chail, Himachal Pradesh. Built in 1893 after leveling a hilltop, this cricket pitch is 2444 meters above sea level.
• India has the largest number of Post Offices in the world.
• The largest employer in India is the Indian Railways, employing over a million people.
• The world's first university was established in Takshila in 700 BC. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.

• Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to mankind. The Father of Medicine, Charaka, consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago.
• India was one of the richest countries till the time of British rule in the early 17th Century. Christopher Columbus, attracted by India's wealth, had come looking for a sea route to India when he discovered America by mistake.
• The Art of Navigation & Navigating was born in the river Sindh over 6000 years ago. The very word Navigation is derived from the Sanskrit word 'NAVGATIH'. The word navy is also derived from the Sanskrit word 'Nou'.
• Bhaskaracharya rightly calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the Sun hundreds of years before the astronomer Smart. According to his calculation, the time taken by the Earth to orbit the Sun was 365.258756484 days.
• The value of "pi" was first calculated by the Indian Mathematician Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is known as the Pythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the 6th century, long before the European mathematicians.
• Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus also originated in India.Quadratic Equations were used by Sridharacharya in the 11th century. The largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Hindus used numbers as big as 10*53 (i.e. 10 to the power of 53) with specific names as early as 5000 B.C.during the Vedic period.Even today, the largest used number is Terra: 10*12(10 to the power of 12).
• Until 1896, India was the only source of diamonds in the world
  (Source: Gemological Institute of America).
• The Baily Bridge is the highest bridge in the world. It is located in the Ladakh valley between the Dras and Suru rivers in the Himalayan mountains. It was built by the Indian Army in August 1982.
• Sushruta is regarded as the Father of Surgery. Over2600 years ago Sushrata & his team conducted complicated surgeries like cataract, artificial limbs, cesareans, fractures, urinary stones, plastic surgery and brain surgeries.
• Usage of anaesthesia was well known in ancient Indian medicine. Detailed knowledge of anatomy, embryology, digestion, metabolism,physiology, etiology, genetics and immunity is also found in many ancient Indian texts.
• India exports software to 90 countries.
• The four religions born in India - Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, are followed by 25% of the world's population.
• Jainism and Buddhism were founded in India in 600 B.C. and 500 B.C. respectively.
• Islam is India's and the world's second largest religion.
• There are 300,000 active mosques in India, more than in any other country, including the Muslim world.
• The oldest European church and synagogue in India are in the city of Cochin. They were built in 1503 and 1568 respectively.
• Jews and Christians have lived continuously in India since 200 B.C. and 52 A.D. respectively
• The largest religious building in the world is Angkor Wat, a Hindu Temple in Cambodia built at the end of the 11th century.
• The Vishnu Temple in the city of Tirupathi built in the 10th century, is the world's largest religious pilgrimage destination. Larger than either Rome or Mecca, an average of 30,000 visitors donate $6 million (US) to the temple everyday.
• Sikhism originated in the Holy city of Amritsar in Punjab. Famous for housing the Golden Temple, the city was founded in 1577.
• Varanasi, also known as Benaras, was called "the Ancient City" when Lord Buddha visited it in 500 B.C., and is the oldest, continuously inhabited city in the world today.
• India provides safety for more than 300,000 refugees originally from Sri Lanka, Tibet, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, who escaped to flee religious and political persecution.
• His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, runs his government in exile from Dharmashala in northern India.
• Martial Arts were first created in India, and later spread to Asia by Buddhist missionaries.
• Yoga has its origins in India and has existed for over 5,000 years

Lets Know more about TriColor

It is really amazing to see the various changes that our National Flag went through since its first inception. It was discovered or recognised during our national struggle for freedom. The evolution of the Indian National Flag sailed through many vicissitudes to arrive at what it is today. In one way it reflects the political developments in the nation. Some of the historical milestones in the evolution of our National Flag involve the following:

Unofficial flag of India
in 1906


The Berlin committee
flag, first raised by
Bhikaiji Cama in 1907


The flag used during the
Home Rule movement
in 1917


The flag unofficially
adopted in 1921


The flag adopted in 1931.
This flag was also the
battle ensign of the
Indian National Army


The present Tricolour
flag of India

The first national flag in India is said to have been hoisted on August 7, 1906, in the Parsee Bagan Square (Green Park) in Calcutta now Kolkata. The flag was composed of three horizontal strips of red, yellow and green.

The second flag was hoisted in Paris by Madame Cama and her band of exiled revolutionaries in 1907 (according to some inl9OS). This was very similar to the first flag except that the top strip had only one lotus but seven stars denoting the Saptarishi. This flag was also exhibited at a socialist conference in Berlin.

