What is that screechy sound produced when a cellphone is placed near a radio?

The loud static heard from the computer's speakers everytime the phone would receive a message or a call is due to electromagnetic interference or EMI. This is what happens when radio waves emitted by one device cause undesirable behavior in another. Thus, placing a cell phone near a computer may create network interference and a screechy sound or noise is often heard from the cell phone when it's trying to transmit or receive a signal.


Sources:

What's the Buzz?Harnessing Static To Improve Wireless Signals.www.sciencecodex.com/whats_the_buzz_harnessing_static_to_improve_wireless_signals

Why does a cell phone produce a screechy sound when placed near a computer or a radio? www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=experts-cell-phone-screeching

Cause of Hearing Loss

Sometimes, we may experience that some of our friends didn't hear us at all while talking to them. Maybe because they are experiencing hearing loss and according to my research, here are some of the causes why this problem occur.

There are a variety of the causes of hearing loss. For instance, some medications cause irreversible damage to the ear. This includes overdose of aspirin and chemotherapy for cancer. These have been found to inhibit prestin's functions. Evidences have shown that many cases of high-frequency hearing loss are caused by defects in the cell's molecular machinery that involves prestin And genetic mutations that have been detected in the prestin found in humans are reported to be associated with deafness.

But what is Prestin?

Prestin can amplify sound in the ear by converting electrical voltage into motion but it can also work in reverse. Prestin can produce electrical charges from tiny vinrations. Each protein is capable of generating nanowatts of electricity but combining many will be enough to power small devices or charge a battery.

Sources:

Have you wondered how we hear sounds?www.smm.org/sound/nocss/activity/ssl8.htm
Ear Motor Helps Play Sound.www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=ear-motor-helps-play-soun

What makes paper-thin bulbs strong?

The glass of an electric light bulb is not much thicker than the paper of this page, yet it can endure a strong grip when you push into the bulb socket. The explanation for this lies mainly in the bulb's shape, which is based on the eggshell principle.

Why don't we get crushed even when a hen sits on the eggs to incubate them. The secrets lies on the egg's shape. That "egg shape" provides strength in the structure, which should withstand the all-round pressure even with a thin shell. If the shell is too thick, the offspring inside would not be able to peck its way out.

This characteristic was imitated when light bulbs were designed. The round and curved profile of the bulb allows the force you apply to be transmitted in all directions away from the point of contact. This makes the force to be distributed over a wide area and no excessive stress being set up at any one point.


Sources:

Topic: Physics. http://en.allexperts.com/q/Physics-1358/bulb.htm
The Reader's Digest Assoc. Ltd., How Is It Done?. Why paper thin bulbs are so strong? (London:The Reader's Digest Assoc. Ltd.,1990),11.

Cholesterol:Is it one of the most dangerous substances in the body?

The body needs cholesterol, and not all forms of cholesterol are dangerous. Cholesterol comes from two sources: our body and our food. Our liver and other cells in our body make about 75 percent of blood cholesterol. The other 25 percent comes from the foods that we eat.

There are two types of cholesterol:good and bad. Too much of one type - or not enough of another can put you at risk for coronary heart disease., heart attack or stroke.

Low-density lipoprotein or LDL is known as bad cholesterol. High-density lipoprotein or HDL is known a the good cholesterol. When too much LDL cholesterol circualates in the blood, it can slowly build up plaque, a thick, hard deposit that can narrow the arteries and make them less flexible. This condition is known a atherosclerosis. On the other hand, high density lipoprotein or HDL cholesterol actually protects us from heart attacks.

Cells throughout the body use cholesterol to make a number of hormones necessary for growth and reproduction. When there is damage to the walls of the arteries or veins, the liver sends cholesterol through the blood to protect the tissue from hemorrhaging. Cholesterol is a component of all cell walls. They are viatal to proper brain and nerve function . LOw levels of cholesterol have been associated with deppression , anxiety and mood disorder. Cholesterol is also an essential ingredient of bile salts produced in the liver, used to emulsify fats and excrete fat-soluble toxins.

Sources:

Bauman, Ed and Mclaughlin, Marsha. The Truth About Cholesterol.http://www.shareguide.com/cholesterol.html
Lee, Dennis. The Truth About Cholesterol. http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=14419
LDL and HDL Cholesterol: What's Good and What's Bad?http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=180
Cholesterol.www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1516
Bato Balani ISSN 0117-7052 Vol.28 N0.5 SY 2008-2009

Do you think we need only calcium for bone development?

