WHY HINDUS WORSHIP IMAGES

By Stephen Knapp

Almost any person [except maybe Jews] believes or utilizes an image or symbol of their religion, culture, or even business. This is not unusual. The Cross in the Christian church, the picture of Jesus Christ, the statue of Mary, statues of patron saints, even the black stone in Kabba are all what we could call images. If anyone bows in front of any of them, they are breaking laws of Old Testament. [LE 26:1, and EX 20:2-5.] Use of images is everywhere and all people worship something or someone. In fact, the first sculpture of Christ was in the form of a small boy holding a lamb. Now, everywhere in the world people have pictures of Christ according to their culture. A loving, young, white man in the USA, or a tough man looking like a judge in Russia, a nice black man in Africa, and you find a man looking like a typical Chinese with a sheepish beard in China. All religions have some concept of God with name and form, but Hindus have the courage to present the details as described in their scripture.

The images and Deities of the Divine that are worshiped in the Vedic temples or in homes of those who follow Sanatana-dharma are not someone’s concocted imaginings. They are based on the detailed descriptions of God’s form as described in the Vedic texts. This is another beauty of the Vedic culture. Whereas most texts of other religions offer little information on God’s appearance and characteristics, these become specifically revealed in the Vedic tradition. Thus, we know what God looks like and can form images accordingly. Then these Deities are installed, calling the personality of the Divine, according to specific prayers and rituals.
As the Supreme Controller, God can appear to His devotees in any of His specific forms. And even if some say that these images that are presented are made of nothing but stone or wood, still God can turn what is spiritual into something material, or something material into something spiritual. In this way, we can use our material senses and still have the vision of God in the form of the Deity, and approach Him with our love and service. Thus, the authorized Deity is not an idol, but is the Lord’s mercy in giving us the chance to see something spiritual with material eyes. Of course, as we become more spiritualized, we can see with our inner spiritual eyes the transcendental form and activities of the Supreme Being, even while in this body that we have now.
An example is that the Post Office has authorized post boxes in which we put our mail, which is then picked up and delivered to the address on the envelope. If, however, we make our own unauthorized box and put it where we like, if we put our mail in it, it will not go anywhere. In the same way, by praying to the authorized forms of God our service will reach Him and be accepted by Him. Besides, there are many stories of how Deities have come to life and interacted with devotees and engaged in all kinds of pastimes with them in very personal ways. So they are always full of potential to interact with us, or merely watch and see what we do, or even leave the Deity form if we are too offensive or do not understand the basis of the Deity. So we should never think that Deities are nothing but stone or wood. In fact, the Vedic scripture says that anyone who thinks in such a way exhibits a hellish mentality.

The Subconscious Mind: How Does It Affect Your Reality?

 Lorna Wilson

A human brain works on “thought patterns”, which are nothing but “programming” that has been indented into its neural network. You can also observe a definite “pattern” in some of the thoughts that are produced in the brain. For example, it’s possible that your brain is presently in the habit of creating a pattern of negative thinking, where it seems to give a negative flavor/connotation to all its interpretations – in this case your brain is subconsciously in the habit of looking at reality in a negative manner and at the root of all its negative thinking is a subconscious belief in some “core” negative thoughts.

The problem with subconscious patterns, is that you take it for granted and believe that it’s the truth of who you are. However, the truth is that “subconscious” patterns are simply thought patterns that have been thought so many times that they’ve become ingrained as an “auto” mode of functioning. You can become free of negative subconscious patterns in your mind, by becoming aware of them and dis-identifying with them through lack of interest/attention.

Identifying subconscious patterns in your mind

You must understand that subconscious patterns are always running in “auto” mode in the brain, because at some point you took these patterns to be the truth of your life and invested belief in them to the point where they became “ingrained” patterns.

When you think a thought long enough, it automatically goes into “auto” mode because the neural pathways for this thought become strongly embedded in the neural network of your brain. For example, when you learn to drive a car it’s a very conscious effort initially, but after a few months the patterns become so embedded in the brain that the whole action of driving becomes subconscious or “auto” mode.

Certain negative thoughts are running in “auto” mode in your brain, and these negative thoughts are usually the root cause of many negative perceptions and interpretations that you come up with in your daily life. Unless you identify and let go of belief in these subconscious negative thoughts, you will constantly be struggling with the negativity in your brain. A simple awareness of the subconscious negative patterns is enough to start becoming free of them.

Subconscious patterns are not hidden from your consciousness

“Subconscious mind” is simply a term used to point to thought patterns that are running on “auto” mode due to past attention/belief. These subconscious thoughts can be observed when you deepen your awareness of the mind, and you can observe how these core thoughts are underlying many of your perceptions and interpretations. The only challenge is that because subconscious thoughts are running on “auto” mode, you may start taking them to be the truth of your life and make it a part of your identity. But remember that every subconscious thought was once a “new thought” that you ingrained and believed.

Some example of subconscious negative thoughts are as below

– Good things never happen to me

– I need to compete with other people to succeed in life

- I cannot trust anyone

– Life is never easy

– It’s tough to make money

– I am an incompetent person or a bad person

– I am always exploited by others

You could’ve taken in these thoughts at any point in your life, and they may be running on “auto” mode in your brain presently. These “core” negative thoughts end up coloring your perception of reality and hence create new negative thoughts constantly.

Remember that there is no truth to negativity because life does not support it. Negative thinking only serves to impede and resist the movement of your life towards well-being. Allow your awareness to deepen and start seeing through all the subconscious negative patterns in your brain. Once you become aware of them, you can then start dis-identifying and dis-believing them. Also, you should start allowing yourself to align with thoughts of your desired reality. When you keep thinking a positive thought about yourself, or your life, it will soon become subconscious in your brain, and will start running on “auto mode”.

http://www.calmdownmind.com/subcons...

 

 

Kalidasa (4th Century - 5th Century / Ujjain / India)

Kalidasa (Devanāgarī: कालिदास "servant of Kali") was a renowned Classical Sanskrit writer, widely regarded as the greatest poet and dramatist in the Sanskrit language. His floruit cannot be dated with precision, but most likely falls within 4th Century AD.
His plays and poetry are primarily based on Hindu Puranas and philosophy.

It is evident from the invocatory verses of the plays and epics of the world-renowned poet Kalidasa, the full moon on the firmament of Sanskrit literature, that he is an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva. His epic, titled Kumarasambhava, bears testimony to his devotion for Shiva’s son, Karthikeya. Raghuvamsa is another great epic of his. In this work suffused with poetic beauty, he paints vivid word-pictures of Rama’s ancestors and his descendents. Kumara appears before the poet’s ken whenever he has to describe the descendents of the Raghukula. Whenever he conceived of a hero, a dimension of Kumara, such as Sharavanabhava, Guha, and Shanmukha, appeared before him. We shall now see how he presents images of Skanda, Karthikeya, Shivakumara at appropriate junctures.

