Featured Articles

Ghost Writer Needed!

Ghost Writer Needed!

Sep 18 2009 | comment(s)

I was notified today that within three weeks I am due to write a proceedings article for the "Physics in Collision" conference I attended in Kobe two weeks ago. The task is not too stimulating for me, given that the material it has to cover just consists in projections of the discovery reach of the Higgs boson, based on simulated data; but to add unexcitement to the whole thing, I found out that I am bound to stay within the limit of two pages of text.
Commiphora mukul(Hook. ex Stocks) Engl : Guggul has a wide range of usefulness in indigenous medicine.

Commiphora mukul(Hook. ex Stocks) Engl : Guggul has a wide range of usefulness in indigenous medicine.

Sep 18 2009 | comment(s)

Scientific Name Commiphora mukul(Hook. ex Stocks) Engl. syn. Balsamodendron mukul Hook. ex Stocks syn Commiphora wightii (Arn.)Bhandari Family Burseraceae Used Part Gum Distribution Area A small tree or shrub with spinescent branches occurring in the arid rocky tracts of Rajputana, Khandesh, Berar, Mysore, Sind, and Baluchistan.
Entada phaseoloides (Linn.) Merr. syn. E. scandens : A glycoside of entagenic acid possesses anti- neoplastic activity.

Entada phaseoloides (Linn.) Merr. syn. E. scandens : A glycoside of entagenic acid possesses anti- neoplastic activity.

Sep 18 2009 | comment(s)

Scientific Name Entada phaseoloides (Linn.) Merr. syn. E. scandens Benth. Family Fabaceae Used Part Fruits. Distribution Area The plant occurs throughout the sub-Himalayan tract, from Nepal eastwards ascending to 4,000 ft. in Sikkim, in Assam, Bihar and Orissa, and in the monsoon forest of western and eastern ghats; it is abundant in Andaman Islands. Common Uses . The seeds are considered tonic, emetic, antiperiodic and anthelmintic. A paste prepared from the seeds is applied locally for inflammatory glandular swellings. The stem is used as emetic. The juice of the wood and bark is used as an external application for ulcers.
Sida cordifolia Linn. is considered to possess astringent,

Sida cordifolia Linn. is considered to possess astringent,

Sep 18 2009 | comment(s)

Scientific Name Sida cordifolia Linn. Family Malvaceae Used Part Seeds Distribution Area Common Uses .Considered useful in sexual debility and spermatorrhoea. Used in drugs for sexual strength. Roots, leaves and seeds are slightly bitter in taste and are used in medicine. The juice of the plant is mixed with the juice of Borassus flabellifer for local use in elephantiasis. The mucilaginous leaves are used as a demulcent and their infusion is given in fever as a refrigerant. They are reported to be used against dysentery and for poulticing ulcers. A decoction of the leaves is said to possess emollient and diuretic properties. In Cambodia and China, root is considered to possess astringent,
Galileo, The Medici, And The Age Of Astronomy - Secondo Capitolo

Galileo, The Medici, And The Age Of Astronomy - Secondo Capitolo

Sep 18 2009 | comment(s)

Galileo's contributions to science in general, and optics and astronomy in particular, were so monumental that over 350 years later we still discuss them in introductory physics courses.
Radiological Worker Training

Radiological Worker Training

Sep 18 2009 | comment(s)

In order to be able to perform unescorted access to areas where ionizing radiations are present, and to work with and use radioactive materials, workers at Fermilab have to pass a specific training which enables them to recognize the dangers and work safely, minimizing the radiation dose they get by performing their activities, and reducing the spread of contamination to the environment.
First Light From Planck-- And Why It Matters

First Light From Planck-- And Why It Matters

Sep 18 2009 | comment(s)

Planck, a European-US collaborative mission launched by ESA, has provided its first pictures. Planck is a followup to WMAP, and looks at the cosmic microwave background. But it has a host of other detectors and purposes, too. Stealing blatently from Wikipedia, Planck will do:

  1. High resolution detections of both the total intensity and polarization of the primordial CMB anisotropies

  2. Creation of a catalogue of galaxy clusters through the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect

  3. Observations of the gravitational lensing of the CMB, as well as the integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect
A Mathematical Explanation For Gamma Ray Bursts

A Mathematical Explanation For Gamma Ray Bursts

Sep 18 2009 | comment(s)

Black holes are invading stars, according to a new hyposthesis for the origin of the bright flashes in the universe that are one of the biggest mysteries in astronomy today. 

