Category: Education

Education is the process of facilitating learning, or the acquisition of knowledge, skills, values, morals, beliefs, and habits.

Short and Long form content: Their relevance

The terms short and long-form content gets thrown around a lot in the realm of the internet but if we were to clearly define and differentiate both type of content. Then it becomes much harder to discern between the two.

For instance, if we were to describe, how many word counts define long-form content. Then we will notice that there is no particular amount of words that will fulfill those criteria. For some content creators, 1000 words might be long and for some, it may be short. This same principle can be applied to the viewers as well. Due to these many experts consider long-form and short-form as more of beliefs rather than any specific word count. The word count can also vary according to the type of content and subject.

Now let us transition into the social media platforms instead to understand this phenomenon better. In a nutshell, the rise of short-form of content and marketing sounds likes a great deal but we have to look at the underlying challenges and opportunities that come with it. Tik-Tok, Instagram, and many other platforms have become quite popular but somehow YouTube still manages to be relevant. Why is that?

One of the biggest strengths of YouTube and its encouragement of long-form of content is the higher level of engagement. Long-form of content is easier to monetize, instead of one ad banner in a one-minute video a creator can add multiple advertisement banners in a 20-minute video. Advertisers prefer that and so does the platform, this also incentivizes the content creator to make long-form content. In the advent of the pandemic, many platforms that focused on short-form content have suffered. An example of this is ‘Quibi’, which started as a Netflix alternative on the go, and many people were not traveling and restricted to their homes due to the restriction and lockdowns. The relevance of Quibi shifted to a very volatile situation. Because when a person is at home, he/she prefer to watch a full episode instead of a brief version of that content. We cannot determine the exact failure of Quibi but it’s certainly one of the major contributors to this.

When does short content Work?

This is not to say that short-form content does not work, because the popularity of platforms that cater to short-form content is thriving especially when it comes to images and short videos. This means that it’s very crucial to determine the target audience. Although Tik-Tok and Instagram might not have the original content and monetization possibilities as compared to YouTube. They are still the go-to platforms for many new creators and numerous advertisers.

But things are a little different when the content is in written form. It’s also essential to understand when the short-form content works and when it does not. For instance, Buzzfeed focuses on large volumes of shorter content. Another thing to keep in mind is that multimedia is an integral part of Buzzfeed content and sometimes the content only acts as a supplementary shell for their multimodal content.

Due to a busy work-life balance, people tend to have less time to spare, and short-form content seems like the right choice. It also works well on mobile application platforms. Applications like ‘inshorts’ and ‘dailyhunt’ have perfected the short-form content delivery. While working on short-form content, there are a few more prerequisites that are necessary. For example, the content needs to be on point and needs to convey the whole story succinctly. To keep the engagement the need for multimedia inputs also becomes more important. Due to the digital transformation of the news, the time cycle of news has become compressed, readers demand any kind of news instantly and news is now consumed in binges.

Things to keep in mind and is it good or bad?

Short-form content also requires short-form marketing. This is a challenging area where advertisers are trying to keep the users engaged but they also have to ensure to not annoy them with on the face and bombastic ads. This is one area that is still not well received by the consumers.

There is no particular answer to the question if the rise of short-form content is good or bad. This all depends on the context of the problem. While designing and creating the content, the writer will have to determine the target audience. This essentially solves half the problem. There is a demand for short-form content but this is more relevant concerning video and photo content sharing. Written short-form content needs to be accompanied by multimedia to make it enticing. While the heading needs to be attractive but overly clickbaity headings should be avoided. The epidemic of fake news in instant messaging platforms like Whatsapp has left a sour taste in people’s mouths.

Many predicted that desktops will be wiped out as smartphones arrive but desktops are still relevant and even though a mobile-first strategy is preferential, almost every major website still offers a desktop equivalent to their mobile counterparts. The reason is simple, less bounce and significantly higher average time on the site.

The same can be applied to the long-form content, with long-form content there are more possibilities compared to short-form content. There can be additional content and features like good or bad, or pros and cons, just like I’m doing here! Various examples, references, graphs, etc can be complimented to the content. It also becomes easier to organize content with numerous subheadings to make content much more intelligible. This is not to say that the longer the content is necessarily better because sometimes long-form content results in a point of diminishing returns. In many cases, the topic and subject are much more important than the form of content. Content relevance, internal linking structure, User Experience design, pictures, videos, and the quality of a website or application are very important as well.

In conclusion, we can say that both short-form and long-form of content are relevant, the only catch is to determine which type of content applicable in that particular situation. Short-form content platforms have seen a huge surge of popularity but on the contrary, marketing and monetizing of short-form has their own sets of problems that are needed to be addressed.

HOW MUCH ‘INSPIRATION’ DO WE NEED?

“THE PESSIMIST SEES DIFFICULTY IN EVERY OPPORTUNITY. THE OPTIMIST SEES OPPORTUNITY IN EVERY DIFFICULTY.” – Winston Churchill

EFFECTS OF INSPIRATION

The word “Inspiration” rings out many bells in one’s mind. It suggests many feelings such as promise and self-confidence which further charges up the other emotions to move forward in whatever domain one want to. Inspiration is a highly effective dose to bring out all the hidden personalities and characters in one’s disposition, which helps him or her to comprehend the potential and attain the set goals.