It is a common saying in the world of poetry that Kalidasa is unparalleled in his use of similes. Let us examine a few examples appropriate to the topic like the scene from the second canto of Raghuvamsa: The childless king Dileepa seeks Guru Vasishta’s blessings for a progeny. The king is bid to serve Vasishta’s cow reverentially. Once when the king is tending to the cow in the forest, a lion appears. The lion threatens to devour the cow. Kalidasa makes the lion speak as follows: “I am Kumbodara, a gana of Shiva. Shiva loves this Devadaru tree nearby like a son. Shiva and Parvati shower as much love on this tree as they do on their own son, Skanda. Once when a wild elephant rubbed itself against the tree, scraping off its bark, Parvati was as distraught as she would be on seeing her son Senani (the chief of the army of the gods) wounded by the arrows of the asuras.” Dileepa offers himself as prey to the lion in place of the cow. Moved by his devotion, the lion praises him and disappears. In due course, Sudakshina conceives. Kalidasa likens the child Raghu, in blessed Sudakshina’s womb, to the tejas of Shiva that emanated as six sparks and was carried by the cool waters of the Holy Ganga. At the end of the same canto, the child Raghu, born to Dileepa and Sudakshina, lends his name to the celebrated dynasty. In the third canto, Kalidasa equates the indescribable joy of this couple at the birth of Raghu to the joy felt by Uma and Shiva (the Lord whose emblem is the bull) at the birth of Sharajanma or Sharavana. Raghu grows up into a fine, young man. He is triumphant in war, conquering all, including Indra. His valour in the war against Indra is compared to that of the son of Shiva, in the same canto. Raghu is hailed as Kumara Vikrama (the youthful victor). By and by, a son is born to Raghu. This boy, born in the auspicious wee hours of the morning (brahmamuhurta), is named Aja. Kalidasa compares this child also to the son of Shiva. He does not find it necessary to look beyond Kumara as a frame for his comparisons. This is the fifth occurrence of a comparison with Kumara.

The sixth canto describes Indumati’s svayamvara. Bhoja, the king of Vidarbha, offers Aja a seat of honour. This seat is gem-studded and is upholstered with a satin cloth of varied hues. Aja sat at the court in all his might and splendour. This scene brings to the poet’s mind another image. To Kalidasa, the devotee of Kumara, what image other than that of Guha, the lord who sports in all eight directions, seated on the peacock, could suggest itself? In his mind’s eye flashes the vision of the colourful peacock mount, beautiful arms, eyes showering grace and the resplendent crown. The poet presents Guha, seated on the peacock with its multihued wings outspread, as a simile.
Dasaratha ascends the throne. The rule of the Raghu clan now increases in glory. Isn’t it natural that the poet is reminded of the prowess of Kumara who shattered the Krauncha hill to pieces, when describing Dasaratha? Doesn’t Dasaratha’s chariot have unchallenged access to all territories? The expansive story of Rama, as told by Valmiki, is condensed into a few cantos by Kalidasa. For example, in the scene of the confrontation between Rama and Parasurama, they appear like the rising full moon and the setting sun at dusk. They are like grace and fury, like generosity and jealousy. Equanimity and might are united in Rama just as the power to destroy evil and the inclination to bestow grace upon the vanquished enemies characterize Harasunu, the son of Shiva. The poet revels in extolling the virtues of Rama. Rama’s unparalleled devotion to his parents is among his innumerable qualities. The common man acknowledges only one woman as his mother, but for Rama all the wives of his father are his mothers. He never discriminated between his own mother and the mothers of his brothers. When the poet looks for a comparison for this, he finds one easily. Karthikeya, who abides in his heart for ever, appears before him. Who else but Shadanana (the six-faced), who was carried as six sparks by the cool waters of the Ganga and deposited as six children who were suckled by the six Krittika stars, could offer a comparison? We find this idea in the fourteenth canto.
Among the successors of Rama, the king called Aditi was well renowned. His righteous reign pleased Mother Earth who bestowed bounty upon the realm. Aditi was well equipped to utilize the attributes of war and peace as well as the resources of his councillors and the army. Is there any earthly king who can provide a parallel to him in intelligence and ability? It is only Shanmukha who provides an apt metaphor. Only he – who hurled the spear to destroy Taraka, who sent Viravijaya as an emissary on a reconnaissance mission, who was victorious over Simhamukha, who decimated Surapadma – presents himself to the poet’s imagination.
Kalidasa, the best among poets, extols the glory of the kings of Kosala. He is unparalleled in finding parallels. When the world renowned poet describes the son of Shiva as Skanda, the tejas of Shiva, Sharajanma, Kumara, Guha, the destroyer of the mountain (Krauncha), Harasunu (the son of Shiva), Chamunamneta (chief of the army) and Shanmukha, using him as metaphor, it is as though gems were offset by gold. If that is so, then wouldn’t it be apt to call Kalidasa Kumaradasa?

Industrial pollution started 7,000 years ago before Bronze Age

"Industrial pollution may seem like a modern phenomenon, but in fact, an international team of researchers may have discovered what could be the world's first polluted river, contaminated approximately 7,000 years ago.

In this now-dry riverbed in the Wadi Faynan region of southern Jordan, Professor Russell Adams, from the Department of Anthropology at the University of Waterloo, and his colleagues found evidence of early pollution caused by the combustion of copper. Neolithic humans here may have been in the early stages of developing metallurgy by learning how to smelt.

The research findings, published in Science of the Total Environment, shed light on a turning point in history, when humans began moving from making tools out of stones to making tools out of metal. This period, known as the Chalcolithic or Copper Age, is a transitional period between the late Neolithic or Stone Age and the beginning of the Bronze Age."

The most reliable source of renewable energy& the world's first smart river turbine.

A new alternative

We estimate that 1.4 billion individuals across the world are without electricity, most living in rural and distant areas inaccessible to the national or regional electricity grid. The most common energy solution available is the use of gas generators which are polluting and can be expensive to maintain in the long term. As an alternative, the use of green technologies is rapidly growing.
Renewable energy solutions are gaining popularity especially in the residential market. Billions of dollars are invested every year on solar and wind systems. However these renewable energy products do not represent optimal solutions for meeting individual needs due to intermittent production of energy resulting in weather variations. In consequence, these systems are only used to 12% to 35% of their capacity implicating an over sizing of installations and storage systems to accumulate the energy when produced. However one regular and predictable energy source is unexploited: the river.

The ideal source of renewable energy

Among all renewable energy sources, only the river can provide a predictable and reliable source of energy, 24 hours a day. Idénergie’s turbine is the solution of choice to fully benefit from the continuous  production of energy offered by the river. This allows, among other advantages, the use of less batteries than the standard norm since the energy produced is uninterrupted and less subject to weather variations. Idénergie’s river turbine is the only water driven technology that meets the needs of a residence by directly supplying household appliances and recharging batteries. It equally represents an excellent emergency backup system because of the endless supply of energy it provides.

