Fifteen Indian Movies That Got Banned By The Censor Board

Bollywood is the largest film industry in the world in terms of number of movies produced every year.  However, apart from all the hits, flops and the average, there exists another brand of Indian cinema which is deliberately kept out of our reach. Films that indulge in strong (read bold) language, suggestive (read vulgar) scenes, gender taboos, Kashmir issues, religion and basically movies which are way ahead of its time.

Here's a list of movies which the Censor Board banned, not that the viewers missed any of it!

1. Bandit Queen (1994)

Bandit Queen was straight up 'offensive', 'vulgar', 'indecent' and almost laughed at the cinematic conservatism of the Indian censor board. The subject was such. Based on the life of Phoolan Devi, this Shekhar Kapur movie was banned due its explicit sexual content, nudity and abusive language, which the Censor Board could not (obviously) digest.

Source: moviegazetteonline

2. Fire (1996)

Deepa Mehta's work is recognised for its global content and appeal. However, closer home, that translates to controversy.  Among others, one such movie was 'Fire' which garnered a lot of critical acclaim worldwide but failed to impress Hindu groups (like Shiv Sena) in India due to its subject, which dealt with lesbian relationship between two sisters-in-laws in a Hindu family. The controversy ended with the leading actors, Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das along with their director Deepa Mehta receiving death threats and Censor Board finally  banning the movie in the country.

Source: themoviedb

3. Kama Sutra - A Tale Of Love (1996)

In a rather hypocritical move, Kama Sutra - A Tale Of Love too faced the wrath of Censor Board which termed it 'explicit', 'unethical' and 'immoral' for the audiences of the nation which came up with the concept of Kama Sutra! This Mira Nair movie, which depicted the lives of four lovers in the 16th century in India, was a hit with the critics but a major flop with the Censor Board and ultimately got banned. We did see it coming. 

Source: pinterest

4. Urf Professor (2000)

Another movie to run into trouble with the Censor Board was Pankaj Advani's Urf Professorstarring Manoj Pahwa, Antara Mali and Sharman Joshi. The movie traces the journey of the protagonist after a hit-man's car and a winning lottery ticket goes missing and the chaos that follows. However, what irked the Censor Board were the 'vulgar scenes' and 'bold language' used in this black comedy, which ultimately led to a ban on the movie.

Source: moviesoye

5. The Pink Mirror (2003)

While experimental movies became the norm, gender issues was still a touchy topic to explore.The Pink Mirror by Sridhar Rangayan is one such movie which brought the concept of trans-sexuality to the forefront. The story dealt with the quest of two transsexuals and a gay teenager to seduce a straight man. No prizes for guessing that the Censor board got offended by the 'vulgarity' in the movie and banned it even after the film garnered rave reviews at film festivals around the world.

Source: flipkart

6. Paanch (2003)

Paanch, an Anurag Kashyap movie, faced a lot of heat from the Censor Board. Said to be based on the Joshi-Abhyankar serial murders in 1997, the movie was a thriller with high octane violence, crass language and drug abuse. No wonder, the Censor Board decided to ban the film and people awaiting the release of the movie had to make-do with the pirated version of the film.

Source: deccanchronicle

7. Black Friday (2004)

Loosely adapted from the famous book Black Friday - The True Story of the Bombay Bomb Blasts by S Hussain Zaidi, Anurag Kashyap's movie was considered too dark to be released in India. The movie faced a stay order from The Bombay High Court because the 1993 Bombay blasts case and remained slated-to-release until the trial got over. 

Source: parallelcinema

8. Parzania (2005)

Parzania cut open the wounds of Gujarat's scarred past, and received backlash and appreciation in equal amounts. The film was based on a superb plot which revolved around a boy called Azhar who goes missing during the Gujarat riots in the year 2002.  Even though the film won a National Award, its cinematic excellence was not considered enough for political parties to let it screen in Gujarat, where it was fiercely banned.

