Astronaut's Waste as FUEL

Regardless of whether you are at your home or 1000 miles away above earth, you have to attend nature's call.

But when you are in zero gravity something which is a no minute job turns into a major challenge. relieving yourself in space use to be an issue few years before, astronauts like Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong had fecal collection bags that stuck to their bottoms with adhesive when they had to go and microgravity could make things messy.

In 1963 astronaut Gordon Cooper launched on project Mercury,NASA had created a urine collection bag at that time, but near the end of his 22-orbit (32-hour mission), system after system in his capsule started failing.an investigation revealed that his urine bag leaked and droplets went into electronics,hobbing his automatic systems.

But today going to bathroom in space is much less tedious, but it still requires careful attention and space toilet training.

On the other side of coin researchers are working wonders, with the stuff we all move our heads off. On the international space station liquid waste are recycled through a special water treatment plan and turned back into drinking water.

Solid wastes are dried to remove all moisture, compressed and kept in an on-board storage container. They're removed and disposed of once the spacecraft has landed.

But now Indian researchers have developed a method that allows human waste in space to be converted into fuel that can be used to send future spacecraft missions from the Moon back to the Earth. The process would have benefits on earth also,it can be used to turn waste anywhere around town to fuel. Once this method is implemented and has wheels on it, it would be a turning point for our nation and mankind as a whole.

Human waste would to converted into methane resulting in enough power for rockets to bring astronauts home from exploring the moon or even more distant targets.

A human waste processing plant would resolve two major issues , one is the large amount of human waste and enormous amount of fuel which they have to carry for getting back to earth. A lot of brain brewing is already in process among scientists and engineers for the said method.

If a human waste processing plant was placed on moon, astronauts would be able to turn their waste into fuel for their return flight back to earth, this is what NASA expects by 2024.
Already a Human Waste Processing module was set on International Space station and worked under test conditions really well.

According to journal in the advances in space research, the amount of gas produced from a single crew member is impressive, and is very promising.

”The moon base would process the faecal matter into methane, a flammable gas that can be used to produce fuel for modern rockets. New techniques will see 290 liters of the gas per crew every day produced over the course of a week.

Finding a Mentor

“How do I find a mentor?”

I never had a good answer. The sad fact is this: people you want as mentors don’t want to view themselves as pro-bono life coaches. They are busy with their lives and their stuff. So what to do?

So I changed the question. Perhaps it’s a platitude to say that when the student is ready, the teacher appears, but it’s a prescription in disguise. Here, the better question is “How do I become an ideal apprentice, an ideal student?”

The below article explores examples of world-class apprentices and how you can emulate them. Once you do that, growth is a foregone conclusion. I try to throw some light on it, through a real life story I read back when I was in middle school, the impression of which are very visible on my consciousness till now.

Value Learning Over Money

After graduating from the Zurich Polytechnic in 1900, the twenty-one-year-old Albert Einstein found his job prospects extremely meager. He had graduated near the bottom of the class, almost certainly nullifying any chance to obtain a teaching position. Happy to be away from the university, he now planned to investigate, on his own, certain problems in physics that had haunted him for several years. It would be a self-apprenticeship in theorizing and thought experiments. But in the meantime, he would have to make a living. He had been offered a job in his father’s dynamo business in Milan as an engineer, but such work would not leave him any free time. A friend could land him a well-paid position in an insurance company, but that would stultify his brain and sap his energy for thinking.

Then, a year later, another friend mentioned a job opening up in the Swiss Patent Office in Bern. The pay was not great, the position was at the bottom, the hours were long, and the work consisted of the rather mundane task of looking over patent applications, but Einstein leaped at the chance. It was everything he wanted. His task would be to analyze the validity of patent applications, many of which involved aspects of science that interested him. The applications would be like little puzzles or thought experiments; he could try to visualize how the ideas would actually translate into inventions. Working on them would sharpen his reasoning powers. After several months on the job, he became so good at this mental game that he could finish his work in two or three hours, leaving him the rest of the day to engage in his own thought experiments. In 1905 he published his first theory of relativity, much of the work having been done while he was at his desk in the Patent Office.

