Saturday, February 28, 2009

Tasty easy-to-make Indian recipes

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Tasty, quick, and easy-to-prepare Indian recipes.

ITEM ONE. Multicolor puffed rice mix

Ingredients:

Puffed rice half kg.
Finely chopped coriander leaves 3 tablespoonfuls.
Grated carrot ¼ cups.
Finely chopped onion ¼ cups.
Boiled groundnuts 20 grams.
Lemon juice (from one big lemon)

How to prepare?

Mix coriander leaves, onion, grated carrot, and pre boiled groundnuts with one teaspoon of salt in a bowel. Add puffed rice, lemon juice and mix well. Serve instantly.

ITEM TWO Sweet Rice Flakes.



Ingredients:

1. Rice flakes ¼ kg.
2. Grated coconut ½ cups.
3. Powdered jaggery ¼ cups.
4. Cardamom powder one pinch.

How to prepare?

Wash and soak rice flakes for 15 minutes. Add grated coconut, powdered jaggery and cardamom powder and mix well. Keep it aside for 10 minutes. Serve this yummy dish in a bowel.

Images: Google

Tasty and quick-to-make Indian recipes

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Tasty, quick, and easy-to-prepare Indian recipes.

1. Multicolor puffed rice mix

Ingredients:

Puffed rice half kg.
Finely chopped coriander leaves 3 tablespoonfuls.
Grated carrot ¼ cups.
Finely chopped onion ¼ cups.
Boiled groundnuts 20 grams.
Lemon juice (from one big lemon)

How to prepare?

Mix coriander leaves, onion, grated carrot, and pre boiled groundnuts with one teaspoon of salt in a bowel. Add puffed rice, lemon juice and mix well. Serve instantly.

2. Sweet Rice Flakes.

Ingredients:

1. Rice flakes ¼ kg.
2. Grated coconut ½ cups.
3. Powdered jaggery ¼ cups.
4. Cardamom powder one pinch.

How to prepare?

Wash and soak rice flakes for 15 minutes. Add grated coconut, powdered jaggery and cardamom powder and mix well. Keep it aside for 10 minutes. Serve this yummy dish in a bowl.

Images: Google

Friday, February 27, 2009

Prehistoric fish fossil find in Australia

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Fish fossil points to origin of sex.



Yes, study of the 365 million-year-old prehistoric placoderm fish fossil from western Australia provides enough clues to the origin of sex. A pregnant fish fossil, the placoderm armor-plated variety that vanished from earth long back had a five-centimeter-long embryo. This embryo was earlier believed to be the remains of a meal by London's Natural History Museum, but now it is reported to be tiny bones of a young fish from two adult species of arthrodires (Incisoscutum ritchiei) in the womb of its mother. This finding now leads the scientists to believe that this fish might have reproduced by internal fertilization as against the earlier belief among the scientists that this placoderm created babies by mixing sperm and eggs in water. Reproduction, internal fertilization and live births had occurred often and earlier than previously thought. The pelvic fins of the fish had large claspers, which are intermittent erectile organs to assist the male to grip the female during mating. In most vertebrates including humans, the pelvic girdle supports the hind legs, but in fish it supports the pelvic fin, which helps stabilize them in the water. Placoderms are among the most primitive jawed vertebrates; they became extinct by the end of the Devonian or the “The Age of Fish” succeeded in evolution by the tetrapods.
Another live birth of a placoderm fossil from the Gogo formation of western Australia was reported last year.




Source: BBC News


Image: BBC News

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Antarctica's mountain peaks

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What the Russian scientists had discovered 50 years ago has now been mapped by teams of experts from Australia, Britain, Canada, China, Japan, Germany, and the US.

Yes, the first detailed maps of the Gamburtsev subglacial mountain in the East Antarctica are now available. These maps do confirm these mountains as similar to the Alps in Europe with high peaks and valleys. Dr. Fausto Ferraccioli from the British Survey Team notes interesting findings. The team feels that the peaks might have formed quickly burying Antarctic landscape up to four kilometers.

This team also discovered water under the Antarctic ice by flying 120,000 km by two survey aircraft. Rugged terrain with deeply etched valleys and peaks were also traced by them. These mountains and peaks are the size of the Alps in Europe.

The team used two survey aircraft fitted with special sensors and spent six weeks under minus 30C temperature to get an exciting 3D picture of these peaks. Some of these peaks are as tall as Mont Blanc. They hope to get more information about climate change from these studies on the Gamburtsev range in East Antarctica.

