Monday 24 February 2014

+Top 10 Greatest Scientists

Top 10 Greatest Scientists

A list of the top 10 scientists of all time.
  1. Sir Isaac Newton. (1642-1726) Newton was a polymath who made investigations into a whole range of subjects including mathematics, optics, physics, and astronomy. In his Principia Mathematica, published in 1687, he laid the foundations for classical mechanics, explaining law of gravity and the Laws of Motion.
  2. Louis Pasteur. (1822 – 1895) Contributed greatly towards the advancement of medical sciences developing cures for rabies, anthrax and other infectious diseases. Also enabled process of pasteurisation to make milk safer to drink. Probably saved more lives than any other person.
  3. Galileo. (1564 – 1642) Creating one of the first modern telescope, Galileo revolutionised our understanding of the world successfully proving the earth revolved around the sun and not the other way around. His work Two New Sciences laid ground work for science of Kinetics and strength of materiels.
  4. Marie Curie. (1867 – 1934) Polish physicist and chemist. Discovered radiation and helped to apply it in the field of X ray. She won Nobel Prize in both Chemistry and Physics.
  5. Albert Einstein. (1879 – 1955) Revolutionised modern physics with his general theory of relativity. Won Nobel Prize in Physics (1921) for his discovery of the Photoelectric effect, which formed basis of Quantum Theory.
  6. Charles Darwin. (1809 – 1882) Developed theory of evolution against a backdrop of disbelief and scepticism. Collected evidence over 20 years, and published conclusions in On the Origin of Species (1859).
  7. Otto Hahn (1879-1968) - German Chemist who discovered nuclear fission (1939). Pioneering scientist in the field of radio-chemistry. Discovered radio-active elements and nuclear isomerism (1921). Awarded Nobel Prize for Chemistry (1944)
  8. Nikola Tesla (1856 –1943) - Work on electro-magnetism and AC current. Credited with many patents from electricity to radio transmission.
  9. James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879) - Made great strides in understanding electro-magnetism. His research in electricity and kinetics, laid foundation for quantum physics. Einstein said of Maxwell, "The work of James Clerk Maxwell changed the world forever."
  10. Aristotle 384BC - 322BC Great early Greek scientist who made many researches in the natural sciences including botany, zoology, physics, astronomy, chemistry, and meteorology, geometry

Sunday 23 February 2014

10 Truly Beautiful Villages in Europe

10 Truly Beautiful Villages in Europe

Europe is home to some of the world’s most charming and attractive villages; small, rustic towns where time seems to slow down and travelers can explore narrow streets, ancient buildings, and farm-fresh country taverns to really soak up the local flavor. Here, below is a list of some most beautiful villages in Europe. From the Alps to the Mediterranean, these frozen-in-time European villages will make you appreciate the beauty of taking it slow.

1. Bibury | England


Arlington Row Bibury
Situated on the River Coln, the hilly Cotswold region is a designated “Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty” in southwestern England, and one of its loveliest villages is Bibury. The village is known for its honey-coloured seventeenth century stone cottages with steeply pitched roofs. It’s a charming village just a short drive from “The Capital of the Cotswolds”, Cirencester. Bibury was once described by William Morris (1834-96) as “the most beautiful village in England”. In fact, Fox News says that Bibury is one of the world’s most picturesque villages.

2. Hallstatt | Austria

Hallstatt Austria
Hallstatt, the most picturesque village in Austria. The village enjoy the gorgeous setting on the bank of Hallstätter See, between the pristine lake and a lush mountain that rises dramatically from the water’s edge. Hallstatt is known for its production of salt, dating back to prehistoric times, and gave its name to the Hallstatt culture, a culture often linked to Celtic, Proto-Celtic, and pre-Illyrian peoples in Early Iron Age Europe, c.800–450 BCE. Some of the earliest archaeological evidence for the Celts was found in Hallstatt.