Some of us believe that we only need calcium for our bones. But on the contrary, we also need other vitamins and mineral to develop our bones. Magnesium and zinc can help calcium to make the bones more firm. Protein is necessary in bone development because it acts as the scaffolding of the bone, and aids in the production of the collagen, which makes our bones flexible and less susceptible to breakage. Without protein, calcium makes our bones strong but runs the risk of becoming brittle.

Vitamin C stimulates the enzymes that are responsible for the production of collagen and connective tissues. Vitamin K helps protein lock in essential bone nutrients. Vitamin D is essential in helping the body absorb calcium from our foods.

The key to making our bones essentially strong, is moderation and balanced diet. Different vitamins, minerals, and nutrients all work hand in hand to provide the body with what it needs to remain healthy at its peak.


Sources:

No Milk? What About My Child's Bones? www.vegfamily.com/health/no-milk.htm
Annemarie Colbin. Beyond Calcium: Why bones need protein to be healthy.www.foodandhealing.com/calcium.htm
Just a Little Bit.www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/pubs/upload
/strong_bones_lifelong_health_mm.pdf
www.justalittlebit.com.au/pdf/vol2_background_sc.pdf
Bato Balani ISSN 0117-7052 Vol.28 N0.3 SY 2008-2009

Facts about Huffing

Huffing is a form of substance, wherein users intentionally inhale a chemical substance to achieve an altered mental state.

The four types of huffing agents are: volatile solvents, aerosols, gases, nitrites. These inhalants can damage the liver, kidney, brain and heart.

Do you know friends who huff?

Here are some of the characteristics that will tell you if they do:

• disorientation and slurred speech
• stains of paint on the face, hands or clothing
• stash of empty spray paint or solvent containers and chemical soaked rags or clothing
• strong odor of chemicals in breath or on clothing
• nausea or lose of appetite
• red or runny nose
• sores or rash around the nose or mouth

Once upon a medical time, some huffing agents are first used as medical anesthetics. One good example is nitrous oxide, popularly known as laughing gas. Chloroform and diethyl either also fall under this category.

Because o these substances, psychoactive and hallucinogenic effects at sub-anesthetic levels, they were used recreationally. Sir Humphry Davy, a British chemist and physicist, used to hold nitrous oxide parties for people to enjoy the euphoric properties of the gas. It was then that Davy proposed for the gas to be used in operations, but this was done only half a century later. To date, nitrous oxide is used by dentists to reduce the anxiety of patients during visits..

Sources:

Huffing: The Abuse of Inhalants.www.usdoj.gov/ndic/pubs07/708/index.htm
What Parents Should Know about Hufing.www.drgreene.com/21_180.htm

why burp?

Have you ever experienced burping in the middle of a meal or in front of your friends eating and it's too late to cover up your mouth? It is so embarrassing, right?

But why do we burp?

Burps or belches are simply the sound of gas leaving your body.When eating, we are not just swallowing foods or liquids, we also swallow air at the same time. These air contain gases..and sometimes, they need to get out. Extra gases are forced to come out from the stomach to the esophagus and to the mouth as a burp.

Babies are also subject to accumulation of gas in the stomach while feeding, and this can cause considerable agitation and/or discomfort to the child unless it is burped. The act of burping an infant involves placing the child in a position conducive to gas expulsion (for example holding the infant up to the adult's shoulder, with the infant's stomach resting on the adult's chest) and then lightly patting it on the lower back so that he or she burps.

Sources:

The Ins and outs of burping.http://www.kidzworld.com/article/756-the-ins-and-outs-of-burping
Why do I burped?http://kidshealth.org/kid/talk/yucky/burp.html
Belching. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burping

One Lovey Blog Award

I would like to thank Ms. Gi-Ann of The Second Realm for passing this very lovely award to me. Again, I would say that I am very grateful to have many friends in the blogosphere(sorry for the term) that they have spend time reading my blogs and appreciate it. These appreciation gives me the courage to continue what I am doing.

I woud like to pass this on to my fellow bloggers who gave effort to their blogs, not just lovely but informative as well.