The Antarctica, which is covered with ice for more than 35 million years is bigger than America. The ice in Antarctica is capable of raising world sea levels by 57 meters if at all it melted. Imagine the damage if even a fraction of this ice melts due to global warming.

The data collected by the survey team seems to suggest the presence of vast aquatic system of lakes and rivers under the Antarctic ice sheets. Just as mountain ranges are formed due to collision between continents, the Antarctica too undergone such force about 500 million years ago while the Alps are much, much younger at 50 or 60 million years or so!

Source: Times of India, February 26, 2009
Image: Google

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Phuket Museum and its Beaches

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The Sea Shell Museum and the Beaches of Phuket, Thailand.

A wonderful beach and a wonderful sea shell museum with more than 2000 different kinds of shells.

The museum on Viset Road near Rawai Beach boasts of a collection of more than 2000 unique species of sea shells. Some of the major attractions preserved here are the turban shells, vase shells, the only left-handed Noble Volute, the giant clams, the 380-million-year-old fossils as well as rare golden pearls. Real effort for over 40 years by the Patamakanthin brothers has gone into these collections.

The Phuket Beach has different locations to go. The Patong Beach, Kata and Karon Beach, Bang Tio Bay, Kamala Beach, Laem Singh Panwa, and Rawai are some of the numerous sightseeing spots there. The smallest beach is the Kata Beach, which is different in appearance and style from other beaches in around and is broad and curving. The 9 kilometers of deserted beach Mai Khao has little tourist business as this is a protected beach under the care of the Sirinat National Park where sea turtles lay eggs. While summer is good for in this beach, the rainy season brings high waves.
There are many more beaches in Phuket, Thailand. More information can be had by visiting infor@phukettourism.com
From: The Hindu, February 25, 2009
Image: Google


Saturday, February 21, 2009

Human evolution

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Study on Neanderthals by German and US researchers.

Evolutionary process reveals only 1% difference in the genetic makeup between man and chimpanzee. It is further down to 0.5% with Neanderthals, a hominid species. This is the finding by the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany and the 454 Life Sciences Corporation in Branford, Connecticut under Prof. Svante Paabo. While mitochondrial DNA of the Neanderthals analyzed in 1997 failed to place the Neanderthals as our ancestors, the study did show that they were our closest ancestors separated some 6,00,000 years ago and evolved separately. The mitochondrial DNA lies outside the nucleus of a cell and can be preserved longer than nuclear DNA. Some of the genes studied are more than 38,000 years old. One billion DNA fragments were obtained from three Croatian fossils by a novel method.

The DNA studies also show that the Neanderthals and the humans share common gene linked to language ability. Genes involving language and speech were found in the Neanderthal man suggesting their ability to talk. The DNA showed no ability to drink milk. Common cognition genes are also a possibility. Other studies reveal that human brain holds at least one Neanderthal gene. Some Neanderthals were probably redheads.

The study also concentrates on the gene flow between Neanderthals and the Europeans. No findings have ben reported from Africa.
Source: The Hindu, February 19, 2009
Image: Google

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

First carbon-free polar station

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A zero-emission polar research station, carbon-free opened in Antarctica on February 15, 2009. Hailed by scientists all over the world, this kindles hopes of viable alternative energy even in the coldest region on the earth. This station built by Belgium called the Princess Elisabeth draws renewable natural wind and solar power for its needs, which cost nothing at all. Of course problems such as designing installations to survive extreme cold, and winter darkness have to be encountered in the process, but the scientists are hopeful about that too. It is claimed that solar panels on the Antarctic Peninsula can collect as much energy in a year as many places in Europe.

Yes, green power is a feasibility to be considered seriously especially in the light of the ongoing damage by global warming from greenhouse emissions. If we can build such a station in Antarctica, we can do that elsewhere at more congenial places on the earth to save the earth from further global warming.

The present polar station in Antarctica is a steel-encased station and uses micro-organisms and decomposition that helps researchers to re-use shower and toilet water up to five times before ultimately dumping it in a crevasse. Wind tunnels installed on the Utsteinen mountain ridge and the solar panels on bug-like three-story building supply the most essential power and hot water. Even its window designs contribute to energy conservation.