IT IS OMNIPRESENT

All the renowned and celebrated people who have made a mark in their life have been inspired and motivated at some or the other point of their life. We can take examples of people in the field of Art, Music and Medicine’ or in the field of Technology. Even politicians and great saints cannot be ruled out. One can get inspired in countless ways, it can be verbal, written or may be through some of the work done or an example set by the person they kind of became role models. When you carry a deep feeling for a person, you start trusting and have a blind faith in his thinking and philosophy and just start following the tracks without even being sure of that.

WE ALL NEED A MENTOR

The person you are impressed with or whom you ae following becomes your counsellor and you have to consider him like your ‘leader’. Only then, benefits can be gained and dreams can be appreciated. If we turn the pages of history Arjuna got so inspired after Lord Krishna’s sermons and he realized that if he did not listen to Lord Krishna at that time, then he will not be able to fight and protect Dharma’, as by that time he was totally influenced.

A TRUE LEADER ENKINDLES OUR FAITH IN THE ACTION

There are many saints who have earned name and fame in people’ s heart by simply following their ‘expert’ for an inspiration in life. So, an inspiration coming from the right person helps us to internalize our goals and we attain our mission Sometimes when we are depressed and are literally down in the junkyards, at that time a Comforting sentence or a gentle hand on the head gives us much required and desirable confidence and assurance. Such motivation goes a long way.

SUPPORT INSPIRATION

Therefore, one can work hard only if there is moral support and inspiration. As the saying goes that there can be perspiration only if there is an inspiration.

History Of C Language

There are many programming languages in use today, one of which is C. There are many offshoots of the C programming language, including Objective-C, C++, and C#. None of these are the same language.
THE BEGINNING:
The C programming language came out of Bell Labs in the early 1970s. According to the Bell Labs paper The Development of the C Language by Dennis Ritchie, “The C programming language was devised in the early 1970s as a system implementation language for the nascent Unix operating system. Derived from the typeless language BCPL, it evolved a type structure; created on a tiny machine as a tool to improve a meager programming environment.” Originally, Ken Thompson, a Bell Labs employee, desired to make a programming language for the new Unix platform. Thompson modified the BCPL system language and created B. However, not many utilities were ever written in B due to its slow nature and inability to take advantage of PDP-11 features in the operating system. This led to Ritchie improving on B, and thus creating C.

The development of C was to become the basis for Unix. According to the Bell Labs paper, “By early 1973, the essentials of modern C were complete. The language and compiler were strong enough to permit us to rewrite the Unix kernel for the PDP-11 in C during the summer of the year.” This now meant that C was becoming a strong language that could, and would be, implemented across many systems. By the middle of the 1970s, the C-based Unix was used in many projects within the Bell System as well as “a small group of research-oriented industrial, academic, and government organizations outside [Bell Labs]”. In 1978, Brian Kernighan and Dennis Ritchie published The C Programming Language, which would serve as the language reference until a formal standard was adopted. Five years later, the American National Standard Institute (ANSI) formed the committee, X3J11, to establish the formal standard of C. The C standard was ratified as ANSI X3.159-1989 “Programming Language C”. This was the first formal standard of C. Currently, we are on the fourth standard of C, known as C18 as it was published in June of 2018

Over time, C began to be used in personal computers for developing software applications and other purposes.
The first change (even if only a little) came when the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) formed a committee in 1983 to standardize C. After a review of the language, they modified it a little so that it was also compatible with other programs that preceded C. So the new ANSI standard came into being in 1989, and is known as ANSI C or C89. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has also contributed to the standardization of C.
Over time, C has evolved as it has added some significant features like memory management, functions, classes and libraries to its rich feature set. C is being used in some of the biggest and most prominent projects and products in the world.
C has also influenced the development of numerous languages such as AMPL, AWK, csh, C++, C–, C#, Objective-C, Bit C, D, Go, Java, JavaScript, Julia, Limbo, LPC, Perl, PHP, Pike, Processing, Python, Rust, Seed7, Vala and Verilog.
USES TODAY :
According to Toptal, UNIX operating systems are written in C and most of Linux is also in C. Also databases such as Oracle Database, MySQL, MS SQL Server, and PostgresSQL are at least partially written in C. C is the basis of many system kernels. Other programming languages, like Python and Perl, use compilers or interpreters that are written in C.
C has changed over the years and is still a common language to use in lower level programs, like kernels. But it is also used for many applications ranging from device drivers to other programming languages’ compilers or interpreters. The language also made way for C++, Objective-C, C#, and many more C-based languages that each have their own speciality.

OUR SOLAR SYSTEM

The “Solar system”

There are many planetary systems like ours in the universe, with planets orbiting a host star. Our planetary system is named the “solar” system because our Sun is named Sol, after the Latin word for Sun, “solis,” and anything related to the Sun we call “solar.”

Our planetary system is located in an outer spiral arm of the Milky Way galaxy.Our solar system consists of our star, the Sun, and everything bound to it by gravity — the planets Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, dwarf planets such as Pluto, dozens of moons and millions of asteroids, comets and meteoroids. Beyond our own solar system, we have discovered thousands of planetary systems orbiting other stars in the Milky Way.

