Knowledge Express

What are coronal mass ejections?

2022-06-07T16:08:00.002+05:30

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are large eruptions of plasma and magnetic field from the Sun's corona.

They are often associated with solar flares and can disrupt the Earth's magnetic field, causing geomagnetic storms.

CMEs are a major source of space weather and can be hazardous to astronauts and equipment in space.

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are giant clouds of plasma that are ejected from the Sun's corona.

These clouds can contain up to 10 billion tons of material and can travel at speeds of up to 3,000 km/s.

When a CME collides with the Earth's magnetosphere, it can cause a geomagnetic storm, which can disrupt power grids, communications systems, and navigation systems.

CMEs are often associated with solar flares, but they can also occur without any accompanying flares.

What causes CMEs?

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are among the most powerful eruptions in the solar system. They are huge clouds of plasma and magnetic field that are ejected from the Sun's corona, often during solar flares.

CMEs can cause widespread disruption to terrestrial systems, including power grids and communications networks.

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are one of the most energetic events in the solar system.

These massive eruptions of plasma and magnetic field from the Sun's surface can release as much as 10 billion megatons of energy.

CMEs are often associated with solar flares, but they can also occur without any accompanying flare activity.

The exact cause of CMEs is still not fully understood, but they are thought to be the result of the release of magnetic energy that has built up in the Sun's atmosphere.

This can happen when the Sun's magnetic field becomes tangled and unstable, and can also be triggered by the impact of high-speed solar wind particles on the Sun's surface.

Whatever the cause, the result is a massive release of energy that can send billions of tons of plasma and magnetic field into space.

CMEs can have a major impact on the Earth, depending on their size, speed, and direction.

If a CME is directed towards the Earth, it can interact with our planet's magnetic field and cause a geomagnetic storm.

These storms can disrupt communication systems, cause power outages, and even damage satellites.

Luckily, we can usually predict when a CME is going to hit the Earth, and so we can take steps to minimize the impact.

Geomagnetic storms

Geomagnetic storms are temporary disturbances in Earth's magnetosphere, created by the interaction of solar wind and Earth's magnetic fields.

These storms most often occur when solar activity is at its highest. The solar wind is a stream of plasma coming from the sun. It is not a constant wind, but rather changes in strength and direction.

The solar wind consists of electrons, protons and alpha particles. The Earth's magnetic field is the shape of a donut, with the Earth in the center.

The outer part of the donut is filled with radiation, called the Van Allen Belt. This radiation extends from about 10 Earth radii to over 60 Earth radii. It is here that the geomagnetic storms typically occur.

Geomagnetic storms are caused when the Earth's magnetic field interacts with the sun's magnetic field.

This happens because the Earth's magnetic field is not aligned with the Earth's spin axis, so the solar winds drag it around.

This causes the geomagnetic field to become distorted, which causes a lot of electrons to flow along the outside of the Earth.

This disturbance in the magnetic field causes a geomagnetic storm, which means that radiation from solar flares can reach the Earth during a storm.

The Carrington Event

The Carrington Event was a massive solar storm that hit Earth in 1859. The Carrington Event was the largest solar storm in recorded history, and it had a profound impact on the world.

The storm caused widespread damage to infrastructure and disrupted communication systems.

It also sparked a wave of new research into the effects of solar storms on the Earth.

The Carrington Event was a solar storm that caused electric currents to flow in telegraph lines, setting some telegraph offices on fire and disrupting the operation of the telegraph system all over the world.

It was the largest solar storm observed during modern times. The Carrington Event was so powerful that the telegraph lines received direct currents of hundreds of amperes.

This caused havoc with the telegraph system and set telegraph offices on fire. It resulted in the disruption of the telegraph system world-wide.

Telegraph pylons threw sparks and telegraph paper spontaneously caught fire. The operator could smell the burning insulation as the pylons were arcing themselves.

The most amazing aspect of solar storms is that they can affect the Earth even if they occur at the other side of the sun.

This is because light and radiation travel faster than the speed of sound or other electromagnetic waves.

CMEs Vs. Technology

As we know CMEs are not life threatening but when it comes to technology its very disturbing.

When CME clouds reach Earth, the Earth's strong magnetic field attracts the cloud and funnels it into the upper atmosphere.

There, the plasma cloud can damage satellites and power grids. These effects can be especially damaging for astronauts in space.

If a coronal mass ejection were to occur when astronauts on the International Space Station were outside, they might have little warning to get back inside before the cloud hits.

Consequences could include a loss of communication, a power failure, or the necessity to wear a spacesuit if exposed to the plasma cloud.

Can CMEs be predicted?

The location of CMEs, and of course the flare activity, is unpredictable in the long run. However, the Sun can be understood well enough to predict the general occurrence of CMEs.

The source of most CMEs is sunspot group 5302. We know this because the frequency of CMEs is about twice as high in this active region compared to the rest of the Sun.

Two important features of a sunspot are temperature and magnetic fields. Sunspots are regions of lower temperatures than the surrounding area.

Lower temperatures on the Sun means darker regions. The Sun's magnetic field is stronger in sunspots and can be measured by the Zeeman effect.

More importantly, we now know that sunspots are caused by the magnetic fields of the Sun. The above is an excerpt from the book, "Introductory Space Physics" by Raymond L. Lee, Jr.

In his book, the author describes the solar magnetic fields, solar flares, and coronal mass ejections.

What's hidden inside the ancient Maya pyramids?

2022-05-27T17:24:00.004+05:30

The ancient Maya pyramids are some of the most mysterious and enigmatic structures in the world.

For centuries, historians and archaeologists have debated what, if anything is hidden inside these massive structures.

Some believe that the pyramids were used as tombs for Maya royalty, while others believe that they were used for religious or ceremonial purposes.

Recent discoveries, however, have shed new light on the mystery of the Maya pyramids. In 2012, archaeologists discovered a secret chamber inside the Pyramid of the Feathered Serpent in Mexico.

This find was particularly significant because it was the first time that a hidden chamber had been found inside a Maya pyramid.

What is inside anyway?

New discoveries contained something weirder — smaller pyramids inside the larger ones. The discovery of the secret chamber has led many to believe that the Maya pyramids were used for more than just burial or religious purposes.

It is now believed that the pyramids were used as a kind of time capsule, containing artifacts and information about the Maya civilization that would be passed down through the generations.

More Mayan Artifacts

Maya artifacts are some of the most fascinating and mysterious objects in the world.

These ancient objects have been found in the ruins of Maya civilization sites, and they offer a glimpse into the lives of the Maya people.

Some of the most famous Maya artifacts include the Maya Codex, the Maya vase, and the Maya mask.

Each of these objects has its own unique story, and they all offer insights into the Maya culture and way of life.

So far, only a handful of secret chambers have been found inside Maya pyramids. But who knows what else may be waiting to be discovered?

The ancient Maya pyramids continue to fascinate and intrigue us, and they may hold many more secrets yet to be revealed.

Where Mayan Pyramids stands in the world

The ancient Maya pyramids are a major source of fascination for people all over the world, but very few know about their hidden chambers and passages.

As it turns out, three of the world’s largest pyramids have hidden chambers within. In fact, the structures of the largest pyramids of the world have concealed spaces inside them.

Major Discoveries

It’s stats with a chamber found in the Great Pyramid at Giza, in Egypt, in September 1992.

A year later, in 1993, two large chambers were found below the third and fourth step of the Pyramid of the Moon in Teotihuacan.

Pyramid of the Sun, in Cholula, Mexico, is another pyramid that has hidden chambers within its structure. These chambers are built at the base of the pyramid, and are believed to be used as tombs.

Mayan Pyramid-What to expect?

Upon entering the pyramid, the first thing people will see is the sunlight shining down through the temple. It is amazing that the unique structures known as Maya pyramids were constructed so many centuries ago and are still in perfect condition.

Archaeologists are still trying to decode the Mayan hieroglyphics carved on the walls inside the temple to find out what they mean. They have also found several stelae carved with Maya hieroglyphics inside the temple.

These are stone slabs covered with Maya inscriptions. Some hieroglyphics are also carved on the walls of the temple.

They do not only look decorative but also preserve the history of the Mayas.

Some Historical Background

The ancient Maya built their pyramidal temples like the ones at Chichen Itza in Yucatan and Palenque in Southern Mexico, between 600 to 900 AD.

The most famous of these pyramids is the Kukulcan pyramid at Chichen Itza, which is about 64 m tall with 8 terraces and a temple on top.

Altogether, there are about 20 large structures in the Chichen Itza site, but none of them is as big as the Kukulcan pyramid.

The reason why most of the Maya pyramids are smaller than this one is because the Maya built their pyramids in the shape of a pyramid-temple, while the Aztecs built their pyramids in the shape of a temple-pyramid.

What’s the purpose of building Mayan Pyramids?

The first question to ask is why they built these massive, time consuming, and expensive buildings.

The Maya culture was a very religious, ritualistic culture and they had a very sophisticated writing system.

They built pyramids to enhance the worship of their gods. They built them exactly the same way the Egyptians did. The Egyptians had the same beliefs and religious rituals.

They did this because they believed that their gods lived in the stars in the sky. They built pyramids to act as star telescopes. Most of today’s star gazers use modern telescopes and binoculars.

The Maya used their pyramids and offered sacrifices to their gods to ensure that they were able to use them to see the stars clearly.

Most Valuable 10 life lessons from the Godfather Movie

2022-05-27T10:54:00.007+05:30

The Godfather is an American crime classic and one of the most influential films. The Godfather tells the story of the Corleone family, a powerful crime syndicate in New York City. The head of the family, Vito Corleone, is a respected and well-connected man.

However, he is also a ruthless and feared mobster. When his youngest son, Michael, becomes involved in the family business, he quickly rises through the ranks, becoming a powerful and deadly figure in his own right.

The Godfather is a masterfully crafted film with excellent performances from its all-star cast. The story is compelling, and the characters are richly drawn. The film is also beautifully shot, with a stunning visual style that evokes the time and setting. The Godfather is a must-see for any fan of classic cinema.

Many life lessons can be gleaned from the classic movie, The Godfather. Perhaps the most important lesson is that it is always better to seek forgiveness than permission. This is a lesson that Don Corleone learned the hard way, and it is a lesson that we would all do well to remember.

Before you can understand the ten life lessons in the Godfather, you have to know the story behind the movie.

The Godfather is a classic American film that tells the story of the Corleone crime family. The patriarch of the family, Vito Corleone, is a powerful and respected man who has built his empire through illegal activity. His son, Michael, is a war hero who has no interest in the family business.

However, when a rival gangster attacks Vito, Michael steps in to take over the family. He quickly proves himself to be a ruthless leader. The family soon becomes the most powerful crime syndicate in New York. The Godfather is a tale of power, betrayal, and redemption that has captivated audiences for generations.

