The city of Varanasi is still referred to as 'Kashi' the name it has always had. The name Varanasi is a more recent one if you consider the fact that the name 'Kashi'is mentioned in the Rig Veda taking us back to more than a few thousand years.The name 'Varanasi' is believed to have its origins in the presence of the two rivers Varuna and Assi or Asi which flow through this region. Locally Va
Chandraprabha Wildlife Sanctuary near Varanasi
A lot of travelers are often heard complaining that there is nothing more to Varanasi than the temples and the river Ganga. And for those who are less bothered about their 'spiritual awakening' the city may tend to become a sort of spiritual overdose. Fortunately though the region around Varanasi is rich in natural beauty and offers a welcome break.Wildlife enthusiasts and nature lovers need no
Top Ten Places You Must See in Varanasi
1 Varanasi Ghats The ghats on the banks of the river Ganges are the soul of Varanasi. The ghats are virtually the kaleidoscope of belief customs and traditions that constitute the philiosphy that is Varanasi. There are 84 ghats in number huge rectangular stairs that lead to the river edge. Some of them were built as early as the 12 century while others have a more recent origin..2 Kashi Vish
The Most Famous Temples in Varanasi
There are probably very few street corners in Varanasi where you wouldn't find a temple dedicated to one of the Hindu dieties. Often referred as the city of temples Varanasi is home to some very revered temples that were built centuries ago. In general the older the temple the larger is the number of devotees who throng there.Every temple has its own history and each one of these temples is re
Around the World in 42 days Day 16 Rome
Day Sixteen28 February 2010Location RomeHotel Hotel ApolloThe 16th day of our trip started late and finished early. We ended up sleeping quite late into the morning and rising slowly as by this point we were both running on empty. Just about every day of the trip had been jampacked full of activities and our motivation was definitely waning. Given that we had no actual agenda for Rome we thou
Around the World in 42 days Day 17 Rome
Day Seventeen1 March 2010Location RomeHotel Hotel ApolloOur final day in Rome dawned and once again we were in no hurry to start the day. Even though this was our final day in Rome we felt we had seen most of the sights that we had come to see and only had one major sight to visit Vatican City.You canrsquot come to Rome and not visit Vatican City. The sovereign city and home of the Pope s
Around the World in 42 days Day 18 Rome London Miami and Orlando
Day Eighteen2 March 2010Location Rome London Miami and OrlandoHotel Hotel Apollo Pop Century Resort Walt Disney WorldNote No Photo's this day as we were just stuck on flights all day long. Sorry Folks I would like to start this blog by saying that I awoke early in order to prepare for our departure but unfortunately I cannot. I was unable to get more than an hourrsquos sleep during the
Royal Botanical Garden of Edinburgh
I remembered exploring the Royal Botanical Garden of Edinburgh several years ago and talked about it to Mark. He agreed to visit there on 18 May. The weather forecast sounded unsettled so we carried umbrellas. The extensive roadworks for tram lines caused a lot of chaos to traffic and public transport. We walked further on Hanover Street to catch the bus for the Botanical Garden. Mark found the s
I should probably stay up later than 9pm
It's 630 in the morning and I've been up for over 2 12 hours Darn jet lag. I've been watching videos about English Grammar trying to freshen up my skills before training starts tomorrow. So this is the deal If you fail the basic knowledge and skills test you are not hired and therefore unemployed in a foreign country with no money to buy a ticket home. Ha ha let's hope this does NOT happen
Running of the Bulls
I am really excited about my upcoming trip to Pamplona Spain. I have been there a couple time to participate in the Running of the Bulls during San Fermin. The last time I went it was one the best times of my life. Everything about Pamplona is cool especially the people and food. I also found great deals about hotels apartments and bull fighting tickets at httpwww.PamplonaHousing.com. T
Some facts about Easter Island
Rapa Nui is an island that is shaped like a triangle in each corner of the triangle there is an extinct volcano. The whole island covers around 120 square kilometres. The only urban area on the island is Hanga Roa and almost all 4500 inhabitants of the island live there.Rapa Nui is about 2000km far from its nearest neigbour island which would be Pitcairn. In addition it is about 3700km to the
swollen arms and overused brain
Today i woke up to the uh uh feeling. I did not want to actually get out of bed not quite sure why normally i think ooo yay the sooner i get out of bed the sooner i can get back into it for my nap D but not this morning. Surprising too since it was a beautifully sunny day but anyway i finally got up about 20 min after my first alarm which is also rare for me to use the snooze and got ready
Rain leaves its mark on Azalea Trail events – KLTV
Rain leaves its mark on Azalea Trail events KLTV If you see news happening, upload your video or photos here! More>> By Sara Story - bio | email TYLER, TX (KLTV) - Today's downpour drenched a few of this ... |
Get Those Eggs Ready!
