Uses of Cucumbers That You Hardly Know...

Fruits is an important food to maintain our health. Fruits account for a substantial fraction of the world's agricultural output, and some have acquired extensive cultural and symbolic meanings. One of such fruit is cucumber which is a widely cultivated plant in the gourd family Cucurbitaceae. It was originated in India and usually contains more than 90% water. It is being used for different purpose as it can be eaten raw or cooked. With so many health benefits it becomes one of the most important parts of food diet as well as skin diet. There are lots of benefits of cucumber but here we bring you 13 rarely known uses of it. Take a look...


1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.

2. Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.

3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.

4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.

5. Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!

6. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!!

7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers have been used for centuries and often used by European trappers, traders and explores for quick meals to thwart off starvation.

8. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don't have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.

9. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!

10. Stressed out and don't have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber will react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown to reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.

11. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don't have gum or mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.

12. Looking for a'green'way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but is won't leave streaks and won't harm you fingers or fingernails while you clean.

13. Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!

10 Amazing Facts About Dreams

Dreams are successions of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. The content and purpose of dreams are not definitively understood, though they have been a topic of scientific speculation, as well as a subject of philosophical and religious interest, throughout recorded history. So, let's see some interesting facts about the dream...

Pencil versus camera


Pencil versus camera: Belgian artist is at it again with mind-bending blend of art and reality


http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6209/6139424662_e546e10f12.jpg

  • Ben Heine, 28, crosses the fine line between art and reality by blending photographs with his own pencil sketches
  • A randy rabbit, a beat-boxing sparrow and a woman trapped in her own nightmare are among his bizarre imaginings
  • He ensures his hand is visible in every picture - to represent the connection between viewer, artist and artwork
  • Ben, who studied journalism but now works as a full time artist in Brussels, has used locations worldwide

दुनिया के अंत की घोषणा


रहस्य-रोमान्च: दुनिया के विनाश की एक और चेतावनी

अभी तक केवल माया कैलेंडर ही दिसंबर 2012 में दुनिया के अंत की घोषणा कर रहा था, लेकिन क्या आप जानते हैं कि अब वैज्ञानिकों के हाथ एक ऐसा लेख मिला है जिसने एक बार फिर दुनिया के विनाश की तरफ इशारा किया है। 

आज से लगभग 1300 वर्ष लिखे गए ये शब्द माया सभ्यता से ही संबंध रखते हैं। ग्वाटेमाला की ला कोरोना स्थल पर मिला ये शब्द स्पष्ट बता रहे हैं कि 21 दिसंबर, 2012 के दिन दुनिया का विनाश तय है। विनाश की घोषणा के साथ-साथ ये वाक्य प्राचीन राजनीतिक इतिहास के बारे में हैरतंगेज जानकारी देते प्रतीत होते हैं। 

मई 2012 में एक विशेषज्ञ ने सबसे पहली बार ग्वाटेमाला के ला कोरोना इलाके में एक सीढ़ी पर लिखे माया सभ्यता के इन वाक्यों का पता लगाया था, जिसमें यह साफ लिखा गया है कि दुनिया का अंत करीब है और 21 दिसंबर प्रलय का दिन होगा। 

इतिहासकारों का मानना है कि जब माया सभ्यता का सबसे ताकतवर राजा युकनूम इस स्थान पर आया था तब उसके स्वागत के लिए इस सीढ़ी का निर्माण किया गया था। युकनूम को बाद में टिकाल नाम के अपने विरोधी के हाथों हार का सामना करना पड़ा था। 

इससे पहले भी माया कैलेंडर दुनिया के विनाश की चेतावनी दे चुका है। इतिहासकारों का कहना है कि करीब 250 से 900 ईसा पूर्व माया नाम की एक प्राचीन सभ्यता स्थापित की गई जिस पर तिथियाँ निर्भर हैं। इस कैलेंडर में 21 दिसंबर, 2012 के बाद का कोई भी दिन उल्लेखित नहीं है। माया कैलेंडर के अनुसार 21 दिसंबर, 2012 के दिन एक ग्रह पृथ्वी से टकराएगा, यह टक्कर इतनी भयंकर होगी कि इससे पूरी धरती तबाह हो जाएगी। 

प्राचीन माया सभ्यता काल में गणित और खगोल के क्षेत्र में उल्लेखनीय विकास हुआ था। अपने इसी ज्ञान के आधार पर माया सभ्यता के लोगों ने इस कैलेंडर का निर्माण किया था। लोगों का यह विश्वास है कि उनके द्वारा बनाया गया कैलेंडर बहुत सटीक है कि वह आज के अत्याधुनिक कंप्यूटर की गणनाओं में 0.06 तक की कमी निकाल सकता है। माया कैलेंडर पर आधारित अब तक जितने भी आंकलन किए गए हैं सभी लगभग सच साबित हुए हैं। 

