theincidence-blog

[theincidence-blog]

New Post has been published on http://theincidence.com/theincidence-12-year-old-child-is-designed-a-ship-ervis/

#THEINCIDENCE @12 year old child is designed a ship ERVIS

12 year old child prodigy, a change-maker and wiser beyond his age, Haaziq Kazi from Mumbai has designed a ship ERVIS that could help suck waste out of the surface of oceans as part of his school project.

The ship is essentially a large boat powered by hydrogen and renewable natural gas with various compartments and saucers surrounding it. The saucers, float on the surface gravitate to create a whirlpool to pull the waste towards its center.

These saucers will have a central outlet which will swallow the waste and is connected via a tube to various chambers in the ship. These chambers include an oil chamber which collects waste oil.

There are four more chambers which are for large, medium, small & micro waste respectively. Once the waste enters the chambers, Ervis analyzes, segregates and compacts it, and pumps the filtered water back into the ocean, without harming any marine life in the process.

Join with me congratulate Haaziq for this genius invention that save our oceans and wish him all success.

[theincidence-blog]

New Post has been published on http://theincidence.com/theincidence-10-bizarre-but-interesting-facts-about-bats/

#THEINCIDENCE @10 Bizarre but Interesting Facts about Bats

There are over 1,200 species of bats across the globe and they have a large footprint as they make up 20% of the entire mammal kingdom. While the creatures may appear to be scary, upside-down-hanging mammals that even the Batman is afraid of, there is a lot more to them than that. Their saliva which is an anticoagulant is now a medication administrated to stroke victims. It is named “Draculin” after Dracula. There are bizarre bat facts that will tell you more about these creatures of the night. Did you know that bats can swim in stressful situations? Here is more.

1. Not all bats live in caves. Polygamous, thumb-sized, Honduran white bats sleep in the leaves in the rainforest where each leaf has one male and up to six females.

Contrary to popular belief, not all bats live in caves. Take the Honduran white bat for example. These cute-looking, really tiny bats (3.7 to 4.7 cm long) have yellow, leaf-shaped noses and snow-white fur! They live in evergreen tropical rainforests and build leaf-tents, the majority of the times out of the leaves of the Heliconia plant. They cut the leaves at the midrib which makes the two parts of the leaves slump down because of their weight. This is home to them. They feel protected in their homes and do not fly out of it under any threat, camouflaging themselves from predators by staying motionless.

The Honduran white bats who feed only on fruits are polygamous and live in a leaf-tent with a harem of six females. A single offspring is known to be born to one female bat during the spring with the gestation period lasting a few weeks. They don’t sound like the bats we know of, do they?

2. Bats have the capacity to eat insects equal to half their body weight every night. They can eat up to 1,200 mosquitoes in an hour.

Bats can help an area to get rid of pests and bugs. Each bat is known to feast on 6,000 to 8,000 insects in one night, with the capacity to eat 1,200 mosquitoes or mosquito-sized insects in one hour. They also eat flies, gnats, cucumber beetles, and crop-destroying moths like the codling moth that affects 99% of the world’s walnut crops. Their ability to provide a natural pest control has made them popular with farmers. Another reason to thank these nocturnal mammals is chocolate. In Indonesia, when it was estimated what the cacao yield would be if they exterminated the bats, the result was a drastic drop of 22% which would run into a loss of hundreds of millions of dollars.

3. Through what many naturalists call “reciprocal altruism,” well-fed bats will regurgitate blood and share it with other bats to keep them alive. Vampire bats cannot survive without blood for more than two nights.

Female bats can be generous and lifesavers. If a vampire bat does not find blood for two nights in a row, the female bats feed them by regurgitating blood and sharing it with others in exchange for being groomed by them (licking their fur). When in captivity, female bats have shown exceptional care for new mothers. They have been observed feeding the new mother for weeks after a baby bat is born.

Vampire bats have special characteristics that are not common to other bats. They can walk, jump, and run and can also suck blood from an animal without harming it and sometimes, without waking it up. They occasionally bite humans for blood and can spread rabies. One researcher claimed that vampire bats can be tamed and can also be friendly to humans because when he called out the names he had given them, they would come flying to him.

4. Research has revealed that the bats address each other as individuals. Not just that, they frequently argue with each other. Baby bats are also known to babble like human children.

Researchers at Tel Aviv University translated “bat talk” through a machine learning algorithm and found out that the bats’ “squeaks” were them talking to each other. They found that Egyptian fruit bats, for example, communicate specific problems with each other when they gather in their roosts. The researchers were able to classify the bat calls in four categories, one of which was the bats arguing about food. Another one was about a dispute about positions in their sleeping cluster. The calls were not at all random.

Another human-like thing bats do is babble as babies. The fruit bats were raised by scientists in a vocal vacuum. As a result of this study which was published in the journal Science Advances, it was found that they babbled throughout their childhood before they learned to communicate effectively.

5. A bat named “giant golden-crowned flying fox” is a massive species of bats that has a five-foot wingspan and can be as big as a child.

A species that is facing extinction, the “giant golden-crowned flying fox” megabat is found in the forests of the Philippines at an elevation up to 3,600 feet. These bats are one of the largest species in the world and have a wingspan of 5.6 feet and can weigh up to 1.2 kilograms. Their diet is fruit-based (eating figs mainly), and they do not harm humans, but care has to be exercised while handling them as they might be carrying diseases. Because of their huge wingspan, they can travel up to 40 kilometers in one night while searching for food, and in that process, they act as seed dispersers for a lot of fruits in Philippines’ forests.

Destruction of habitat has put the bats in a dangerous position as they have to travel long distances to forage for food. One of the main reasons why this species of bats in facing extinction is hunting due to the huge demand for their pelts and meat. It is also threatened by deforestation and has been decreasing in numbers, completely disappearing from certain parts of the Philippines.

6. If there were no bats, the world would not have tequila. The agave plant from which tequila is made is pollinated by the bats. They are also known as “farmers of the rainforest” as 300 species of fruits depend on pollination by bats.

Thank the bats for those tequila shots. Tequila, which is made from agave plants. is pollinated only by bats. That is not all. Over 60 species of cacti rely on bats for pollination along with over 300 species of fruits like guavas, mangos, bananas, etc. These nectar-feeding bats mostly belong to two species: the lesser long-nosed bat and the Mexican long-tongued bat. They migrate north from Mexico to Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.

Every part of the world has bats except Antarctica. Even in the deserts, bats are known to act as natural pollinators playing a critical role in maintaining the ecosystem. Unlike bees, bats are not attracted to bright-colored or strong-smelling flowers so they play an exclusive role.

7. Bats are more closely related to cats than rats. Mexican free-tailed bats use sound to sabotage and jam the sensors of rival bats. Then they steal their prey.

Imagine a sound war in the sky with a prey as a prize. That is what the Mexican free-tailed bats do. These bats live in colonies of hundreds of thousands and a lot of food competition exists between them. To steal the prey of their rival bats, they will use sound to jam up their sensors. Since echolocation is used by the bats to hunt prey in the night, jamming their sensors will make them lose their prey. It was recorded by researchers according to a study published in the Science Mag that just when foraging bats used a feeding call, other interfering bats would send out an ultrasonic signal when they were close to their prey resulting in the foraging bats missing their target.

Even though they are called flying rodents, bats are not even remotely related to mice as much as they are related to cats. Like cats, fruit-bats, for instance, have an eyesight that adapts to low-light. Because of their unique characteristics, they have been placed in their own order of mammals known as “Chiroptera” which means “hand-wing.”

8. Female bats can control the timing of their pregnancy and the birth of baby bats. They choose a time when food is available in abundance along with keeping other ecological factors in mind.

