Archives July 2013

"If I still had the patents on my inventions, Bill Gates would have to stand aside for me." Alfred Gross In 1945 the U.S. government allocated radio frequencies, called the Citizens' Band (CB), for personal radio services. In response, Alfred J. Gross (1918-2000) set up a company to produce two-way CB radios; in 1948 his radio was the first to receive federal approval. Citizens' Band radios are used for short-distance communication, generally within the 27 MHz band. Unlike amateur radio, CB can be used for commercial communications. CB radios first became popular with small businesses and truck drivers, but during the 1970s their popularity around the world soared—a popularity that was bolstered by film and television with Smokey and the Bandit and "The Dukes of Hazzard." Governments around the world often released the CB frequencies only after CB radio equipment had been imported and used illegally. After the release of more...

The Basant is one of the seasonal festivals which mark the arrival of spring season. It bids farewell to winter season and relieves us of biting cold waves of the winter. The nature which remains under the clouds of snow comes out and sparkles with full bloom of her youth and beauty. Smooth and glossy leaves grow on the trees. Green plants look afresh. In the cool pleasant breeze of the spring flowers of many varieties are seen blooming and waving. Little birds give us their sweet notes which entertain us. Our heart and soul are filled with the rapturous songs of the cockoo. We all have a new lease of life. Everything looks bright and beautiful. We have sufficient reason to celebrate such a seasonal festival which is the pulse of all animated beings. That is why we celebrate Basant Panchami with great zeal and excitement. In the villages more...

"It will run on any fuel with a hydro-carbon base, needs no repair and the oil in it is good for life." Russell L. Bourke, engineer In 1932, Russell L. Bourke built an engine he thought was destined to change the world. It had only two moving parts (the pistons) and a fluid bearing connecting the pistons to a Scotch yoke (a mechanism Bourke used instead of a crankshaft to change the linear motion of the pistons to rotary motion). Four years later, Bourke applied for three U.S. patents for his engine; these were issued in 1938. For twenty years, Bourke was unable to interest government or industry in his engine. Then, in 1957, his patents ran out, enabling anyone in the world to manufacture it. And yet, few were interested. Over the last half century, gas prices have skyrocketed, concern over greenhouse gases has dramatically increased, and the Bourke more...

Conceived at the height of World War II by English aeronautical engineer Barnes Neville Wallis (1887- 1979), the bouncing bomb was a weapon with a unique purpose; namely the destruction of Hitler's Ruhr Valley-based hydroelectric plants. Codenamed "Upkeep," the cylinder-shaped bouncing bomb had its origins among naval gunners of two centuries before, who had increased the range of their cannons' projectiles by literally skimming or bouncing them off the water. The effect had also been noticed by Allied pilots attacking ships. Forced by enemy fire to drop their bombs prematurely, the bombs had, under certain conditions, similarly bounced their way onward to the target. Reasoning that a bomb system able to do this by design would enable the destruction of targets otherwise requiring an impossibly heavy load of explosives, or a suicidal pilot, Wallis set about creating one. Numerous designs of scaled-down "bombs" were tested before Wallis concluded that a more...

"The idea seems so simple that its significance and importance is no longer appreciated." Pierre-Simon Laplace (1749-1827), mathematician In 1202 Leonardo Pisano (c.1170-c.1240), known as Fibonacci, published his seminal work Liber abaci ("Book of the Abacus") and thus popularized Hindu- Arabic numbers in Europe. Although born in Italy, Fibonacci grew up in what is modern-day Beja, Algeria. Taught by Arab teachers, Fibonacci came in contact with our modern numeral system, which was devised in ancient India yet virtually unknown in Europe. Until then the Roman numeral system had been prevalent throughout the continent. The system had been an improvement on the first recorded numbers found in Egypt—simple representative strokes for each digit, and a special symbol for ten—as well as the Greek (Attic) method of recording the first letters of the numeral names. In the Hindu-Arabic base ten system, on the other hand, the single digits were represented by symbols more...

Is there anyone who welcomes adversities? Perhaps no one. Yes, we all avoid adversities. We are afraid of them because they come with numerous troubles and difficulties and compel Us to face them. There is nothing strange in it. It is human nature and we always pray to God to keep ourselves far away from misfortunes. But just remember Shakespeare, the world- famous poet-dramatist. He held a different opinion. He sees adversity as a blessing in disguise and compares it with toads. Toads are ugly no doubt but they have a jewel in their hands., Similarly, adversities have ugly faces but they have many Sweet uses. Hence, it is not wise to curse them. They are part of our lives and we should embrace them as we embrace prosperity and happiness and try to bless ourselves with blessings which are hidden them (adversities) Adversities teach us many valuable lessons of more...

"Prozac® enjoyed [a] career of renown... rumors... scandal... and finally a quiet rehabilitation." Peter D. Kramer, Listening to Prozac (1993) Prozac® is the registered trademarked name for fluoxetine hydrochloride, the world's most widely prescribed antidepressant. It was the first in a new class of drugs for depression called selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which work by increasing brain levels of serotonin, the neurotransmitter thought to influence sleep, appetite, aggression, and mood. Prozac® works by inhibiting re-uptake of the neurotransmitter (where it-is either destroyed or retrieved into the cell), thereby amplifying its levels. At Eli Lilly and Company, the team of inventors behind Prozac® included Bryan Molloy Ray Fuller, and David Wong. In the early 1980s it was known that the antihistamine diphenhydramine showed some antidepressant-like properties. As a starting point, the team took 3-phenoxy-3-phenylpropylamine (which is a compound structurally similar to diphenhydramine) and synthesized dozens of its derivatives. Fluoxetine hydrochloride more...

Coffee is a very popular drink for the rich people of the world. In our country, it is very popular in South India. Warm and moist climate is favourable for coffee cultivation. Good rainfall throughout the year is also necessary. In India, coffee grows in large quantities in the hilly areas of southern states like Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. A coffee plant is usually 3 to 6 metres tall. A cluster of berries grows in the plant. Each berry contains two seeds. These seeds are roasted and powdered in the factory through different processes. The drink is made by mixing powder coffee with hot milk, water and sugar. It is very refreshing and tasty.           

"[In] 1974, the first product with a barcode [chewing gum] was scanned at a checkout counter." Russ Adams, author The development of barcodes stemmed from comments made by a food-chain president to a university dean at the Drexel Institute of Technology, Philadelphia, in 1948, and overheard by graduate student Bernard Silver (1924-1962). The company wanted some sort of system to collect product information at the checkout automatically, but the dean had little interest in initiating such research. Silver decided that he and his friend Norman Woodland (b. 1921) should pursue a solution. Eventually the pair turned to a combination of movie soundtrack technology invented by Lee De Forest in the 1920s and Morse code dots and dashes; "I just extended the dots and dashes downward and made narrow lines and wide lines out of them," said Woodland. De Forest's film included a varying transparency pattern on its edge. When a more...

For thousands of years, men have been using specially created tools to shave facial hair. Sharpened, razorlike objects carved from metal or obsidian (a glasslike substance found in rock) have been found in Bronze Age sites across the globe. By the end of the nineteenth century, the straight, "cutthroat" razor was the most common shaving tool. These had dangerously sharp blades that required skill to use without cutting the skin. They also had to be constantly sharpened to remain effective. The first safety razor with a guard along the razor's edge was introduced in 1875 by the Kampfe brothers, but the blade still needed frequent sharpening. Astute American businessman King Camp Gillette (1855-1932) realized that if he could create a safe and simple shave without the inconvenience of having to sharpen the blade beforehand, his product could be of interest to every adult male in the world. His idea was more...