Easy to install

Our turbine can be dismantled in separate pieces in order to facilitate shipping to the the most remote locations and is ready to assemble on site. This allows for a simple and fast installation which requires only 2 individuals in less than a 24 hour period. The turbine is attached to a stable pillar from the front with a steel cable and is deposited on the river bed, self positioning in the fluid like a kite. Electrical DC connections are simplified by the presence of our embedded electrical converter. All that’s left to do is connect the output cable to your batteries, without any additional electric equipment.

The first smart river turbine

Idénergie’s river turbine has an embedded smart converter that allows the conversion of the energy harnessed from the water current into electricity to recharge batteries and power home appliances. In addition, it allows the user to have better control by automatically regulating the rotational speed of the turbine thus extracting maximum power from the current; it has a built-in motor mode to enable automatic start-up and emergency disconnect of the turbine on demand. In case water speed is very low, the smart turbine can use the generator in motor mode to initiate sufficient movement in order to produce electricity. The output power is set to DC current, from 24 to 48 and more in order to allow the transport of electricity over long distances.

Low maintenance

Idénergie’s river turbine uses a new type of electric generator which Idénergie is the inventor and sole manufacturer. The generator is very efficient at low water velocity and provides an energy production equivalent of 4 to 10 solar panels (between 2 and 6 kWh/day).  Our unique patented shaftless technology prevents any water intrusions within the generator’s electric casing, allowing an almost maintenance free subwater generator.

Robust design

 

Idénergie’s river turbine is composed of two Darrieus turbines. This model was chosen for its simplicity of manufacturing and installation. It accommodates a water depth of only two feet and with a minimum of 1,2 m/s water velocity, the turbine can produce 2.4 kWh/day. This represents the energy production equivalent of 16 x 250W solar panels. In addition the blades are inexpensive to produce, easy to replace and ship in case of damage. The structure and envelope of the generator are made ​​of aluminum chosen for its lightweight characteristics, structural rigidity and its resistance to corrosion. Free hanging turbines and upward rotational mechanism descreases the chances of debris accumulation. Its robust design has been proven to resist even heavy loads as trees.

In harmony with the river ecosystem

Mostly made of noble metals such as aluminium and other environmentally friendly components, the turbine is the greenest amongst all available renewable energy products. These material do not react to the environment and are easily recyclable ensuring a subtantial end of life value. In addition, the river turbine does not require a permanent structure reducing its impact on aquatic fauna.
By taking into account numerous studies estimating the interactions of the turbines with the ecosystems, Idénergie designed its product in order for it to have minimal impact on the aquatic fauna and its housing environment. Studies carried out by the Alden laboratories, an american entity, have proven that the Darrieus Turbines, used by Idenergie, represent no harm to the river’s ecosystem. In fact, extracting energy from a fluid tend to slow it down, resulting in faster velocity on the side of the turbine thus floating objects and debris, as well as fish, tend to naturally avoid the turbine resulting in 98% survival rate.
source http://idenergie.ca

நாம் இதுவரை பார்த்த சிறப்பு பட்டிமன்றத்தின் நடுவரின் முடிவுரை.....

ரஷ்ய இலக்கியங்கள் (மிகயீல் ஷோலகவ்வின் 'அவன் விதி')

ரஷ்ய இலக்கியங்களை (அன்றையகால சோவியத்) வாசிக்கும்போது, உள்நாட்டுப் போரில் செஞ்சேனைகளும், 2ம் உலகமகா யுத்தத்தில் ரஷ்யப்படைகளும் வென்றிருக்காவிட்டால் அவர்களின் படைப்புக்களை உலகம் இந்தளவு வரவேற்றிருக்குமா என அவ்வப்போது யோசிப்பதுண்டு. மேலும் இன்னொரு கேள்வியாக, இராணுவங்களின் வெற்றிகளைப் பெருமிதமாய்க் கொள்ளும் (முக்கியமாய் அமெரிக்க/பிரித்தானியா) படைப்புகளை வாசிக்கும்போதோ அல்லது திரைப்படமாகப் பார்க்கும்போதோ எரிச்சல் வருவதைப் போல, ஏன் ரஷ்யப் படைப்புக்களில் வருவதில்லை. இதற்கு நம் வாழ்வில் பலவிடயங்களில் போடும் இரட்டை வேடந்தான் காரணமாயிருக்குமோ அல்லது இடதுசாரிகள்/கம்யூனிஸ்ட்டுக்கள் மீதிருக்கும் இயல்பான பரிவுதானோ காரணமென எப்போதும் குழப்பமுண்டு.
மிகயீல் ஷோலகவ்வின் 'அவன் விதி' எனப்படும் குறுநாவலை வாசித்துக்கொண்டிருக்கும்போது இந்தக் கேள்விகளே தொடர்ந்து வந்துகொண்டிருந்தன. 2ம் உலகமகாயுத்தத்தின்போது ஜேர்மனியப் படைகளால் போர்க்கைதியாக்கப்பட்டு, பல வருடங்களில் அவர்களின் சித்திரவதைகளுக்கும், கடூழிய அடிமைவேலைக்கும் பயன்படுத்தப்பட்ட ஒருவன் தப்பிவந்து சொல்கின்ற கதைதான் இது. போர்க்கைதியாக்கப்படும்போது, 'எனது விருப்பின்றி படையில் சேர்ந்த மோசமான கம்யூனிஸ்ட்டுக்கள் நீங்கள் எனச் சண்டைபிடித்து, தனது கொமண்டோரைக் ஜேர்மனியருக்குக் காட்டிக்கொடுக்கப்போகின்றேன்' எனச் சொல்லும் தம் சக படையினனையும் இந்தக் கதைசொல்லி கொல்கின்றான். நாட்டின் கெளரவம் சார்ந்தும், பாஸிட்டுக்களுக்கு எதிரான போரில் இதுவும் இயல்புதானென -அதுவரை எந்தக் கொலையும் செய்யாத அவன் - இதை எடுத்துக்கொள்ளவும் செய்கின்றான்.
மிக மோசமாய் சித்திரவதைக்குள்ளான அவன் ஜேர்மனியர்களிடமிருந்து தப்பிவருவது ஒரு சாகசமென்றால், அவன் தப்பிவந்தபின்னும் அவனது மனைவியும் பிள்ளைகளும் ஜேர்மனியரின் குண்டுவீச்சில் கொல்லப்பட்டிருப்பதை அறிதலென்பது இன்னும் பெருஞ்சோகம். எஞ்சியிருந்த வளர்ந்த மகனையும், ஜேர்மனியரை அவர்களின் நாடுவரை துரத்திக்கொண்டு போகும் போரில் இழக்கின்றான் இந்தக் கதைசொல்லி. பல வருடங்களாய்க் காணாத மகனின் இறந்த உடலத்தைப் பார்க்கும்போது, துயரின் மிகுதியிலும் தன் மகன் இப்படி திரண்ட தோளும், விசாலமான நெஞ்சுமாய் வளர்ந்துவிட்டேனே எனக் கலங்கிநிற்கும் நிலையில், போரின் நிமித்தம் குலையும் குடும்ப உறவுகள் பற்றி அறிந்துகொள்கின்றோம். இறுதியில் இந்தக் கதைசொல்லி வாழ்வின் மீது நம்பிக்கை வைக்க ஒரு சம்பவம் நிகழ்கின்றது. அதற்காகவேனும் தான் உடனே சாகாதிருக்க வேண்டுமென ஒரு புதிய பயணத்தை அவன் தொடங்குகின்றான்.
இவர்கள் விரும்பியும் விரும்பாமலும் போரிட்ட இந்த யுத்தங்களின் வெற்றி அவர்களுக்கு எதைத் தந்தது? எதையும் தரவில்லை என்பதுதான் துயரமானது. அதைக் கொண்டாடக்கூடிய மனோநிலை கூட அவர்களுக்கு வாய்க்கவில்லை என்பதைத்தான் கதைசொல்லி இப்படித் தொடக்கத்திலேயே கூறிவிடுகின்றான்:
"சில நேரம் இரவில் என்னால் உறங்கமுடியது. இருட்டை உறுத்துப் பார்த்த வண்ணம், 'வாழ்வே ஏன் இப்படிச் செய்தாய்? என்னை ஏன் இப்படி வாட்டி வதைத்தாய்? என்னுடைய திராணியை ஏன் பறித்துக்கொண்டாய்?' என்று எண்ணமிடுவேன். என் கேள்விகளுக்கு விடையொன்றும் கிடைப்பதில்லை. இருட்டானாலும் சரி, இல்லை சூரியன் பளிச்சென்று ஒளி விடும் போதானாலும் சரி... எனக்கு விடை கிடைப்பதில்லை. இனி ஒருபோதும் எனக்கு விடை கிடைக்காது."
ஆம். அதுதான் உண்மை. போரில் வென்ற தரப்பாயினும் என்ன, தோற்ற தரப்பாயினும் என்ன... எவர்க்கும் அது நிம்மதியையோ சந்தோசத்தையோ தருவதில்லை. எல்லா சகாசங்களும், பெருமைகளும் ஒரு போரின்பின் பெறுமதியிழந்துபோய்விடுகின்றன. இன்னுமின்னும் எம்மை உளவியல் சிக்கல்களுக்கும், நிம்மதியற்ற நிலைக்கும் தள்ளியே விடச்செய்கின்றன.
ஆக இவ்வகை போர்க்காலப் படைப்புக்களை வாசிக்கும்போது, போரைப் பற்றியல்ல, போரைத் தவிர்த்து எப்படி போரின்றி வாழவேண்டுமென்ற படிப்பினைகளைத்தான் வரலாற்றிலிருந்து மானுடம் கற்றுக்கொள்ளவேண்டியிருக்கின்றது.

