Daily Dose Of Interesting Information

[sahana]

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test post from lw

 

[sahana]

Another test post from lw










With the invention of the four cylinder engine and efficient fuels, motor driving has become fast, easy and enjoyable. Yet at one time the car was crawling at a speed less than the speed at which a person can walk!

Nicholas Cugnot, a French artillery officer, was the world’s first motorist. His vehicle with three wheels appeared in 1769. It had a two cylinder engine driving its front wheel. It worked on steam. It could carry four persons and travel at two miles per hour!

But the copper boiler placed in front of the car was both huge and heavy. It was so large and bulky that the driver could not steer the vehicle.

On it maiden run, the car demolished a stone wall. Cugnot was not only the first motorist but also became the first motorist to crash his car!

Visalakshi Ramani

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

Dear Siganeswarie,

Thank you for your contributions.

But the title of my thread is Daily dose of intersting information.

I give an article a day (prepared after referring to many sources).

I do not just copy paste from any source. These articles are from my blog in

wordpress.com. I have enough articles to last me through a few more

months.

It will be good if you can start a new thread for your contributions.

Good Luck!

Looking forward to your new thread,
Visalakshi Ramani.

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

Dear Sahana,

The web master and his team are doing their best to sort out the problem I am facing in posting the articles.

I follow a certain order in posting my articles. I know you want to help me.

But in reality you are just posting the articles in a random order and disturbing my original schedule.

I am sure the problem will be sorted out today or tomorrow.

So let us all wait patiently without creating more confusion in this thread-which was doing very well, till 10th inst!

with best wishes,
Mrs. V.R.

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

#141. Stainless Steel.





Harry Brearley-a specialist in steel- began doing research in Brown Firth Research Laboratories in 1908. His aim was to find a way to prevent the corrosion in the rifle barrels, due to the heat produced and gas released during firing.

He was trying varying amounts of Chromium mixed with carbon iron to produce the perfect alloy. On August 13, 1913, he mixed 0.24% of carbon and 12.8% of Chromium with steel to create the new alloy now popularly known as Stainless Steel!

So the 13th of August (19)13, doubly unlucky for every one else, turned out to be his luckiest day!

He tested the new alloy with lemon juice and vinegar, the most commonly used liquids in cooking, but it did not react with them in the same way as plain steel would!

So it was decided that the alloy would be ideal to produce kitchenware and cutlery-which do not get tarnished or corroded! The kitchen- ware revolution had begun!

Even the world of architecture has undergone major changes- thanks to the stainless steel! The Gateway Arch at St. Louis is completely coated with stainless steel. The pinnacle of The Chrysler Building is made with this wonderful alloy.

Unisphere in New York, the largest global structure in the world, is made with stainless steel. Patronas Twin Towers and Jin Mao Building-two of the world’s tallest skyscrapers-have their exterior made of stainless steel.

Art deco sculptures use of stainless steel which can withstand the onslaught of Sun, rain, snow and Time!

Modern light weight furniture are made with stainless steel-especially those used near beach areas, since they are strong, sturdy, weather proof and elegant to look at!

Mechanical and machine parts as well as medical equipments are now made out of stainless steel.

Looking around us we are forced to wonder at two things: what will the world be without this alloy and is it really less than a century, since this stainless steel was invented!

Visalakshi Ramani

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

#142. Microwave Oven.


Microwave Oven or simply Microwave has become an essential gadget in the modern smart kitchens, all over the world! This wonderful invention is also due a lucky accident and the open mindedness of its inventor!

In 1945, Percy Spenser-an engineer and an inventor- was working on a Magnetron. A Magnetron is used to create microwave radio signals for the use in Radars.

He noticed that the chocolate bar kept in his pocket began to melt! Wondering whether it was due to the microwaves, he further experimented with popcorn kernels and an egg.

Th popcorn kernels popped up well and the egg exploded in the face of one of the experimenters! The microwave oven was born!

The initial models were giants compared to the present day models. The first microwave oven built in 1947 was the size of a fridge 5′ 9″ tall, weighing a massive 750 lbs and costing a fortune of 5000 US$! It had to be water cooled!

