Amazing Universe - Random Knowledge

Dimensions are one of my favorite word amongst other science crazy stuff. Dimensionality really is a crazy stuff which can be understood but very difficult to visualize beyond our 3-dimension world. It had been a topic of science-fiction in various movies and books. But one of their accurate description can be found in a english novel Flatland -  a romance of many dimensions  by Edwin Abbott first published in 1884. The mathematical space(or object) is informally defined as the minimum number of coordinates needed to specify any within it. Let's get some basic facts about it. A point is said to be of the zero dimension. Two points can combine to form lines which forms one dimension. Now lines get attached to form structures of the two dimensions like square, triangle, etc. Now this structures can be stretched to the third dimension by giving it a height. It consists of shapes like cube, cuboid,pyramids, etc.  Now when these are taken to the fourth dimension by givin...

The Casimir force is the mutual attraction of two closely spaced, parallel, and uncharged conducting planes that persists even at absolute zero temperature. This force results from a change in the zero point energy of the electromagnetic field between the plates, due to the modification of the field modes as the plates are brought together. The typical example is of the two uncharged conductive plates in a vacuum, placed a few nanometers apart. In a classical description, the lack of an external field means that there is no field between the plates, and no force would be measured between them.When this field is instead studied using the quantum electrodynamic vacuum, it is seen that the plates do affect the virtual photons which constitute the field, and generate a net force– either an attraction or a repulsion depending on the specific arrangement of the two plates. Although the Casimir effect can be expressed in terms of virtual particles interacting with the objects, i...

Butterfly effect is a term first used by Edward Lorenz to explain tornado shifts in weather model. The effect is used in chaos theory to denoye that a small changes in initial conditions may result in variegated output.  It is amazing that it gives us a limit to what we can estimate. We can use formulas for various workings of nature but we fail to get accurate results as small discrepancies always appear. It is the reason why it is impossible to determine the result of dice thrown from same position with same force, even if we work out its dynamics.  Butterfly effect is used mostly in two fields: Weather modeling - Small changes in patterns of wind can change weather forecasts, direction of tornadoes, tsunamis etc.  Quantum Mechanics - It helps us two explain classical and semiclassical behavior of atoms under strong fields. It also works for anisotropic Kepler problem.  Quantum and semclassical treatments to system sensitivity for initial conditions is ...

Johann Gottlieb Leidenfrost (November 27, 1715 – December 2, 1794) was a German doctor and theologian who first described the scientific phenomenon  named the Leidenfrost effect. The effect Leidenfrost described is a phenomenon in which a liquid, in near contact with a mass significantly hotter than its boiling point, produces an insulating vapor layer which keeps that liquid from boiling rapidly. It is most commonly seen when cooking; one sprinkles drops of water in a skillet to gauge its temperature. If the skillet's temperature is at or above the Leidenfrost point , the water skitters across the metal and takes longer to evaporate than it would in a skillet that is hot, but at a temperature below the Leidenfrost point. It has also been used in some dangerous demonstrations, such as dipping a wet finger in molten lead or blowing out a mouthful of liquid nitrogen, both enacted without injury to the demonstrator. The Leidenfrost point signifies the onset of stable fil...

A black hole is a place in space where gravity pulls so much that even light can not get out. The gravity is so strong because matter has been squeezed into a tiny space. This can happen when a star is dying.The theory of general relativity predicts that a sufficiently compact mass can deform space-time to form a black hole.The boundary of the region from which no escape is possible is called the event horizon. Although the event horizon has an enormous effect on the fate and circumstances of an object crossing it, no locally detectable features appear to be observed. In many ways a black hole acts like an ideal black body, as it reflects no light. Moreover, quantum field theory in curved space-time predicts that event horizons emit Hawking radiation, with the same spectrum as a black body of a temperature inversely proportional to its mass. This temperature is on the order of billionths of a kelvin for black holes of stellar mass, making it essentially impossible to observe...