A depiction of the equinox. Credit: Wikipedia
Tomorrow At 17:32 UTC (13:32 EDT) the tilt of the Earth on its axis is such that it is not noticeably tilted north or south. This means folks at a given latitude in both the northern and southern hemisphere will get the same amount of daylight.
For those of us in more northerly latitudes it also marks the beginning of spring — YAY!
More importantly, tomorrow you will be able to balance an egg on its large end!! Ok so you can also do that any other day of the year. For some reason that equinox myth makes the rounds this time of year, sorry, there is nothing special about eggs and equinoxes.
You might think the equinox means equal amounts of day and night, but this is usually not the case. The term for either of the two days in a year of equal 12 hr days and nights (or as close as it is possible to get) is an equilux. Typically they are labeled the Vernal or Autumnal Equilux.
Want to check the date of your equilux? Click here. Mine is March 18, 2010.
So there you go, oh and if you are disappointed to find out there is nothing special about eggs on the equinox, here’s a tip that might save you some embarrassment in a couple weeks on April Fools Day: You can tell if an egg is hard boiled or not by simply spinning it. A hard boiled egg will spin nicely and a raw egg will not. Try it.
The 3D Invisibity Cloak: It’s Real, But It’s Really Tiny | 80beats
It’s become one of our favorite rituals: Researchers come out with a paper pushing the science of invisibility cloaks a little further, inspiring everyone to go giddy with visions of Harry Potter and Romulan Warbirds. This week’s study in Science is another small step, but it’s a crucial one. Scientists in Germany have created the first rudimentary “invisibility cloak” in 3D.
Invisibility cloak mania started in 2006, when a Duke University team created the technology to bend light waves around an object; since the tiny object neither absorbed nor reflected the experiment’s microwaves, it was essentially “cloaked.” (The researchers used microwaves instead of visible light because microwaves have longer wavelengths, and are therefore easier to control.) The invisibility excitement struck again two years later when researchers refined their technique to hide a nanoscale object from visible light waves.
Now, researchers have created a cloak that not only works in infrared light wavelengths that are close to humans’ visual range, but also in 3D, too. Previous devices have been able to hide objects from light travelling in only one direction; viewed from any other angle, the object would remain visible [BBC News].
The team from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology didn’t exactly make the Statue of Liberty disappear. The “bump” made invisible is a spot in a layer of gold that’s 0.00004 inches high by 0.00005 inches wide. That hasn’t dampened lead researcher Tolga Ergin’s excitement, though. “In principle, the cloak design is completely scalable; there is no limit to it,” Ergin said. Developing the fabrication technology so that the crystals were smaller could “lead to much larger cloaks” [The Independent].
The sci-fi kind of cloaking will be harder to achieve, since visible wavelengths of light are shorter than infrared and thus harder to control. But Ergin’s 3D cloak is another step toward humanity’s ultimate dream: not being bothered by other humans.
Related Content:
DISCOVER: How to Build an Invisibility Cloak
DISCOVER: Invisibility Becomes More Than Just a Fantasy
80beats: New Version of Invisibility Moves Closer to Visual Cloaking
80beats: Light-Bending Scientists Take a Step Closer to Invisibility
Image: Science/AAAS
Weird and wonderful ISS image | Bad Astronomy
Over at The Planetary Society Blog, Emily has posted this bizarre image of the International Space Station, taken by another satellite in the radio part of the electromagnetic spectrum. If you want the whole story, then click it and see what she wrote!
Is the Force With Your iPhone? Find Out With the Lightsaber Duel App | Discoblog
Geeks across the galaxy, rejoice! Soon you’ll be able to release your inner Jedi and vanquish evil forces with your iPhone–or rather with the new “Star Wars: Lightsaber Duel” app, due to be released next month.