Female bats carry only one young one at a time as they have to fly to feed and have the unique ability to time the birth of the baby bats. They use a variety of strategies to do so to make their delivery period match with a time when there is a maximum availability of food. This is done to make sure that the baby bats do not starve as they have to be fed until they become adults because their wings do not grow to full size for them to forage on their own. The species of bats that live in the temperate climates give birth during the spring. Some species also have the unique ability to delay fertilization for an entire season. If mating occurs in the fall, they can delay fertilization by storing the sperm in the reproductive tract until the next spring. Other species of bats can delay the development of the fetus until favorable environmental conditions exist.

9. Bats are actually not blind, and they sometimes prefer to use their eyesight for hunting rather than echolocation. Some of them can also see the ultra-violet light which humans cannot and have a vision three times better than us.

The phrase “blind as a bat” has no basis in reality as bats are not actually blind. Since they prey in the night, they use echolocation as an aid to hunt for prey, but that is not the case always. Bats have been known to use eyesight to hunt as well depending upon the circumstances. In fact, many fruit bats always use their eyesight. They do not echolocate at all because they feed on nectar from flowers and not on insects. Even bats who are insectivores like brown long-eared bats used sonar and visual information both to hunt for prey.

A study published in 2009 in the journal PLOS ONE stated that two species of bats, the Pallas’ long-tongued bat and Seba’s short-tailed bat, could see in the daylight and could also see some colors. These visual receptors can also allow them to see the ultra-violet light which humans cannot see as its wavelength is outside a human’s visual spectrum. They have this ability as many flowers reflect UV light, which makes it easier for them to forage for food. Many larger fruit-eating bats can see three times better than humans.

10. Millions of bats are dying from the “white-nose syndrome” in North America that the scientists have no idea how to treat. An estimated 2.4 million pounds of insects were not eaten in 2008 as the population of the bats diminished which caused a strain on New England’s agriculture.

The white-nose syndrome, where a distinctive fungal growth forms around the bat’s muzzles and wings, has as of 2018, killed millions of bats in the United States and Canada. Fifteen bat species have been affected by this fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans which spread from bat to bat through contact, and four of those species have suffered massive declines. The white-nose syndrome has not only affected the population of bats but has had a direct environmental impact. As we know bats are natural pollinators and pest-eaters, their death meant that 2.4 million pounds of insects were not eaten as estimated by the U.S. Forest Service in 2008. In New England in the U.S., this has had a direct impact on the farmers who face crop damage and have to spend more money to get rid of the pests. In the U.S., the bats save the farmers at least three billion dollars every year in pest-control. Seed-dispersal is also put at a massive risk due to this disease whose cure has not been found yet.

SOURCE

[theincidence-blog]

New Post has been published on http://theincidence.com/theincidence-10-bizarre-but-interesting-facts-about-bats/

#THEINCIDENCE @10 Bizarre but Interesting Facts about Bats

There are over 1,200 species of bats across the globe and they have a large footprint as they make up 20% of the entire mammal kingdom. While the creatures may appear to be scary, upside-down-hanging mammals that even the Batman is afraid of, there is a lot more to them than that. Their saliva which is an anticoagulant is now a medication administrated to stroke victims. It is named “Draculin” after Dracula. There are bizarre bat facts that will tell you more about these creatures of the night. Did you know that bats can swim in stressful situations? Here is more.

1. Not all bats live in caves. Polygamous, thumb-sized, Honduran white bats sleep in the leaves in the rainforest where each leaf has one male and up to six females.

Contrary to popular belief, not all bats live in caves. Take the Honduran white bat for example. These cute-looking, really tiny bats (3.7 to 4.7 cm long) have yellow, leaf-shaped noses and snow-white fur! They live in evergreen tropical rainforests and build leaf-tents, the majority of the times out of the leaves of the Heliconia plant. They cut the leaves at the midrib which makes the two parts of the leaves slump down because of their weight. This is home to them. They feel protected in their homes and do not fly out of it under any threat, camouflaging themselves from predators by staying motionless.

The Honduran white bats who feed only on fruits are polygamous and live in a leaf-tent with a harem of six females. A single offspring is known to be born to one female bat during the spring with the gestation period lasting a few weeks. They don’t sound like the bats we know of, do they?

2. Bats have the capacity to eat insects equal to half their body weight every night. They can eat up to 1,200 mosquitoes in an hour.

Bats can help an area to get rid of pests and bugs. Each bat is known to feast on 6,000 to 8,000 insects in one night, with the capacity to eat 1,200 mosquitoes or mosquito-sized insects in one hour. They also eat flies, gnats, cucumber beetles, and crop-destroying moths like the codling moth that affects 99% of the world’s walnut crops. Their ability to provide a natural pest control has made them popular with farmers. Another reason to thank these nocturnal mammals is chocolate. In Indonesia, when it was estimated what the cacao yield would be if they exterminated the bats, the result was a drastic drop of 22% which would run into a loss of hundreds of millions of dollars.

3. Through what many naturalists call “reciprocal altruism,” well-fed bats will regurgitate blood and share it with other bats to keep them alive. Vampire bats cannot survive without blood for more than two nights.

Female bats can be generous and lifesavers. If a vampire bat does not find blood for two nights in a row, the female bats feed them by regurgitating blood and sharing it with others in exchange for being groomed by them (licking their fur). When in captivity, female bats have shown exceptional care for new mothers. They have been observed feeding the new mother for weeks after a baby bat is born.

Vampire bats have special characteristics that are not common to other bats. They can walk, jump, and run and can also suck blood from an animal without harming it and sometimes, without waking it up. They occasionally bite humans for blood and can spread rabies. One researcher claimed that vampire bats can be tamed and can also be friendly to humans because when he called out the names he had given them, they would come flying to him.

4. Research has revealed that the bats address each other as individuals. Not just that, they frequently argue with each other. Baby bats are also known to babble like human children.

Researchers at Tel Aviv University translated “bat talk” through a machine learning algorithm and found out that the bats’ “squeaks” were them talking to each other. They found that Egyptian fruit bats, for example, communicate specific problems with each other when they gather in their roosts. The researchers were able to classify the bat calls in four categories, one of which was the bats arguing about food. Another one was about a dispute about positions in their sleeping cluster. The calls were not at all random.

Another human-like thing bats do is babble as babies. The fruit bats were raised by scientists in a vocal vacuum. As a result of this study which was published in the journal Science Advances, it was found that they babbled throughout their childhood before they learned to communicate effectively.

5. A bat named “giant golden-crowned flying fox” is a massive species of bats that has a five-foot wingspan and can be as big as a child.

A species that is facing extinction, the “giant golden-crowned flying fox” megabat is found in the forests of the Philippines at an elevation up to 3,600 feet. These bats are one of the largest species in the world and have a wingspan of 5.6 feet and can weigh up to 1.2 kilograms. Their diet is fruit-based (eating figs mainly), and they do not harm humans, but care has to be exercised while handling them as they might be carrying diseases. Because of their huge wingspan, they can travel up to 40 kilometers in one night while searching for food, and in that process, they act as seed dispersers for a lot of fruits in Philippines’ forests.

Destruction of habitat has put the bats in a dangerous position as they have to travel long distances to forage for food. One of the main reasons why this species of bats in facing extinction is hunting due to the huge demand for their pelts and meat. It is also threatened by deforestation and has been decreasing in numbers, completely disappearing from certain parts of the Philippines.

6. If there were no bats, the world would not have tequila. The agave plant from which tequila is made is pollinated by the bats. They are also known as “farmers of the rainforest” as 300 species of fruits depend on pollination by bats.