• Kelvin of Kelvinonian Ideas 2.0
• Whitewater Times of Colorado Whitewater Rafting
• Chrissred of Christinchen's Soapbox
• Lestersy of Bring it On
• Jerminix of Jerminix/Cebu Blogger
• travelingangela of the world is built for us to see
• ColdRicePudding of Funky-Facts

Safeguard your home with Home Security System

How safe is your house? Is it enough to have double or triple doors locked?How often do you feel home security safe when alone? Living in an exclusive subdivision is not an exemption to accidents like fire. Even with the presence of the guard on duty does not guarantee that a thief would not enter the house to steal, especially now at this time of crises that a person would gamble himself just to feed his family.

It would be better if we have installed detectors or sensors in case we would encounter such emergency situation like fire or robbery. With ADT Security System, one would be secure because of their 24/7 customer monitoring network. It will help lessen our worries and would make us feel better and have a good night sleep.It's not only that...In case of medical emergency, you can communicate directly with a live ADT Dispatcher using the two-way voice option.

With the Best Home Security Surveillance System, one would be safe before the tragedy strikes!

Drinking Too Much Water Is Dangerous

In 2007, a 28 year old woman from California, United States joined a water-drinking contest on the radio entitled "Hold your Wee for a Wii". After drinking 6 liters of water for 3 hours, Jennifer Strange vomited, went home with a terrible headache, and died from so-called water intoxication.

Another tragic incident happened in 2005. A 21 year old man was forced to drink excessive amounts of water between rounds of push-up in a hazing rite by a fraternity in California State University in the US. He was left dead in a cold basement.

A 2005 study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that close to one-sixth of marathon runners develop some degree of hyponatremia, or dilution of the blood caused by drinking too much water.

Hyponatremia comes from the Latin and Greek words which means "insufficient salt in the blood." Specifically it means having a blood sodium concentration below 135 millimoles per liter, or approximately 11.37 milliliter per gallon. The normal concentration lies between 135 and 145 millimoles per liter. Severe cases of hyponatremia can lead to water intoxication, an ilness whose symptoms include headache, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, frequent urination, and mental disorientation.

Our kidneys control the amount of water, salts and other solutes eaving the body by filtering blood through kidney's millions of tubules. When a person drinks too much water in a short period of time, the kidneys cannot flush it out fast enough and the blood becomes waterlogged. and then the excess water will enter into cells and into brain cells and neurons and since the brain cells are tightly packed in our skull, there will be almost zero room to expand and swell inside the skull. Thus, brain swelling can be dangerous. It can manifest seizures, comma, respiratory arrest, brain stem herniation, and death.


Sources:

Coco Ballantyne. Strange but True: Too Much Drinking Water can Kill.http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=strange-but-true-drinking-too-much-water-can-kill
Bato Balani. ISSN 0117-7079 VOL.28 No.4 SY 2008-2009

Course Hero: The Social Learning Network

Do you have difficulty in understanding the lessons in school? Do you want to stay updated though being absent the whole day in class? Are you not able to finish studies because of financial instability?

An innovative way of learning was built online where students are talking about on the web. It is a social learning network known as Course Hero. Those who were not able to pursue their studies will have an opportunity to continue learning even outside the classroom. What is good thing about this site is, this is a place where students, teachers and self learners meet and discuss subject matters through cooperative learning or shall I say, another way of tutoring each other. UCSD University of California San Diego CSE 140 is one of the reference materials which will help you hit the mark. And if you still find it hard, you can find solutions in CSE 140 Homework Answer.

Course Hero is great in the sense that we learn at the same time making friends. This is open to those interested people. Signing up is free.

Learning is fun with Course Hero!

Eggshells as Hydrogen Fuel

• Eggshells have calcium carbonate, which, when subjected to heat processing, becomes calcium oxide that absorbs acidic gases such as carbon dioxide.
• The water-gas-shift reaction gasifies fossil fuels to produce carbon monoxide that combines with water to ultimately produce hydrogen and carbon dioxide.

Calcium carbonate is one of the nature's most absorbent materials, which makes it the most effective carbon dioxide absorber ever tested so far.

Making eggshells into hydrogen fuel can be another source for an alternative fuel in the future. These eggshells may not be enough to produce hydrogen for the whole country but at east, it can be a useful organic waste better than dumping in landfills.