The new dueling app builds on an existing iPhone app, “Lightsaber Unleashed,” which was a one-person game that turned your screen into a glowing lightsaber, and made an official-sounding “whoosh” as you brandished your phone. But the new app is a two-geek affair that promises to enhance your lightsaber experience.
If you and a friend both have the app, you’ll be able to use Bluetooth to duel with one another–although it isn’t yet clear how the app declares a victor. Advertisements for the new app also declare that it will feature 11 new characters from the Star Wars series, which presumably means that you can decide whose lightsaber you want to wield, and whether you swear allegiance to the Rebel Alliance or the Dark Side.
Plus, for the many people who think lightsaber duels are pointless without dramatic accompanying music, here’s some news. The app has thoughtfully provided a selection of music to pick from as you duke it out.
THQ Wireless, the makers of Lightsaber Duel have also ramped up the graphics and animations and hope to have the product ready by April. There’s still no word yet on how much it would cost to download. The previous app was free.
Related Content:
Discoblog: Weird iPhone Apps, a compendium
Science Not Fiction: Star Wars: Taking “A Long Time Ago” Very Seriously
Bad Astronomy: Star Wars: The Old Republic
Science Not Fiction: The Return Of…Chad Vader
Science Not Fiction: If You Wait Long Enough, There *Is* Sound in Space
Image: THQ Wireless
Bluefin Tuna Is Still on the Menu: Trade Ban Fails at International Summit | 80beats
On Monday, we reported that the United States and the European Union were spearheading an effort to ban the international trade of bluefin tuna at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Now that the week is ending, so are the hopes for the proposal that could have protected the vanishing fish. It failed by a wide margin, thanks largely to the diplomatic efforts of Japan.
Japan consumes around three-quarters of the globe’s bluefin tuna catch, with almost all of it served raw as sushi and sashimi, of which it is the most sought-after variety [Christian Science Monitor]. It can be an expensive delicacy there. In addition, the transformation of sushi from a luxury dish to a cheap food available at the corner store seems to be one of the factors that has led to quickly diminishing tuna stocks. The Japanese government, while acknowledging that the species is in danger, pledged to defeat the proposal or else opt out of complying with it.
At CITES, Japan rallied developing nations and fishing industry nations against the ban, and Libya called a committee vote that quashed the proposal before it even reached a vote in the full session. Privately, European diplomats expressed frustration that Japan, which consumes 80 per cent of the bluefin tuna caught, was able to cement opposition to the ban while the EU’s 27 member states were thrashing out their internal disputes [Financial Times]. The Christian Science Monitor, however, interviewed Japanese residents who say the fact that the bluefin is getting more attention than other troubled fish is partly because of building anti-Japan sentiment, pointing to the Toyota public shaming and the controversy connected to the documentary The Cove, which shone the spotlight on an annual dolphin hunt.
CITES meets every two or three years. Before this year’s meeting is out, the organization must vote on the proposal by Tanzania and Zambia to open up trade in elephant ivory. A ban on polar bear trade that the United States proposed already went down in flames. Finally, a proposal that simply called for more research into the illegal shark trade, in which fins are harvested for shark fin soup while the rest of the animal is left to rot, was also defeated.
Related Content:
80beats: Is Ivory Season Starting, Just As Tuna Season’s Ending?
80beats:Scientists Say Ban Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Trade–and Sushi Chefs Shudder
80beats: DNA Forensics Traces Sharks Killed for Their Fins
80beats: Human Appetite for Sharks Pushes Many Toward Extinction
80beats: Documentary on Endangered Bluefin Tuna Reels in Sushi Joints & Celebrities
80beats: Elephant-Lovers Worry About Controversial Ivory Auctions in Africa
Image: Wikimedia Commons
This Week in Semen News: Ejaculate Wars & Glowing Sperm | 80beats
In leafcutter ants and honeybees, it’s survival of the fittest sperm. Biologist Boris Baer, for a study out this week in Science, investigated these two species because of their peculiar sexual practices: In one day, the queen acquires all the sperm she’ll need to fertilize her eggs over the course of her lifetime. But in the race to be the top genetics-spreader, the males have evolved a dirty trick. Their seminal fluids actually do battle within the female’s reproductive tract.