Thank the bats for those tequila shots. Tequila, which is made from agave plants. is pollinated only by bats. That is not all. Over 60 species of cacti rely on bats for pollination along with over 300 species of fruits like guavas, mangos, bananas, etc. These nectar-feeding bats mostly belong to two species: the lesser long-nosed bat and the Mexican long-tongued bat. They migrate north from Mexico to Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.

Every part of the world has bats except Antarctica. Even in the deserts, bats are known to act as natural pollinators playing a critical role in maintaining the ecosystem. Unlike bees, bats are not attracted to bright-colored or strong-smelling flowers so they play an exclusive role.

7. Bats are more closely related to cats than rats. Mexican free-tailed bats use sound to sabotage and jam the sensors of rival bats. Then they steal their prey.

Imagine a sound war in the sky with a prey as a prize. That is what the Mexican free-tailed bats do. These bats live in colonies of hundreds of thousands and a lot of food competition exists between them. To steal the prey of their rival bats, they will use sound to jam up their sensors. Since echolocation is used by the bats to hunt prey in the night, jamming their sensors will make them lose their prey. It was recorded by researchers according to a study published in the Science Mag that just when foraging bats used a feeding call, other interfering bats would send out an ultrasonic signal when they were close to their prey resulting in the foraging bats missing their target.

Even though they are called flying rodents, bats are not even remotely related to mice as much as they are related to cats. Like cats, fruit-bats, for instance, have an eyesight that adapts to low-light. Because of their unique characteristics, they have been placed in their own order of mammals known as “Chiroptera” which means “hand-wing.”

8. Female bats can control the timing of their pregnancy and the birth of baby bats. They choose a time when food is available in abundance along with keeping other ecological factors in mind.

Female bats carry only one young one at a time as they have to fly to feed and have the unique ability to time the birth of the baby bats. They use a variety of strategies to do so to make their delivery period match with a time when there is a maximum availability of food. This is done to make sure that the baby bats do not starve as they have to be fed until they become adults because their wings do not grow to full size for them to forage on their own. The species of bats that live in the temperate climates give birth during the spring. Some species also have the unique ability to delay fertilization for an entire season. If mating occurs in the fall, they can delay fertilization by storing the sperm in the reproductive tract until the next spring. Other species of bats can delay the development of the fetus until favorable environmental conditions exist.

9. Bats are actually not blind, and they sometimes prefer to use their eyesight for hunting rather than echolocation. Some of them can also see the ultra-violet light which humans cannot and have a vision three times better than us.

The phrase “blind as a bat” has no basis in reality as bats are not actually blind. Since they prey in the night, they use echolocation as an aid to hunt for prey, but that is not the case always. Bats have been known to use eyesight to hunt as well depending upon the circumstances. In fact, many fruit bats always use their eyesight. They do not echolocate at all because they feed on nectar from flowers and not on insects. Even bats who are insectivores like brown long-eared bats used sonar and visual information both to hunt for prey.

A study published in 2009 in the journal PLOS ONE stated that two species of bats, the Pallas’ long-tongued bat and Seba’s short-tailed bat, could see in the daylight and could also see some colors. These visual receptors can also allow them to see the ultra-violet light which humans cannot see as its wavelength is outside a human’s visual spectrum. They have this ability as many flowers reflect UV light, which makes it easier for them to forage for food. Many larger fruit-eating bats can see three times better than humans.

10. Millions of bats are dying from the “white-nose syndrome” in North America that the scientists have no idea how to treat. An estimated 2.4 million pounds of insects were not eaten in 2008 as the population of the bats diminished which caused a strain on New England’s agriculture.

The white-nose syndrome, where a distinctive fungal growth forms around the bat’s muzzles and wings, has as of 2018, killed millions of bats in the United States and Canada. Fifteen bat species have been affected by this fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans which spread from bat to bat through contact, and four of those species have suffered massive declines. The white-nose syndrome has not only affected the population of bats but has had a direct environmental impact. As we know bats are natural pollinators and pest-eaters, their death meant that 2.4 million pounds of insects were not eaten as estimated by the U.S. Forest Service in 2008. In New England in the U.S., this has had a direct impact on the farmers who face crop damage and have to spend more money to get rid of the pests. In the U.S., the bats save the farmers at least three billion dollars every year in pest-control. Seed-dispersal is also put at a massive risk due to this disease whose cure has not been found yet.

SOURCE

reddit_url="http://theincidence.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php"; reddit_title="The Incidence";

[theincidence-blog]

New Post has been published on http://theincidence.com/theincidence-fire-accident-at-puttingal-temple-in-kerala-at-least-110-people-died/

#THEINCIDENCE @Fire accident at Puttingal temple in Kerala: At least 110 people died

At least 110 people were charred to death in a fire accident at Puttingal Devi temple on 10 April 2016 during a festival at Paravur in Kollam district of Kerala. More than 380 injured were admitted to various hospitals.

The tragedy struck around 3.30 am during display of fireworks at the temple complex, which is around 70 kms from the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. The fire has now been brought under control.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy who rushed to the disaster spot has asked the chief secretary to write to the Election Commission for exempting the treatment to the injured from the purview of the Election Code of Conduct.

The state’s Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has ordered a detailed inquiry into the fireworks disaster. The district administration has set up a control room number with number 0474-251-2344.

Besides, Kerala government ordered a judicial inquiry by a retired High Court Judge along with an investigation by Crime Branch of the State Police in the Puttingal Devi temple fire tragedy. Police

have registered a case for allegedly storing fire crackers ten times more than what was permitted.

While, the Union Government said that the Petroleum Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) was sent to the temple to probe the use and storage of firecrackers there.

It will be assisted by Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion to establish facts with the help of district authorities.

SOURCE

reddit_url="http://theincidence.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php"; reddit_title="The Incidence";

#Fire accident #Puttingal temple

[theincidence-blog]

New Post has been published on http://theincidence.com/theincidence-hero-cop-2-teachers-avert-major-tragedy-save-25-kids-from-raging-fire-in-telangana/

#THEINCIDENCE @Hero Cop, 2 Teachers Avert Major Tragedy; Save 25 Kids From Raging Fire in Telangana!

(THEINCIDENCE) :-

 On Friday, when about 20 students were inside the classroom, and the others were playing outside, a fire broke out at the premises of a play school.

25 playgroup kids in Adilabad’s Vidyanagar neighbourhood (Telangana) escaped a close shave with death, thanks to a constable and a hockey team coach!

According to  the real cause behind the fire is unknown, but it is being speculated that a short circuit in a water cooler may have started it.

Panic set in when the fire quickly spread and caught the furniture in one of the classrooms.

All the kids in this playschool are below four years. While the students kept playing outside and others carried on with their classes, the space was soon filled with smoke.

It was at this time that two passersby decided to risk their own lives to safely evacuate the students from the school, promptly supported by the teacher.

According to the report, the smoke first caught the attention of Adilabad Armed Reserve constable B David Raj, as well as T Kiran, a hockey player who is also the coach of the Nalgonda hockey team. The hockey team was in the town for a tournament.

Looking at the smoke, the two men immediate flung into action. Another individual who gave them the desperately required support was Rubina Firdoss, the play school teacher.

The trio kept their calm and slowly and safely evacuated all the students out of the classroom and the school building.

“I saw smoke billowing out of the windows of the playschool and instinctively broke in. I can say the sportsman in me drove me to plunge into the fire and blinding smoke,” constable B David Raj told the publication. He brought the children out of the classroom and handed them to Kiran.