Elanko DSe

இரவின் நியமங்கள்

நாட்குறிப்புகள்
தண்ணீரின் நிறத்தில் இருக்கின்றன
அதிலிருந்து எழும் சத்தங்கள்
சங்குக்குள் அடைபட்ட அரூப அலைகள்

கொடிமாசிகளில் இருந்து
ஒரு குடம் தண்ணீர் எடுக்க நினைப்பது
எத்தகைய மூடத்தனமோ
அத்தகையதே
இவ்வாழ்வில் சேர்க்க நினைக்கும் எல்லாம்
உயிரைத் தவிட்டின் கதகதப்பில்
இவ்விரவு கிடத்திய போது
உடலைத் தொப்புள் கொடியெனப் பற்றியது
பின் என்ன செய்ய முடியும்
உடலை விட்டத்தில் இரண்டு முடிச்சிட்டு அத்தொட்டிலில் உயிரை வைத்தால்
அது காகத்தின் குஞ்சென அயராமல்
வெளிச்சத்தை வாசம் என்றும்
வாசத்தைச் சிங்கக்குட்டி
என்றும் பிதற்றியது
உடலைச் செட்டைவிரித்து எழும் கழுகு
எனப் பகடி செய்தது
உயிரின் கண்கள் மலைவாசஸ்தலம்
அதற்குத் தாலாட்டு எளிதல்ல
உறங்குவதுமில்லை
இரவின் நியமங்களை அறிந்தபின் சொல்கிறேன்
பிரிவின் முகம் விடியற்காலை
- தேன்மொழி தாஸ்
4.12.2016
3.34 am

Vacuum tube (old technology to make Electronics to get a whole lot faster without semiconductors )

Researchers are re purposing decades-old technology to build faster gadgets for the future, creating nano scale

Researchers are re purposing decades-old technology to build faster gadgets for the future, creating nano scale vacuum tubes that could dramatically improve the speed and efficiency of personal electronics and solar panels.

Vacuum tubes were originally used in the earliest digital electronic computers back in the 1930s and 1940s, before being replaced by transistors composed of semiconductors, which can can be manufactured much smaller, making today's computers, smartphones, and tablets possible.

that could dramatically improve the speed and efficiency of personal electronics and solar panels.

Vacuum tubes were originally used in the earliest digital electronic computers back in the 1930s and 1940s, before being replaced by transistors composed of semiconductors, which can can be manufactured much smaller, making today's computers, smartphones, and tablets possible.

But transistors have their limits in size and speed too, and we're getting closer than ever to reaching them. Now scientists from UC San Diego have gone back to the vacuum tube idea - and this time they've made them at tiny sizes and with far more efficient technology.

"This certainly won’t replace all semiconductor devices, but it may be the best approach for certain specialty applications, such as very high frequencies or high power devices," says lead researcher and electrical engineer, Dan Sievenpiper.

While transistors remain one of the most important inventions of the 20th century - and much smaller and more energy-efficient than the original vacuum tubes - scientists are now struggling to make them any tinier or more powerful than they already are.

What's more, electron flow through transistor semiconductor materials like silicon is slowed as electrons collide with atoms, and semiconductors also have what's called a band gap - where a boost of external energy is needed to get electrons moving.

The main advantage new nanoscale vacuum tubes have over semiconductor-based transistors is that they carry currents through air, rather than a solid material, and could be be much faster as a result.

 

The vacuum tube design (left), electric field enhancement (middle), and electric field distribution (right) of the new nanoscale structure. Credit: UC San Diego   

Freeing up electrons to carry currents through the air normally takes a large voltage or a powerful laser, both of which are difficult to do at the nanoscale, and which hampered the progress of early vacuum tubes.

