Effective waste disposal essential

By Charumini de Silva
 
Pix by J. Weerasekara
 
Effective waste disposal is an essential element to protect both human health and biodiversity in our country.  Solid and liquid waste is becoming an increasing and significant problem in urban areas and near industrial zones. When you talk about waste management the first impression that one would get is very ugly. The main reason behind the poor state of affairs with regard to our solid waste management is our attitude, United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) Director and Representative, Francoise Jacob, said in an exclusive interview with Ceylon FT.
 
“Majority of the people are not taking the responsibility for the waste that we produce.  However, when you take the big picture of waste management it plays an important role in managing a country in a cost effective and healthy manner. Like the Mother Nature, if you try ignoring, it will end as a catastrophe. Many things have changed in the world within the last 50 years or so. The population has risen up to almost seven billion with the increased consumption,” she said.
 
There are many reasons for this enormous increase in waste quantities such as population increase, urbanization and migration of population from the rural to the urban areas leading to much higher population densities, changes in lifestyles, economic activities and many more. The sophisticated lifestyles have also tempted the people to purchase new, rather than reuse an old item as a substitute. The exponential growth of population has caused for a drastic increase of waste in the world.
 
Common problem
 
Solid waste disposal is a common threat to environment in many countries since most of the solid waste generated ended up directly in open landfills or dumps. In Sri Lanka, there is approximately 6,000 tonnes of waste every day and of that, only 25% are collected. The rest 75% are just lying around the neighbourhood of us and nobody cares. In the past, solid waste disposal was not a concern because of the free availability of degraded land. However, land scarcity is now a major problem faced by the municipality and therefore finding land for Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) disposal is becoming increasingly difficult. This has resulted in the spreading of various chronic diseases.
 
“In a recent visit to East coast, Jaffna lagoon and the down South beaches, it was observed that they were full of litter, which is very unpleasant and unhealthy. Illegal dump sites in the coastlines of Chillaw, Wadduwa, Hikkaduwa and Jaffna lagoon have created a negative impression for the tourists, while affecting the migrant birds. If Sri Lanka is to promote tourism in this manner; none of the tourists would then like to visit the country. These issues need to be addressed soon as they are vital for socio economic development of the country,” Jacob noted.
 
The challenge
 
The leadership is good as the legal framework for solid waste management is quite well established in Sri Lanka. The policy framework is sound and comprehensive. Lack of funding is a factor, because the legal responsibility of solid waste management is with the local authorities and the Provincial Councils, which are not profit-making organizations. The main challenge is to implement a proper solid waste management system in the country and change their negative attitude into a positive perception. Colombo is pretty clean now from what it used to look some years ago, which is a very good move indeed.  However, we see that the progress of the cleanliness in other cities mainly outside Colombo is lesser. This is where United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) comes in to bridge these gaps and try to develop a system that will sustain and benefit the society.
 
Local authorities and all the households have to do their part in making their neighbourhood pleasant and healthy. The right infrastructure and equipment are two key elements which can be easily done, but operating and maintaining the system is the challenge.
 
Positive steps
 
The Pilisaru project of the Central Environmental Authority with the concept of reusing the resources available in the collected garbage to the maximum before final disposal. This project is well received and has a good response from the community. Segregation is very important in waste management.  So, if each household separates the wet waste from the solid waste; it is actually a very small portion that needs to go to the landfills. Countries like India make use of these waste plastic to derive energy. However, to generate energy requires heap quantities of plastic wastage and as a result of the process a byproduct of methane will be produced. Nevertheless, this process is not much financially viable as the quantities are limited in Sri Lanka.
 
“In Sri Lanka, 56% of the waste is biodegradable, which is also known as wet waste.  This is very good to make compost, which is very useful for organic farming. With Sri Lanka aiming to increase its agricultural production, this compost will help to uplift the agriculture sector. Compost is a very lucrative business, which also promotes green jobs,” she added. 
 
In Jaffna we got to know the local authorities have forbidden the usage of plastic bags and inculcate a habit to use bags made of disposable material, such as cloth and cane. Even in supermarkets nowadays, they have limited the usage of plastic bags when packaging the goods of customers at the counters. It is true that these are all uncomplicated and simple practices, which we all need to inculcate into our daily patterns. Hence, the challenge is about getting everyone on board for one good purpose to facilitate a better future.
 
She said “Apart from Colombo, we do not see a major involvement from the private sector, when it comes to waste management. However, with the awareness and identifying waste management as a viable business, couple of companies from Colombo come to Eastern Province to landfills to collect the recyclable bottles. These companies then bring them back to Colombo and ship them to an Indian company. In Sri Lanka, there are no recycling companies at present, but it is just a matter of time for the private sector to find the waste management business financially interesting.”
 
A model of integrated facilities and operations
 
The integrated solid waste management programme in Ampara is considered by many to be one of the most effective programmes in the country. The cycle of activities is managed by local authorities organized in clusters, to benefit from economies of scale. It starts from waste segregation at the household level, collection of segregated garbage in households and local businesses, where the residual wastes are transported to transfer station and finally to landfill, biodegradable waste delivered in composting facility for processing and recyclable waste to the recycling centres. The programme is funded by the European Union and implemented by 12 local authorities in Ampara with technical support from UNOPS. This Cluster Waste Management Scheme works in a manner, where participation of local authorities in Kalmunai, Sammanthurai, Nintavur and Karaitivu, manages their own collection system. The waste transfer station receives waste for disposal from the above-mentioned local authorities and is brought by tipper trucks to the landfill site at the Addalaichenai Pradhiya Sabha. The biodegradable wastes are brought separately to compost facilities and final product sold in 25kg packs via the cooperative system to the paddy farmers. Other recyclable waste is compressed into cubes and sold to local traders. Currently, on a total generation of  210 tons of waste in urban Ampara, almost 132 tons moves through the Solid Waste Management programme operated by the local authorities, with UNOPS support.
 
Most of the local Authorities pay more attention to the improvement of physical infrastructure. However, within the last few years, several funding agencies together with UNOPS have provided financial assistance to the Environment Ministry, Central Environmental Authority, Local Government and Provincial Councils for solid waste management.
 
“The next steps are required to make this kind of projects successful in the long-term. One initiative we extensively discussed was the implementation of a fee structure where households, private sector companies and tourist hotels can be charged, so that the waste disposal system managed by local authorities can be financially self-sustainable. It is essential to make people understand and it has to be managed properly in a cost effective or cost recovery manner. Based on this pilot project, the solid waste management programme can be rolled out to the rest of the country so that we can avoid the incubation of diseases that are getting rampant in the recent past,” she said.
 
Future
 
There is hope for future because the younger generation, especially the school children, are much more sensitive to the environmental impacts of this unsustainable behaviour, but we need to provide them the necessary support. UNOPS is working on heavily organizing awareness programmes on ‘Useless to Useful’ especially for the school children. It is important that the children are very enthusiastic and incredibly creative about projects of this nature. Many children said they wanted to live in a cleaner environment and protect the beautiful areas which are the blessing of this country such as beaches, lagoons and mountains. “We can see that things are moving in the right direction with the support of the government, local authorities, provincial councils and some private participation too,” Jacob noted.

People more likely to choose a spouse with similar DNA, research shows

Scientists already knew that people tend to marry others who have similar characteristics, including religion, age, race, income, body type and education, among others.
In the new study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, scientists show that people also are more likely to pick mates who have similar DNA. While characteristics such as race, body type and even education have genetic components, this is the first study to look at similarities across the entire genome.
"It's well known that people marry folks who are like them," said Benjamin Domingue, lead author of the paper and a research associate at CU-Boulder's Institute of Behavioral Science. "But there's been a question about whether we mate at random with respect to genetics."
For the study, Domingue and his colleagues, including CU-Boulder Associate Professor Jason Boardman, used genomic data collected by the Health and Retirement Study, which is sponsored by the National Institute on Aging.
The researchers examined the genomes of 825 non-Hispanic white American couples. They looked specifically at single-nucleotide polymorphisms, which are places in their DNA that are known to commonly differ among humans.
The researchers found that there were fewer differences in the DNA between married people than between two randomly selected individuals. In all, the researchers estimated genetic similarity between individuals using 1.7 million single-nucleotide polymorphisms in each person's genome.
The researchers compared the magnitude of the genetic similarity between married people to the magnitude of the better-studied phenomenon of people with similar educations marrying, known as educational assortative mating. They found that the preference for a genetically similar spouse, known as genetic assortative mating, is about a third of the strength of educational assortative mating.
The findings could have implications for statistical models now used by scientists to understand genetic differences between human populations because such models often assume random mating.
The study also forms a foundation for future research that could explore whether similar results are found between married people of other races, whether people also choose genetically similar friends, and whether there are instances when people prefer mates whose DNA is actually more different rather than more similar.