The parents, who broke out in a cold sweat, expressed their gratitude to the trio after being reunited with their children. They also expressed their utter disappointment at the delay in the arrival of the fire brigade, which is hardly 200 metres away from the school.

Speaking to The Hindu, Fire Officer-in-charge, Ch N R Kantha Rao, said that their entire crew and one fire tender were not at the fire station but at a demonstration of firefighting methods for students of an educational institute a kilometre away which led to the delay.

“But we rushed to the spot on getting information,” he said.

While the justification may not be fair considering a major tragedy could have threatened the lives of 25 kids, let us commend the quick-thinking and actions of David, Kiran and Rubina!

  SOURCE

reddit_url="http://theincidence.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php"; reddit_title="The Incidence";

#Telangna

[theincidence-blog]

New Post has been published on http://theincidence.com/theincidence-hero-cop-2-teachers-avert-major-tragedy-save-25-kids-from-raging-fire-in-telangana/

#THEINCIDENCE @Hero Cop, 2 Teachers Avert Major Tragedy; Save 25 Kids From Raging Fire in Telangana!

(THEINCIDENCE) :-

 On Friday, when about 20 students were inside the classroom, and the others were playing outside, a fire broke out at the premises of a play school.

25 playgroup kids in Adilabad’s Vidyanagar neighbourhood (Telangana) escaped a close shave with death, thanks to a constable and a hockey team coach!

According to  the real cause behind the fire is unknown, but it is being speculated that a short circuit in a water cooler may have started it.

Panic set in when the fire quickly spread and caught the furniture in one of the classrooms.

All the kids in this playschool are below four years. While the students kept playing outside and others carried on with their classes, the space was soon filled with smoke.

It was at this time that two passersby decided to risk their own lives to safely evacuate the students from the school, promptly supported by the teacher.

According to the report, the smoke first caught the attention of Adilabad Armed Reserve constable B David Raj, as well as T Kiran, a hockey player who is also the coach of the Nalgonda hockey team. The hockey team was in the town for a tournament.

Looking at the smoke, the two men immediate flung into action. Another individual who gave them the desperately required support was Rubina Firdoss, the play school teacher.

The trio kept their calm and slowly and safely evacuated all the students out of the classroom and the school building.

“I saw smoke billowing out of the windows of the playschool and instinctively broke in. I can say the sportsman in me drove me to plunge into the fire and blinding smoke,” constable B David Raj told the publication. He brought the children out of the classroom and handed them to Kiran.

The parents, who broke out in a cold sweat, expressed their gratitude to the trio after being reunited with their children. They also expressed their utter disappointment at the delay in the arrival of the fire brigade, which is hardly 200 metres away from the school.

Speaking to The Hindu, Fire Officer-in-charge, Ch N R Kantha Rao, said that their entire crew and one fire tender were not at the fire station but at a demonstration of firefighting methods for students of an educational institute a kilometre away which led to the delay.

“But we rushed to the spot on getting information,” he said.

While the justification may not be fair considering a major tragedy could have threatened the lives of 25 kids, let us commend the quick-thinking and actions of David, Kiran and Rubina!

  SOURCE

reddit_url="http://theincidence.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php"; reddit_title="The Incidence";

#Telangna

[theincidence-blog]

New Post has been published on http://theincidence.com/theincidence-sukma-naxal-attack-did-intelligence-failure-lead-to-death-of-25-crpf-jawans/

#THEINCIDENCE @Sukma Naxal Attack: Did intelligence failure lead to death of 25 CRPF Jawans?

The recent Sukma Naxal Attack in which 25 CRPF Jawans sacrificed their lives has broken the silent ceasefire that existed between the Naxalites and Paramilitary Forces.

The Sukma Maoist Attack of 24th April is the bloodiest since 2010 and raised some serious questions regarding the policy, perspective and the direction that Anti-Naxal operations have been given in the last two years by the Modi Government. Was it an intelligence failure, policy change or any other loophole that caused the death of our Jawans is a question that is on the minds of every Indian. Here’ we shall try to analyse this questions while also looking at possible reactionary measures that are at hand for the Modi Government to react to it.

About the attack

The attack took place on personnel of the 74th Battalion of the CRPF. At the time of the attack, the soldiers were guarding road workers in the Sukma district, which is located at a distance of 400km from Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh. Reports suggest that the Naxals fired from hilltops at the group of soldiers. The jawans tried to retaliate but didn’t succeed because the Naxals were using residents of Burkapal village as human shields.

What went wrong?

The question that arises is was it the lack of coordination between the locals of the area and the central police as well as the intelligence which led to this attack. Or did the union government’s claim that Maoists problem will end in half a decade instigate the attack.

The answer for the two questions lies in the in-depth analysis of the Sukma Naxal attack.

The answer to the first question can be seen in the non-cooperation by the villagers of the area, mainly Burkapal hamlet, who once shared a friendly relationship with the CRPF Jawans. Earlier, the villagers were acting as informers for CRPF’s anti-Naxal operations.

Reports suggest that the villagers, who once acted as informers for the security forces, had distanced themselves from the forces after their village head Madhvi, who was acting as a helping hand for CRPF, was killed two months back by the Naxalites. Answer of the second question lies in the massive attack where the rebels or the Maoists reacted with full capacity to prove their existence and strength.

Reports suggest that earlier, Home Minister Rajnath Singh in his statement in the Parliament informed that due to operations of the security forces around 135 Maoists were killed and about 700 were arrested in 2016. He also said that nearly 1200 rebels had surrendered to the forces.

In response to this, the Sukma attack was orchestrated by the Maoists putting their full strength on display. With this, they have sent a strong message to the government that they may be weaker than the forces but their resolve to fight against them will never die.

Maoists and the reason for their fight

The left-aligned Maoists or rebels who have been fighting against the union/state government for more than three decades say that they are fighting for the rights of tribal people as well as landless farmers. Their fight is against the mining in the mineral-rich region. In short, their fight is for a greater share of wealth as well as jobs for Adivasis – the indigenous people. Currently, it is believed that Maoists are present in about 19 to 20 states of India and are most active in few states like Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Odisha and Bihar.

Maoist attacks and its timeline during the decade

• March 2017: Maoist rebels killed 11 paramilitary policemen in Chhattisgarh.

• May 2013: About 30 people, including tribal leader Mahendra Karma, were killed in Bastar region of Chhattisgarh.

• April 2010: At least 76 CRPF personnel killed in Dantewada region of Sukma

• May 2010: About 36 security personnel were killed near Dantewada

• June 2010: At least 27 soldiers killed in Narayanpur district

• March and July 2007: 55 security personnel killed in Bastar and other 23 policemen were killed in the region respectively

Condemnation

The ambush of the security personnel has drawn condemnation from different sections of the society including the politicians, public as well as different countries like Israel.

The Indian National Congress (INC) has termed the incident as an unfortunate event and has asked the union government led by Narendra Modi to initiate appropriate counter action.

Besides, Israel has condemned the Naxalite attack and emphasised on deepening cooperation with India to combat terrorism. While delivering a lecture on ‘India-Israel- Enduring Partnership’ at the Nehru Memorial Museum in New Delhi, Israeli envoy, Daniel Carmon said terrorism is one of the challenges India and Israel are facing. He added there is a new battlefield, an asymmetric warfare which the security forces have to face.

What can be done?

Instead of the actions or attempts by the security forces or talks at the political level, the government should come up with the real solution under which they (the underprivileged sections including Adivasis) are made a part of the development and provided jobs.