As time went on, the microwave got streamlined to become smaller and more affordable. They can now fit in the homes and as well as the budgets of the common folks!

The smallest microwave oven in the market is 11″ tall, 15″ wide and less than 10″ deep! It would appear to be a mere toy kept beside the first ever microwave oven!

Visalakshi Ramani.

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

#143. Radio activity.



Radio Activity was discovered by the French scientist Henri Becquerel in 1896, while he was working on phosphorescent salts. These are salts which glow in the dark, after being exposed to light first.

He thought that the glow produced in the Cathode Ray Tube by the X Rays might be similar in nature. He wrapped several photographic plates with black paper and tested by placing various phosphorescent salts on them.

All the salts showed negative results until Uranium salts were placed. Uranium salts blackened the photographic plates deeply! The new radiation found was named as Becquerel Rays.

But blackening of the photographic plates occurred even when the salts were kept in complete darkness! Metallic Uranium as well as non phosphorescent salts of Uranium also exhibited the same effect!

Initially Becquerel Rays were thought to be similar in nature to the X Rays. But it was later proved to be much more complicated than X Rays.

The new rays were emitted due to the phenomenon called Radioactivity.

Radioactivity is the spontaneous disintegration of certain unstable nuclei emitting Alpha, Beta and Gamma Radiations. This is exhibited by certain elements and their compounds which are Radioactive in nature.

Radioactivity has found several uses in modern life. It is used to study living organisms and in the diagnosis and treatment of certain diseases. It is used to sterilize medical instruments and food items and also in producing electric power and heat energy in Thermal Power Plants.

Radioactivity which was discovered by a lucky accident, has revolutionized the world of Medicine and Energy!

Visalakshi Ramani

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

SPIRIT AND SUCCESS.

Geniuses are few and far between! It has been already proved that genes have nothing to do with genes. Even the home atmosphere may or may not contribute the achievements of a person.

Surprisingly even physical challenges and mental disabilities did not seem to dampen their spirit to succeed!

An ordinary man may accept his lot, wallow in self pity, demand sympathy from everyone in his circle and become a parasite for life.

But those persons were determined to win in spite of every physical challenge and restriction placed on them by the cruel hands of Fate.

In this thread we will look into a few of those great men and women who have risen above their disabilities and made an indelible mark in the history of human achievements- a sheer success due to their indomitable spirit.

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

#144. John Milton.





John Milton ( 9th December 1608-8th November 1674 ) was an English poet, an author and a civil servant for the Common Wealth of England. He is best known for his epic poem Paradise Lost which earned him the praise as the greatest English author and poet!

This Magnum Opus of blank verses was composed by Milton-after he had become blind! He composed this great piece of work through dictations to a series of aids in his employment.

This is a feat by any standard, considering his blindness! He would compose the verses in his head all night and dictate them to his aides the next morning.He became blind in 1652 but went on writing despite his problems.

His prose as well as poetry reflect his deep convictions. He wrote on the contemporary issues as well. He could write in Latin and Italian as well as he did in English! He had earned an international reputation during his life time-to become a living legend!

Once Paradise Lost was published, Milton was recognized as a great epic poet. His influence continued to linger on the poets living in the 18th and 19th centuries!

He is considered to be greater than even William Shakespeare! All this was achieved despite his loss of eye sight and dependency on the others around him!

Visalakshi Ramani

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

#145. Leonhard Euler.



Leonhard Euler (1707-1783) was a Swiss mathematician and Physicist. He is famous for his work in Mechanics, Fluid Dynamics, Optics and Astronomy.

Euler had worked in almost all the areas of mathematics namely Geometry, Calculus, Trigonometry, Algebra and Number Theory. His works in Continuum Physics and Lunar Theory are famous.

Euler’s eye sight worsened through out mathematical career! He suffered from a near fatal fever in 1735. After three years he became blind in the right eye. Later he suffered cataract in his left eye and became totally blind in 1766.