There are many life lessons to be learned from the Godfather movie. Here are 10 of the most valuable ones:

1. Family is everything.

The story of The Godfather starts with the wedding of Don Vito Corleone's daughter Connie. The Corleone family is the most powerful Italian mafia family in New York. On the wedding day, Corleone family lieutenant Tom Hagen (Robert Duvall) reads out the family's most important rule: never disrespect the family, or they will not hesitate to kill you.

2. Don't ever go against your family.

There's an old saying, "Don't ever go against your family." And that's true in the godfather movie. The Corleone family is one of the most powerful and respected families in the world, and they will do whatever it takes to protect their own. If you go against them, you're not just going up against one family; you're going up against them. And that's a very dangerous thing to do.

3. Blood is thicker than water.

This epic movie is a great example of using blood as an expression of family ties. This movie shows that blood ties are stronger than any other relationship. After all, you are the child of someone and it is only natural that you would love them. So blood is thicker than water.

In one scene, where mob-affiliated singer and Don Corleone’s godson, Johnny Fontane, visits Don Corleone to bring up some concerns ends with a scolding that we all can learn from. Don Corleone tells Johnny to be a man and advises him that if he does not spend time with his family he cannot ever be truly considered a real man.

This seems straightforward but the advice is hard-hitting. Even though the Don ran an organized operation, he was always there for his wife and family.

4. Loyalty is a key.

The Godfather, Vito Corleone, is the patriarch of that family. He is the one who keeps them all together, and he is the one who demands loyalty from all of them. The godfather loyalty scene is when Michael Corleone's (Al Pacino) father, Vito Corleone (Robert DeNiro) is shot.

Frankie Pentangeli (Michael V. Gazzo) confesses to taking part in the murder because of the Mafia's code of honor. The Mafia believes in "Omertá," which is a code of silence and not disclosing anything to the government. The Mafia believed that all of their members were "made men," which means they were not allowed to rat on their fellow gangsters.

5. Friendship is a valuable commodity.

Friendship is a valuable commodity, and the godfather movie is a great example of this. The Godfather is a movie about loyalty, family, and friendship. The three main characters in the movie are all friends, and they have each other's backs no matter what. The Godfather is a great example of how friendship can be a valuable commodity.

6. Always be prepared for the worst.

The Godfather tells his son Michael that the first business rule is "never let anyone know what you're thinking." Michael takes this advice to heart, and it serves him well throughout the movie. He is always prepared for the worst. As a result, he can take advantage of opportunities that others are not.

For example, when Michael is in Sicily, he is prepared for the worst when the local Mafia attacks him. He can kill his attackers and take over their operations. If he had not been prepared for the worst, he would have been killed, and the Mafia would have taken over his operations.

Being prepared for the worst may not always be the most pleasant way to live, but it is a very effective way to do business.

7. Trust is hard to come by.

In the world of the Godfather, trust is a rare commodity. Everyone is out for themselves, and no one can be trusted. This makes for a very dangerous and unstable world, where the slightest misstep can lead to disaster.

The Godfather himself is a man who knows the value of trust. He has built his entire criminal empire on trust and loyalty. He knows that without trust, his organization would quickly crumble.

This is why the Godfather is so careful about whom he trusts. He knows that it is very hard to repair once trust is broken. He must be sure that the people he trusts are completely loyal to him and will not betray him.

The Godfather is a man who understands the importance of trust. He knows that it is a rare and valuable commodity. And he knows that without it, his world would be a much more dangerous place.

8. Revenge is a dish best served cold.

One of the most famous scenes in the movie is when Michael Corleone takes revenge on the rival family that killed his father. He does this by killing the head of the rival family, along with all of his men. This scene is one of the most memorable in the movie, and it perfectly embodies the phrase "revenge is a dish best served cold."

Michael Corleone is calm and calculated as he takes his revenge, and it is clear that he has planned it out well in advance. This scene is a great example of how revenge can be a very satisfying thing if done correctly.

9. It's not always about winning, but about playing the game.

In the classic film The Godfather, Vito Corleone famously says, "It's not personal, Sonny. It's strictly business." This line has become synonymous with the movie and the Mafia in general. But what does it mean?

In the context of the film, it means that the Mafia is a ruthless business. Personal feelings should never get in making a deal or carrying out an order. This is a key principle of the Mafia's code of conduct.

But the phrase can also be interpreted more broadly as a statement about life in general. It's not always about winning but about playing the game. This is true in business, politics, and many other areas of life. Sometimes we have to put aside our personal feelings and do what's best for the greater good.

10. Life is full of surprises.

Life is full of surprises. You never know what's going to happen next. Even the best-laid plans can go awry. That's why it's important always to be prepared for the unexpected.

In the Godfather movie, we see this principle in action. The Corleone family is one of the most powerful in New York. They have their fingers in all sorts of pies, from politics to crime. But even they are not immune to the randomness of life.

One of the most famous scenes in the movie is when rival gangsters ambush Michael Corleone. He is shot multiple times and left for dead. But he survives and goes on to take his revenge.

This scene is a great reminder that life is full of surprises. No matter who you are or how much power you have, you can never predict what will happen. So always be prepared for the worst and hope for the best.

These are just a few of the many life lessons gleaned from The Godfather. It is a classic movie for a reason, and its lessons are as relevant today as they were when the movie was first released.

10 amazing mysteries of indus valley civilization

2022-04-27T16:16:00.006+05:30

In the Early 1900, there were frequent incidences of soapstone seals, stone sculptures, pottery and human figurines popping up around the ancient Indus valley area in British India. They baffled everyone with their unique inscriptions in a never-before-seen written language.

Intrigued by this, archaeologists Daya Ram Sahni and R.D. Banerji began the excavation work and discovered a 4,500-year-old civilization, a civilization utterly missing from the historical records. Probably one of the most urban civilizations in ancient human history. It prospered alongside Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and modern-day China.

Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa were considered twin cities in ancient times and flourished on the banks of the river Indus in modern-day Pakistan. Mohenjo-Daro, also known as Mount of the Dead, is one of the oldest and most prominent cities of the early civilizations known to man. Its mysterious culture emerged almost 4500 years ago and remained for thousands of years.

This city profited from its fertile lands of Indus River flood plains and trade with nearby civilizations of Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq). Sadly, after its extended period of excellent glory, the city got buried under the sands of time.

Archaeologists believe that over 80,000 people once occupied these cities, but only 52 skeletons have been discovered on these sites so far.

Mystery 1: What Happened to these Cities?

Was there an invasion? Was there an earthquake? What happened to these cities? No one knows for sure.

If you ever happen to visit these mysterious "Godless" cities, everything will feel alive, as if there are still people living in their homes but have gone for a day out and will just come back any time.

According to scientists and archaeologists, this civilization started to decline around 1800 BC. Evidence shows that their massive trade with Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) almost ended. The advanced drainage system was either blocked or destroyed, their writing script began to vanish, and the standard scales of weights and measures were not used anymore.

David Davenport, a British researcher in 1977, discovered that some parts of Mohenjo-Daro showed evidence of having been destroyed by a powerful explosion. In 2014, mineralogist Dr Sam Iyengar took some rocks from Mohenjo-Daro and placed them under multiple examinations. The composition of stones was very similar to a volcanic rock that required 4 to 5 thousand degrees of heat, which was humanly impossible to produce at that time. So, where did all these people go remains a mystery to date.

Mystery 2: Seals

Small stone seals are among the most mysterious Mohenjo-Daro artefacts. No one knows what they were used for. They have been found in large numbers covered with pictographs showing animals. Archaeologists believe that they were either used as charms to keep away the evil or as stamps to demonstrate ownership and verification purposes.

Mystery 3: Advanced Sewer System

With the bath and toilet in each house, community trash disposal at every corner of all streets, nearly 700 wells in the city for the excess people to fresh water and a very well-maintained drainage system, this civilization was more advanced in 2500 BC than most of the same region's cities in 2022.

Mystery 4: Mysterious Necklace

Archaeologist Mortimer Wheeler discovered a 4500 years old split necklace in an earthen pot at the Mohenjo Daro excavation site. He didn't disclose this discovery and gifted the necklace to his third wife.

Mortimer had a superstitious belief that the chain would bring him luck as his previous two marriages were unsuccessful. The necklace did bring luck. Just two years after discovering the necklace, he was knighted.

Mortimer's third wife, Margaret, gifted the necklace to her Indian lady friend when they left India. 80,000 British pounds were offered for the chain in 1996 by a U.K. businessman, but the lady turned down the offer, and the necklace remains in her family's possession.

Mystery 5: Splendid architecture of the Twin Cities

These 5000 years old cities were an engineering masterpiece of their time. It has remains of a marvellously engineered road plan and rectilinear multi-story houses that have astonished thousands of archaeologists and architects. How in God's name were they able to do all that in those ancient times?

Mystery 6: Religion of Indus People?

There is no authentic information about the religion of the Indus people. Still, the recent discoveries of 3500+ seals and statuettes with pictures of animals, Gods and Priests suggest that people of different faiths, majorly Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, lived there.

Mystery 7: Indus People Knew Dentistry

Dentistry is one of the oldest medical professions. It has been found dating back to 7000 B.C. The skeletons of the Indus people have shown holes in teeth caused by ancient "dental drills."

Mystery 8 : Pashupati steatite seal

It’s one of the oldest seals found in India so far. And we know that the mohenjo daro seals were from the same period. The mohenjo daro seals were from the same period hence it’s safe to say that the seals were from the same period and were from the same civilization.

Mystery 9: The Great Bath

The great bath located in Mohenjo-Daro is a pool built of waterproof bricks. It is 39 feet long and 8 feet deep and was used by the upper class for performing religious rituals.

Mystery 10: Language (Indus Script)

The Indus script has not yet been deciphered. None of the archaeologists, despite countless efforts, has ever been able to crack the code of their writing symbols. There is no consensus on reading the symbols, and it remains a puzzling mystery.

What happened to Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa will perhaps always remain a mystery, but this is just one of the many mysteries we will unfold in this blog. Stay tuned for more exciting posts.

The dancing plague of 1518

2022-01-11T11:57:00.015+05:30

Dancing Plague of 1518- Background.

It all began in the Holy Roman Empire city known as Strasbourg when thousands of people in the town started dancing hysterically for many days. It was like a big mania that lasted about one and a half months before it was ended abruptly, just like it began.

It was July 1518- when a woman named Frau (Mrs.) Troffea (or Trauffea) came out of her house and started dancing in the street as if she was possessed. People gathered around.

It was evident that she was doing her constant dance under the influence of alcohol or suffering from some mental illness. She kept dancing until she fell to the ground, exhausted, to everyone's surprise.

After a while, she started dancing again when she came to her senses. Her unexplained dancing activity lasted for days. Thirty other similar cases appeared in the city in one week. When dancing went beyond the self-injuries, city authorities of Strasbourg came forward.

The city authorities and the clergy decided the cure for the problem was more dancing! and such people suffering from this mania should be encouraged to dance more. More dancing ideas were met with a ridiculous dancing program.

A mass dancing program was organized in Guildhalls in collaboration with musicians and professional dancers. They all gathered in the hall and began dancing to the music.