  SOURCE

reddit_url="http://theincidence.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php"; reddit_title="The Incidence";

#Sukma Naxal Attack

[theincidence-blog]

New Post has been published on http://theincidence.com/theincidence-uk-19-killed-in-suspected-terror-attack-following-pop-concert-in-manchester/

#THEINCIDENCE @UK: 19 killed in suspected terror attack following pop concert in Manchester

UK terror attack: 19 killed Nineteen people have been killed and about 50 injured in a blast at Manchester Arena in the United Kingdom. Witnesses said they heard two loud bangs, reported to be in the foyer, after a pop concert by Ariana Grande.

Greater Manchester Police said there are a number of confirmed fatalities and others injured. The cause of the explosion is unknown but the North West Counter Terrorism Unit is treating it as a possible terrorist incident.

Manchester Victoria station, which is close to the concert venue, has been closed and all trains cancelled. British Transport Police say the explosion was in the foyer area of Manchester Arena.

UK Prime Minister Theresa May issued a statement saying that said they are working to establish the full details of what is being treated by the police as an appalling terrorist attack.

She added, all her thoughts are with the victims and the families of those who have been affected.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has strongly condemned the attack in Manchester. In a tweet, Modi said, he is pained by the attack and India’s thoughts is with the families of the deceased and prayers with the injured.

We spoke to former Indian High Commissioner to the UK, Lalit Manshingh on the attack.

  SOURCE

reddit_url="http://theincidence.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php"; reddit_title="The Incidence";

[theincidence-blog]

New Post has been published on http://theincidence.com/theincidence-uk-19-killed-in-suspected-terror-attack-following-pop-concert-in-manchester/

#THEINCIDENCE @UK: 19 killed in suspected terror attack following pop concert in Manchester

UK terror attack: 19 killed Nineteen people have been killed and about 50 injured in a blast at Manchester Arena in the United Kingdom. Witnesses said they heard two loud bangs, reported to be in the foyer, after a pop concert by Ariana Grande.

Greater Manchester Police said there are a number of confirmed fatalities and others injured. The cause of the explosion is unknown but the North West Counter Terrorism Unit is treating it as a possible terrorist incident.

Manchester Victoria station, which is close to the concert venue, has been closed and all trains cancelled. British Transport Police say the explosion was in the foyer area of Manchester Arena.

UK Prime Minister Theresa May issued a statement saying that said they are working to establish the full details of what is being treated by the police as an appalling terrorist attack.

She added, all her thoughts are with the victims and the families of those who have been affected.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has strongly condemned the attack in Manchester. In a tweet, Modi said, he is pained by the attack and India’s thoughts is with the families of the deceased and prayers with the injured.

We spoke to former Indian High Commissioner to the UK, Lalit Manshingh on the attack.

  SOURCE

[theincidence-blog]

New Post has been published on http://theincidence.com/theincidence-5-technologies-that-most-people-dont-know-exist-2/

#THEINCIDENCE @5 Technologies that Most People Don’t Know Exist

The advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution has redefined our perception of the world and drastically changed how we live. The blurred lines between mechanical, electronic, digital, and biological aspects of our lives have created the beginning of a new era that only science fiction and fantasy writers could imagine. It has also brought forth various technologies that have started making our lives easier, interesting, but not very human-like, depending on how one looks at it. Here are some such futuristic technologies that you probably didn’t know existed.

1. Micro Air Vehicle

These are aircraft the size of insects that can be used for covert operations such as reconnaissance and espionage as well as for getting information about spaces that are inaccessible to humans.

In 2008, TU Delft University of Netherlands developed ornithopter named “DelFly Micro” that measures 10 centimeters and weighs just three grams. It has a camera for navigation and has been successfully tested indoors. An even smaller ornithopter measuring just three centimeters was developed by Robert Wood at Harvard University that achieved controlled flight in 2013, and landings on and takeoffs from different places in 2016. The model, however, is not autonomous and requires power through a wire.

In 2007, the US company Honeywell developed a micro air vehicle (MAV) called “T-Hawk” (tarantula hawk) which was used by the US Army and US Navy Explosive Ordinance Division to search for bombs and targets. It was also used at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan following the 2011 tsunami for capturing video and getting radioactive readings. The British Army deployed the 16-gram Black Hornet Nano Unmanned Air Vehicle to support infantry operations in Afghanistan.

Researchers are also taking inspiration from insects and birds to achieve better flight capabilities for newer models. Schools of fish and flocks of birds are also another source of inspiration to control artificial swarms of MAVs and stabilize MAV formations.

2. 4D Printing

This is a technology that can create material that transforms over time depending on the environmental parameters it reacts with.

There are different approaches to how materials are printed in 4D. One way is to make them so that they respond to the transfer of kinetic energy from one medium to another. Some materials would cause the particles to bond and change form when exposed to heat. When an object is printed with hydrophilic material on one side and hydrophobic material on another side, one side would swell while the other side contracts when placed in water causing the object to change its shape.

Another way is to program physical and biological materials to change their shape or properties. This method is associated with nanotechnology and molecular manufacturing. One more approach is using stress relaxation. That is creating a material assembly from stress that’s stored in the material resulting in a change in shape.

3. Aerogel

Aerogel is a synthetic, extremely light and porous material with extremely low thermal conductivity and a high melting point made from a gel whose liquid component is replaced by gas.

In 1931, Samuel Stephen Kistler first created aerogel as part of a bet with his friend on who could replace a liquid with a gas in jellies without causing them to shrink. Aerogels are made by very slowly drying the gel so that its matrix would not collapse due to capillary action as usually happens during conventional evaporation. The first aerogels were produced from silica and later with alumina, chromia, and tin dioxide. Carbon-based aerogels were first made during the 1980s.

Almost 99.8% percent of aerogel is gas which gives the material extremely low density and hence low thermal conductivity as it nullifies both conduction and convection of heat. Its melting point is 1,200 °C (2,192 °F). Despite its low density and the fact that it’s prone to shattering, aerogel is extremely strong and has immense load-bearing capability because of a dendritic microstructure. It is used for thermal insulation, filtering space dust aboard spacecraft, and can be used for absorbing heavy metals in water.

4. Li-Fi

Li-Fi is a wireless transmission technology that uses light from LEDs instead of radio waves to transfer data at speeds as impressively high as 224 gigabits per second.

The history of visible light communication (VLC), or using visible light for transmitting data, dates back to the 1880s. The term “Li-Fi” was coined by Harald Haas, Professor of Mobile Communications at the University of Edinburgh, at his 2011 TED Global Talk. VLC is similar to Wi-Fi, but instead uses LEDs as the medium for high-speed communication and works by switching the lights on and off at a very high rate that is imperceptible to the human eye. As the spectrum of visible light is 10,000 times larger than the complete radio-wave spectrum, it is believed to have no limitations on capacity, unlike Wi-Fi which has now almost reached full capacity.

Since light cannot penetrate walls, Li-Fi is considered more secure from hacking and the technology is expected to be cheaper than Wi-Fi. However, it is short-range and not as reliable yet. As of 2013, researchers have reached speeds of 224 gigabits per second. Li-Fi could be a better alternative for communication in hospitals as it doesn’t affect medical instruments or human bodies.

5. Mind-Controlled Robotic Limb

This is an artificial limb that can be controlled with no more than normal, subconscious effort or neural activity, and is now being used to help paraplegics and those without limbs.

  https://youtu.be/xKUn0-Bhb7U

Researchers from Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab, funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), developed an advanced, mind-controlled robotic arm as part of the program Revolutionizing Prosthetics. The arm was given to Johnny Matheny of Florida who lost his arm due to cancer in 2005.