GANESHA

Why do people commit mass murder?

Mental health specialists at the University of Glasgow have conducted the first review of published research into what causes people to undertake serial killings and mass murder.The report, which is the first of its kind to look at all the available material around serial and mass killers, identified that a complex interplay between neurodevelopmental problems and psychosocial factors are most likely to lead to incidences of this kind.

The report's main findings are that:

• 28% of eligible killers were suspected to suffer from Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
• 21% of eligible killers had suffered a definite or suspected head injury in the past.
• Of those killers with ASD and/or head injury, 55% had experienced some psychosocial stressors in the past.

The findings, published in the Journal of Violent and Aggressive Behavior, show a relationship between neurodevelopmental disorders, such as ASD or head trauma, and psychosocial disorders, such as exposure to physical or sexual abuse during childhood. The researchers note that a person suffering a neurodevelopmental disorder or a brain injury by itself does not result in a serial killer or mass murderer.

Researchers also note that research into mass and serial killings is still at a rudimentary stage and that new research is urgently required so that preventative strategies can be developed. The paper recommends the design and implementation of a system of standardised tools for investigating all instances of mass and serial killings in the future.

Lead researcher, Dr Clare Allely, from the Institute of Health and Wellbeing at the University of Glasgow, said: "It is crucial to note that we are not trying to suggest that individuals with ASD or previous head trauma are more likely to be serial killers or commit serious crime. Rather we are suggesting that there may be a subgroup of individuals within these groups who may be more likely to commit serious crimes when exposed to certain psychosocial stressors.

"Research on mass and serial killing is still very much in its infancy. New research is urgently required to understand the mechanisms underlying these extreme forms of violence so that preventative strategies can be developed. We would recommend that in future, all serial or mass killers who are apprehended should be thoroughly assessed using standardised tools for investigating neurodevelopmental disorders including ASD and head injury."SOURCE

(Medical Xpress)—

Kailash Temple, Ellora cave temple complex

Kailash Temple, Ellora cave temple complex
It is a megalith carved out of one single black granite rock. It is estimated that about 400,000 tons of rocks was scooped out over years to construct this monolithic structure. It was built in the 8th century by the Rashtrakuta king Krishna I .
The Kailash Temple is notable for its vertical excavation—carvers started at the top of the original rock, and excavated downward, exhuming the temple out of the existing rock. The traditional methods were rigidly followed by the master architect which could not have been achieved by excavating from the front.
Photo: Ancient Gods facebook page

Students design artificial kidney with 3-D printing

Detail —Three-dimensional printing has garnered coverage in the popular press for its application in the custom manufacturing of tools and mechanical parts. But six School of Engineering seniors have recently taken the application of the technology into the medical field, using 3-D printing to create body parts.

Under the direction of Anson Ma, assistant professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and the Institute of Materials Science, two three-person teams of chemical engineering students were tasked with creating an artificial kidney for their Senior Design Project using 3-D printing technology. 3-D printing is an additive manufacturing method capable of creating complex parts that are otherwise impossible or extremely difficult to produce.

The students participating were: Derek Chhiv, Meaghan Sullivan, Danny Ung, Benjamin Coscia, Guleid Awale, and Ali Rogers. They are one of the first classes of students to partner with a commercial 3-D printing company, ACT Group, to create a prototype.

The challenge the teams set out to tackle is rooted in a very real problem.

The United States Renal Data System reports that, as recently as 2009, End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) resulted in over 90,000 deaths. Options for treatment of renal disease are essentially limited to either an organ transplant or dialysis. However, there is a limited supply of transplantable kidneys, with demand far outstripping the supply; and dialysis is expensive and is only a temporary solution.

Source: Phys Org

Top 10 Sai Baba Full Songs || Achyutam Keshavam || Om Sai Namo Namah || ...

Aloe Vera & Health

MIT and Oak Ridge Scientists Develop New Methods to Harvest Fresh Water From Fog

Researchers at MIT's School of Engineering, working with colleagues at the Pontificial University of Chile in Santiago, are harvesting potable water from the coastal fog that forms on the edge of one of the driest regions on Earth.

Using a simple system of suspended mesh structures, placed on hilltops in areas with persistent fog and prevailing westerly winds, local Chilean communities collect fog water for drinking and agricultural use.

Fog-collecting technology is still in its infancy. But lab experiments have shown that variations in the mesh spacing, as well as the size and the wettability of the mesh fibers, all affect the volume of water that can be collected each day. Through engineering analysis and optimization of the mesh geometry and its surface chemistry, the team — which includes MIT professor of mechanical engineering Gareth McKinley — has been able to increase the fog-collecting efficiency of existing designs by 500 percent.

The technology holds great promise as a locally deployable and scalable alternative to other energy-intensive desalination technologies. Mesh-based fog harvesters are passive, inexpensive to fabricate, with almost no operating costs, and can be deployed in similar environments throughout the world.

Source: News Office of MIT

Intimacy requires vulnerability

“Intimacy requires vulnerability. Being vulnerable does not require that you share every feeling of insecurity you have with another person, or with anyone. It requires that feel your every experiences of insecurity. If you cannot feel your own insecurities, you will not be able to see them in others, much less appreciate them in others. Intimacy creates sensitivity. When you are intimate you become sensitive to yourself and also to other people. When you are not intimate, you are sensitive only to yourself, and even then you are not aware of everything that you are feeling.  

Intimacy is natural for us. We long to experience intimacy, and we are designed to be intimate—caring, sensitive, and loving toward one another. When you are intimate, you are fulfilled. Every encounter is satisfying, or pregnant with potential for deeper insight and spiritual growth. When you are not caring, sensitive, or loving—when intimacy is lacking—nothing fulfills. Every interaction is cold, and sometimes cruel. Vulnerability is dangerous. This is a very painful experience. You feel isolated and alone. You cannot reach others and they cannot reach you. You strive to accomplish activities and achieve goals rather than create relationships. The only relationships you seek are functional—those that help you obtain what you desire.”


  Gary Zukav

Chapel building located in Dublin, Ireland. by Tomek Miksa

Exotic beauty from 1875

கண்ணகி என்ற ஒரு கற்பு இயந்திரம்-இந்திரா பார்த்தசாரதி

சிலப்பதிகாரத்தைப் பற்றி ஒரு மிகப் பெரிய தமிழ்ப் பேராசிரியர் எழுதிய கட்டுரை ஒன்றை மாணவர்களுக்குச் சொல்லிக் கொடுக்கும்படியான சோதனை எனக்கு ஒரு தடவை ஏற்பட்டது. அவர் எழுதியிருந்தார்: 'கண்ணகி பழங்குடிமகளிர் வழி வந்த பச்சைத் தமிழ்ப்பெண். மழலைப் பருவத்திலேயே தமிழிப் பண்பாம் கற்பு நெறி உணர்ந்த பொற்பின் செல்வி. எல்லாக் கலைகளிலும் தேர்ச்சி பெற்ற ஆரணங்கு..... '

'மழலைப் பருவத்திலேயே தமிழ்ப் பண்பாம் கற்புநெறி உணர்ந்த பொற்பின் செல்வி ' என்ற வரிதான் எனக்கு மிகவும் தொந்தரவு கொடுத்தது. பச்சைத் தமிழ்ப் பெண் குழ்ந்தைக்கு மழலைப்பருவத்திலேயே கற்பைக் காப்பாற்றிக் கொள்ள வேண்டும் என்ற எண்ணம் ஏற்பட்டால்,  ஃப்ராய்ட் இதைப்பற்றி என்ன சொல்லுவார் என்று சிந்தித்துப் பார்த்தேன்.... மேலும் கற்பைக் காப்பாற்றிக் கொள்ள அக்குழந்தை என்ன நடவடிக்கை மேற்கொள்ள முடியும் ? இருபத்திநாலு மணி நேரமும் ஜட்டியைக் கழற்றாமலிருக்கலாம். கண்ணகி காலத்தில் ஜட்டி இல்லை என்றால், அரசயிலை தவறிப்போய்க்கூட ஒதுங்கக் கூடாது என்று கவனமாக இருக்கலாம்.... நான் என் சிந்தனையை மாணவர்களுடன் பகிர்ந்து கொண்டபோது, அவர்கள் சிரித்ததுதான். பழைய இலக்கியங்களைப் பற்றித் தமிழ்ப் 'பைத்தியக்காரத்தனம் ' ஏதுமில்லாமல், நல்ல இலக்கியக் கட்டுரைகள் எழுதினால், இதற்கு வரவேற்பு இருக்கலாம் என்ற நம்பிக்கை எனக்கு ஏற்படக் காரணமாயிற்று.