Source:  moviesreporter

9. Sins (2005)

Sins is an erotic journey of a Kerala priest who falls for the charms of a woman and gets sexually involved with her. Filled with obsession, lust and his struggles with the norms of the society he lived in, Sins did not go down well with with the Catholics. They thought the film projected Catholicism in a very immoral light. The Censor Board too, had issues with the nude scenes in the film and hence the movie did not see the light of the day.

Source: detuik

10. Water (2005)

Water is another Deepa Mehta movie which courted a lot of controversy because of its dark insights on the life of the Indian widow. Set in a certain Ashram of Varanasi, the script of the movie was written by none other than Anurag Kashyap and took up controversial issues like ostracism and misogyny which were alien to the Indian Censor Board back then. No wonder, the movie was widely attacked by protesters and around 2000 fanatics even destroyed the sets of the film.

Source: impawards

11. Firaaq (2008)

Another film to deal with the Gujarat riots, Firaaq was reportedly based on true incidents which happened in the riot-torn Gujarat.  Nandita Das was widely criticised for hurting the sentiments of Hindus and Muslims and ultimately the movie got banned. But what came as a major achievement was the fact that the movie finally saw a release date and upon its release, garnered rave reviews from critics and audiences alike.

Source: santabanta

12. Gandu (2010)

If you expected anything else from a movie named 'Gandu', you'd definitely be disappointed. The Bengali movie was a rap musical which created a lot of buzz for its oral sex scenes and nudity. Shot in white and black format, the movie was banned because it 'defied Indian sensibilities'. 

Source: glamsham

13. Inshallah, Football (2010)

Inshallah, Football is a documentary about a Kashmiri boy who aspires to travel abroad and become a famous footballer someday. However, the boy is denied travelling outside the country because his father is charged with militancy. This film was intended to bring out the problems civilians face due to the insurgencies and militancy in the Kashmir Valley, but the purpose was defeated as it was denied the necessary censor certificate because of its sensitive subject. 

Source: njisacf

14. Dazed in Doon (2010)

Doon School is one of the most highly respected schools of the country.  The Doon School had problems with the content of Ratna Pathak Shah's coming-of-age movie Dazed in Doon which depicted the story of a boy who is studying at the prestigious Doon School and the life he leads there. The school did not find it amusing to say the least and believed that it spoilt the name and heritage of the school and hence got the film stalled.

Source: ashvinkumar

15. Unfreedom (2015)

The most recent one to join this long list of banned movies in India, Unfreedom is a modern-day thriller which talks about a lesbian love story entangled within an Islamic terrorism-related angle. Bringing together two 'taboos' in one package, the Censor Board could not digest the nudity and the lovemaking scenes between the two protagonists. Reports also suggest that the movie was accused of "igniting unnatural passions" and hence was denied release in India, except for a few states. 

Source: teasers 

http://www.scoopwhoop.com/

EFFECT OF INSOLATION ON ‘777 OIL’ USED FOR PSORIASIS IN SIDDHA SYSTEM OF MEDICINE

Psoriasis (say "suh-RY-uh-sus") is a long-term (chronic) skin problem that causes skin cells to grow too quickly, resulting in thick, white, silvery, or red patches of skin.

Normally, skin cells grow gradually and flake off about every 4 weeks. New skin cells grow to replace the outer layers of the skin as they shed.

But in psoriasis , new skin cells move rapidly to the surface of the skin in days rather than weeks. They build up and form thick patches called plaques (say "plax"). The patches range in size from small to large. They most often appear on the knees, elbows, scalp, hands, feet, or lower back. Psoriasis is most common in adults. But children and teens can get it too.

Having psoriasis can be embarrassing, and many people, especially teens, avoid swimming and other situations where patches can show. But there are many types of treatment that can help keep psoriasis under control.

Experts believe that psoriasis occurs when the immune system overreacts, causing inflammation and flaking of skin. In some cases, psoriasis runs in families.

People with psoriasis often notice times when their skin gets worse. Things that can cause these flare-ups include a cold and dry climate, infections, stress, dry skin, and taking certain medicines.

Psoriasis isn't contagious. It can't be spread by touch from person to person.