Shuichi Nishio and Christian Penaloza from Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International in Kyoto have developed another robotic arm that can be controlled by thinking. They’ve developed an algorithm that can read the electrical activity recorded by noninvasive electrodes placed on the scalp and distinguish the patterns linked to arm movement. Thinking about different tasks, like picking up a glass of water or balancing a tray, generates a different pattern of electrical activity. After reading that specific pattern, the algorithm instructs the robotic arm to move accordingly.

  SOURCE

reddit_url="http://theincidence.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php"; reddit_title="The Incidence";

[theincidence-blog]

New Post has been published on http://theincidence.com/theincidence-5-technologies-that-most-people-dont-know-exist-2/

#THEINCIDENCE @5 Technologies that Most People Don’t Know Exist

The advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution has redefined our perception of the world and drastically changed how we live. The blurred lines between mechanical, electronic, digital, and biological aspects of our lives have created the beginning of a new era that only science fiction and fantasy writers could imagine. It has also brought forth various technologies that have started making our lives easier, interesting, but not very human-like, depending on how one looks at it. Here are some such futuristic technologies that you probably didn’t know existed.

1. Micro Air Vehicle

These are aircraft the size of insects that can be used for covert operations such as reconnaissance and espionage as well as for getting information about spaces that are inaccessible to humans.

In 2008, TU Delft University of Netherlands developed ornithopter named “DelFly Micro” that measures 10 centimeters and weighs just three grams. It has a camera for navigation and has been successfully tested indoors. An even smaller ornithopter measuring just three centimeters was developed by Robert Wood at Harvard University that achieved controlled flight in 2013, and landings on and takeoffs from different places in 2016. The model, however, is not autonomous and requires power through a wire.

In 2007, the US company Honeywell developed a micro air vehicle (MAV) called “T-Hawk” (tarantula hawk) which was used by the US Army and US Navy Explosive Ordinance Division to search for bombs and targets. It was also used at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan following the 2011 tsunami for capturing video and getting radioactive readings. The British Army deployed the 16-gram Black Hornet Nano Unmanned Air Vehicle to support infantry operations in Afghanistan.

Researchers are also taking inspiration from insects and birds to achieve better flight capabilities for newer models. Schools of fish and flocks of birds are also another source of inspiration to control artificial swarms of MAVs and stabilize MAV formations.

2. 4D Printing

This is a technology that can create material that transforms over time depending on the environmental parameters it reacts with.

There are different approaches to how materials are printed in 4D. One way is to make them so that they respond to the transfer of kinetic energy from one medium to another. Some materials would cause the particles to bond and change form when exposed to heat. When an object is printed with hydrophilic material on one side and hydrophobic material on another side, one side would swell while the other side contracts when placed in water causing the object to change its shape.

Another way is to program physical and biological materials to change their shape or properties. This method is associated with nanotechnology and molecular manufacturing. One more approach is using stress relaxation. That is creating a material assembly from stress that’s stored in the material resulting in a change in shape.

3. Aerogel

Aerogel is a synthetic, extremely light and porous material with extremely low thermal conductivity and a high melting point made from a gel whose liquid component is replaced by gas.

In 1931, Samuel Stephen Kistler first created aerogel as part of a bet with his friend on who could replace a liquid with a gas in jellies without causing them to shrink. Aerogels are made by very slowly drying the gel so that its matrix would not collapse due to capillary action as usually happens during conventional evaporation. The first aerogels were produced from silica and later with alumina, chromia, and tin dioxide. Carbon-based aerogels were first made during the 1980s.

Almost 99.8% percent of aerogel is gas which gives the material extremely low density and hence low thermal conductivity as it nullifies both conduction and convection of heat. Its melting point is 1,200 °C (2,192 °F). Despite its low density and the fact that it’s prone to shattering, aerogel is extremely strong and has immense load-bearing capability because of a dendritic microstructure. It is used for thermal insulation, filtering space dust aboard spacecraft, and can be used for absorbing heavy metals in water.

4. Li-Fi

Li-Fi is a wireless transmission technology that uses light from LEDs instead of radio waves to transfer data at speeds as impressively high as 224 gigabits per second.

The history of visible light communication (VLC), or using visible light for transmitting data, dates back to the 1880s. The term “Li-Fi” was coined by Harald Haas, Professor of Mobile Communications at the University of Edinburgh, at his 2011 TED Global Talk. VLC is similar to Wi-Fi, but instead uses LEDs as the medium for high-speed communication and works by switching the lights on and off at a very high rate that is imperceptible to the human eye. As the spectrum of visible light is 10,000 times larger than the complete radio-wave spectrum, it is believed to have no limitations on capacity, unlike Wi-Fi which has now almost reached full capacity.

Since light cannot penetrate walls, Li-Fi is considered more secure from hacking and the technology is expected to be cheaper than Wi-Fi. However, it is short-range and not as reliable yet. As of 2013, researchers have reached speeds of 224 gigabits per second. Li-Fi could be a better alternative for communication in hospitals as it doesn’t affect medical instruments or human bodies.

5. Mind-Controlled Robotic Limb

This is an artificial limb that can be controlled with no more than normal, subconscious effort or neural activity, and is now being used to help paraplegics and those without limbs.

  https://youtu.be/xKUn0-Bhb7U

Researchers from Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab, funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), developed an advanced, mind-controlled robotic arm as part of the program Revolutionizing Prosthetics. The arm was given to Johnny Matheny of Florida who lost his arm due to cancer in 2005.

Shuichi Nishio and Christian Penaloza from Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International in Kyoto have developed another robotic arm that can be controlled by thinking. They’ve developed an algorithm that can read the electrical activity recorded by noninvasive electrodes placed on the scalp and distinguish the patterns linked to arm movement. Thinking about different tasks, like picking up a glass of water or balancing a tray, generates a different pattern of electrical activity. After reading that specific pattern, the algorithm instructs the robotic arm to move accordingly.

  SOURCE

[theincidence-blog]

New Post has been published on http://theincidence.com/theincidence-5-technologies-that-most-people-dont-know-exist/

#THEINCIDENCE @5 Technologies that Most People Don’t Know Exist

(THEINCIDENCE) :- The advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution has redefined our perception of the world and drastically changed how we live. The blurred lines between mechanical, electronic, digital, and biological aspects of our lives have created the beginning of a new era that only science fiction and fantasy writers could imagine. It has also brought forth various technologies that have started making our lives easier, interesting, but not very human-like, depending on how one looks at it. Here are some such futuristic technologies that you probably didn’t know existed.

1. Atomic battery

This is a device that uses energy from radioactive decay to generate electricity. It is used in equipment that must function without supervision for long periods of time, such as spacecraft, automated scientific stations in remote locations, pacemakers, and underwater systems.

Also known as a nuclear battery or radioisotope generator, this technology was first demonstrated by Henry Moseley in 1913. During the 1950s and 1960s, there was considerable research in the field to create long-life batteries for space missions. Since then, several techniques to generate electricity from nuclear sources were found, and modern nano-scale technology has allowed the creation of new devices and better material properties that were previously unavailable.

Similar to nuclear reactors, the atomic batteries generate electricity from atomic energy, but without the chain reaction. The energy converters are either thermal, like thermoelectric or thermionic generators, or non-thermal, which extracts a part of the incident energy as it degrades into heat.

2. Powered Exoskeleton

This is a wearable mobile machine that facilitates limb movement with greater strength and endurance and is powered by a system of hydraulics, motors, pneumatics, and levers.

The earliest versions of powered exoskeleton suits were developed by Nicholas Yagn in 1890. The first mobile, human-movement, integrated machine named “Hardiman” was developed together by General Electric and the US Armed Forces in the 1960s. With it, lifting 110 kilograms (250 pounds) of weight felt like lifting 4.5 kilograms (10 pounds).

