Archive for February 2015
10 Incredible Archaeological Finds Your History Books Probably Didn't Mention
1. L'Anse aux Meadows: Many believe that it was Columbus who discovered the New World, but this settlement in Newfoundland proves that the Vikings were the first to settle in North America. The site was built 1,000 years ago, and was able to support 30 to 160 Vikings.
The vikings were into North America before it was cool!
2. Saksaywaman: This complex fortress sits on the outskirts of Cusco, Peru, the former capital of the Incan empire. The rocks are so tightly fit together you can't even slip a piece of paper between them.
Also, the Incans managed to build this without mortar. If you know anything about construction (I don't), this is pretty important to the process.
3. Mohenjo-daro: This town was built in 2600 BCE in present-day Pakistan. It is one of the first examples of city-planning in human history. It has roads and even a draining system similar to a sewer.
The city was mysteriously abandoned seven centuries after it was founded. It wasn't rediscovered until 1922. How do you lose a whole city like this?
4. The Gate of the Sun: Located in west Bolivia, this gate is the precisely cut, megalithic stone archway of the Tiwanaku empire. The empire stretched from Peru to parts of Bolivia 1500 years ago. It was the most powerful South American nation before the Incans.
Scholars believe this might not be the original location of the archway, suggesting a bizarre, Stonehenge-like situation here.
5. Stone Age tunnels: Just a few years ago, archaeologists found a new, underground network of tunnels built by people of the Stone Age. It stretches from Scotland, through Europe, and into Turkey.
They are calling it a "highway," but given that most of the tunnels are only 70 cm wide in diameter, it's more like the playground in a Chuck E Cheese's.
6. The Longyou Grottoes: Located in Zhejiang, China, these man-made caves date all the way back to 212 BCE. The most interesting part about them are the meticulously made markings that run along the walls and ceiling that are all evenly spaced at a 60 degree axis.
I feel like people back then were just bored a lot. This would never happen in the age of Netflix.
7. Göbekli Tepe: Situated on a mountaintop in modern Turkey, this ancient structure changed the way archaeologists think about the origins of human society. The structure pre-dates agriculture (circa 9,000-10,000 BCE), confirming that church and worship were the beginnings of civilization.
Yeah so, take that, Mesopotamian fertile crescent!
8. Stone Spheres of Costa Rica: Not much is truly known about the spheres, except that they were probably made by the Diquis people that lived from 700 to 1530 AD. There is a local myth that they are relics from the lost city of Atlantis.
This thing weighs about 15 tons!
9. Yonaguni Monument: There is still some debate from archaeologists over whether or not the underwater monument off the coast of Japan is man-made or not. It features two twin monoliths that appear to have been placed, in addition to this pictured structure, known as "The Turtle".
The arguments of its origins: the flat edges and 90 degree angles would suggest this was man made, but the fact that it's very much under the ocean water would suggest not.
10. The Unfinished Obelisk: Recently found in Aswan, Egypt, the obelisk was ordered by Hatshepsut in the mid 1500s BC and could have been the largest Egyptian obelisk ever erected--if it were completed.
It must have been awkward for the Egyptian slavemasters to force their slaves to make most of an obelisk, but then be like, "Psych, nah, we don't want it anymore."
The 10 most interesting facts about the Bermuda Triangle
- In 1945, 6 US Navy bombers disappeared and so did those sent to rescue them. Before the 27 men vanished, 1 pilot reported “Everything looks strange. Even the ocean.” – Source: Live Science.
- Columbus’s ship floated on still waters through the Triangle in 1492. He documented unusual compass readings and a fireball in the sky. – Source: The Bermuda Triangle by Aaron Rosenberg/National Geographic.
- More than 1000 lives have been lost in the Bermuda Triangle over the last century. On average, 4 aircraft and 20 yachts go missing every year. – Source: Into the Bermuda Triangle by Gian Quassar.
- Pilot Bruce Gernon claims he lost 28 minutes after flying through a time-warping cloud tunnel. The plane went missing from radars, only to re-emerge in Miami Beach. – Source: The Fog by Bruce Gernon.
- The approaching lights of Irving Rivers’ plane were spotted 2 miles from land in 1978. It vanished into thin air while controllers were momentarily distracted. – Source: The Mystery of the Bermuda Triangle by Damien Rollins.
- High levels of methane gas are trapped underneath the Triangle’s seabed. A ruptured gas pocket causes water density to dip and could sink vessels above. – Source: The Independent.
