Category: World

The Bermuda Triangle

The Bermuda Triangle is a region in the north-western part of the Atlantic Ocean, near the USA. It is also called the ‘Devil’s Triangle’, because of all the disappearances and supernatural activity that is associated with it. Till date, around 50 ships and 20 airplanes have gone missing in the Bermuda triangle, never to be heard of again. Not even the wreckage or debris of any vessel has been found. One such case was in 1945, when a squadron of US Navy bombers became disoriented while flying over the area and thereafter disappeared, never to be found again. Even the rescue plane sent after them disappeared with no trace. No one knows what happens to the vessels, or the people inside them after entering the Bermuda triangle. Oftentimes the boats and planes have vanished without even sending out a distress call or signal, and planes have been known to go off the radar in this region of the ocean.

What are the possible explanations?

Many people like to suggest supernatural or other-worldly causes as possible explanations, like alien abductions or some mythical sea creature. However, it is more likely to have a scientific explanation, with geophysical and environmental factors at play. One such factor is that the agonic line (imaginary line connecting the earth’s north and south magnetic poles) passes through this area, which pilots may fail to account for. This may have caused discrepancies in interpreting the magnetic compass and thereby led to significant navigational error, resulting in catastrophe. Another scientific explanation is that the region often has massive rogue waves passing through it (reaching up to 100 feet) which are enough to carry away and engulf any evidence of a ship or airplane, which is why none has been found. Since multiple storms may converge in the Bermuda triangle, and hurricanes often sweep by in that area, it is possible to form massive waves and winds that destroy, carry away, and leave no sign of any vessels.

Furthermore, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of America has said that “There is no evidence that mysterious disappearances occur with any greater frequency in the Bermuda Triangle than in any other large, well-travelled area of the ocean,” This means that though there have been mysterious disappearances, a larger number of ships and airplanes have travelled through the region, and continue to do so today, without any incident. So, the few cases in which disappearances did occur might have been due to certain unfortunate circumstances and events.

Conclusion

There is a lot of mystery and fantasy involved when talking about the Bermuda triangle, but this is because human minds are drawn towards things that are bizarre and memorable, and we are more likely to remember things that seem exceptional in nature. In this process, however, we often disregard the ordinary things that offer a more realistic view. We prefer to think about a mysteriously disappearing ship rather than a ship that simply sank in a hurricane. This leads to something known as the ‘frequency illusion’ where once we’re introduced to something, we tend to notice it more often in our lives. This makes us believe that that thing is more common and frequent than it really is. Hence, the world may suffer from a frequency illusion that makes us want to think that the Bermuda triangle keeps swallowing up vessels very often, when in reality it has been a select few cases. In fact, mysterious disappearances happen in every part of the world, and not just the Bermuda triangle. The classic example of this being Malaysia Airlines flight 370.

Regardless, the Bermuda triangle has managed to capture human imagination with the unexplained disappearances in its area, and has also been referenced in may pop-culture pieces of media like the Gulliver’s Travels and Percy Jackson movies. This shows the impact that any strange phenomenon can have on human minds, and its ability to impress us. Today the Bermuda triangle is a safe destination that even tourists can visit to see for themselves, without any risk of disappearing.

|Costs of the practice of Sexism|

Sexism is an ideology which is used by men to victimize women.

“Sexism is the ideology that one sex is superior to the other. The term is generally used to refer to male prejudice and discrimination against women.”

Barbara Bovee Polk has stated that men in their own interest to maintain power and privilege over women are practicing sex differentiation. It is indeed a power game in which men want to establish their supremacy over women. 

Economic cost of sexism:

In comparison with men the economic cost to women is greater. Even though women have equal qualifications on par with men, in many business establishments they are paid less than what men in the same profession get. In fact there are legislations such as the equal remuneration act of 1976 in India which remove wage discrimination between male and female workers but in actuality this legislation is remain in majority of the instances as that letters. Studies have proved that families that rely on female breadwinners are found to be poorer than the ones which have male breadwinners.

Psychological costs of sexism:

Women are treated as second class citizens and their experience becomes passive, rather than active they tend to be treated as thoughtless objects and not subjects in the social environment. Women are forced to forego many educational, political, cultural and economic opportunities and to accept the feminine ideal -a thing of beauty and perfect housewife.