சிலப்பதிகார ஆசிரியராக இளங்கோவடிகள் (டாக்டர் கலைஞரோ அல்லது ம.பொ.சி.யோ அல்ல.... சமீபத்தில் டில்லி வந்திருந்த தமிழ்நாடு ஆளுநர் திரு. கே.கே. ஷா ஒருவரைக் கேட்டாராம், 'நீங்கள் கலைஞர் எழுதியுள்ள சிலப்பதிகாரம் என்ற காவியத்தைப் படித்திருக்கிறீர்களா ? ' என்று .... அதனால்தான் 'இளங்கோவடிகள் ' என்று வற்புறுத்திச் சொல்ல வேண்டிய அவசியம் ஏற்பட்டிருக்கிறது) இந்நூலை எழுதியதன் மூலம் பல புரட்சிகளைச் செய்திருக்கிறார். தன்னேரில்லாத் தலைவன்தான் காவியத் தலைவனாக இருக்க வேண்டுமென்ற கொள்கையை மீறியிருக்கிறார்; கோவலன் பலஹீனங்கள் நிறைந்த சாதாரண மனிதன். காவியத் தலைவியை ஒரு வண்ண மற்ற இயந்திர மங்கையாகக் காட்டிவிட்டு, இன்னொரு பெண்ணுக்கு (மாதவிக்கு) ஏற்றம் அளித்திருக்கிறார். இந்த இரண்டாவது கருத்தை வற்புறுத்துவதுதான் இக்கட்டுரையின் நோக்கம்.

இளங்கோவடிகள் மூன்று உண்மைகளை நிலைநாட்டத்தான் சிலப்பதிகாரம் எழுதினார் என்று பதிகத்தை ஆதாரமாகக் கொண்டு சொல்லப்படும் தவறான கருத்தை நாம் முதலில் மறந்தால்தான். இந்நூலை நாம் இலக்கிய ரீதியாக அணுக முடியும். பதிகம் எழுதியவர் இளங்கோவடிகள் அல்லர் என்பது பதிகத்தையும் நூலையும் தெளிவாகப் படித்தால் விளங்கும். 1971. சிலர் சிலப்பதிகாரத்தை எழுதியவர் கலைஞரா அல்லது ம.பொ.சியா என்று ஐயுறும் போது, நிதி அரிப்பு உடைய ஒருவன் இந்தப் பதிகத்தை எழுதி சிலப்பதிகாரத்தில் ஏதோ ஒரு காலத்தில் ஏன் சேர்த்திருக்கக்கூடாது ?-- நடை வித்தியாசங்களுக்கு இக்கருத்தைத்தான் வலியுறுத்துகிறது.

இளங்கோவடிகள் விதியில் நம்பிக்கையுடையவர் என்பதை நான் மறுக்கவில்லை... இக்காவியத்தில் கிரேக்க நாடகங்களில் அழுத்தமாகச் சொல்லப்படும் 'விதியின் இன்றியமையாமை ' என்ற பண்பு மேலோங்கியிருக்கக் காண்கிறோம்... இதற்கு என்ன காரணம் ? ஒவ்வொருவருடைய குண அமைப்பே அவருக்கு விதியாக அமைந்துவிடுகிறது என்ற கொள்கையுடையவர் இளங்கோவடிகள்.

சிலப்பதிகாரத்தை ஆழமாகப் படிக்கும் போதுதான் இளங்கோவடிகளின் அனுதாபம் கண்ணகிக்கு இல்லை என்ற உண்மை தெரிய வரும். கண்ணகியின் குணச் சித்திரத்தை அவர் எப்படி அமைத்திருக்கிறார் ?

காதல் செய்து திருமணம் செய்துகொள்ளக்கூடிய தகுதி கண்ணகிக்குக் கிடையாது என்று காட்டுவதுபோல், பெற்றோர்களே தீர்மானம் செய்த கோவலனுக்கும் கண்ணகிக்கும் கல்யாணம் செய்து வைப்பதாக ஆரம்பத்திலேயே காட்டப்படுகிறது. வடநாட்டுக் கதையை எழுதிய கம்பன், இராமனுக்கும் சீதைக்கும் காதல் திருமணம் செய்து வைத்துத் தமிழ் மரபைக் காப்பாற்றும்போது, இளங்கோவடிகள் ஏன் இவ்வாறு செய்யவில்லை யென்பதற்கு இதுதான் காரணமாக இருக்க வேண்டும். கோவலன் திருமணத்துக்கு முன்பு கண்ணகியைப் பார்த்திருந்தானால், அவன் அவள்பால் நிச்சயமாகக் காதல் கொண்டிருக்க மாட்டான். அவன் அவள்பால் காதல் கொள்வதற்கான பண்பு ஒன்றும் அவளிடத்துக்கிடையாது.

இளங்கோவடிகள் கண்ணகியை எவ்வாறு அறிமுகப்படுத்துகிறார் என்று பாருங்கள்:

'போதிலார் திருவினாள் புகழுடை வடிவென்றும்

தீதிலா வடமீனின் திறம் இவள் திறமென்றும்

மாதரார் தொழுதேத்த வயங்கிய பெருங்குணத்துக்

காதலார் பெயர் மன்னும் கண்ணகி என்பாள். '

அவளுடைய வடிவத்தைப் பற்றி ஒரு வரியிலே சொல்லிவிட்டு, அவளுடைய குணத்தைப் பற்றித்தான் அதிகமாகச் சித்தரித்துக் காட்டுகிறார். அருந்ததிபோல் கற்புடையவளாக இருக்கவேண்டும் என்பதுதான் கண்ணகியின் 'அப்ஸெஷன் '. இப்படி அவள் இருப்பதற்கான வாய்ப்பைத் தந்த ஒரு சாதனமாகத்தான் அவள் திருமணத்தை நினைக்கிறாள்.

முதல் இரவிலேயே கோவலனுக்கு ஏமாற்றம் ஏற்பட்டு விடுகிறது. அவன் ஒரு கலாரஸிகன். கற்பனை மிகுந்தவன். அவன் ஓர் இலட்சியப் பெண்ணை மனத்தில் உருவகித்துக் கொண்டு, அவள்தான் கண்ணகி என்று பாவித்து அவளுடைய நலங்களையெல்லாம் பாராட்டுகிறார்.

மாசறு பொன்னே வலம்புரி முத்தே

காசறு விரையே கரும்பே தேனே

அரும்பொற் பாவாய் ஆருயிர் மருந்தே

பெருங்குடி வணிகன் பெருமட மகளே

மலையிடைப் பிறவா மணியே என்கோ

அலையிடைப் பிறவா அமுதே என்கோ

யாழிடைப் பிறவா இசையே என்கோ

கண்ணகி வடமீனின் திறத்தைப் பற்றியே நினைத்துக் கொண்டிருந்த காரணத்தினாலோ என்னவோ அவள் வாய் திறந்து இதற்குப் பதில் ஒன்றும் சொல்லாமல், மெளனமாக இருக்கிறாள். ஒரு பொம்மையைத் திருமணம் செய்துகொண்டு விட்டோமோ என்ற சந்தேகம் கொண்ட கோவலன் மாதவியை நாடியதில் ஆச்சர்யமில்லை.