- The Dragon Triangle is Bermuda’s Counterpart in the Pacific Ocean. It was declared a war zone in 1950 when 700 sailors vanished in 2 years. – Source: All Eyes on U.S by Mel Igbokwe.
- Some believe the lost city of Atlantis will be found under the Bermuda Triangle. They think the city’s energy crystals interfere with radar and compass readings. – Source: Live Science.
- 306 people were lost when the Navy ship the USS Cyclops vanished in 1918. It is the single largest loss of life in US Naval history outside of combat. – Source: International Science Times.
- The US government testing base, AUTEC, is known as the naval Area 51. Located near to the Triangle, the area has been the scene of reported UFO sightings. – Source: Lemuria and Atlantis by Shirley Andrews.
10 Amazing Facts About the Universe You Won’t Believe Read More: 10 Amazing Facts About the Universe You Won’t Believe |
The universe is a pretty amazing place, from the unimaginably large, right down to the incredibly small. There’s an awful lot going on in this field we call “existence.”With the recent discovery of what is most likely the elusive Higgs boson particle, or some variant thereof, by scientist’s working at the Large Hadron Collider near Geneva, there’s a lot of buzz surrounding information having to do with the fabric of the universe. The standard model of theoretical physics says the Higgs boson particle is responsible for all the mass in the universe, which is a heck of a lot of matter.
Let’s take a look at some of this awe-inspiring matter now, as well as a look at the Higgs boson particle, and see how we fit inside the intricate patterns that make up everything.
Even When You’re Standing Still, You’re Still Moving
A human body, or any object on the Earth, is never at rest. Even when you’re asleep in bed, you’re moving pretty fast. Our Milky Way Galaxy is rotating at 225 kilometers per second, and hurling through the cosmos at an estimated 305 kilometers per second. Add those figures together, and we’re racing through space at around 530 kilometers, or 330 miles per second. So in one minute’s time, you’ve traveled almost 20,000 kilometers, or more than 12,000 miles. And your friends always complain that you never go anywhere.
There Are at Least 10 Billion Trillion Stars in the Universe
That’s a very big number. When you really think about it, 10 billion trillion stars makes the cult of sun worship seem a little obsolete, although our star, the sun, is very important to us. Without it, life on earth wouldn’t be possible.
Let’s put 10 billion trillion stars into perspective, shall we? For those of you who know a bit of math, that would be 10 to the power of 22 stars, or written out, it would be 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. There are probably more stars in existence than grains of sand on all of the world’s beaches. If only 1% of those stars had Earth-like planets, the universe would literally be teeming with life.
An Asteroid Might Hit The Earth in 2029
This didn’t exactly end well.
The greatest chance so far, according to astronomers, of a large asteroid colliding with the earth and wiping life out is in 2029. Asteroids have hit the planet before, and caused mass extinctions, so there is some precedent for it happening again.
The culprit this time is the Apophis Asteroid (99942 Apophis), which is headed our way in 2029. There’s a little less than a 3% chance that this bad boy will crash into terra firma. Let’s hope Apophis gives the planet a miss, otherwise you can stop paying into your retirement account right now.
Neutron Stars Are Very, Very Heavy
What exactly is a neutron star, you might be wondering? Well, neutron stars are the densest object known in the universe. They are created inside large stars during a supernova explosion. When the core of the star collapses, electron and proton pairs get crushed down into neutrons.
While neutron stars are only about 10-13 miles in diameter, they are heavier than many stars. A thimbleful, or sugar cube, amount of a neutron star weighs around 100 million tons. That’s more than a large mountain.
We Are Made Out of Stars
That explains all the glitter GIFs.
Human beings are literally made out of star stuff. Almost all of the chemical elements that make up a person come from the stars. Any element heavier than hydrogen originated in the stars, and we are definitely composed of more than hydrogen.
Calcium, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen and around 60 other basic ingredients make up a human being. Since hydrogen and helium were the only elements around before the stars “cooked” up some more, it’s a safe bet that most of the substance that constitutes the “physical” you comes from the stars.
One Million Earths Could Fit Inside The Sun
Even though there are a lot of stars out there, none is more important to us than our own sun. When compared to other stars, it’s fairly small, classified as a G2 dwarf star. But that doesn’t mean we’re complaining. Approximately one million Earths could fit inside this dwarf star. It might not be the largest star in the universe, but it gets the job done as far as sustaining life on Earth goes.
The Higgs Boson Particle Gives Form to the Universe
There has been a lot of hoopla surrounding the discovery of the mysterious Higgs boson particle. We already took a brief look at it in the introduction to this article, but let’s dive in a little bit deeper.