The third flag went up in 1917 when our political struggle had taken a definite turn. Dr. Annie Besant and Lokmanya Tilak hoisted it during the Home rule movement. This flag had five red and four green horizontal strips arranged alternately, with seven stars in the saptarishi configuration super-imposed on them. In the left-hand top corner (the pole end) was the Union Jack. There was also a white crescent and star in one corner.

During the session of the All India Congress Committee which met at Bezwada in 1921 (now Vijayawada) an Andhra youth prepared a flag and took it to Gandhiji. It was made up of two colours-red and green-representing the two major communities i.e. Hindus and Muslims. Gandhiji suggested the addition of a white strip to represent the remaining communities of India and the spinning wheel to symbolise progress of the Nation.

The year 1931 was a landmark in the history of the flag. A resolution was passed adopting a tricolor flag as our national flag. This flag, the forbear of the present one, was saffron, white and green with Mahatma Gandhi's spinning wheel at the center. It was, however, clearly stated that it bore no communal significance and was to be interpreted thus.

On July 22, 1947, the Constituent Assembly adopted it as Free India National Flag. After the advent of Independence, the colours and their significance remained the same. Only the Dharma Charkha of Emperor Asoka was adopted in place of the spinning wheel as the emblem on the flag. Thus, the tricolour flag of the Congress Party eventually became the tricolour flag of Independent India.

Colours of the Flag:

In the national flag of India the top band is of Saffron colour, indicating the strength and courage of the country. The white middle band indicates peace and truth with Dharma Chakra. The last band is green in colour shows the fertility, growth and auspiciousness of the land.

The Chakra:

This Dharma Chakra depicted the "wheel of the law" in the Sarnath Lion Capital made by the 3rd-century BC Mauryan Emperor Ashoka. The chakra intends to show that there is life in movement and death in stagnation.

Flag Code

On 26th January 2002, the Indian flag code was modified and after several years of independence, the citizens of India were finally allowed to hoist the Indian flag over their homes, offices and factories on any day and not just National days as was the case earlier. Now Indians can proudly display the national flag any where and any time, as long as the provisions of the Flag Code are strictly followed to avoid any disrespect to the tricolour. For the sake of convenience, Flag Code of India, 2002, has been divided into three parts. Part I of the Code contains general description of the National Flag. Part II of the Code is devoted to the display of the National Flag by members of public, private organizations, educational institutions, etc. Part III of the Code relates to display of the National Flag by Central and State governments and their organisations and agencies.

There are some rules and regulations upon how to fly the flag, based on the 26 January 2002 legislation. These include the following:

The Do's:

• The National Flag may be hoisted in educational institutions (schools, colleges, sports camps, scout camps, etc.) to inspire respect for the Flag. An oath of allegiance has been included in the flag hoisting in schools.
• A member of public, a private organization or an educational institution may hoist/display the National Flag on all days and occasions, ceremonial or otherwise consistent with the dignity and honour of the National Flag.
• Section 2 of the new code accepts the right of all private citizens to fly the flag on their premises.

The Don'ts

• The flag cannot be used for communal gains, drapery, or clothes. As far as possible, it should be flown from sunrise to sunset, irrespective of the weather.
• The flag cannot be intentionally allowed to touch the ground or the floor or trail in water. It cannot be draped over the hood, top, and sides or back of vehicles, trains, boats or aircraft.
• No other flag or bunting can be placed higher than the flag. Also, no object, including flowers or garlands or emblems can be placed on or above the flag. The tricolour cannot be used as a festoon, rosette or bunting.

The Indian National Flag represents the hopes and aspirations of the people of India. It is the symbol of our national pride. Over the last five decades, several people including members of armed forces have ungrudgingly laid down their lives to keep the tricolour flying in its full glory.