Symptoms of psoriasis appear in different ways. Psoriasis can be mild, with small areas of rash. When psoriasis is moderate or severe, the skin gets inflamed with raised red areas topped with loose, silvery, scaling skin. If psoriasis is severe, the skin becomes itchy and tender. And sometimes large patches form and may be uncomfortable. The patches can join together and cover large areas of skin, such as the entire back.

In some people, psoriasis causes joints to become swollen, tender, and painful. This is called psoriatic arthritis (say "sor-ee-AT-ik ar-THRY-tus"). This arthritis can also affect the fingernails and toenails, causing the nails to pit, change color, and separate from the nail bed. Dead skin may build up under the nails.

Symptoms often disappear (go into remission), even without treatment, and then return (flare up).

777 Oil:

777 oil, a coded drug is used in the treatment of Psoriasis at Central Research Institute for Siddha, Madras (Krishnamurthy et al 1981). The oil is applied on the affected are of the skin and the patients are exposed to mild sunlight for a minimum period of 2 – 3 hours per day. This is repeated till a complete relief is obtained.

In the preparation of the drug, the fat soluble material of the leaves Wrightia trinctoria are extracted into the oil in sunlight. This method of preparation in sunlight is called “Sooriya pudam” in Siddha system of medicine. It is claimed that these fat soluble substances have Keratolytic action.

The role of sunlight both in preparation and treatment is particularly emphasised in this drug. In recent years Photochemotherapy and irradation with ultra – violet rays are tried in the treatment of Psoriasis with notable success (Skripkin, 1981).

777 oil is a single herbal formulation prepared by lipid extraction procedure. This drug is found to be effective in the management of Psoriasis. This formulation has already been clinically evaluated in several thousand of patients and has been proven to be effective for long term usage.

Indications
All types of Psoriasis, Dandruff, Fissure foot, Icthyosis, Fungal dermatosis, Ulcerative gingivitis, Apthous ulcers of mouth, First-degree burns.

Composition
Oil extracts of 
Wrightia tinctoria ( Swetha kutaja ) : 50% W/V
Oleum Cocos nucifera (Narikela )     : 50% W/V

Dosage/use
External use: Application after bath as a thin coating over affected surface. Exposure to morning sun for 15 mins after application. Use fingertips for application on scalp. Use Psorolin bathing bar and or Lumina shampoo for washing hair and body.

Contra indication
There is no known contra indication. Mild skin rashes in some cases are reported over the lesions at the beginning of the therapy .Such lesions will disappear within few days after regular use.

Available in:

200ml $16.99

500ml $33.99

1000ml $63.99

“777 oil” is a code drug of the Siddha system of medicine used in the treatment of Psoriasis. The drug is derived from the leaves Wrightia tinctoria by insolation, with coconut oil as base. The present study is aimed at comparing the drug prepared by insolation with that prepared in darkness.

Analytical studies carried out in both the drugs showed difference in acid number without exposing to sunlight. The drugs showed changes in acid and iodine numbers on exposure to sunlight.

Studies on Thin Layer Chromatography showed no difference between the two drugs. However semi quantitative chromatography showed that two spots were more in concentration in the drug prepared in darkness than the drug processes in sunlight. Except one spot all the spots Rf values are identical to raw coconut oil.

In analytical studies carried out in shade dried leaves of Wrightia tinctoria showed the presence of iron calcium and ammonium. Alcohol had maximum extractive matter.

Solar powered based designed vehicles

solar powered vehicles
the past few years have seen a dramatic rise in the popularity of alternate energy sources, 
particularly solar power. the technology which directly converts the sun's rays into electricity is proving 
to be one of the more commonly used 'green' energies in the transportation markets. as research into 
solar power continues to accelerate and designers are busy trying to challenge peoples ideas of how 
vehicles that use it can look. over the next three pages is an eclectic selection of vehicles that use 

'reliable' solar technologies. 

Krishna

Tips to Help you Stop Worrying

1. Remind yourself that worrying doesn’t stop things happening. Things will happen – or not happen –anyway.

2. Recognise that “What ifs” don’t usually help with problem solving. It’s better to use logic, and brain storm for solutions. Take control of your emotions by using rational thinking.

