Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Where to be in an earthquake ? - this is not a joke
Where to be in an earthquake ? - this is not a joke
Remember that stuff about hiding under a table or standing in a doorway?? Well, this guy has a completely reverse opinion.This is very
interesting, different from what we were all taught. Boy! Is this ever
an eye opener. Directly opposite of what we've been taught over the years! I can remember in school being told to, "duck and cover" or stand in a doorway during an earthquake. This guy's findings is absolutely amazing. I hope we all remember his survival method if we are ever in an earthquake!!!
Please read this and pass the info along to your family members; it could save their lives someday!
EXTRACT FROM DOUG COPP'S ARTICLE ON THE: "TRIANGLE OF LIFE"
My name is Doug Copp. I am the Rescue Chief and Disaster Manager of the American Rescue Team International (ARTI), the world's most experienced rescue team. The information in this article will save lives in an earthquake.
I have crawled inside 875 collapsed buildings, worked with rescue teams from 60 countries, founded rescue teams in several countries, and I am a member of many rescue teams from many countries.
I was the United Nations expert in Disaster Mitigation for two years. I have worked at every major disaster in the world since 1985, except for simultaneous disasters.
The first building I ever crawled inside of was a school in Mexico City during the 1985 earthquake. Every child was under its desk. Every child was crushed to the thickness of their bones. They could have survived by lying down next to their desks in the aisles. It was obscene, unnecessary and I wondered why the children were not in the aisles. I didn't at the time know that the children were told to hide under something.
Simply stated, when buildings collapse, the weight of the ceilings falling upon the objects or furniture inside crushes these objects, leaving a space or void next to them. This space is what I call the "triangle of life".
The larger the object, the stronger, the less it will compact. The less the object compacts, the larger the void, the greater the probability that the person who is using this void for safety will not be injured. The next time you watch collapsed buildings, on television, count the "triangles"
you
see formed. They are everywhere. It is the most common shape, you will see, in a collapsed building.
TIPS FOR EARTHQUAKE SAFETY
1) Most everyone who simply "ducks and covers" WHEN BUILDINGS COLLAPSE are crushed to death. People who get under objects, like desks or cars, are crushed.
2) Cats, dogs and babies often naturally curl up in the fetal position.
You should too in an earthquake. It is a natural safety/survival instinct. You can survive in a smaller void. Get next to an object, next to a sofa, next to a large bulky object that will compress slightly but leave a void next to it.
3) Wooden buildings are the safest type of construction to be in during an earthquake. Wood is flexible and moves with the force of the earthquake.
If the wooden building does collapse, large survival voids are created.
Also, the wooden building has less concentrated, crushing weight. Brick buildings will break into individual bricks. Bricks will cause many injuries but less squashed bodies than concrete slabs.
4) If you are in bed during the night and an earthquake occurs, simply roll off the bed. A safe void will exist around the bed. Hotels can achieve a much greater survival rate in earthquakes, simply by posting a sign on The back of the door of every room telling occupants to lie down on the floor, next to the bottom of the bed during an earthquake.
5) If an earthquake happens and you cannot easily escape by getting out the door or window, then lie down and curl up in the fetal position next to a sofa, or large chair.
6) Most everyone who gets under a doorway when buildings collapse is killed. How? If you stand under a doorway and the doorjamb falls forward or backward you will be crushed by the ceiling above. If the door jam falls sideways you will be cut in half by the doorway. In either case, you will be killed!
7) Never go to the stairs. The stairs have a different "moment of frequency" (they swing separately from the main part of the building).
The stairs and remainder of the building continuously bump into each other until structural failure of the stairs takes place. The people who get on stairs before they fail are chopped up by the stair treads - horribly mutilated. Even if the building doesn't collapse, stay away from the stairs. The stairs are a likely part of the building to be damaged. Even if the stairs are not collapsed by the earthquake, they may collapse later when overloaded by fleeing people. They should always be checked for safety, even when the rest of the building is not damaged.
8) Get Near the Outer Walls Of Buildings Or Outside Of Them If Possible
- It is much better to be near the outside of the building rather than the interior. The farther inside you are from the outside perimeter of the building the greater the probability that your escape route will be blocked.