10 Need-to-Know Things About the Solar System

1>ONE OF BILLIONS

Our solar system is made up of a star, eight planets and countless smaller bodies such as dwarf planets, asteroids and comets.

2>MEET ME IN THE ORION ARM

Our solar system orbits the center of the Milky Way Galaxy at about 515,000 mph (828,000 kph). We’re in one of the galaxy’s four spiral arms.

3>A LONG WAY ROUND

It takes our solar system about 230 million years to complete one orbit around the galactic center.

4>SPIRALING THROUGH SPACE

There are three general kinds of galaxies: elliptical, spiral and irregular. The Milky Way is a spiral galaxy.

5>GOOD ATMOSPHERE(S)

Our solar system is a region of space. It has no atmosphere. But it contains many worlds—including Earth—with many kinds of atmospheres.

6>MANY MOONS

The planets of our solar system—and even some asteroids—hold more than 150 moons in their orbits.

7>RING WORLDS

The four giant planets—and at least one asteroid—have rings. None are as spectacular as Saturn’s gorgeous rings.

8>LEAVING THE CRADLE

More than 300 robotic spacecraft have explored destinations beyond Earth orbit, including 24 astronauts who orbited the moon.

9>LIFE AS WE KNOW IT

Our solar system is the only one known to support life. So far, we only know of life on Earth, but we’re looking for more everywhere we can.

10>FAR-RANGING ROBOTS

NASA’s Voyager 1 is the only spacecraft so far to leave our solar system. Four other spacecraft will eventually hit interstellar space.

Spacecraft are Headed into Interstellar Space:-

Five spacecraft have achieved enough velocity to eventually travel beyond the boundaries of our solar system. Two of them reached the unexplored space between the stars after several decades in space.

  • Voyager 1 went interstellar in 2012 and voyager 2 joined it in 2018. Both spacecraft are still in communication with Earth. Both spacecraft launched in 1977.
  • NASA’s new horizons spacecraft—currently exploring the an icy region beyond Neptune called the Kuiper Belt—eventually will leave our solar system.
  • Pioneer 10 and pioner 11 also will ultimately travel silently among the stars. The spacecraft used up their power supplies decades ago.

Religious Policy of Akbar

Akbar grew up in an environment where remarkable saints like Kabir, Chaitanya emphasized on a religion based on devotion and love rather than one based on rituals and interpretations of revealed books.An atmosphere where liberal sentiments and views propagate greatly influenced Akbar’s religious policy. 

Main features of his religious policy:

Protective measures- Abolition of pilgrim tax, giving up policy of religious conversion of the prisoners of war.This laid the foundation of the empire based on equal rights irrespective of religious faiths.

Sulh-I-kul (peace to all)- This involved the adoption of the idea of how a true sovereign should behave . Akbar adopted the idea that a true ruler should show parental love towards his subjects without any discrimination , not allow sectarian strife to rise.

Ibadat khana- Initially Akbar was influenced by the Chief Qazi but after his betrayal he grew increasingly inclined towards mysticism, repeating God’s name . In 1575, he established Ibadat Khana at Fatehpur Sikri where he invited theologians, preachers of different religions. He held discussions about the Quran , features of different religions, the nature of God etc.

“Decree of Infallibility “- To deal with Mullahs Akbar issued a declaration or Mazhar that to consider fit  to interpret the Quran among different persons Akbar is the one. Since he is wise , just and ranks higher in the eyes of God so he will choose which interpretation of the Quran is correct among many others.

Maintained contacts- Abar maintained contacts with different religious scholars and continued to invite them to his court. For example , he had invited from Hindu religion Puroshottam and Devi , from Christianity Aquaviva and Monserrate.

Tauhid-I-Illahi- Contact with different religious leaders provided Akbar with great understanding, although all religions had different good points but they all preached the creation of an atmosphere of peace , amity and good for the country. This understanding made Akbar to create a new religion combining all the good of other religions. This was the Tauhid-I-Illahi. It was an order of the Sufistic type, Sunday was the day of initiation where those willing to join placed head at the feet of the Emperor who raised him up and gave him the formula-the shast to repeat upon , Allah-o-Akbar was the motto.

Enrolling Murids- They were a personal band of nobles completely loyal to the Emperor who had to give up their property, life, honour and religion and become devoted to Akbar. Badayuni has criticized this move of Akbar as a strategy to gain loyalists and many unworthy flatterers.

Translation department- Akbar made sure to translate works like Singhasan Battisi , Atharva Veda , Ramayana, Mahabharata etc.

Hence the religious policy of Akbar shows his attempt to maintain peace and cordial relations between different sections in society. 

Introduction to Bits Pilani

Photo by Ekrulila on Pexels.com

The Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani, popularly known as BITS Pilani, was established in 1964. It is a Deemed to be University for higher education. BITS Pilani is accredited by the NAAC with ‘A’ Grade with a 3.45 CGPA. In addition, BITS Pilani is ranked among the top 10 Engineering institutes in India by India Today 2020 Ranking survey.

The campus of BITS Pilani is sprawled over an area of 328 acres and is equipped with all necessary facilities. It specifically emphasises research and development and considers it as an integral part of its higher education ecosystem. The Centre for Material Science & Technology, Embedded Controller Application Centre and Centre for Robotics and Intelligent System are a few among many research centres that are there at BITS Pilani campus.