As a result, around 400 people died. Many people died due to excess dancing. However, in early September, cases began to decline automatically. This event of 1518 was well documented in history by contemporary writers.

Out of the seven such historical events recorded in Europe between the 10th and 16th centuries, the dancing plague of 1518 was the last. Another famous event is known as the dancing plague of 1374.

Reasons behind the dancing plague of 1518

Early historians attributed the incident to demonic possession, excessive heat of blood, etc. Twentieth-century writers attribute this phenomenon to Ergot, a fungal disease caused by eating contaminated bread made from rye flour.

Dancing Plague of 1518 Many sociologists attributes this phenomenon to a cult or sect associated with dancing. According to them, the people of this sect were merely trying to get their divine realization through dancing.

Many people joined them, resulting in mass hysteria. An American named John Weller gives the most accepted theory. According to him, this phenomenon is related to the disease of psychological disorder.

Psychological disorders are usually caused by excessive stress, anxiety, and fear. In the Middle Ages, diseases like famines, smallpox, syphilis had severe effects.

Moreover, there was no cure for these diseases, so people experimented with various superstitions. These diseases were at their peak in the year 1518, which is why people developed Psychological Disorders.

But how does the disease suddenly disappear? Well, we don't know it yet. Despite many theories about the dancing plague of 1518, it still retains its mysterious place in European history.

DeepFake Technology and how it works?

2021-08-10T17:26:00.014+05:30

Introduction:-

If you consider fake news- Image-Videos are the most significant problems related to the cyber-world, stop right there. A new powerful and lethal technology has made its way into our lives, and it's been around us for quite a long time now.

None of the above are real

You may have seen many videos on WhatsApp or Instagram showing Donald Trump, Putin or any world politician singing sogs. You may also find some videos of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and former US President Barack Obama talking about various ideas.

It may seem like regular videos, and sometimes you may even find the video fake. Such videos are made using DeepFake Technology. However, we know very little about this technology.

The government has tried to curb such activities from time to time, but it has been steadily increasing. Now, it becomes necessary to know about this technology.

In today's powerful world of social media and technology, such manipulated information can easily reach at any corner of the world in blink of an eye.

What Is DeepFake Technology?

One of the inevitable evils of the internet and social media is fake news. The DeepFake Technology we are talking about is an advanced, developed and dangerous form of such fake news. It has emerged as a new option for spreading false information and rumours quickly in the present times.

There are many ways to test fake news, and you don't even need more technical knowledge to identify it. Ordinary internet user can easily recognize fake news. But it is challenging to identify Deepfake News.

It is a combination of "Deep Learning" and "Fake Information". Artificial Intelligence technology is used to make a fake replica of media files like images, audios and videos. As a result, the phoney file looks like the original file and even has better quality than the original one.

How is the material for DeepFake prepared?

In the Deepfake technique; Words, body movements, expressions, gestures, etc., spoken by any person, are transferred to another person or subject using Artificial Intelligence.

In addition, DeepFake content is made more reliable by using the Generative Adversarial Network (GAN). GAN trained on photographs can generate new pictures that look genuine to human observers, with many natural characteristics. The final content becomes difficult to recognize whether it is genuine or fake.

What kind of damage DeepFack can do?

Misuse of any technology is always harmful, and DeepFake is no exception. Its misuse can have a detrimental effect on a person's political, social and economic life.

1. A Threat To Democracy

The use of DeepFake can do significant damage to democracy. It can affect the electoral process. Apart from this, it becomes a hindrance to government schemes and functions.

2. Insecure For Women

Deepfake has long been used to create pornography or similar content. Porn stars are often slandered by arranging the face of a famous woman or actress on a pornographic video. This type of video seems so natural that the viewer does not realize that it is fake.

3. National security

The biggest threat to this technology is national security. It can promote issues like communal riots, racism. Giving false information about one country to another can damage international relations.

How To Identify DeepFake Content?

1. If you find text or spelling errors on a webpage that opens through a message or a website link on social media, it must be a fake.

2. It uses photographs or videos to make DeepFake messages more reliable. So if there is any doubt about the information of a link, check whether the photo or video on another news channel, news portal or website.

How To Fight DeepFake?

1. No shocking or surprising message should ever be forwarded without verification. If this happens, a complaint should be lodged against the respective person or group.

2. Contact the police immediately, if you receive a message inciting religious or communal violence. Do not join any group spreading hatred against any religion, individual or society.

Violet Jessop- Miss Unsinkable

2021-02-10T15:18:00.020+05:30

Violet Jessop- Luckiest Person Ever

Background:

The White Star Line truly went through a very bad time in the early 1900s, but it wasn't a bad time for a woman named Violet Jessop also known as Miss unsinkable.

White Star Line was a British shipping company founded in 1845. It was famous for its luxurious liners. The company had much success with its first liner the “Oceanic” in 1870.

Until 1895, the company owners were very much encouraged by the success and ordered three more ships to be built from Harland and Wolff, the same company that had manufactured the “Oceanic” true to their belief.

Three Famous Ships:

One of the three ships became the most famous vessel of all time but little did they know that all three ships would have repeated accidents or end up in a disastrous calamity. All three sister ship were constructed in Ireland.

The first being the “Olympic”, it operated from 1911 until 1935 and was the only ship out of the other two that didn't sink, although it went through two accidents. The Olympic collided with other ships twice during his long run.

The second ship is the most famous of all the “Titanic”, which started its voyage on April 10, 1912, only to sink after hitting an iceberg five days later.

The last and the largest of the three ships was the “Britannic”, which lasted for about a year until it hit a mine in the Aegean Sea, that was planted by a German submarine during World War-I.

These unfortunate ship disasters took the lives of 1500. 33 people there were lucky survivors but none of them were like Violet Jessop.

Violet Jessop had survived the sinking of the “Titanic” and the “Britannic” and also had been on board the “Olympic” when it had one of its accidents.

Early Life:

Violet Jessop had an extraordinarily lucky life born in 1887 in Argentina. She was the sixth out of nine children that her parents had that survived infancy. Growing up, she contracted tuberculosis and doctors had predicted that her illness would be fatal but miraculously she survived.

It and of course, she survived the most famous ocean disasters of all time. After the death of her father, Violet’s mother moved with the whole family to England, where she began working as a stewardess on a ship.

At the time, Violet was attending a convent school but when her mother became ill, she decided to step in and become a ship stewardess herself.

In the early 1900s, most of the women, who were working as ship stewardesses were middle-aged and Violet Jessop was only 21 years old at the time.

She had many struggles in getting a job as employers believed her youth and good looks would cause problems with the crew and passengers and get in the way of her work.

As a matter of fact, throughout her career, she had received at least three marriage proposals, even from a wealthy first-class passenger.

RMS Olympic

For a short time, she worked on the “Orinoco a Royal Mail line” steamer until she was hired by the “White Star Line” in 1908.

In 1910, she began working on the “Olympic” and a year later the “Olympic” collided with “HMS Hawke”- a British Warship.

Both the ships had considerable damage but there were no fatalities and the ship did not sink and was able to make it back to port.

RMS Titanic

Violet was able to get off the ship without being harmed however, this did not discourage violet, and just seven months later, she went back to work with “White Star Line” and this time on a ship titled the “Unsinkable Titanic”.

In her memoirs, she shared her experience of the time. The “Titanic” struck and iceberg and started sinking, she was ordered upon the deck, where she watched women sing goodbye to their husbands before being put in lifeboats with their children.

The ship officers had later access stewardesses including her to get on to the boats to show some of the women. It was safe while she was on one of the lifeboat 16.

She was handed over a baby which she took care of the whole night until she and the survivors were rescued by RMS Carpathia.

The next morning, a woman grabbed the baby out of her hand and ran off. Violet assumed that it may have been the baby's mother.

That was the second time that violet had a near-death experience, but somehow she was not affected and joked that she missed her toothbrush that she left on the Titanic. At this point, anyone in her place would stop getting on ships but not Violet.

HMHS Britannic

Just before World War-I, Violet decided to serve as a nurse on board the “Britannic”. The ship transported wounded soldiers from the Mediterranean back to Great Britain and violet was working as a nurse for british red cross at the mobile hospital.

The ship completed five successful voyages before it ran into her mind and started to sink. This time, Violet was unable to reach a lifeboat and jumped overboard although she survived; she, unfortunately, stuck her head under the ship's keel.

Years later when she went to the doctor because of severe headaches, she discovered that she once had a fracture on her skull.

Luck favored Violet a bit too much and she continued to joke that this time she remembered to grab her toothbrush before jumping off-board, unlike the Titanic.

After the three major incidents that had occurred in such a short time in her life. It still wasn't enough to deter Violet.

She didn't experience anymore ship accidents or disasters after that but she continued to work on a ship but this time for Red Star Online and Royal Mail mine for doing world cruises.

Retirement:

For the coming years of her life, she finally retired at the age of 61 and spent the rest of her life gardening and raising chickens.

One day she received a strange phone call from an unknown woman who asked her if she had saved a baby on the day of the Titanic tragedy. Violet answered she was. And the woman then went on to say that she was the baby that violet had saved and hung up.

Violet believed that it really must have been her and she hadn't told the story of the baby to anyone.

Death:

In 1971, at the old age of 84, she died of congestive heart failure but we still remember her today as Miss unsinkable.

how many minutes in a year

2021-01-08T21:49:00.006+05:30

Well, the answer lies in some simple math calculations. If you want an answer straight forward then there are 525600 minutes in a year.

For a leap year (means a year that can be divided by 4 and has 366 days) answer is 527040 minutes in a year.

Method of calculation:

We will explore two methods of calculating the minutes in a year. To our surprise, the answer will differ. We also try to learn why the universal calculation system is not accurate and what are the reasons behind it.

Method # 1

Base: Earth orbits around the Sun.

The Earth completes one full circle to the Sun in…

365 Days;

5 Hours;

59 Minutes;

16 Seconds.

Now, let us convert the above data in minutes.

365 Days * 24 Hours * 60 Minutes = 525600 Minutes

5 hours * 60 Minutes = 300 Minutes

59 Minutes = 59 Minutes

16 Seconds / 60 Minutes = 4/15 Minutes

Total = 525959 + 4/15 Minutes

Method #2

Base: Calendar Year

(a) For Ordinary Year.

We know that there are 365 days in a year so, there are 365 Days * 24 Hours * 60 Minutes = 525600 Minutes.

(b) For a Leap Year.

Every year divisible by 4 such as 2020, is called a leap year. Every 4^th century is a leap year.

An ordinary year has 365 days i.e. (52 weeks + 1 day) while
A leap year has 366 days i.e. (52 weeks + 2 days)

Point to Remember: An ordinary year has 1 odd day and a leap year have 2 odd days.

Now, time for the calculation:

366 Days * 24 Hours * 60 Minutes = 527040 Minutes

What is the universal answer?

Well, there is no way to get a real answer because the length of the year varies from time to time and also because of some laws of physics.