MS Office - tricks

MS OFFICE TRICKS 1 Ctrl + Shift + A AllCaps Makes the selection all capitals (toggle) 2 Alt + Ctrl + 1 ApplyHeading1 Applies Heading 1 style to the selected text 3 Alt + Ctrl + 2 ApplyHeading2 Applies Heading 2 style to the selected text 4 Alt + Ctrl + 3 ApplyHeading3 Applies Heading 3 style to the selected text 5 Ctrl + Shift + L ApplyListBullet Applies List Bullet style to the selected text 6 Alt + F10 AppMaximize Enlarges the application window to ful| size 7 Alt + F5 AppRestore Restores the application window to normal size 8 Ctrl+B Bold Makes the selection bold (toggle) 9 Ctrl + PgDn BrowseNext Jump to the next browse object 10 Ctrl + PgUp BrowsePrev Jump to the previous browse object 11 Alt + Ctrl + Home BrowseSel Select the next/prev browse object 12 Esc Cancel Terminates an action 13 Ctrl+E CenterPara Centers the paragraph between the indents 14 Shift+F3 ChangeCase Changes the case of the letters in the selection 15 Left arrow CharLeft Moves the insertion point to the left one character 16 Shift + Left arrow CharLeftExtend Extends the selection to the left one character 17 Rt arrow CharRight Moves the insertion point to the right one character 18 Shift + Rt arrow CharRightExtend Extends the selection to the right one character 19 Alt + Shift + C ClosePane Closes the active window pane (if you are in Normal View and have, for example, the Footnote pane open) 20 Alt+Drag (or press Ctrl + Shift + F8 and drag, but Alt + Drag is far easier!) ColumnSelect Selects a columnar block of text 21 Ctrl +Shift+C CopyFormat Copies the formatting of the selection 22 Shift + F2 CopyText Makes a copy of the selection without using the clipboard (press Return to paste) 23 Alt + F3 CreateAutoText Adds an AutoText entry to the active template 24 Ctrl+ Backspace DeleteBackWord Deletes the previous word without putting it on the Clipboard 25 Ctrl + Del DeleteWord Deletes the next word without putting it on the Clipboard 26 Ctrl+W, Ctrl+F4 DocClose Prompts to save the document and then closes the active window. (But doesn't intercept the menu command) 27 Ctrl + F10 DocMaximize Enlarges the active window to ful| size 28 Ctrl + F7 DocMove Changes the position of the active window 29 Ctrl + F5 DocRestore Restores the window to normal size 30 Ctrl + F8 DocSize Changes the size of the active window 31 Alt + Ctrl + S DocSplit Splits the active window horizontally and then adjusts the split 32 Alt + Shift + F9 DoFieldClick Executes the action associated with macrobutton fields 33 Ctrl + Shift + D DoubleUnderline Double underlines the selection (toggle) 34 Alt R, G DrawGroup Groups the selected drawing objects 35 Alt R, I DrawSnapToGrid Sets up a grid for aligning drawing objects 36 Alt R, U DrawUngroup Ungroups the selected group of drawing objects 37 Ctrl+Shift+F5 (Or: Alt I, K) EditBookmark Brings up the bookmark dialog 38 Del EditClear Performs a forward delete or removes the selection without putting it on the Clipboard 39 Ctrl+C EditCopy Copies the selection and puts it on the Clipboard 40 Ctrl+X EditCut Cuts the selection and puts it on the Clipboard 41 Ctrl+F EditFind Finds the specified text or the specified formatting 42 F5, Ctrl+G EditGoTo Jumps to a specified place in the active document 43 Alt E, K EditLinks Allows links to be viewed, updated, opened, or removed 44 Ctrl+V EditPaste Inserts the Clipboard contents at the insertion point 45 Alt E, S EditPasteSpecial Inserts the Clipboard contents as a linked object, embedded object, or other format 46 Alt + Shift + Backspc EditRedo Redoes the last action that was undone 47 F4 EditRedoOrRepeat Repeats the last command, or redoes the last action that was undone (unfortunately, doesn't work for as many commands in Word 2000 as in Word 97 and below, but this is still one of Word's most useful shortcuts, if not the most useful) 48 Ctrl+H EditReplace Finds the specified text or the specified formatting and replaces it 49 Ctrl+A EditSelectAll Selects the entire document 50 Ctrl+Z EditUndo Reverses the last action 51 Alt + PageDn (to select to end of column, use Alt + Shift + PgDn) EndOfColumn Moves to the last cell in the current table column 52 Ctrl+Shift+End EndOfDocExtend Extends the selection to the end of the last line of the document 53 Ctrl+End EndOfDocument Moves the insertion point to the end of the last line of the document 54 End EndOfLine Moves the insertion point to the end of the current line 55 Shift+End EndOfLineExtend Extends the selection to the end of the current line 56 Alt+End EndOfRow Moves to the last cell in the current row 57 Alt + Ctrl + PgDn EndOfWindow Moves the insertion point to the end of the last visible line on the screen 58 Shift + Alt + Ctrl + PgDn EndOfWindowExtend Extends the selection to the end of the last visible line on the screen 59 F8 (press Esc to turn off) ExtendSelection Turns on extend selection mode and then expands the selection with the direction keys 60 Alt + F4 (<9>) FileCloseOrExit Closes the current document, or if no documents are open, quits Word. Horrible command, as it makes it a long winded business to quit Word. But there's a simple solution - assign Alt+F4 to FileExit instead. 