3. Motivate yourself by something other than worrying. Take a break and do something fun, and then go back to your work again. That positive approach will reap more benefits.

4. Face your fears – and do the things that you worry about. The thought is often much worse than the actual thing you fear.

5. Ask yourself “What’s the worst thing that could happen?” Then, “What are the chances that it will happen? Then “Will you survive it, if it happens, in the end?” Usually, that helps to move us from an extreme and irrational way of thinking to a more realistic, and reasonable way if thinking.

6. Teach yourself a range of relaxation strategies – and then concentrate on them instead of on your different fears. Or, adopt a mindful approach – and keep your focus on “right now”.

The Online Counselling College

How Successful People Stay Calm
http://www.forbes.com/…/02/06/how-successful-people-stay-c…/

தஞ்சை பெரிய கோயிலின் பழமையான தோற்றம்

Car manufacturing plants.

Sacred Geometry: Flower of Life, Introduction

Sacred geometry may be understood as a worldview of pattern recognition, a complex system of hallowed attribution and signification that may subsume religious and cultural values to the fundamental structures and relationships of such complexes as space, time and form. According to this discipline, the basic patterns of existence are perceived as sacred: for by contemplating and communing with them one is thereby contemplating the Mysterium Magnum, the patterning relationships of the Great Design. By studying the nature of these patterns, forms and relationships and their manifold intra- and interconnectivity one may gain insight into the scientific, philosophical, psychological, aesthetic and mystical continuum. That is, the laws and lore of the Universe.

The term sacred geometry is also used for geometry which is employed in the design of sacred architecture and sacred art. The underlying belief is that geometry and mathematical ratios, harmonics and proportionality discoverable from geometry also gird music, light, cosmology, and other observable and sensate features of the Universe. This value system has been held throughout the World from time immemorial to prehistory, a cultural universal endemic to the Human Condition. Sacred geometry is the foundation of the design, architecture, fabrication and construction of sacred structures such as temples, mosques, megaliths, monuments and churches; sacred space such as altars, temenos and tabernacles; places of congregation such as sacred groves, village greens and holy wells and the creation of religious art, iconography and divine proportionality. Sacred geometry, art, iconography and architecture need not be monolithic and enduring, but may be temporary and yielding, such as visualization and non-permanent sand-painting and medicine wheels

The "Flower of Life" can be found in all major religions of the world.
It contains the patterns of creation as they emerged from the "Great Void". Everything is made from the Creator's thought. After the creation of the Seed of Life the same vortex's motion was continued, creating the next structure known as the Egg of Life. This structure forms the basis for music, as the distances between the spheres is identical to the distances between the tones and the half tones in music. It is also identical to the cellular structure of the third embryonic division (The first cell divides into two cells, then to four cells then to eight). Thus this same structure as it is further developed, creates the human body and all of the energy systems including the ones used to create the Merkaba. If we continue creating more and more spheres we will end up with the structure called the Flower of Life.

more:
more:
http://www.phoenixmasonry.org/sacred_geometry_the_flower_of_life.htm

திருப்பட்டூர் தலம்

1. சிவ பக்தியுடன் வாழ்ந்து வந்த வியாக்ரபாதர், சிவனாரை நோக்கி இந்த தலத்தில் தவம் செய்தார். 

2. இத்தலத்தில் உள்ள தீர்த்தக்குளத்து நீரை, எவர் கையில் எடுத்தாலும் அவர்களுக்கு கங்கையில் நீராடிய பலனும் கிடைக்கும். 

3. இத்தலத்தில் 3001 அந்தனர்கள் வேதங்களை அனுதினமும் பாராயணம் செய்ததால் அதில் உண்டான அதிர்வலைகள் அங்கிங்கெனாதபடி எங்குமாக பரவிக் கிடப்பதால் திருப்பிடவூர் எனப்பெயர்பெற்றது. திருப்பிடவூர் என்பதே காலப்போக்கில் திருப்பட்டூராக மாறியது. 