However, we can get close to the answer by the above calculations. If you hit google for an answer you will get 525600 minutes.

what is cinderella effect ?

2021-01-08T10:51:00.005+05:30

Meaning

Revolutionary psychological science term “Cinderella effect” basically means that stepchildren are at higher risk of abuse and maltreatment by the hands of step-parents.

Name

It got the name “Cinderella effect” from the movie "Cinderella" where Cinderella was mistreated by her stepmother and sisters.

Background

This theory first came up in the 1970s by some psychologists. They opined that stepparents have no biological reasons to invest in parental resources in stepchildren. Hence, this step-child is more prone to violence and all kinds of abuse from physical to mental.

Evidence

There is some evidence that supports the authenticity of this theory. For over 30 years of studying the various resources like child abuse, clinical death, victim reports, etc. The long study concluded that in Europe and part of America, risk of child maltreatment and abuse by step-parents is at high risk.

Why Cinderella effect?

Psychologists believe that parents are more likely to use their parenting resources on their own offspring, rather than on the child of others. They seem and act indifferently toward their nonbiological children as compared to their own.

In modern times, it tends to happen more in society, due to the cost of living. Parents obviously want to look after the real children rather than the children of others.

Attachment theory

Attachment theory simply means that the mother genetically shares a special bond with her child. But a mother never can share such emotions and feelings with a child that’s not her own. Hence it’s likely that stepchildren never get that love and affection they desired.

Criticism

Some psychologist believes that there is not much hard evidence that proves the efficacy of the theory. There is some cross-cultural variation in the theory too.

variable and attribute

2021-01-04T21:52:00.014+05:30

Introduction:

To make an inquiry or investigation of a problem in any field, data has to be collected. By applying the different methods of collecting data, one can get confusing, voluminous, and complex data. This way when data is collected, it is not possible to use the same for drawing any conclusions.

With the help of classification and tabulation and by applying the statistical techniques, such a large mass of data can be organized into a systematic form. Afterward, a comparison of data is possible and the task of drawing conclusions is also possible very easily.

Let us try to understand the meaning of variables and attributes which are the main basis used for classification and tabulation.

Some of the information collected through a sample survey or population survey is of this kind. For example number of children per family, the number of accident occurs in one place per day, the number of flowers on a plant, height, weight, marks of a student, incomes, expense, saving, etc. of a person, sales, production, demand, purchase, supply, profit, etc. of a firm.

(2) Types of Variable:

There are two types of variables.

(A) Discrete Variable (B) Continuous Variable

(A) Discrete Variable:

When a variable assumes atmost countable number of values (integer values) in an interval or a given range, then such a variable is known as a Discrete Variable. The number of children per family, the number of rooms in a house, etc. are examples of a discrete variable.

(B) Continuous Variable:

If a variable assumes all possible values in an interval (integer and fractional both), then it is called a continuous variable. Hight, weight, marks, etc. of a student, income, expense, savings, etc. of a person are the examples of a continuous variable.

(3) Attribute:

The value of some characteristics of a unit varies from unit to unit but can not be expressed numerically. Such a characteristic is called an attribute. Some of the information collected through a sample survey or a population survey is of this kind. For example beauty, business, honesty, marital status, religion, the financial position of a person, etc.

Mood disorder questionnaire

2020-12-22T13:51:00.003+05:30

Mood disorder

Usually we all experience feeling and emotions. Feelings and emotion are the common concepts in the world of mental health.

We do not experience same kind of feelings and emotions, in every situation, we feel ups and down in that and sometimes its intensity also varies e.g., feeling of being pushed in the crowd of train or bus and someone pushed you in public by speaking insulting words, in both the situation intensity of the anger emotion is different.

So change in the feelings and emotions is common, but when feelings and emotions become out of control then it will be hard to adjust with.

When the emotions of an individual become harmful for himself and for the society at that we can say that person is having mood disorder.

In DSM-V mood disorders are explained under the title Bipolar and Depressive disorder.

Among all mood disorders we will get detailed information about Unipolar and Bipolar disorders.

(a) Bipolar-I disorder

Bipolar-I disorder is known as depressive disorder. The main symptom of this disorder is depression.

If the symptoms like reduction in the physical needs like hunger and sleep, reduction of weight more than 10 kg within three months (without any medicine or physical strain), sleep disturbance, lack of libido, lake of interest, reduction in feeling of joy, experience of uselessness, suicidal tendency etc. are seen in the behavior of a person for at least two weeks then we can say that, a person is suffering from Bipolar-I disorder.

(b) Bipolar-II disorder

In Bipolar-II disorder both depressed and maniac emotions are simultaneously experienced by the patient. In this disorder mild mania is already experienced by the person, in which a person becoming more irritating.

But changes in his nature does not obstacle in his social and occupational responsibility and he is not required to get hospitalized. So this symptoms not known as symptoms of the disorder. It gradually turns from mild to moderate.

A person becomes impatient and unable to concentrate on one thing for a longer period of time. When mania and depression both disorders are experienced at different time intervals, it is known as Bipolar-Ii disorder.

Mood disorder questionnaire

You can download the questionnaire by clicking below link.

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=download&id=1DT_GphG4HeJ2umhd9qD27Ddkmi-TUF98

How to use questionnaire?

Remember this questionnaire should be used as a starting point. It is not substitute for a full medical evaluation. Bipolar disorder is complex illness, and accurate, thorough diagnosis can only be made through a personal evaluation by your doctor.

For more health related articles like this, please check out our social-health or science-health section.

Peer Group, Peer Pressure and Solution

2020-12-18T16:11:00.006+05:30

A peer group is one of the agencies of socialization. Let’s understand socialization first.

Sociologists have defined Socialization as follows:

Socialization:

The process of shaping newborn child as a social individual is known as the process of socialization.

It simply means that socialization starts from the time we are born and continues till our end.

In the life of an individual, many agencies/factors play a pivotal role in his/her socialization process. Among them, family, peer group, and school play a very important role.

One of the agencies of the socialization of an individual is a peer group or group of friends.

Peer Group

An individual interacts with friends, and counterparts and gets socialized in the process. Being proximate, a person develops a close, personal and compassionate relationship with friends and learns discipline, way of behaving and talking, rules, and norms.

Such group can be in neighborhood and also in school. In individual’s relation with his/her friends, is based on good atmosphere, democracy and equality. Hence, it assumes important roles because these relations are not of authority and subordination but are bases on equality and trust.

When a child plays a game it perceives the idea of how to follow laws and norms of the wider society. Further, the sportsmanship of waving thing for each other also develops among them. Socialization is accurately express by the proverb “A man is influenced by the company he keeps”

Peer group means, things we learn from our friends in the process of socialization.

Now let’s us also look into the problems of peer group and how to overcome it.

What is Peer Pressure?

Peer pressure means when an individual changes his moral values, attitude, and behavior towards the society due to the company of his/her friends and colleagues.

Simply put, when a person is being pushed over by friends to do something which he/she would not do otherwise.

Example of Peer Pressure

Several of your teen’s friends buy high end phone/car/bike. Your teen becomes motivated to buy one for himself and starts demanding.

When your teen deliberately skipped school because its his seniors skip day.

Your teen purchases illegal substance from online market, just his friend tell him that he can get away with it.

Solution of Peer Pressure

Try to avoid situations that you are not comfortable with.

Believe in your gut feelings

Never hesitate to go towards your first line of defense- Parents, teachers, and counselors.

Know your values and stick with them. Remember you are the worthiest person in the world.

Try to focus on positive peer pressure like achieve more in study and in life.

It’s all about human body. Let’s explore some common questions….

2020-11-20T16:55:00.009+05:30

What is the brain made of?

The brain is made up of three main parts- the cerebrum, which is divided into two chambers and controls speech, emotions, intelligence, and more; the cerebellum, which controls movements and coordination; and the brain stem that connects the brain to the spinal cord.

The brain also has two smaller parts called the diencephalon, which transmits sensory information, and the pituitary gland, which controls the release of hormones in the body.

The brain is composed of 60% fat and the rest is a protein with some muscle tissue in the blood vessels that supply the brain. The protein element in the brain is found in the neurons. There are approximately 86 billion neurons in the brain.

What are the different kinds of bones in the human body?

The human body has five different types of bones- sesamoid, irregular, flat, long, and short. Each type of bone is equipped for a different function.

Sesamoid bones include those that are found in the hands, knees, and feet. These bones protect the tendons from damage and wear and tear, for example, the kneecap.

Irregular bones have different shapes. Some could be long whereas others could be curved. Their main function is to protect organs, for example, the bones of the spinal cord.

Flat bones are shield-like and are often seen with muscles attached to them, like the pelvic bones.

Long bones support weight and movement and are seen in the arms and legs.

Short bones are always cuboid in shape, for example, the bones in our wrists. They help with movement and provide stability.

How big is the human heart?

The human heart is a three-dimensional structure that measures about 12cm in length, 8cm in width, and 6cm in thickness. It is the size of a closed fist and weighs about 300 gms in men and slightly less in women.

The heart weight is approximately 5% of the total body weight. However, the heart grows to match the amount of work it has to do. A foetal heart, or the heart of an unborn baby, is very different from that of a baby and an adult.

How does exercise help improve digestion?

Certain kinds of exercises are good for the digestive system as they help reduce problems like flatulence (gassiness) and acidity. Walking is an especially good exercise to help clear out waste material from the digestive system.

A raised heart rate, which follows exercise, also makes the intestine function more effectively, thus improving digestion.

Yoga is another form of exercise that helps with digestion and clearing waste from the body. In certain yoga asanas and poses, the liver is twisted.

This twisting squeezes the liver and detoxifies it. Aerobic exercises that improve breathing also bring more enzymes to the digestive system, thus helping in the digestion of food.

Why do people get kidney stones?

Kidney stones are hard mineral deposits that can occur in the kidneys. In most cases, they are really small and flush out of the system without causing any harm.

But if the stone is big, it can get stuck in the urinary system, causing immense pain. Typically, kidney stones that are smaller than 5mm are not likely to pass through the urinary system on their own, without requiring medical intervention.

The main job of the kidneys is to convert bodily wastes into the urine. Kidney stones are formed when waste products do not get exerted as there isn’t enough fluid in the body.

Kidney stones are of many types- some are caused due to excessive uric acid in the body, others due to calcium and some due to magnesium and ammonia. The best way to avoid these painful stones is to drink at least 3 liters of water a day and eat a balanced diet.

Why is a rainbow formed in monsoon always round? What causes different colors to appear?

2020-09-17T13:06:00.016+05:30

The rainbow creation is due to moisture. During the monsoons, especially after a storm, when the sun is on the backside, a rainbow is sometimes formed in the front.

To make the explanation a little easier, assume that there are fine raindrops floating in the air. They act as a prism for white sunlight.

The natural light of the sun is made up of seven colors. All have a different wavelength. Red has a maximum (0.0007 mm), while violet has a minimum (0.0004 mm).

As they enter the droplets, they refract according to their respective wavelength; first, they are reflected by the inner surface of the droplets, and then refract again at the time of exit. In short, the refractive index is not the same for different colored rays.