वर्ष 1915 में पहली बार शूलतुन के जंगलों में माया सभ्यता के एक मशहूर शहर के होने के बारे में पता चला था। चेम्बरलिन नाम के एक शोधार्थी ने 2010 में एक सुरंग से जाकर यहां कुछ भित्तिचित्रों के होने का पता लगाया जिसके बाद उनकी पूरी टीम इन सुरंगों की खुदाई में जुट गई। उन्होंने सदियों से गुमनामी के साये में खोए माया सभ्यता के इस प्राचीन शहर को ढूंढ़ निकाला। यह पूरा शहर 16 वर्गमील में फैला हुआ है और इसे पूरी तरह खोदकर बाहर निकालने के लिए अगले दो दशकों का समय भी कम है।

Top 10 Crazy Olympic Mascots


It’s Olympic season, which means only one thing: people dressed up in funny outfits. And that’s not referring to the athletes themselves. Ever since the first official mascot was unveiled in 1972 (‘Waldi’ the dachshund for the Munich Olympics in Germany), mascots have become a fundamental part of the Olympics; a crowd-pandering means to celebrate the hosting nation’s rich, historically-based sense of tradition, as well that of the Olympic games themselves. While that all sounds properly-motivated, sometimes the products of such overbearing enthusiasm aren’t quite as pleasant as the sentiment. And thus, here are ten of the craziest Olympic mascots to date.
10
Schneeman the Snowman
Innsbruk-19761
When Innsbruck, Austria hosted the 1976 winter Olympics, they needed a mascot that best represented their country as well as the chilly-season games, so they went with a stubby sort of snowman – who wears a Tyrolean, cowboy-looking hat – named Schneeman. He is, after all, supposed to represent what was referred to as the ‘Games of Simplicity.’ While Scheenman may indeed be categorically a snowman, he looks a lot more like one of the M&Ms mascots, with his torso-head hybrid and molded shoes/gloves where twigs and a large ball of snow should be.

Crescent Lake in Dunhuang China

Crescent lake also called Yueyaquan in Chinese is a beautiful crescent-shaped lake located 6 km south of the Dunhuang city in the arms of the Echoing-Sand Dune. The Crescent Lake's water is so pure and clear that it looks like an emerald jewel in the sand. Along the side of the Crescent Lake is a pagoda in traditional Han Chinese architecture. A street lined with souvenir stalls leads up from the entrance to the complex. Many tourists ride camels here, organized by the complex operators, to get to the summit of the sand dunes. The lake has been in existence for at least two thousands, but for the last few decades it has been gradually disappearing. According to measurement made in 1960, the average depth of the lake was 4 to 5 meters, with maximum depth 7.5 meters. In the early 1990s, the area of the lake had shrunken to only 1.37-acre (5,500 m2) with average depth of 0.9 meter (maximum 1.3 meter). Crescent Lake has dropped more than 25 feet in the last three decades while the underground water table elsewhere in the area has fallen by as much as 35 feet. In 2006, the local government with help of the central government started to fill the lake and restore its depth; its depth and size have been growing yearly since then.

Paintings_ By Bayram Salamov


Bayram Salamov is an Azerbaijani artist, born in 1965 in Azerbaidjan.
 
 

When Is the Internet Awake?


Internet by day, internet by night; everyone is on the internet at some point. Whether you’re a college student cramming for an exam with a Facebook study-break, or a middle-aged parent catching up on burning through some episodes of Lost, everyone’s got their own time of the day that they like to surf the world wide web. According to Bárd Edlund, as a whole, most of the internet is awake around 9 am EST. With this world clock he’s collected probability data for 25 countries accessing the internet at a given time of 24-hour day. The x axis describes the time of day by shade of gray (lighter being earlier in the day, and darker shades later in the night), while on the y axis shows the different countries via moon-like circles. The circle size describes the amount of people with internet broadband subscriptions.
This chart is only an rough guide though. Just because a country is awake doesn’t mean that they are necessarily online reading your tweets. It’s meant to be a way of thinking of how the world realizes their sleep schedules and how it could relate to internet surfing. So I guess it’s a good reason to have these posts available around 8 am after all. via

46 बार नाग दंश के बाद भी जीवित है छंगु


इसे अंध विश्वास कहें या जहरीले नाग से अधेड़ उम्र के छंगू लंबरदार की जन्मजात दुश्मनी, जहरीला नाग अब तक उसे 46 बार काट चुका है, लेकिन हरदम वह मौत के मुंह से बच निकलता है। जहरीले सांप के कहर से बचने के लिए वह हर साल नाग पंचमी को नागवंशीय रिवाज से नाग देवता की पूजा-अर्चना करता है, फिर भी उसे कोई राहत नहीं मिल रही। 

यह किसी फिल्म की कहानी नहीं, बल्कि उत्तर प्रदेश के बांदा जनपद के पनगरा गांव के शिवपुरा मजरे के रहने वाले 48 साल के छंगू लंबरदार उर्फ सिद्दीक खां की जिंदगी की हकीकत है। जब वह 25 साल का था, तब से एक जहरीला काला नाग उससे जाति दुश्मनी निभा रहा है। रात में देखा गया सपना, दिन में हकीकत में बदल जाता है और सरेआम नाग उसे तमाम लोग की मौजूदगी में खदेड़ कर काट लेता है। ताज्जुब की बात यह है कि सांप के जहर का असर किसी अस्पताल या अन्य गांव के ओझा कम नहीं कर पाते, सिर्फ उसके ननिहाल हुसैनपुर गांव का ओझा ही उसे होश में लाता है। 