BITS Pilani provides decent infrastructure throughout the college. Following are the key highlights:

  • Hostels:  There are eleven hostels for boys and one hostel complex for girls.
  • Sports: Swimming Pool, Volleyball Court, Tennis court, etc.
  • Laboratories: Civil Engineering Lab, Chemistry Lab, Computer Lab, Design Lab, Electrical Lab, Electronics Lab, Mechanical Lab, Physics Lab, Petroleum and Petrochemical Lab, etc
  • Library: Library has room for up to 8,000 students, offers 738 open-access study places and 246 open-access IT work stations. As well as the books and periodicals you expect, it is home to computing facilities for students.
  • Other facilities: Gym, Cafeteria, Wi-Fi campus. AC Classrooms, etc.

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Flavors of Unix

Unix is not a single operating system. It is in fact a general name given to dozens of o.s. by different companies, organizations or groups of individuals. These variants of unix are referred to as flavors. Although based on the same core set of unix commands, different flavors can have their own unique commands and features, and are designed to work with different types of h/w. Linux is often considered a unix flavor.

Among the ways in which the various flavors of UNIX differ are (1) fundamental design, (2) commands and features, (3) the hardware platform(s) (i.e., processors) for which they are intended and (4) whether they are proprietary software (i.e., commercial software) or free software (i.e., software that anyone can obtain at no cost and use for any desired
purpose).

Linux :
The most popular and fastest growing of all the Unix-like operating systems. It is developed by Linus Torvalds, Linux is a product that mimics the form and function of a UNIX system, but is not derived from licensed source code. Rather, it was developed independently; by a group of developers in an informal alliance on the net. A major benefit is that the source code is freely available (under the GNU copyleft), enabling the technically astute to alter and amend the system; it also means that there are many, freely available, utilities and specialist drivers available on the net. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. Recent versions of Glibc include much functionality from the Single UNIX Specification, Version 2 (for UNIX 98) and later.

FreeBSD :
The most popular of the BSD systems (all of which are direct descendants of BSD UNIX, which was developed at the University of California at Berkeley). BSDI is an independent company that markets products derived from the Berkeley Systems Distribution (BSD), developed at the University of California at Berkeley in the 60’s and 70’s. It is the operating
system of choice for many Internet service providers. It is, as with Linux, not a registered. UNIX system, though in this case there is a common code heritage if one looks far enough back in history.

IBM :
IBM has been quietly working on its mainframe operating system (formerly MVS) to add open interfaces for some years. In September 1996, The Open Group announced that OS/390 had been awarded the X/Open UNIX brand, enabling IBM to identify its premier operating system to be marked UNIX 95. This is a significant event as OS/390 is the first product to guarantee conformance to the Single UNIX Specification, and therefore to carry the label UNIX 95, that is not derived from the AT&T/ SCO source code.

NetBSD :
NetBSD is a free, fast, secure, and highly portable Unix-like Open Source operating system. It is available for a wide range of platforms, from large-scale servers and powerful desktop systems to handheld and embedded devices. Features the ability to run on more than 50 platforms, ranging from acorn26 to x68k

OpenBSD :
The OpenBSD project produces a FREE, multi-platform 4.4BSD-based UNIX-like operating system. Our efforts emphasize portability, standardization, correctness, proactive security and integrated cryptography. As an example of the effect
OpenBSD has, the popular OpenSSH software comes from OpenBSD. It May have already attained its goal of becoming the most secure of all computer operating systems.

Darwin :
Darwin is an open-source Unix-like operating system first released by Apple Inc. in 2000. It is composed of code developed by Apple, as well as code derived from NeXTSTEP, BSD, Mach, and other free software projects The new version of BSD that serves as the core for the Mac OS X

Many of the proprietary flavors have been designed to run only (or mainly) on proprietary hardware sold by the same company that has developed them. Examples include:

  • AIX – developed by IBM for use on its mainframe computers
  • BSD/OS – a commercial version of BSD developed by Wind River for Intel processors
  • HP-UX – developed by Hewlett-Packard for its HP 9000 series of business servers
  • IRIX – developed by SGI for applications that use 3-D visualization and virtual reality
  • QNX – a real time operating system developed by QNX Software Systems primarily for use in embedded systems
  • Solaris – developed by Sun Microsystems for the SPARC platform and the most widely used proprietary flavor for web servers
  • Tru64 – developed by Compaq for the Alpha processor

Virtual Rape

The topic of virtual reality rape has not been extensively popularised as of now. Despite the fact that it has been discussed, today’s societal construct only permits rape to occur in real life. Because rape is more closely associated with the physical form of the act, it is even more difficult to comprehend in a non-physical virtual environment. However, the advancement of computer-mediated communication (CMC) has created a dependable platform for people to network with one another in virtual reality and have an open discussion on the subject.
Virtual rape is a term that has been coined to describe the act of
Because the notion is only now being freely discussed and recognised, it does not yet have a well-established legal definition. Virtual rape, on the other hand, can be described as the act of forcing someone into an unwilling sexual act in a virtual setting. It could entail a non-consensual touch, exposure, or character representation modification.