கண்ணகி கோவலனுடன் நெருங்கி அளவளாவியதாகக் 'கொலைக் களக்காதை ' வரை எங்குமே காட்டவில்லை ஆசிரியர். இன்னும் சொல்லப் போனால், தேவந்தி என்ற பார்ப்பனப் பெண்ணிடம் தன் கனவைக் கூறுமிடத்தைத் தவிர, கணவனைப் பிரிந்த துயரத்தைத் தனக்கு ஒரு பெருமையாகக் கொண்டு அவள் வாளாயிருப்பதைத்தான் இளங்கோவடிகள் சுட்டிக் காட்டுகிறார். சோமகுண்டம், சூரிய குண்டம் என்ற பெயருடைய துறைகளில் மூழ்கிக் காமவேள் கோட்டம் சென்று தொழுதால் பிரிந்த கணவனை மீண்டும் அடையலாம் என்று தேவந்தி அவளிடத்துக் கூறும்போது, அது 'பீடன்று ' என்று சொல்லிக் கண்ணகி மறுத்துவிடுகிறாள். கோவலன் திரும்பி வந்துவிட்டால் தன் கற்புநெறியை உலகுக்குக் காட்ட முடியாமல் போய்விடுமோ என்று அவள் அஞ்சியதாகத் தெரிகிறது.

ஆனால் கோவலன் அவள் தேவந்தியிடம் பேசிக் கொண்டிருக்கும் அதே சமயத்தில் மாதவியை விட்டு நீங்கி அவளை அடைகிறான். கலைஞர்களுக்கே உள்ள ஒரு நிலை கொள்ளா மனமுடையவன் கோவலன். தான் அநுபவிக்கும் பொருள் தனக்கே மட்டும் உரியதாக இருக்க வேண்டும் என்று ஆக்ரமிப்பு மனப்பான்மை அவனுக்கிருந்தது. மாதவி கோயிலில் சென்று பலர் முன்னிலையில் நடனமாடுவது அவனுக்குப் பிடிக்கவில்லை. அத்தகைய சந்தர்ப்பமொன்றில்தான் அவன் கோபத்தைத் தணிக்க மாதவி அவனைக் கடலாட அழைத்துச் சென்றாள் என்று ஆசிரியர் குறிப்பிடுகிறார். ஆனால் அங்கும் அவன் சினத்தின் செறிவை உணராமல், வழக்கம்போல் அவன் பாட்டுக்கு எதிர்ப்பாட்டு ஒன்று அவள் பாடப்போய், அவன் அவளைப் புறக்கணித்துக் கண்ணகியிடம் வந்துவிடுகிறான். கோவலன் எவ்வளவு எளிதாக உணர்ச்சி வயப்படுகிறான் என்பதை ஆசிரியர் இதன் மூலம் காட்டுகிறார்.

கோவலன் கண்ணகியிடம் வந்து மாதவியைத் தூற்றுகிறான். 'சலம் புணர் கொள்கைச் சலதி ' என்கிறான். பிறகு, பழைய நினைவுகளைத் தூண்டும் பூம்புகாரில் இருப்பதை விட மதுரைக்குச் சென்று புதிய வாழ்வு தொடங்குவோம் என்று மனதில் கருதி அவளை உடனே புறப்படும்படி பணிக்கிறான். கணவனை கணவனாகக் கண்டு அவன்பால் காதல் கொண்ட ஒரு பெண் எப்படி நடந்துகொண்டிருப்பாள் என்று சிந்தித்துப் பார்க்க வேண்டும். இவ்வளவு நாட்கள் தன்னைவிட்டுப் பிரிந்திருந்ததற்காக முதலில் சீறியிருப்பாள். இதைத்தான் கோவலன் அவளிடம் எதிர்பார்த்தான்.

ஏனென்றால் 'கொலைக்களக் காதையில் ' அவன் அவளைக் கேட்கிறான். 'இவ்வளவு துன்பம் நான் உனக்குச் செய்திருந்தும், அன்று பூம்புகாரில் நான் மதுரைக்குப் புறப்படு என்றதும், புறப்பட்டு விட்டாயே, என் செய்தனை ? ' கண்ணகி பூம்புகாரில் தன்னிடம் கோபங்கொள்ளவில்லை என்பது அவன்மனத்தை உறுத்திக் கொண்டே இருந்திருக்கவேண்டும். அவள் கோபங்கொள்ளவில்லை என்பது மட்டுமல்ல, அவள் கோவலனின் மனநிலையைப் பற்றிக் கவலைப்படாமல், தன் சிலம்புகளை எடுத்துக்கொண்டு அவன் மறுபடியும் மாதவியிடம் போனால் தனக்கு எந்தவிதமான தடையுமில்லை என்பது போல் பேசுகிறாள். தன்னுடைய பழைய வாழ்க்கைக்காக வருந்தி அவன் மனம் விட்டு பேசும்போது, 'உங்களைவிட நான் எவ்வளவு உயர்ந்தவள் ' என்று காட்டுவது போல் அவள் பேசியதுதான் அவனுடைய எரிச்சலுக்குக் காரணமாக இருக்கவேண்டும். 'சரி உன் சிலம்புகளை எடுத்துக்கொண்டு வா, அவற்றை விற்று இழந்த பொருள்களை மீண்டும் பெறுவோம் ' என்று வியாபார மொழியில் அவன் பதில் கூறுகிறான்.

மதுரைக்கு இருவரும் புறப்பட்டுப் போகும்போது, நடு வழியிலேயே அவள்பால் சலிப்படைந்த அவன் அவளைப் பிரிந்துவிடக்கூடாதே என்ற ஒரு பாதுகாப்பு நிலையாகக் காவுந்தி அடிகள் வந்து சேர்கின்றார். கோவலனும் கண்ணகியும் தனித்து இருப்பதற்கான பல வாய்ப்புக்கள் ஏற்பட்டாலும், கோவலன் மனம் அவளுடன் ஒட்டவில்லை. அவன் கண்ணகியிடத்து பேசுவதைக் காட்டிலும், கவுந்தி அடிகளிடந்தான் அதிகம் பேசுகிறான். புறஞ்சேரி இறுத்த காதையில் ஒரு நிகழ்ச்சி வருகிறது. கோசிகாமணி கோவலனிடம் மாதவி தந்த ஓலையைக் கொடுக்கிறான்; அவள் அந்த ஓலையைத் தன் கூந்தலில் ஒற்றி அனுப்பியிருந்த காரணத்தால், அவ்வோலையின் நறுமணத்தை மோந்தளவில், மெய்மறந்து நிற்கிறான் கோவலன்.

பழைய நினைவுகள் எழுகின்றன. ஏட்டைப் பிரித்துப் பார்க்க வேண்டுமென்று கூட அவனுக்குத் தோன்றவில்லை. 'சலம்புணர் கொள்ளச் சலதி ' என்று மாதவியை ஏசியவனுக்கு அவளோடு நடத்திய இன்ப வாழ்க்கை நினைவுக்கு வருகிறது. கட்டிய மனைவி என்ற காரணத்தினால் கண்ணகியோடு இன்ப வாழ்க்கை நடத்த வேண்டுமென்று கடமையுணர்வின் பொருட்டு அவன் முயன்றாலும், கண்ணகி அதற்கு இடங்கொடுக்கவில்லை. கணவனை மனிதன் என்று மறந்து தெய்வமாக ஏற்று, தானும் கற்புத் தெய்வமாக வேண்டுமென்ற ஆவேசத்தில், ஒதுங்கியே வாழ்கிறாள். மாதவி அனுப்பிய கடிதம் அவனை மறுபடியும் பழைய கோவலனாக மாற்றிவிடுகிறது. மனத்தில் மகிழ்ச்சி பொங்குகிறது. வழியில் கண்ட பாணர்களிடம் யாழை வாங்கி, யாவரும் வியக்கும்படியான அளவுக்கு இசையைக் கூட்டுகிறான். கோவலனுக்கும் கண்ணகிக்கும் எந்த அளவிலும் மனப்பொருத்தமில்லை என்று மிக நுண்மையான முறையில் காட்டுகிறார் இளங்கோவடிகள்.

கண்ணகி 'கொலைக்களக் காதையில் ' கோவலனிடம் கூறுகிறாள்: ' நீங்கள் என்னைவிட்டுப் பிரிந்ததைப் பற்றிக்கூட நான் அதிகமாக வருந்தவில்லை... ஆனால் நீங்கள் என்னை விட்டுப் பிரிந்திருக்கிறீர்கள் என்பதற்காக நான் வருத்தத்துடன் தோன்றினால் உங்கள் பெற்றோர் வருந்துவார்களே என்று நான் புன்னகையுடன் இருக்கத் தொடங்கினேன்.