Costs of the practice of sexism on men:

Sexism has created stereotypes in the long run which has a negative impact upon men as well. Men often find it embarrassing to reveal or show too much affection for stereotypically they are expected to exercise control over women, if a husband helps his wife in the kitchen it is generally considered weird.

Hence, sexism is a practice which needs to stop as as it stands in the way of the growth and progress of women who are an equal member of the society and so it has a negative impact upon the growth and development of the society as a whole.

Sandra and Daryl Bem’s views are worth mentioning: “…. when a boy is born it is difficult to predict what he will be doing twenty-five years later we cannot say whether he will be a doctor or a college Professor because he will be permitted to develop and fulfill his own identity, but if the newborn child is a girl, we can predict with almost complete certainty how she will be spending her time twenty-five years later. Her individuality does not have to be considered, it is irrelevant.”

Covid-19 THIRD WAVE.

Raising the alarm bells for policymakers and citizens, a research report has contended that India may witness the third covid wave from August 2021. The report – COVID-19: The race to finishing line – prepared by SBI Research, claims that the covid third wave peak will arrive in the month of September 2021.

The research report says that India achieved its second wave peak on 7th May. “Going by the current data, India can experience cases around10,000 somewhere around the 2nd week of July. However, the cases can start rising by the second fortnight of August,” the report said.


These are the highlights from the report:

1. Global data shows that on average third wave peak cases are around 1.7 times the peak cases at the time of second-wave.
2. However, based on historical trends the cases can start rising by the second fortnight of Aug’21 with peak cases at least a month later.
3. India has started giving more than 40 lakh vaccination doses per day as shown by 7 DMA.
4. Overall, India has fully vaccinated 4.6% of its population, apart from 20.8% having received one dose. This is still lower than other countries including the US, the UK, Israel, Spain, France among others.
5. The decline in bank deposits in FY21 and concomitant increase in health expenditure may result in further increase in household debt to GDP in FY22.
6. States with high per capita GDP have been associated with higher Covid-19 deaths per million while low per capita GDP are associated with low Covid-19 deaths.
7. Only 4.6 per cent of the population in India is fully vaccinated, while 20.8 per cent have received one dose, much lower compared to other countries including the US (47.1 per cent), the UK (48.7 per cent), Israel (59.8 per cent), Spain (38.5 per cent), France (31.2), among others.

Dystopian Genre: Analysis and its Significance

The dystopian genre can be categorized into a wide group of literary works of speculative fiction. It usually involves a vision of the future, or an alternate world, which is used by an author to comment on and explore ideas about their own society. It’s has been a popular genre for quite some time. Lets analyze why dystopian literature, in particular, is so important.  

Dystopian literature makes important commentary on the world, societies, and our governments. Humans, since the beginning of the organized society, have always been fascinated by a perfect society which is ‘Utopia’. Since Humans are flawed and our societies mirror that, but it’s also in our nature to strive for better, similar to philosophers who focused on political theory. 

During the medieval age, utopia seemed to be a noble idea among the European authors and philosophers. While its main aim was to depict an ideal society, Dystopia on the other hand was a response where authors argued with the Utopian literature. Dystopias are utopias in the real world as these visionary ideas work well, as ideas. When placed in reality they quickly turn into dystopias.

In order to have an ideal society, humans should be devoid of humanistic values. Writers Depict societies that strive for perfection but ultimately fail as they ignore some vital part of humanity, which makes a convincing dystopian world.

Writers look for flaws that exist in our societies today, grounded in truth, and amplify them. A similar reflection of flaws can be seen in Orwell’s 1984 where it paralleled the problems that were ongoing in that period with the depiction of the overt dictatorial elements present in the Soviet Union and Third Reich. He critically pointed out the Government Surveillance, thought police, the constant change of history, and banning of books, which may seem exaggerated. These elements parallel our society albeit in a more subdued manner. Nevertheless, the parallels are present there, hence 1984 is still a very relevant piece of literature today.    

Similarly in Brave new world, Huxley pointed out that there would be no need for banning books as people will be bombarded with too much information and would be critically incapable to decipher reality with information overload. Where pleasure receptors hijack people’s critical thinking    

Within these two instances, we can interpret that one man’s heaven (Utopia) is another man’s hell (Dystopia). And dystopian writers don’t shy away from being political or radical when they try to describe these phenomena to warn readers.

It has also given rise to many similar genres like science fiction and cyberpunk, dystopian literature can share elements with these themes. In recent times, dystopian literature has also been popularized with the help of Movies, TV shows, and Video Games. 