According to Wikipedia, Lightning is a sudden electrostatic discharge that occurs during a thunderstorm. This discharge occurs between electrically charged regions of a cloud (called intra-cloud lightning or IC), between two clouds (CC lightning), or between a cloud and the ground (CG lightning). Types of lightning: Ball lightning;Bead lightning;Dry lightning;Forked lightning;Heat lightning;Ribbon lightning;Rocket lightning;Sheet lightning;Smooth channel lightning;Staccato lightning;Super bolts;Sympathetic lightning;Clear-air lightning.  Some facts on lightning : It is about 54,000 degrees Fahrenheit — roughly five times hotter than the surface of the sun! An average lightning bolt can release enough energy to operate a 100-watt light bulb for more than three months straight.  The air between the clouds and Earth blocks the connection — until the charge gets so strong that an electrical impulse called a “stepped leader” shoots down from the cloud.The leader...

Heat waves form when high pressure aloft (from 10,000–25,000 feet (3,000–7,600 metres)) strengthens and remains over a region for several days up to several weeks. This is common in summer (in both Northern and Southern Hemispheres) as the jet stream 'follows the sun'. On the equator side of the jet stream, in the upper layers of the atmosphere, is the high pressure area.  Heat waves are the most lethal type of weather phenomenon, overall.Since the heat waves have a serious effect on human mortality, root causes of these heatwaves need to be clarified.There has been a number of mega heatwaves in recent years worldwide.India suffers from major heatwaves during March-June. The rising trend of number of intense heatwaves in recent decades has been vaguely attributed to global warming.  Recent studies suggest that frequency, duration and intensity of heat wave events are increasing over land regions across the globe. Over India, in the past, heat waves have caused m...

Physiologically, the function of the brain is to exert centralized control over the other organs of the body. The brain acts on the rest of the body both by generating patterns of muscle activity and by driving the secretion of chemicals called hormones. This centralized control allows rapid and coordinated responses to changes in the environment. Some basic types of responsiveness such as reflexes can be mediated by the spinal cord or peripheral ganglia, but sophisticated purposeful control of behavior based on complex sensory input requires the information integrating capabilities of a centralized brain.  We cohabit in cities of tens of millions of people and, despite what the media tell us, violence between individuals is extremely rare. This is because we have an extremely large, flexible and complex "social brain".  Neurobiologist Steven Rose suggests that even this is not enough – we would still need know how these connections have evolved over a pers...

Know Thyself I have discussed earlier that our DNA is the master molecule of our life. It has the amazing ability to copy itself and command molecular machines.  But DNA is much more than that. Recent studies give importance to the epigenetics too. There are chemicals which controls the gene expression. It is what seperates muscle cells from heart cells thougj having the same chromosomes.  With the help from epigenetics, we get various types of info about ourselves. We can get to know whay diseases we can probably have tendency to and our addiction to something. It can also categorize from where do we belong as we carry imprints of our ancestors in our DNA. Various companies like 23andMe are offering to give personalized information from our DNA. It can help us to provide ourselves personalized medicine and prevent any future diseases. 

Necessity of yoga   Yoga is a very common term due to the efforts of Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi, Owner of Patanjali Ramdev baba, Sadhguru of Isha foundation and many more. The benefits of yoga has recently came into limelight which had beed a treasure to India since ancient times. The diseases like obesity, fluctuations in blood pressure, stress, heart-attacks, fits, memory loss, etc which affect majority of human population are those due to our degrading standards of life. Our ancestors have long known about the workings of human body and deviced ways to hack in and take control of our health. Yoga has been scientifically proven to be helpful in elimination in most of these above mentioned diseases. More over it is known to give certain gifts which are truly lacking nowadays - happiness and peace of mind. It is also known to improve strength, flexibility and concentration power.  With such a long list of benefits can we not spare some time from our dai...