61 Alt + F4 (Word 97) FileExit Quits Microsoft Word and prompts to save the documents (does intercept the menu item, but not the keyboard shortcut, or the x button. An AutoExit macro is usually a better way of intercepting this). 62 NOT Ctrl+N!! FileNew Creates a new document or template (brings up the dialog). Note that: Word pretends that Ctrl+N is assigned to FileNew but it isn't, it's assigned to FileNewDefault You can fix this in Word 2000 by assigning Ctrl+N to the FileNewDialog command. In Word 97 the only way to fix it is to create a macro called FileNew (to do this, press Alt + F8, type "FileNew" without the quotes and Click "Create". The macro will automatically contain the code needed to make it work). 63 Ctrl+N FileNewDefault Creates a new document based on the Normal template. 64 Ctrl+O FileOpen Opens an existing document or template 65 Alt F, U FilePageSetup Changes the page setup of the selected sections 66 Ctrl + P FilePrint Prints the active document (brings up the dialog) 67 Ctrl+F2 FilePrintPreview Displays ful| pages as they will be printed 68 Alt F, I FileProperties Shows the properties of the active document 69 Ctrl+S FileSave FileSave 70 Alt F, A (or F12) FileSaveAs Saves a copy of the document in a separate file (brings up the dialog) 71 Ctrl+Shift+F Font Activates the Fonts listbox on the formatting toolbar 72 Ctrl+Shift+P FontSizeSelect Activates the Font Size drop-down on the formatting toolbar 73 Alt + Ctrl + K FormatAutoFormat Automatically formats a document (or sometimes, automatically screws it up) 74 Alt O, B FormatBordersAndShading Changes the borders and shading of the selected paragraphs, table cells, and pictures 75 Alt O, E FormatChangeCase Changes the case of the letters in the selection 76 Alt O, C FormatColumns Changes the column format of the selected sections (brings up the dialog) 77 Alt O, D FormatDropCap Formats the first character of current paragraph as a dropped capital (must select it first) 78 Ctrl+D FormatFont Brings up the Format + Font dialog 79 Alt + Shift + R FormatHeaderFooterLink Links the current header/footer to the previous section (but does not intercept the button on the Header Footer toolbar) 80 Alt O, P FormatParagraph Brings up the Format Paragraph dialog 81 Alt O, S FormatStyle Applies, creates, or modifies styles 82 Alt O, T FormatTabs Brings up the Format Tabs dialog 83 Shift + F5 GoBack Returns to the previous insertion point (goes back to up to 3 points, then returns to where you started; this is one of the most useful shortcuts of them all. Also useful when opening a document, if you want to g straight to where you were last editing it) 84 Ctrl + > GrowFont Increases the font size of the selection 85 Ctrl + ] GrowFontOnePoint Increases the font size of the selection by one point 86 Ctrl + T (or drag the ruler) HangingIndent Increases the hanging indent 87 F1 Help Microsoft Word Help 88 Shift + F1 HelpTool Lets you get help on a command or screen region or examine text properties 89 Ctrl + Shift + H Hidden Makes the selection hidden text (toggle) 90 Click on it HyperlinkOpen Connect to a hyperlink's address 91 Ctrl + M (or drag the ruler) Indent Moves the left indent to the next tab stop 92 Alt + Ctrl + M (or Alt I, M) InsertAnnotation Inserts a comment 93 F3 InsertAutoText Replaces the name of the AutoText entry with its contents 94 Alt I, B InsertBreak Ends a page, column, or section at the insertion point 95 Alt I, C InsertCaption Inserts a caption above or below a selected object 96 Ctrl + Shift + Return InsertColumnBreak Inserts a column break at the insertion point 97 Alt + Shift + D InsertDateField Inserts a date field 98 Alt + Ctrl + D InsertEndnoteNow Inserts an endnote reference at the insertion point without displaying the dialog 99 Alt I, F InsertField Inserts a field in the active document 100 Ctrl+F9 InsertFieldChars Inserts an empty field with the enclosing field characters 101 Alt I, L InsertFile Inserts the text of another file into the active document 102 Alt I, N InsertFootnote Inserts a footnote or endnote reference at the insertion point 103 Alt + Ctrl + F InsertFootnoteNow Inserts a footnote reference at the insertion point without displaying the dialog 104 Ctrl + K InsertHyperlink Insert Hyperlink 105 Alt I, D InsertIndexAndTables Inserts an index or a table of contents, figures, or authorities into the document 106 Alt + Ctrl + L InsertListNumField Inserts a ListNum Field 107 Alt + Shift + F InsertMergeField Brings up a dialog to insert a mail merge field at the insertion point. (It does not intercept the button on the Mail merge. toolbar) 108 Ctrl + Return InsertPageBreak Inserts a page break at the insertion point 109 Alt + Shift + P InsertPageField Inserts a page number field 110 Ctrl + Shift + F3 InsertSpike Empties the spike AutoText entry and inserts all of its contents into the document 111 Alt + Shift + T InsertTimeField Inserts a time field 112 Ctrl + I Italic Makes the selection italic (toggle) 