The red rays form an angle of 42 degrees at the end, while the angle of the rest of the rays is less according to their successively shorter wavelengths. (see the picture below)

As a result, the top band in the rainbow appears red, while the rest of the bands become different colors until violet.

The condition for the appearance of different colors is that the only geometry that forms the angle that makes them visible is circular in shape, so the rainbow always appears in a circle.

An interesting thing to note: The rainbow that a person sees from a certain place does not appear the same to another person close to him, the rainbow appears to another person is completely different.

This is because the direct rays that come into the eyes are different from the point of view of the person. If the two changes their position, they will see each other's rainbow.

Which Is The Most Poisonous Plant on Earth?

2020-09-12T16:46:00.003+05:30

This record of the most poisonous plant is nicely expressed on a years-old event.

In 1978, European country Bulgaria's anti-Russian leader Georgi Markov was walking on the sidewalk in London, Britain. Russia was communist at the time, and Bulgaria, like its armpits, was communist too.

However, Georgie Markov, a patriot, was holding a referendum against Russia's dictatorship, so the KGB, a Russian intelligence agency, decided to kill him.

Georgi Markov

Pedestrians were coming and going on the sidewalk. Among them there was a man with an umbrella, He approached Markov, and suddenly, the sharp end of an umbrella pierced Markov's leg and poisoned his muscles through a needle.

Markov died shortly afterward. Postmortem examination revealed that he had been given a dose of a highly lethal poison called ricin. At that time science did not have an antidote for that poison.

Even the name of Ricin, considered a weapon of bioterrorism today, was not heard by the common people then.

Potassium cyanide is generally considered to be the deadliest poison, as a dose of just 0.5 grams is sufficient to kill the average adult. In fact, cyanide should be considered as a ‘mild’ toxic compared to ricin.

Ricin is about 1250 times more toxic than cyanide and a mere dose of 0.0002 grams can be lethal for humans. Even the venom of King Cobra stands nowhere compared to ricin.

Considering the unmatchable lethality of that poison, it is tempting to assume that its source may be of a rare type. This assumption is also wrong, as ricin is basically a product of the castor plant that provides castor oil.

Herman Steelmark, a chemist, extract ricin from castor seed in the 19th century and clarified its protein structure, and put it ahead of all other toxins on the scale of lethality.

Today, castor is the most widely grown crop in India and Brazil. The effect of ricin in the commercial castor oil is not particularly noticeable, as the heat given at a temperature of 140 degrees for a minimum of twenty minutes at the time of production breaks down the chemical composition of the ricin.

Of course, the husk of castor seed left after extracting castor oil does contain about 5% ricin by weight, which can be extracted by a high-tech process. But, not legally.

In the United States, making ricin is punishable by up to 30 years in prison.

Castor itself is not harmful except for its well-known beneficial effect on the digestive system. But what is the reason for that mild effect? Putting the question in different words as well as in the context of evolution, why are some plants laxatives like castor?

This is a question that requires a separate article. Till then keep visiting our site for updates.

How mere 2% different genetic blueprint made Chimpanzee so different from a human?

2020-08-25T17:16:00.002+05:30

Why Chimpanzee is different from a human?

It is the innate nature of scientists to solve one mystery and chase for another. So research in the field of science never comes to an end.

This is exactly what happened in the year 2000 when the Human Genome Project, which started in 1990 to understand the mapping of human genetic blueprints, was completed.

Scientists undertook a project of genome mapping of the closest animal to humans: “Chimpanzee”. The primary objective of this project was to find out what similarities between chimpanzees and human DNA have.

In particular, to clarify the question of why the intelligence of the chimpanzee, considered to be the most intelligent of non-human beings, did not reach the level of man.

About 2 million years ago after humans and chimpanzees were divided into two separate factions as descendants of the same ancestor, the human mind became fertile over time, while chimpanzees were left behind. The reason is lying in the genetic blueprint.

Genetic Blue Print

When the genome mapping of the chimpanzees was completed, it was discovered that from a biological point of view, the genetic blueprint, which could be called a biography, was written on 8 pairs of chromosomes.

These chromosomes contain about 2,500 genes, while the total alphabet in those genes is 4.5 billion. More importantly, scientists have found that the difference between a chimpanzee's genetic blueprint and that of a human is not more than 2 percent.

After one year of careful examination, very interesting findings came to light. Although the difference of two percent is not particularly big, it has differentiated between chimpanzees and humans in many aspects.

For example, odor-determining genes have abounded in chimpanzee blueprints. Humans have lost many of these genes after abandoning wildlife, so their sense of smell is weaker than that of chimpanzees.

The difference of two percent is also expressed in the disease resistance. Chimpanzees are almost immune to malaria infections, while we are ahead of them in combating Tuberculosis (TB).

Chimpanzees also have a different body type than ours due to a difference of two percent.

What is the reason behind the huge gap between chimpanzees and humans in terms of intelligence? The answer to this question came to scientists while decoding the genes of chimpanzees.

Gene is formed in the blueprint by a precise arrangement of four types of alphabets - Adenine, Cytosine, Guanine, and Thiamine, which is the symbolic code (A, C, G, T) known as nucleotides that creates a particular type of protein.

DNA And RNA Structure

This code ultimately determines the factors for the biological action in the body. Of course, the fact that genes exist forever does not mean that they are kept on giving the necessary protein-building commands.

The bells should be rung at times. For example, to transform from child to adolescent, it is important that adolescent proteins are formed after a few years and that genes should remain dormant until they are actually needed.

After a certain amount of physical structure in adolescence, its genes should shrink its function — otherwise, the man or chimpanzee becomes a super-giant. The question is who instructs the genes when to be active and when to be dormant?

Answer: Nature has written its instruction in the codebook of the genetic blueprint. GATCCATTG, which forms a generic word, it has a short code consisting of the letters A, T, C, and G at the front of the series, which can be compared with a switch.

When the switch is on, the gene starts to make the protein, and when it is turned off, the gene closes its “shop”.

The difference between chimpanzees and human intelligence is found in such a switch to the scientific team that studied the genome map for a year.

The basic components of intelligence are neurons known as brain neurons. The neurons of chimpanzees and humans are very similar. The network that connects these neurons is also no different in both cases.

Neuron Network

Significant differences are observed in the number of neurons. What happens is that at the stage of embryonic development, the single cell divides and divides into 2, then 4, 8, 16, and then after forty such divisions, the human brain takes the shape containing one hundred billion neurons.

If the division stops a few steps ahead, it creates the brain of the chimpanzee, which is 33% less of the size of the human brain. Obviously, the network of neurons was also reduced by 33%.

The difference of brain: Chimpanzee and Human

The intelligence depends not on the shape of the neurons, but on their number and their network. In the case of the chimpanzee, the cause of the split was the early closure of the gene's function, so the monkey never became as intelligent as a human.

The switch is part of that 2 percent difference and the slight difference proved huge for chimpanzees, both physically and intellectually.

Health Tips When Working With Computers: An Office Guide

2020-08-14T13:32:00.000+05:30

Cases of chronic disease called Repetitive Stress Injury (RSI), which are caused by long hours of continuous work on the computer, are rapidly being reported in the world these days.

Person suffering from RSI

Especially in large cities where millions of operators who sit in front of a computer for long periods of time doing software programming as well as data entry work face daily tingling in the fingers, toes, elbows and shoulders. In other words, they have become patients of RSI.

The computer operator leans his wrist on the keyboard for hours almost unknowingly. Due to which the claws are constantly bent upwards. The constriction produced near the wrist creates a constant pressure on the nerves as well as the muscles passing through it. After months or years, that part of the joint becomes numb and begins to tingle. In the long run, the same mold is formed in the elbow as in the case of claws. The elbow hinge, which is constantly leaning on the handle of the chair while operating, becomes weak.

The biggest trouble is created by computer monitor screen, from which a daily dose of (dim) X-rays emitted is harmful to the operator's eye. That leads to tears, inflammation in the evening and pain in the eyes.

The revolution in the field of computers can no longer be stopped, but like television, computer has become a part of the furniture of many homes. If this 'furniture' is planned in an ideal way, it is possible to get some relief from the disease of RSI.

This means that if the desktop computer's desk itself is not faulty, then the person operating the computer has to suffer minimum physical problems. A plan prepared by experts is shown in the below diagram.

According to this plan, the height of the table on which the computer is to be placed should be a maximum of 28 inches above the ground level. The minimum distance between the monitor screen and the eye should be 20 inches and the maximum distance should be 26 inches.

It is also important that the head stays upright during the operation and that the angle between the monitor and the eye is at least 10 and at most 30 degree. The keyboard on the desk has to be arranged in such a way that the operator can keep his paws in a straight line and at the same time make an angle of about 90 degree elbows.

The condition where the finger bends only slightly during data entry is medically ideal. The design of the chair should be such that its seat can be adjusted to a convenient level. There should be a distance of at least 24 inches between the chair and the table too.

The most important thing is that if the operator takes a break of five to seven minutes on an average every hour and during that time relaxes the muscles of the wrists as well as the elbows, then there is no question of recurrence of a number of ailments under the heading of RSI.

An interesting survey found that in the case of operators who are accustomed to smoking cigarettes more often, the chances of suffering from RSI computer-borne disease are reduced by 50%. Intervals to quench the thirst for cigarettes provide much needed relief to their eyes, waist, paws and elbows.

In short, a reasonable desk for a desktop computer, as well as a reasonable rest for the body under the pretext of a short break while operating, naturally reduces the risk of developing RSI.

“NO FOOD”- How Animal World Goes For Fasting ?

2020-08-10T16:04:00.014+05:30

Food is not always plentiful for animals and birds in nature. Sometimes food is hard to find and sometimes there is no food at all. In that situation animals and birds saves energy in many ways to pull off the forced “NO FOOD” days.

In order to survive in hard conditions many species of animal and birds disrupts the blood supply to their organs, paralyze their digestive system, lower their body temperature and temporarily shut down the immune system. The buffer stock of fat keeps them alive during that time.

Thus many animals and birds go on full or partial starvation due to lack of food, but some species is known to go on without food for days, months or years. Let’s check out some of them.

20 Days:

Atlas Moth

The caterpillar eats three to four times of its own weight per day but it forsakes eating after it transformed into imago known as “Atlas Moth”. This moth eats nothing; it only survives on body fat. However, the fast ends around twenty days with its death.

7 Months:

Fat Tailed Dwarf Lemur

Madagascar's “Fat-Tailed Dwarf Lemur” does not receive fruit and insect in the mountain forests during the winter, meaning it stays dormant in tree hollows for an average of 210 days, relying on body fat. Meanwhile, its body temperature is maintained at the same level as the air temperature so that it does not have to lose calories through "heat transfer".

10 Months:

Eastern Pygmy Possum

In Australia's frequent turbulent, unpredictable weather, the “Eastern Pygmy Possum” has no regular food supply. As a result, it often goes without food around 10 months and rely only upon reserve fat.