With the advent of the 20th-century dystopian literature evolved and flourished, many of the revered classic literature in the past century has been a part of this genre. Technology and science progressed and new means of government and bureaucratic institutions were established. This gave writers a new method to introspect the societal trend.   

There is a critical need to academically evaluate these literary writings as its getting more relevant in our present society.

References:

Child Labor

The human beings between the age of 0 to 14 years are classified as children. It is the age of innocence which forms the basic foundation of a person’s character. It is in this age where the basic physical and mental structure of an individual develops and also morals like integrity, perseverance, honesty and hard work are cultivated. This age can be compared to that of a blooming bud which needs proper nourishment in the form of water , sunlight and nutrients to bloom into a beautiful big flower. Any kind of extra interference in the normal building of a human body tampers the growth and cause serious consequences for the future that is the adulthood which in turn affects the nation as a whole.

The term child labor refers to the exploitation of children by making them do any type of work that deprives them of their innocence, cause damage to their physical health, mental trauma, affects their dignity and causes any kind of moral or social harm. If in the age of learning an individual will be force to work and will be exposed to physically and morally dangerous situations or any kind of violence it will make that child to grow into an adult full of social loathe, low learning, may also make him/her abusive as the absence of proper learning and tremendous pressure tampers the brain to a great extent and that individual may not even be able to live a basic life maybe adopting the way of crime. They will have this mentality that no matter the amount of hard work which is put , the people who are born to just serve (work) can never succeed by the hook.

The United Nations Children’s Fund(UNICEF) has revealed in its report that India with its larger population has the highest number of labors under 14 years of age i.e. it has the highest number of child labors. This blog will tell you the reasons for these high numbers and the measures taken by government to prevent the exploitation of children.

Why is India leading in Child labor

According to the statistics, over 68.8% of the total Indian population is in poverty with an income of less than $2 per day (i.e. 150 rupees) per family where the number of family members can extend more than 10 too with minimum earning members. In a situation where hand to mouth existence becomes difficult, it is very obvious that people tends to increase the number of heir earning members and thus the children in the age of learning becomes the earning members. Education becomes a very high graded luxury in such cases though the government schools provide free education for children upto 14 years of age. Parents believe that the money child will earn in 8 hours which would have been spent in school will at least gather them one meal.

This is the reason the children of 7- 8 years of age are sent far away from their homes on the pretext of getting good jobs when they are in reality being pushed into trafficking. While in some cases tired of poverty, parents themselves sell their children for a small portion amount of money. The trafficked children are then brought into the “child begging industry” where one of their body part is removed and they are forced to beg money as such children evokes the emotion of pity. Organ trafficking is also a part of this big racket which leads to the early deaths in children.

Few children mostly girls are introduced into sex trafficking and as domestic maids where they encounter not only physical and sexual violence but also are starved for days with maximum labor. This is a complete violation of their innocence and dignity.

Child soldiers are another category where these children are sent to serve for money and are trained to rebel against a group of individuals or a government since their childhood days. The best example of child soldiers is the incorporation of children in the terrorist groups which inculcates the strong emotion of hate in them at such a tender age.

Further, the children are naive and can work for longer hours in a relatively low income which makes them a perfect employee for the illegal small scale industries like firecrackers, bidi making etc. It has been reported more than once of many children getting injured in the blast accidents which happens in such industries.

The illegal employment of children working in Brick kilns, minning areas , stone quarries have led to several health problems such as severe respiratory ailments, weakness, hair loss, vision loss and premature aging.

Steps taken to cease this violation

According to data from Census 2011, India was recorded to have 10.1 million (nearly 1 crore) children working as child labors out of which 5.6 million were boys and 4.4 million girls. Whereas, 152 million children works as child labors worldwide with 88 million being boys and rest 64 million being girls. This statistic shows that 1 out of every 10 children works as a child labor worldwide.

The Indian Constitution has labelled Child Labor as a criminal offence with many acts offering a minimum of 3 years of jail if a person is found guilty of child labor. Also, section 372 of IPC(1860) declares the selling of a minor for the purpose of prostitution as a non bailable offence with over 10 years of imprisonment and fine.

Further several non profit organisations are also working to rescue the children from bondages and grant them their fundamental right of Right To Education. Kailash Satyarthi, a receiver of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 has worked since years for the upliftment of suppressed children and to terminate child labor. His foundation The Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation has rescued many children from the exploitation and continues to do so till date.