खासियत यह है कि दूर-दराज के इलाके में सांप काट भी ले तो वह जब तक हुसैनपुर नहीं पहुँच जाता, उसे बेहोशी नहीं आती है। नाग और छंगू के बीच 23 साल से चली आ रही जंग के पीछे उसका भाई शफीका अंधविश्वास को कारण मानता है। शफीका बताता है कि उसके पिता को जमीन में गड़ा धन मिला था। छंगू ने जिद कर उस धन को खर्च करना चाहा। सांप ने सपने में मना किया, लेकिन वह नहीं माना। तब से यह नाग सपने में आने के बाद दिन में उसे काट चुका है। ऐसा अब तक 46 बार हो चुका है। 

वह बताता है कि सांप दूर-दराज इलाके में भी काटता है, पर ननिहाल हुसैनपुर पहुंचने तक जहर का उसके भाई पर कोई असर नहीं होता और अस्पताल या अन्य ओझा की झाड़-फूंक से ठीक नहीं होता, सिर्फ हुसैनपुर का एक ओझा ही ठीक करता है। उसने बताया कि शंकरगढ़ का सपेरा दिलनाथ दो बार घर से काला नाग पकड़ कर ले जा चुका है, फिर भी राहत नहीं मिली। वहीं छंगू लंबरदार बताता है कि अब वह सांप के काटने पर जरा भी भयभीत नहीं होता है, काटने से पहले सांप सपने में आता है। 

वह बताता है कि सपेरों की सलाह पर वह सोने का सांप बनवा कर इलाहाबाद के प्रयागराज संगम में बहा चुका है और पिछले पांच साल से पूरे परिवार के साथ पनगरा गांव में सपेरा नासिर खां के घर जाकर नागवंशीय रिवाज से दर्जनों जहरीले सांपों की प्रत्यक्ष पूजा-अर्चना करता है, ताकि सांप के कहर से छुटकारा मिल सके, फिर भी छुटकारा नहीं मिल रहा है। सांप पकड़ने में माहिर नासिर का कहना है कि सांप बदले की भावना से काटता है। हो सकता है, कभी उसने सांप पर हमला किया हो। इसमें अंधविश्वास जैसी कोई बात नहीं है।

विटामिन सप्लीमेंट्स के खतरे


एक नई स्टडी ने मेडिकल जगत समेत आम लोगों में हलचल मचा दी है। इसके मुताबिक अधिक मात्रा में विटामिन सप्लीमेंट्स सेहत के लिए अच्छे नहीं हैं। इन्हें खाने से पुरुषों में प्रोस्टेट कैंसर तो महिलाओं में ब्रेस्ट कैंसर की आशंका बढ़ जाती है।

 स्टडी में शामिल विशेषज्ञों के मुताबिक विटामिन सप्लीमेंट्स लेने के बजाय उनके प्राकृतिक स्रोत यानी फल-सब्जियों का सेवन करना ज्यादा सही है। अगर सप्लीमेंट्स लेने की जरूरत पड़े भी, तो विशेषज्ञ से सलाह-मशविरा के बाद बताई गई मात्रा में ही उनका सेवन करें।