1.5 Years:

Python

The “Python” is cold-blooded reptile. It does not have to maintain body temperature at certain level, so “Python” saves calories lying idle. Moreover, its metabolism is very slow. Once it finds a prey, it can easily runs without food for a year and a half.

2 Years:

Lung Fish

There is no doubt that a “Lung Fish” is marathon player in fasting. It lives in the lakes of Africa and it actually has lungs in addition to gills. As the water in the lakes dries up, it goes bottom of the soil. During drought, it can go without food for extended period upto two years.

5 Years:

Burrowing Frog

Burrowing species of “Frog” found in Australia can go without food for years after it buried itself underground. It comes out only when it is raining and at that time, it eats like glutton. It can even prey insects half of its size and put them directly in its stomach.

10 Ways To Take Care Of Your Heart

2020-06-19T17:30:00.000+05:30

Did you know that according to the World Health Organization, an estimated 12 million people worldwide die each year from heart related diseases and paralysis? Heart disease is a major cause of death worldwide. But it is also important to note that much can be done to prevent this disease.

World over, people usually takes cholesterol pills to prevent this disease, which costing billions of dollars annually. Moreover, 736 million (2015 estimate) poor people of the world cannot afford this expensive treatment for heart diseases.

In these circumstances, it is natural to accept the phrase, "Prevention is better than cure." Before we learn how to avoid heart diseases, let's have a simple understanding of types of heart disease.

Types of Heart Diseases

(1) Atherosclerotic Disease

In this type of heart disease, layers of fat, calcium, cholesterol, etc. accumulate in the arteries and block the blood flow.

(2) Cardiac Arrhythmia

In this type, the rate of beating the heart becomes too high or too low.

(3) Heart Valve Disease

The human heart consist four valves. In this type of disease the valve is surrounded by two types of problems. The first problem is that the blood flow in the valve is partially blocked (called stenosis) while in the second problem the blood flow from the valve starts leaking and turns in a direction other than the specific one.

(4) Heart Infections

This problem usually affects people over 60 years of age. In which there is an infection in the heart, causing swelling on the valves and arteries. Swelling often occurs on the internal heart muscles.

(5) Heart Failure

Heart failure simply means the blood supply to the human body stops. This is the widely known problem of heart disease, and also the most fatal one.

After knowing the above details, let's look at the following simple tips that will help you to avoid a heart related diseases.

Ten amazing tips:

(1) Eat Mediterranean Food

According to a survey, people living in countries around the Mediterranean have a much lower rate of heart disease than others. The people there eat vegetables, fish, garlic, olive oil and often drinks a little red wine. You don't need to be a European to follow European principles in the diet.

2) Eat Tomatoes

Eat plenty of tomatoes. The reddish color found in tomatoes is due to the Lycopene in them. Tomatoes are strong antioxidant. In addition, research has shown that tomatoes help lower blood pressure and C-reactive protein, which reduces the risk of heart disease.

3) Laugh

An experiment was performed with few volunteers. These volunteers were shown Funny videos.Volunteers who laughed at these funny videos found with relieved blood vessels. Laughter lowers blood pressure, as it relieves stress. So find a way to laugh now and then. So, Laugh and make people laugh with you.

4) Include Fiber in Diet

Use plenty of fiber in the diet. It is well known that fiber is very useful for the intestines and for the proper functioning of the digestive system. Eat a diet rich in fiber, a diet rich in fiber helps to keep the heart healthy.

5) OK to exercise little but do it regularly

Usually people don't exercise in today's race. It is harmful to health. Even if a little exercise is done according to the convenience of the person, it should be done regularly. Let's do a very good exercise. Get up and walk 100 steps. Do this often. One of the best exercise is yoga, in which you can do various Asanas. Moreover, in yoga itself, sun salutation has been the basis of life since ancient times. Do it. Don’t know how to perform the Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation) Don’t worry, you can follow the link below:

Surya Namaskar a classical form of Yoga

6) Take a Sun bath

The Sun is the basis of life on Earth. Nature uses the power of the Sun. The human body gets vitamin D from the sun's rays. Did you know that people with low levels of vitamin D are more susceptible to heart disease? Spend 10 minutes on a few days each week and take advantage of nature's gift.

7) Let me say you something you all like: “Eat Chocolate”

The Polyphenols in dark chocolate help increase good cholesterol and reduce bad cholesterol. Some studies have suggested that a person with a heart attack improves their condition faster if they consume a little chocolate every day. How much chocolate to consume? Well, you only need to eat about 40 grams chocolates per day that contains 70% cocoa.

8) Stress Management

It is not wrong to say that today’s time is the time of mental stress. These days even young children are falling a victim of stress. Stress increases the risk of heart attack by 30%. Therefore, managing stress is very important. Yoga-meditation came to mind again. The Pranayama and meditation shown in yoga are really very beneficial in mental stress. Now you may find some trace management class in your cities, you can also attain it. Walking for 30 minutes is an easy way to reduce stress.

9) Let's do Tai-Chi

People who do regular Tai-Chi have lower blood pressure and heart disease rates.

10) Be positive

There is no guarantee of life and even if we do all the "right" things we can get sick. Even if you have a heart attack, long-term survival and quality of life can be improved by adopting an optimistic outlook of life. To say positive here does not mean to be unreal at all.

If you use the very simple principles mentioned above, it is very likely that you will not have heart problems and those who have had to rely on pills due to heart problems will be able to reduce that dependence and enjoy good health.

American Constitution- all you need to know

2020-06-16T18:39:00.000+05:30

American Constitution

The American Constitution is the constitution of United State of America. It was formed in 1787 after the famous American Revolution (1775-83).

In the year 1787, it was adopted at Philadelphia Convention and came into force in 1789.

Philadelphia Convention

Now let’s we look into the some of the main characteristics of the American Constitution mentioned below:

Black and White (Written) Constitution

American constitution is classic example of written constitution. It’s the oldest among written constitution of the world. So, what it contains:

Some 12 pages

A Preamble

7 Articles

27 Amendments.

Apart from above it also includes actual working constitutional system like…

(1) Status of Congress ( Legislature of United States)

(2) The orders (Executive Orders) issued by the President, giving practical shape to statues made by Congress.

(3) Judicial decisions interpreting the constitution through a system like Judicial Review (Implied power)

(4) The political conventions. (E.g., cabinet of the president)

Rigid Constitution

Unlike flexible constitution of some countries like of Britain, American constitution is most rigid in the world. If it required to be amend it can be done so by Congress only and by the means of special process described in the constitution. So, in USA there is clear difference between ordinary law and constitutional law.

Two methods for constitutional amendment are listed below:

1. An amendment can be proposed by 2/3 votes of both the house of Congress. It also need to be ratified by the legislature of ¾ (38 out of 50) of the states within a seven year time span.

2. An amendment can be proposed by convention called by the Congress on the petition of 2/3 (30 of 50) of the state legislature. It needs the ratified by the convention in ¾ (38 of 50) state legislature.

Hence, the procedure to amend American constitution is very difficult. It also evident from the fact that only 27 times the constitution is amended since its inception in 1789.

Separation of Powers

The legislative, executive and judicial power of the government are clearly separated and vested in three independent organs of the Government- e.g.,

Article – I    Congress

Article-II     President

Article- III   Supreme Court and inferior courts

Presidential Government

USA adopted the presidential form of government. The main features of this follows:

1. President is the head of state and head of government both. He is the chief real executive.

As a Head of State – Ceremonial Position

As a Head of Government - Executive Chief.

2. Elected by electoral college for a fixed tenure of four years. He cannot be removed by the Congress except by the impeachment process described in constitution.

3. President governs with the help of small groups known as “Kitchen Cabinet”. The member in this group is selected and chosen by president and responsible to him only.

4. President and his secretaries are not responsible to the Congress for their act.

5. House of Representative cannot be dissolved by President.

Checks and Balances:

The principle of separation of powers gave a birth to checks and balances. Each organs of the government is interdependent to each other and that ensures that no organ becomes autocratic and irresponsible.

Key aspects of checks and balance:

1. President Veto: Veto is of two types namely Pocket Veto and Qualified Veto

2. Senate confirms higher appointment and international treaties made by the President.

3. Congress has the power to determine the organization of judiciary.

4. President appoints judge with a consent of the Senate.

5. The Supreme Court can declare President or Congress laws as Ultra Vires (means null and void)

Federal Constitution

It is the first and the oldest federal constitution in the world. It comprises 50 states (13 original) and District of Columbia. Each state has its own constitution, legislative, governor and a supreme court.

Bill of Rights

The first constitution in the world that carried the bill of rights. It assures the large number of rights to the American people.

No person is to be deprived of life, liberty and property without the due process of law. This rights also curtails the absolute authority of government. Supreme Court acts as a guardian of these rights by judicial review. These rights were added in the constitution in 1791 through first ten amendments.

Bicameralism

The American Congress is bicameral that is, it consist of two houses:

The Senate (Upper House)

The House of Representative (Lower House)

Let’s understand the structure:

Congress	Member	Duration
The Senate	100	Two being elected from each state to serve for a fixed term of six years
The House of Representative	435	Single member constituencies for a fixed two-year term

The Senate is more powerful then the House of Representative, infect, the Senate is the most powerful upper house in the world.

I hope now you understand the key concept of American Constitution. If you like this article please subscribe to my channel.

Surya Namaskar a classical form of Yoga

2020-06-16T10:56:00.000+05:30

Surya Namaskar is classical form of Yoga. As we all know Yoga is the most ancient science of India. It constitutes important aspects of human life. Additionally, very effective way for weight loss.

It is considered a science as ancient as the human race. Yoga has the capacity to bring about fundamental transformation in the individual. In addition, it open the gate for new dimension of life.

Yoga is a complete exercise that provides physical, mental as well as spiritual benefits. For instance, you can handle the stressful situations by understanding how to remain calm. It provides workout for the muscles. Moreover, it benefits joints, ligaments and the skeletal system by improving flexibility and balance.

Pranayam and aasnas is good for the heart and stimulates the fluid system of the body. Provides oxygen filled blood and helps strengthen the heart. It is good for the digestive system, the nervous system and breathing.

In today's stress full life, Yoga enables the various endocrinal glands to function properly and reduces tension and anxiety. If you are suffering from lack of sleep, Yoga will help you to sleep well. In other words, yoga is useful in many mind and body ailments.

Surya Namaskar sun salutation is an ancient form of yoga. This yoga form is an outright meditative technique which includes Aasnas and Pranayam. Surya Namaskar combines 12 different postures followed in a sequence with an exclusive breathing pattern.

Surya Namaskar certainly helps an individual to vitalize and unblocks the whole system. This form of yoga is great for weight loss and to reduces fat from almost all parts of the body as it stretches and tones each and every muscle. Remember it, it should be performed in the time of rising sun, facing the East.

Surya Namaskar steps: (Yoga Poses)

There are total 12 asanas in Surya Namaskar (see picture below). Their benefits and Surya Namaskar mantra are also mentioned.