THE LESSON:

It is a simple law of human psychology that your thoughts will tend to revolve around what you value most. If it is money, you will choose a place for your apprenticeship that offers the biggest paycheck. Inevitably, in such a place you will feel greater pressures to prove yourself worthy of such pay, often before you are really ready. You will be focused on yourself, your insecurities, the need to please and impress the right people, and not on acquiring skills. It will be too costly for you to make mistakes and learn from them, so you will develop a cautious, conservative approach. As you progress in life, you will become addicted to the fat paycheck and it will determine where you go, how you think, and what you do. Eventually, the time that was not spent on learning skills will catch up with you, and the fall will be painful.

Always value learning above everything else. This will lead you to all of the right choices. You will opt for the situation that will give you the most opportunities to learn, particularly with hands-on work. You will choose a place that has people and mentors who can inspire and teach you. A job with mediocre pay has the added benefit of training you to get by with less— a valuable life skill. If your apprenticeship is to be mostly on your own time, you will choose a place that pays the bills—perhaps one that keeps your mind sharp, but that also leaves you the time and mental space to do valuable work on your own. You must never disdain an apprenticeship with no pay. In fact, it is often the height of wisdom to find the perfect mentor and offer your services as an assistant for free.

Always remember, Earning comes from Learning, a lesson I learnt from my experience over the years.

Employment vs Entrepreneurship

In March 2009, the parents of IIT Delhi alumnus Deepinder Goyal, 29, were perplexed to see their son working from home. After a few days, they began to worry. Their "worst fears" were confirmed when Goyal disclosed that he had quit his cushy job at consulting firm Bain & Co to set up a foodie website—Foodiebay.com. His parents were worried and advised Goyal to return to a "job." But the company he founded, now called Zomato.com, received $2.3 million (about Rs 12.3 crore) in funding in 2011, broke even with estimated revenue of more than Rs 3.5 crore in 2012, and has even expanded to west Asia and Europe. "They are extremely happy and proud now," says Goyal.

Almost every aspiring graduate finds the leap to entrepreneurship brings with it difficulties that are not just economic. The fear of rebuke or rejection from family and friends is in most cases their first challenge. "Resistance from families to risk is one of the three biggest inhibitors to entrepreneurship in India, the other two being capital and awareness.
When IIT Roorkee alumnus and founder of property portal CommonFloor.com Sumit Jain, 28, wanted to launch his own venture in the third year of his engineering course, his father, who owned a hardware business in Meerut, vehemently opposed the idea
Such resistance stems from deep-rooted cultural mores. We suffer from a dependency syndrome in India, of working for someone than creating jobs. Even the students in colleges are taught to become employees and never employers. It is the promise of growth that is encouraging entrepreneurs to push forward. But for every Zuckerberg or Jobs who break out of the mould, there are many who fail to make the leap. "Children who have nothing to fall back upon often prefer secure jobs. Not only at home, entrepreneurs are black-listed in the marriage market and on social front too, where they are mostly regarded as 'unstable.'

Mindset is probably the major determinant of success in pretty much every walk of life and so in entrepreneurship. In other words, the thinking patterns you habitually adopt largely govern the results you achieve.  But different circumstances and situations require different mindsets, something that anyone looking to leave paid employment and strike out on their own, must be aware of. Unfortunately, not all would-be entrepreneurs understand the dramatic mindset shifts required, without which business success is unlikely.

When an employee you are busy trying to play safe. You are trying hard to either complete the task given or reach the target posted. As an employee you follow the rules, policies and play the game. While as an entrepreneur you do the opposite you take risks, break the rules, define new tasks and sometimes change target midway. To put it crudely it’s the difference between following your gut vs covering your butt.
That said I don't think being an employee is a bad thing. Taking instructions and following rules is not a taboo. If employees didn't exist then the world would not be the same. We all evolve into entrepreneur, leaders and business owners only after learning the ropes as an employee.
End of the day you can be an entrepreneur or an employee or an entrepreneurial employee the only secret to success is the right mindset and attitude

30 Sec Battery Charger

Fed up with charging your smart phone again and again, here is a good news for you Storedot a nanotechnology company has developed a technology which can charge your phone in few seconds. So if you can’t increase your battery capacity, speed up the charging rate.