Those flashes, known as gamma ray bursts, are beams of high energy radiation produced by jets of plasma from massive dying stars.   The current model for these cosmic 'jet engines' involves plasma being heated by neutrinos in a disk of matter that forms around a black hole, which is created when a star collapses. 
Desert Fireball Network Makes A Rare Meteorite Discovery

Desert Fireball Network Makes A Rare Meteorite Discovery

Sep 18 2009 | comment(s)

Meteorites discovered with known orbits are incredibly rare but researchers using cameras which capture fireballs streaking across the night sky have managed to find not only a tiny meteorite on the vast Nullarbor Plain, but also mathematically determine its orbit and the asteroid it came from.

The ability to track meteorites back to their asteroid home also means it is an incredibly cheap way of sampling that asteroid, rather than conducting an expensive space mission.

To find the meteorite, the team deployed three 'all sky cameras' on the Nullarbor Plain to form a fireball camera network.   The cameras take a single time lapse picture of the sky throughout the entire night to record any fireballs over the Plain.
Does More Freedom Of The Press Mean More Democracy?

Does More Freedom Of The Press Mean More Democracy?

Sep 18 2009 | comment(s)

Freedom of the press is integral to a functioning democracy and respect for human rights, it is said, and a new study tackles the effects of media freedom in countries that lack democratic institutions like fair elections. 

The findings?   By itself, freedom of the press doesn't accomplish much.   Media freedom in the absence of other institutional outlets for dissent is actually associated with greater oppression of human rights, Jenifer Whitten-Woodring, a doctoral candidate in political science and international relations at USC, found utilizing data from 93 countries for the years 1981-1995. 
Bauhinia variegata Linn. has good flowers and have medicinal value also in cure of ulcers and leprosy.

Bauhinia variegata Linn. has good flowers and have medicinal value also in cure of ulcers and leprosy.

Sep 18 2009 | comment(s)

Scientific Name Bauhinia variegata Linn. Family Fabaceae Used Part Bark Distribution Area Most parts of Nepal in sub Himalayan tracts and outer Himalayas of the Punjab ascending to 4,000 ft from the Indus eastwards, Kumaon between 1000 to 6000 feet. Sikkim through India proper to Burma-China. Common Uses . The bark is astringent, tonic and anthelmintic. It is also used for ulcers and leprosy. A decoction of the bark is taken for dysentery by the Nagas.
Pistacia integerrima Stew Galls induced by insects valued in Indian medicine as a remedy for asthma, phthisis and other ailments of the respiratory tract.

Pistacia integerrima Stew Galls induced by insects valued in Indian medicine as a remedy for asthma, phthisis and other ailments of the respiratory tract.

Sep 18 2009 | comment(s)

Scientific Name Host: Pistacia integerrima Stew. Ex. Brandis syn. Pistacia kinjuk Stocks . Drug is Galls induced by insects. Family Anacardiaceae Used Part galls, the drug sample is of galls.
Growing Jatropha alongside millet and sorghum and fences for fuel are ideal for decentralised biofuel production.

Growing Jatropha alongside millet and sorghum and fences for fuel are ideal for decentralised biofuel production.

Sep 18 2009 | comment(s)

Growing Jatropha on fences for fuel project carried out by Social Policy Research Institute , Jaipur in collaboration with Humana People to People India with aid from World bank has resulted in vast awareness in Jaipur districts and over 2,75000 plants of Jatropha has been raised on fences. However Subsidies and quotas for biofuels are wreaking social and environmental havoc and in many cases actually exacerbating climate change, says a new Christian Aid report. The report ‘Growing pains: the possibilities and problems of biofuels’ calls for a radical overhaul of governments’ multi-billion dollar support for biofuels, so that only crops which offer genuine greenhouse gas savings and wider social benefits are encouraged.
DECENTRALIZED biofuel production using local flora on degraded or underused lands, has the potential to provide energy to half a billion people living in poverty in rural Asia.