9) People inside of their vehicles are crushed when the road above falls in an earthquake and crushes their vehicles; which is exactly what happened with the slabs between the decks of the Nimitz Freeway. The victims of the San Francisco earthquake all stayed inside of their vehicles. They were all killed. They could have easily survived by getting out and sitting or lying next to their vehicles. Everyone killed would have survived if they had been able to get out of their cars and sit or lie next to them. All the crushed cars had voids 3 feet high next to them, except for the cars that had columns fall directly across them.
10) I discovered, while crawling inside of collapsed newspaper offices and other offices with a lot of paper, that paper does not compact.
Large voids are found surrounding stacks of paper.
Spread the word and save someone's life... The Entire world is experiencing natural calamities so be prepared!
"We are but angels with one wing, it takes two to fly"
In 1996 we made a film, which proved my survival methodology to be correct. The Turkish Federal Government, City of Istanbul , University of Istanbul Case Productions and ARTI cooperated to film this practical, scientific test. We collapsed a school and a home with 20 mannequins inside. Ten mannequins did "duck and cover," and ten mannequins I used in my "triangle of life" survival method. After the simulated earthquake collapse we crawled through the rubble and entered the building to film and document the results. The film, in which I practiced my survival techniques under directly observable, scientific conditions , relevant to building collapse, showed there would have been zero percent survival for those doing duck and cover.
There would likely have been 100 percent survivability for people using my method of the "triangle of life." This film has been seen by millions of viewers on television in Turkey and the rest of Europe , and it was seen in the USA , Canada and Latin America on the TV program Real TV
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Microsoft Windows Vista vs XP
Compare installation phase
Let us start discussion on comparison from the process of installation itself. In Windows XP, the system prompts for user information, CD-Key, and other information etc. after the process of copying files is done. In Windows Vista, it will ask for information such as computer name, CD-Key before the copying process. One cannot install Windows Vista in drives formatted using FAT32 file systems! One need to have NTFS formatted partition for installation of Windows Vista, which aims at secured future operating systems. Security in FAT32 is less compared to NTFS. Installation process was also fast, compared to Windows XP.
Booting process
Next significant change is in the booting process. The NT Boot Loader which was present in the other older operating system has been replaced by Windows Boot Manager. Windows Vista does not allow storing our own or application files in Windows installed boot drives such as ‘C:’ for security reasons, for users including administrator.Start Menu
Microsoft redesigned the desktop items, such as start menu. The task bar which consist of start button, which is similar in look of Windows XP start button. But, the default color of the task bar has been changed. Instead of classic blue, the default color has been changed to coffee black.
Aero & 3D Effect
There is a new feature called “Aero” which is enabled for use if the system contains a high graphics card, which supports DirectX 9.0 and higher. This feature which is not present in Windows XP enables one to view the open windows as 3D windows. The task bar and open windows can be given translucent, which means semi-transparent effect, through “Aero” option.
Larger Icons on Desktop
The address bar of the Windows Vista Explorer is redesigned to show path as “Computer > Local Disk (C:) > My Folder > My Next Level Folder >” instead of “C:My FolderMy Next Level Folder” which was in Windows XP. The icons appearing on the desktop has been made larger compared to Windows XP. Microsoft has done away with word “My” in the terms such as My Computer, My Document, in Windows Vista.
Sidebar to save time
Microsoft brought a side bar similar to the side bar of MS-Office 97. Programs can be quickly accessed, through customizable buttons provided for the purpose. We need not navigate through Start > Programs > Program Group > Program Name” to run a program. Instead, we can create a short cut on the side bar such that Program Name can be directly accessed.
Adding an old hardware devices have a problem in Windows Vista too, similar to Windows XP. It is said that Windows XP Compatible hardware doesn’t have any problems. Hardware devices which are not detected by Windows XP have problems in Vista too. So, look for a logo “Windows Vista or XP compatible” before buying the hardware. Some old devices can be made to work, if the manufacturer of the device can provide the needed XP or Vista compatible drivers. But, some old devices or the system itself may start to behave differently when we install a XP or Vista compatible drivers which are provided by the manufacturers.
Parental Control- Lets you control your Kid's activity
Vista on the other hand, has a new feature called Parental Control, which is not present in Windows XP. Parents can control their children who make use of the computer for playing their popular games. Parents can now deny access to the computer, deny playing games, and deny even surfing internet. Parents now even can check the status of guessing passwords.