विटामिन ए से फ्रैक्चर

दावा:विटामिन ए से दिल की बीमारियों की आशंका बढ़ जाती है। इसकी ज्यादा मात्रा से हिप फ्रैक्चर का खतरा भी बढ़ता है, खासकर महिलाओं में।
आधार: विटामिन ए के ज्यादा सेवन से शरीर द्वारा कैल्शियम को जज्ब करने की क्षमता प्रभावित होती है। इसका असर हड्डियों की सेहत पर पड़ता है।
जरूरी क्यों:विटामिन ए दृष्टि समेत शरीर के प्रतिरोधी तंत्र के लिए बहुत जरूरी है। ये ऊतकों को स्वस्थ रखता है। इसकी कमी से दृष्टिदोष बढ़ता है। बेहतर होगा बीटा केरोटिन युक्त मल्टीविटामिन खरीदें, जो एक ऑर्गेनिक कंपाउंड होता है।
प्राकृतिक स्रोत:गाजर, पालक, लाल मिर्च, टमाटर, नारंगी, आड़ू, अंडे और दुग्ध उत्पाद।
विटामिन बी 6 से अनिद्रा
दावा:विटामिन बी 6 का सेवन करने से न सिर्फ आधी रात को नींद खुल जाती है, बल्कि यह बेतरतीब सपनों का भी कारण है।
आधार: विटामिन बी 6 ट्रिप्टोफैन को सेरोटोनिन हार्मोन में बदलने में मदद करता है। यह हार्मोन नींद के चक्र को व्यवस्थित रखता है। इसके स्राव में गड़बड़ी से नींद की मात्रा में कमी आती है।
जरूरी क्यों: इसकी कमी से त्वचा, नाड़ी, म्यूकस मैंब्रेन और सकरुलेटरी सिस्टम प्रभावित होते हैं। ये ऊतकों के निर्माण के लिए भी जरूरी है।
प्राकृतिक स्रोत:पनीर, अंडे, मेवे, साबुत अनाज, बींस और फलीदार सब्जियां।
विटामिन सी से कैंसर
दावा:विटामिन सी के ज्यादा सेवन से डीएनए क्षतिग्रस्त होते हैं। इससे कैंसर और आर्थराइटिस की आशंका बढ़ती है।
आधार: 500 मिलीग्राम या इससे ज्यादा होने पर विटामिन सी प्रो-ऑक्सीडेंट बन जाता है। इससे कोशिकाएं क्षतिग्रस्त होती हैं।
जरूरी क्यों: शरीर में इसकी कमी से त्वचा से जुड़ी समस्याएं सामने आती हैं। यही नहीं, हार्ट अटैक समेत रक्त वाहिनियों से जुड़ी अन्य परेशानियां भी सामने आती हैं। थकान ज्यादा महसूस होती है और बीमारी जल्दी-जल्दी घेरती है।
प्राकृतिक स्रोत:अमरूद, किवी, पपीता, नींबू, नारंगी और स्ट्रॉबेरी।
विटामिन डी से किडनी पर असर
दावा: विटामिन डी की अधिक मात्रा से किडनी और उसके ऊतक क्षतिग्रस्त होते हैं। इससे फ्रैक्चर होने की आशंका बढ़ती है।
आधार: विटामिन डी की अधिकता से खून और पेशाब में कैल्शियम का स्तर बढ़ता है। इससे किडनी में स्टोन बनते हैं।
जरूरी क्यों: इसकी कमी स्ट्रोक की आशंका बढ़ाती है। शरीर सही तरीके से काम नहीं करता, हाई ब्लड प्रेशर, डायबिटीज और मोटापे की समस्या आ घेरती है। यही नहीं, इसकी कमी जोड़ों में दर्द देने समेत हड्डियों को कमजोर (ऑस्टियोपोरोसिस रोग) बनाती है।
विटामिन के से लिवर पर असर
दावा:विटामिन के कुछ एंटीऑक्सीडेंट्स के काम में रुकावट डालता है। इसके सेवन से कोशिकाएं क्षतिग्रस्त होने लगती हैं। ज्यादा मात्रा एनीमिया, पीलिया और खून पतला होने की आशंका बढ़ाती है।
आधार:खून में इसकी ज्यादा मात्रा से लाल रक्त कोशिकाएं टूटने लगती हैं। इसकी परिणति लिवर की समस्या के रूप में सामने आती है।
जरूरी क्यों:यह हड्डियों को मजबूती देने समेत खून को गाढ़ा बनाए रखता है। इसकी कमी से ऑस्टियोपोरोसिस और ब्लीडिंग होने लगती है।

Spectacular Granite Spires at Torres del Paine National Park


Torres del Paine or Towers of Paine are three massive granite pillars jutting out some 2,800 meters above the Patagonian steppe at South America's finest national park, 1,960 km south of the Chilean capital Santiago. These breathtaking spires are flanked by the summit of Paine Grande (3,050 m) and the sharp tusks of black sedimentary peaks known as Los Cuernos (The Horns). Aside from these spectacular granite spires and mountains of the massif that dominate the landscape, the national park also encompasses ridges, crags, glaciers, waterfalls, rivers, lakes and lagoons.
The centerpiece of the park is, of course, the three gigantic Towers of Paine. One of the earliest description of the area can be found in a book by Lady Florence Dixie published in 1880, where the British writer refered to the three towers as Cleopatra's Needles. She and her party were the first tourists to visit what is now called Torres del Paine National Park.
The Paine massif is actually a part of the eastern spur of the Andes located on the east side of the Grey Glacier, rising dramatically above the Patagonian steppe. The highest summit of the range is Cerro Paine Grande at an elevation of 2,884 m. The South Tower of Paine is about 2,500 m, while the Central Tower of Paine is about 2,460. There are other smaller summits including the Cuerno Principal, about 2,100 m, and Cerro Paine Chico at about 2,650 m.
Torres-del-Paine-9

World's First Solar Plant That Generates Power at Night

The new Gemasolar Power Plant near Seville in southern Spain is the world's first solar plant to have the capacity to generate electricity even at night. More than 2600 concentrically arranged mirrors spread across 185 hectares of rural land concentrate solar energy towards a centrally located molten nitrate salt tank. As the rays converge, they super-heat the salt to over 900C, causing water around the tank to boil and drive steam turbines. In addition, any superfluous heat generated during the day is stored within the liquefied salt. It acts like a giant thermal battery for driving the turbines at night and during overcast days up to 15 hours at a time with no sunlight. But Seville, being one of the sunniest areas in Europe, this does not happen very often.