Sources:

Engineered Eggshells To Help Make Hydrogen Fuel. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070926113832.htm
Eggshells Found Instrumental in Producing Hydrogen Fuel. www.techcolumbus.org/en/art/?503
Chicken Eggshells Make Hydrogen Fuel. www.scientificblogging.com/news_account/chicken_eggshells_make_hydrogen_fuel

Is it true that shaving makes hair grow thicker?

Shaving does not mean growing your hair thicker..The thickness and length of hair on your body mainly depends on genetics and hormones. Hair that has never been shaved has a tapered or beveled edge. When you shave, you remove the thin tapered tip of the hair and leave only the thicker middle portion protruding from the skin surface. So when it grows back, it does not only feel stiffer than before, it looks thicker, too.

Shaving does not wake up dormant hair follicles to produce hair. By the time your hair grows longer, it will feel thinner and softer again.

Hair may also look darker after shaving. Most hair is lighter at the end that it is at the root. So when you shave off that lighter end, you are left with the darker coloration that was always there at the root, giving the hair a darker look as it grows.

Sources:

Lawrence Gibson. Hair removal: Does shaving make it grow back thicker?www.mayoclinic.com/health/hair-removal/AN00638
Karen Springen. Does Shaving Make Hair Grow Back Thicker?www.newsweek.com/id/78014
Bato Balani.ISSN 0117-7079 Vol.28 No.4 SY 2008-2009

Is lightning accompanied by thunder?

It was a rainy afternoon. Lightning strikes and was accompanied by thunder and so my kids got scared..They ask me where does lightning came from and to my surprise, I too did not know the answer..funny indeed! and so I was task to search what are the facts about it..


Lightning causes thunder because a strike of lightning is incredibly hot. A typical bolt of lightning can immediately heat the air to between 15,000 to 60,000 degrees Fahrenheit. That's hotter than the surface of the sun! It travels faster than the speed of sound that is why each time lightning strikes thunder follows- a few seconds later.

Lightning always produces thunder. When you see lightning but don't hear any thunder, the lightning is too far away from you for the sound waves to reach you.

Light and sound will always move at different speeds. And lightning will always produce thunder because of a strike's high temperature. So no matter what, you will always see a flash of lightning before you hear thunder.

sources:

http://weathereye.kgan.com/cadet/lightning/thunder.html

Stomach upsets and headaches? Try peppermint...

Peppermint is more than just for flavoring food. It can do more- it helps relieve headaches and stomach upsets.

Peppermint has high menthol content and is a popular flavoring agent for toothpaste, candies, and tea. It is a calming agent that helps in soothing an upset stomach, and because it has numbing and calming effects, it is used to treat headaches, skin irritation, nausea, diarrhea, menstrual cramps and flatulence. Its soothing aroma can counter the symptoms of the common cold. Peppermint is said to have a positive effect on patients with depression.

According to studies, peppermint extract is much more effective than conventional pis and aspirins in relieving headaches. Peppermint can also be used to prevent skin diseases, urinary tract infections, and herpes. It can relieve asthma when taken as tea.


sources:

Peppermint.www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/peppermint-000269.htm
Jenny Hope,Peppermint'beats pills for soothing a headache'.www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/health-main.html?in_article_id=383116&in_page_id=1774
Peppermint:Good for you and delicious in tea.www.compleatmother.com/womens-health/herbs/peppermint.shtml
Bato Balani.ISSN 0117-7052 VOL. 28 NO.3 SY 2008-2009

NENO's Award

I would like to thank Dennis Dumaop of the absurd mind who happen to be my namesake for tagging me with this kind of award, the Neno's award. I am very honored that I am chosen as one of those bloggers to receive this stuff....

I started blogging when I am encouraged by my wife to spend some of my spare time to this kind of stuff...I started just January of this year. I gained lots of friends here. I appreciate the comments and feedback that I receive and most importantly, I have shared the things that I love through blogging. Another thing is that I learned that I can earn through this hobby. I started to love blogging since then...and through this award, may i have the chance to thank those fellow bloggers who supported me by following my blog and added it to their favorites and visiting my page for some time..


This award aims to:

• As a dedication for those who love blogging activity and love to encourage friendships through blogging.
• To seek the reasons why we all love blogging.
• Put the award in one post as soon as you receive it.
• Don't forget to mention the name of the person who gave you the award.
• Answer the award's question by writing the reasons why you love blogging.
• Tag and distribute the award to as many people as you like.
• Don't forget to notify the award recipients and put their links in your post
  

I want to pass this blog tag award to the following people who have spent some of their time checking my blog and read my recent posts...I want to share this award to you guys...