4. இது காசிக்கு நிகரான தலம் மட்டுமல்ல. திருக்கைலாயத்திற்கு நிகரான தலமும் ஆகும். இத்தலத்தில் ஸ்ரீமந் நாராயணரை வணங்கி தொழுததால் ஆதிசேஷன் அடுத்த கணம் பதஞ்சலி முனிவராக மாறினார். 

5. கர்வத்தை ஒழிப்பவர்கள் மனதில் இறைவன் உறைவதும், அவனே இறைவனாக மாறிப்போவதும் இத்தலத்தில் நிகழும். 

6. திருக்கயிலாய ஞான உலா எனும் நூல் இத்தலத்தில் அரங்கேறியது. 

7. சிவ பெருமான், தன் அடியவர்கள் பலரையும் இந்த தலத்திற்கு அழைத்து வந்து திருவிளையாடலை நிகழ்த்தி இருக்கிறார். 

8. சேர மன்னன் நாயானாரும், சுந்தரரும் நெகிழ்ந்து வணங்கிப் பேறு பெற்ற அற்புதமான இடம் இதுவாகும். மாசாத்தனார் ஓலை நறுக்குகளுடன் காட்சி தரும் விக்கிரகத் திருமேனியை கோவிலின் மூலமூர்த்தமாக இன்றைக்கும் இங்கு தரிசிக்கலாம். 

9. சிவபெருமான் பிரம்மனின் ஒரு தலையை கிள்ளி எறிந்த தலம் திருவையாறு அருகில் உள்ள திருக்கண்டியூர் தலத்திலாகும். அந்த பிரம்மன் பரிகாரம் தேடி கொண்டது திருப்பட்டூராகும். 

10. பிரம்மன் உருவாக்கிய பிரம்ம தீர்த்தக் குளம், சிவலிங்கச் சந்நிதிகளும் இங்கு அமைந்துள்ளன. இங்கு வழிபட்டால் 12 சிவாலயங்களுக்கு சென்று வழிபட்ட புண்ணியம் கிடைக்கும். 

11. பிரம்மபுரீஸ்வரர் கோவிலில் மாதாவாக பிரம்ம சம்பத்கவுரி கனிவு ததும்ப கருணை பொங்கக் காட்சி தருகிறாள். இவளுக்கு செவ்வாய், வெள்ளி கிழமைகளில் புடவை சார்த்தி வேண்டிக் கொண்டால் தடைப்பட்ட திருமணம் இனிதே நடைபெறும். 

12. பிரதோஷ நாளில் இங்கு ஒரே நேரத்தில் நந்திக்குச் செய்யப்படுகிற பூஜையையும், நரசிம்ம மூர்த்தியையும் தரிசிக்கலாம். 

13. ஏழேழு ஜென்ம பாவங்களை நீக்கி பஞ்சபூதங்களாக உறைந்து இத்தலத்து ஈசன் நம்மை காக்கிறார். 

14. பிரம்மாவை வணங்கும் போதே குரு தட்சிணாமூர்த்தியை தரிசிக்கலாம். 

15. குரு பகவானுக்கு அதி தேவதை யான பிரம்மா தனி சந்நிதியுடன் திகழும் தலம் இதுவாகும். 

16. இத்தலத்திற்கு திருப்படையூர் என்ற பெயரும் வழக்கத்தில் இருந்தது. 

17. சுப்ரமணிய சுவாமிக்கு வஸ்திரம் சார்த்தி, சர்க்கரை பொங்கல் நைவேத்தியம் செய்து பிரார்த்தனை செய்தால் வியாபாரத்தில் வெற்றி கிடைக்கும். 

18. தலை எழுத்தையே மாற்றி அருளும் திருப்பட்டூரில் குடி கொண்டிருக்கும் சுப்ரமணியரை வணங்கினால் மோட்சம் நிச்சயம் கிடைக்கும். 