Top 10 Olympic Games Firsts


With the London Olympics starting in about 10 hours, the five rings are jangling wildly in excitement. Every four years since 1896, the Olympic have gone on without fail, unsnuffed like the flame of that symbolic torch. Even amidst wars, civil rights tension, and various individual tragedies, the games have championed on, continuing to showcase the fittest our countries have to offer, and the fittest countries over all. For those overwhelmed by more pressing matters than javelins and pole vaults and relay races, these determined athletes provide a great source of inspiration and hope. But we didn’t always have such failsafe outlet in which to instill our pride. It, just like the human race, has come along way since its original inception. Here are ten Olympic firsts.
10
First Recorded Games
Wrestling
The first recorded games occurred in Olympia, Greece in 776 B.C. (they could have occurred earlier, but no other written record can account for anything otherwise). This was back in the Greece’s polytheistic days, where in which the games were held in honor of Zeus and also as test of human greatness. The ancient games were much different than today’s games as they were played only amongst the Greeks, mostly men. Also there were much fewer games–including pentathlons, running, wrestling, boxing, and myriad horse-riding events–and much more sacrificial slaughters of oxen. These paganistic games eventually came to a halt by a Christianity-imposing Thedosius I in 394 A.D.

Seeds Under Microscope


seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. Seeds have been an important development in the reproduction and spread of flowering plants, relative to more primitive plants such as mosses, ferns and liverworts, which do not have seeds and use other means to propagate themselves.
In this showcase you will find rare photos of seeds under microscope. Enjoy watching !

World Of Nature


We share our world with many other species and live in an ever-changing environment. Fortunately, photographers around the world have captured the moments and beauty that allow us to see amazing views of this awe-inspiring planet. This is a collection of favorite photos from The Natural World gallery in 2011, a showcase of images of animals and environment that runs on Boston.com throughout the year. Next week's posts will take a look at the year in photos, so stay tuned. -Leanne Burden Seidel 

Seahorses are displayed at an endangered species exhibition at London Zoo. ( Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

अंतिम संस्कार के सबसे अनोखे तरीके

मौत एक ऐसा शब्द है, जो दुख और गम का प्रतीक है। किसी इंसान का दुनिया से चले जाना उसके परिवारजनों और चाहने वालों के लिए काफी दुखदायी होता है। दुनिया की अलग-अलग सभ्यताओं और धर्मों में इंसान की मौत पर भांति-भांति के रीति-रिवाजों का चलन है। 
कई पश्चिमी देशों में व्यक्ति की मौत के बाद समारोह आयोजित कर जश्न मनाया जाता है। यह जश्न इसलिए मनाया जाता है, क्योंकि कुछ मान्यताओं के अनुसार इंसान को मौत के बाद सांसारिक दुखों से मुक्ति मिल जाती है। वहीं, दूसरी ओर कुछ धर्मों में मृत व्यक्ति को जलाया और दफनाया जाता है। 

10 इंच बरसात करवाने की दी गारंटी

गोंडल (गुजरात)। इंद्रदेव की बेरूखी से आम-खास हर वर्ग का चिंतित होना लाजिमी है। चौतरफा कमजोर मानसून की चिंता के बीच गुजरात में बारिश करवाने के लिए एक समझौता (एमओयू) हुआ है। समझौता पूर्व केन्द्रीय मंत्री व गुजरात गौ-सेवा आयोग चेयरमेन डॉ. वल्लभभाई कथीरिया व अन्य ने शोधकर्ता के साथ किया है।


तद्नुसार शोधकर्ता राजकोट जिले में 10 दिन में 10 इंच बारिश करवाएगा। वह ऐसा करने में सफल रहा तो उसे निजी स्तर पर समझौता करने वाले पक्षकारों की ओर से 50 लाख रुपए की जाएगी। शोधकर्ता मोहनभाई वेकरिया ने 12 साल मेहनत कर ’मेघराज रैन मेकर’ नामक मशीन बनाई है।


हालांकि उन्होंने मशीन के मिकैनिज्म का ब्यौरा देने से इंकार कर दिया। उन्होंने कहा कि यह जैविक पद्घति पर चलने वाली मशीन है। शोधकर्ता से समझौता करने वाले पक्षकारों ने गुरुवार दोपहर तीन बजे मशीन को स्टार्ट कर दिया। अब 48 घंटे अर्थात शनिवार दोपहर तीन बजे के बाद कभी भी राजकोट में घनघोर बारिश शुरू हो जाएगी। शोधकर्ता का दावा है कि एक बार बारिश आरंभ होने पर जब तक मशीन बंद नहीं की जाएगी बारिश का क्रम जारी रहेगा। 