The behaviour may differ depending on whether the virtual environment is a visual one with online avatars (a figure that represents a specific user in a video game) or a more direct type of textual immersive contact. There may be gaps in the definition due to its narrow scope, which excludes other types of sexual assault and sexually explicit behaviour. As a result, an ideal definition would advise that virtual rape be defined as rape that occurs in the actual world.


Sexual autonomy is being violated on the internet.
As a criminal offence, rape is one of the most heinous and despised acts that one may commit against another. Though, over time, numerous penal codes have recognised various types of rape, ranging from penial-vaginal penetration to oral and anal penetrations, forceful insertion of inanimate objects, drowsiness, incapable victims, deception, and other types of problematic inappropriate sex.

Is it a crime – this is the essential argument.
The shift of rape into space online makes this terrible scene a little less intimate and intrusive as it moves virtual. The intrusion reduces as the proximity and imagery are removed from the entire act in comparison to the actual real-life event, without diminishing the terrible impact it may have on the victims. The offender’s control and coercion are reduced, resulting in a less stressful encounter for the victim. It differs from a real-life rape situation in which physical force, compulsion, and unwillingness are used.


Conclusion
It has been stated that society has not yet reached a position where virtual attacks should be considered illegal. However, due to a lack of legislative or judicial acknowledgment, the matter remains largely subjective at this time. With all of the knowledge and data accessible, the only way to answer the issues that arose from the situation was to conduct thorough study. To have a prominent and clear understanding, our legislators would need to be wise while dealing with an allegation of virtual rapes and the concerns that go along with it. Until then, it is the responsibility of virtual communities and their producers to establish safe virtual environments for its users.

JOURNEY TO SANITY – MINDFULNESS

In the current world, we might have taken the term mindfulness too seriously in literal terms. We constantly keep our minds filled with news, gossips, shows and every other non-important thing in order to avoid the most important thing – OURSELVES. However, Mindfulness in reality is the art of being in the present both physically and mentally.
Many a times we get caught up in planning for the future or cherishing the past memories. It is good to remember old things and look forward to new experiences, but not at the expense of the present.
As it’s beautifully quoted by Master Oogway: “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is mystery but today is a gift. That is why it’s called Present”.

So, now the question that arises is, how to stop the urge to overthink?
To answer that, It’s hard to control your mind as the more you try to control it, the more it wonders. Kind of like caging a bird, who yarns for freedom. A good master is considered to be a person who sets the bird free and allows it to come back to him. Similarly, mindfulness does not mean the absence of distractions or complete numbness. It is the ability to be aware of the thought, accepting the thought and then, gently bringing it back to the present.

Other ways to be more mindful can be :

~ Eating with complete attention on the food you intake, without being distracted by television, phone, etc.

~ Avoid multitasking and juggling between different works.

~ Avoid using phones in the washroom (I know you do)

Though it might seem as we have just today to achieve everything possible and today will change our future but relax, listen to your heart. It might not be that bad to rest and enjoy life for once

Do not forget to read more from the series 🙂

JOURNEY TO SANITY – ACCEPTANCE

JOURNEY TO SANITY -JOURNALING

JOURNEY TO SANITY – SELF CARE

JOURNEY TO SANITY – DOUBLE STANDARDS

JOURNEY TO SANITY – SUNSHINE 🌤️

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How to do reforestation

the process of replanting trees as a recovery process of deforestation is known as reforestation. Reforestation has very large importance to recover for the harm of deforestation. It is important to decrease the pollution, specifically air pollution and also helps to fight climate change.

Every person asks to plant trees and has a list of reasons to do so. But nobody told about the right way to do reforestation. Is it ok to go on planting any species thinking every plant gives oxygen, what is the difference. Along with reforestation, protecting our biodiversity is also crucial. Just planting same species to an entire area is just like agriculture. It will never contribute more than oxygen and never helps to address other co-existing problems.

Conducting right reforestation programs will help to restore habitats. A large number of animal species are facing the fear of extinction because of deforestation. They just not need any tree to survive, Their survival depends on the biodiversity as well. Forests take part in ecological changes. Forests maintain soil quality. Planting a single species will surely not helps to restore the soil quality and also maintaining humidity and temperature.

HOW TO SELECT SUITABLE SPECIES

Go for the study of the site or place where you are planning to do reforestation. Study the soil composition and derive conclusions based on that. See whether the place has the capacity to grow the species you are selecting. Look for the plants that have naturally regenerated in that place. That will give you an idea about the verities that originally belong to that place. Study about the historical vegetation that is try to get knowledge about the vegetation present there before deforestation. This can be done by looking for old forest department records. After you decide for the species that to be planted collect information about the growth of each type. Look for requirements of water and sunlight and other necessary things and whether they are now available at that site.

HOW YOU PLANT WILL ALSO MATTER

There are two methods in regeneration: 1. Natural regeneration in which includes natural seeding techniques, stump sprouting and root suckering. 2. Artificial regeneration method which involves machine planting, hand planting, aerial and ground seeding methods. Choose whatever works for you.

Choose the plants samplings from the local source. This will help in effective reforestation. Go for mixing of species, both naturally occurring and planted and maintain diversity. In the area with management problems go for long-lived species. Use species which is appropriate for the site.