But his physical conditions hardly affected his productivity. His skill for mental calculations and his photographic memory more than compensated his visual impairment.

With the aid of his scribes, his productivity actually increased! In 1775, he was producing one mathematical paper ever week, on an average!

Euler has been honored by several countries for his contributions to the world of Mathematics and Physics.

Old Swiss 10 Franc notes bear his picture. Former Soviet Union released a stamp in 1957, commemorating his 250th birthday. Former German Democratic Republic released a stamp on Euler’s 200th death anniversary.

Visalakshi Ramani

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

#146. Beethoven.



Beethoven (1770-1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is considered to be the most influential composers of all time!

Beethoven’s hearing began to deteriorate when he was at the pinnacle of his success. Yet he continued to compose, perform and conduct concerts even after he became totally deaf!

Beethoven was baptized on 17 December 1770, in Bonn. His father was his first music teacher. He also learned from the other local teachers. His talent was promising even when he was a mere child. He gave his first public performance in March 1778, when he was a mere child seven years old!

When his mother died in 1787, he had to take care of his two younger brothers and alcoholic father. However he continued to write several compositions with growing maturity and style. His works were not published then!

In his early twenties he moved to Vienna, settled there and studied to become a virtuoso pianist. He did not set out to establish himself as a composer right away. He studied under Haydn and also took violin lessons from another master.

Beethoven’s first performance in Vienna was in March 1795. It was then that he published his first composition “Piano trios Opus”.

His compositions of First six string quartets, The First and The Second Symphonies made him the most famous composer after Haydn and Mozart.

Around 1796, he began to lose his hearing. He suffered from “Tinnitus”, a ringing sound in his ears. He could no longer appreciate music nor can he take part in conversations.The cause of his deafness was not known.

By the time he wrote his Ninth Symphony, he was completely deaf! However he continued to compose music and play piano!

His determination to succeed was so great that it overcame all the physical obstacles. Indomitable Spirit always overcomes physical challenges and succeeds!

Visalakshi Ramani

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

#147. Braille.





Louis Braille (1809-1852) was a blind Frenchman who devised The Braille System, used by the blind people to read and write! Each Braille character consists of six dot positions in two columns of three dots in each.

Braille system was based on the silent mode of communication in the dark, called the Night Writing. It was developed by Charles Barbier to meet Napoleon’s demand for military use.

Barbier’s system had 12 raised dots and a number of dashes in addition. The soldiers found it so complicated to learn that it was eventually rejected by the military.

Braille could identify the defects in Barbier’s system and set them right. Braille reduced the number of dots from 12 to 6.

This made the system easier and faster to read. An alphabet can be read by the touch of a finger tip, without having to move it along.

This revolutionized the written communication for all the blind! Braille system has been adapted for every known language.

Braille became blind at the age of three when he accidentally poked his eye with a stitching awl, one of tools used by his father-who was a saddle maker. The injury got infected and went blind. The other eye also went blind because of sympathetic ophthalmia.

At the age 10, Braille earned a scholarship to the National Institute for the Blind in Paris. He was a bright and creative student and became a talented Cellist and an Organist, while at school.

Braille was well respected by his pupils. However his writing system was not taught in his own Institute during his life time. He died of tuberculosis at the age of 43.

Braille’s system of writing was officially recognized only in 1854, two years after his death! Sadly very few persons are lucky enough to get recognition in their own life time!

Mastering Braille requires professional training and relentless practice. Designer Hyung Jin Lim has developed the Braille Interpreter. It consists of a single finger glove, a Blue tooth headphone and an interpreting software.

User may wear the finger glove and move his finger over the Braille alphabets.The reading material is transferred to the head phone as voice date through the Blue tooth.

Visalakshi Ramani

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

#148. Thomas Alva Edison.



Edison (February 1847- October 1931) was an American inventor, scientist and a businessman. His numerous inventions changed the face of the world and the living style of the people in it! He is one of the greatest inventors in human history. He holds 1093 U.S patents and many more in U.K, France and Germany.

According to Edison “Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration”. His life is a good example that proves his statement.