1. The Pseudomonas by Briliam
2. Brief Stories by penwriting
3. Klinika kinetics by Jess Quijano
4. muZik blog-latest music by janjee
   

Do you wonder how does the sun turn street lights on and off?

Before, most street lights are controlled by time switches, which operate a group of lights in nearby streets. The earliest time switches worked by clockwork and had to be wounded up and adjusted every week. Then this was replaced by an electric clock with a rotating dial, containing levers or off at chosen times. They are similar to many time switches on central heating systems.

Nowadays switching times of street lights need not be adjusted anymore. Street lights automatically turn on as soon as darkness falls and turn off as soon as they are no longer needed. This is made possible using the device called Photoelectric control unit or PECU, a light-operated switch. PECUs switch on the supply when the light level falls beneath a given vaue (at dusk) and switch the supply OFF when it rises above another level (at dawn). The ratio between two ight levels is known as the switching ratio.

A photo cell in a PECU device contains a ight-sensitive compound such as cadmium suphide or silicon. Cadmium suphide has an electrical conductivity approximately equal to the level of light. At dawn, light falling on the photocell causes the eletrons to flow from one atom to another, onducting electricity to the switch and turning it off. When darkness fas, the eectrons in the compound become immobile, the current stops, and the lights are turned on. The exact time that the current is switched on and off depends on weather conditions.


Sources:
What are PECUs?www.zodionltd.eu.com/pecus_1.html
How does the sun turn lights on and off?Bato Balani;ISSN 0117-7079 Vol.28 NO.6 SY 2008-2009

Where did "once in a blue moon" phrase originate?

The phrase once in a blue moon pertains to an event that may happen very rarely or seldom or may not happen at all..After all when was the last time you saw the moon turned blue? The "blue moon" expression is old and dates back to medieval England. According to modern folklore, a blue moon is the second full moon in a calendar month. Usually, months have only one full moon, but occasionally, a second one sneaks in. Full moons are separated by 29 days, while most months are 30 or 31 days long; so it is possible to fit two full moons in a singe month. This happens every two and a half years, on average.

For example, in 2004, the month of July had two ful moons. The first happened in July 2, while the other one happened in Juy 31, which by definition is a "blue moon".

Is it true that eating peanut causes acne?

Though eating peanuts can be a cause of some allergy for some children and teenagers, it is not a direct cause of acne. The truth is, acne, zits, and blackheads can occur due to a variety of causes, but your diet is not a direct cause of these.

Most of the time acne is caused by factors such as exercise, cosmetics, hormones, hygiene, medications, shaving and stress. One of these factors cause the sebaceous gland ( a gland found throughout the skin) to produce sebum, an oily substance. The hair follicles may get trapped in the sebum with other debris and form a bacterial culture right inside your skin. As the bacterial colonies increase in size, the pimples emerge.

While it is true that a generally unhealthy diet can reduce your body's ability to fight off acne, the food itself does not cause the acne. It is more important to recognize that eating healthy foods can strengthen your body's ability to fight of bacteria infections such as acne..

Would you believe tht beer waste produces electricity?

Power is generated from beer wastewater through the action of sugar-consuming bacteria. Organic matter is consumed by the bacteria, liberating alcohol, starch, and sugar in the process. The by-products of this method are electricity, clean water, and carbon dioxide.


A new alternative source of energy, the Beer Battery, not only produces electricity but also cleans up manufacturing leftovers.

Beer Battery is produced from beer wastewater and sugar-consuming bacteria.

Fuel cells are able to convert chemical energy back into electrical energy without producing pollution.

Why do racing cars have smooth tires?

Tires serve as cushions for the wheels of automobiles. They give the car a good grip on slippery roads, and stop the car from sliding about when breaking or cornering. Except for racing cars, most of the tires we see have tread patterns running around the tire. These treads are the thin zigzag channels that cut around the rubber. The treads sponge up surface water and pup the water out behind as the car rolls forward. On a wet road, a tire has to move more than 5 liters of water a second to give an adequate grip.

Most cars have to function in all weathers, so their tires must be treaded. On a perfectly dry road, however, the treads are actually not needed.