Storedot a Israel based startup, has discovered self assembling nanodots from organic materials that can be used to make new form of batteries.

Nanodots are bio-organic peptide molecules which are part of amino acids, (building blocks of life). Peptides assemble in tiny spheres of about 2 nanometer in diameter and store a lot of energy for brief period.

Storedot made a battery of alternating layers of organic quantum dots and conventional lithium electrodes.

Acting like a supercapacitor, the organic layers are able to store energy in 30 second slowly release it to lithium layers. From there, the device draws energy it needs from lithium layer just like a regular battery.

Company have launched technology in a prototype phase but it is currently too bulky,almost a size of laptop power adaptor, but soon it will launch a battery of size and capacity which is needed.

This is not expensive, it would cost about twice the cost of regular smartphone battery which is almost $30.

According to storedot, the material which they use will replace the use of toxic metal cadmium.

The most attractive thing is you can get your phone charge in 30 sec, which is almost same time you need, to empty your bladder. I wish company follows its words and launch this technology by 2016.

Is WhatsApp Safe ?

Now Whatsapp is including the encryption functionality of TextSecure from Open Whisper Systems in their Android client and this will make Whatsapp the most secure instant messenger (beating even Apple's a Messages/iMessage), far more better than any competitor ever thought of, at least for now.

Like Whatsapp, Apple's iMessage/Messages offers end to end encryption but in Apple's design, they control the encryption keys which means they could create a man in the middle type situation and you would never know. In the new Whatsapp with encrypted messenger app, the keys are controlled by the client and you will be able to verify the counter-parties encryption key using QR code scanning or by verbally exchanging the encryption key verifier. This will make sure beyond any doubt that the messages are encrypted for the intended recipient and no one else.

Earlier this year, there were cries in the audience that messages on WhatsApp were not secure, here is the answer from the tech giant. I am myself a big fan of personal privacy and when it comes to encryption I shine like a rainbow, here is how in simple words, how your WhatsApp is now super safe. Keep Chatting.

How will it work?

When you start a conversation with another Whatsapp android users using the latest version, you will be asked to initiate a secure session. Once initiated, you will see visual marker (lock icon) in a couple of places to remind you the session is protected : next to the send button, next to each encrypted message and in the title bar.

When?

If you are using the latest android client, your version already includes the new end-to-end encryption mechanism and it is activated when talking to other Android based Whatsapp users.

Top 15 Love Songs in School Days

School days are the most memorable days of our life. The fun, the frolic, the innocence all mixed with the wish and eagerness to grow up. They put their ink on our life’s canvas in a way it’s hard to forget the memories of them. Binding these memories together is the music, the songs and the multitude created by them. Here are handpicked 15 songs which I think rocked my heart in my school time days…

We all have witnessed that state of being carried away by an unreasoned passion, that unreasoned fire, that feeling for that one person you have for which everything you do is less, is immaterial. When for the first time you want to try your heart for someone unknown. When sleep is not required and all you think is the beauty, passion and charm of your crush, that
 Infatuation…

Kyu Aaj Kal Neend Kam -Who Lamhe (2006) A perfect for a heart first time floating in the breeze of early love. 

Sochta Hoon Uska Dil - Babul Supriyo’s Sochta Hoon (2003) Ever had a crush on your teacher, your hopes of getting her increased whenever she patted you or looked at you only if in anger, this is what your mind was singing…

Ek Ladki Ko Dekha to - 1942 A love Story A perfect one for the guy who just witnessed the girl of his dream if only for a while and even if his puppy love may last only a few moments    

 Mere Khwabo Me Jo Ai – DDLJ If he came and mesmerized you in your dreams, that boy in your class, or in your tuition, that guy next door, when you were only a small doll, this was the song which had rolled a million times on your mind.

So was easy to fall in love those old days, her love was the only reason; you were never out of seasons. Your first addiction with the unknown feeling, those butterflies in your tummy, that uneasy feeling…

Agar Mai Kahoon - Lakshya (2004) wished to say a lot ended up saying gibberish, still she understood and asked what you really meant…  

Pehla Nasha - Jo Jeeta Woi Sikander (1992) The sting of the love is so vivid that you are in a different trance and all you feel is a euphoria. 