Promote natural appearing style rather than planting in rows and columns. Leave enough space between the samplings and allow for establishment of other species. consider other soil management techniques like scarifying and irrigation if needed. Protect the surrounding natural habitats like lakes and ponds. Provide debris to the plants. And also increasing complexities may increase the cost of reforestation. Always manage the budget.

Kwimba Reforestation project of Tanzania is an example for successful reforestation project. This project was commenced in 1990 funded by World land trust. The main purpose of the project was to restore the biodiversity of the Usambara mountains. Now species like ficus, mahogany cedar, plum tree, apple trees are the part of that biodiversity and world needs to be inspired by such stories.

The Truth About Crop Circles

Garden-variety crop circle.

Crop circles have been appearing in grain fields all over the earth during the last few decades. They appear suddenly, usually at night. At first they were simple circles of bent-over grain stalks. Soon a new crop of more elaborate designs evolved—geometric forms reminiscent of profound mathematical theorems.

Some cerealogists (people who study crop circles) say that these diagrams must be created by intelligent alien beings from elsewhere. Even though these diagrams must be constructed in a very short timespan, the genuine crop circles never show any serious mistakes or blunders of execution. Cerealogists see this as evidence that the aliens must be very intelligent and much more advanced than we are. That’s mere speculation, of course. Others say the real reason is that there’s a worldwide conspiracy to hide the fact that the aliens sometimes do make mistakes. This coverup is carried out by people who want to preserve the myth that the aliens are a perfect race. The fact that you’ve never heard of such crop circle blunders just shows how effective this coverup is, they say. Mistakes are repaired at the site, or sometimes photographs of the circles are retouched. This has about as much to recommend it as any of the other conspiracy theories accepted and believed by simple-minded people.

Let’s look at more plausible explanations. Actually, a few designs do seem at first to have apparent irregularities or flaws. Some of these are surely caused by wind or rain, careless hoaxers or the trampling feet of crop circle buffs. But let’s set those aside and look only at those that are genuine and undisturbed. What appear at first to be iregularities or errors, may only be perfection of a higher and subtler kind, that we do not as yet understand.

Crop circles made by aliens?

Why should supposedly intelligent aliens travel huge cosmic distances across the galaxy just to doodle in our grain fields? What an absurd idea! [1] No one has ever seen them doing it, have they? Usually there aren’t even any ufo sightings associated with the circles, except for those reported after the fact by people with overactive imaginations. Surely intelligent aliens have better things to do. The true origin of crop circle designs may be nearer to home.

The whole thing begins to make sense once we realize that the earth is flat. We live on the backside of a huge flat blackboard (whiteboard, scratch paper, or whatever) used by aliens in their schools and universities. There are many of these in the universe. The flat disk of the earth is thin enough that student doodles made in alien art and math classes “bleed through” to our side. This happens because their writing instruments emit mitogenetic radiation (M-rays) that are well known to affect some living plants, especially wheat, barley, oats and corn. [2] M-rays weaken the stalk structure near the ground, and the stalks bend over gently to lie flat on the ground, showing no evidence of forceful breaking. So the crop circles in grain fields are nothing more than the reverse pattern of alien students’ diagrams made in geometry class.

Look carefully at photos of crop circles in books and on the internet, and a striking fact emerges. Crop circle designs are constructed from circular arcs and straight lines. Even the more complex crop circles, including those made to look like Mandelbrot sets, or the head of Mickey Mouse ©, conform to this rule. All crop circles can be constructed using the standard methods of Euclidean geometry. This should tell us something. The aliens making these drawings must be using ungraduated rulers and compases. [3] Has anyone ever seen a crop circle based on the form of a pentagon?

It’s true that a few designs have straight lines and curves that seem at first to be more complex than circles. But we must remember that straight lines are simply circles of infinite radius. Any complex curves can be constructed approximately from circular arc segments of different radius.

Did they use a ruler?

There’s good evidence that aliens have been defacing the earth’s surface with geological grafitti for a very long time. The curious lines and drawings on the Nazca plain in Peru likely have the same cause. At that earlier time in history the aliens had only primitive writing instruments. They were still using “pens” made of inorganic material, that emit E-rays (Earth rays). These only affect non-living things. Sand on flat ground is easily moved around with very little energy. The sandy surface of the Nazca plain acted like a giant Etch-A-Sketch ®. No advanced mathematical figures are found at Nazca, only long straight lines, pictures and geometric doodles. Obviously the aliens weren’t as scientifically advanced then. Then why are the lines so perfect, and the straight lines so straight? The reason is quite simple: on their side of the blackboard the aliens used rulers.

School kid’s prank?

A number of commentators claim to have proven to their own satisfaction that the Ancient Egyptians didn’t have the resources or technology to build the pyramids. Could it be that the pyramids of Egypt were built by alien kids, who, in a playful mood, pushed their play blocks into their blackboard, all the way through, coming up point first on our side? Following this line of reasoning, perhaps Stonehenge and similar structures are the result of an alien children’s game in which stone pegs are pushed into a geometric array of holes

IS EDUCATION EASIER WITH DISTANCE LEARNING?

Life changes with the passage of time, as does the circumstance. And the perfect example to relate to this phrase is the situation in which we are living today. The ongoing pandemic scenario has altered conventional lifestyles while also bringing remote learning into the spotlight.