113 Ctrl + J JustifyPara Aligns the paragraph at both the left and the right indent 114 Ctrl + L LeftPara Aligns the paragraph at the left indent 115 Down arrow LineDown Moves the insertion point down one line 116 Shift + down arrow LineDownExtend Extends the selection down one line 117 Up arrow LineUp Moves the insertion point up one line 118 Shift + up arrow LineUpExtend Extends the selection up one line 119 Ctrl + F11 LockFields Locks the selected fields to prevent updating 120 Alt + Shift + K MailMergeCheck Checks for errors in a mail merge 121 Alt+Shift+E MailMergeEditDataSource Lets you edit a mail merge data source 122 Alt + Shift + N MailMergeToDoc Collects the results of the mail merge in a document 123 Alt Shift + M MailMergeToPrinter Sends the results of the mail merge to the printer 124 Alt + Shift + I MarkCitation Marks the text you want to include in the table of authorities 125 Alt + Shift + X MarkIndexEntry Marks the text you want to include in the index 126 Alt + Shift + O MarkTableOfContentsEntry Inserts a TC field (but it is far better to use Heading Styles to generate your Table of Contents instead) 127 Alt or F10 MenuMode Makes the menu bar active 128 Alt + Shift + F11 MicrosoftScriptEditor Starts or switches to Microsoft Development Environment application, allowing you to view the HTML/XML source code that would be behind the document if it were in .htm format (or that is behind it if it already is in .htm format). 129 Alt + Ctrl + F1 MicrosoftSystemInfo Execute the Microsoft System Info application 130 F2 MoveText Moves the selection to a specified location without using the clipboard (press Return to execute the more) 131 Tab NextCell Moves to the next table cell 132 F11 NextField Moves to the next field 133 Alt + F7 NextMisspelling Find next spelling error 134 Alt + down arrow NextObject Moves to the next object on the page 135 Ctrl + F6 NextWindow Switches to the next document window, equivalent to selecting a document from the Window menu. 136 Ctrl+Shift+N NormalStyle Applies the Normal style 137 Ctrl + 0 OpenOrCloseUpPara Sets or removes extra spacing above the selected paragraph 138 F6 OtherPane Switches to another window pane in Normal View (for instance, if you have if you have a Footnotes pane open in Normal view and want to switch to the main document and back without closing the pane). 139 Alt + _ OutlineCollapse Collapses an Outline in Outline View by one level 140 Alt+Shift+rt arrow OutlineDemote Demotes the selected paragraphs one heading level 141 Alt + + OutlineExpand Expands an Outline in Outline View by one level 142 Alt+Shift+down arrow OutlineMoveDown Moves the selection below the next item in the outline 143 Alt+Shift+up arrow OutlineMoveUp Moves the selection above the previous item in the outline 144 Alt+Shift+left arrow OutlinePromote Promotes the selected paragraphs one heading level 145 Alt + Shift + L OutlineShowFirstLine Toggles between showing the first line of each paragraph only or showing all of the body text in the outline 146 Ins Overtype Toggles the typing mode between replacing and inserting 147 PgDn PageDown Moves the insertion point and document display to the next screen of text 148 Shift+ PgDn PageDownExtend Extends the selection and changes the document display to the next screen of text 149 PgUp PageUp Moves the insertion point and document display to the previous screen of text 150 Shift + PgUp PageUpExtend Extends the selection and changes the document display to the previous screen of text 151 Ctrl + down arrow ParaDown Moves the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph 152 Shift + Ctrl + down arrow ParaDownExtend Extends the selection to the beginning of the next paragraph 153 Ctrl + up arrow ParaUp Moves the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph 154 Shift + Ctrl + up arrow ParaUpExtend Extends the selection to the beginning of the previous paragraph 155 Ctrl+Shift+V PasteFormat Applies the previously copied formatting to selection 156 Shift + Tab PrevCell Moves to the previous table cell 157 Shift + F11 PrevField Moves to the previous field 158 Alt + up arrow PrevObject Moves to the previous object on the page 159 Ctrl + Shift + F6 PrevWindow Switches back to the previous document window 160 Sfift+F4 RepeatFind Repeats Go To or Find to find the next occurrence 161 Ctrl+Spacebar ResetChar Makes the selection the default character format of the applied style 162 Ctrl+Q ResetPara Makes the selection the default paragraph format of the applied style 163 Ctrl +R RightPara Aligns the paragraph at the right indent 164 Ctrl + * ShowAll Shows/hides all nonprinting characters 165 Alt + Shift + A ShowAllHeadings Displays all of the heading levels and the body text in Outline View 166 Ctrl + < ShrinkFont Decreases the font size of the selection 167 Ctrl + [ ShrinkFontOnePoint Decreases the font size of the selection by one point 168 Ctrl + Shift + K SmallCaps Makes the selection small capitals (toggle) 169 Ctrl + 1 SpacePara1 Sets the line spacing to single space 170 Ctrl + 5 SpacePara15 Sets the line spacing