19. தேய்பிறை அஷ்டமி யில், ராகு கால வேளையில் காலபைரவரைத் தரிசித்து அவரின் வலது காதில் நம் பிரச்சினைகளைச் சொல்லி வணங்கு வதற்காகத்தான் இத்தலத்தில் கால பைரவரின் வலது காது வித்தியாசமாக உள்ளது. 

20. இத்தலத்தில் கால பைரவருக்கு நேர் எதிரில் இருக்கும் கஜலட்சுமியை வணங்கினால் ஐஸ்வர்யம் கிடைக்கும். 

21. 20 ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன்பு வரை திருச்சி, முசிறி மற்றும் துறையூர் என சுற்று வட்டார ஊர்களைச் சேர்ந்தவர்களுக்குக்கூட திருப்பட்டூர் என்கிற ஊரே தெரியாமல் இருந்தது. ஆனால் இன்றைக்கு இத்தலம் தமிழகத்தையும் கடந்த பெங்களூரு, ஆந்திரா முதலான மாநிலங்களையும் தாண்டி பிரபலமாகியுள்ளது. 

22. இத்தலத்திற்கு வந்து காசி விஸ்வநாதரையும், பிரம்மபுரீஸ்வரரையும் கண்ணாரத் தரிசித்து வணங்குபவர்களுக்கு புத்துணர்ச்சி கிடைக்கும். புதிய சக்தியுடன் சிவத்தொண்டு புரிவர். 

23. திருப்பட்டூர் திருத்தலம் ஒரு காலத்தில் மிகச் செழிப்பாக இருந்தது. எப்போதும் வேத கோஷங்கள் காற்றில் நிரம்பி புண்ணிய பூமியாக திகழ்ந்தது. 

24. பூணூல் கல்யாணம் எனும் சடங்கை இத்தலத்தில் செய்வது விசேஷம் ஆகும். 

25. திருபட்டூர் சுற்று வட்டாரத்தில் உள்ள விவசாயிகள் இங்கு வந்து அம்பாளின் திருவடியில் விதை நெல்லை வைத்து வணங்கி விட்டு, பிறகு அதை ஊர்வலமாக எடுத்துச்சென்று தங்களின் வயல்களில் விதைத்தால், தானியங்கள் செழிப்பாக வளர்ந்து லாபம் கொழிக்கும் என்கிறார்கள். 

26. இத்தலத்துக்கு வந்து பிரம்மாவின் திருச்சந்நிதியில் ஜாதகத்தை வைத்து மனதாரப் பிரார்த்திக்கும் பக்தர்கள், பிரார்த்தனை நிறைவேறியதும் வஸ்திரம் சார்த்தி நேர்த்திக் கடன் செலுத்துகின்றனர். 

27. 11 வியாழக்கிழமை தவறாமல் இங்கு வந்து தியானம் செய்தால் மன அமைதி கிடைக்கும் என்கிறார் இங்கு வரும் பக்தர் ஒருவர். 

28. வெள்ளைத் தாமரை சார்த்தி பிரம்மாவை வழிபட்டால் உடனடி பலன் கிடைக்கும் அதே போல் நீங்கள் பிறந்த நட்சத்திர நாளில் இத்தலத்தில் வழிபட்டால் புண்ணியம் நிச்சயம் சேரும். 

29. ஆடி சுவாதி நட்சத்திர நாளில், திருப்பட்டூர் வந்து மூன்று கோவில்களுக்கு சென்று தரிசனம் செய்யுங்கள். அப்படி தரிசித்த பலனை, அடுத்தடுத்த நாளிலேயே உணர்வீர்கள். 

30. ஒரேயரு முறை திருப்பட்டூர் தலத்தில் காலடி எடுத்து வையுங்கள். மனதின் அத்தனை துக்கங்களும் பறந்து, மனம், புத்தி, செயல், சிந்தனை யாவற்றிலும் ஓர் ஒழுங்கை, நேர்த்தியை, தெளிவை உணர்வீர்கள்.

Chocolate Hazelnut Fudge Bars.