3. Colmar | France

Colmar, France
French and German influences commingle in this well-preserved Alsatian village, where local bakeries sell both croissants and kugelhopf, and restaurants specialize in foie gras and sauerkraut (or choucroute). Colmar is the third-largest commune of the Alsace region in north-eastern France. The city is renowned for its well preserved old town, its numerous architectural landmarks and its museums, among which is the Unterlinden Museum with the Isenheim Altarpiece.

4. Reine | Norway

Reine Lofoten Islands Norway
Reine is a pretty fishing village in the Lofoten archipelago, an area of starkly beautiful Nordic wilderness, where sapphire bays punctuate fjords and mountains. It’s the administrative centre of the municipality of Moskenes in Nordland county, Norway. The village has been a commercial centre since 1743. Despite of its remote location, thousands of people visit this village annually. The village is situated on a promontory just off the European route E10 highway, which passes through the village.

5. Folegandros | Greece

Beautiful Villages in Europe
Folegandros lies on the southern edge of the Cyclades with the Sea of Crete sweeping away to its south. The island has an ethereal beauty, enhanced by its main settlement, the cliff-top Hora, one of the most appealing villages in the Cyclades. Its inhabitants were Dorians. Later it came under Athenian rule. The island was conquered in 1207 by the Venetian Marco Sanudo and remained under the rule of Venice until 1566, when it was taken by the Ottoman Turks. The Greeks reclaimed it in the 19th century.

6. Telc | Czech Republic

Telc Czech Republic
Telc is a small South Moravian town with arguably the most beautiful main square in the Czech Republic. Residents of Telc were once quite competitive about the beauty of their homes, as is evident today on the elongated main square, where one building is lovelier than the next. The town was founded in 13th century as a royal water fort on the crossroads of busy merchant routes between Bohemia, Moravia and Austria.

7. Albarracin | Spain

Albarracín village in Spain
Albarracín is a picturesque and most beautiful village in Europe. A sliver of medieval Spain has been preserved within the fortified walls of this village, which is surrounded by the barren hills of the central Aragon region. Down Albarracín’s narrow alleys and winding lanes await ancient stone towers and ocher-hued castles and chapels. It’s a charming town and was declared a Monumento Nacional in 1961. The town is named for the Moorish Al Banū Razín family that once had been dominant in the area during the period of Muslim domination in the Iberian Peninsula.

8. Cong | Ireland

Beautiful Villages in Europe
Encircled by streams, the picturesque village of Cong straddling the borders of County Galway and County Mayo, in Ireland. Cong is located on the isthmus connecting Loughs Corrib and Mask, near the towns of Headford and Ballinrobe and the villages of Neale and Cross. Cong is known for its underground streams that connect Lough Corrib with Lough Mask to the north. It was also the home of Sir William Wilde, historian and father to prominent playwright, novelist, poet, and short story writer Oscar Wilde. Cong counts numerous stone bridges, the ruins of a medieval abbey, the occasional thatched-roof cottage, and Ashford Castle, a grand Victorian estate that has been converted into a romantic luxury hotel.

9. Gruyères | Switzerland

Gruyères Switzerland
Gruyères is a medieval town in the district of Gruyère in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. The town is an important tourist location in the upper valley of the Saane river. Gruyères is famous for its namesake cheese, whose mild, nutty flavor melts so well in fondue. A wide, stone-paved street leads up to the magnificent 13th-century Gruyères Castle, with its imposing fortifications and expansive views of the surrounding Alpine foothills.

10. Bled | Slovenia

Lake Bled, Bled Island
This small Alpine town in northwestern Slovenia rings the shore of Lake Bled, whose glacial blue waters surround a tiny island and its small Baroque church. It is most notable as a popular tourist destination in the Upper Carniola region and in Slovenia as whole, attracting visitors from abroad, as well. Bled is known for the glacial Lake Bled, which makes it a major tourist attraction. Perched on a rock overlooking the lake is the iconic Bled Castle. The town is also known in Slovenia for its vanilla and cream pastry.