Edison was born as the seventh and last child of his parents in Milan, Ohio, in 1847. While at school, his mind used to wander! His teacher thought that his mind was “addled”-meaning that his mind was confused and mixed up. Soon his three months of official schooling came to an end!

Only his mother had unshakable faith and trust in his intelligence. She home schooled him! Edison used to recall later,”My mother was the making of me. She was so true and so sure of me and I felt I had something to live for, someone I must not disappoint”.

Edison developed hearing problem at a very early age! The cause of his deafness was the scarlet fever he had suffered from and the recurring middle ear infections which were not treated properly.

His deafness did not interfere with his abilities and he went on inventing more and more things- which we just take for granted today!

Truly his 99% perspiration had overcome his all possible hurdles in his life!

Visalakshi Ramani

 

[siganeswarie]

Ghost Flower has the botanical name of Mohavea confertiflora. It represents the figwort family- Scrophulariaceae and grows in America. It thrives in desert washes and rocky slopes beneath 2,500 feet.

This erect annual plant is capable to attain the height from 4 to 16 in. It produces long, covered with hairs, greenish leaves with the length of up to 4 in.

The plant’s translucent flowering heads gave rise to its common name Ghost Flower. The blooms come in creamy to yellow tints, blooming in springtime. They are about 1, 5 in across, bearing pinkish to purplish dots on the inner surface of five lobes forming a cup. Lower petal features reddish-purple spot with two yellow stamens that curve upward over it.

The Ghost Flower gives no nectar but is a very uncommon plant that is a delight to behold.host Flower

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

# 203 repeated again!

Dear Siganeswarie,

Thank you for your contributions.

But the title of my thread is Daily dose of interesting information.

I give an article a day (prepared after referring to many sources).

I do not just copy paste from any source. These articles are from my blog in

wordpress.com. I have enough articles to last me through a few more

months.

It will be good if you can start a new thread for your contributions.

Good Luck!

Looking forward to your new thread,
Visalakshi Ramani.

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

#149. Vincent Van Gogh.



Vincent Van Gogh was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter. His works are famous for their vivid colors and deep emotional impact. Yet he had suffered from deep anxiety and frequent bouts of mental illness, throughout his short life span of 37 years!

Van Gogh got very little appreciation for his works when he was alive. He became world famous only posthumously! Today he is considered as the one of the main contributors of Modern Art and one of the greatest painters of all time!

He started painting only in his late twenties! He had very little formal training and was in reality a self taught artist! His best paintings were produced in the last two years of his life. He had produced over 900 paintings and 1100 drawings and sketches!

His early works have only somber earth tones as opposed to the vivid colors used in his later works!

Van Gogh was born on 30 March in 1853, in Southern Netherlands. As a child he was very serious, silent and thoughtful. He suffered from recurring episodes of mental illness throughout his life but the episodes became more and more pronounced during the last few years of his life!

He was either unwilling to paint or unable to paint! This would make him greatly depressed. On 27 July 1890, he walked into a field and shot himself in the chest. He survived the bullet only to die two days later!

His works seem to reflect the state of his mind, at the time of painting them. Some are somber and sober. Others show optimism, hope and a desire to become normal. Some others are downright bleak, showing utter despair and hopelessness!

By mid 20th Century Van Gogh had been posthumously recognized as one of the greatest painters of the world!

Van Gogh has created 37 self portraits between 1886 and 1889! His self portrait without beard is one of the costliest paintings in the world. It was sold for an astronomical sum of 71.5 million $ in New York in 1998!

Whether his madness actually helped him to draw pictures with greater emotional impact or whether he would have been a greater artist minus his mental problems, is a subject fit for debate!

Visalakshi Ramani

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

#150. Helen Keller.





Helen Keller (1880-1968) was an American author, a political activist and a lecturer. What made this a great feat was the fact that she was both blind and deaf!

Helen was not born blind and deaf. When she was 19 months old, she contracted a disease which left her both blind and deaf. It could have been an attack of scarlet fever or meningitis!