Allergen Information: Free of dairy, egg, corn, gluten, yeast

Ingredients: Makes a medium bread pan 9 by 5 inch

1/2 cup coconut milk or other non dairy milk
1.5 oz vegan dark chocolate, 1/3 to 1/2 cup, (1/2 of 3 oz Theo 70% Cacao Dark Chocolate)
3/4 cup Justins chocolate hazelnut butter or plain homemade hazelnut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 to 1 cup dates, pitted

Method:
1. Soak the dates in warm water for 10 to 15 mins.
2. Heat coconut milk until almost hot then take off heat. Add chocolate and let sit for half a minute, then whisk to melt.
3. Blend the melted chocolate, nut butter, vanilla, dates until smooth. Taste and adjust sweet, chocolate etc. Blend well. Pour into parchment lined pan. Freeze for 2 hours. Slice and serve or slice and freeze in airtight container.

To make quick Nutella shake: Take 2 to 3 pieces of the fudge or 3 tbsp vegan nutella(chocolate hazelnut butter), 3/4 cup almond milk, sweetener to taste, ice cubes. Blend and serve.

Note: Use any nut butter for variations. Use seed butter to make nut-free. Blend with 2 cups coconut milk to make nutella ice cream.
http://www.veganricha.com/…/chocolate-hazelnut-fudge-bars.h…

Wind Turbine Generates Electricity Without Rotating Blades

A Spanish company called Vortex Bladeless has come up with bladeless wind turbine technology that seeks to provide more energy for less, and address the criticisms aimed at traditional wind farms - particularly where wildlife is concerned.

With blades that spin at speeds of more than 320 km/h (200 miles/hour), wind turbines haven’t been the best news for the birds that live around them. While for the most part, the damage is fairly minimal, one wind farm in particular, Altamont Pass in California, US, has drawn the ire of local residents because of the 1,300 birds of prey - including eagles, falcons, hawks - that are killed each year as they try to migrate through it.And keeping all those heavy blades spinning that fast indefinitely? Well, it’s no easy task, and certainly not cheap, energy-wise. According to Vortex Bladeless, just by ditching the blades - and all moving parts, in fact - they will save around 40 percent of the energy cost of regular wind turbines, largely by cutting down on maintenance costs. "Since the Vortex doesn't have moving parts or gears, it should last longer and it won't require periodic lubrication," Dante D’Orazio from The Verge reports. "The simpler design also means that manufacturing costs are about half that of a traditional wind turbine.”

D’Orazio adds that the bladeless turbines are estimated to harvest approximately 30 percent less energy, but because they’re basically just sticks now, you can cram a whole lot more of them into the space of a regular wind turbine. Plus these things are completely silent, so no one can claim instances of wind turbine syndrome, where the sub-sonic noise generated by traditional wind turbines is blamed for everything from headaches and dizziness to sleepiness and depression. 

So how do they work, exactly? Just like traditional wind turbines, the bladeless variety still needs to capture kinetic energy and convert it to electricity, but instead of using a blade, it uses a phenomenon known as vorticity, which produces a series of spinning vortices in the surrounding air. The team at Vortex Bladeless designed their 2.7-metre-high 'cones' specifically so that these vortices would accumulate simultaneously all the way up their length. Liz Stinson explains at Wired:

"In its current prototype, the elongated cone is made from a composite of fibreglass and carbon fibre, which allows the mast to vibrate as much as possible (an increase in mass reduces natural frequency). At the base of the cone are two rings of repelling magnets, which act as a sort of nonelectrical motor. When the cone oscillates one way, the repelling magnets pull it in the other direction, like a slight nudge to boost the mast’s movement regardless of wind speed."

The kinetic energy that's generated from all this movement is then converted into useable electricity using an electrical generator called an alternator.

Vortex Bladeless have already raised over $1 million in funding, and hope to gather more from investors in the US. They’re planning on installing their first prototype by the end of the year.

Audi has made a synthetic, high-grade fuel from plant sugars

Just last month, German car manufacturer Audi invented a carbon-neutral diesel fuel, made from water, carbon dioxide and renewable energy sources, and they say their pilot plant in Dresden will pump out 160 litres of the of the stuff every day in the coming months to power their Audi A8 cars.