Jean Pascal van Ypersele, vice-chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, said failure to reduce emissions by 50 to 85 percent by the middle of this century could be catastrophic. "Globally we will be in a temperature increase zone that the earth has not known for the past two to three million years," he said

Here is a warning for all of us from the scientists monitoring global warming. Higher global temperatures result in faster melting of the Antarctica, which is the world’s largest repository of fresh water thus raising sea levels and altering shorelines. Let each one of us become fully aware of this danger and save Mother Earth for our progeny. Let us save the earth for future generations.

Source: Times of India, February 17, 2009

Tongue Twisters

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A Tongue Twister is a phrase in any language that is intentionally designed to be difficult to articulate.

Here are some:

Shy Shelly says she shall sew sheets.

Six sick slick slim sycamore saplings.

Three free throws.

A skunk sat on a stump and thunk the stump stunk,
but the stump thunk the skunk stunk.

Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.

A big bug bit the beetle, but the little beetle bit the big buck back.

Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear. Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair. Fuzzy Wuzzy was not even fuzzy, was he?

A flea and a fly flew up in a flue.
Said the flea, "Let us fly!"
Said the fly, "Let us flee!"
So they flew through a flaw in the flue

A sailor went to sea to see what he could see. Al he could see was sea, sea, sea.

If two witches were watching two watches, which witch would watch which watch?

If you notice this notice, you will notice that this notice is not worth noticing.

I thought a thought, but the thought I thought wasn’t the thought I thought. If the thought I thought I thought had been the though I thought, I wouldn’t have thought so much.

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, where is the peck of pickled peppers that Peter Piper picked?

She sells sea shells by the sea shore.
The shells she sells are surely seashells.
So if she sells shells on the seashore,
I'm sure she sells seashore shells.

Lesser leather never weathered wetter weather better.


Source: Various
Images: Google

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Centenary of a great nuclear physicist

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Homi Jehanghir Bhabha the great Indian scientist and innovator.

Born on October 30, 1909, this is the birth centenary year of this great Indian scientist. A great Indian nuclear physicist of Parsi-Zoroastrian heritage, he is truly the father of India’s atomic energy program.

His days at the Cambridge University where he gained sufficient exposure to high-quality experiential work on the structure and properties of matter at the Cavendish Laboratory prompted him to pursue further research in this area. His main philosophy was that fundamental research was the backbone of creativity. He dwelt mainly on two branches of science, one radio astronomy and the other molecular biology.

Dr. Bhabha developed Science and Technology (S&T). His rapport with Nehru provided the necessary impetus to the growth of this field. His efforts saw several developments at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) such as the Technical Physics Division, the Electronics Division, and the Health and Safety Groups related to radiation use; these units all flourish well today and enjoy international recognition. He nucleated, supported and multiplied nuclear programs relevant to India. His main driving philosophy was that economics alone should not decide future programs and repeatedly stressed an indigenous self-reliant nuclear program.

He also emphasized a lot on the need to expand research and development in applied areas like chemical engineering, metallurgy and reprocessing as also the need for pilot plant studies. He invited the best talents from the universities and proved excellent hand-on experience to them in laboratories. Very often, he would overrule the decisions of the bureaucracy in order to maintain quality.

He was also very keen on the social needs and hence he emphasized on the basic amenities like housing, educational facilities, transportation, etc. The Anushakthi complex, the Kalpakkam complex and multiple housing units under the Department of Atomic Energy bear testimonial to his efforts in these areas. He can verily be called a scientific administrator, a social reformer and a diplomat. He was also a musician and a painter.

He died prematurely in an Air India Boeing 707 air crash near Mont Blanc on January 24, 1966 while heading to Vienna. The Bhabha Atomic Research Center is named after him.
Source: Times of India, February 14, 2009
Image: Google
Source

Top-earning couple of Hollywood

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Top-earning couples of Hollywood

A study of the romantic pairs on-screen appearing in at least two films over the last 20 years reveals interesting revelations going by the box office results. This list is brought out by Forbes.

The top position in the list goes to Peter Parker and Mary Jane also called Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunset. Their three movies for the Spider Man netted a grand $2.5 million, the most lucrative film franchise so far.

Coming next are Leonardo DeCaprio and Kate Winslet, the couple that had won the hearts of the moviegoers in the Titanic, which everyone knows grossed 1.8 billion in box office revenues.