 Mera Pehla Pehla Pyaar Hai Ye – Mera Pehla Pehla Pyar (2007) That moment when you wanted to tell the world about your first school crush, your first school girlfriend, it may seem silly now, it all made sense back then.

Mohhabat Kabi Maine Ki to Nai Thi – Sonu Nigam Perils of love, sweet and sour, beautifully explored by this song from my suave school days.

 Love is drug for soul, a passionate anodyne for all pains. When in it a sense of euphoria and Elysium is realized…

 Tu Mile Dil Khile – Criminal Not just your heart but your life blossoms as well, when in the ecstasy of love.

 Kuch Kuch Hota Hai - Kuch Kuch Hota Hai The unknown feeling of being blessed when the one you love comes near and gives a smile so blissful, you land in a whirlpool of sweet dreams, one of my favorites in my middle school.     

 Do Dil Mil Rahe Hai – Pardes A beautiful soft single, we all have heard as a kid and growing up, fits really well, for those, who were in the catch of a disease known as Love.

Aur Ahista Kijiye Baatein – Pankaj Udhas A powerful single from this great singer, brings back old memories of craving of my heart back when I was in school.

Of all the feeling of pain and grief, seeing your loved one go away is probably the worst, much has been written both in verse and prose for it. Here are few picks which added solace to my lonely heart back in those days…

Kya Hua Tera Wada – Yaadon Ki Baarat That dampening feeling once your loved one fails to understand your thoughts and leaves in middle of a maelstrom.   

Har kisi Ko Nai Milta – All love is not successful and all successful do not get love, saddening but true. The loss and remembrance of your loved one is heavier than the soring loneliness.   

Tanhai – Dil Chahta Hai One of my favorites for the feeling of solitude and loss, a beautiful single form the movie, which we all adore to our hearts.

Looking for a TABLET ?

Looking for a tablet this year end. Confused by the huge portfolio and the market options available. We have arranged the few options based on the OS the tablet’s run, hope it helps to alleviate some quandary in your mind, regarding the right tablet you want.

Apple's iOS

The iPad remains top of the line among tablets. The apps designed specifically for it is unmatched. Those who already have iPhones will appreciate the ability to start email and other tasks on one device and finish on the other. You can even make phone calls from iPads, if you have an iPhone on the same Wi-Fi network.

The downside is the high price tag for the latest full-size model, the iPad Air 2. Many Android tablets are cheaper. You do get a light and skinny device for the price, with a camera that matches the iPhone's 8 megapixels (though the iPad still lacks a flash). The new Air also has a fingerprint sensor to bypass security passcodes and to authorize online purchases using Apple Pay. It won't work with in-store payments, though.

If you are on a budget or want a smaller device, consider last year's iPad Mini 2. This year's Mini doesn't have many improvements over last year's model, except for the fingerprint and Apple Pay capabilities. The convenience might not be worth spending more for the device.

You might consider putting the savings toward a mid-tier or higher-end model. With both the Air 2 and the Mini 3, you can upgrade to 64 gigabytes of storage from 16 GB for just $100 more. 

Google's Android

Android phones and tablets don't let you switch back and forth as easily as Apple devices do. The advantage of sticking with an Android tablet for Android phone owners is having a unified library of apps.

Samsung's Galaxy Tab S is the best of the Android tablets I've tried. The display uses a technology called AMOLED to produce colors that pop out as you view video or browse the Web. But the Tab S also comes with a high price tag for the full-size model and also for the smaller one.

Samsung does offer an even-pricier Pro series, with screens of up to 12.2 inches diagonally, but that's really aimed at professionals. Full-size models tend to be nine or 10 inches, while mini models are seven or eight inches. At the small and cheap end, Samsung offers the 7-inch Galaxy Tab 4 for an affordable price. Book lovers can choose a Nook edition, made in partnership with Barnes & Noble.

Google's $399 Nexus 9 has the advantage of running an Android version that's closest to Google's vision. Samsung and other manufacturers typically add their own twists, which can confuse consumers. The Nexus does have a wireless chip for in-store mobile payments using Google Wallet, if you feel like waving it around in the checkout line.

