So, how old are you? I'm only a HUNDRED AND FIFTY!

How to Reverse Aging?

Have a look at this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DV3XjqW_xgU&feature=related

Indian Man has survived 70 years without food & water – Miracle or Myth ?

This could really be termed as a miracle – An Indian Yogi named as Pralhad Jani claims that he has not had food or water for 70 years. He is now 82 years old and quite healthy.

Although, the claim for not eating or drinking for 70 years is unsubstantiated, he has been kept in one of the Indian hospitals to study how he can do that. He has been in hospital for past 8 days and has not touched water or food and appears to be in great health.

Have a look at this video of Pralhad Jani:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGF7EY2Ucm8&feature=player_embedded

Pralhad Jani claims to have been blessed by a goddess when he was 8-years-old, which has enabled him to survive without sustenance and that he derives energy through meditation.

If you are not aware, there are many people can live without food for several weeks, with the body drawing on its fat and protein stores. But the average human can survive for only three to four days without water.

Hey guys! How's it going? Feel free to type in anything that comes to your head! I'm not going to ask any specific questions, because I don't want to constrain your thoughts. So just feel free to discuss anything interesting (or uninteresting) about the post, or beyond!

OOPS ! I'M PREGNANT... AGAIN

Overpopulation.

This one of the hottest and most debated about issues in today's world. It is a situation/problem that has been steadily progressing at a fast pace and has evoked controversies and debates worldwide.

I found this a video that is actually a public speaking speech by Moataz Al Israwi from Lebanon who was the 2010 winner of the English Speaking Union International Public Speaking Competition which was held in London, and saw 50 participants from around the world battling their public speaking talents. In his winning speech , he manages to address some of the problems of overpopulation and the possible solutions to it, albeit in an entertaining and informative way. This is the video :

So did you guys enjoy the speech? How did the speaker present his information? Were his analogy and examples effective in conveying the information? How did he address the 3 impromptu questions in the end?

Here are some of the questions related to the context of overpopulation that went through my mind after watching this video :

- Some people think overpopulation is a problem and some are not bothered by it...but it does affect the development of third world and developing countries such as India, China and Africa...so what are the possible solutions and steps that can be taken to alleviate or solve this problem? and who should take the responsibility?...

- How will overpopulation affect the world if it gets out of control ?

- Do you think overpopulation is a myth altogether?

We would like to hear your opinions and thoughts on this video and the topic itself.

So enjoy yourselves and we're looking forward to see what you guys think :)

The Nature of Terraforming

Ilai Montiel here. Behold, my username, the offspring of wit and the lack of creativity. I come bearing gifts manifesting as a video and a pretty picture that will, hopefully, pique your interest enough that you shall formulate and submit comments that will trigger highly engaging conversations and discussions. Think first, judge later.

Moving on.

Let's start off by closing our eyes (Wait up! Not yet! I've yet to deliver the rest of the instructions). Breathe in, breathe out. Now picture Earth, third rock from the sun, that beautiful blue marble, streaks and puffs of clouds hovering over patches of blue and green. Earth, floating in the endless blackness of space accompanied only by Luna. Done? Now click on the link. Yes, this blue thing is the link.

Ah! Your mind says. It's planet Earth! Or rather, that was at first glance. Two seconds in, it doesn't look like pretty ol' Terra anymore. Likely you saw the word "Mars" at the start of the video and was a little thrown off when you saw a green-blue sphere, expecting to see a dead red ball of said name.

But yes. That rotating rock you see before you is Mars.

Or more specifically, how Mars will appear once fully terraformed. Terraformation is a hypothetical process in which a planet or moon is transformed, engineered, to be much like Earth, with vegetation and streams and lakes and seas and animals.

Mars in the process

At this point, you're probably asking, "Okay, cool, but why on Mars should we?"

Innumerable reasons, to both why and why not.

Supporters argue that the red planet presents remedy for the growing demand and population, particularly because of its proximity to the asteroid belt, which contain metals and minerals that would otherwise be rare and depleted on Earth, and to become human habitat to prevent population overload on the basis that Earth can only efficiently support a few billion people (studies are unable to reach an agreement on Earth's carrying capacity, but estimates vary from 4 to 10 billion humans). Also, terraforming the planet will be less expensive and far safer than simply colonizing it in enclosed fragile domes.