Better Gaming performance
Performance wise, vista surges ahead compared to Windows XP. The various tests such as iTunes encoding, Photoshop CS2 image-processing, 3D games testing using F.E.A.R., has shown that better performance can be achieved in Windows Vista, than Windows XP.
Additional cost to computer user
But, with Windows Vista, it is hard time for people with old systems, as they need to burn some of their extra energy, in purchasing hardware. The RAM needed to be at least 256 MB. One cannot run Vista Aero feature, without a good 3D graphics card that too should support Direct X 9.0. Performance will be slow, if the processor speed is lower than 2.0 GHz.
source: -
http://www.vistahunt.com/compare-windws-xp-with-windows-vista.html
What is the best operating system and why?
In: Windows, Apple and Mac, Linux
The best desktop operating system to use depends on what its intended use will be and who will be using it. There is no specific operating system which can be called "the best" overall, and since most current operating systems share most common and advanced features there is much debate on the topic. A few of the most popular operating system, their pros and cons, and some of their best uses are described below.
Microsoft Windows
Pros:
The largest library of programs and applications.
Some commercial games work only with Windows and DirectX.
Almost all hardware has drivers which are compatible with Windows.
Most widely used.
Cons:
Prone to viruses, spyware, and adware if proper steps not taken such as installation of internet security software, which reduces performance speed.
Requires regular maintenance to avoid system errors and reduced performance.
Even with maintenance, issues can slowly accumulate requiring a re-installation of Windows to restore performance and fix software issues.
Expensive.
Windows Vista has high system requirements.
The Windows market share has seen some decrease in recent years and months.
Notes:
Windows Vista, the most recent consumer version of Windows, has relatively high system requirements compared to its Windows XP and other operating systems. There are also other issues, such as some software and hardware incompatibilities or frequent security confirmations, which are causing many individuals and businesses to continue using the older Windows XP.
The two most common versions of Windows are Windows XP and Windows Vista. Vista, although it has some issues, does have some new features such as search-as-you-type search and a 3D-accelerated desktop, features up until now only found in Mac OS X and some versions of Linux.
With the introduction of Virtual-machine software, Windows has become a popular add-on for Mac and Linux in order allow those computers to support Windows-only software or hardware when needed.
Best uses:
Gamers
People who must use Windows-only software for work or school.
People or businesses looking for an inexpensive computer yet do not have the ability to use Linux.
Mac OS X
Pros:
Relatively simple and intuitive interface with many advanced features.
Not virus or malware prone: there are no Mac OS X viruses in the wild, and with its UNIX base, it is fairly resilient. There are a small number of trojans (malicious software) which have been known to take effect through applications running in Mac OS X, though they are almost always found on illegal-content-based websites and are not of significant concern.
Second-largest selection of software, with many high-quality Mac-only programs in existence, such as those found in iLife. Although at one point software for certain tasks were not Mac-compatible, all software is now either Mac-compatible or has an equivalent that is. Most advanced games have also recently became compatible with Mac OS X.
Reliable and high performance.
Cons:
Limited to Apple-manufactured hardware.
Some hardware does not have Mac-compatible drivers, though the number of this hardware has recently become small and negligible.
It can be difficult to do certain cross-platform network hardware sharing for a Mac OS X based computer in a Windows network or visa-versa. For example, a printer's Mac driver may not support cross-platform printing to a Windows-connected printer, and replacement drivers may or may not exist.
Notes:
There are some security holes in Mac OS X just like in other operating systems, and, like in other operating systems, they are fixed with occasional updates upon their discovery. However, Mac OS X includes a built-in firewall, and hacks aimed at Mac are less common than hacks aimed at Windows, so this is not generally a major concern.
Macs are usually more expensive than PCs made by companies such as Dell and HP. However, the following factors can cause the total price of owning a Mac to be less than that of a PC: Mac OS X and Apple iWork are relatively inexpensive compared to copies of Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office. PCs experience hardware or software failures more frequently than Macs, increasing service and replacement costs.
With a relatively low market share compared to Windows, there are still individual programs which are only Windows compatible. However, virtual machine software with a Windows installation or compatibility layer software can allow those programs to run even on a Mac.
The Mac has seen significant market share increases in recent years and months, something which has also increased the amount of Mac-compatible software.
Best uses:
Students who are not required to use Windows-specific software (though Windows can easily be installed to use Windows software). A recent study indicated that the number of students intending to purchase Macs has neared that of Windows-based PCs.