To solve this problem, the team created a layer of special mushroom-style structures made of gold - known as an electromagnetic metasurface - and placed it on top of a layer of silicon dioxide and a silicon wafer.

When a low-powered voltage (less than 10 volts) and a low-powered laser are applied to this metasurface, it creates 'hot spots' with high-intensity electric fields, giving the structure enough energy to free the electrons from the metal.

In testing, this enabled the researchers to achieve a 1,000 percent (or 10-fold) increase in conductivity compared with nanoscale vacuum tubes without the metasurface. 

Right now, it's just a proof-of-concept demonstration, and there's a lot more work to be done to make the system practical for use in actual devices. But in the future, different metasurfaces could be designed to meet specific needs, such as new kinds of solar panels, the researchers suggest.

"Next we need to understand how far these devices can be scaled and the limits of their performance," says Sievenpiper.

Here's the team explaining their findings: Thanks: fossbytes.com and sciencealert.com

 

Benisagar: A 5th Century Vedic Hindu University

Evidence of a 5th Century AD Vedic Hindu university located at Benisagar village in West Singhbhum district (bordering Mayurbhanj in Orissa) has recently been unearthed by archaeologists. According to Mr Onkar Chauhan, archaeological superintendent of the Ranchi Chapter of the Archaeological Survey of India, the findings are based on the recovery of a seal, which bears characters of the Brahmi script belonging to the Gupta era. Mr Chauhan told The Statesman that the seal was discovered from the rain gullies of an ancient mound in August this year and is currently in the possession of a local villager. The seal, which is circular with a linear border, has a horizontal line bifurcating the motifs and the legends. The motifs are depicted on the upper half while the legends lie on the lower half. The motifs, according to Mr Chauhan, represent rosary beads, kamandalu and danda, while the legends comprise nine letters. It reads: Priyangu Dheyam Chaturvidya, translated, one who is well-versed in the four Vedas. The 5th century AD Brahmi script denotes the Sanskrit language.

Mr Chauhan said the archaeological remains of the place consist of low mounds, ruins of bricks and stone temple, apart from phallic and stone images. The mounds are scattered all over the area, but the many-layered remains converge at a particular spot known as Devasthan on the eastern embankment of a large tank - Benisagar - from which the village derives its name. The discovered seal is one that belonged to Brahmins. Mr Chauhan said that the large number of private seals discovered during excavations of Bhita and Basrah regions in Kutch bear resemblance to the Benisagar seal. In both cases, the script character used in the inscription measures 1.5 inches. While the Kutch seal dates back to the 8th century AD, the Benisagar seal belongs to the 5th century AD.
Researches revealed, the Vedic systems of learning were prevalent between 1st and 11th century AD. The four education systems included Charan, Agahara, Travidya and Chaturvidya. The seal recovered from Benisagar indicates that it was a seat of learning where the four Vedas were taught.
(source: Benisagar: A Nalanda contemporary seat of learning - Statesman News Service - October 18 2004).
Facts about Benisagar - This is situated in the border of West Singhbhum & Orissa.The place was named after the king Beni. This is famous for archaeological findings. The famous Khiching temple relate to the king Kichak of Mahabharat. According to local belief the Pandavas spent sometime over here during their Agyant Baas.

Advanced Level (A/L) Chemistry new syllabus (Tamil medium, Sri Lankan syllabus) - Mr. M.R. Fahumudeen

Napping can Dramatically Increase Learning, Memory, Awareness, and More

According to experts, 10 to 20 minutes is quite enough to refresh your mind and increase your energy and alertness.  The sleep isn’t as deep as longer naps and you’re able to get right back at your day immediately after waking up. If you nap for 30 minutes you may deal with a 30 minute grogginess period because you wake up just as your body started entering a deeper stage of sleep.  The same can be said if you sleep for an hour, but on the other hand, these 60 minute naps provide an excellent memory boost. The longest naps— lasting about 90 minutes—are recommended  for those people who just don’t get enough sleep at night. Since it’s a complete sleep cycle, it can improve emotional memory and creativity.

Factory Officers – Sri Lanka State Plantation Corporations

களப்பிரர்கள் யார் ? (சுமார் கி.பி 300 - கி.பி 590)

களப்பிரர்கள் தமிழை ஆட்சி மொழியாக வைத்து சுமார் 300 ஆண்டுகள் , தமிழகத்தை ஆண்டனர் சிந்துவெளி நாகரீகத்தை சேர்ந்த பாளி வகை மொழியாக எழுதப்பட்டு வந்த தமிழுக்கு , இன்றைய வடிவத்தை கொடுத்தவர்கள் இவர்கள்.உலகப் பொது மறையாம் திருக்குறளை தமிழுக்குத் தந்தவர்கள் . தமிழுக்கு இலக்கணம் கொடுத்து தமிழை சீர்திருத்தி மறுமலர்ச்சி கொடுத்தவர்கள் இவர்கள் காலத்து நாணயத்தில் தமிழ் மொழி இடம் பெற்று இருக்கிறது தமிழ் பெண்கள் நெற்றியில் திலகம் இட வேண்டும் என்ற சட்டம் இயற்றி முதன் முதலாக தமிழகத்து பெண்களை குங்குமம் வைக்க செய்தவர்கள் களப்பிரர்கள் .குழந்தைகளுக்கு காது குத்தும் சம்பிரதாயமும் , களப்பிரர் காலத்து சமணத்தை சார்ந்த ஒரு வழக்கம் தான்

ஒவ்வொரு தமிழனும் , தமிழை நேசிப்பவர்களும் , களப்பிரர்கள் பற்றி தெரிந்து கொள்ள வேண்டியது அவசியம் . ஆரியர்களை ஒடுக்கிய காரணத்தால். சுமார் 300 ஆண்டுகளாக தமிழகத்தை ஆண்ட களப்பிரர்கள் காலத்தை ,அதன்பிறகு வந்த மன்னர்களுக்கு உடன் இருந்து அரசாட்சிக்கு நல்வழி கூறுகிறேன் என்று வாழ்ந்த ஆரிய அமைச்சர்கள் , களப்பிரர்கள் பற்றிய வரலாற்றை முழுவதுமாக அழித்தனர் . அதன் பின் வந்த வரலாற்று ஆசிரியர்கள் களப்பிரர்கள் காலம் தமிழகத்தின் இருண்ட காலம் என்று சொல்லத் துவங்கினர். தமிழன் தமிழனாக வாழ்ந்த பொற்காலம் களப்பிரர்கள் காலம் என்பதே உண்மை .
திருக்குறள், சீவக சிந்தாமணி ,முதுமொழிக் காஞ்சி ,கார் நாற்பது , சிலப்பதிகாரம் , மணிமேகலை,களவழி நாற்பது ,இனியவை நாற்பது , திரிகடுகம் ,ஏலாதி அந்தாதி மற்றும் முத்தொள்ளாயிரம் , திருமந்திர , நாலடியார், காரைக்கால் அம்மையார் நூல்கள் களப்பிரர் காலத்தில் படைக்கப்பட்ட தமிழ் நூல்கள் அது வரை தமிழில் ,ஆசிரிய , வெண்பா, வஞ்சி ,கலி என்ற பா வகைகள் மட்டுமே இருந்தது . களப்பிரர்கள் காலத்தில் தான் தமிழுக்கு மறு மலர்ச்சி உருவாகி , தாழிகை , துறை, விருத்தம் போன்ற பா வகைகள் அறிமுகப் படுத்தப் பட்டன . அபிநயம் , காக்கை பாடினியம் , நத்தத்தம் , பல்காப்பியம் ,பல்காயம் போன்ற இலக்கண நூல்கள் இவர்கள் காலத்தில் தோன்றியவைதான் .களப்பிரர் காலத்தில் நாளந்தா பல்கலைக் கழகத்தின் தலைவராக ஒரு தமிழர் நியமிக்கப் பட்டு இருந்தார்