Child labor is a plague which robs the innocence and the growth from the children who are not privileged, which if not stopped from the common effort will continue to affect the future of the nation.

Animal Farm- For those who wish to understand the world

When I picked up the book first, I did it with the assumption that the book would be circling around basic morals and lessons that our children usually learn when they get acquainted with their surroundings, this assumption was based on the mere fact, that the book is based on the lives of farm animals. But a very much-needed reality check came, once the short intricate book progressed in my hands. 

George Orwell, the author of this 112 pages worth book, uses his gift of simple writing to bring forth a complex life cycle. His writing explains and describes the enormity, complexity, and the need for various important concepts like war, education, laws, government, development, etc in the most straightforward way possible. 

While this book may only last for a few hours, it gives various lessons, that can last you a lifetime. George Orwell manages to explain the recurring need for war, the persisting inequality in our society, the struggles of an updated education system, and many more concepts in detail, with just the help of a few farm animals. 

Further George Orwell not only provides a wholesome end to the book, but he also manages to bring a conclusion to the vicious cycle of life, in his effortless way. 

In the end, the book makes you question a lot of things around you. It opens your eyes to the realities of life in the most captivating way. And persuades you to question, analyze, and conclude everything around you in your way. 

Classics are usually stereotyped as boring and hard to understand. But rest assured that not only will this book end in just the knick of time, but it will also provide you a much-needed understanding of life, in the most simplistic way. 

Should you read this book ?

Yes, absolutely. Don’t get intimidated by its must-read classic status, Because it will be a book to treasure for a lifetime. 

Digital marketing

Digital marketing the world become digitalizing day to day.

Every things we can do with digital, we are become digital life’s.

Marketing is main source for improve companies, on before digital life’s there was we have person to person and posters to expose their products and services  

Now , we are in surviving digital life’s . every things will get on internet so the bases of internet ,we  have recognised by Digital marketing .

The digital marketing  it is  high level, digital marketing refers to advertising delivered through digital channels such as search engines, websites, social media, email, and mobile apps.

by help of  these online media channels, digital marketing is the method by which companies endorse goods, brands and services.

On these digital marketing we have a wide range of digital marketing jobs out there meaning there are a huge variety of career options.

  • Video/audio production.
  • Interactive technology (such as AI)
  • Mobile marketing.
  • Search engine optimization (SEO)
  • Search engine marketing (SEM)
  • Social media.
  • E-commerce.
  • Email marketing.

Scopes for digital marketing

The scope of digital marketing is quite good. Anyone who is looking  to learning digital marketing  would surely get a good benefit from it. There are also huge of job opportunities available in the field .

How can you start

There we have many web sites and blogs, start learning digital marketing help of reading books or blogs, enrolling in courses, watching videos on YouTube, listening to podcasts, watching webinars, and more.

THE ROGAN ART

Hello guys! Today I am going to tell you guys about a 400 year old art .

Abdul Gaffur khatri’s family is ” the only family in the world” that is keeping this art alive for almost 8 generations.

This art is called “The Rogan Art”.

The palm of the hand is the essential tool for getting this painting technique just right.


These designs were once popular throughout India, but the rise of industrial textiles forced many artisans to leave the craft for more lucrative work.

“Rogan means oil in Farsi”

From:roganartnirona

This art starts with castor oil.
It’s the base of the paint.So the art is named after it .

  • In this process the oil should be heated for two days until it becomes a honey-like texture.
  • It’s a dangerous process only a few can handle.
  • After it cools they combine the oil with pigment to create the paint.The above mentioned steps are only for making the paint now comes the main thing.
  • In this art the use of the hand gives the Rogan art it’s unique nature.
  • The paint needs to be swirled in the palm which in turn creates heat to thin it out after that the thread of paint is floated over the fabric using a metal rod.
From : The Indian express

Using the other hand underneath the cloth to guiding the paint and this process is completely free hand which makes this art more peculiar as the final design is to be anticipated and not ready made before.

Before it dries, they folds the cloth to print the design’s mirror image.which is timesaving and also the design will be symmetric.

From:livemint.com

This art is said to have originated from from Persia400 years ago to India and it was once popular on bedding and ceremonial clothing here in India.

But with the rise of mass-produced textiles in the ’80s,locals lost interest in these more expensive handmade pieces.

Many artisans couldn’t compete with mass manufacturers and dropped their crafts to find other work.