I'm including Amazon's Fire HDX tablets under Android, even though the system's been modified so much that there's little resemblance. App selection isn't as good as what you get on purer Android devices. But Amazon is able to add such features as one-button access to live video help. It is great for first-time tablet owners and comes at a nice price.

Microsoft's Windows

Until Windows 10 comes out next year, there's a huge divide between Windows phones and Windows tablets. Apps aren't compatible, and Windows tablets have more in common with Windows desktops and laptops. A Windows tablet is best suited for someone looking to replace a PC. In fact, many Windows tablets are just laptops with detachable keyboards.

There are too many models to list, so I'll use Microsoft's own Surface Pro 3 as an example. The Surface itself starts at a very high price and at some configurations is costlier than Apple. The Surface's built-in kickstand can be adjusted to a range of positions, some better for desks and others for the lap. The best thing about Windows tablets is their ability to run regular Windows software, such as Office and Photoshop. Other tablets have, at best, a light version.

Powerful PooP Battery

Time to show how powerful your poop could be...

Researchers have discovered that bacterias found in human and animal faeces could be used to create a biological battery.

 A bio-battery is a energy storage device that is powered by storage compounds,usually being glucose. It generates electricity from renewable fuels providing a sustained, on demand portable power source.

Some bacteria survive by ‘breathing rocks’ instead - especially minerals of iron.

Researchers of University of East Anglia (UEA) studied that both animals and human waste contain bacteria which breathe minerals of iron,an electrical charge is released as a side effect during this breathing process.

They derive their energy from the combustion of fuel molecules that have been taken into the cell’s interior. A side product of this reaction is a flow of electricity that can be directed across the bacterial outer membrane and delivered to rocks in the natural environment - or to graphite electrodes in fuel cells. This means that the bacteria can release electrical charge from inside the cell into the mineral, much like the neutral wire in a household plug.

Also the scientists looked at proteins called ‘multi-haem cytochromes’ that are contained in a species of bacteria called Shewanella, found in faeces, these had the same traits required for that to produce significant voltage differences.

Lead researcher Professor Julea Butt, from the university’s schools of chemistry and biological sciences, said: ‘These bacteria can generate electricity in the right environment.

This would be a real advancement in research of bio batteries.

 Advantage of this battery would be:

1. Instant recharge

2. Eco-friendly

3. Fuel source ie, faeces readily available
4. Usage of Sewage water, which is usually hard to dispose off.

Nations like India can benefit a lot from this kind of power source, where sewage water disposal is a big issue and already a lot work is being done on it, in the name of Clean India campaigns. 

Energy Bars for Cycling

Energy bars are fantastic fuel for cycling. But if you want to make your own, here is a simple trick I use to make them.  My energy bar is based on oats, reason I use oats is simple. It has slow release carbohydrates, which are really good for long cycle rides. They have got good proportion of protein and fats. Also they are kind of robust, so they travel really well.

So let us begin by making a mixture which shall bind our energy bar together. Below is the list of ingredients required for the act.

Ingredients:

Sesame Seeds - 25g / 2 tbsp
Sunflower Seeds - 25g / 2 tbsp
Flaked Almonds - 50g / 1/2 cup
Sultanas - 50g / 1/2 cup
Chopped Dates - 50g / 1/2 cup
Oats/Oatmeal - 225g / 8 oz

Here is how they look, once complete:

1. Take some sunflower oil and heat it in a pan, the reason I take Sunflower oil is it is primarily tasteless and is more gelatinous than others, but it can vary from person to person, and you can use any oil you want.

2. To add sweetness to the bar, put soft brown sugar, I also put 2 tablespoon of golden syrup and honey to make it healthy and mega sweet. Golden Syrup is really sticky so it binds the bars really well. Mix well, all these and stir well on low heat. After say about 5 minutes, add 2 tablespoon of peanut butter, which shall become the base of energy bar, if you like you can add some vanilla extract here, for taste.

3. Start adding sultanas, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, flaked almonds and do add some chopped dates. These all ingredients are great source of energy and actually bind really well, hence making up into a robust energy bar.
4. Keep mixing the mixture and after a while start adding oats, add around 200 grams of oats and mix them well, heat them on low gas and when they form a stiff and sturdy mixture, take them off the gas.