to one-and-one-half space 171 Ctrl + 2 SpacePara2 Sets the line spacing to double space 172 Ctrl + F3 Spike Deletes the selection and adds it to the "Spike" AutoText entry (which allows you to move text and graphics from nonadjacent locations) 173 Alt + PgUp StartOfColumn Moves to the first cell in the current column 174 Ctrl+Shift+Home StartOfDocExtend Extends the selection to the beginning of the first line of the document 175 Ctrl +Home StartOfDocument Moves the insertion point to the beginning of the first line of the document 176 Home StartOfLine Moves the insertion point to the beginning of the current line 177 Shift+Home StartOfLineExtend Extends the selection to the beginning of the current line 178 Alt+Home StartOfRow Moves to the first cell in the current row 179 Alt+Ctrl+PgUp StartOfWindow Moves the insertion point to the beginning of the first visible line on the screen 180 Shift+ Alt+Ctrl+PgUp StartOfWindowExtend Extends the selection to the beginning of the first visible line on the screen 181 Strl + Shift + S Style Activates the Style drop-down on the Formatting toolbar 182 Ctrl + = Subscript Makes the selection subscript (toggle) 183 Ctrl + + Superscript Makes the selection superscript (toggle) 184 Ctrl + Shift + Q SymbolFont Applies the Symbol font to the selection 185 Alt A, F TableAutoFormat Applies a set of formatting to a table 186 Alt A, H TableHeadings Toggles table headings attribute on and off 187 Alt + click (Alt + drag to select several) TableSelectColumn Selects the current column in a table 188 Click in left margin TableSelectRow Selects the current row in a table 189 Alt + double-click TableSelectTable Selects an entire table 190 Alt + Ctrl + U TableUpdateAutoFormat Updates the table formatting to match the applied Table Autoformat settings 191 Shift + F9 (Alt + F9 toggles all field codes on or off) ToggleFieldDisplay Shows the field codes or the results for the selection (toggle) 192 Alt T, C ToolsCustomize Allows you to customizes the Word user interface (menus, keyboard and toolbars) and store the customizations in a template (defaults to Normal.dot, so be careful!) 193 Alt + F8 ToolsMacro Runs, creates, deletes, or revises a macro 194 F7 ToolsProofing Checks the spelling and grammar in the active document 195 Ctr.l + Shift + E ToolsRevisionMarksToggle Toggles track changes for the active document 196 Shift + F7 ToolsThesaurus Finds a synonym for the selected word 197 Ctrl+U Underline Formats the selection with a continuous underline (toggle) 198 Ctrl + Shift + T (or drag the ruler) UnHang Decreases the hanging indent 199 Ctrl + Shift + M (or drag the ruler) UnIndent Moves the left indent to the previous tab stop 200 Ctrl+Shift+F9 UnlinkFields Permanently replaces the field codes with the results 201 Ctrl + Shift + F11 UnlockFields Unlocks the selected fields for updating 202 F9 UpdateFields Updates and displays the results of the selected fields 203 Ctrl + Shiift + F7 UpdateSource Copies the modified text of a linked file back to its source file 204 Hover over comment ViewAnnotations Show or hide the comment pane 205 Dbl-click the endnote reference ViewEndnoteArea If in Normal View, opens a pane for viewing and editing the endnote (toggle). If in Page/Print Layout View, switches from the body text to the endnote or vice versa 206 At + F9 ViewFieldCodes Shows the field codes or results for all fields (toggle) 207 Dbl-click the footnote reference ViewFootnoteArea If in Normal View, opens a pane for viewing and editing the footnote (toggle). If in Page/Print Layout View, switches from the body text to the footnote or vice versa. 208 Alt V, F ViewFootnotes If in Normal View, opens a pane for viewing and editing footnotes and endnotes (toggle). If in Page/Print Layout View, switches from the body text to the footnotes/endnotes or vice versa. 209 Alt V, H ViewHeader Displays header in page layout view 210 Alt V, N (or Alt + Ctrl + N) ViewNormal Changes the editing view to normal view 211 Alt V, O (or Alt + Ctrl + O) ViewOutline Displays a document's outline 212 Alt V, P (or Alt + Ctrl + P) ViewPage Displays the page more-or-less as it will be printed, and allows editing (In Word 2000 the menu item is called Print Layout, but fortunately the command hasn't changed. 213 Alt + F11 ViewVBCode Shows the VB editing environment (Tools + Macro + Visual Basic Editor) 214 Alt + left arrow WebGoBack Backward hyperlink (useful if you clicked on a page number hyperlink in the table of contents and then want to return to the TOC) 215 Alt + rt arrow WebGoForward Forward hyperlink 216 Alt W, A WindowArrangeAll Arranges windows as non-overlapping tiles 217 Ctrl + left arrow WordLeft Moves the insertion point to the left one word 218 Shift + Ctrl + left arrow WordLeftExtend Extends the selection to the left one word 219 Ctrl + rt arrow WordRight Moves the insertion point to the right one word 220 Shift + Ctrl + rt arrow WordRightExtend Extends the selection to the right one word 221 Ctrl + Shift + W WordUnderline Underlines the words but not the spaces in the selection (toggle)