This beautiful art is also going extinct and covid-19 has the greatest impact on these artisans forcing them to leave this and find some other work for their livelihood as before they used to sell their pieces to foreigners but after the pandemic even that income has come to a halt.

We have to encourage them so that the art’s legacy can carry on and our next generations can also see this beautiful art.

Thankyou.

Handle your Negative Thoughts,the positive way

Focous on what ypu are feeling right now. If you’re sad,feel the sadness. Share your feelings with someone close to you. Do something nice for yourself. Take time to count your blessings. Eat well. Make social connections. Spend more time with your favourite person. Do what you like the most .

Negative thoughts affect areas of the brain that cause depression and anxiety. Positive thoughts on the other hand trigger chemical changes that trigger feelings of intense happiness and satisfaction.

Everyone has negative thoughts sometimes,but when you negative thoughts that cycle through your mind repeatdly,it can cause problems.Recurring negative thoughts can be symptoms of anxiety and depression disorders.

However, these positive emotions last only for a brief period and in order to fully experience its benifits, it is necessary that these positive thoughts be thought often.

Negative thinking can feel outside of your control and completely automatic. Fortunately,research and studies have come up with great ways with whose help you can break the habit of negative thinking and develop a more positive outlook towards life.This practice of overcoming negative thoughts has been studied and proven and has helped many individuals change their lives.

Given below is a list of these effective ways that can help you alter your thought pattern and learn to handle your negative thoughts in a positive way.

1)Be conscious of your thoughts:

As soon as you find yourself thinking a negative thought,stop yourself from thinking it.

One thought can lead to another and before you know you are experiencing deep grief and sorrow over your past mistake or hurts.

It is therefore important you stop at that very first negative thought itself. The next thing you can do is replace it with a postive thought or reframe your thought pattern into a positive one.Doing this will help you feel more positive and helpful.

2.keep youself Busy:

“An idle mind is the devil’s workshop” is a very true saying when it comes to negative thoughts.If you notice,you are more prone to negative thinking when you are sitting idle,rather than when you are busy.

According to research ,keeping your hands and mind occupied by doing tasks like cleaning, sorting, knitting etc., helps keep your mind off negative thoughts. Mainly keeping busy is associated with a battery of brain benefits.

This is because the busier you are the lesser time you have to devote to negative thoughts.

3. Avoid Triggers:

It is very easy to fall into the rut of negative thinking.That’s why it is important that one pay attention to their environment and intentionally remove all triggers that would initiate negative thoughts.

It could be a gift from an ex or a picture or a friend or a neighbour or a relative who might be the constant source of negative thoughts in your life.

According to some researchers,negative thinking is also a habit that one can easily pick up from others.Minimizing contact with such people and avoiding negative triggers can help keep you sane and positive.

4. Sufficient Rest and Sleep:

Lack of sleep greatly affects your mood,causing you to feel anxious, irritable and angry.Getting the sufficinet 8 hours of sleep helps keep the negative thoughts away and greatly improves your mental health.

Psychologists state that there is an important relationship between sleep and mood.

5. Music :

Listening to upbeat music is a great way to keep the negative thoughts away. It is hard to enterain troubling thoughts when you are listening to some groovy music.

According to reserachers just listening to your favourite music for 25 minutes, a day can bring about a great mood change and have a positive effect on your health and day .

6. Exercise :

Physically active people who exercises often according to study conducted by the researchers from the penn state university were found to experience greater feelings of enthusiasm and excitment. These people tend to experience more pleasant and happy feelings than people who exercise less or don’t exercise at all.

It is associated with pleasure and happiness is released in the brain every time you exercise,making it harder for negative thiughts to enter your mind.

7. Meditation :

Meditation is another great way to ward off negative thoughts and fill your mind with positivity. Brain studies have found out that meditation can help deactive the area of the brain that is responsible for the continuous negative thought pattern.

Meditating even just for 10 minutes a day can bring about a positive impact in your life.

8. Diet :

Many studies have found a siginificant correlation between a nutritionally poor diet that is high in refined sugars and impaired brain function. Mood and food have an important connection.

Eating nutritious food that is rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants not only nourishes your brain but significantly impacts your thought processes and how you feel.

It is never too late to try changing your negative thought pattern. Try the above- proven methods and see how much difference positive thinking brings in your life

Translate dog barks with Raspberry Pi

The dog wears a harness with a microphone that picks up its barks. The barks get processed through a device that determines what the dog is saying and then outputs it through speakers.