Magnificent Glacier Waterfalls in Svalbard, Norway


Svalbard, which means "cold coasts", is an archipelago in the Arctic, constituting the northernmost part of Norway as well as of Europe. It is located about 400 miles north of mainland Europe, midway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. Despite being so close to the North Pole, Svalbard is comparatively warm, thanks to the warming effect of the Gulf Stream, which makes it habitable. In fact, Svalbard is the northernmost permanently inhabited region on the planet.
The islands cover a total area of 62,050 square km, nearly 60% of which is covered by glacier with many outlet glaciers terminating in the sea. Some of these glaciers have small waterfalls formed from melting snow and ice. Most of Svalbard is barren rock but during the short summer, the melting snow in the milder parts of the islands give place to vast stretches of tundra vegetation, sometimes dotted with delicate flowers.
Svalbard is home to seven national parks and twenty-three nature reserves cover two-thirds of the archipelago, protecting the largely untouched, yet fragile, environment. Svalbard is a breeding ground for many seabirds, and also features polar bears, short legged reindeer, polar foxes, whales, seals and walruses. Svalbard is renowned for its variety of birds, including Arctic Terns, Arctic Fulmar and Puffins. Whales can be spotted off the coastlines particularly during late summer. Humpback whales, Orcas, Beluga Whales, and Narwhals all frequent the ocean waters near Svalbard.
glacier-waterfalls-2

The Incredible Mountain City of La Paz, Bolivia


La Paz whose full name is Nuestra Señora de La Paz is the administrative capital of Bolivia and the second largest city in the country (in population) after Santa Cruz de la Sierra. Bolivia has two capitals - while the official capital of Bolivia is Sucre and it is the seat of Justice, La Paz has more government departments, hence the "de facto" capital of the country. At a elevation of roughly 3,650 m above sea level, Laz Paz is also the highest de facto capital city in the world.
La Paz is built in a canyon created by the Choqueyapu River (now mostly built over), which runs northwest to southeast. The city sits in a bowl-like depression surrounded by the high mountains of the altiplano. As the city continues to grow, it climbs over the hills, the buildings clinging impossibly to the mountain side. The sight from the air as one flies into La Paz is incredible. “First, one sees the sprawling shantytowns of El Alto, slowly giving way to the sight of La Paz itself, clinging tenuously to the sides of what looks like a large gash in the earth”, 
la-paz-0

Top 10 Failures of Modern Science


There is no doubt that science and technology have improved the quality of modern life. Innovations like the personal computer, advances in HIV treatment and digital photography have become so accepted that it is difficult to imagine human existence without them. However, science is not infallible; sometimes things go wrong. In some cases, scientific failures just mean a trip back to the drawing board. In others, loss of human life is the tragic result. Below, in no particular order, are listed 10 major failures of 20th and 21st century science and technology.
10
Microsoft Vista
Vista
Chances are, if your computer runs a Windows-based operating system, the OS isn’t Vista. If your computer does run Vista, odds are good that you wish it didn’t. Vista’s release on January 30, 2007 had been preceded by bad press and known compatibility issues with older PCs. Some reviewers claimed that Vista actually ran slower on PCs than XP, which had established itself as a stable, robust OP. The result – consumers and enterprise users alike gave Vista the backs of their hands. Microsoft was forced to back off on its plans to sunset the popular XP while simultaneously fast-tracking its replacement, Windows 7, which was much better received.

London Olympic Venues


What makes the Olympics in London so different from any Olympics before is its use of the whole city throughout the Games. No spectators in central London will ever be more than 30 minutes away from an Olympic venue, with some of the capital’s most iconic landmarks acting as a backdrop for the greatest show on earth. Most events will take place at the ground-breaking 2.5sq km Olympic Park in Stratford, a mere seven minutes away from the city centre by Olympic Javelin train. Other events will be scattered around in all directions at key venues a short journey from the center of town. 9.6 million tickets have been issued for the London Olypmics but the major ticket will be London itself, with the capital set to come alive throughout the summer.
LondonTown.com presents this wonderfully illustrated infographic showing all of the Olympic venues including what events are taking place and the easiest travel plans. [via]

YOUR EYE AND STRANGE FACTS


YOUR EYE AND STRANGE FACTS`
 
Few people could argue that without our 5 senses life would be pretty dull. All our senses are extremely important but if you asked most people which sense would they least like to lose they would probably say their vision. As with most of our abilities, our vision is something that many of us take for granted. If you stop and think for a moment, you will realize that just about everything we do in our day to day life involves our vision. . Listed below is the top 10 list of strange and wonderful things you didn’t know about your eyes

Golden Pearls


Only one person in the world has revealed the secret of the rare Golden pearls.
Every 5 years, clam must be to produce one gold Pearl.
Золотой жемчуг  (23 фото)


Golden Pearl is a rare variety of pearls, cultivated only in the Philippines. Golden Pearl is valued for its deep colour and almost never a major. Formation of pearls is nothing else but the process of displacement of a foreign body, scallop in the sink. Among gemstones pearls is one of the most enigmatic creations of nature. Different continents sink different from the characteristics of the seabed, its vegetation and the climate depends on the color of the Pearl: from white to black. Less common bluish, pinkish, Orange, Brown and gold pearls. They all are amazing Pearlescent glow.