+BURBERRY

BURBERRY
A brazen shoplifter has helped himself to an alligator-leather coat worth nearly HK$1 million (US$130,000) from a flagship Burberry store in one of Hong Kong's busiest shopping districts, police said Friday.
The pricey trench coat was displayed on a mannequin, and staff at the British brand's shop in Tsim Sha Tsui discovered it was missing after they closed for business on Wednesday.
"The person who reported the case discovered a leather jacket worth about HK$900,000 had disappeared. A review of the security cameras made staff believe it had been stolen," police said in a statement.
Police are looking for a strongly built male suspect aged between 30 and 40, it said.
The Tsim Sha Tsui area is particularly popular with wealthy Chinese tourists willing to pay eye-popping prices for Western brands.
The suspect is a Chinese man and walked out of the three-storey store unchallenged after removing the coat from the mannequin in the early evening of Wednesday, the South China Morning Post reported on Friday.
Quoting a police source, the newspaper said some designer brands avoid placing security tags on their high-end products for fear of ruining their quality, relying instead on surveillance cameras and security personnel.
Burberry, which has 14 stores in Hong Kong, declined to comment on details of the case, citing an ongoing police investigation.

+Girl killed as fears heighten over Thai political violence


Girl killed as fears heighten over Thai political violence

A five-year-old girl was killed and 30 people wounded in a drive-by shooting attack on an anti-government rally in eastern Thailand, police said.
In the latest outbreak of political violence in the deeply polarised nation, gunmen in two pick-up trucks opened fire Saturday night at a rally in a packed marketplace.
"A five-year old girl was shot and died later while 30 other people were injured," said local police lieutenant Thanaphum Naewani.
He said the shooting in Khao Saming district of Trat province, 300 kilometres (185 miles) east of the capital, was believed to be politically motivated.
Another five-year-old girl was among six people in critical condition after the shooting, Supan Srithamma, head of Thailand's Department of Medical Services, told AFP Sunday.
Television footage showed dozens of upturned plastic chairs at the rally site and abandoned street stalls after people fled in panic.
Months of rallies aimed at toppling Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra have been marred by sporadic gun and grenade attacks -- mainly in Bangkok -- by unknown assailants.
The violence has fuelled fears of more widespread unrest in the kingdom, which has suffered bitter political divisions since a military coup ousted Yingluck's older brother Thaksin Shinawatra as prime minister in 2006.
Hours after the attack leaders of the pro-government "Red Shirt" movement met in Nakhon Ratchasima, the gateway to the Shinawatra-allied northeast, to discuss ways to bolster Yingluck's crisis-hit administration.
- 'Organised terror' -
The anti-government movement condemned the attack, blaming authorities for failing to protect rally-goers.
"Weapons of war were used in an act of planned and organised terror," protest spokesman Akanat Promphan told AFP.
"This atrocity has worsened the severity of the violence against innocent protesters... it is a matter of national security," he said, urging authorities to swiftly track down the attackers.
Both sides have traded blame for sparking previous clashes, including a gunbattle between police and protesters in Bangkok's historic heart last week which left five people dead -- including a policeman -- and dozens wounded.
Seventeen people have been killed, both protesters and policemen, and hundreds injured in clashes and attacks linked to demonstrations.
Most of the recent violence has taken place in or around Bangkok, where opposition protesters are carrying out a self-styled "shutdown" of several key intersections across the city, although in dwindling numbers.
Yingluck's besieged government last week suffered another blow when a court banned it from using force against peaceful demonstrators, severely cramping its powers to handle the protests and mounting violence.
In addition to the street protests, the embattled premier is also under intense pressure from a series of other legal challenges.
She faces charges of neglect of duty over a controversial rice subsidy scheme that could see her removed from office.
Protesters accuse Yingluck's billionaire family of using taxpayers' money to buy the loyalty of rural voters through populist policies such as the rice scheme.
They are demanding she steps down to make way for a temporary unelected council that would oversee loosely defined reforms to tackle corruption and alleged vote-buying.
Thailand has been riven by deep divisions since Thaksin's ousting.
The current unrest is the worst since mass Red Shirts protests against a Democrat-led government in 2010 sparked clashes and a bloody military crackdown that left more than 90 people dead.
Some analysts say the seemingly intractable crisis could lead to protracted violence or a form of wider civil conflict.