However, on the anti-terraforming side of the debate, it is argued that there is no guarantee that the altered Martian environment will remain. Certainly, the amount of time it will take to fully terraform Mars is anybody's guess. Perhaps a few hundred years, perhaps a couple thousand. The cost could outweigh the gains. Besides that, the Martian land is dangerous, battered sometimes by solar radiation due to its very thin atmosphere, occasionally covered by planetwide dust storms, and the effects of its low gravity (only 38% that of Earth's) on humans and other animals are unknown. Others simply argue that humans do not have the right to change whole worlds for their own use.

Hmm, Indeed. Take a few minutes to think, and then let's talk! Is it worth it? Is preserving Mars' and other planets' natural landscapes more important than ensuring the long-term survival and spread of humanity? Should humans stay on Earth? Do humans have the right? Who has the say-so in colonization and terraformation of other worlds?

Are you a Red (against), or are you a Green (for)?

The Yogurt Made Me Do It

There's nothing metaphorical about 'gut feelings'—bacteria influence our minds

One of the deepest mysteries of the human mind is that it doesn't feel like part of the body. Our consciousness seems to exist in an immaterial realm, distinct from the meat on our bones. We feel like the ghost, not like the machine.

This ancient paradox—it's known as the mind-body problem—has long perplexed philosophers. It has also interested neuroscientists, who have traditionally argued that the three pounds of our brain are a sufficient explanation for the so-called soul. There is no mystery, just anatomy.

In recent years, however, a spate of research has put an interesting twist on this old conundrum. The problem is even more bewildering than we thought, for it's not just the coiled cortex that gives rise to the mind—it's the entire body. As the neuroscientist Antonio Damasio writes, "The mind is embodied, not just embrained."

The latest evidence comes from a new study of probiotic bacteria, the microorganisms typically found in yogurt and dairy products. While most investigations of probiotics have focused on their gastrointestinal benefits—the bacteria reduce the symptoms of diarrhea and irritable bowel syndrome—this new research explored the effect of probiotics on the brain.

The experiment, led by Javier Bravo at University College Cork in Ireland, was straightforward. First, he fed normal lab mice a diet full of probiotics. Then, Mr. Bravo's team tested for behavioral changes, which were significant: When probiotic-fed animals were put in stressful conditions, such as being dropped into a pool of water, they were less anxious and released less stress hormone.

How did the food induce these changes? The answer involves GABA, a neurotransmitter that reduces the activity of neurons. When Mr. Bravo looked at the brains of the mice, he found that those fed probiotics had more GABA receptors in areas associated with memory and the regulation of emotions. (This change mimics the effects of popular antianxiety medications in humans.)

Furthermore, when he severed the nerve connecting the gut and brain in a control group of mice, these neural changes disappeared. The probiotic diet no longer relieved the symptoms of stress.

Though it might seem odd that a cup of yogurt can influence behavior, the phenomenon has been repeatedly confirmed, at least in rodents. Earlier this year, Swedish scientists showed that the presence of gut bacteria shapes the development of the mouse brain, while French researchers found that treating human subjects with large doses of probiotics for 30 days reduced levels of "psychological distress." There's nothing metaphorical about "gut feelings," for what happens in the gut really does influence what we feel.

Nor is it just the gastrointestinal tract that alters our minds. Mr. Damasio has shown that neurological patients who are unable to detect changes in their own bodies, like an increased heart rate or sweaty palms, are also unable to make effective decisions. When given a simple gambling task, they behave erratically and lose vast sums of money. Because they can't experience the fleshy symptoms of fear, they never learn from their mistakes.

This research shows that the immateriality of mind is a deep illusion. Although we feel like a disembodied soul, many feelings and choices are actually shaped by the microbes in our gut and the palpitations of our heart. Nietzsche was right: "There is more reason in your body than in your best wisdom."

This doesn't mean, of course, that the mind-body problem has been solved. Though scientists have ransacked our matter and searched everywhere inside the skull, they still have no idea why we feel like a ghost. But it's now abundantly clear that the mind is not separate from the body, hidden away in some ethereal province of thought. Rather, we emerge from the very same stuff that digests our lunch.

Sample Post #2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DRdxT7XE1E

This is a video I found of Maxim Vengerov playing a classical violin piece - the Chaconne from J.S. Bach's Solo Violin Partita in d minor - in the hallways of Auschwitz.  What effect does the setting of this video have on our perceptions of the piece?  What are the main ideas in what the commenters are saying on youtube?  How have they reacted to this piece?

RSA Animate - Changing Education Paradigms