Now, they’ve announced the development of another new type of environmentally friendly, petroleum-free synthetic fuel, which they’re calling 'e-benzin'. Manufactured in France by Audi’s partner company, Global Bioenergies, the fuel is produced by converting corn-derived glucose - a renewable source of biomass sugar - into isobutane gas. Commonly used in refrigeration systems and aerosols, isobutane gas is also one of the staples of the petrochemical industry. About 13 million tonnes of it is extracted annually from oil, and used to produce various types of fuels, plastics and elastomers. In this case, the team at Global Bioenergies refined it into a clear, high-grade, 'unleaded’ fuel.

"The next step in the process was to run the material through a conditioning and purification process, allowing it to be collected and stored in liquid form under pressure," Eric Mack reports for Gizmag. "Some of it was then sent to Germany to be converted into isooctane fuel, creating a pure, 100 octane gasoline."

That last point refers to the octane rating of the fuel, which is the standard measure for how much compression a type of engine or aviation fuel can withstand before it ignites. While a low octane rating is better for diesel engines, a high rating is required for gasoline engines, and the higher the rating, the more efficient it is to use.

The team says their Isooctane fuel can be used as an additive to regular unleaded fuel to make it more efficient, or can be used on its own as a fuel. And because their new fuel contains no benzene or sulphur, they say it burns very cleanly. While the next step of the process will be figuring out how to produce the fuel in large quantities, the company also aims to modify the manufacturing process so that no biomass is required - just water, hydrogen, CO2 and sunlight, like how they're producing their new 'e-diesel' fuel.

"We're thinking we're bringing green-ness to a field that desperately needs green-ness," Rick Bockrath, vice president for chemical engineering at Global Bioenergies,told Gizmag. "It's basically how we're moving away from an oil-based economy towards something that has a renewable, sustainable future to it."

With an 'e-gas'- or synthetic methane - being made on an industrial scale already, and projects dedicated to getting 'e-ethanol’, Audi 'e-diesel' and Audi 'e-benzin' on the market in the coming years, it’s hard not to be impressed by a car company that appears to be so invested in making petroleum-based fuels a thing of the past.

http://www.sciencealert.com/

கிழமைகள்... பலன்கள்... பரிகாரங்கள்... செவ்வாய்க்கிழமை!

செவ்வாய்க்கிழமையில் பிறந்தவர்கள் பலரிடமும் பலவிதமான யோசனைகளைக் கேட்பார்கள். ஆனாலும் தான் வைத்ததே சட்டம்; தான் நினைப்பதே சரி எனும் மனப்போக்குடன் திகழ்வார்கள். நல்லவர்களுக்கு நல்லவர்; கெட்டவர்களுக்கு கெட்டவராகத் திகழ்வார். அதனாலேயே பலருக்கும் இவரைப் பிடிக்காது. ஆனால், அதைப் பற்றி இவர்கள் கவலைப்பட மாட்டார்கள். நியாய- தர்மத்துக்குக் கட்டுப்பட்டவர்கள்.

நல்லன அருளும் தேதிகள்: 9, 18, 27 ஆகிய தேதிகளில் புதிய முயற்சிகளை கையிலெடுத்தால் பல நன்மைகள் கிடைக்கும்.

ஏற்றம் தரும் வயது காலங்கள்: 18, 27, 36, 45, 54, 63, 72 ஆகிய வயதுகளில் நல்ல திருப்பங்கள் உண்டாகும்.

வளம் தரும் கிழமை: வியாழன்

பரிகார வழிபாடு: செவ்வாய்க்கிழமைகளில் அதிகாலை எழுந்து நீராடி, அரளிப்பூவால் முருகப்பெருமானை அர்ச்சித்து வழிபட்டால், வாழ்க்கை வளம்பெறும். அன்றைய மாலைப்பொழுதில் ஸ்ரீபைரவரை வழிபடுதல் விசேஷம். துவரம் பருப்பால் செய்த நைவேத்தியத்தை சமர்ப்பிப்பது சிறப்பு.-வெ.சுப்ரமணியன்