Racing cars are used only during races, and these events are usually held during a dry season. That's why they don't need tires with treads. The smooth tire of a racing car ( also called a slick) gives the car a maximum possible area of contact with the road. If racing cars will have to run on wet roads, then the slicks are replaced with treaded tires.

Beat Oil Crises with Biofuels

Jatropha plantation can be found in the Philippines

Due to continuous increase in the price of fossil fuel nowadays, people from around the world tend to rely on Biofuel, which is a cheaper alternative. As a matter of fact,Brazil, the world's top producer of ethanol, uses sugarcane for this fuel. Many developing countries such as those in the southern part of Africa produce large amount of sugar and have potential to become ethanol producers. The United States relies on corn to produce nearly one-quarter of the world's ethanol. China is fast emerging as the third largest ethanol supplier.

Ethanol which is also known as bioethanol is a gasoline-type fuel made by fermenting sugars into alcohol. Ethanol can be made from sugar cane, sugar beets, sweet sorghum and starch from corn.

Biodiesel is a diesel-type fuel made from plants that naturally produce oils. These oils are processed so that the glycerine in the oil is removed and is replaced with methyl alcohol. Biodiesel can be made from all kinds of pant oils like soybean, rapseed, coconut, palm, canola, jatropha, sunflower, and olive.

How strong is the spider's silk?

Recent studies says that the silk spun by spiders to make web is stronger than steel. It is about five times stronger and twice as strong as Kevlar of the same weight. At one time the US military were planning to make a bullet-proof made of spider's silk.

In addition, the production of spider's silk is completely environmentally friendly. It is industrially viable, it could replace Kevlar and be used to make a diverse range of item such as:

• biodegradable bottles
• bullet-proof clothing
  
• bandages, surgical thread
• ropes and nets
  
• artificial tendons for ligaments to support for weak blood vessels
  

What makes us cry while slicing an onion?

Onions have a pungent odor, but this is not what causes our eyes to tear whenever we slice these bulbs. It is the release of syn-propanethial-S-oxide, a chemical irritant that stimulates our tear glands. When we cut an onion, an enzyme called lachrymatory-factor synthase is released into the air. This enzyme then couples with the enzyme present in the onion to produce an unstable sulfenic acid that rearranges itself to another gaseous substance, syn-propanethial-S-oxide. This gas gets into our eyes, producing sulfuric acid, and then the tears start flowing.

There are ways in getting around this problem.

• you can wear googles.
• you can chill the onion in the refrigerator before chooping it.
• you can try running tap water over the bulbs as you slice or cut the onion under water.
  

What is the purpose of yawn?

One usually yawns when bored or tired. Yawning makes you draw in breath, filling your lungs with air. This increases the oxygen supply to the blood to help wake yourself up.

why do people blink?

Every time we blink, normally about six times a minute, a tear is secreted by the lachrymal gland in the corner of the eye. This tear spreads over the cornea to keep the eyeball clean and moist. The amount you blink increases when wind, dust or bright light threatens to harm the eye.

How were the days named?

Four of the names we use for the days of the week are of Scandinavian origin, while the others come from heavenly bodies. Sunday is named in honor of the Sun; Monday was the day of the Moon; Tuesday was the day of Tiw, the Scandinavian god of war;Wednesday comes from Woden ( Odin), chief of the Scandinavian gods; Thursday is named after Thor, the god of Thunder; Freya ( or Frigga ), the goddess of friendship, gave her name to Friday; and Saturday was the day of Saturn.

Why does February have 29 days in a leap year?

About 2000 years ago Julius Caesar reorganized the calendar by adding an extra day every fourth year, following the advice of the Greek astronomer Sosigenes. This was necessary because the Earth takes 365, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 46 seconds to travel around the sun. The Romans had found that, with a year being only 365 days, festivals did not keep in line with the seasons.

In 1582 Pope Gregory XIII made the system more accurate by ruling that the century years (e.g. 1700, 1800,1900 ) should not be treated as leap years unless they were divisible by 400. So there was not a 29th February in 1900 but there was one in the 2000.

World's smallest fish

The Paedocypris progenetica is now the world's smallest fish on record. It has been discovered by scientists in forest swamps of Indonesian Island of Sumatra that is only 7.9mm long. It is considered as the world's smallest vertebrate or backboned animal and is a member of a carp family. Paedocypris feed on plankton on pools of extremely acidic water in tropical forest swamps.