ஆனால் தாங்கள் மனம் வருந்தக் கூடாது என்பதற்காக இந்தப் பெண் பொய்ப் புன்னகையுடன் இருக்கிறாளே என்று அவர்கள் மனம் இன்னும் அதிகமாக வருந்தும்படியான அளவுக்கு நீங்கள் தவறான ஒழுக்கத்தில் ஈடுபட்டார்கள்... நான் ஒரு கற்புடைய பெண். என்னைப் பொறுத்தவரையில் நான் நடந்துகொண்டதுதான் எனக்கு நியாயமாகப் படுகிறது.. ' தான் ஒரு கற்புடைய பெண் என்பதை வலியுறுத்தி, கோவலன் பிரிந்தது தன் கற்பைக் காட்ட ஒரு வாய்ப்பாக இருந்தது போல் அவள் பேசுகிறாள். கோவலன் தவறாகக் குற்றஞ் சாட்டப்பட்டுக் கொலையுண்டு இறந்தான் என்று கேள்வியுற்ற அவள், மதுரை வீதிகளில் அரற்றிக்கொண்டு வரும்போது கூறுகிறாள்:

பெண்டிரும் உண்டு கொல் பெண்டிரும் உண்டு கொல்

கொண்ட கொழுநர் உறுகுறை குறை தாங்குறூஉம்

பெண்டிரும் உண்டு கொல் பெண்டிரும் உண்டு கொல். '

'பொது மகளிரிடைப் பிரிதலும் அவரோடு கலந்த செல்வியும் புணர்ச்சிக் குறிகளும் கண்டுழியும் அவர் தெருட்டத் தெருண்டு குறையறப் பொறுத்தல் ' என்று உணர எழுதுகிறார் அடியார்க்கு நல்லார். ஆகவே கோவலன் மாதவியிடத்துச் சென்றதைத் தன் கற்பின் ஆற்றலினால் பொறுத்துக்கொண்ட செய்தியைத் தனக்கு ஒரு பெருமை தரும்விஷயமாக ஏற்றிப் பேசுகிறாள் கண்ணகி. கோவலன் மாதவியிடத்துப் போயிருக்காவிட்டால், இதுகண்ணகிக்கு ஒரு பெரிய ஏமாற்றமாக இருந்திருக்குமோ என்று எண்ணத் தோன்றுகிறது. பழைய தமிழிலக்கியங்களில், தலைவன் பரத்தையரிடம் சென்று திரும்பும்போது, தலைவி ஊடுவதாகப் பல செய்யுட்கள் காணப்படுகின்றன.

ஆனால் கண்ணகி இத்தகைய தமிழ் மரபிலும் வந்தவளாகத் தெரியவில்லை. கோவலன் மாதவியிடம் சென்றதற்காகக் கடிந்து ஒரு சொல்கூடப் பேசவில்லை. கற்பைப்பற்றிய அவளுடைய 'அப்செஷன் ' தான் காவியம் முழுவதும் பேசப்படுகிறது. மாதவி கோவலனைப் பிரிந்ததும் கோசிகாமாணி மூலம் கடிதம் அனுப்புகிறாள், இது இயற்கை. ஆனால் கண்ணகி, கோவலன் அவளை விட்டுப் பிரிந்திருந்தபோது, கடிதமோ, தூதோ அனுப்பியதாகச் சிலப்பதிகாரம் முழுவதும் செய்தியில்லை. இளங்கோவடிகள் கண்ணகியின் குணச்சித்திரத்தை எவ்வளவு நுணுக்கமாகப் படைத்திருக்கிறார் என்பதற்கு இது ஓர் எடுத்துக்காட்டு.

கோவலன் ஒரு சாதாரண மனிதனுக்குரிய விருப்பு, வெறுப்புக்களுடையவன். தெய்வமாக வேண்டுமென்ற ஆவேசத்துடன் இருந்த ஒரு பெண்ணை மணந்ததுதான் அவன் குற்றம். அவன் மதுரைக்குப் புறப்படும்படி கண்ணகியைக்கேட்டபோது, அவள் இதற்கு மறுத்து, அவன் மாதவியிடம் இதுவரை இருந்ததற்காக ஏசி அவனுடன் வழக்காடியிருந்திருந்தால், கோவலன் மதுரைக்குப் போகாமலே இருந்திருக்கலாம். சிலப்பதிகாரக் கதை நடந்திருக்காது.... அதாவது, சிலம்பை ஒட்டிய நிகழ்ச்சி ஏற்பட்டிருக்காது. சிலப்பதிகாரத்தில் சிலம்பு ஒரு குறிப்பிடத்தக்க கதாபாத்திரம். காதலை நாடிவந்த கோவலனிடம் சிலம்பைக் குறிப்பிட்டு அவற்றை மாதவியிடம் எடுத்துச் செல்லும்படி கண்ணகி சொன்னபோதுதான், அவளிடம் சலிப்படைந்த கோவலனுக்குச் சிலம்பின் வணிக முக்கியத்துவத்தை உணர்வதற்கான ஒரு சூழ்நிலை உருவாகிறது. காதல் எண்ணம்போய் வியாபார நோக்கு தலைதூக்குகிறது.

மாதவி கோவலனுக்கு ஏற்ற மனைவியாக இருக்கிறாள். அவனுடைய மனநிலை அறிந்து அவனுக்கு இன்பம் ஊட்டுகிறாள். அவனுக்குக் 'கலவியும் புலவியும் மாறி மாறி ' அளிக்கிறாள். 'கலவியும் புலவியும் மாறி மாறி அளித்து ' என்று இளங்கோவடிகள் கூறுவது, அன்டனி அன்ட் கிளியோபாட்ராவில் ஒரு நிகழ்ச்சியை நினைவூட்டுகிறது. கிளியோபாட்ரா தன் தோழி சார்மியாளிடம் பேசிக் கொண்டிருப்பதாக ஒரு சித்திரம்.

CLEOPATRA

See where he is, who 's with him, what he does

I did not send you; if you find him sad

Say I am dancing; if in mirth, report

That I am sudden sick; quick and return.

CHARMIAN

` Madam, me thinks if you did love him dearly

You do not hold the method to enforce

The like from him.

CLEOPATRA

what should I do, I do not

CHARMIAN

In each thing give him way

Cross him in nothing

CLEOPATRA

Thou teachest like a fool

The way to lose him.

மாதவி கிளியோபாட்ராவைப்போல் காதல் கலையில் தேர்ந்தவள். கோவலன் அவள் இந்திர விழாவின்போது நடனமாடிவிட்டு (அனைவர் முன்பும்) வருவது அவனுக்கு வெறுப்பைத் தருகிறது. அவன் கோபத்துடன் இருக்கிறான். இதை உணர்ந்த அவள் தன்னை நன்றாக அலங்கரித்துக்கொண்டு அவன் முன் வருகிறாள். இந்த ஒப்பனை 32 வரிகளில் சித்தரிக்கப்படுகின்றது. ஆன்டனியைக் கிளியோபாட்ரா முதல் முதலில் சந்திக்கச் சென்றபோது வருகின்ற வருணனையைப் போல், சிலப்பதிகாரத்தில் இது ஓர் அருமையான பகுதி. கண்ணகிக்கும் மாதவிக்குமிடையே இக்குண வேறுபாட்டை மிக நுட்பமாகக் காட்டுகிறார் இளங்கோவடிகள்.

கண்ணகியின் கற்பைச் சிறப்பித்துக் கூறுவதற்காகத்தான் இளங்கோவடிகள் சிலப்பதிகாரம் இயற்றினார் என்பது தவறான கருத்து. அப்படியிருந்திருந்தால், காவிய மரபின்படி இக்காவியத்துக்கு அவர் கண்ணகியின் பெயரையே இட்டிருக்க வேண்டும். மனப் பொருத்தமில்லாத ஒரு மண வாழ்க்கையின் பாலைவன நிலையைச் சுட்டிக் காட்ட எழுந்ததே இக்காவியம். வஞ்சிக் காண்டம் ஓர் இடைச் செருகல் என்றுங் கருத இடமிருக்கிறது...

நன்றி: திண்ணை

Super cell over Wyoming yesterday!

INDIA HAD ANCIENT WELL DEVELOPED SYSTEM OF LAND AREA SURVEY .....BECAUSE GREEKS KNEW THE LENGTH AND BREADTH OF INDIA ... BEFORE 2500 YEARS !!!