1. Pranamasana (Prayer pose)

Stand with your feet together and palms folded in front of your chest. Close your eyes properly.

Benefits:

(Promotes balance, stimulates the breathing system, exercises shoulder, back and neck muscles.)

Mantra: Om Mitraaya Namaha

2. Hastauttanasana (Raised arms pose)

Raise your arms over your head and shoulders with the palms touching each other and biceps touching your ears. Stretch your bally as much as you can and just lean backwards.

Benefits:

(It strengthens balance, digestion, exercises arms and shoulder muscles, tones the spine and flexibility in back and hips.)

Mantra:Om Ravaye Namaha

3. Hastapadasana (Standing forward bend)

Lean forward and place your palms at the side of your feet. Touch your knee with forehead and exhale deeply.

Benefits:

(Promotes blood circulation, tones abdominal tracts, stretches back and leg muscles, stimulates spinal nerves, and stimulates lymphatic system.)

Mantra:Om Suryaya Namaha

4. Ashwa Sanchalanasana (Equestrian pose)

Now, one leg back and place the other leg in the front with palms fixed on the ground. Raise your head and inhale.

Benefits:

(Exercises spine, strengthens hand and wrist muscles.)

Mantra:Om Bhaanave Namaha

5. Dandasana (Stick pose)

Bring the leg next to the other one. Keep the hips off the floor with both your hands supporting the body in a push up position and Exhale.

Benefits:

(Stimulates blood circulation, strengthens the heart, strengthens wrist and arm muscles, relieves neck and shoulder tension.)

Mantra:Om Khagay Namaha

6. Ashtanga Namaskara (Salute with eight parts or points)

Bend your knees, chest and forehead firmly down along with your palms. Keeps the elbows bent upwards. Hold your breath here.

Benefits:

(It makes leg and arm muscles stronger, it improves flexibility in neck, shoulders and back muscles. It also releases tension in the neck and shoulder.)

Mantra:Om Pooshne Namaha

7. Bhujangasana (Cobra pose)

Drop your waist and raise your upper body. Look upwards and keep your arms straight. Then inhale at a slow pace.

Benefits:

(It energizes circulation to stomach organs and improves it. Help stretching upper and lower body, assists flexibility in the back and nerves in the spine.)

Mantra:Om Hirany Garbhay Namaha

8. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward facing dog poses)

Raise your hips and just bring your head to the floor and heel on the floor. This position will exactly look like an inverted 'V' then exhale.

Benefits:

(Stimulates blood circulation, strengthens the heart, strengthens wrist and arm muscles, relieves neck and shoulder tension.)

Mantra:Om Mareechaye Namaha

9. Ashwa Sanchalanasana (Equestrian pose)

In this step the posture is the same as the fourth step and inhale.

Benefits:

(Exercises spine, strengthens hand and wrist muscles.)

Mantra:Om Aadityay Namaha

10. Hastapadasana (Standing forward bend)

In this step the posture is the same as the third step and exhale.

Benefits:

(Strengthens blood circulation, tones abdominal tracts, stretches back and leg muscles, stimulates spinal nerves, and stimulates lymphatic system.)

Mantra:Om Savitre Namaha

11. Hastauttanasana (Raised arms pose)

This stage is same as the second stage and inhale.

Benefits:

(Strengthens balance, digestion, exercises arms and shoulder muscles, tones the spine, and it increase flexibility in back and hips.)

Mantra:Om Arkaay Namaha

12. Tadasana (Mountain Pose)

This stage is the final stage of Surya Namaskar and it is same to the first stage. You have to breathe normally here.

Benefits:

(Promotes balance, stimulates breathing system, exercises shoulder, back and neck muscles)

Mantra:Om Bhaskaray Namaha

Start performing Surya Namaskar from today, and feel the difference.

Types of Skewness

2020-06-15T16:26:00.017+05:30

What is Skewness and types of skewness in Statistics?

Before understanding the types of skewness, let’s understand the meaning of skewness and frequency distribution first.

As we know every frequency distribution needs to be symmetrical or symmetrically distributed, but there are a lot of factors that affect the data, classification, and interpretation of variables.

These factors take the values far from the symmetry. Hence, this is known as skewness of frequency distribution.

The symmetrical frequency distribution is represented in the bell-shaped graph below:

Meaning of Skewness

The lack of symmetry of a frequency distribution is called skewness. In other words, a frequency distribution whose frequency curve is not bell-shaped is said to be skewed.

Meaning of Frequency Distribution

While doing the classification of data, values of variable under study are considered. This is known as classification of data or Frequency distribution.

Types of Skewness

The skewness of frequency distribution can be of two types:

(1) Positive Skewness

(2) Negative skewness

It should be remembered that zero skewness is not considered one of the types of skewness, because a frequency distribution with zero skewness is not skewed but it is symmetric.

1. Positive Skewness or Positively Skewed Distribution

The frequency curve of the positively skewed frequency distribution is as shown in the above diagram-

A frequency distribution in which the values of the mean, median, and mode are in descending order i.e. x̄ > M > Z, is said to be a positively skewed frequency distribution.

In frequency distribution with positive skewness, the distance between the third quartile and the median is greater than the distance between the median and the first quartile. i.e. Q₃ - M > M - Q₁

In such a frequency distribution, the right tail of its frequency curve is more elongated than the left tail.

2. Negative Skewness or Negatively Skewed Distribution

The frequency curve of the negatively skewed frequency distribution is as shown in the above diagram-

A frequency distribution in which the values of the mean, median, and mode are in ascending order i.e. x̄ < M < Z, is said to be a negatively skewed frequency distribution.

In frequency distribution with Negative skewness, the distance between the third quartile and the median is less than the distance between the median and the first quartile.i.e. Q₃ - M < M - Q₁

In such a frequency distribution, the left tail of its frequency curve is more elongated than the right tail.

After learning the types of skewness lets also understand the “Tests of Skewness”

We know that the lack of symmetry of a frequency distribution is called skewness. To decide whether a given frequency distribution is skewed or not the following tests can be used.

(1) A frequency distribution in which the values of the mean, median, and mode are not equal.

(2) If both the quartiles i.e. the first and third quartiles are equidistant from the median, then such a frequency distribution is said to be skewed.

(3) If the frequency curve of the frequency distribution is not bell-shaped then it is said to be skewed.

(4) Frequency distribution in which the frequencies of the classes which are located equidistant from the middle class are not equal is said to be skewed frequency distribution.

(5) If the right tail or the left tail of the frequency curve is more elongated then the frequency distribution is said to be skewed frequency distribution.

Skewness and co-efficient of skewness

(Absolute and Relative Measures of Skewness)

Skewness: Skewness is a lack of symmetry in a frequency distribution. Skewness is an absolute measure and it is denoted by 'sk'.

Skewness is not independent of units of measurement, i.e. it is expressed in the units of the given data.

Co-efficient of Skewness: The relative measure of skewness of frequency distribution is called co-efficient of skewness and it is denoted by 'j'.

The coefficient of skewness is independent of units of measurement, i.e. it is a simple number free from the units of the given data.

Types of skewness with Examples.

Symmetric:

If Q₃ + Q₁=60 and M=30, then state the type of skewness.

Ans: Sk = Q₃ + Q₁ - 2M

= 60 - 2(30) = 60 - 60 = 0

There is zero skewness. i.e. Frequency distribution is symmetric.

Negative Skewness:

For a frequency distribution 3Q₃ = 8Q₁ = 4M =120. Then find its skewness.

Ans: 3Q₃ = 120 so, Q₃ = 40

8Q₁ = 120 so, Q₁ = 15

4M = 120 so, M = 30

Now, Skewness = Q₃+ Q₁ - 2M

so, 40 + 15 - 2(30) = -5

so, Sk = -5

Positive Skewness:

The median and the mean of a data set are 52 and 55 respectively. State the type of skewness.

Ans: Here, median (M) = 52 and mean (X̅) = 55

Now, Sk = 3(X̅- M) = 3 (55 - 52) = 3 (3) = 9

Hence, mean > median, therefore there is positive skewness in the data.

Methods of determining Skewness and the coefficient of Skewness.

If a frequency curve of a given frequency distribution is drawn, then it can be known whether the skewness is positive or negative. But the numerical measure of skewness can not be known. Also, it is necessary to find numerical measures of skewness for comparison of two or more frequency distributions. For determining skewness and the coefficient of skewness following two methods are used.

(I) Karl Pearson’s Method

(II) Bowley’s Method

(1) Karl Pearson’s Method:

Base: In a skewed frequency distribution, the values of the mean, median, and mode are not equal i.e. X̅ not equal to M not equal to Z. Also, the median always lies between the mean and mode. Karl Pearson’s method is based on this test of skewness.

Formulae: Skewness is the difference between the mean and mode.

i.e. skewness (sk) = X̅ - Z

The coefficient of skewness is obtained by dividing the above difference by standard deviation (S).

i.e. coefficient of Skewness (j) = X̅ - Z / S

When the frequency distribution is not unimodal or otherwise the mode is ill-defined, then mode can be obtained by the formula Z = -3M – 2X̅

Hence, when a mode is ill-defined then the following formulae are used.

Skewness (sk) = 3 (X̅ - M)

Coefficient of Skewness (j) = 3 (X̅ - M) / S

Note:

(i) The value of the coefficient of skewness given by formula 3 ( X̅ - M) / S always lies between between -1.73 and +1.73 for any uni-modal skewed frequency distribution.

This has been proved by statistician N.L. Johnson in the year 1951. But generally, in practice, the value of j based on a sample lies between -1 and +1 for skewed frequency distribution.

(ii) The value of the coefficient of skewness given by formula j = 3 ( X̅ - M) / S always lies between -3 and +3.

(iii) The mode is said to be ill-defined in the following situation:

(a) if the frequency distribution has classes of unequal length.

(b) if the frequency distribution is a mixed type (partly discrete and partly continuous).

sk = 3 (X̅ - M) and j = 3 (X̅ - M) / S

(2) Bowley’s Method :

Base: In a skewed frequency distribution, both the quartile Q₁ and Q₃are not equi-distant from the median. i.e. Q₃ – M not equal to M – Q₁. Bowley’s method is based on this test of skewness.

Formulae: The difference between the distance Q₃ – M and M – Q₁is taken as the absolute measure of skewness (sk).

i.e. Skewness (sk) = (Q₃ – M) – (M – Q₁)

= Q₃ – M – M + Q₁

Skewness (sk) = Q₃+ Q₁ – 2M

The coefficient of skewness is obtained by dividing the above difference by the sum of the distance Q₃ – M and M – Q_1.

coefficient of skewness (j) = Q₃+ Q₁ – 2M / Q₃- Q₁

Note: the value of the coefficient of skewness (j) given by Bowley’s method always lies between -1 and +1.

Comparison of Karl Pearson's Method and Bowley's Method.

1. As Karl Pearson's method and Bowley's method are based on different assumptions, the values of the coefficient of skewness obtained by the two methods may not be equal.