5. Once you take them of the gas, put them in an Owen container, to a baking tin lined with parchment. and press them really well (I used a metal fork to press them). Put it at 180 Celsius that is about 350 Fahrenheit for about 12 minutes. Make sure the top is golden brown after completion.
6. Once they are done take them out and cool them a bit, once at amiable temperature, cut them into the rectangular bar sizes and pack them for your cycle ride.

Try and eat one every hour, while cycling it is very important to maintain your blood sugar level, they will help you a lot in this. I have used these on a number of occasions. From a day long rides to long expeditions lasting 10 days and so. Best thing they hold well in hot and humid conditions and if the quality of the raw materials is good, they hold really well for 3-4 days. Feeding you at times when you are totally marooned.

GOOD MORNING : OPEN DEFECATORS

After a social experiment of whistles at open defecators in part of Indian rural areas and suburbs, a new concept of saying good morning to open defecators has started which i being packed up with a new wave of sustainable development. Sustainable development is pathway to future, we want for all.

You can hit your goal, if you stick to it. Rome wasn't built in a day. If you have a goal you have to stick to it, and achieve it with your hard work and determination.

Same is seen to be followed by the people of Bekkinakeri (village) as a part of Swachh (Clean) Bharat (India).

They have found an ground breaking idea to convince people to make pucca toilets in their home, by saying good morning to people who defecate in open.

In the early morning gram panchayat members, anganwadi workers and other volunteers are doing a marvelous job of convincing people to make pucca toilets in their homes and making them realize the need  for one, and advantages of having a toilet in their homes.
The zila panchayat started this experiment in September for 11 days and kept a watch on the results and amazing results were noticed. Village has 711 families and around 90% of families have their own toilets now.

Success is not a day's game, according to panchayat members when they started this "GOOD MORNING" task ie 'Greeting a villager Good Morning who is defecating in open' nobody took it seriously and used it as jocund, but with increasing campaigns families were acknowledged pucca toilets. This good morning project was started in the village with anna hazare’s tips and is now gaining serious applaud and respect in other areas of nation.

Bekkinakeri village is now clean, and it is hard to find heaps of garbage anywhere in the village, infact this village has its own waste management techniques, which they use to turn the garbage into compost.

Composting is nature’s way of recycling, by practicing this method of turning waste into compost, they are adding  a benefit to their community, compost is not a fertilizer but it actually contains nutrients which improves plant growth. By using compost you can improve the soil and reduce your use of fertilizers and water.
People are enjoying the dual benefits , people have a clean environment and  nutrition rich fields.
More development programs are on the way, a welcome change for a remote village in India. We sincerely wish that same attitude is replicated all along the population of this nation.

MUSIC: ESCAPE TO SADNESS !!

One good thing about music, when it hits, you feel no pain.     : BOB MARLEY

Researchers from free university of berlin surveyed 722 people around the world and found that sad music more than happy music can actually lead to beneficial emotional effects”.

The Freie Universität Berlin (lit. "Free University of Berlin") is a renowned  located in Berlin and one of the most prominent universities in Germany. It is internationally known for its research in humanities and social sciences, as well as in the field natural and life sciences.

People are more inclined towards sad music in the whole world, inspite of the fact that people always want to stay happy happy and more happy.

Researchers of the free university did a study based on the survey of 770 people around the world and discovered that sad music can evoke positive emotions, like peacefulness and tenderness, and offers four distinct rewards for choosing that weepy ballad on your iPod. It achieves this by providing the listener with four different rewards

: IMAGINATION,  EMOTIONAL REGULATION , EMPATHY   

                                        AND                                               

                   NO REAL LIFE IMPLICATIONS

Many respondents said that when they were in a bad mood, experiencing sadness through music made them feel better afterwards and provided an emotional boost. That may be because the songs help them to express and release their emotions.

The reward of “imagination” allowed listeners to feel as though they could express themselves as richly as the mournful music.

 The “empathy” reward made the listener feel good by allowing him to share the sadness of another human being through the so "(Sad music has) potential to regulate negative moods and emotions, as well as to provide consolation... In this sense, sad music can play a role in well-being."

It is been truly said that music washes away from the soul the dust of everybody’s life.