The Higgs boson, if the standard theory proves correct, is the heaviest element in existence (as far as we know). This cosmic “molasses” weighs down the tiny particles that make up atoms, giving them substance. Without the Higgs boson, the universe would most likely be a kind of cosmic “soup” where particles zip around, absent any substantial form. The discovery of the Higgs boson particle is to physics what Darwin’s theory of evolution was to biology. That means it’s a very big deal.
The Biggest Mountain in Our Solar System Is on Mars
Nice try, jerk.
Sorry Mount Everest — you’re not the king of the solar system. That honor belongs to Olympus Mons, a massive mountain on our planetary neighbor, Mars. Olympus Mons is a giant mound of red dirt and rock. This volcanic behemoth is 2,400 meters, or 80,000 feet tall, which makes it almost 15 miles high. Everest is a mere dwarf in comparison. This giant Martian volcano is either a mountain climber’s wildest dream, or worst nightmare.
Our Galaxy Is on a Collision Course with the Andromeda Galaxy
The Milky Way Galaxy, which is to say our very own galaxy, is on a collision course with our nearest neighbor, the Andromeda Galaxy. Even though these two conglomerations of stars are destined to smash together, you shouldn’t lose any sleep over the incident. The impending impact won’t happen for another 3 billion years. The chances of you being around for that galactic “fender bender” are pretty slim, unless you’re planning to cryogenically freeze yourself or something.
The Earth Is Billions of Years Old
Our planet has been around for quite some time. It’s been around, in fact, for about 4.54 billion years, give or take 0.02 billion years. Life has only been on the planet for a short amount of time, but the variety of life that has crawled, slithered, swam and trod upon the planet is pretty spectacular — from single celled organisms, to giant sharks and snakes, to dinosaurs, to mammals. If that comet coming in 2029 (and again, in 2036) misses the planet, hopefully we’ll thrive here for a long time to come.
Read More: 10 Amazing Facts About the Universe You Won’t Believe | http://thefw.com/facts-about-the-universe/?trackback=tsmclip
4 Best Pebble Apps 2015
Our wrists simply aren't big enough for both a smartwatch and a fitness band, but thanks to Misfit's Pebble App we no-longer have to decide whether it's our steps or the time that we track. Due to the built-in sensors on the watch and phone, the accuracy here is pretty impressive - definitely on-par with Misfit's dedicated Shine wearable - and there's sleep tracking too, so you can keep an eye on your slumber. You can scroll through your stats for the week, or beam the data back to the app for more in-depth perusal. It currently only supports iOS, but we're told Android compatibility is on the horizon.
iOS | Free | Misfit app for Pebble
Cards for Pebble
One of the major annoyances we have with the current Pebble hardware is that it can only store eight apps at once, leaving us with the unenviable task of choosing which one to delete when we download something new. Cards for Pebble is worth it, then, because it bundles in several different functions. Alongside an information-laden watch face, you can use it to view your synced calendars, check on the weather and even delve into the latest stock prices. We especially like the travel time updates, which gives you an overview of how long it'll take you to get to your next appointment.
iOS and Android | Free | Cards app for Pebble
Pebble Nav
Navigating around busy streets with just a tiny monochromatic display for support when our 5-inch smartphone is sitting in our pocket may seem like a borderline stupid idea on the face of it, but there's something about Pebble Nav that sees us constantly fire it up. It only shows your next action, turn left in 30-yards for example, so the screen isn't bogged down with information and the maps have all been specially built for the black and white display. You don't even need to keep an eye on the watch, as it'll buzz your wrist just before you need to turn - handy. It's especially useful when you're on a bike. Just strap your Pebble to the handlebars and it'll make sure you're on the right route.
iOS | £1.49 | Pebble Nav
PayPal
If you've been dreaming about paying for your dinner just by having the waiter scan your watch for as long as we have, you'll need to download PayPal's new app. Striking a blow at the Apple Watch and Apple Pay, before they've even launched, the Pebble and PayPal combo doesn't even need a smartphone connection, as it dives directly into your account. Anywhere you can pay with PayPal - GBK or Pizza Express for example both accept it - you can use this app. It generates a QR code which, when scanned, deducts the money from your PayPal account. The app will also search for local spots where this payment method is accepted.
iOS and Android | Free | PayPal app for Pebble
Music Boss
We've been disappointed with the way the Pebble handles music track switching. Basically, you can only set one app that the watch will recognise, so if you use a combination of Spotify and PocketCasts you need to manually change it in the settings app before you can use the remote function. But fear not, forMusic Boss corrects this, automatically switching to the app it can see you're using. You have a full set of media controls, the ability to rate songs on the go, if that's your bag, and it works great as a Chromecast remote, too.