Know more about Moles

      A skin mole is a spot on the skin that is usually round or oval in shape. The skin mole can be small or large, and it may range in color from pink, brown, red, or black. The single skin mole is referred to in medical terms as a nevus. When one is discussing moles in the plural form, they are called nevi. Virtually everyone has at least a few moles. Statistically one will find between 10-50 moles on the body. The skin mole can occur on any part of the body.
Most moles are simply the result of a harmless proliferation of the pigment cells within the deeper layer of the skin.
  
     We are all born with all the moles we will ever have. Many of them are not visible at birth but will darken as one ages. A skin mole is called by a collection of cells named melanocytes . These are present throughout the skin and are a part of skin pigmentation. When melanocytes occur in cluster formations they result in the eventual appearance of a skin mole.
A skin mole may be flat or it may be raised. Some will sprout a few hairs, which is normal. Unsightly moles can be removed. Usually, since the skin mole is so common, people do not have one removed unless the mole is quite large. A skin mole can be removed using several different methods, and depending on the size of the mole, may result in some scarring.
Common methods of removing a skin mole are surgical, either standard or laser, and through depositing acid on the mole to burn away the tissue. Surgical removal of a skin mole may be conducted in three ways.
The surgeon can remove the visible layers of the mole with a scalpel, and then dig out the remaining melanocytes with the scalpel. He or she may also use a scalpel to take off the top layer, and then use an electric needle to destroy the tissue beneath the surface. A procedure called cryosurgery applies liquid nitrogen to the mole, which essentially freezes off the mole. Laser surgery uses directed laser pulses to destroy the skin mole. Cryosurgery and Laser surgery tend to result in minimal scarring, but the size of the mole influences eventual scarring from any of the procedures.
Over the counter herbal mixtures and acids may also be used to remove a skin mole. These may result in more scarring, and some of the claims of herbal preparations are dubious. It is also important to be certain that the mole you are removing is a regular mole and not skin cancer, since these preparations will probably not remove all layers of the mole.

Who is at risk?

The presence of moles will not cause you serious problems. But large numbers, more than 25, are an indication of susceptibility to melanoma. So you should take great care about exposure to sunlight.
If there is a family history of malignant melanoma, you should be particularly vigilant about changing moles.

What are the symptoms of malignancy?

• The mole is itchy and painful.
• Increased size or an increasingly irregular appearance, especially at the edges.
• A change in colour, particularly if the mole gets darker or becomes mottled.
• Spontaneously bleeding.
• Satellite pigmented lesions.

How is Malignancy diagnosed?     Although most changes in the size, shape and colour of moles are due to a benign, non-cancerous increase in number of pigment cells, any mole that looks unusual should be examined.
Your doctor will probably request information on recent changes to the mole along with a family history to assess your risk.
   If only mild changes are found, your doctor will usually only need to take a clinical photograph of it. The mole's appearance may be reviewed in a later appointment.
But if your doctor is concerned you will be referred to a plastic surgeon or a dermatologist, who may perform an excision biopsy.

Good Advice Avoid unnecessary exposure to sunlight, particularly during the two hours on either side of midday when the sun’s rays are strongest, and avoid getting sunburn.
Keep covered up in sunlight and apply sunscreen on exposed skin.
Examine your moles regularly and get someone to check those you cannot see.

Efest Level 2 Results

Efest Level 2 Results are Published .

Click here to see the Results

Recharging Batteries

Maple Electric

     Our future technology could be powered by an unusual source of energy.

Research by scientists at the University of Washington have discovered more good reasons to hug trees.

     The bioelectric properties of trees are a natural source of energy to power electronic circuits. This source of power could be used to recharge our gadgets.

Small amounts of voltage are generated in trees but a voltage booster designed at the University generated a 1.1 volt from maple trees.

     Because of the constant advances in electronics our smart phones require less and less power, so the voltage from trees is now a viable source for recharging our batteries.

New Inventions

Some New Inventions - It's Useful or not ?

Solar-powered motorcycle

      One look at these photos and you know this motorcycle is in the concept stage as I cannot remember seeing any of these on the road.
      This is the SunRed solar-powered motorcycle that won the Best Innovative Technology award at the Barcelona Int’l Auto Show, this does look pretty cool and anything that is good to the environment and can be classed as gadget or latest technology is good in my books.
          This SunRed project in the near future will result in a life-size prototype of the solar-powered motorcycle, the prototype will be able to store electrical power from captured sunlight and power the motorcycle in the most environmentally-friendly way.
         The clamshell looking motorcycle is built that way to optimize the panel’s surface and to make the vehicle not too bulky. The SunRed solar-powered motorcycle is not moving it can store energy for up to 20km (13 miles) and travel at around 50km/h (30 mph).