Thailand crisis: Deadly attack on opposition rally

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Thailand crisis: Deadly attack on opposition rally

The BBC's Jonathan Head says this latest attack is the worst so far

Related Stories

Gunmen have opened fire on an anti-government rally in eastern Thailand, killing a five-year-old girl and wounding dozens of other people.
Attackers threw explosives and shot at demonstrators at a rally called by the People's Democratic Reform Committee.
The incident took place at a night market in the Khao Saming district of Trat province late on Saturday.
Tensions across Thailand have escalated since a wave of anti-government protests began in November.
The demonstrators want Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to resign to make way for an appointed interim government, but she has refused.
On Tuesday several people were killed in clashes that erupted in Bangkok, when police began clearing protest sites.
The latest attack occurred about 300km (180 miles) south-east of the capital.
Officials said the five-year-old girl had been standing at a noodle stall when the attackers, in two pick-up trucks, opened fire at the PDRC rally. She died from a gunshot wound to the head.
At least 30 other people are believed to have been injured. Another child is said to be in a critical condition.
Police scour area of gun and bomb attack in Khao SamingAttackers threw grenades and sprayed the crowd with bullets
Police scour area of gun and bomb attack in Khao SamingAttackers threw grenades and sprayed the crowd with bullets
PDRC spokesman Suwicharn Suwannakha said the attack happened during a speech by a party leader, Thai newspaper The Nation reported.
He said he first heard the explosions and gunfire and then saw chairs in front of the stage scattered.
"It was chaotic. I saw two pick-up trucks speed away," he said.
No group has so far said it carried out the attack.
But the BBC's Jonathan Head in Bangkok says suspicion will fall on armed groups on the fringe of the so-called "red shirt" supporters, who back Ms Yingluck.
Over the past two months there have been several attacks on protesters' camps in the capital, he says, but these sites are now well-guarded by the protest movement's own armed wing.
There has been growing frustration recently from the red shirts over the government's inability to disperse the protesters, who have been occupying parts of central Bangkok for weeks, our correspondent adds.
Red-shirt leaders have organised a mass gathering in north-eastern Thailand this weekend to decide how they should fight back against the campaign to unseat the government.
Elections disrupted
Ms Yingluck heads a government that won elections in 2011 with broad support from rural areas.
The anti-government protesters want her government to be replaced by an unelected "people's council" to reform the political system.
They say that Thailand's democracy has become corrupted and that Ms Yingluck is controlled by her brother, ousted leader Thaksin Shinawatra.
In response to the protests, Ms Yingluck called snap elections on 2 February, which her government was widely expected to win.
However, the polls were boycotted by the opposition and voting was disrupted by protesters at about 10% of polling stations, meaning by-elections are needed before a government can be formed.

Saturday 22 February 2014

Flowers


 Flowers



Flower is defined as the part of a plant that is often brightly colored and provides the pollen that is moved from plant to plant for pollination.

Facts About Flowers

  • Rose blooms are edible.
  • There are over 250,000 species  of flowering plants known on the Earth today.
  • Saffron, the expensive yellow-tinted spice considered a delicacy by fine chefs, is derived from a type of crocus flower.
  • Flowers work on time schedules depending on when they open and close, and when the insects that pollinate them tend to fly.
  • Lilies are one of the oldest plant types known in the world, and have appeared in art for many centuries.