DNA- the master code We all have heard about this mysterious molecules which makes us what we are, how we look, the shape of us, even our mentality! So let us know about what this molecule is and how it works.  DNA(deoxyribonucleic acid) is a type of nucleic acid polymer which contains the codes which instructs the cells in our body what to do. It is worked out by protein machines and RNA messengers. The code of life consists of four letters- A, T, C, G. They are the nitogenous bases which form a variety of arrangements to form a meaningful protein code. You can compare it to a computer code consisting of 0's and 1's which form a variety of arrangements to form words and numbers. The work of DNA is carried out by its three modes of action: Replication : It is a phenomenon by which DNA is duplicated so that its daughter cells can get the same amount of the code. It is the reason due to which every cell in our body have same DNA.  Transcription : It is pa...

Meditation and the Brain For the purpose of this article, research on meditation concerns research into the psychological and physiological effects of meditation using the scientific method of the western tradition. In recent years, these studies have increasingly involved the use of modern scientific techniques and instruments, such as fMRI and EEG which are able to directly observe brain physiology and neural activity in living subjects, either during the act of meditation itself, or before and after a meditation effort, thus allowing linkages to be established between meditative practice and changes in brain structure or function. Meditation, in its most basic sense, is clearing your mind of all thought—or at least, trying to. The practice is used in cultures around the globe for both religious and secular purposes. While it may be best known for its spiritual uses, it is this latter purpose that has recently ignited a firestorm of interest, as scientific rese...

The Hyperloop One   Hyperloop One has been in the headlines quite a bit recently, particularly after images of the Nevada test track surfaced online. Hyperloop One, one of several companies developing the technology to transport passengers between cities in minutes at near super-sonic speed, has just unveiled exciting first images of their full-scale test site currently under construction in the Nevada desert, which is set to become the first operational Hyperloop system in the world some time later this year. credits:hyperloop one credits:hyperloop one While it’s only a third of a mile (and has yet to be tested using actual pods or undergo public trials) the track is the first full-scale Hyperloop track. It also managed to complete a public trial of its propulsion system last year. credits:hyperloop one Ideally, the Hyperloop should be able to travel at 750 mph. The five-second, podless rail test only managed to hit 300 mph.Hyperloop, a brainchi...

Kelvin Water Dropper Lord Kelvin ( Sir William Thomson ) was an Irish-Scottish physicist and mathematician who in 1867 invented what he called his “water-dropping condenser.”This setup is a brilliant example of producing electrostatic charges from water which seems to be neutral. Kelvin’s electrostatic equipment generates voltage differences from falling streams of water, similar to the way charged water droplets in a thundercloud generate the static discharges we see as lightning .It is build around the concept of water droplets falling through inductors. Two streams of water fall from small holes in reservoirs at the top. Those streams fall through two metal cylinders, called inductors, not making contact with them. A stream of falling water will change from a continuous stream into individual drops at some point, if it falls far enough. A reservoir of water or other conducting liquid (top, green) is connected to two hoses that release two falling ...

Penguins The word penguin first appears in the 16th century as a synonym for great auk.When European explorers discovered what are today known as penguins in the Southern Hemisphere, they noticed their similar appearance to the great auk of the Northern Hemisphere, and named them after this bird, although they are not closely related.Penguins (order Sphenisciformes, family Spheniscidae) are a group of aquatic, flightless birds. They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere, with only one species, the Galapagos penguin, found north of the equator. Highly adapted for life in the water, penguins have counter shaded dark and white plumage, and their wings have evolved into flippers. Most penguins feed on krill, fish, squid and other forms of sea life caught while swimming underwater. They spend about half of their lives on land and half in the oceans.Penguins identify their mate or chick by an acoustic signal, the display call. This identification is realized in a par...