Interestingly, the study reveals a downtrend in fiscal facts as regards box office grosses from a whopping $110 million in 2003 to as low as $44 million in 2008.
The findings also reveal that while about 300 romantic comedies produced since 1995 earned an average of $26 million, action films earned an average of $53 million out of 445 moves during the same period since 1995, which makes one wonder if the romantic comedies are losing their sheen in the glamorous cine world. The romantic comedies are really hard to get now-a-days as compared to the incredibly large number of such films of 40s and 50s.
Continuing on the same trend of sliding grosses cartoon films, Good Luck Chuck produced in 2008 earned on $59 million world-wide, which indicates a trend towards cruder punch and higher returns.


Source: Yahoo news
Images: Google

Friday, February 13, 2009

First-ever cloned buffalo by India

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World’s first cloned buffalo.

Yes, India created the first ever cloned buffalo on February 6, 2009. This feat was achieved by the scientists at the National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal in Haryana in India. Named Samrupa, this cloned buffalo survived only for five days and died of pneumonia on February 12, 2009. The scientists are expecting two more cloned buffalos, one in May and the other in June of this year. India thus occupies an enviable place in the world of cloning mammals.

Samrupa’s mother is from the Murrah breed, a breed that gives 35 kg of milk a day. The cloning was by a simpler but more advanced method called the Hand-guided Cloning Technique, which is claimed to be less time-consuming requiring much less skill and equipment, the scientists of the Karnal Institute say.

The female eggs for this cloning were matured in-vitro in a lab and cleansed, and somatic cells from the ear of the donor buffalo was electrofused with the occytes, then grown in a laboratory for a week and the embryo was then transferred to the recipient buffalo for cloning the calf of desired gender. The surrogate mother delivered Samrupa in two months.

Normally one buffalo delivers one offspring every year, but by cloning, more calves are possible and at shorter periods too.

Of note, a wild mountain goat, the Pyrenean Ibex declared extinct in 2000 in Spain recently, but unfortunately this too died of pneumonia shortly after birth.

Source: Times of India
Images: Googles

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Titanoboa Cerrejonensis snake

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New discoveries of fossils throw more light on the evolution of life on the earth. The latest in the series is the stunning discovery of the fossilized remains of the greatest snake that is believed to have roamed the earth some 60 million years ago! . They snacked on crocodiles! This was found in the Cerrejon's mine.

This snake, a boa-like behemoth called Titanoboa existed in the tropical rainforests of Columbia. Judged by its vertebra, this snake is estimated to have weighed between 703 kg and 2.03 tonnes and measured in length in the range of 10.64-15 meters. Experts say that these snakes survived at a time when the earth's temperature was six to eight degrees warmer than it is today. This means that the tropical rainforests thus could exist safely at higher temperatures, which is a new finding indeed. Looks like the effects of global warming on todays' ecology warrant more accurate and/or corrective studies in the light of this great discovery.

What has Jonathan Block, the paleontologist at the University of Florida to say about this snake? He says the snake that tried to eat Jennifer Lopez in the movie Anaconda is smaller than the latest find.
The photo shows the vertebra of the snake.

Source: Times of India, February 7, 2009
Images: Google

Costliest cricketeers

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Kevin Pieterson and Andrews Flintoff of England are the most expensive players in the Twenty20Indian Premier League having won record contracts at the pre-season auction in Goa on Friday, the 6th of February, 2009. They have pledged 10% of their potential IPL feeds to Hampshire and Lancashire. This trend is likely to continue and improve in future matches.

Pieterson was acquired by the Bangalore Royal Challengers of Vijay mallya for $1.5 million while Flintoff signed up with Chennai Super Kings for the same figure.

All the 17 slots were filled up in just two hours.

Several other cricketeers also improved significantly in this auction.


The biggest question doing the rounds is, where is the so-called recession the whole world suffers from?


Source; Times of India, February 7, 2009
Images: Google

Friday, February 6, 2009

Pay for your pillows in flights

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Pillows and blanket in the air are going to be costly.

Yes, the American airlines are going to charge $7 for blankets and pillows to offset the recession damages. This is in tune with their ongoing policy of “pay for what you choose and use.” The sleep kit consists of a fleece blanket, a neck pillow, eye shades, foam ear plugs, and a $10 off coupon for Skymall cataloge items. The sleeping kit is not available on the US Airways Express.



Source: Yahoo News, February 6, 2009
Images: Google

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Cloned puppies of South Korea

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Two puppies have been cloned through fat stem cells from a Beagle donor by a South Korean company, which claims this is the world’s first such cloning of puppies using stem cells from fat tissues. This was achieved by the South Korean firm RNL Bio, which claims that this is an easier and more efficient method of cloning.