So, distance learning is a form of learning in which lectures are broadcast over the air or lessons are delivered through mail, with the learner not having to attend a school or institution. This learning method is not entirely unique to us, but due to the ongoing circumstances it has become a catchword and has lately swept the world by storm. 

Traditional learning, in contrast to distant learning, needs several variables to support education for students, such as infrastructural setups and study materials which in turn elevates the cost level. however, everything has its pros and cons and I’m going to highlight the advantages and disadvantages of traditional learning and distance learning below in order to make a judgment upon the selected topic.

TRADITIONAL LEARNINGDISTANCE LEARNING
ADVANTAGESDISADVANTAGES
It is highly interactive and keeps the student motivatedLack of individual attention and feedback
Access to libraries and research materials Limited scope of practical learning
Lesser chances of distraction Higher chances of distraction
Helps in maintaining interpersonal interactions Don’t help in developing oral skills and social interactions
No technical difficulties Technical difficulties 
  
DISADVANTAGESADVANTAGES
Less affordableIt is much more affordable 
Transportation is needed to attend lectures that will cost the learner money as well as time.No commutation needed to attend classes which saves time and money 
Access to gain multiple  knowledge is challengingEasier access to knowledge 
Cannot work while learningCan work while learning
Does not ensure flexibility with timeEnsures flexibility with time 
Geographical boundary is a barrier to gain knowledge No location restriction to earn knowledge 

After comparing the benefits and drawbacks of online learning and traditional learning it can be said that online learning has certain drawbacks, but as we can see in this information age, we don’t have any other option than to obtain knowledge through online platforms; it may evolve to be user-friendly and become an integral part of human life, just like traditional education. Because in today’s educational system, distance learning is becoming more and more accepted, and the online programs are becoming diversified. With the ongoing technical advances distance learning disadvantages will soon be no longer drawbacks. For example- In today’s world, everyone is getting their education through e-learning, which is a type of distance learning that makes studying more engaging and convenient. It also allows the student to progress at their own speed because e-learning materials may be accessed at any time. When we look at the statistics of e learning, we can see that it is becoming a trend lately in learning and development since it saves time, money, and effort in building up educational institutions and training programs, as well as in delivering content to learners. So therefore, it can be said that distance learning which includes e learning can become the future of education globally and education becomes easier with distance learning. 

Tamil at Harvard University

Inauguration of Tamil Club and Kavidhai Club - Sevalaya

What is Tamil Chair?

Tamil Chair Inc. is a non-profit organization registered in the state of Maryland (USA) that is currently working on fund raising for Harvard Tamil Chair

6m $ is required to establish it

Tamil is one of the very few languages of the world with a classical past and a robust literary tradition that has continued to this day. Despite many foreign occupations of the Tamil country and other outside influences, this noble language has always shined, producing vibrant literature for over 2 thousand years.

In addition to the literature, there have been numerous grammar books, commentaries, religious works, didactic books, secular literature and works from many other genres.

This is what the Tamil chair of Harvard university states about tamil

What is the need for a Tamil Chair?

  1. Tamil language has one of the oldest written traditions in all of Asia and boasts a rich body of literary work dating back 2,500 years. Tamil has been accorded with a prestigious recognition as one of the seven classic languages (Greek, Sanskrit, Latin, Hebrew, Persian, Tamil and Chinese), and it is one of the very few that has survived all the way through to the modern world since its beginning.
  2. Currently, Tamil is the 20th most commonly-spoken language (by 80 million people) in the world, with vibrant literatures for over 2 thousand years. Literature represents the culture and tradition of a language or people, and it provides a kind of blueprint of human civilization.
  3. Thus far the global reach of Tamil literature is so limited, and for its ancient and Classic standing, Tamil literature deserves to be critically looked from new and diverse perspectives and the resulting knowledge needs to be shared across other cultures for mutual benefits.
  4. So the purpose of this chair is multifold. First, it is a matter of great prestige for Tamils to have our language taught at the world’s most prestigious university which attracts brilliant students from all over the world.
  5. There is also a need for research in ancient classical Tamil literature. Harvard will produce Tamil scholars who will be trained in research methodologies.

IMPORTANCE OF TAMIL CHAIR IN HARVARD UNIVERSITY AND THE WAY IT ENRICHES THE LANGUAGE

  1. Helps building History

History can be written on the basis of outputs from researching a language.

Research about a language is a step to build a history.

Ex: In recent, historians of India use vedic texts of sanskrit to build the own history.

They build Indian history with vedas as base.

If more outputs from researching tamil comes out it will help build Indian History which may be seen from view of tamil literature.

2. Helps developing the language

In India Hindi and sanskrit are given importance by central government for promoting and developing them. These types of actions from Indian government limits Tamil as a regional language and major funding is deprieved.

Promoting through a reputed university will ensure good amount of funding for research.

It will help explore the Tamil studies on a much deeper level through a rigorous approach executing formal academic research processes to bring out the traditions, the cultural, intellectual, and social practices of the Sangam period that are barely explored as of now. This will elicit Tamil’s long tenured literary tradition to the peer academic communities and establish it’s much deserved recognition as a Classic language.

3. Competition with Sanskrit and other classical languages

Indian goverment in name of Hindu Nationalism promotes only sanskrit.