She was able to communicate with Martha-the family cook’s six year old daughter. By the time Helen was seven years old, she had more than 60 signs to communicate with her family.

Twenty years old Anna Sullivan-herself a visually impaired person-became Helen’s instructor, governess, friend and companion for life!

Anna began to teach her to communicate by spelling a word in Helen’s palm and letting her touch the same object with her other hand!

In 1904, Helen became the first deaf and blind person to earn the degree of Bachelor of Art. She was 24 years old then.

Helen wrote and published several articles and twelve books. She traveled widely and spent much of her time in raising funds for the American Foundation for the Blind.

Helen was the most admired person of the 20th Century. On September 14, 1964, President Lyndon Johnson awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom-one of the two highest civilian awards of U.S.A. In 1965, she was elected to the National Woman’s Hall of Fame at New York World Fair.

It is amazing how any blind and deaf person could overcome her physical challenges to rise to such a height-which even normal healthy people are unable to do!

Visalakshi Ramani

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

#151. F. D. Roosevelt.



Franklin.D.Roosevelt (1882-1945) was the 32nd President on U.S.A.

He was elected four times for this prestigious office continuously and served from 1933 to 1945. He is the only President who has served for more than two terms of office.

While he was on vacation at Campobello Island in 1921, he contacted an illness which left him completely paralyzed from waist down. He could never accept the fact that he was paralyzed for life!

He sought every possible cure ranging from electric current to ultraviolet rays; from massages to mineral baths-anything that could cure his paralysis, make his atrophied legs stronger and revitalize his weakened muscles!

He had to convince the public that he was getting better-if he wanted to run for a public office. Fitting his legs and hip with iron braces, he taught himself to walk short distances, with the help of a cane.

In private and when alone by himself, he would use a wheel chair, after making sure that no one could see him in it. In Public he would stand upright supported on one side by one of his sons or aides. A special car designed with hand controls gave him greater mobility.

He led the U.S.A efficiently at the height of its economic crisis and at the depths of The Great Depression. His combination of Optimism and Activism revived the National Spirit.

Working closely with Winston Churchill and Stalin in leading the Allies against Germany and Japan, he died just before the Allied emerged victorious in the World War II!

Visalakshi Ramani

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

#152. Albert Einstein.



Albert Einstein (1879-1955) is famous for formulating the Theory Of Relativity. He was awarded Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921 for discovering the Law of Photoelectric effect. Who would ever believe that as a child he was very slow in learning to talk!

Einstein was so very slow in learning to talk that his parents were greatly concerned about this and consulted a few doctors to make sure that he was a normal child.

His slow verbal development had its good points too! Unlike the other children who pester their parents with thousands of “Why” and “How” Einstein learned to think and figure out about the various curious things seen around, by himself.

He got a gift of compass needle at the age of 5. He was fascinated by the needle always pointing North, wherever and however it was placed. His fascination for magnetic field lasted through out his life.

He had the rare ability to think in terms of mental pictures rather than in mere words. He inferred more from the visual experiments performed in his imagination, than from those performed in the laboratory.

Einstein was a great theoretical physicist and philosopher. He is the best known scientist of all times. He published more than 300 scientific papers and more than 150 non scientific work. He wrote on Philosophical and political subject with equal ease.

Several European and American Universities conferred on him honorary Doctorate degrees for Science and Philosophy.

Einstein was so extraordinarily brilliant that his name is now synonymous with the word Genius.

Was he the same person who in his childhood caused undue worry in the minds of his parents?

Visalakshi Ramani

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

#153. John Forbes Nash.





John Forbes Nash (born on June 13th, 1928) is a great American Mathematician, whose works have provided insight into the forces, which govern the chances and events in our daily lives.

Serving as a senior Research Mathematician in Princeton University, he shared the 1994 Nobel memorial prize in Economic Sciences with two other persons.

Nash began to show signs of extreme paranoia, while working in the M.I.T. His behavior became erratic and weird. He spoke of people who were putting his life in danger. He believed that an organization of men were chasing him and they were all wearing red ties.