களப்பிரர்கள் கன்னட மாநிலத்தில் இருந்து வந்தவர்கள் என்று கூறினாலும் அது ஒரு வரலாற்று திரிபு தானே தவிர உண்மையல்ல என்பதற்ககு பல ஆதாரங்கள் கிடைத்து இருக்கின்றன. அரசின் ஆட்சி முறையில் ஒடுக்கப்பட்ட இனக் குழு மக்கள் ஒன்றிணைந்து போராடி அரசை கையிலெடுத்த முயற்சியே களப்பிரர்கள் என்றும் ஒரு கூற்று உண்டு . காலப்பறையர் என்பதே களப்பிரர் என மருவியது என்கின்றனர் சிலர் கி.பி.3ஆம் நூற்றாண்டில் ஆண்ட அரசர்கள் விளிம்புகளிலுள்ள இனக்குழு சமூகங்களை தமது விவசாய விரிவாக்கத்திற்குள் கொண்டு வந்து அவர்களின் உழைப்பின் ஒரு பகுதியை வரி என்ற பெயரில் அரசு கஜானாவில் சேர்ப்பது நடை முறையாக இருந்து வந்து இருக்கிறது . பார்ப்பனர்களுக்கு தானமாக அவர்களது நிலங்களும், அரசனுக்கு வரியாக அவர்களது வியர்வையின் விளைபொருள்களும் வன்முறையாக கைப்பற்றப்பட்டன. இதற்கு எதிரான எதிர்ப்பு என்பது தொடர்ந்து விளிம்புகளிலிருந்த அடித்தட்டு மக்களிடமிருந்து வந்து கொண்டே இருந்தது. அரச மையங்களின் விவசாய மயமாக்கலுக்கு எதிரான இனக்குழு மக்களின் இந்த எதிர்ப்பின் உச்சக்கட்டமே களப்பிரர் காலம்...” என்கிறார் ஆய்வாளர் பர்டன் ஸ்டெயின்
பர்டன் ஸ்டெயின் கூற்றுப்படி களப்பிரர்கள் இந்த மண்ணுக்கே உரியவர்கள். அவர்கள் தமிழர்கள்தான் என்று க.ப. அறவாணன் போன்றவர்களும் தெரிவிப்பதாக பொ.வேல்சாமி பதிவு செய்கிறார்.
களப்பிரருடைய ஆட்சி தமிழக அரசியலில் ஒரு பெரும் மாறுதலை ஏற்படுத்தியதோடல்லாமல் சமயம், சமுதாயம் கலாசாரத் துறைகளில் சில புரட்சிகரமான மாறுதல்களைத் தோற்றுவித்தது. களப்பிரர் வைதீக மதங்களுக்கு எதிராகவும், பௌத்தம், சமணம் ஆகிய மதங்களுக்கு ஆதரவாகவும் செயல்பட்ட காரணமாகவும் தொன்றுதொட்டு வந்த பல சமயக் கோட்பாடுகள் பாதிக்கப்பட்டன. பாண்டிய நாட்டில் சமணத்தின் செல்வாக்கு அதிகரித்தது. அடிப்படையில் களப்பிரர்கள் அவைதீக மரபைச் சார்ந்தவர்கள். தொடக்கத்தில் பௌத்தத்தையும் பின் சமணத்தையும் ஆதரித்திருக்கிறார்கள். இதற்கு முன்பிருந்த ஆட்சியாளர்களால் பார்ப்பனர்களுக்கு பிரமதேயம் உள்ளிட்ட பல்வேறு பெயர்களில் வழங்கப்பட்டிருந்த தானங்களை ரத்து செய்துள்ளனர். அந்த நிலங்கள் பொதுப்பயன்பாட்டிற்கு கொண்டுவரப்பட்டுள்ளன. பார்ப்பனர்களுக்கு சமூகத்தில் இருந்த முன்னுரிமைகளை ரத்து செய்கின்றனர். மக்கள் மற்றும் அரசர்களின் செல்வத்தை கபடமாகப் பறிக்கும் பார்ப்பனர்களின் சடங்குகள், வேள்விகள் தடை செய்யப்பட்டன. இதற்கு அடிப்படையாக இருந்து உதவிய கிராமப்புற கட்டமைப்பினை பயன்படுத்தி வந்த வேளாளர்களின் தனித்த ஆதிக்கமும் கட்டுக்குள் நிறுத்தப்பட்டன, அல்லது மறுக்கப்பட்டன.ஆரியர்களை தீவிரமாக எதிர்த்து , அவர்களை ஒடுக்கிய காரணாத்தால் , களப்பிரர்கள் இந்து மதத்திற்கு எதிரானவர்கள் என்ற பிரச்சாரத்தை ஆரியர்களை கையில் எடுத்து செயல்பட துவங்குகின்றனர்
.முன்னூறு ஆண்டுகள் தமிழகத்தை ஆண்ட களப்பிரர்கள் 7 ம் நூற்றாண்டில் , கொடுங்கண் பாண்டியன் , சிம்ஹ விஷ்ணு பல்லவன் மற்றும் சில சாளுக்கிய மன்னர்களால் களப்பிரர்கள் தோற்கடிக்கப் பட்டனர். மயிலை சீனி வேங்கடசாமி களப்பிரர்களின் இருண்ட காலத்தை பற்றி விவரமான ஆய்வு நூல் எழுதியுள்ளார்

Govindarajan Vijaya Padma

Brazilian wasp’s venom kills cancer cells without harming normal cells

Wasps get their fair share of bad press. They have painful stingers, and they're not as useful (or cute) to us as bees. However, their time to step in the spotlight may be just around the corner: Their venom has been shown to attack cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone.