Raspberry Pi Zero is the affordable brain powering NerdStoke’s solution to this age-old human-and-pup problem. But writing code that could translate the multitude of frequencies coming out of a dog’s mouth when it barks was a trickier problem. NerdStoke tried to work it through on Twitch with fellow hobbyists, but alas, the original dream had to be modified.

dog bark translator hardware
The kit worked fine – it was the coding challenge that changed the course of this project

Spoiler alert: fast Fourier transforms did not work. You would need a clear, pure tone for that to work in a project like this, but as we said above, dogs bark in a rainbow of tones, pitches, and all the rest.

So what’s the solution?

Because of this, a time-based model was devised to predict what a dog is likely to be barking about at any given time of day. For example, if it’s early morning, they probably want to go out to pee. But if it’s mid-morning, they’re probably letting you know the postman has arrived and is trying to challenge your territory by pushing thin paper squares through the flap in your front door. It’s a dangerous world out there, and dogs just want to protect us.

Nerdstoke had his good friend record some appropriate soundbites to go with each bark, depending on what time of day it happened. And now, Nugget the dog can tell you “I want to cuddle” or “Why aren’t you feeding me?”Same, Nugget, same

While the final project couldn’t quite translate the actual thoughts of a dog, we love the humour behind this halfway solution. And we reckon the product name, Holler Collar, would definitely sell.

internet of things (IoT)

The internet of things, or IoT, is a system of interrelated computing devices, mechanical and digital machines, objects, animals or people that are provided with unique identifiers (UIDs) and the ability to transfer data over a network without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction.

A thing in the internet of things can be a person with a heart monitor implant, a farm animal with a biochip transponder, an automobile that has built-in sensors to alert the driver when tire pressure is low or any other natural or man-made object that can be assigned an Internet Protocol (IP) address and is able to transfer data over a network.

Increasingly, organizations in a variety of industries are using IoT to operate more efficiently, better understand customers to deliver enhanced customer service, improve decision-making and increase the value of the business.

How IoT works

An IoT ecosystem consists of web-enabled smart devices that use embedded systems, such as processors, sensors and communication hardware, to collect, send and act on data they acquire from their environments. IoT devices share the sensor data they collect by connecting to an IoT gateway or other edge device where data is either sent to the cloud to be analyzed or analyzed locally. Sometimes, these devices communicate with other related devices and act on the information they get from one another. The devices do most of the work without human intervention, although people can interact with the devices — for instance, to set them up, give them instructions or access the data.

What’s special about Mona Lisa?

Most people feel disappointed when they see the most famous painting in the world “Mona Lisa”. Questions like ‘Why is this painting famous?’, ‘Is it worthy enough to be called a masterpiece?’, ‘What makes her unique?’ arise in the minds of hundreds. But if we ignore it all and just look at the painting, we see the greatest psychological portrait ever painted. A portrait that is much more ahead of time that we are still trying to figure out.

Leonardo da Vinci in his sixties moved to the Chateau of Amboise in France with his sketchbooks and one painting “The Mona Lisa”. Because he knows how important the painting was for him.

Leonardo is one of the greatest inquisitive minds in history, a self-made man with an unquenchable appetite for knowledge, and dedicated his life to studying anatomy, geology, and philosophy.

Leonardo da Vinci

The Painting

Mona Lisa was painted on a thin-grained piece of a poplar tree and a layer of lead white. He used glazes that have a very small amount of pigment mixed with the oil. This brought depth and luminosity as the white undercoat of lead reflects the light through the glazes. He used tiny brushstrokes applied super slowly over years. Leonardo pioneered many brushing techniques which brought the paint to life.

Mona Lisa

Clothes and Jewelry

Unlike any other commissioned portraits of the aristocracy we usually see with expensive outfits, Mona Lisa is a pretty simple wealthy woman with no jewelry, clothes that are nothing special, and simple hair.

Leonardo uses the classic pyramid-shaped composition that was introduced during the renaissance. The structure provides stability and provides a central focus. In this painting, the focus is directed towards her face.

  • Portrait of Mona Lisa without jewelry
  • Portrait of Maddalena Strozzi with jewelry.

What makes her different?

Instead of a full-length pose, Leonardo had painted Mona Lisa in a three-quarter length to cut down the distractions. Today this pose is normal but on those days it was groundbreaking. Previously the people in the portrait are erect, but Mona Lisa is relaxed with hands resting gently.