He was admitted in Mac Lean Hospital in 1959 and the diagnosis was Paranoid Schizophrenia. When he was allowed to leave the hospital, he resigned his job from M.I.T and took his pension. Nash went to Europe seeking political asylum in France and East Germany-without any success. He tried to renounce his U.S citizenship!

Nash was again committed to the New Jersey Hospital in 1961. After 1970 he was never committed to any hospital. He refused to take any more medication!

Despite being wrecked physically and emotionally Nash has won several awards and world wide fame.

Nash was awarded the John Von Neumann Theory Prize for discovering his famous Nash Equilibria. He received the Leroy.P.Steele prize in 1999.

He shared the Nobel memorial prize for Economic Sciences in 1994, with two other persons. He was conferred honorary doctorates in 1999, 2003 and 2007 by various Universities.

Despite the psychological problems which threw his life out of gear, when he was at the prime of youth, John Nash has emerged victorious in his battle for survival and recognition.

Visalakshi Ramani

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

THE FIRST OF ITS KIND!

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

The first of its kind.

Necessity is the mother of invention. Modesty also at times becomes the mother of invention-as in the case of the stethoscope.Nothing was invented and perfected at the same time.

So when we take a look at the original versions of the various inventions, we can't help admiring and registering how much they have been improved to get the current versions!

Human mind can think only in steps and not in leaps and bounds! So every practical problem will be set right giving the next improved product. This goes on and on!

Well, this is not the end either! The future will have much more improvised products for the convenience of the people.

In this thread let us take a look at what made these inventions and discoveries necessary and how they have evolved over the time.

Source of the articles: My blog <visalakshiramani.wordpress.com>

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

#154.The First President of U.S.A.





Any one would name George Washington as the first president of USA. But John Hanson from Maryland became the first president of U.S.A in 1781. After him seven others held this high position before Washington was elected and took office in 1789.

The office of the president of U.S.A, as it is known today, was not created till 1789. But the office of the ‘President of the United States in Congress Assembled’ had existed since 1781. There was growing discontent about the British rule over the 13 colonies. The colonies established The Continental Congress in 1774, with a delegate from each colony.

Continental Congress waged a war against Britain under the leadership of George Washington. The congress created a Federal Constitution. The articles of this confederation were the law from 1781 to 1789, until they were superseded by the new Constitution.

Hanson’s role was to preside over the Congress. He lacked the executive powers–which was later invested on George Washington–and could not enforce the measures of the Congress in the individual states. Often the states just ignored these measures.

By 1786 the weaknesses of the Federal Constitution were identified. In 1789 a new Constitution established a more effective and a more powerful central government.

For eight long years, the Continental Congress had ruled the newly formed United States. John Hanson, though largely forgotten now, had the honor of being its first president.

Visalakshi Ramani

 

[Visalakshi Ramani]

#155. The Cowboys.


The Cowboys of the Wild West are regarded as heroes. They get scorched by the harsh Sun, driven by the rain and snow and brave the attacks by the hostile, native Indians. Yet, the first Cowboys were “Cattle Raiders” and not “Cattle Raisers”.

When The British seized the New York City in 1776, during the American Revolution, the rest of the province was turned into turmoil. Both the sides formed guerrilla forces and committed murders and robbery as if they had got sanction to do so.

Westchester County was the common hunting ground for both parties. The “Cowboys” looted from the British side while the “Patriot brigade” looted from the American side.

The title Cowboys was the nickname earned by the British Guerrillas for their success as cattle raiders. They were ruthless killers of men and lured the unsuspecting victim into the woods, using the cow bells, in order to kill them.

With horses and men as their targets, the American Guerrillas, aptly names as “Skinners” were even more vicious and unprincipled than the cowboys.

Quite often the Cowboys and the Skinners formed groups, for the disposal and distribution of their loots, as equally as possible. When the hostilities ceased in 1781, the plundering and killing came to an end.

It took several generations before the atrocities of the Cowboys were forgiven and forgotten. Now the Cowboys, who are cattle risers, have earned the respect and admiration of the whole of U.S.A.

Visalakshi Ramani