Messages

166

Environmental Science and Disaster Management / 'Supergiant' crustacean

« on: February 06, 2012, 04:03:36 PM »

A huge crustacean has been found lurking 7km down in the waters off the coast of New Zealand. The creature - called a supergiant - is a type of amphipod, which are normally around 2-3cm long.

Alan Jamieson, from the University of Aberdeen's Oceanlab, said: "It's a bit like finding a foot-long cockroach." This amphipod was far bigger than I ever thought possible."

“Start Quote
    It just goes to show that the more you look, the more you find”

The strange animals were found using a large metal trap, which had been equipped with a camera, housed in sapphire glass to keep it safe from the high pressures of the deep sea. The creatures are small, but extremely active, and seem to thrive in this place where the pressure is one thousand times greater than at sea level.

Seven specimens were caught in the trap and nine were captured on film by the team from the University of Aberdeen, in Scotland, and the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa), in New Zealand.

167

Science Discussion Forum / Largest optical telescope created

« on: February 06, 2012, 03:22:01 PM »

Astronomers have created the world's largest virtual optical telescope linking four telescopes in Chile, so that they operate as a single device. The telescopes of the Very Large Telescope (VLT) at the Paranal observatory form a virtual mirror of 130 metres in diameter.

Linking all four units of the VLT will give scientists a much more detailed look at the universe than previous experiments using just two or three telescopes to create a virtual mirror. The process that links separate telescopes together is known as interferometry.

In this mode, the VLT becomes the biggest ground-based optical telescope on earth. Besides creating a gigantic virtual mirror, interferometry also greatly improves the telescope's spatial resolution and zooming capabilities.

The VLT is one of several telescopes in the Atacama Desert, set up by the European Southern Observatory (Eso) which is an international research organization headquartered in Munich, Germany.

168

You need to know / Habits that hurt your back

« on: February 06, 2012, 03:13:25 PM »

Back pain sends more patients to doctors than any condition other than the common cold. It’s the fifth most common reason for hospitalizations and third most common cause of surgery.

Back pain isn’t just about heavy lifting or sleeping the wrong way. Here are some surprising everyday habits that cause aches and pains which are:

1. You’re Chained to Your Desk
Did you know that sitting puts 40 percent more pressure on your spine than standing?

2. You Have a Long Commute
Just like at your desk, hunching over a steering wheel can tighten chest muscles and cause your shoulders to round.

3. You’ve Been Ditching the Gym
Get moving to alleviate aches and pains and fix back pain faster.

4. You Don’t Do Yoga
By improving circulation and lowering stress, just about any kind of exercise promotes back pain recovery. But yoga may be best.

5. You’re Addicted to Crunches
Sit-ups and crunches may actually cause more back pain than they prevent

6. You�re Not the Healthiest Eater
Research shows that eating habits that are good for your heart, weight, and blood sugar are also good for your back.

7. You Carry Your Entire Life in Your Purse
A stuffed-to-the-gills handbag may cause back damage that�s comparable to a sports injury!

8. Your Mattress Is from Another Decade
Can�t remember the last time you replaced it? Your back may be in trouble.

9. Your bike isn't adjusted quite right
Do you routinely get a sore back after even a leisurely bike ride? You may need to adjust your equipment.

10. You Have a Thing for High Heels
Or flip-flops. Both lead to foot instability, which can in turn affect your back.

11. You Ignore the Pain
Trying to block out pain could make it worse.

12. You Hold a Grudge
To err is human. To forgive could make your aching back feel simply divine.

13. You Don�t Veg Out Enough
It�s not all in your head—chronic or acute stress can directly trigger back pain.

14. You Watch Too Much TV
Parking yourself in front of the tube for hours and hours a day doesn�t make your back very happy.

Taking a look on our everyday bad habits, we all need to give up these habits to make us healthy.

169

You need to know / Brains may be wired due to addiction

« on: February 06, 2012, 02:46:41 PM »

Abnormalities in the brain may make some people more likely to become drug addicts, according to scientists at the University of Cambridge. The study, published in the journal Science, suggested addiction is in part a "disorder of the brain". They found the same differences in the brains of addicts and their non-addicted brothers and sisters. Both the addicts and the non-addict siblings had the same abnormalities in the region of the brain which controls behaviour, the fronto-striatal systems.

170

Nutrition and Food Engineering / We should avoid sugar

« on: February 02, 2013, 09:11:02 AM »

We should avoid sugar because it is as damaging and addictive as alcohol or tobacco and should be regulated, claim health experts.The consumption of sugar has tripled worldwide over the past 50 years, with links to obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes.Several countries are imposing taxes on unhealthy food; Denmark and Hungary have a tax on saturated fat, while France has approved a tax on soft drinks."Now, researchers are proposing similar policies for added sugar and sweeteners, amid concern about the amount of sugar in the diet."If we tax fat, salt and sugar, combined with subsidies for fruit and vegetables, you'll get healthier diets.

171

Real Estate / Re: A new Dhaka

« on: February 02, 2013, 08:48:29 AM »

Firstly, we need to decentralize our capital from Dhaka to make it load free from a huge population then automatically we can reduce traffic jam and lastly, we should follow the slogan of Prothom-Alo which is Bodle jao bodle dao!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

172

Science Discussion Forum / Re: 10 Awesome Inventions of 2011

« on: February 01, 2012, 02:01:12 PM »

Undoubtedly awesome inventions and informative post as well.

173

Real Estate / Re: বাংলাদেশের ২ টাকা পৃথিবীর সবেচেয়ে সুন্দÃ

« on: February 01, 2012, 01:48:31 PM »

Great news and good to know that this small 2 Tk. note make us all proud.

174

English / Re: Importance of learning English

« on: February 01, 2012, 01:33:34 PM »

Good post!


Sima Rani Dey
Lecturer
Dept. of CSE

175

Nutrition and Food Engineering / Re: Anti-aging foods

« on: February 01, 2012, 01:28:22 PM »

To be ever green, there are many things to learn. Good post!

176

Nutrition and Food Engineering / Re: Health Benefits of Prawns

« on: February 01, 2012, 01:20:31 PM »

Really a helpful post, thanks for sharing.