In 1986, a US Army Ranger known as Monty Reed who broke his back in a parachute accident developed an exoskeleton prototype called the “LIFESUIT” of which the current prototype can walk 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) and lift 92 kilograms (203 pounds).

Current, powered exoskeletons include Cyberdyne’s HAL 5 arms and legs used in Japanese hospitals, Parker Hannifin Indego Exoskeleton for legs, Ekso Bionics eLEGS hydraulic exoskeleton for paraplegics, and Ghent University’s WALL-X exoskeleton that can reduce metabolic costs while walking.

3. Transparent Image Sensor

This device is a flexible, transparent, circuit-free image sensor made of plastic film coated with fluorescent particles that can be used in user interface devices that can respond to both touch and gesture.

https://youtu.be/0DIds5TlUrk

The transparent image sensor was developed by researchers Alexander Koppelhuber and Oliver Bimber from Johannes Kepler University, Linz, Austria, who used the phenomenon of how light gets dimmer the deeper it travels through polymer. Since, unlike existing technologies, polymers cannot be divided into individual pixels, they measured the relative brightness of light reaching the sensor array along the edges of the film to determine where the light entered.

By scaling up the process and using technology similar to that of CT but with lasers instead of X-rays, Koppelhuber and Bimber were able to make a low-resolution prototype. Through the use of advanced sampling techniques, they can also enhance the resolution. The new, touch-free technology can, in the future, be used in television and computers, and will give gamers full gesture control without the need for cameras or motion-tracking devices.

4. Gravity-Powered Lamp

This is a lamp that is powered by a bag of sand or rocks, hung by a cord, which gradually comes down just like the weight drive in a cuckoo clock.

The concept of  was developed by Clay Moulton and Mike Wofsey in 2006, though early prototypes were found to be inefficient. They found that 10 kilograms of mass raised to a height of one meter gives a maximum energy of 98 joules, which at 100% conversion efficiency for five minutes, and would produce 0.32 watts and 0.16 watts at 50%. The resulting LED light was not enough for reading or working, so, they traded illumination brightness for illumination time.

Following two fundraising campaigns, Martin Riddiford and Jim Reeves developed the light further. The slowly falling weight spins gears driving the electric generator and powering the LED for 25 minutes. After that, the weight can be lifted up again with the cords to power the light for the next 25 minutes. When mass produced, these lights can serve as a zero-operational-cost alternative to normal electric lamps or kerosene lamps in poor countries.

5. Translucent Concrete

This is a concrete-based construction material that contains light transmitting elements such as optical fibers to conduct light from one side of the wall to the other.

First mentioned in a 1935 Canadian patent, translucent concrete products were developed in the 1990s. The optical fibers go through the whole concrete block creating a certain light pattern on the other side. The bends in the fiber inside the concrete and the rough cut surface at the end of it decrease the light reaching the other side by more than half. It might still give enough daylight considering the non-linear response of human eyes to light. Translucent concrete is used for architectural-design purposes for facades and interior walls.

  SOURCE

reddit_url="http://theincidence.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php"; reddit_title="The Incidence";

[theincidence-blog]

New Post has been published on http://theincidence.com/theincidence-5-technologies-that-most-people-dont-know-exist/

#THEINCIDENCE @5 Technologies that Most People Don’t Know Exist

(THEINCIDENCE) :- The advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution has redefined our perception of the world and drastically changed how we live. The blurred lines between mechanical, electronic, digital, and biological aspects of our lives have created the beginning of a new era that only science fiction and fantasy writers could imagine. It has also brought forth various technologies that have started making our lives easier, interesting, but not very human-like, depending on how one looks at it. Here are some such futuristic technologies that you probably didn’t know existed.

1. Atomic battery

This is a device that uses energy from radioactive decay to generate electricity. It is used in equipment that must function without supervision for long periods of time, such as spacecraft, automated scientific stations in remote locations, pacemakers, and underwater systems.

Also known as a nuclear battery or radioisotope generator, this technology was first demonstrated by Henry Moseley in 1913. During the 1950s and 1960s, there was considerable research in the field to create long-life batteries for space missions. Since then, several techniques to generate electricity from nuclear sources were found, and modern nano-scale technology has allowed the creation of new devices and better material properties that were previously unavailable.

Similar to nuclear reactors, the atomic batteries generate electricity from atomic energy, but without the chain reaction. The energy converters are either thermal, like thermoelectric or thermionic generators, or non-thermal, which extracts a part of the incident energy as it degrades into heat.

2. Powered Exoskeleton

This is a wearable mobile machine that facilitates limb movement with greater strength and endurance and is powered by a system of hydraulics, motors, pneumatics, and levers.

The earliest versions of powered exoskeleton suits were developed by Nicholas Yagn in 1890. The first mobile, human-movement, integrated machine named “Hardiman” was developed together by General Electric and the US Armed Forces in the 1960s. With it, lifting 110 kilograms (250 pounds) of weight felt like lifting 4.5 kilograms (10 pounds).

In 1986, a US Army Ranger known as Monty Reed who broke his back in a parachute accident developed an exoskeleton prototype called the “LIFESUIT” of which the current prototype can walk 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) and lift 92 kilograms (203 pounds).

Current, powered exoskeletons include Cyberdyne’s HAL 5 arms and legs used in Japanese hospitals, Parker Hannifin Indego Exoskeleton for legs, Ekso Bionics eLEGS hydraulic exoskeleton for paraplegics, and Ghent University’s WALL-X exoskeleton that can reduce metabolic costs while walking.

3. Transparent Image Sensor

This device is a flexible, transparent, circuit-free image sensor made of plastic film coated with fluorescent particles that can be used in user interface devices that can respond to both touch and gesture.

https://youtu.be/0DIds5TlUrk

The transparent image sensor was developed by researchers Alexander Koppelhuber and Oliver Bimber from Johannes Kepler University, Linz, Austria, who used the phenomenon of how light gets dimmer the deeper it travels through polymer. Since, unlike existing technologies, polymers cannot be divided into individual pixels, they measured the relative brightness of light reaching the sensor array along the edges of the film to determine where the light entered.

By scaling up the process and using technology similar to that of CT but with lasers instead of X-rays, Koppelhuber and Bimber were able to make a low-resolution prototype. Through the use of advanced sampling techniques, they can also enhance the resolution. The new, touch-free technology can, in the future, be used in television and computers, and will give gamers full gesture control without the need for cameras or motion-tracking devices.

4. Gravity-Powered Lamp

This is a lamp that is powered by a bag of sand or rocks, hung by a cord, which gradually comes down just like the weight drive in a cuckoo clock.

The concept of  was developed by Clay Moulton and Mike Wofsey in 2006, though early prototypes were found to be inefficient. They found that 10 kilograms of mass raised to a height of one meter gives a maximum energy of 98 joules, which at 100% conversion efficiency for five minutes, and would produce 0.32 watts and 0.16 watts at 50%. The resulting LED light was not enough for reading or working, so, they traded illumination brightness for illumination time.

Following two fundraising campaigns, Martin Riddiford and Jim Reeves developed the light further. The slowly falling weight spins gears driving the electric generator and powering the LED for 25 minutes. After that, the weight can be lifted up again with the cords to power the light for the next 25 minutes. When mass produced, these lights can serve as a zero-operational-cost alternative to normal electric lamps or kerosene lamps in poor countries.

5. Translucent Concrete

This is a concrete-based construction material that contains light transmitting elements such as optical fibers to conduct light from one side of the wall to the other.