Some interesting facts about Water There is the same amount of water on Earth as there was when the Earth was formed. The water from your faucet could contain molecules that dinosaurs drank.  Nearly 97% of the world’s water is salty or otherwise undrinkable. Another 2% is locked in ice caps and glaciers. That leaves just 1% for all of humanity’s needs — all its agricultural, residential, manufacturing, community, and personal needs.  The average cost for water supplied to a home in the U.S. is about $2.00 for 1,000 gallons, which equals about 5 gallons for a penny.  Pure water has a neutral pH of 7, which is neither acidic ( 7).  Water has a very high surface tension. In other words, water is sticky and elastic, and tends to clump together in drops rather than spread out in a thin film, like rubbing alcohol. Surface tension is responsible for capillary action, which allows water (and its dissolved substances) to move through the roots of ...

New Facts On Jupiter Despite all we have learned about Jupiter and the early history of our solar system, there are some basic things we don’t understand very well. We don’t know how much oxygen the planet holds, and this happens to be the most important missing piece in our understanding of how our solar system formed. Some theories about Jupiter’s formation predict that the planet’s oxygen weighs as much as 20 Earths! We also don’t know if the planet has a solid core, or precisely how and where its powerful magnetic field is produced. Further, it is unknown how deeply rooted Jupiter’s colorful, banded clouds and planet-sized spots are. And scientists yearn to understand what powers the auroras — Jupiter’s northern and southern lights. These mysteries make it clear that although Jupiter’s colorful clouds get most of the attention, some of the most enticing mysteries are hiding deep inside the planet.  It is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest in the Solar Sy...

Our Sun The sun at the heart of our solar system is a yellow dwarf star, a hot ball of glowing gases. Its gravity holds the solar system together, keeping everything from the biggest planets to the smallest particles of debris in its orbit. Electric currents in the sun generate a magnetic field that is carried out through the solar system by the solar wind — a stream of electrically charged gas blowing outward from the sun in all directions.  With a radius of 432,168.6 miles (695,508 kilometers), our sun is not an especially large star — many are several times bigger — but it is still far more massive than our home planet: 332,946 Earths match the mass of the sun. The sun's volume would need 1.3 million Earths to fill it. The core of the Sun extends from the center to about 20–25% of the solar radius.It has a density of up to 150 g/cm 3 (about 150 times the density of water) and a temperature of close to 15.7 million kelvins (K).By contrast, the Sun's surf...

Wing Chun  According to legend, Wing Chun was created by the Buddhist nun Ng Mui, who was a master of Shaolin Kung Fu. Using her martial training and personal experience, she synthesized a compact form of Kung Fu to exploit weaknesses inherent in the other combat styles of her time and give an advantage to smaller fighters like herself. This new system was well-guarded and passed on to only a few, very dedicated students. Her style became known as Wing Chun, after Ng Mui's first student, a woman named Yim Wing Chun.  Having rebuffed the local warlord's marriage offer, Yim Wing-Chun said she'd reconsider the proposal if he could beat her in a fight. She soon crossed paths with a Buddhist nun named Ng Mui , who was one of the Shaolin Sect survivors, and asked the nun to teach her to fight. According to legend, Ng Mui taught Yim Wing-Chun a new system of martial art that had been inspired by the nun's observations of a confrontation between a Snake and a ...

6 animals with super-abilities 1 . The Dung Beetle :   Dung beetles live in many habitats, including desert, farmland, forest, and grasslands. They do not prefer extremely cold or dry weather. They are found on all continents except Antarctica. They eat the dung of herbivores and omnivores, and prefer that produced by the latter. Many of them also feed on mushrooms and decaying leaves and fruits. One type living in Central America, Deltochilum valgum , is a carnivore preying upon millipedes. Those that eat dung do not need to eat or drink anything else, because the dung provides all the necessary nutrients. A dung beetle can bury dung 250 times heavier than itself in one night.Dung beetles are currently the only known non-human animal to navigate and orient themselves using the Milky Way.Male Onthophagus taurus beetles can pull 1,141 times their own body weight: the equivalent of an average person pulling six double-decked buses full of people. Know more on Wikipedia. ...