To test out the idea, Baer and colleagues exposed the sperm of the bee and ant males to their own seminal fluid, and also to that of other males of the same species. The seminal fluid killed more than 50 per cent of the rival sperm within 15 minutes. “The males seemed to use the seminal fluid to harm the sperm,” says Baer [New Scientist]. When the team studied other organisms whose lifestyle didn’t depend on this kind of polyandry, they didn’t see the same effect.
However, in an interesting twist, it turns out that the queen is onto these devious males. In her sperm storage area, the spermatheca, the queen has a fluid she can deploy at the time of her choosing to put a stop to the seminal competition. “We basically show that there are two wars going on at the same time,” says Dr Baer. “The male would actually like to kill sperm from other males, but the female has other ideas” [Australian Broadcasting Corporation]. Baer suspects that she lets the competition run on long enough to eliminate the weakest candidates, then halts it before too much has been destroyed.
Given that we humans aren’t the most faithful lot, is it possible that we evolved something similar? Unlikely. “To my knowledge women do not copulate with 90 mates in half an hour, so whether there is much room that this has evolved in humans as well, I have my doubts,” says Baer [New Scientist].
And if you haven’t had your fill of sperm news, fear not—there’s more. Baer’s team studied semen warfare in the lab, but in a separate Science study, researchers show that they could observe it happening inside the insect, thanks to glowing sperm. While scientists first created such a thing a decade ago, now Scott Pitnick says his team has found a way to track them in real time. “It turns out that they [the sperm] are constantly on the move within the female’s specialised sperm-storage organs and exhibit surprisingly complex behaviour,” Prof Pitnick said. “It far exceeds our expectations, in that we can essentially track the fate of every sperm the female receives” [BBC News].
Related Content:
DISCOVER: The Most Incredible Things Ants Can Do (photo gallery)
DISCOVER: Sperm Cells Demonstrate Some Brotherly Solidarity
80beats: Revealed: The Secret of the Sperm’s Wild Dash to the Egg
Discoblog: In Competitive Sex, Male Butterflies Employ “Dipstick Method”
Image: Wikimedia Commons / Christian R. Linder
Barnstorming the final frontier | Bad Astronomy
In the first part of this post, Researching at the edge of space, I talked about the scientific frontier about to be opened up by suborbital flights up to 100 km (62 miles) above the Earth’s surface. The possibilities for science are exciting… but at the meeting I attended about these rockets, there was something else going on. And as interesting as the science involved with this will be, there was something bigger on everyone’s mind. At the meeting, the electricity about it was palpable, and it was obvious what it was.
We are at the very threshold of easy, inexpensive access for humans to space.
At $200,000, a flight to the edge of space is cheap. That’s well within the budget for a lot of people on this planet. Not me personally (dagnappit) but I know people who can afford that. And hundreds of human beings across the world have signed up.
This isn’t make believe. No, this is quite real. So real, in fact, that Alan Stern and Dan Durda, both friends of mine, both astronomers, and both men with their eyes firmly planted on the skies, created this video. You really, really need to see this.
They also have a followup video about the training of the first class of citizen astronauts as well.
Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic will probably be the first company to launch private citizens into space. They have already sold 300 seats and have deposited $39 million in advance sales! At the meeting, Steven Attenborough with VG said that they expect Space Ship 2 to do a "drop test" (literally be hoisted up to 50,000 feet and dropped by an airplane for a test landing) in the fall of 2010, and undergo its first power tests by the end of the year.
Humans will then be loaded up and sent into space in 2011. That’s next year.
People always lament that we’re past the year 2000 and we still don’t have flying cars. Personally, I don’t trust 95% of the people driving on the ground, let alone in the air. But it doesn’t matter, because the future is here. It’s now. Next year, people will be flying into space. Into space.
This is beyond cool. This is fantastic!
No, scratch that. The base root of that word is fantasy, and this is as real as it gets. While a lot of people have been whining about how the future never comes, my friends and a lot of others will soon be strapping themselves into rockets and making the dreams of Asimov, Heinlein, Clarke, and millions of others come true.
Per ardua ad astra. Hodie.