For all other Classic and widely spoken languages like Sanskrit, Greek etc , there is so much research and progressive work that is done at various international academic centers. It is quite urgent and highly imperative that the same world class effort is put forth for Tamil to expand its stature and reach. It will enhance not only the chances for continual use but also the newly embraced recognition from the global populace.

4. Intensive Research and development

Any developments on language of Tamil is stopped by Indian government . Without funds researchers are suffering. Even if someone come out with good research it is deemed valued by Hindutuvas/Hindi Nationalist Indian government

Independent research in a foreign country will only enrich it for good without influence by Indian Government.

5. Gets world wide interest and new learners

Developing the language in a well known University will gather world wide interest for the language and gather new learners.

May revoke intersets in researchers to resume archaelogical excavations a, Keezhadi, Poombukar, Adhichanallur which were currently banned by Indian government for excavating. Because they provide excessive proofs to Independent tamil culture in Sangam period, so that it will affect sanskrit’s claim on Tamil.

Assures Tamil language’s legacy to survive and grow.

This endeavour will cerainly increase the horizon of Tamil

Good Food, Good Mood

What we eat doesn’t simply influence our physical health: it could also influence our mental health and wellbeing.

The relation between food and mood originates from the direct connection between your brain and your gastrointestinal tract, which is sometimes referred to as the “second brain.” Billions of bacteria live in your GI tract, influencing the creation of neurotransmitters, which are chemical compounds that continually transport messages from the stomach to the brain. (Two common examples are dopamine and serotonin.)

Eating nutritious foods encourages the growth of “good” bacteria, which has a favourable effect on neurotransmitter synthesis. A consistent diet of junk food, on the other hand, might promote inflammation, which can stifle output. When your brain’s neurotransmitter production is in excellent health, it gets these positive messages loud and clear, and your emotions reflect it.

A Mediterranean-style diet (rich in vegetables, seafood, fresh herbs, garlic, olive oil, cereal, and grains) combined with fish oil helps alleviate depressive symptoms. On the other hand, there are two types of foods that are harmful to the brain: those that trick the brain into releasing chemicals that we may be missing, temporarily influencing our mood (for example, caffeine and chocolate), and those that discourage the conversion of other foods into nutrients which the brain requires (for example, saturated fat such as butter, lard and palm oil).

THREE WAYS YOUR DIET AFFECTS YOUR MENTAL HEALTH

  1. It is essential for brain development – When we eat healthy food, it transforms into protein-building blocks, enzymes, brain tissue, and neurotransmitters, which transport information and impulses across different regions of the brain and body.
  1. It shifts the brain into growth mode – Some nutrients and dietary habits are associated with alterations in a brain protein that aids in the formation of new synapses between brain cells. A diet high in omega-3 fatty acids and zinc raises levels of this chemical. A diet heavy in saturated fats and refined carbohydrates, on the other hand, has a significant detrimental influence on brain proteins.
  1. It fills up the gut with beneficial bacteria – The gut contains trillions of beneficial microorganisms. They keep harmful bacteria at bay and your immune system in check, which means they assist to control inflammation in the body. Some gut bacteria even aid in the production of brain-boosting B vitamins.

FOODS THAT PROMOTE GOOD HEALTH

  1. Whole foods – Preservatives, food colouring, and other chemicals have been linked to hyperactivity and depression in certain studies. So, if you only remember one thing, remember to consume real food, which is food which has been minimally processed and has a few nutritious components. Consider eating fresh fruits and veggies.
  1. Fiber – Plant-based meals are high in fibre, which helps your body digest glucose – or food sugars – more slowly, avoiding sugar highs and lows. Fruits and vegetables, as well as nutrient-dense carbohydrates like whole grains and legumes, are high in fibre.
  1. Antioxidants – These anti-inflammatory compounds are abundant in berries, leafy green vegetables, turmeric, and foods high in Omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon and black chia seeds. Dark chocolate contains antioxidants as well.
  1. Vitamin D – Vitamin D aids in the synthesis of serotonin and is often obtained by exposure to sunshine. However, mushrooms, particularly reishi, cordycep, and maitake, are an excellent source. If you are vitamin D deficient, your doctor may also advise you to take a supplement.
  1. Magnesium – This important mineral aids in everything from nerve and muscle function to maintaining a regular pulse. However, it is also critical to the food-mood relation: A mineral shortage can harm your gut microbes and produce anxiety-like symptoms. Natural sources include dark chocolate, cacao nibs, almonds, and cashews, spinach and other dark leafy greens, bananas, and beans.
  1. Fermented foods – Fermented foods are high in probiotics, which are living microorganisms that are beneficial to the digestive tract. Sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, tempeh, and the fermented drink kombucha are a few examples. These items are also rich in sodium, so eat them in limit or avoid them entirely if you have hypertension.

Begin to pay attention to how different meals make you feel – not only in the moment, but also the day after. For two to three weeks, try eating a “healthy” diet, which includes avoiding all refined carbohydrates and sweets. Take note of how you feel. Then, one by one, gradually reintroduce items into your diet to observe how you feel. When some individuals “go clean,” they can’t believe how much healthier they feel, both mentally and physically, and how much worse they feel when they reintroduce items known to increase inflammation.