If you look at Mona Lisa’s eyes you see they are staring at you, but women in paintings never did that. The background of any other portrait has a simple background of either an open sky or a room but the background of the Mona Lisa is a complex aerial perspective of a landscape. The curves of her hair and clothing reflect the valleys and river flowing connecting humanity and nature. If you look at the background and compare the horizons on both sides you see it is not lined up. This visual trick gives an illusion of movement.

  • erect portrait with plane background
  • erect portrait with room background
level of horizons

Her eyes and smile follows you

Leonardo has used the Sfumato technique to paint Mona Lisa’s eyes. It creates a depth near the eyes of Mona Lisa which is unusual in the case of other paintings and sculptures. Leonardo has studied human anatomy, the structure of a human face, and smiles exposing the muscles and nerves. He started researching how a smile works and analyzed every possible movement of the face. Artists never painted a smiling face before, portraits are generally serious. When you look into her eyes first she smiles then she is not. The smile comes and goes as we look deep into her face. When we look away smile stays.

Leonardo from his optic studies observed that the light comes and hits the whole retina instead of hitting at one point. This was the key to her mysterious smile.

The human eye has two different regions for seeing the world one is a central area called the fovea(to read colors) and the other is the peripheral area(to see the black and white motion and shadows). When we focus on the eyes the peripheral vision is on the smile and pick up the shadows from her cheekbones. When you look at her smile directly you cannot see the shadows, and she isn’t smiling but smirking. This is not your imagination, but it is about how you see.

Her eye’s on you!
Inner part of the eye

Sfumato technique

Sfumato is a blending technique for softening the transition between colors to make sure there are no sharp lines, layer by layer he blended everything in Sfumato style.

Chiaroscuro

chiaroscuro is an effect of contrasted light and shadow that gives a 3D effect.

These styles were never seen before Mona Lisa. Hence, seeing Mona Lisa for the first time must have been astonishing. How genius Leonardo da Vinci is that he understood this 500 years ago.

credits to the right owners of the pictures used.

UNIX

UNIX Full Form - GeeksforGeeks

UNIX is a multi-user and multitasking operating system. in a multi-user environment. the computer can receive the commands from a number of end users programs, access files, and print documents simultaneously.

The host computer, which has a UNIX operating system, provides services to the terminal, such as file access services. four terminals are connected to one host computer and all the terminals are sharing resources from the host computer.

Features of UNIX

The general and additional features of UNIX operating system are :

  • File and Processes : file and process are two entities that are supported by UNIX. A file contains information, such as text, code or directory structure that you need to save in the computer, The file is stored in the hard disk of the computer at a particular location, which can be easily remember whereas a process is the name given to a file or a programs that is currently running . UNIX provides various tools that enable you to control a process, change the sequence of the process, and kill the process.
  • Multi-user system: UNIX supports multitasking system as the kernel is designed to handle multiple processes. A single user can run multiple process simultaneously. For example, an end user can print a file and edit another file simultaneously. The kernel handles the multiple processes as foreground and background process. The current process runs in the foreground and the other processes run in the background. This multitasking feature is an advantage for the programmers, as they do not have to close the editor and run the program; this can done simultaneously.
  • UNIX toolkit: The UNIX toolkit provides various tools that are enable you to perform different tasks in UNIX as kernel alone cannot perform every task. The tools that are included in the UNIX toolkit are:

1:- General purpose tools , such as vi editor

2:- Text manipulation utilizes filters that are used to retrieve the output from two or more commands simultaneously .

3:- Compiler and Interpreter .

4:- Network administration and system tools , such as mailx and pine.

  • Pattern Matching :- UNIX supports pattern matching feature that enables you to retrieve the output according to the required pattern . Pattern matching in UNIX can be implemented using a special characters , such as * known as metacharacter .
  • Programming Facility :- UNIX provides a programming facility known as shell that is developed specifically for programmers and not for the users .

Meet our Commandos…..!

Photo by Somchai Kongkamsri from Pexels

India has many special forces ( SF ). The three branches of Indian armed forces have special forces units. There are other special forces which are operated by the civilian organization. Small groups from the military SF units are deputed in the Armed Forces Special Operations Division, which has a unified command and control structure. Research and Analysis Wing, the external Intelligence agency of India, has separate special forces under its control, namely the Special Group and the Special Frontier Force.