The cancer-targeting toxin in the wasp is called MP1 (Polybia-MP1) and until now, how it selectively eliminates cancer cells was unknown. According to new research, it exploits the atypical arrangement of fats, or lipids, in cancer cell membranes. Their abnormal distribution creates weak points where the toxin can interact with the lipids, which ultimately pokes gaping holes in the membrane. These are sufficiently large for essential molecules to start leaking out, like proteins, which the cell cannot function without.

The wasp responsible for producing this toxin is the Polybia paulista. The toxin has so far been tested on model membranes and examined using a broad range of imaging techniques.

Artificial Spinal Cord Wirelessly Restores Walking in Paralyzed Monkeys

Reversing paralysis : According to Dr. Andrew Jackson, a neuroscientist at Newcastle University in the UK, as early as the end of this decade, we may witness patients with spinal cord injuries regain control of their own two legs and walk again.

The field of brain-machine interfaces is moving so fast that blink, and you might miss the latest breakthrough. Within the past year or so, BMIs have allowed paralyzed patients to Google on a tablet with brain waves, grasp objects using robotic surrogates and control a variety of prosthetic hands and other devices. And just a few months ago, a surprisingly study showed that implants that directly stimulate the spinal cord helps paraplegic patients recover some voluntary movement of their own legs.

Yet even amongst this slew of incredible advances, Courtine’s study stands out.

By implanting a wireless neural prosthetic into the spinal cord of paralyzed monkeys, a team led by Dr. Grégoire Courtine at the Swiss Federal institute of Technology (EPFL) in Lausanne, Switzerland achieved the seemingly impossible: the monkeys regained use of a paralyzed lower limb a mere six days after their initial injury without requiring any training.

The close-looped system directly reads signals from the brain in real-time and works on the patients’ own limbs, which means it doesn’t require expensive exoskeletons or external stimulation of the patient’s leg muscles to induce the contractions necessary for walking. That’s huge: it means the system could be readily used by patients in their own homes without doctor supervision.

https://www.oximity.com/…/Artificial-Spinal-Cord-Wirelessly… …

Cecile G. Tamura

நீங்காத இரகசியங்கள் நிரம்பியதாக

Sakthi Jothi
1.
காரணமேதுமின்றியே 
இன்று காலையில்
நினைவுக்கு வந்தது
தாழம் பூக்களின் வாசனை

பூக்கள் என்றாலே
வண்ணத்திற்கும் முந்தி நிற்பது
வாசனைதான்
அதிலும்
தாழம்பூ தனிவகை

இரவு மின்னலின் போது
இரகசியமாக இதழ் அவிழும்
இந்தப் பூவிற்கு
மயக்கும் மணம் உண்டு

இயலும் மட்டும்
எல்லோருக்கும்
பார்த்துப் பார்த்துச்
செய்யப் பழகியதாலோ என்னவோ
எனக்கென
எதையும் செய்து கொள்ளத்
தோன்றாதவளாகவே இருக்கிறேன்

சிறுபிராயத்தில்
ஒற்றைப் பின்னலிட்டு
தாழம்பூச் சூட்டி விடும் போது
அம்மா சொல்வாள்
“தனக்கென்று
தனிநிறம் இல்லாமல் போனாலும்
ஊருக்கென்று மணக்குமாம் தாழம்பூ”



2.
உலர்ந்த திராட்சைகளை
அறிவாய்தானே தோழி
அனலோடிய எனதுடல்
இப்போது
அப்படித்தான் வாடியிருக்கிறது

மாநகர அடுக்ககத்தின்
சின்னஞ்சிறு இடுக்குகளிலிருந்து
புறாக்களின் குரல் கேட்டுத்தானே
இன்று கண் விழித்தேன்

தோழி
நீ அறியக்கூடாத இரகசியம்
ஒன்றுமில்லை என்னிடம்
தலைவன்
என்னைவிட்டு நீங்கிய நாள்
ஓர் அமாவாசை இரவு

நிலவோடு சேர்ந்து நாட்கள்
வளர்ந்து கொண்டிருக்கின்றன
தேய்ந்து மறைகின்றன
அவன் நினைவில்
ஊர்முழுக்க
அலைந்து திரிந்த பிறகு
அன்றாடம் வீடடைகிறேன்

முன்பு
அவன் நிகழ்த்திய
எந்த ஆட்டத்திலும்
பங்கு கொள்ளாமலேயே
பரிசு பெற்றாற் போல
மகிழ்வுற்ற மனம்தான்
இப்போது
எனதிந்த துன்பத்திற்கு காரணம்

உடுத்திய ஆடைகளை
அவிழ்ப்பது போல
அவ்வளவு எளிதல்ல
உறுத்திடும் நினைவுகளை களைவது
அது என்னை
மேலும்
தளர்வடையச் செய்துகொண்டிருக்கிறது தோழி.



3.
அதற்காக நடந்த யுத்தங்களை
அதற்காக சரிந்த ராஜ்யங்களை
அதன்பொருட்டு உருண்ட மகுடங்களை
அதை வேண்டி
மரித்த உயிர்களைப் பற்றி
பலவாகப் படித்த போதெல்லாம்
அவள் நம்பவேயில்லை

பேதையாக இருந்து
பேரிளம் பெண்ணென
அவள் வளர வளர
அதிலிருந்து மீள முயன்று
மீண்டும்
அதற்குள்ளாகவே வீழ்கிறவர்களாக
அநேகமானவர்களை சந்தித்து விட்டாள்

உயிர்ப்புடையதாக
நீங்காத இரகசியங்கள் நிரம்பியதாக
குறையாத அதிசயங்கள் கொண்டதாக
மென்மேலும் கொண்டாடப் படவேண்டியதாக
தன்னுடலை உணர்ந்துகொண்டிருக்கும் அவள்
இப்போது அறிந்திருக்கிறாள்
ஒரு ஆணுடைய வாழ்வின்
அதிஅவசியமான தேவை அதுவென.

What is memory?

The mechanism of memory remains one of the great unsolved problems of biology. Grappling with the question more than a hundred years ago, the German zoologist Richard Semon formulated the concept of the engram, lasting connections in the brain that result from simultaneous “excitations”, whose precise physical nature and consequences were out of reach of the biology of his day. Neuroscientists now have the knowledge and tools to tackle this question, however, and this Forum brings together leading contemporary views on the mechanisms of memory and what the engram means today.