Home users looking for an easy and reliable computing experience who are willing to pay more than typical PC prices.
Graphic designers and photographers.
Scientists.
Linux and other UNIX-based
Pros:
Low number of viruses and spyware, similar to Mac OS X
Usually free
Large selection of Linux distributions to choose from.
Has a large amount of free and open source software equivalents to commercial Windows and Mac software
More easily customizable
Can run many Windows programs with the use of a compatibility layer such as Wine. (Programs such as Cedega can be used to run many Windows games)
Reliable with good performance and low requirements.
Cons:
Advanced use and installation of some software may require more advanced knowledge than is required for use of Windows and Mac.
Many commercial programs do not support Linux
Small commercial game library
Notes:
There are a few main types of Linux: Debian, Fedora (formerly Red Hat), and SUSE. Ubuntu, a type of Debian, is highly popular among home users, as is SUSE, to a lesser extent. Fedora is more popular among businesses.
There are many other (non-Linux) UNIX-based operating systems (with the same UNIX base as Linux), including Mac OS X and SunOS (which are based on Free-BSD). There are also some UNIX-like operating systems.
Through customization and software like Beryl, Linux can be made to have advanced desktop effects similar to Aero on Windows Vista or Aqua on Mac OS X.
"Dependency hell" can make installation of certain programs on Linux difficult even for advanced users.
Best uses:
Experienced computer users looking for a good, free operating system.
Businesses looking for reliable and affordable computing, so long as they do not need Windows-only software and have a competent IT manager.
Bottom line
Though there is no one clear best operating system, each does have its advantages and disadvantages, and different people will be best using different ones. Microsoft Windows is the most common operating system and is a reasonable choice for most people. Mac OS X is second-most popular (and gaining market share) and is an excellent operating system for those who can purchase a Mac. Linux is a very good advanced operating system available for free and is recommended for experienced users.
In: Windows, Apple and Mac, Linux
The best desktop operating system to use depends on what its intended use will be and who will be using it. There is no specific operating system which can be called "the best" overall, and since most current operating systems share most common and advanced features there is much debate on the topic. A few of the most popular operating system, their pros and cons, and some of their best uses are described below.
Microsoft Windows
Pros:
The largest library of programs and applications.
Some commercial games work only with Windows and DirectX.
Almost all hardware has drivers which are compatible with Windows.
Most widely used.
Cons:
Prone to viruses, spyware, and adware if proper steps not taken such as installation of internet security software, which reduces performance speed.
Requires regular maintenance to avoid system errors and reduced performance.
Even with maintenance, issues can slowly accumulate requiring a re-installation of Windows to restore performance and fix software issues.
Expensive.
Windows Vista has high system requirements.
The Windows market share has seen some decrease in recent years and months.
Notes:
Windows Vista, the most recent consumer version of Windows, has relatively high system requirements compared to its Windows XP and other operating systems. There are also other issues, such as some software and hardware incompatibilities or frequent security confirmations, which are causing many individuals and businesses to continue using the older Windows XP.
The two most common versions of Windows are Windows XP and Windows Vista. Vista, although it has some issues, does have some new features such as search-as-you-type search and a 3D-accelerated desktop, features up until now only found in Mac OS X and some versions of Linux.
With the introduction of Virtual-machine software, Windows has become a popular add-on for Mac and Linux in order allow those computers to support Windows-only software or hardware when needed.
Best uses:
Gamers
People who must use Windows-only software for work or school.
People or businesses looking for an inexpensive computer yet do not have the ability to use Linux.
Mac OS X
Pros:
Relatively simple and intuitive interface with many advanced features.
Not virus or malware prone: there are no Mac OS X viruses in the wild, and with its UNIX base, it is fairly resilient. There are a small number of trojans (malicious software) which have been known to take effect through applications running in Mac OS X, though they are almost always found on illegal-content-based websites and are not of significant concern.
Second-largest selection of software, with many high-quality Mac-only programs in existence, such as those found in iLife. Although at one point software for certain tasks were not Mac-compatible, all software is now either Mac-compatible or has an equivalent that is. Most advanced games have also recently became compatible with Mac OS X.
Reliable and high performance.
Cons:
Limited to Apple-manufactured hardware.
Some hardware does not have Mac-compatible drivers, though the number of this hardware has recently become small and negligible.