The study explained that the average number of emotions that participants reported to have experienced in response to sad music was three

This “suggests that a multifaceted emotional experience elicited by sad music enhances its aesthetic appeal”.

Conclusion which was published in the journal plos one, Stefan koelsch and liila taruffi said

“The fact that people appreciate sadness in music may appear paradoxical, given the strong popular and scientific emphasis on happiness as a source of personal wellbeing

Music evoked sadness can also be experienced as a pleasant emotion, differently from 'everyday sadness,'" Taruffi said.

Many people also reported feeling wonder and transcendence after listening to melancholy ballads.
So it turns out Elton John was right after all: Sad songs do say so much.
Music is your escape to sadness ..

EXPERT EXPLORER

 IMAGE SEARCH

Google and yahoo let you search images,,but have you ever tried reverse image search. Wanted to know the source and origin of an image or if a better resolution image exists or not. Try TINEYE, TinEye is a reverse image search engine. TinEye regularly crawls the web for new images, finds out where an image came from, how it is being used, if modified versions of the image exist, or if there is a higher resolution version. Tineye finds cropped, altered, resized version of images, the images that you will upload shall not be available for search and shall be your copyright data. Most images on internet are copyright protected, so once can have the information of the owner of the image for its use. For the search purposes JPEG, PNG and GIF images are accepted. You may check the website here.

SOCIAL CONTENT SEARCH

ICEROCKET is a website which helps user satisfy their craving for new content and original blogs. The site offers free login subscription to latest blog sites and blogspots which hld new and original content. The webpage is linked with social media platforms like FACEBOOK, TWITTER etc for enhanced search results. A user can register his/her blog on the website and can increase the clicks and views on the blogspot. There are options for advanced search which eliminate duplicate information and direct the search to the original content. This is a real time search engine, whose search includes images and news feed as well in all in real time. The major blog sites enrolled in it are WORDPRESS, BLOGGER and BLOGOSPHERE. Icerocket can we viewed here.

VIDEO SEARCH

Looking for interrelated videos on Politics, Movies, Gaming and Media, though You Tube holds the flagship for the video searches, there is another player in the field which may satiate your Video Search hunger, this is BLINKX. It has great partnerships with NBC, Bloomberg and Conde Nast so some great media content can be located here. Blinkx allows its users to search for sitcoms on the basis of season, episode and other attributes. the company has also launched: my blinkx.tv, which allows users to aggregate video content into a single customized stream to play on-demand; blinkx.tv To Go, a service that enables users to sync content to their iTunes or personal video player software. Click here to go to website.

MEDICAL SEARCH

Ever thought of a search engine meant for your medical queries, here is one, its called IMEDISEARCH.
Why this site is better than Google is that, Google does not know who is doing the search, this site allows the user to choose from being a physician, pharmacist, nurse or being a general public guy, thus resulting in a wide and varied variety of credible results.
The choice of user defines the search results.The sites listed in the result are highly accredited and are trustworthy.

EBOLA: The Hidden Truth

Ebola has arrived in India, though for now it is contained and quarantined in an Airport but below information can come real handy when facing the real threat. Till now the virus has taken 5000+ lives and has no known cure or vaccine. Prevention and information sharing are the only effective tools for a epidemic like this.

Ebola, previously known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, is a rare and deadly disease caused by infection with one of the Ebola virus strains. Ebola can cause disease in humans and nonhuman primates (monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees). Ebola is caused by infection with a virus of the family Filoviridae, genus Ebolavirus. There are five identified Ebola virus species, four of which are known to cause disease in humans.

Ebola viruses are found in several African countries. Ebola was first discovered in 1976 near the Ebola River in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since then, outbreaks have appeared sporadically in Africa.

The natural reservoir host of Ebola virus remains unknown. However, on the basis of evidence and the nature of similar viruses, researchers believe that the virus is animal-borne and that bats are the most likely reservoir. Four of the five virus strains occur in an animal host native to Africa.

Symptoms of EBOLA:

·         Fever

·         Severe headache

·         Muscle pain

·         Weakness

·         Fatigue

·         Diarrhoea

·         Vomiting

·         Abdominal (stomach) pain

·         Unexplained haemorrhage (bleeding or bruising)

Symptoms may appear anywhere from 2 to 21 days after exposure to Ebola, but the average is 8 to 10 days.