Fig. 1

Synaptic connectivity between engram cells as a mechanism for memory storage. a Cellular connectivity in a feedforward excitatory circuit, b synaptic configuration, c dendritic spine density, and d protein synthesis state, shown in a naïve circuit, a circuit during encoding, a circuit after consolidation, or a circuit in an amnesic condition. Engram circuit, cells, and synapses are displayed in green, non-engram in gray. In the naïve state, the circuit displays a variety of synaptic patterns, including strong (thick gray lines) and weak synapses (thin gray lines) as well as silent synapses (dotted lines) exclusively expressing NMDA receptors. During encoding, a network of engram cells is recruited. The preferential connection between engram cells occurs either by potentiation of existing connections (blue dotted circles) or by unsilencing synapses (red dotted circles). A spine density increase supports the synaptic changes. During consolidation, the steady state synthesis of AMPA receptors is shifted to a higher level and the disruption of consolidation with protein synthesis inhibitors (PSI) results in retrograde amnesia. However, during PSI-induced amnesia, memory storage persists within an engram-specific set of weak synaptic connections

A new type of atomic bond has been discovered

An electron corrals a nearby atom closer, creating a supersized molecule – for a fraction of a second
Flitting chemical bond makes giant butterfly molecules
A new type of atomic bond has been discovered
And it forms a whole new class of molecules.
Physicists built a new, supersized molecule made of atoms held together by a far-roaming electron – like a flock of sheep being herded by a sheepdog.
Reporting in Nature Communications, the team from Germany and America created fleeting “butterfly” Rydberg molecules they predicted on paper 14 years ago – and which could find a place in quantum computers.
The new kind of molecule is bound by a lone electron ranging extremely far from its nucleus and whizzing around another atom, herding it close like a sheepdog does a stray sheep.
“It's a whole new way an atom can be bound by another atom," says Chris Greene a physicist at Purdue University, who co-authored the research.
Back in 1888, when most scientists didn’t believe in atoms, Swedish physicist Johannes Rydberg found a formula that reproduced colours of light emitted by different chemical elements.
Some 25 years later, Danish physicist Niels Bohr built on Rydberg’s ideas when he described the ‘solar system’ model of the atom, with the nucleus at the centre orbited by electrons.
One of Bohr’s central ideas was that if you give an electron a kick of energy, you can promote it to a higher energy level, meaning it orbits further, on average, from the nucleus.
Rydberg atoms are extreme examples of this. The outermost electron, promoted to an extremely high energy, can roam up to 1,000 times further from the nucleus than normal.
Rydberg atoms are also atomic monstrosities. They can be up to a millionth of a metre in diameter. That might seem small, but it’s about the size of an Escherichia coli bacterium, which is built from about 90 billion regular atoms.

In 2002, Greene and his team predicted that the free-ranging electron of a Rydberg atom might be used to form a new kind of chemical bond.
They worked out the shape of the atomic orbitals (describing the probability of finding an electron at a particular position around the nucleus) and found it looked like a butterfly – hence the name.
Now they’ve made one.
Since the molecule would be bound by only the “tiniest conceivable” force, Greene knew their only hope using ultracold, almost motionless atoms. His team used rubidium, an element chosen for cold atom experiments because it’s easy to manipulate with lasers.
Greene’s team cooled rubidium gas to just 10 millionths of a degree above absolute zero. Using a laser, they gave an electron a kick of energy, knocking it from its usual orbit out into a super-excited state and creating a Rydberg atom.
They then used the laser again to corral another rubidium atom into just the right distance nearby. That’s when the excited electron took over.
“This electron is like a sheepdog,” says Greene. This herding creates a tiny force of attraction holding the two atoms together in the very fragile butterfly state.
Though the molecule lasted only about five millionths of a second, it was long enough to study.
The butterfly state caused changes in the frequency of light that the Rydberg molecule absorbed. By detecting these changes, the team could measure the energy of binding between the two atoms.
This is not the first kind of Rydberg molecule created. Back in 2007, scientists managed to coax two Rydberg atoms together, each with a herding electron, to form a molecule that looked a little like an extinct marine animal called a trilobite.
The butterfly Rydberg is different because only one atom needs to be in a super-excited state. The other is passively herded.
From a practical point of view, Rydberg molecules have a very high electric dipole moment (in essence, the separation of charge within the molecule) coming from the large distance between the negative electron and positive nucleus.
This means they can be moved around with electric fields 100 times weaker than those needed for regular atoms – useful for setting up the long-range interactions between atoms needed for quantum computing.
For now, Greene plans to see if the ranging electron can herd more than one atom.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rydberg_molecule
http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0953-4075/…/10/102
http://www.purdue.edu/…/weak-atomic-bond,-theorized-14-year…
http://journals.aps.org/…/ab…/10.1103/PhysRevLett.104.010502
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubidium
https://cosmosmagazine.com/…/new-kind-of-chemical-bond-make…
http://www.nature.com/…/jo…/v458/n7241/full/nature07945.html
http://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms12820
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/…/A-giant-molecule-stuns-the-sci…

 

This computer-generated image is of a strange molecule that has shocked chemists. It is as big as a bacterium and should exist in the real world according to research.

Around 200,000,000,000,000,000 conventional atoms would fit on the full stop at the end of this sentence. They are mostly empty space - the positively charged nucleus, where most mass resides, is 100,000 times smaller than the overall atom, which is a mist of negative charge, consisting of one or more electrons.

But the molecule shown here, consisting of only two atoms, is enormous - about one millionth of a metre across, about the same size as an E-coli bacterium.

The predictions that these fragile giants should exist have been published in the Journal of Physics by Edward Hamilton and Prof Chris Greene of the University of Colorado, with Dr Hossein Sadeghpour of the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics in Cambridge, near Boston.

These are called "butterfly Rydberg states", where butterfly refers to the shape and state refers to the way electrons are distributed around an atom or molecule. Rydberg acknowledges pioneering work in the late 1800s by Johannes Rydberg that helped in the development of quantum mechanics.

This image shows the likelihood of finding an electron in orbit around the molecule (the peaks correspond to where it is most likely to be), calculated by the most successful theory in science, quantum mechanics.

Two years ago, Prof Greene and colleagues, including Prof Alan Dickinson of the University of Newcastle, found a novel and bizarre class of molecular states that involved electron motion that are far more complicated than previously thought. "They showed an uncanny resemblance to a trilobite, and for this reason they were dubbed trilobite states," he said.

Now the team has found a related but different butterfly Rydberg state, which once again is vast compared with conventional atoms and molecules.

Although the practical importance of this work is unclear, the finding has caused a buzz among scientists.

"The main excitement about this work in the atomic and molecular physics community has related to the fact that these huge molecules should exist and be observable, and that their electron density should exhibit amazingly rich, quantum mechanical peaks and valleys," said Prof Greene.

At least one well-known chemist has told Prof Greene that he was shocked by the work because he had thought that everything was known about the simplest molecules that consist of two atoms.

The giant molecules, which are extremely tenuous, have not yet been seen in a laboratory, but a team at the University of Connecticut is now looking for them.

Credit : Vienna University of Technology