Source: The Hindu, February 5, 2009
Image: Google

Wellness tips

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Heart-friendly or aerobic exercises are walking, jogging, wagging, swimming, dancing cycling, skiing, rowing, and walking on treadmill. Such exercises are more efficient and give oxygen-rich blood to the muscles.

Heart unfriendly or anaerobic exercises are weightlifting and isometric contractions like pushup. Such exercises build muscles and do not require oxygen.

HOW TO DO EXERCISES?

Follow the three simple phases of exercise, which are warmup, exercise, and cool down phases. These are, warm up for five to 10 minutes before beginning the exercises, tehn begin the exercises with gentle stretching of the muscles to be followed by rigorous exercises for about 20 to 30 minutes. Then cool down phase follows next for about five to ten minutes. While on aerobic exercises, the blood vessels dilate to allow for more blood flow while in coo down phase, the heart and the vessels resume their normal state.

Exercises increase good cholesterol and decreases bad cholesterol. There is a healthy increase in various vasodilators like prostaglandins 1 and nitric acids, and healthy reduction in prostaglandins F2 alpha and norepinephrine, which prevents blood clotting and improves hypocoagulation state.

Exercises improve joint flexibility, bone density, muscle tone, skin elasticity, metabolism, release of various hormones.

Is it not interesting to know that 30 minutes of exercise helps you live longer.

Source: Times of India, January 29, 2009.
Images: Googles

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Snow leopard

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The upper Himlayan regions as you know are most rugged and hostile for ordinary lives because of mountain ridges and inhospitable vast expanses with extreme cold climate. But the beautiful Snow Leopard is a happy inhabitant there.

Thick grey-colored fur and the broken spot markings merge well with the nature around. Its movement and hunting are facilitated by the short limbs and powerful paws, The long tail helps to keep its nose warm; it also balances during steep climbing. This tail is about one meter long, or almost equal to the length of its remaining body.

Destruction of its habitat, poaching for its beautiful fur coat and killing by shepherds go on unchecked, and as a result, their number is fast dwindling leading to potential extinction if unchecked. There are roughly between 5000 and 7000 snow leopards are alive in a vast area of their habitat of two million square miles spread over in Central Asia and the Himalayas.

In India, which is one of the important countries for this snow leopard, about 200 to 600 snow leopards are noted in the Himalayan range. Efforts are on to enhance their safety and welfare with good government support in the form of Project Snow Leopard similar to earlier projects like Project Tiger and Project Elephant.


their life pattenr and

Doggy diaper

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Yes, now imported into India from the US and China, these diapers commonly called Poochie Pants cost around Rs. 1200 for a pack of 11 available in sizes XXXS and XXS for small dogs like the Rotweller, German Shepherd, Saint Bernard, and the Great Dane. Females have traditional baby diapers, male dogs, who mark their territory use belly bands.

Want to say bye to messy car seats because of pet dogs? Then go and get pet diapers.

Car owners feel much relieved. No more wet or messy seats.

Though not recommended by the vets, these diapers are becoming more and more popular going by the demand-curve, their demands coming mostly from apartment residents.

These diapers are most useful for dogs with incontinence, physically handicapped dogs, dogs that have undergone surgery, and easily excitable dogs.

A warning about puppies chewing on disposable diapers is sounded by knowledgeable people.

These diapers are showcased on the Internet by the American and Chinese manufacaturers.

Source: Times of India February 4,2009
Images: Google

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Nonggang babbler

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NEW BIRD SPECIES FOUND

Ornithologists in China have found a new species of the fist-sized babbler bird, a dark brown bird with white specks on its chest. They initially found it in 2005 and have since declared it an undescribed species. It is named Nonggang babbler or Stachyris nonggangensis referring to the Chinese region where it was found. A formal description was published last year in the Auk, which is the journal of the Virginia-based American Ornithologists’ Union.

This bird was also found in the southwestern China’s Guangxi in December 2008.

This bird resembles a wren-babbler as it prefers running to flying and spends most of its time on the ground. About 100 numbers of this species have been identified so far in the natural reserves of southwestern China. Ornithologists are looking for these birds in the northern Vietnam where similar habitat exists.

Some more new species of birds are also expected to be found in China.