Recovery from Ebola depends on good supportive clinical care and the patient’s immune response. People who recover from Ebola infection develop antibodies that last for at least 10 years.

PRECAUTIONS:

·         Practice careful hygiene. For example, wash your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer and avoid contact with blood and body fluids.

·         Do not handle items that may have come in contact with an infected person’s blood or body fluids (such as clothes, bedding, needles, and medical equipment).

·         Avoid funeral or burial rituals that require handling the body of someone who has died from Ebola.

·         Avoid contact with bats and nonhuman primates or blood, fluids, and raw meat prepared from these animals.

·         Avoid facilities in West Africa where Ebola patients are being treated. The U.S. embassy or consulate is often able to provide advice on facilities.

·         After you return, monitor your health for 21 days and seek medical care immediately if you develop symptoms of Ebola.

·         Wear appropriate personal protective equipment.
·         Practice proper infection control and sterilization measures.

·         Isolate patients with Ebola from other patients.

·         Avoid direct, unprotected contact with the bodies of people who have died from Ebola.

·         Notify health officials if you have had direct contact with the blood or body fluids, such as but not limited to, faeces, saliva, urine, vomit, and semen of a person who is sick with Ebola. The virus can enter the body through broken skin or unprotected mucous membranes in, for example, the eyes, nose, or mouth.

EBOLA FAQ's

What are body fluids?

Ebola has been detected in blood and many body fluids. Body fluids include saliva, mucus, vomit, faeces, sweat, tears, breast milk, urine, and semen.

What does “direct contact” mean?

Direct contact means that body fluids (blood, saliva, mucus, vomit, urine, or faeces) from an infected person (alive or dead) have touched someone’s eyes, nose, or mouth or an open cut, wound, or abrasion.

Can Ebola be spread by coughing or sneezing?

There is no evidence indicating that Ebola virus is spread by coughing or sneezing.  Ebola virus is transmitted through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of a person who is sick with Ebola; the virus is not transmitted through the air (like measles virus). However, droplets (e.g., splashes or sprays) of respiratory or other secretions from a person who is sick with Ebola could be infectious, and therefore certain precautions (called standard, contact, and droplet precautions) are recommended for use in healthcare settings to prevent the transmission of Ebola virus from patients sick with Ebola to healthcare personnel and other patients or family members.

How long does Ebola live outside the body?

Ebola is killed with hospital-grade disinfectants (such as household bleach). Ebola on dry surfaces, such as doorknobs and countertops, can survive for several hours; however, virus in body fluids (such as blood) can survive up to several days at room temperature.

Are patients who recover from Ebola immune for life? Can they get it again - the same or a different strain?

Recovery from Ebola depends on good supportive clinical care and a patient’s immune response. Available evidence shows that people who recover from Ebola infection develop antibodies that last for at least 10 years, possibly longer.

We don’t know if people who recover are immune for life or if they can become infected with a different species of Ebola.

If someone survives Ebola, can he or she still spread the virus?

Once someone recovers from Ebola, they can no longer spread the virus. However, Ebola virus has been found in semen for up to 3 months. Abstinence from sex (including oral sex) is recommended for at least 3 months. If abstinence is not possible, condoms may help prevent the spread of disease.

Can Ebola be spread through mosquitoes?

There is no evidence that mosquitoes or other insects can transmit Ebola virus. Only mammals (for example, humans, bats, monkeys and apes) have shown the ability to spread and become infected with Ebola virus.

TREATMENT

No approved vaccine or medicine (e.g., antiviral drug) is available for Ebola.

Symptoms of Ebola and complications are treated as they appear. The following basic interventions, when used early, can significantly improve the chances of survival:

·         Providing intravenous fluids (IV) and balancing electrolytes (body salts).

·         Maintaining oxygen status and blood pressure.

·         Treating other infections if they occur.

Experimental vaccines and treatments for Ebola are under development, but they have not yet been fully tested for safety or effectiveness.

Recovery from Ebola depends on good supportive care and the patient’s immune response. People who recover from Ebola infection develop antibodies that last for at least 10 years, possibly longer.