Symbolism of Flower Colors





  • Red rose - love, beauty, perfection
  • Pink rose - admiration, grace, elegance, joyfulness
  • Yellow rose - warm feelings, happiness, friendship
  • White rose - purity, innocence, new beginnings, remembrance
  • Orange rose - desire, enthusiasm, passion, excitement
  • Lavender rose - enchantment, love at first sight
Flowers other than roses also have symbolic meanings:
  • Red flowers - energy, desire, strength, beauty, courage, and love
  • Pink flowers - happiness, grace, youth, joy, and innocence
  • Purple flowers - royalty, ceremony, dignity, success, pride, and admiration
  • Yellow flowers - joy, lightheartedness, friendship, new beginning, and happiness
  • Blue flowers - peace, serenity, openness, and can calm worries and anxiety
  • White flowers - innocence, humility, reverence, simple beauty, modesty, and elegance
  • Orange flowers - enthusiasm, energy, warmth, confidence, satisfaction, and a passion for life
  • Green flowers - health, youth, good fortune, resilience, optimism, and renewal
  • Lavender flowers - grace, refinement, feminine beauty, and elegance

Flower Quotations

A flower cannot blossom without sunshine, and man cannot live without love.
Max Muller 


All my life I have tried to pluck a thistle and plant a flower wherever the flower would grow in thought and mind.
Abraham Lincoln 
Love is like a beautiful flower which I may not touch, but whose fragrance makes the garden a place of delight just the same.
Helen Keller 

I want it said of me by those who knew me best, that I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower where I thought a flower would grow.
Abraham Lincoln 

Mama was my greatest teacher, a teacher of compassion, love and fearlessness. If love is sweet as a flower, then my mother is that sweet flower of love.
Stevie Wonder 

+What is Chemistry?

  • What is Chemistry?

Chemistry is a basic science whose central concerns are -
  • the structure and behaviour of atoms (elements)
  • the composition and properties of compounds
  • the reactions between substances with their accompanying energy exchange
  • the laws that unite these phenomena into a comprehensive system.

Chemistry is not an isolated discipline, for it merges into physics and biology. The origin of the term is obscure. Chemistry evolved from the medieval practice of alchemy. It's bases were laid by such men as Boyle, Lavoisier, Priestly, Berzelius, Avogadro, Dalton and Pasteur.

Chemistry is the study of matter and energy and the 

interactions between them. This is also the definition 

for physics, by the way. Chemistry and physics are 

specializations of physical science. Chemistry tends 

to focus on the properties of substances and the 

interactions between different types of matter, 

particularly reactions that involve electrons.
chem·is·try n., pl. -tries. 1. the science that systematically studies the composition, properties, and activity of organic and inorganic substances and various elementary forms of matter. 2. chemical properties, reactions, phenomena

What Are Types of Chemical Reactions

Chemical Reactions: Synthesis

A synthesis reaction occurs when two or more elements or compounds combine and create a new and more complex product (A+B--->C). An example of a synthesis reaction is the combination of sulfur and iron to form iron sulfide.  

Chemical Reactions: Decomposition

A decomposition reaction is one where a compound breaks down into smaller and less complex elements or compounds (AB--->A+B or ABC--->A+B+C). An example of a decomposition reaction is the electrolysis of water to make oxygen and hydrogen gas.  

Chemical Reactions: Single Displacement

A displacement reaction is a reaction where an element replaces, or displaces, a less active element in a compound. Iron will replace copper in a copper II chloride solution, producing iron II chloride and copper.

Chemical Reactions: Double Displacement

A double displacement reaction is a reaction where two compounds react and form new compounds. The formation of more stable compounds, such as of a water or a precipitate, powers these reactions (AB+CD--->AD+CB). Barium nitrate and sodium sulfate will form barium sulfate, the precipitate, and sodium nitrate.

Chemical Reactions: Combustion

A combustion reaction is an exothermic reaction that occurs when oxygen and another element or compound are combined. A basic combustion reactions occurs when carbon in the form of charcoal reacts with oxygen to form carbon dioxide and heat.