2. The calculations are simple and easy in Bowley's method, whereas the calculations are not simple in taking more time in Karl Pearson's method.

3. The co-efficient of skewness obtained by Karl Pearson's method is more reliable than Bowley's method. Karl Pearson's formula off is based on mean X and standard deviation (S) which are the best measures of average and dispersion.

4. Karl Pearson's method cannot be used for open-end frequency distribution. When open-end frequency distribution is given then Bowley's method is to be used.

Points to be remembered while solving examples

(1) If it is not stated by which method co-efficient of skewness is to be calculated in the example, then use Karl Pearson's method.

(2) If the frequency distribution is open-end frequency distribution, then use Bowley's method for calculating the coefficient of skewness.

(3) In a given frequency distribution, the observations or the classes are to be arranged in ascending order if they are not in ascending order.

(4) If the classes of a given frequency distribution are exclusive, then find boundary points for the corresponding classes for calculating median, mode, or quartiles.

(5) If the cumulative frequency distribution of 'less than type' or 'more than type' is given, then convert it into an original frequency distribution.

(6) If instead of classes, the mid-values are given then first find boundary points for

each mid-value by the following formulae.

Lower boundary point = Mid-value - (Class interval / 2)

Upper boundary point = Mid-value + (Class interval / 2)

(7) If mode is ill-defined, then for Karl Pearson's method use the following formulae.

sk = 3 (X̅ - M) and j = 3 (X̅ - M) / S

(8) If a given frequency distribution is of unequal class interval or of mixed type i.e. partly discrete and partly continuous, then for calculation of mean and standard1 deviation by short cut method class interval (C) should not be taken.

(9) The value of the coefficient of skewness may be positive, negative, or zero.

Kurtosis

Kurtosis refers to the degree of presence of outliers in the distribution.

Kurtosis is a statistical measure, whether the data is heavy-tailed or light-tailed in a normal distribution.

In finance, kurtosis is used as a measure of financial risk. A large kurtosis is associated with a high level of risk for an investment because it indicates that there are high probabilities of extremely large and extremely small returns.

On the other hand, a small kurtosis signals a moderate level of risk because the probabilities of extreme returns are relatively low.

Excess Kurtosis

The excess kurtosis is used in statistics and probability theory to compare the kurtosis coefficient with that normal distribution.

Excess kurtosis can be positive (Leptokurtic distribution), negative (Platykurtic distribution), or near to zero (Mesokurtic distribution). Since normal distributions have a kurtosis of 3, excess kurtosis is calculating by subtracting kurtosis by 3.

Excess kurtosis = Kurt – 3

Types of excess kurtosis

Leptokurtic or heavy-tailed distribution (kurtosis more than normal distribution).
Mesokurtic (kurtosis same as the normal distribution).
Platykurtic or short-tailed distribution (kurtosis less than normal distribution).

Leptokurtic (kurtosis > 3)

Leptokurtic is having very long and skinny tails, which means there are more chances of outliers. Positive values of kurtosis indicate that distribution is peaked and possesses thick tails.

An extreme positive kurtosis indicates a distribution where more of the numbers are located in the tails of the distribution instead of around the mean.

platykurtic (kurtosis < 3)

Platykurtic having a lower tail and stretched around center tails means most of the data points are present in high proximity with mean.

A platykurtic distribution is flatter (less peaked) when compared with the normal distribution.

Mesokurtic (kurtosis = 3)

Mesokurtic is the same as the normal distribution, which means kurtosis is near to 0.

In Mesokurtic, distributions are moderate in breadth, and curves are a medium peaked height.

Summary

The skewness is a measure of symmetry or asymmetry of data distribution, and kurtosis measures whether data is heavy-tailed or light-tailed in a normal distribution.

Data can be positive-skewed (data-pushed towards the right side) or negative-skewed (data-pushed towards the left side).

When data skewed, the tail region may behave as an outlier for the statistical model, and outliers unsympathetically affect the model’s performance especially regression-based models.

Some statistical models are hardy to outliers like Tree-based models, but it will limit the possibility to try other models. So there is a necessity to transform the skewed data to close enough to a Normal distribution.

Excess kurtosis can be positive (Leptokurtic distribution), negative (Platykurtic distribution), or near to zero (Mesokurtic distribution).

Leptokurtic distribution (kurtosis more than normal distribution). Mesokurtic distribution (kurtosis same as the normal distribution). Platykurtic distribution (kurtosis less than normal distribution).

What Is Percentile Rank?

2020-06-15T13:35:00.002+05:30

Before we understand the percentile rank, let’s understand “Percentile” first. I won’t go through the details of percentile like P50= median and all, I’ll try to keep it simple.

Meaning of Percentile

The percentiles divide the observations of the data arranged in increasing order of their magnitudes into 100 equal parts and they are denoted by symbols P1, P2, P3….P99.

Why Percentile Rank?

If we know the marks or rank of the students in the context of the marks secured by the entire class, then we can correctly evaluate the level of his or her cleverness. This can essentially be done by finding the percentile rank of the student.

It is well-known that ranks are given to the observations of un-grouped data arranged in increasing order of their magnitude. If three observations of data are 47, 29, and 25, then their corresponding ranks are 1,2 and 3.

A student in a group of 40 students in a subject gets the 25th rank and another student in a group of 200 students gets the 25th rank in the same subject, then it is not proper or advisable to say that the two students are equally clever because they are the same rank.

If two specified students belonging to different groups get the same ranks, then the superiority of one over the other can be determined on the base of their percentile rank.

What is Percentile Rank?

Two individuals coming from two different groups have the same rank in the subject or some activity then it is essential to convert their ranks into percentile rank in order to determine their excellence or competence in the subject or activity. The simple rank and percentile rank will be denoted by symbols R and PR respectively.

The formula of PR:

The formula for converting the simple rank into PR is..

PR =100 [1- (R-0.5/n)]

Where, PR = Percentile Rank, R= Simple Rank, n= Number of individual or items in a group.

Percentile Rank illustration:

Let's make it more clear, by taking the below illustration.

Question: The rank of a student out of 50 students of different schools in an Essay Competition is 5. Find the PR of the student and interpret it.

Answer : PR =100 [1- (R-0.5/n)] Where, R= 5 and n=50

= 100 [ 1- (5 - 0.5/50]

= 100 [1 - (4.5/50)]

=100 [ 1 - 0.09 ]

=100 [0.91]

PR=91

Interpretation:

PR 91 means that the student with 5th rank is superior to 91% of the students in the group.

Now keeping the above example in mind you can easily understand the meaning when a person says that he or she scored 95 percentile in the exam. It simply means that person’s rank is superior to 95% of the students in the group.

In other words, Percentile ranking is the ranking of any item based on its performance as compared to others in the same category.

Percentile rankings are percentages and are used in many fields, such as academic exams, marketing, and sales. There are many ways to get percentile rankings, but the most common method is called the .67 method.

Percentile ranking is a method of ordering the data in an experiment. It indicates the percentage of data in the experiment that is equal to the given value.

For example, if the value of 1st percentile is 0, 50th percentile is the median, and the value of the 99th percentile is 6, then there are 6 data points in the experiment that have value equal to 6 and rest of the values have values less than 6.

Percentile rank is a measure that tells you where your score falls in the distribution of scores in a data set.

So, a score of X in a test with a score scale of Y is ranked in a percentile of Z (eg. 80th % means that your score of 80 falls in the 80th place in the distribution of scores).

Napoleon Code

2020-06-06T18:41:00.006+05:30

Background:

Napoleonic Code or french civil code came into force on 21.03.1804. Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) was a french military leader and emperor. The Napoleon Code was prepared during his reign.

He had introduced many reforms and policies like administrative, economic, social, educational, policy with the pope, etc. But the civil code better known as Napoleon Code proved to be more important, fruitful, and more enduring than any one of them. There were many types of laws in the “old system” of France.

There was also a lot of confusion in those laws and procedures. In all of this, with the addition of many new laws during the French Revolution, more chaos ensued.

Consequently, Napoleon appointed a committee to bring order and simplicity to this jungle of laws. He took a personal interest in the work of this committee, guided it, and completed the work in a very short time.

The committee drafted a total of five laws, including civil, criminal, commercial, educational laws, etc. There were no special new laws in all of them, but they contained the laws of the monarchical and revolutionary times in a systematic and easy-to-understand way, even for the less educated.

The distinctive feature of these laws was that they applied equally to all classes of the public.

It did not accommodate any kind of political, social, or religious bias. Law collections were formed on the basis of practical intelligence and experience rather than just classical principles. It removed the vices of France’s “old system” and retained all the benefits that the French people had received during the Revolution.

These law collections became known as the “Napoleon Code”. As he himself put it, his fame has become immortal not because of the wars he fought or because of the victories he achieved, but because of these codes. It was immediately implemented in France, but also in Europe, where all the countries that came under Napoleon’s rule continued to implement the laws.

In the beginning years of the 19th century, the code was introduced into Haiti and Dominican Republic, and it still prevails there. Bolivia and Chile followed the code arrangement and did borrow a lot from the code. Later, The Chilean code was copied by Ecuador and Colombia, followed by Uruguay and Argentina.

Such a genius Napoleon, in fact, turned the “French Revolution” into a “European Revolution!”. Historians hailed the twenty-five years (1795 to 1821 AD) of European history as “The Era of Napoleon”.

For more information like this check out the history section.

Joseph Goebbels - Hitler's Minister of Propaganda

2020-06-04T19:11:00.001+05:30

If you repeat a lie often enough, it becomes accepted as truth

The above sentence is of Paul Joseph Goebbels, who is often touted as one of the world's greatest liars, but the truth is that Goebbels has refrained to distort the facts while campaigning for a Nazi regime during World War II.

It did not seem necessary for him to proclaim anything completely different from reality, as his original aim was not to alienate the German people.

Goebbels was a staunch Nazi and clearly believed that only a Nazi regime could restore Germany's lost glory as a nation in World War I through war. The war was a test and the German people had to suffer immensely.

In all, millions of homes were to be turned upside down. In this situation, Goebbels drew a rosy picture of Germany's victory in World War II, citing a number of historical events, to keep the public's spirits high during the long black night of the war and to encourage the Nazi force to support them.

Goebbels' propaganda skills were extraordinary. The difference is that history was not on Germany's side yet most Germans’ remained loyal to Hitler's regime even in the midst of catastrophes, as long as German Newspapers, radio stations, magazines, and local newspapers continued to spread his speeches and opinions.

Goebbels himself, who had played a leading role in bringing Hitler to power, remained loyal to him until the very end.

Germany was defeated in World War II, and many Nazi officers left Hitler when enemy forces arrived on the border. But Goebbels was with him in a cement-concrete bunker in Berlin, including his family. On April 30, 1945, Hitler appointed Goebbels as his successor before committing suicide.

Goebbels, however, did not have time to enjoy the position. The next day, he and his wife poisoned six children, put them to sleep, and then ordered the armed guards to fire a rifle, killing them.