It can be difficult to do certain cross-platform network hardware sharing for a Mac OS X based computer in a Windows network or visa-versa. For example, a printer's Mac driver may not support cross-platform printing to a Windows-connected printer, and replacement drivers may or may not exist.
Notes:
There are some security holes in Mac OS X just like in other operating systems, and, like in other operating systems, they are fixed with occasional updates upon their discovery. However, Mac OS X includes a built-in firewall, and hacks aimed at Mac are less common than hacks aimed at Windows, so this is not generally a major concern.
Macs are usually more expensive than PCs made by companies such as Dell and HP. However, the following factors can cause the total price of owning a Mac to be less than that of a PC: Mac OS X and Apple iWork are relatively inexpensive compared to copies of Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office. PCs experience hardware or software failures more frequently than Macs, increasing service and replacement costs.
With a relatively low market share compared to Windows, there are still individual programs which are only Windows compatible. However, virtual machine software with a Windows installation or compatibility layer software can allow those programs to run even on a Mac.
The Mac has seen significant market share increases in recent years and months, something which has also increased the amount of Mac-compatible software.
Best uses:
Students who are not required to use Windows-specific software (though Windows can easily be installed to use Windows software). A recent study indicated that the number of students intending to purchase Macs has neared that of Windows-based PCs.
Home users looking for an easy and reliable computing experience who are willing to pay more than typical PC prices.
Graphic designers and photographers.
Scientists.
Linux and other UNIX-based
Pros:
Low number of viruses and spyware, similar to Mac OS X
Usually free
Large selection of Linux distributions to choose from.
Has a large amount of free and open source software equivalents to commercial Windows and Mac software
More easily customizable
Can run many Windows programs with the use of a compatibility layer such as Wine. (Programs such as Cedega can be used to run many Windows games)
Reliable with good performance and low requirements.
Cons:
Advanced use and installation of some software may require more advanced knowledge than is required for use of Windows and Mac.
Many commercial programs do not support Linux
Small commercial game library
Notes:
There are a few main types of Linux: Debian, Fedora (formerly Red Hat), and SUSE. Ubuntu, a type of Debian, is highly popular among home users, as is SUSE, to a lesser extent. Fedora is more popular among businesses.
There are many other (non-Linux) UNIX-based operating systems (with the same UNIX base as Linux), including Mac OS X and SunOS (which are based on Free-BSD). There are also some UNIX-like operating systems.
Through customization and software like Beryl, Linux can be made to have advanced desktop effects similar to Aero on Windows Vista or Aqua on Mac OS X.
"Dependency hell" can make installation of certain programs on Linux difficult even for advanced users.
Best uses:
Experienced computer users looking for a good, free operating system.
Businesses looking for reliable and affordable computing, so long as they do not need Windows-only software and have a competent IT manager.
Bottom line
Though there is no one clear best operating system, each does have its advantages and disadvantages, and different people will be best using different ones. Microsoft Windows is the most common operating system and is a reasonable choice for most people. Mac OS X is second-most popular (and gaining market share) and is an excellent operating system for those who can purchase a Mac. Linux is a very good advanced operating system available for free and is recommended for experienced users.
Monday, May 05, 2008
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Big Brains - Intelligence ?
Jeanna Bryner
LiveScience Staff Writer
LiveScience.com
If this were true, then perhaps big-headed people wouldn't be so pea-brained.
This question is mired in many unknowns. For one, scientists still debate over the definition of intelligence. For any IQ definition, how do you measure it? Further, do differences in IQ show up in daily life? And finally, does more brain tissue or a heftier brain equate with higher IQ?
One thing scientists do agree on: A big brain alone doesn't equate with smarts. If it did, elephants and sperm whales would win all the spelling bees. Rather, scientists look at brain mass relative to body mass in order to make any speculation about a creature's cognitive abilities.
So while an elephant noggin, at 10.5 pounds (4,780 grams), could squash a human think box in a purely physical battle of brains, you and I take the cake in a war of wits. Our brains, which weigh an average of 2.7 pounds (1,200 grams), account for about 2 percent of body weight, compared with an elephant's under one-tenth of a percent.
Studies have shown that across species relatively large brains "do seem to provide some complex cognitive skills, such as innovative solutions to ecological problems, more efficient resource mapping and food acquisition, and more complex social strategies (such as deception)," said Nancy Barrickman, a graduate student in Duke University's Department of Biological Anthropology and Anatomy.