DECENTRALIZED biofuel production using local flora on degraded or underused lands, has the potential to provide energy to half a billion people living in poverty in rural Asia.

Sep 18 2009 | comment(s)

DECENTRALIZED biofuel production, or small-scale factories built on degraded or underused lands, has the potential to provide energy to half a billion people living in poverty in rural Asia. However the plant selection has to be based on the agroclimatic conditions and plant associations play important role in it. Growing Jatropha without applying much basic knowledge could be a disaster to environment and local flora. It can be grown in areas with rainfall more than 300 mm and sandy loam to loamy soils. It will need irrigation for two years at least at monthly intervals. The yield could be promoted by providing some level of stress also. Flowering and fruiting could be increased by experimental manipulations.
Wendt and the World State

Wendt and the World State

Sep 17 2009 | comment(s)

Some believe a world state is inevitable, others don't. Some believe advancement in communication technologies benefit irregulars more than regulars in War 2.0, others believe the opposite.

P. W. Singer and others believe utilities in war technology may not be the only thing Wired for War, many don't even consider.

Alexander Wendt believes a world state is inevitable and quantum social science will affect our futures, some just don't give a damn.
Galileo, The Medici, And The Age Of Astronomy

Galileo, The Medici, And The Age Of Astronomy

Sep 17 2009 | comment(s)

Galileo Galilei wasn't just an Italian physicist, mathematician, astronomer, philosopher and heresy suspect (not to mention father of modern observational astronomy, modern physics, science, and modern science, that last one he was named by both Hawking and Einstein). He was also a friend of the Medici, the political Italian dynasty whose patronage of scientists and artists led to the Renaissance.1
The Jatropha plant or shrub like tree can grow in a wide variety of climates

The Jatropha plant or shrub like tree can grow in a wide variety of climates

Sep 17 2009 | comment(s)

The Jatropha plant or shrub like tree can grow in a wide variety of climates. Its seeds contain about 40% oil that can be extracted for energy as feedstock for renewable biodiesel production. Currently, the early stage Jatropha emerging market is growing at 18% annually. This promising biofuel feedstock receives about $600 million invested annually in targeted Jatropha developments. Today, there are 242 Jatropha cultivation projects worldwide totaling roughly 930,000 hectares. The plantation production capacity is rapidly growing and should reach 13 million hectares exceeding well over $1 billion invested annually by 2015.
Solanum surattense Burm. f. syn. S. xanthocarpum Schrad. & Wendl.oil extracted is used for external application in the treatment of leucoderma.

Solanum surattense Burm. f. syn. S. xanthocarpum Schrad. & Wendl.oil extracted is used for external application in the treatment of leucoderma.

Sep 17 2009 | comment(s)

Scientific Name Solanum surattense Burm. f. syn. S. xanthocarpum Schrad. & Wendl. Family Solanaceae Used Part Seeds and fruits Distribution Area Throughout India, in dry situtations as weed on roadside and wastelands
Curcuma zedoaria Rosc. is highly valued as an article of diet, especially for infants and convalescents. in Himalayan region

Curcuma zedoaria Rosc. is highly valued as an article of diet, especially for infants and convalescents. in Himalayan region

Sep 17 2009 | comment(s)

Scientific Name Curcuma zedoaria Rosc. Family Zingiberaceae Used Part Rhizome Distribution Area A species growing wild in eastern Himalayas and in the moist deciduous forests of the coastal tract of Kanara.
Caesalpinia bonduc (Linn.) Roxb. emend. Dandy & Exell; Baker (Fl Br Ind) root bark is emmenagogue, febrigue expectorant, anthelmintic and stomachic

Caesalpinia bonduc (Linn.) Roxb. emend. Dandy & Exell; Baker (Fl Br Ind) root bark is emmenagogue, febrigue expectorant, anthelmintic and stomachic

Sep 17 2009 | comment(s)

Scientific Name Caesalpinia bonduc (Linn.) Roxb. emend. Dandy & Exell; Baker (Fl Br Ind) syn. C. bonducella (Linn.) Flem.; C. jayabo Naza; C. rista L. Family Fabaceae Used Part Seeds Distribution Area An armed liana found wild throughout the plains of India and up to an altitude of 1,000 m in the Himalayas; it is also found in the deltaic regions of western, eastern and southern India.