First mentioned in a 1935 Canadian patent, translucent concrete products were developed in the 1990s. The optical fibers go through the whole concrete block creating a certain light pattern on the other side. The bends in the fiber inside the concrete and the rough cut surface at the end of it decrease the light reaching the other side by more than half. It might still give enough daylight considering the non-linear response of human eyes to light. Translucent concrete is used for architectural-design purposes for facades and interior walls.

  SOURCE

[theincidence-blog]

New Post has been published on http://theincidence.com/theincidence-indian-scientists-create-natural-nutritious-food-dye-from-wild-blood-fruit/

#THEINCIDENCE @Indian Scientists Create Natural & Nutritious Food Dye From Wild Blood Fruit!

This research will help cultivate this critically-endangered species at home, protecting it from being indiscriminately harvested from forests!

Blood fruit is a woody climber and it is very popular among tribes in the Northeastern states, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Bangladesh. The fruit is not only tasty and rich in anti-oxidant but is also a good source of dye for the local handicraft industry. Now researchers have developed a standard nursery protocol for its propagation.

The plant grows wild in forests and over the years, due to growing demand for its fruit, it has been indiscriminately harvested from natural forests. This has affected natural regeneration and it is now considered a critically endangered species. The new research will help in blood fruit to be grown in agricultural fields or home gardens, so that it is conserved even while being continued to be used as a source of nutrition and dye.

The nursery protocol has been developed by researchers from Central Island Agricultural Research Institute, Port Blair; ICAR Research Complex for North Eastern Hill Region, Barapani and College of Agriculture in Tripura.

Due to its limited distribution, researchers collected fruits from the Middle Andaman Islands and Tripura to conducted seed germination studies. They found that seeds had dormancy issues and had to be treated for obtaining healthy seedlings in large numbers.The scientists also extracted and studied pigmentation in blood fruit. Among the different solvents tried for extraction, they found that dimethylsulphoxide was the best solvent to extract chlorophylls and total carotenoids. More studies are underway to characterize the red colour property of the fruit, said Dr. Pooja Bohra, a member of the research team, while speaking to India Science Wire.

The group is also working on methods to improve seed longevity and post-harvest storability of fruits. “We are already distributing seedling to farmers in Andaman and Nicobar Islands to promote commercial scale cultivation”, she added.

The plant, which goes by the biological name of Haematocarpusvalidus, flowers once in a year. The main fruiting season is from April to June. Initially, the fruits are green in colour and they turn blood red on ripening giving the name ‘Blood Fruit’. Generally, the fruits from the Andaman Islands are much darker in colour compared to other sources. The genepool in the Andaman Islands can be lost due to natural calamities and promoting its cultivation can ensure the conservation of this species.

Besides Dr. Pooja, the research team included Ajit Arun Waman, and Debabrata Basantia (ICAR-Central Island Agricultural Research Institute, Port Blair); Hidangmayum Lembisana Devi (ICAR Research Complex for North Eastern Hill Region) and Ezekiel Reang (College of Agriculture, Tripura). The findings have been published in journal Current Science.

  SOURCE

reddit_url="http://theincidence.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php"; reddit_title="The Incidence";

[theincidence-blog]

New Post has been published on http://theincidence.com/theincidence-indian-scientists-create-natural-nutritious-food-dye-from-wild-blood-fruit/

#THEINCIDENCE @Indian Scientists Create Natural & Nutritious Food Dye From Wild Blood Fruit!

This research will help cultivate this critically-endangered species at home, protecting it from being indiscriminately harvested from forests!

Blood fruit is a woody climber and it is very popular among tribes in the Northeastern states, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Bangladesh. The fruit is not only tasty and rich in anti-oxidant but is also a good source of dye for the local handicraft industry. Now researchers have developed a standard nursery protocol for its propagation.

The plant grows wild in forests and over the years, due to growing demand for its fruit, it has been indiscriminately harvested from natural forests. This has affected natural regeneration and it is now considered a critically endangered species. The new research will help in blood fruit to be grown in agricultural fields or home gardens, so that it is conserved even while being continued to be used as a source of nutrition and dye.

The nursery protocol has been developed by researchers from Central Island Agricultural Research Institute, Port Blair; ICAR Research Complex for North Eastern Hill Region, Barapani and College of Agriculture in Tripura.

Due to its limited distribution, researchers collected fruits from the Middle Andaman Islands and Tripura to conducted seed germination studies. They found that seeds had dormancy issues and had to be treated for obtaining healthy seedlings in large numbers.The scientists also extracted and studied pigmentation in blood fruit. Among the different solvents tried for extraction, they found that dimethylsulphoxide was the best solvent to extract chlorophylls and total carotenoids. More studies are underway to characterize the red colour property of the fruit, said Dr. Pooja Bohra, a member of the research team, while speaking to India Science Wire.

The group is also working on methods to improve seed longevity and post-harvest storability of fruits. “We are already distributing seedling to farmers in Andaman and Nicobar Islands to promote commercial scale cultivation”, she added.

The plant, which goes by the biological name of Haematocarpusvalidus, flowers once in a year. The main fruiting season is from April to June. Initially, the fruits are green in colour and they turn blood red on ripening giving the name ‘Blood Fruit’. Generally, the fruits from the Andaman Islands are much darker in colour compared to other sources. The genepool in the Andaman Islands can be lost due to natural calamities and promoting its cultivation can ensure the conservation of this species.

Besides Dr. Pooja, the research team included Ajit Arun Waman, and Debabrata Basantia (ICAR-Central Island Agricultural Research Institute, Port Blair); Hidangmayum Lembisana Devi (ICAR Research Complex for North Eastern Hill Region) and Ezekiel Reang (College of Agriculture, Tripura). The findings have been published in journal Current Science.

  SOURCE

[theincidence-blog]

New Post has been published on http://theincidence.com/napkin-destroyer-machine-is-an-incinerator-that-disposes-of-the-hazardous-pads/

Napkin destroyer machine is an incinerator that disposes of the hazardous pads

Napkin destroyer machine is an incinerator that disposes of the hazardous pads.

instead of taking them to the landfills. Addressing the issues of disposable sanitary napkins from the moment they need to be disposed of to minimizing their effects on the environment, InnovoSoft Technologies bring to you a solution that can be installed anywhere–from schools to houses.

The Incinerator burns the sanitary napkins and reduces them into micro ash, which is collected in the inbuilt ash-tray.

There is also a 2-inch emission outlet at the top of the incinerator for pushing out the fumes developed during the incineration.

The machine consumes 1.2 to 1.5 Ampere and takes 3-5 minutes for converting the napkin into ashes and fumes. The incinerator scientifically disposes your napkins and reduces their burden on the environment.

#Napkin destroyer machine

[theincidence-blog]

New Post has been published on http://theincidence.com/napkin-destroyer-machine-is-an-incinerator-that-disposes-of-the-hazardous-pads/

Napkin destroyer machine is an incinerator that disposes of the hazardous pads

Napkin destroyer machine is an incinerator that disposes of the hazardous pads.

instead of taking them to the landfills. Addressing the issues of disposable sanitary napkins from the moment they need to be disposed of to minimizing their effects on the environment, InnovoSoft Technologies bring to you a solution that can be installed anywhere–from schools to houses.

The Incinerator burns the sanitary napkins and reduces them into micro ash, which is collected in the inbuilt ash-tray.

There is also a 2-inch emission outlet at the top of the incinerator for pushing out the fumes developed during the incineration.

The machine consumes 1.2 to 1.5 Ampere and takes 3-5 minutes for converting the napkin into ashes and fumes. The incinerator scientifically disposes your napkins and reduces their burden on the environment.

reddit_url="http://theincidence.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php"; reddit_title="The Incidence";

#Napkin destroyer machine