Thursday, March 29, 2007

Sun

100 The Sun is the VIP at the centre of our Solar system. It is infrequently referred to as Sol to distinguish it from other "suns". Planet Earth orbits the Sun, as do a lot of other bodies, including other planets, asteroids, meteoroids, comets and dust. Its heat and light support almost all life on Earth.

The Sun has a mass of about 2×1030kg, which is not at all higher than that of an average star. About 74% of its mass is hydrogen, with 25% helium and the respite made up of trace quantities of heavier rudiments. It is thought that the Sun is about 5 billion years old, and is about half way through its key sequence evolution, during which nuclear fusion reactions in its core fuse hydrogen into helium. In about 5 billion years time the Sun will turn into a planetary nebula.

Although it is the bordering star to Earth and has been intensively studied by scientists, many questions about the Sun remain unanswered, such as why its outer atmosphere has a temperature of over 106 K when its able to be seen surface has a temperature of just 6,000 K.

Sunday, March 25, 2007

Cellular

A cellular network is a radio network made up of a number of radio cells (or just cells) each served by a fixed transmitter, normally known as a (base station). These cells are used to cover dissimilar areas in order to provide radio coverage over a wider area than the area of one cell. Cellular networks are naturally asymmetric with a set of fixed main transceivers each serving a cell and a set of distributed transceivers which provide services to the network's users.
Cellular networks offer a number of advantages over alternative solutions,
increased capacity
reduced power usage
better coverage
A good (and simple) example of a cellular system is an old taxi driver's radio system where a city will have some transmitters based around a city. We'll use that as an example and assume that each transmitter is handled independently by a different operator.

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

View camera

The view camera is a type of camera with a very long history, but they are still used today by professional and amateur photographers who want full control of their images. The view camera is essentially a light-tight assembly comprised of a flexible mid-section, or bellows, attached to a device that holds a film sheet, photo plate or digital imager at one end (the rear standard) and a similar one that holds the lens at the other end (the front standard). The front and rear standards are not fixed relative to each other (unlike most cameras). Movement of the front and rear standards allows the photographer to move the lens and film plane separately for precise control of the image's focus, depth of field and perspective.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Eye color

Eye color is a polygenic trait and is determined mainly by the amount and type of pigments present in the eye's iris. Humans and animals have many phenotypic variations in eye color. In humans, these variations in color are credited to varying ratios of eumelanin produced by melanocytes in the iris.The brightly colored eyes of many bird species are mostly determined by other pigments, such as pteridines, purines, and carotenoids.
Three main elements within the iris add to its color: the melanin content of the iris pigment epithelium, the melanin content within the iris stroma, and the cellular density of the iris stroma.In eyes of all colors, the iris pigment epithelium contains the black pigment, eumelanin.Color variations among different irises are normally attributed to the melanin content within the iris stroma.The density of cells within the stroma affects how much light is absorbed by the underlying pigment epithelium.

Friday, March 09, 2007

Tourism in Kerala

Kerala is a state on the tropical Malabar Coast of southwestern India. Nicknamed as one of the "10 paradises of the world" by the National Geographic traveller Kerala is famous particularly for its ecotourism initiatives. Its unique culture and traditions, joined with its varied demography, has made it one of the the majority popular tourist destinations in India. Growing at a rate of 13.31%, the tourism industry considerably contributes to the state's economy. The Kerala Tourism Development Corporation, the government agency that oversees the tourism prospects of the state, has adopted the brand God's Own Country for its campaigns. The slogan holds global Superbrand status.Popularly visited attractions in the state include the beaches at Kovalam, Cherai and Varkala, the hill stations of Munnar, Nelliampathi, and Ponmudi, and national parks and wildlife sanctuaries such as Periyar and Eravikulam National Park. The "backwaters" region — an extensive network of interlocking rivers, lakes, and canals that center on Alleppey, Kumarakom, and Punnamada — also see heavy tourist traffic. Examples of Keralite architecture, such as the Padmanabhapuram Palace, Padmanabhapuram, are also visited. Kochi, the commercial capital of the state, is known as the "Queen of the Arabian Sea". Alappuzha, the first planned town in Kerala, is called the "Venice of the East".

Monday, March 05, 2007

Deafness

The word deaf is used in a different way in different contexts, and there is some controversy over its meaning and implications. In scientific and medical terms, deafness normally refers to a physical condition characterized by lack of sensitivity to sound. Notated as deaf with a lowercase d, this refers to the audiological experience of someone who is partly or wholly lacking hearing In legal terms, deafness is defined by degree of hearing loss. These degrees include profound or total deafness (90 dB - 120 dB or more of hearing loss), severe (60 dB - 90 dB), moderate (30 dB - 60 dB), and mild deafness(10 dB - 30 dB of hearing loss). Both severe and moderate deafness can be referred to as partial deafness or as hard of hearing, while mild deafness is usually called hard of hearing.
Within the Deaf community, the term "Deaf" is often capitalized when written, and it refers to a tight-knit cultural group of people whose primary language is signed, and who practice social & cultural norms which are different from those of the surrounding hearing community. This community does not mechanically include all those who are clinically or legally deaf, nor does it exclude every hearing person. According to Baker & Padden, it includes any person or persons who "identifies him/herself as a member of the Deaf community, and other members accept that person as a part of the community"

Thursday, March 01, 2007

spear

A spear is an ancient weapon used for hunting and war, consisting of a shaft, generally of wood, with a sharpened head. The head may be just the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with bamboo spears, or it may be of one more material fastened to the shaft. The most common design is of a metal spearhead, shaped somewhat like a dagger.
Spears were arguably one of the most general personal weapons from the late Bronze Age until the advent of firearms. They may be seen as the ancestor of such weapons as the lance, the halberd, the naginata and the pike. One of the initial weapons fashioned by human beings and their ancestors, it is still used for hunting and fishing, and its influences can still be seen in contemporary military arsenals as the rifle mounted bayonet.
Spears can be used as both melee and ballistic weapons. Spears used mainly for thrusting tend to have heavier and sturdier designs than those intended exclusively for throwing. Two of the most well-known throwing spears are the javelin thrown by the ancient Greeks and the pilum used by the Romans.