Diodorus of Sicily: Greek historian, author of the Library of World History 60 and 30 BC..... though the year of Diodorus' birth and death can not be established exactly, but his work ..is detailed history of his times , which he named Bibliotheca historica ("Historical Library"), was immense and consisted of 40 books, of which 1–5 and 11–20 survive: fragments of the lost books are preserved in Photius and the excerpts of Constantine Porphyrogenitus....and book Book II, 35-2 is devoted to a brief description of India which was ultimately derived from Megasthenes. Although Diodorus does not mention this author, his use of him is established by the similarity between his account of India and the Indica of Arrian and the description of that land by Strabo, both of whom avowedly drew their material from that writer.

"Now India is four-sided in shape and the side which faces east and that which faces south are embraced by the Great Sea, while that which faces north is separated by the Emodus range of mountains from that part of Scythia which is inhabited by the Scythians known as the Sacae ; and the fourth side, which is turned towards the west, is marked off by the river known as the Indus, which is the largest of all streams after the Nile. As for its magnitude, India as a whole, they say, extends from east to west twenty-eight thousand stades, and from north to south thirty-two thousand. And because it is of such magnitude, it is believed to take in a greater extent of the sun's course in summer ^ than any other part of the world, and in many places at the Cape of India the gnomons of sundials may be seen which do not cast a shadow , while at night the Bears are not visible ; in the most southerly parts not even Arcturus can be seen, and indeed in that region, they say, the shadows fall towards the south."

The fact that towns as far apart as Mohenjodaro near the Indus and Lothal on the Saurashtra coast were built in the second millennium BCE with baked bricks of identical size on similar plans denotes a widespread recognition of the need for accuracy in planning and management. In the 8th century CE the Kailas temple at Ellora in Maharashtra was carved down into mountain for 100 feet, with intricate sculptures lining pillared halls, no easy task even with an exact map to follow, impossible without. So if no maps have been found, it should not be assumed that the Indians did not know how to conceptualize in a cartographic manner.

Multipurpose Bicycle

High-flying turbine produces more power

For Altaeros Energies, a startup launched out of MIT, the sky's the limit when it comes to wind power.

Founded by alumni Ben Glass '08, SM '10 and Adam Rein MBA '10, Altaeros has developed the world's first commercial airborne wind turbine, which uses a helium-filled shell to float as high as a skyscraper and capture the stronger, steadier winds available at that altitude.

Proven to produce double the energy of similarly sized tower-mounted turbines, the system, called Buoyant Air Turbine (or BAT), is now readying for commercial deployment in rural Alaska.

Surrounded by a circular, 35-foot-long inflatable shell made of the same heavy-duty fabric used in blimps and sails, the BAT hovers 1,000 to 2,000 feet above ground, where winds blow five to eight times stronger, as well as more consistently, than winds at tower level (roughly 100 to 300 feet). Three tethers connect the BAT to a rotating ground station, automatically adjusting its altitude to obtain the strongest possible winds. Power generated by the turbine travels down one of the tethers to the ground station before being passed along to microgrids.

Source: Phys Org

Chinese company prints parts for ten houses and builds them all in one day.

Details-- It's a house in a hurry.

A Chinese company harnessed 3D-printing technology to build 10 one-story houses in a day — a cheaper, faster and safer alternative to more traditional construction.

WinSun Decoration Design Engineering built the houses in Shanghai using four giant 3D printers, which are each 10 meters (33 feet) wide and 6.6 meters (22 feet) high, according to Chinese news agency Xinhua . They produce a mix of cement and construction waste to construct the walls layer by layer, a process much like how a baker might ice a cake.

"We purchased parts for the printer overseas, and assembled the machine in a factory in Suzhou," WinSun CEO Ma Yihe told the International Business Times. "Such a new type of 3D-printed structure is environment-friendly and cost-effective."

Each approximately 2,100 square-foot building costs less than $5,000 to construct. The houses' components are checked for quality as they are being erected because there are no building codes yet for 3D-printing construction in China. WinSun uses a special quick-dry cement to speed up the process.

In addition to decreased construction time, this process also means that construction workers are less likely to be exposed to hazardous materials or work environments. Plus, it's eco-friendly.

"To obtain natural stone, we have to employ miners, dig up blocks of stone and saw them into pieces," Ma told Xinhua. "This badly damages the environment." The houses WinSun built are fairly simple, but Ma added that he hopes the company's 3D-printing technology will one day be used to build skyscrapers.

Source: Mashable

Scientists Claim That Quantum Theory Proves Consciousness Moves To Another Universe At Death

A book titled “Biocentrism: How Life and Consciousness Are the Keys to Understanding the Nature of the Universe“ has stirred up the Internet, because it contained a notion that life does not end when the body dies, and it can last forever. The author of this publication, scientist Dr. Robert Lanza who was voted the 3rd most important scientist alive by the NY Times, has no doubts that this is possible. 

Beyond time and space

Lanza is an expert in regenerative medicine and scientific director of Advanced Cell Technology Company. Before he has been known for his extensive research which dealt with stem cells, he was also famous for several successful experiments on cloning endangered animal species.

But not so long ago, the scientist became involved with physics, quantum mechanics and astrophysics. This explosive mixture has given birth to the new theory of biocentrism, which the professor has been preaching ever since.  Biocentrism teaches that life and consciousness are fundamental to the universe.  It is consciousness that creates the material universe, not the other way around.

Lanza points to the structure of the universe itself, and that the laws, forces, and constants of the universe appear to be fine-tuned for life, implying intelligence existed prior to matter.  He also claims that space and time are not objects or things, but rather tools of our animal understanding.  Lanza says that we carry space and time around with us “like turtles with shells.” meaning that when the shell comes off (space and time), we still exist.

The theory implies that death of consciousness simply does not exist.   It only exists as a thought because people identify themselves with their body. They believe that the body is going to perish, sooner or later, thinking their consciousness will disappear too.  If the body generates consciousness, then consciousness dies when the body dies.  But if the body receives consciousness in the same way that a cable box receives satellite signals, then of course consciousness does not end at the death of the physical vehicle. In fact, consciousness exists outside of constraints of time and space. It is able to be anywhere: in the human body and outside of it. In other words, it is non-local in the same sense that quantum objects are non-local.

Lanza also believes that multiple universes can exist simultaneously.  In one universe, the body can be dead. And in another it continues to exist, absorbing consciousness which migrated into this universe.  This means that a dead person while traveling through the same tunnel ends up not in hell or in heaven, but in a similar world he or she once inhabited, but this time alive. And so on, infinitely.  It’s almost like a cosmic Russian doll afterlife effect.

Multiple worlds

This hope-instilling, but extremely controversial theory by Lanza has many unwitting supporters, not just mere mortals who want to live forever, but also some well-known scientists. These are the physicists and astrophysicists who tend to agree with existence of parallel worlds and who suggest the possibility of multiple universes. Multiverse (multi-universe) is a so-called scientific concept, which they defend. They believe that no physical laws exist which would prohibit the existence of parallel worlds.

The first one was a science fiction writer H.G. Wells who proclaimed in 1895 in his story “The Door in the Wall”.  And after 62 years, this idea was developed by Dr. Hugh Everett in his graduate thesis at the Princeton University. It basically posits that at any given moment the universe divides into countless similar instances. And the next moment, these “newborn” universes split in a similar fashion. In some of these worlds you may be present: reading this article in one universe, or watching TV in another.

The triggering factor for these multiplyingworlds is our actions, explained Everett. If we make some choices, instantly one universe splits into two with different versions of outcomes.

In the 1980s, Andrei Linde, scientist from the Lebedev’s Institute of physics, developed the theory of multiple universes. He is now a professor at Stanford University.  Linde explained: Space consists of many inflating spheres, which give rise to similar spheres, and those, in turn, produce spheres in even greater numbers, and so on to infinity. In the universe, they are spaced apart. They are not aware of each other’s existence. But they represent parts of the same physical universe.

The fact that our universe is not alone is supported by data received from the Planck space telescope. Using the data, scientists have created the most accurate map of the microwave background, the so-called cosmic relic background radiation, which has remained since the inception of our universe. They also found that the universe has a lot of dark recesses represented by some holes and extensive gaps.

Theoretical physicist Laura Mersini-Houghton from the North Carolina University with her colleagues argue: the anomalies of the microwave background exist due to the fact that our universe is influenced by other universes existing nearby. And holes and gaps are a direct result of attacks on us by neighboring universes.