A WARNING! The fragility of the karst ecosystem an its destruction by man are the great threats to the bird’s existence.

Source: Times of India February 3, 2009

Monday, February 2, 2009

Extinct Animal Resurrected

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EXTINCT ANIMAL RESURRECTED BACK TO LIFE.

The Pyrenean ibex was declared extinct in 2000 after the death of its last member in 2000, but before its death, scientists obtained and preserved its skin samples in liquid nitrogen, and from this they have now resurrected this extinct animal for the first time. The animal preferred a rocky mountaneous habitat and was one of Europes' most striking wild animals.

The scientists from Spain used the DNA from these skin samples and successfully replaced the genetic materials in eggs from domestic goats to clone a female Pyrenean ibex or bucardo as they are called. Unfortunately the infant ibex died shortly after birth due to defective lungs, but hopes are now high that endangered species can well be cloned and saved from extinction. Jose Folch from the Center of Food Technology and Research of Aragon in northern Spain says that cloning is the only way to save the species from extinction.

The Pyrenean ibex was common in the 19th century, but ruthless hunting reduced its population to less than 100. They were subsequently declared protected in 1973, but by 1981, only 30 of them were alive in their last foothold in the Ordesa National Park in Spain. And lo, the last bucardo, a 13-year-old female was found in January 2000 by the park rangers with its skull crushed. A cruel murder indeed!

Folch and his team had earlier taken tissue samples from her ear for cryopreservation. By nuclear transfer technique, DNA from the tissue were transplanted into the eggs taken from domestic goats to create 439 embryos of which 57 were implanted into surrogate females, but only seven of the embryos resulted in pregnancies, and finally one female bucardo was born, which died within seven minutes due to lung problems due to flaws in DNA.

Interestingly a number of similar projects to store tissue and DNA from endangered species. The Zoological Society of London and the Natural History Museum are involved in these projects.

Source: Times of India February 2, 2009
Image: Google

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Evolution of Lord Nataraj

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EVOLUTION OF NATARAJA

The dancing god is known as Nataraja in Southern India, Nateshwara, Nritteshwa, Natakeswara, and Bhairvara Narteshwara in Eastern India, Bangladesh, and the Far East like Cambodia and Vietnam.

When Buddhism started declining, Lord Shiva as a prime deity gained prominence. Various attributes were added to the Pashupathi of the pre-historic times. Ashoka’s time refers to him as Adinatha. Attributes like Rudra and Agni were added to the Lord during the Sunga period. Agni is considered to be the bull, which is Shiva’s Nandi.

Lord Shiva came to be depicted as a dancing Lord during the time of scholar Bharata from Kashmir (2 BC to 2 AD). Excavations from the Sunga age reveal Shiva as aVeena Dakshinamoorthy, which means a teacher of performing arts including dance.

Terracotta from the Gupta period found in Gaya revealed Lord Shiva with flying tresses and digambara body with a sword as also the subsequent excavations from Guna and Kosh in Madhya Pradesh repeat the same styles, but the Nataraja sculptures at Nalanda (Gupta period) show elongated ears and a modest “jata”.

Excavations from 5th to 8th centuries AD in Bengal, Orissa, Madhyra Pradesh, and Rajasthan do not reveal the flowing Ganga or the crescent moon unlike sculptures from subsequent excavations. Slow buildup of Nataraja’s accessories is worth noticing.

Several arms were added to Nataraja by the 6th century as revealed from excavations from Orissa, Bengal, and Karnataka (Badami and Aihole). The arms carry serpent in the two upper arms. The other hands show objects like damaru, kapala, akashmala, kartri, trishoola, and a ball of fire.

Movement of saints from Kashmir to the south in the 6th century AD had its impact in the images in the south also.

This is an interesting study of excavations over a long period of time, but the Lord Dance denotes the essence of the Indian philosophy of the cycle of creation and the eternal soul.


Source: The Hindu February 1, 2009
Images: Google

"The Dom" of Berlin

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“The Dom” of BERLIN

The Dom, the largest Protestant church in Germany, and among the largest in Europe is important can be seen just at the beginning of the street called Unter den Linden (Under the Lime Trees). Several lime trees line up this street in the middle and many places on the sides with leaves in green, yellow, gold, and burnished copper according to the season. These trees are barely 50 years old, the earlier trees having been damaged by bombing or by cutting them down for firewood for the war winters.

Source: THe HIndu February 1,2009
Images: Google

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