Differences in brain size within a species, such as humans, are relatively small, making it difficult to tease out the effects of brain size and the effects of other factors. For instance, the difference in intelligence between an organism with, say, a brain that's 1,100 grams and one that's 1,400 grams (which could be found in humans) is confounded by other variables, including differences in density of neurons, other structural brain differences and socio-cultural factors.
And the debate continues ...
Brain size has nothing to do with scores on standardized intelligence tests, according to a brain-scan study of young children.
Michael McDaniel, an industrial and organizational psychologist at Virginia Commonwealth University, has claimed that bigger brains do make for smarter people. Many researchers, however, disagree with McDaniel's conclusion. His research, published in 2005 in the journal Intelligence, suggested that across all age and sex groups, brain volume is linked to intelligence.
Men are smarter than women, according to research published in 2006, which the study researchers say could be due to men having relatively larger brains, a difference of about 0.2 pounds (100 grams). Another scientist put forth several socio-cultural factors that would make the men-smarter results null.
Average brain weights for primates (not relative to body size):
Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) - 0.77 pounds (350 grams)
Mountain gorilla (Gorilla gorilla beringei) - 0.95 pounds (430 grams)
Mouse lemur (Microcebus murinus) - 0.004 pounds (2 grams)
Sizing up brains for the rest of the animal kingdom, would include:
Sperm whale - 17 pounds (7,800 grams)
Walrus - 2.4 pounds (1,100 grams)
Domestic cat - 0.06 pounds (30 grams)
If brain size had anything to do with innovation and creativity, some scientists expected to see a link between the so-called Mind's Big Bang (the emergence of bone tools and cave paintings that occurred between 50,000 and 70,000 years ago) and the emergence of modern-size human brains.
LiveScience Staff Writer
LiveScience.com
If this were true, then perhaps big-headed people wouldn't be so pea-brained.
This question is mired in many unknowns. For one, scientists still debate over the definition of intelligence. For any IQ definition, how do you measure it? Further, do differences in IQ show up in daily life? And finally, does more brain tissue or a heftier brain equate with higher IQ?
One thing scientists do agree on: A big brain alone doesn't equate with smarts. If it did, elephants and sperm whales would win all the spelling bees. Rather, scientists look at brain mass relative to body mass in order to make any speculation about a creature's cognitive abilities.
So while an elephant noggin, at 10.5 pounds (4,780 grams), could squash a human think box in a purely physical battle of brains, you and I take the cake in a war of wits. Our brains, which weigh an average of 2.7 pounds (1,200 grams), account for about 2 percent of body weight, compared with an elephant's under one-tenth of a percent.
Studies have shown that across species relatively large brains "do seem to provide some complex cognitive skills, such as innovative solutions to ecological problems, more efficient resource mapping and food acquisition, and more complex social strategies (such as deception)," said Nancy Barrickman, a graduate student in Duke University's Department of Biological Anthropology and Anatomy.
Differences in brain size within a species, such as humans, are relatively small, making it difficult to tease out the effects of brain size and the effects of other factors. For instance, the difference in intelligence between an organism with, say, a brain that's 1,100 grams and one that's 1,400 grams (which could be found in humans) is confounded by other variables, including differences in density of neurons, other structural brain differences and socio-cultural factors.
And the debate continues ...
Brain size has nothing to do with scores on standardized intelligence tests, according to a brain-scan study of young children.
Michael McDaniel, an industrial and organizational psychologist at Virginia Commonwealth University, has claimed that bigger brains do make for smarter people. Many researchers, however, disagree with McDaniel's conclusion. His research, published in 2005 in the journal Intelligence, suggested that across all age and sex groups, brain volume is linked to intelligence.
Men are smarter than women, according to research published in 2006, which the study researchers say could be due to men having relatively larger brains, a difference of about 0.2 pounds (100 grams). Another scientist put forth several socio-cultural factors that would make the men-smarter results null.