Soul

So, there is abundance of places or other universes where our soul could migrate after death, according to the theory of neo-biocentrism. But does the soul exist?  Is there any scientific theory of consciousness that could accommodate such a claim?  According to Dr. Stuart Hameroff, a near-death experience happens when the quantum information that inhabits the nervous system leaves the body and dissipates into the universe.  Contrary to materialistic accounts of consciousness, Dr. Hameroff offers an alternative explanation of consciousness that can perhaps appeal to both the rational scientific mind and personal intuitions.

Consciousness resides, according to Stuart and British physicist Sir Roger Penrose, in the microtubules of the brain cells, which are the primary sites of quantum processing.  Upon death, this information is released from your body, meaning that your consciousness goes with it. They have argued that our experience of consciousness is the result of quantum gravity effects in these microtubules, a theory which they dubbed orchestrated objective reduction (Orch-OR).

Consciousness, or at least proto-consciousness is theorized by them to be a fundamental property of the universe, present even at the first moment of the universe during the Big Bang. “In one such scheme proto-conscious experience is a basic property of physical reality accessible to a quantum process associated with brain activity.”

Our souls are in fact constructed from the very fabric of the universe – and may have existed since the beginning of time.  Our brains are just receivers and amplifiers for the proto-consciousness that is intrinsic to the fabric of space-time. So is there really a part of your consciousness that is non-material and will live on after the death of your physical body?

Dr Hameroff told the Science Channel’s Through the Wormhole documentary: “Let’s say the heart stops beating, the blood stops flowing, the microtubules lose their quantum state. The quantum information within the microtubules is not destroyed, it can’t be destroyed, it just distributes and dissipates to the universe at large”.  Robert Lanza would add here that not only does it exist in the universe, it exists perhaps in another universe.

If the patient is resuscitated, revived, this quantum information can go back into the microtubules and the patient says “I had a near death experience”‘

He adds: “If they’re not revived, and the patient dies, it’s possible that this quantum information can exist outside the body, perhaps indefinitely, as a soul.”

This account of quantum consciousness explains things like near-death experiences, astral projection, out of body experiences, and even reincarnation without needing to appeal to religious ideology.  The energy of your consciousness potentially gets recycled back into a different body at some point, and in the mean time it exists outside of the physical body on some other level of reality, and possibly in another universe.

- See more at: http://www.spiritscienceandmetaphysics.com/scientists-claim-that-quantum-theory-proves-consciousness-moves-to-another-universe-at-death/#sthash.hLEv6Kij.dpuf

One of the most important hominin sites from the late early Pleistocene to the middle Pleistocene

"The Bahe River valley of central China is regarded as one of the most important hominin sites from the late early Pleistocene to the middle Pleistocene. Homo erectus fossils were unearthed at the Gongwangling and Chenjiawo localities, and more than 30 Palaeolithic open-air sites were investigated in the 1960s in this region. However, the age, features and the assemblages of stone tools collected from the Lantian region were not well understood. Dr. WANG Shejiang, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and his collaborators discovered eight new Palaeolithic open-air sites and collected 770 stone artefacts from 2009 to 2011 in the Lantian area of the Bahe River valley, central China. According to a paper published in Chinese Science Bulletin 59(7), it is the first time that Acheulian-type large cutting tools from the late Pleistocene have been identified in this region. This study distinguishes age gaps between Western world and East Asian Acheulian-type tools."

The choices you make actually do influence the physical structures, the neural networks, in your brain.

Excerpt........Neural networks are created by focused, engaged stimulation. . .the choices you make actually do influence the physical structures, the neural networks, in your brain. ‘Experience coupled with attention leads to physical changes in the structure and functioning of the nervous system. This leaves us with a clear physiological fact. ..moment by moment we choose and sculpt how our ever-changing minds will work.

On the other hand, when we don’t pay complete attention to what we are doing in the present moment, our brain activates a host of other synaptic networks that can distract it from its original intention.

Keywords hold vocabulary together in memory

Much like key players in social networks, University of Kansas scientists have found evidence that there are keywords in word networks that hold together groups of words in our memory.

"If words are indeed stored like a network in memory, said Vitevitch, "we should be able to see how characteristics of the network affect language-related processes. Our findings clearly show that there are words that hold key positions on the word network and that we process them more quickly and accurately than similar words that they hold together in our memory."In a study published in the Journal of Memory and Language, Michael Vitevitch, KU professor of psychology, showed that research participants recognized these keywords more quickly and accurately than other words that were like the keywords in many respects except for their position in a network of 20,000 similar-sounding English words that he and colleagues created in 2008.

The existence of keywords opens up many possible real-life applications, according to Vitevitch, such as providing new insights into developmental and acquired language disorders and suggesting treatments.

"We might be able to teach these keywords to people who have word-finding problems after stroke, for example, and they might be able to reconnect everything else in their memory that these keywords are connected to," he said.

When the keyword fish is removed from the network subset, it fractures into two smaller networks and two isolated words. Credit: U. of Kansas, M. Vitevitch

Keywords might also accelerate language learning, including a second language, if they were introduced early.

But there is a potential dark side to keywords—if they are "removed" from our memory, they could fracture part of our word network, said Vitevitch.

Using the same mathematical techniques of network science that are used to develop networks that model social relationships or the spread of disease, Vitevitch analyzed his word network using a computer program called KeyPlayer that selected the keywords that, when removed, fractured parts of the network into smaller networks and isolated words.

When the word dish is removed from the network, however, the network is not fractured. Unlike fish, dish is not a keyword. Credit: U. of Kansas, M. Vitevitch

"Fracturing the network in this way could actually disrupt language processing," said Vitevitch. "Even though we could remove keywords from research participants' memories through psycholinguistic tasks, we dared not because of concern that there would be long-term or even wide-spread effects."

Applying the techniques of network science to language opens up many new questions for scientists who study various aspects of language, said Vitevitch. "Similarly, the domain of language provides network scientists with a novel opportunity to test various hypotheses that they may not be able to do in other real-world systems because we can manipulate things in the laboratory that we can't ethically or practically manipulate in real life." Thanks:http://medicalxpress.com/

Credible Fields of DNA and Energy

A DNA upgrade (of sorts) is happening ‘out there’ and that we are increasing our ability to perceive ‘things’ (meaning ‘things’ such as higher world views [from egocentric to ethnocentric to worldcentric to cosmocentric] and being able to add/have, hold and utilise greater perspectival taking capacities [a wider span for a greater depth – such as being able to hold and utilise all that ever was, is and will be], and be able to have increasing amounts of care and concern and compassion for the all and the everything.

I agree that the publishing of personal notions and experiences and grounding them (anchoring them) to current known reality will assist in closing gaps of understanding – especially if it in any way provides material to help bridge the gaps between and within science and religion (religion at its top end called spirituality/mysticism). We all of us have a uniquely different ‘cosmic address’ which needs to be honoured and encouraged to grow and expand.....and manifest for purpose.

I agree that it is ‘brilliant’ that this scientific article covers the very credible fields of DNA and energy and electromagnetism and melds them together towards a higher reality than is otherwise known.

Some ‘key’ points from this article are a match with (Integral) post-metaphysical spirituality:-

• The map is not the territory
• Information is encoded as holograms – the pattern holds the form
• Waves of probability originate in the past, present and future
• Events manifest when waves from past and future interfere with each other in the present. That pattern creates matter and energy
• Our brains mathematically construct ‘concrete’ reality by interpreting frequencies from another dimension ..... transcending time and space
• All existence consists of embedded holograms within holograms and their inter relatedness somehow gives rise to our existence
• Consciousness and matter share the same essence, differing by degrees of subtlety or density
• The part is not only contained within the whole, the whole is contained in every part, only in lower resolution
• As Above; So Below
• Biophysics can now describe how our form emerges directly from the void
• Humans emit a variety of electromagnetic radiations across the emission spectrum, indicative of the energy state of the organism
• DNA ..... is the blueprint not only of our physical form, but also of the processes that our form undergoes in terms of survival

Whilst this scientific article writes “In analysing any complex adaptive system, we follow what happens to the information; in this case the genetic information....... and (scientists) at MIT, have found a way to switch cells off and on with radio waves...... "unzipped" and manipulated DNA with a radio-frequency pulse” - I find this also to be another match with (Integral) post-metaphysical spirituality – and as such it all shows that a merger is well and truly happening in the now between ...Science .......and Religion (Religion advanced through Spirituality and advanced through Mysticism) – they are beginning to talk the same language – and we will begin to solve the problem labelled The Human Condition. It’s all good.