Top 10 Contributors to Space Exploration


We learn more about the final frontier every day, but the technology that allows us to probe the cosmos did not appear spontaneously. This list recognizes some of the greatest individual contributors to space exploration and our knowledge of the universe. I have ordered this list chronologically.
10
Claudius Ptolemy
90-168
Ptolemy-249X300
Ptolemy was one of the first astronomers. He developed one of the earliest known models of the universe based on his observations of the night sky. His model placed earth at the center of several “celestial spheres” to which the sun, stars, and other planets were fixed. His model was one of the first to account for the “wandering” of the planets in the night sky. His astronomical treatises the Almagest and the Tetrabiblos cataloged 48 constellations and provided a table for astronomical predictions that were used by future astronomers. The work of Ptolemy formed the basis of astronomy for more than a thousand years.

World’s Most Expensive Meals


The life of luxury is what many people strive for over their lifetimes, and those that achieve it typically have nicer things than most. Expensive cars, large houses and high-cost clothing are images that typically come to mind when people think of luxury, but some wealthy people extend their extravagant spending to another area as well: their food.
Today’s infographic from The Huffington Post goes over 10 of the world’s most expensive dishes, a surprising amount of which are regular, everyday foods that have had an expensive twist put on them.
Things like pizza with lobster and rare spices to a $1,000 gourmet hot dog make this list, with most of the entries costing at least $1,000. Many of the dishes look interesting, such as the beer that’s packaged in roadkill, but their high price tags are definitely deterrents for the average person.
For more info on the list of dishes refer to the infographic below.
[Via]

The Underground Tunnels of Cu Chi, Vietnam


During the war in Vietnam, thousands of people in the Vietnamese province of Cu Chi lived in an elaborate network of underground tunnels. The tunnels were used by Viet Cong guerrillas as hiding spots during combat, as well as serving as communication and supply routes, hospitals, food and weapon caches and living quarters for numerous guerrilla fighters. The tunnel systems were of great importance to the Viet Cong in their resistance to American forces, and played a major role in North Vietnam winning the war.
The Cu Chi tunnels were built over a period of 25 years that began sometime in the late 1940s during the war against the French. The excavations were used mostly for communication between villages and to evade French army sweeps of the area. When the National Liberation Front (NLF) insurgency began around 1960, the old tunnels were repaired and new extensions were excavated. Within a few years the tunnel system assumed enormous strategic importance, and most of Cu Chi district and the nearby area came under firm Viet Cong control.
cu-chi-tunnels-20

11 World’s Heaviest People


This is a list of the heaviest people recorded and it is limited to those individuals who weighed over 450 kg (990 lb; 71 st).

Mills Darden

Mills Darden (October 7, 1799 – January 23, 1857) is alleged to have been one of the largest men in history. He was widely reported to have stood approximately 7 feet 6 inches (2.29 m) tall and is said to have weighed around 1,000 to 1,100 pounds (450 to 500 kg) at his heaviest. If the reported figures are correct, Darden was 30 percent taller and about six times as heavy as the average American male of the 21st-century.

The Banpo Bridge in Seoul

The Banpo Bridge in Seoul, South Korea just got a major facelift in the form of a 10,000-nozzle fountain that runs all the way along both its sides. They were just installed last month, but already the bridge has turned into a major tourist attraction. 

Which is understandable, as I've certainly never driven over a bridge that's pumping out 190 tons of water per minute. And since it's just pulling up water from the river below, it's nice and eco-friendly. Hit the jump for a video of this awesome bridge in action.

Whimsical Rock Formations at Little Finland,


Deep in the Nevada desert reachable by an off-beaten track called Gold Butte Byway, lies a fascinating area that few people know about. It’s known by various names such as Little Finland, Hobgoblin's Playground and Devil's Fire. This is a place where wind and water have sculpted red sandstone rock into fantastical shapes that is rarely seen anywhere else. Like a fanciful mirage, fiery sandstone fins and bizarre shaped mythical beasts springs from the desert floor. With little bit of imagination you can faces of people and wild animals that have been formed by the eroding sandstone, making for endless photographic possibilities. A few of these odd shaped formations have taken on descriptive names, such as the Ancient Elephant, Little Dinosaur and Big Nose.
Little Finland is so called because the rock formations here can seem to look like fins, but “Hobgoblin's Playground” sounds more appropriate. Akin to the nearby Valley of Fire, just 30 km from this place, this red rock setting was formed millions of years ago shaped by wind erosion and occasional heavy rains, a process known as Aeolian.
little-finland

Space Hotel


Russian company Orbital Technologies is planning to open the world’s first space hotel in 2016.
- Innovative hotel will comfortably accommodate up to seven people.