Before, the world's smallest fish which is Pandaka pygmaea was found in the Philippines in Malabon river but now, it is no longer considered to be one.

Do you know that...?

Lithium, an alkali metal used in batteries, is also used to treat mood disorders like depression and bipolar disorder.

Lithium was already being used to treat mania as early as 1870. For some reason, people stopped using as medicine until it was rediscovered in 1949 and used as a tranquilizer for people with certain types of mental illness.

Many soft drink companies used lithium salts or lithia waters (mineral water with high amounts of lithium) in their products before. A company called the West Bend Lithia Company even produced Lithia light beer. These companies stopped producing lithium-based drinks after a ban was declared in 1948.

Wine trivia

• The first wines produced were credited to the Mesopotamians in 6,000 B.C.

• There are over 10,000 varieties of wine grapes that exist in the word today.

• To make a bottle of wine, you need about 1.13 kilograms of grapes.

• Of all commercially produced wine in the world, about 98 percent is consumed within a week of purchase.

• Wine is 86 percent water, 11.2 percent alcohol, and 2.8 percent other substances. Experts say that over 250 compounds have been identified within that 2.8 percent.
  

Smallest snake on earth ever

A snake which is our inches long has been discovered as the world's smallest serpent. The non-venomous creature, which resembles a shiny earth worm was discovered in a forest of the Caribbean island of Barbados. Scientists recognized it as a new species of thread snake, a family of unusual burrowing of snakes found in America, Africa and Asia.

US evolutionary biologists Dr. Blair Hedges who made the find, determined that it was the smallest of the 3,100 known snake species.

Given the name Leptotyphlops carlae, the snake is believed to be at or near the minimum size possible for snakes. This diminutive reptile might easily be mistaken for an earthworm.

These species of thread snakes are also known as slender snakes or worm snakes. Short and slender, thread snakes burrow in the soil and live on a diet of insect larvae.

What is the largest crab on earth?

The largest water arthropod is the Japanese Spider Crab. If fully grown, it can reach a leg span of almost 13 feet, a body size of up to 15 inches and a weight of up to 20 kg. It's natural habitat is on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, some 300 to 400 m deep, around Japan. It feeds on deed animals and shellfish. It is believed to have a life expectancy of up to 100 years.




On the other hand, the largest land-living arthropod in the world is the Coconut Crab, also known as the Birgus latro.The coconut crab derives its name from ability to crack coconuts with help of its strong pincers.Reports about the size of this crab vary, but most references give a body length of up to 16 in, a weight of up to 4.1 kg, and a leg span of of more than 3 ft, with males generally being larger than females. It is believed that this is near the theoretical limit for a terrestrial arthropod. They can live more than 30 years. This crab is eaten by the pacific islanders, and is considered a delicacy and an aphrodisiac, with a taste similar to lobster and crab meat.

What is rocket candy?

Rocket candy is basically rocket fuel made from sugar and a binder. An oxidizer, potassium nitrate, or potassium perchlorate is then added to the sugar/binder mixture to liberate the energy from the molten sugar.

Among amateur rocketry hobbyists, this formulation is very popular as the ingredients are easy to obtain and safe enough to work with. A typical rocket candy usually consists of 35 percent sugar and 65 percent oxidizer. Additive, like metal flakes, red iron oxide, carbon black, etc., are sometimes added for sparks or to change the ballistic characteristics of the rocket fuel.

Fresh pineapple chunks mixed with gelatin, is it possible?

Gelatin can be mixed with almost everything- whipped cream, vegetables, and fruits. But adding raw pineapple (or a few other tasty fruits) to it will be a kitchen disaster. Here's why.

Pineapples produce an enzyme powerful enough to tenderize meat. Known as bromelin, this pineapple enzyme stops stops the jelly from setting properly, because it breaks down the jelly's protein chains. The alternative is canned pineapples, since much of the enzymes have been processed already, rendering them inoperative. Any sort of cooking also denatures bromelin. So remember to cook the pineapple chunks first, before you mix them with your gelatin dessert.

Aside from pineapple, there are other fruits (fresh or frozen) that you can't add to gelatin. The list incudes kiwi, figs, mangoes, guava and papaya. These fruits have their unique set of enzymes, in the same way bromelin does, to keep gelatin from setting properly.

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