Acute Myocardial Infarction Management

Management of a patient with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a medical emergency. Local guidelines for the management of myocardial infarction should be followed where they exist.

Pre-hospital management :-

- Arrange an emergency ambulance if an AMI is suspected. Take an electrocardiogram (ECG) as soon as possible, but do not delay transfer to hospital, as an ECG is only of value in pre-hospital management if pre-hospital thrombolysis is being considered.
- Advise any patient known to have ischaemic heart disease to call for an emergency ambulance if the chest pain is unresponsive to glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) and has been present for longer than 15 minutes or on the basis of general clinical state - eg, severe dyspnoea or pain.
- Cardiopulmonary resuscitation and defibrillation in the event of a cardiac arrest.
- Oxygen: do not routinely administer oxygen, but monitor oxygen saturation using pulse oximetry as soon as possible, ideally before hospital admission. Only offer supplemental oxygen to:
a. People with oxygen saturation less than 94% who are not at risk of hypercapnic respiratory failure, aiming for saturation of 94-98%.
b. People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who are at risk of hypercapnic respiratory failure, to achieve a target saturation of 88-92% until blood gas analysis is available.
- Pain relief with GTN sublingual/spray and/or an intravenous opioid 2.5-5 mg diamorphine or 5-10 mg morphine intravenously with an anti-emetic.[2] Avoid intramuscular injections, as absorption is unreliable and the injection site may bleed if the patient later receives thrombolytic therapy.
- Aspirin 300 mg orally (dispersible or chewed).
- Insert a Venflon® for intravenous access and take blood tests for FBC, renal function and electrolytes, glucose, lipids, clotting screen, C-reactive protein (CRP) and cardiac enzymes (troponin I or T).
- Pre-hospital thrombolysis is indicated if the time from the initial call to arrival at hospital is likely to be over 30 minutes. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommends using intravenous bolus (reteplase or tenecteplase) rather than an infusion for pre-hospital thrombolysis.

Management initiated in hospital :-

- If not already done, insert a Venflon® for intravenous access and take blood tests for cardiac enzymes (troponin I or T), FBC, renal function and electrolytes, glucose, lipids, CRP, and clotting screen.
- Continue close clinical monitoring, oxygen therapy and pain relief.
- ECG monitoring: features that increase the likelihood of infarction are: new ST-segment elevation; new Q waves; any ST-segment elevation; new conduction defect. Other features of ischaemia are ST-segment depression and T-wave inversion.

Reperfusion

Patency of the occluded artery can be restored by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or by giving a thrombolytic drug. PCI is the preferred method. Compared with fibrinolysis, PCI results in less reocclusion, improved left ventricular function and improved overall outcome (including reduced risk of stroke).

Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)

= PCI (or percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty - PTCA) is regarded as superior to fibrinolysis in the management of AMI and is becoming increasingly available for initial patient care.
= Primary angioplasty provides an early assessment of the extent of the underlying disease.
= Any delay in primary PCI after a patient arrives at hospital is associated with higher mortality in hospital. Time to treatment should therefore be as short as possible. Door (or diagnosis) to treatment time should be less than 90 minutes, or less than 60 minutes if the hospital is PCI ready and symptoms started within 120 minutes.
= There is general agreement that PCI should be considered if there is an ST elevation acute coronary syndrome, if symptoms started up to 12 hours previously.
= Patients should receive a glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor to reduce the risk of immediate vascular occlusion, and should also receive either unfractionated heparin, a low molecular weight heparin (eg, enoxaparin), or bivalirudin.
= Prasugrel in combination with aspirin is an option for the prevention of atherothrombotic events in patients with acute coronary syndromes and undergoing PCI if immediate primary PCI is necessary, stent thrombosis occurs during treatment with clopidogrel, or the patient has diabetes mellitus.
= Balloon angioplasty following myocardial infarction reduces death, nonfatal myocardial infarction and stroke compared with thrombolytic reperfusion. However, up to 50% of patients experience restenosis and 3% to 5% recurrent myocardial infarction.
= There is no evidence to suggest that primary stenting reduces mortality when compared with balloon angioplasty but stenting seems to be associated with a reduced risk of re-infarction and target vessel revascularisation.

Fibrinolytic drugs

For patients who cannot be offered PCI within 90 minutes of diagnosis, a thrombolytic drug should be administered along with either unfractionated heparin (for maximum two days), a low molecular weight heparin (eg, enoxaparin) or fondaparinux. Thrombolytic drugs break down the thrombus so that the blood flow to the heart muscle can be restored to prevent further damage and assist healing.

Antithrombotic therapy without reperfusion therapy

- In patients presenting within 12 hours after the onset of symptoms but reperfusion therapy is not given, or in patients presenting after 12 hours, aspirin, clopidogrel and an antithrombin agent (heparin, enoxaparin or fondaparinux) should be given as soon as possible.
- For patients who do not receive reperfusion therapy, angiography before hospital discharge is recommended (as for patients after successful fibrinolysis) if no contra-indications are present.

Coronary bypass surgery

Other initial management :
1. Antiplatelet agent
2. Beta-blockers
3. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
4. Cholesterol-lowering agents
5. Patients who have a left ventricular ejection fraction of 0.4 or less and either diabetes or clinical signs of heart failure should receive the aldosterone antagonist eplerenone (started within 3-14 days of the myocardial infarction and ideally after ACE inhibitor therapy) unless contra-indicated by renal impairment or hyperkalaemia (left ventricular function should be assessed in all patients with AMI during the initial hospital admission).
6. Cardiac assessment and revascularisation

Modern split residential house

A huge dose of the measles vaccine has killed a woman's cancer

In an unprecedented trial, doctors in the US have rid a woman of cancer by injecting her with 100 billion units of a modified measles virus.

The idea of using a virus to kill cancer isn't new - studies on the subject date back as far as the 1950s, and the process has previously been shown to work in mice.
But this is the first well-documented case of a human patient going into complete remission after being exposed to a virus. And it could be HUGE.
The patient, Stacy Erholtz was battling severe myeloma, a blood cancer that affects bone marrow. In a last attempt to save her life, doctors at the Mayo Clinic injected her with 100 billion units of the measles virus - enough to inoculate 10 million people.
The experiment was part of a two-patient clinical trial, and the results have been pretty amazing.
Over the next few weeks, a tumour that had been pressing into her brain disappeared completely, and eventually the other tumours in her body did too. After just that one dose, Erholtz's cancer went into remission and she has now been clear of the disease for over six months, according to a press release.
The lead researcher Stephen Russell told The Washington Post:  "What this all tells us is something we never knew before – we never knew you could do this in people,” Russell said. “It’s a very important landmark because now we know it can happen. It’s a game changer. And I think it will drive a development in the field.”
However, before we can get too excited, these results need to be confined in a large randomised clinical trial. Also, the procedure wasn't as successful on the other female patient in the trial. While her tumours seemed to shrink for a little while, they eventually came back.
The idea behind the treatment - which is part of a field known as oncolytic virotherapy - is that the virus infects cancer cells and uses them as hosts to replicate their own genetic material, before causing them to explode.
Another clinical trial is scheduled to launch by September to see if the massive measles dose works on a large number of patients. Eventually it could become a standard - and quick - treatment for myeloma.
"We believe this could become a single-shot cure," Russell explains in the Mayo Clinic video below.

Source: The Washington Post, Mayo Clinic, Star Tribune

China has built a prototype for a train that's three times faster than a plane

Using a near-vacuum tunnel, scientists believe maglev trains can reach 2,900 km/h.

Image: Imagechina/REX, Southwest Jiaotong University

The researchers from Southwest Jiaotong University in China have already built a prototype testing platform (pictured above) for the near-vacuum maglev train.
Inside the tunnel the atmospheric pressure is 10 times lower than the atmospheric pressure at sea level, which drastically reduces the amount of energy needed to overcome air resistance, Business Insider explains.
And it's this lack of air resistance that will help the train reach theoretical speeds of 2,900 km/h. Currently the fastest commercial maglev train can reach speeds of just 431 km/h.
At the moment the train is limited by its small testing platform, but if they're right about the speeds it could reach on long straights, you could travel from Paris to Moscow in about an hour. And if there was a direct route, Londoners could be in New York within two hours.
There are just no words for how awesome this would be if it works - the world will just get a whole lot smaller. 
Source: Business Insider

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