Four private cabins will be equipped with toilets and sealed showers

Stunning Photos of Waves


These incredible pictures capture the stunning moment waves roll on to a tropical beach. Photographers Nick Selway, 28, and pal CJ Kale, 35, position themselves in the magnificent Hawaiian water – and then wait for the waves to crash into their heads. Their only equipment are standard cameras, but a waterproof case means they do not need to sacrifice their cameras for their art.
Nick Selway was born and was raised in Lake Stevens, WA on a lake along the North Cascade MT. Growing up surrounded by mother nature's beauty he always had an appreciation for it. He started photographing nature's beauty and light at the age of 19.
CJ Kale is no stranger to the area, raised in Hawaii on the Waianae coast. He spent his days in the surf and outdoors exploring the beauty of nature and learned early on that he had a love for the outdoors and a passion for photography.
Together with CJ Kale, Nick Selway runs a Fine Art Photography business in downtown Kona called "Lava Light Galleries" where he sells his Fine Art prints.
nick-selway-waves-1

The most famous ghost photos

strange legend surrounds the railway crossing in the south of San Antonio, Texas. It is said that there was an accident that killed several students, who were ghosts in the area and from time to time, they push the car standing on the move, although the road and goes up. Daughter of Andy and Debi Chesney with a few friends recently went on the move to check the legend. The girl took a few shots – one of them you can see the transparent figure.

Top 10 Firsts in the 2012 London Olympics


London may be a city of deep-rooted tradition, but it is also a place of empirical progress, and the 2012 London Olympics seek to present that dichotomy in its every underpinning. While the theme of the games are a tribute to England’s Industrial Revolution – where class distinctions have never been so distinct, divided by soot and grime – these games also mark efforts to be more thoughtful and inclusive than any previous era. So, in the name of breaking new ground, here are ten firsts for the 2012 London Olympics.
10
Third Time Hosting
Olympic2012D11
First: City to Host a Third Time.
Having previously hosted in 1908 and 1948, London proved itself to be a gracious host, as it will soon come to host more times than has any other city. With everything it has in store this year, it will have no trouble winning over the Olympic Committee a fourth time.

Top 10 Unknowable Things


There are lots of things we don’t know; personally I’m a veritable cornucopia of ignorance. But there is a difference between things we don’t know and things that can’t be known. For example, no-one knows when Shakespeare was born (although we do know when he was baptized). However, it’s not impossible that in the future we could find out – a long lost document might be found that mentions his birth, so Shakespeare’s true date of birth is not unknowable, just unknown. This list contains 10 things that are unknowable in principle. Not only are they unknown now, they can never be known.
Most of these are mathematical; I’ve tried to make it as nontechnical as possible – apart from anything else, I’m no mathematician so I’ve tried to dumb it down enough so that I can understand it.
10
Sets and More Sets
Venn
Unknowable Thing: What’s in a set of sets that don’t contain themselves?
We have to do a little mathematics for several of these items! This is the first on the list because, in a sense, the concept of the “unknowable” starts with this paradox discovered by Bertrand Russell in 1901.
Let’s start with the idea of a set. A set is a collection of objects – for example, you could have the set of positive even numbers that contains 2, 4, 6, 8… or the set of prime numbers containing 2, 3, 5, 7, 11… so far so good.
Can sets contain other sets? Yes, no problem – you could have a set of sets that contain other sets – and that set would, obviously, contain itself. In fact, you can split sets into two types – those that contain themselves and those that don’t.
So, consider a set (S, say) of sets that don’t contain themselves. Does S contain itself? If it does, then it shouldn’t be in the set, but if it doesn’t, then it should. So S is continually hopping in and out of itself.
This paradox caused quite a lot of consternation amongst mathematicians. Imagine someone proving that a number could be simultaneously even and odd, it’s similarly worrisome to that. Ways have been gotten around the paradox – essentially by redefining set theory.

10 Fascinating Artisan Crafts


As has been discussed before in a previous list, an artisan craft is the practice of creating an item made to serve one or more practical functions and be influential as an artistic work. Though some of the entries on this list serve no practical purpose other than artistic merit and aesthetics, they are all the more welcome as they borrow from similar skill-sets to craft. The focus of this list is on the more intriguing and lesser-known artisan crafts but is also composed of suggestions in demand from the previous list. As such I have tried to include as much information on the crafts mentioned that I have deemed relevant and informative, and as a result, some of the list entries are longer than others. Feel free to suggest or mention your own craft in the comments!
10
Scrimshaw
537638573 76C9A5408C
Scrimshaw is the handiwork of carving and engraving the byproducts of marine mammals, most commonly the bones and teeth of sperm whales, the baleen of other whales, and the tusks of walruses. The practice originated on whaling ships around the 1750s on the Pacific Ocean, and was largely practiced until the ban on commercial whaling. The practice still survives as a hobby and as a trade for commercial artisans. A maker of scrimshaw is known as a scrims hander.

8 Deserts That Aren’t Really Deserts


Deserts take up nearly one-third of the Earth's land surface, yet only 41 countries in the world (one-fifth) are hosts to all the deserts on this planet. That leaves out quite a significant number of countries without one. I don’t know how it feels to live in a country without a desert, but it must certainly feel bad and inadequate because there are a large number of regions that don’t actually have these hot and arid geographic anomaly but are still quick to label any sandy or arid place a ‘desert’, and turn it into a tourist attraction. 
Here are some of most notable pseudo-deserts around the world.

Desert of Maine

desert-maine-1