Android | £1.21 | Music Boss
Namaste Siri! Apple’s voice could soon understand English the ‘Indian way’
Siri's a hit everywhere you go across the globe but just like any other service catering to India, Apple's voice-assistant is never the first choice option for users. What possibly could be the reason? Well, this may sound ridiculous but Siri has never managed to find its way through the 'Indian way' of speaking English. But that could soon change with Apple now supposedly working out the way around with its upcoming iOS 8 update.
According to 9to5mac, folks entrusted with credible Apple rumours and leaks have talked up Apple's plan to roll out iOS 8.3 update seeded for developers with support for Siri in Indian accent-based English.
So, the next time you talk to Siri on the phone, chances are you'll get the desired result (hopefully without any repeats) for once. In addition to duly obliging to your requests, Siri will also become capable to helping you to dictate emails or notes, all in your true accent.
The aforementioned features will be made available to end users later this year but for testing purpose, the options are already being given to developers. One must take note that while Google has gone from strength-to-strength by offering Google Voice option in Hindi, Apple has just realised the need to become more India-friendly with its reported upcoming Indian English support.
It's a start for Apple and Siri but to catch up with Google, there's lot more work to be done and we dearly hope that happens to be the case, sooner than later.
According to 9to5mac, folks entrusted with credible Apple rumours and leaks have talked up Apple's plan to roll out iOS 8.3 update seeded for developers with support for Siri in Indian accent-based English.
So, the next time you talk to Siri on the phone, chances are you'll get the desired result (hopefully without any repeats) for once. In addition to duly obliging to your requests, Siri will also become capable to helping you to dictate emails or notes, all in your true accent.
The aforementioned features will be made available to end users later this year but for testing purpose, the options are already being given to developers. One must take note that while Google has gone from strength-to-strength by offering Google Voice option in Hindi, Apple has just realised the need to become more India-friendly with its reported upcoming Indian English support.
It's a start for Apple and Siri but to catch up with Google, there's lot more work to be done and we dearly hope that happens to be the case, sooner than later.
Google just upped your free music storage to 50,000 songs
Previously, 25,000 songs could be stored for free, but it is now letting users upload 50,000 of their own music filed to Play Music, which can then be streamed to a phone wherever.
You don't need to sign up to anything, although you may need to log in to your Google account to either claim the storage, or upgrade what you already have. The company is clearly using this as a way to let more people know about its subscription music service.
To that end, if you don't want to try Google's subscription service you'll have to say "no thanks" when asked. That said, if you haven't tried it and are considering a similar service, Play Music is a solid choice with some great playlists recently added and plenty of music to stream and keep on your phones.
This latest news, combined with the service's recent acquisition of Songa's suggestion powers, show why Spotify shouldn't get too complacent.
10 Things Must Know About Aryabhatta
- Every India says that Zero was invented in India By whom "Aryabhatta
- He gave the Approximation of pi . This implies that the ratio of the circumference to the diameter is ((4 + 100) × 8 + 62000)/20000 = 62832/20000 = 3.1416, which is accurate to five significant figures.
- Trigonometry was invented by him.
- He had given the value of sine
- He also provide sum equation
and
Astronomy
Motions of the solar system
- Aryabhata insisted that the earth rotates about its axis daily, and that apparent movement of the stars is a relative motion caused by the rotation of the earth
Eclipses
Solar and lunar eclipses were scientifically explained by Aryabhata. He states that the Moon and planets shine by reflected sunlight.Sidereal periods
Aryabhata calculated sidereal rotation as 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4.1 seconds the modern value is 23:56:4.091.Heliocentrism
Aryabhatta advocated an astronomical model in which the Earth revolves its own axis.
Things Must Know About INDIA
Here are the amazing things you must know about Indians in short description
India is the only country that has not invaded any other country in last 1000 years
ZERO (0) was invented in INDIA by Aryabhatt.- Trigonometry was also invented by Aryabhatt which is the base of modern Mathematics.
Largest , oldest continuous civilization in the world.
- India was known as "Sona ke chedya" (Golden sparrow).
Diamond were only found in India till 18th century.Koh-i-Noor was the most precious Diamond which was stolen by Britishers in 1850
India is the seventh largest country in the worldSecond populated country in the world .
Sanskrit was the first language in the world which can be written all the other languages are subset of Sanskrit.
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