  • Para commandos :
    • The Indian Army has 7 units that are a part of a larger parachute regiment. This unit was created in June 1966 in the aftermath of the 1965 Indo-Pakistani war. An impromptu commando unit called Meghdoot Force, which took part in the 1965 war, formed the first nucleus of the permanent Para commando battalion which was to be raised under the Parachute Regiment. By 1969, the unit had grown into 2 battalions, viz. the 9 Para and the 10 Para. The unit’s first combat missions were conducted during the 1971 Indo-Pakistani war in which they undertook raids against Pakistan’s military. They are trained to carry out intelligence collection subversion and sabotage of vital enemy infrastructure and communication through deep penetration and surgical strike behind enemy lines. In 2002, the 2 Para (SF) participated in Operation Khukri in Sierra Leone to rescue 223 soldiers of the Indian Army’s 5/8 Gorkha Rifles who were deployed as UN peacekeepers but were surrounded by militants from the Revolutionary United Front of Sierra Leone. Some of the later reported missions carried out by Para (SF) include the 2016 ′Surgical Strikes′ and the 2015 Operation Hot Pursuit, purportedly undertaken inside Myanmar.
    • The list of PARA (SF) Battalions is as follows:
      1. 1 PARA (SF)
      2. 2 PARA (SF)
      3. 3 PARA (SF)
      4. 4 PARA (SF)
      5. 9 PARA (SF)
      6. 10 PARA (SF)
      7. 11 PARA (SF)
      8. 12 PARA (SF)
      9. 21 PARA (SF)
  • MARCOS ( Marine Commandos ) :
    • The special force unit of Indian Navy, is modelled on the US Navy SEALS. It was established in 1987. Months after their creation, MARCOS were deployed in Sri Lanka against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in July 1987. 
    • Some main operations of MARCOS:
    • 1. Operation Tasha (1991) against the LTTE,
    • 2. Operation Zabardust (1992) against a ship that was smuggling arms,
      3. In support of the United Nations in Somalia (1993),
      4. Participated in 1999 Kargil War,
      5. MARCOS had participated in efforts against the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
    • After a 10 week long basic training, MARCOS are sent to train alongside Indian Army’s Para commandos for 3 weeks. Advanced training follows, during which MARCOS learn skills such as sky-diving, weapons training, counter-insurgency, languages and warfare in different terrains, among other things. Each MARCOS squad, called Prahar, is composed of 8 soldiers.
  • Garud Commando force :
    • The Garud commandos are the special forces of the Indian Air Force (IAF). Their tasks include counter-terrorism, hostage rescue, providing security to IAF’s vulnerably located assets and various air force-specific special operations. First conceived in 2002, this unit was officially established on February 6, 2004. It gets it name from Garuda ( A Hindu mythological God/bird ) .

      All Garuds are volunteers who are imparted a 52-week basic training, which includes a three-month probation followed by special operations training, basic airborne training and other warfare and survival skills. The last phase of basic training sees Garuds been deployed to get combat experience. Advanced training follows, which includes specialised weapons training.
  • Special frontier force :
    • The Special Frontier Force is a confidential special forces unit of the Research and Analysis Wing which was created on 14 November 1962, to conduct covert operations behind Chinese lines in the event of another Sino-Indian war. It works under the operational command of Indian RAW. The units personnel are derived from Tibetan resistance fighters. Is a dedicated mountain and Jungle warfare unit.
  • National security guard or Black cats :
    • The National Security Guard, which is a specialized counter-terrorism Federal Contingency Force. The NSG was formally created in 1986. It is modelled on the basis of the British Special Air Service and the German GSG 9. The commandos are trained to conduct counter terrorist tasks, including counter hijacking on land, sea and air, bomb disposal, post blast investigation and hostage rescue missions.
  • Special protection group :
    • Formed in the 1988, SPG is tasked with proximate security of prime minister, former PMs and their immediate family members. They carry some of the most sophisticated weapons that include the FN Herstal (Assault rifle ), Glock pistol and FN Herstal ( P90 ) .

( The main source of the article : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_forces_of_India )

Sourav Ganguly

Former indian captain and currently BCCI president ,the legendary cricketer ,who considered as the revolutionarise of this indian cricket , Saurabh Ganguly .Ganguly can into limelight when scored 113 runs against England . Fastest to reach 9000s runs in ODIs. He scored 16 centuries in test matches .He truely the best captain of indian cricket team . He is popularly know as The maharaj .