         Most modern electric bikes are designed in the same way as the motor on this solar-powered motorcycle; it is placed right in the axle of the wheel and brushless.
Now we got to remember this vehicle designed by SunRed is just a concept, but the company hopes that this will become a benchmark for future developments of solar applications in different vehicles.

Study Abroad

        Living abroad helps people expand their experiences and also their minds, according to an international study into the link between moving to another country and creativity.
The research, published by the American Psychological Association, consisted of five studies involving students at Paris' Sorbonne University, at INSEAD, a business school with campuses in France and Singapore and at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in the United States.
       Researchers said that although the studies show a strong relationship between living abroad and creativity, they do not prove that living abroad and adapting to a new culture actually cause people to be more creative.
"This research may have something to say about the increasing impact of globalization on the world, a fact that has been hammered home by the recent financial crisis," said the study's lead author, William Maddux, assistant professor of organizational behavior at INSEAD.
        "Knowing that experiences abroad are critical for creative output makes study abroad programs and job assignments in other countries that much more important, especially for people and companies that put a premium on creativity and innovation."
In one study, MBA students at the Kellogg School were asked to solve the Duncker candle problem, a classic test of creative insight in which individuals are presented with three objects on a table placed next to a cardboard wall: a candle, a pack of matches and a box of tacks.
       The task is to attach the candle to the wall so that the candle burns properly and does not drip wax on the table or the floor and the correct solution involves using the empty box of tacks as a candleholder, and then tack it to the wall.
The solution is considered a measure of creative insight because it involves the ability to see objects as performing different functions from what is typical and the results showed that the longer students had spent living abroad, the more likely they were to come up with the solution.
       The findings appear in the May issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, published by the American Psychological Association.

Water Availability and Climate Change

Presently there are evidences in India indicating the real occurrence of impact from climate change scenario. Drought in Bihar , extreme daily rainfall in UP, Mumbai, and the Nilgris, and again floods in UP, Haryana and Delhi , danger level crossing of flood water in Yamuna river were some worth mentioning examples for such impact that were noticed during South west monsoon of 2010 in India.

All along in the past, it is observed that there was either delay in onset or early withdrawal of monsoon rainfall in India. But during 2010, there was overlapping between withdrawal of south west monsoon rainfall and onset of north east monsoon rainfall in India against the normal onset of north east monsoon rainfall by 20^th October with ± one STD from the mean. Further the withdrawal of north east monsoon prolonged beyond January, 2011 during cold weather period and it gives speculation that something is happened in the atmosphere. Because of accumulation of green house gases in the atmosphere, the atmosphere is presently under confusion and this is universal, since there is no political boundary for atmosphere.

This type of confusion persists permanently aggressively; it would affect the annual water availability of India, which is presently 400 Mham. This will trigger the existing surface water conflict between different States of India still further.

The understanding drawn from the above statements reveal that every water molecule received from a single rain drop must be conserved for future use and also the available existing water molecules must be rationally used in order to keep the sustainability of food security, though there is no head and tail for hydrological cycle. I feel that the average per capita water availability in India will decline < 2000 CUm³ in the coming years.

Water is used in India for three purposes in a major way. viz., 85 per cent for agriculture and the remaining 15 per cent for domestic and industries requirements.

Population gets increased to 121 crores as per latest census(2011) and this would add pressure on drinking water requirement further and this additional quantity must be diverted from agriculture. Further existing and new industries may also require more water for their industrial increased production and also to treat their effluents to keep environment clean. This activity also would demand more water and this share also must come from agriculture. Both domestic and industrial water demand put together would be around 25 per cent (5 and20 percent respectively for domestic and industry). This will reduce water availability to agriculture to 60 per cent.

Under this context the water problem to agriculture must be well addressed in order to provide food security to every Indian citizen through the following strategies;

• Water budgeting and crop planning must be carried out at village level by the community themselves with external support from extension side
• Popularization of Systems of Rice Intensification(SRI) for irrigated rice
• Encouraging aerobic rice, where SRI is not possible to execute
• Establishing water bank at village level(enhancing water availability and efficient use of water)
• All dry land areas must be brought under watershed development
• Renovation water body structures at village level
• On-farm testing of irrigation at critical stages of crop growth of food crops and recommendation based on the results obtained to the users
• Popularization of best practices identified from community for the economic use of water for irrigation and extrapolation to akin areas.
• River linking in different phases—Intra state, inter states, between south India, between North India, between west India, between east India and within in India