Average brain weights for primates (not relative to body size):
Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) - 0.77 pounds (350 grams)
Mountain gorilla (Gorilla gorilla beringei) - 0.95 pounds (430 grams)
Mouse lemur (Microcebus murinus) - 0.004 pounds (2 grams)
Sizing up brains for the rest of the animal kingdom, would include:
Sperm whale - 17 pounds (7,800 grams)
Walrus - 2.4 pounds (1,100 grams)
Domestic cat - 0.06 pounds (30 grams)
If brain size had anything to do with innovation and creativity, some scientists expected to see a link between the so-called Mind's Big Bang (the emergence of bone tools and cave paintings that occurred between 50,000 and 70,000 years ago) and the emergence of modern-size human brains.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Sourav Ganguly [Dada] - Rare pictures
"I used to write essay's of her homework, when I was in school"..after all she is my wife....
"This is me at 5"
"I can play it as well as cricket".... Believe me
"alone together in pair.........in my home...at behala"
The two big families of Indian cricket together..now that's a rare one.....
"One my first tours of England (under 18) at age of 16.....ajay,sachin,vinod were there with me....
Now that's the most rare one.........me on the right and my gr8888 partner "chhotobabu" on the left".......
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Mild Recession warning - 2008 and 2009 ?
IMF urges Japan to loosen its credit grip
WASHINGTON (Kyodo) The International Monetary Fund urged Japan Wednesday to maintain its growth-oriented monetary stance and consider easing its credit grip further because the global economy is at risk of a recession.
In its twice-yearly World Economic Outlook report, the IMF said the U.S. economy is likely to enter into a "mild recession" in 2008 due to the fallout from its subprime mortgage meltdown, which may globally cause a $945 billion hit. It also pointed to a "25 percent chance" of a global recession in 2008 and 2009.
The IMF projected the U.S. economy to grow 0.5 percent in 2008, down 1.0 point, and 0.6 percent in 2009, down 1.2 points from its previous forecasts released in January.
As for Japan, the IMF trimmed its growth estimate to 1.4 percent for 2008, down 0.1 point, and to 1.5 percent for 2009, down 0.2 percentage point from the January forecasts.
Despite robust growth in the final quarter of 2007, Japan's growth momentum entering 2008 "appears to have slowed with deteriorating business and consumer confidence, and export growth shows signs of moderating," it said.
"In light of the prevailing head winds to growth, monetary policy should maintain its accommodative stance and could be eased further in the face of a serious downturn," it said.
Earlier in the day, the Bank of Japan decided to hold the key short-term interest rate steady at 0.5 percent in a widely expected move. The rate has remained at that level since February 2007.
Noting the overall balance of global risks "remains tilted to the downside," the IMF cut its global outlook to 3.7 percent for 2008, down 0.5 point, and to 3.8 percent for 2009, down 0.6 point.
The fresh projections would mark the lowest global growth since 2002, when the world economy grew only 3.1 percent. But the report warned that the worst may still lie ahead.
"The IMF staff now sees a 25 percent chance of growth slowing to 3 percent or less in 2008 and 2009, equivalent to a global recession," it said.
"The greatest uncertainty comes from the still-unfolding events in financial markets, particularly the potential for the deep losses related to the U.S. subprime mortgage sector and other structured credits to further impair financial system capital and cause the current credit squeeze to mutate into a credit crunch," it said.
WASHINGTON (Kyodo) The International Monetary Fund urged Japan Wednesday to maintain its growth-oriented monetary stance and consider easing its credit grip further because the global economy is at risk of a recession.
In its twice-yearly World Economic Outlook report, the IMF said the U.S. economy is likely to enter into a "mild recession" in 2008 due to the fallout from its subprime mortgage meltdown, which may globally cause a $945 billion hit. It also pointed to a "25 percent chance" of a global recession in 2008 and 2009.
The IMF projected the U.S. economy to grow 0.5 percent in 2008, down 1.0 point, and 0.6 percent in 2009, down 1.2 points from its previous forecasts released in January.
As for Japan, the IMF trimmed its growth estimate to 1.4 percent for 2008, down 0.1 point, and to 1.5 percent for 2009, down 0.2 percentage point from the January forecasts.
Despite robust growth in the final quarter of 2007, Japan's growth momentum entering 2008 "appears to have slowed with deteriorating business and consumer confidence, and export growth shows signs of moderating," it said.
"In light of the prevailing head winds to growth, monetary policy should maintain its accommodative stance and could be eased further in the face of a serious downturn," it said.
Earlier in the day, the Bank of Japan decided to hold the key short-term interest rate steady at 0.5 percent in a widely expected move. The rate has remained at that level since February 2007.
Noting the overall balance of global risks "remains tilted to the downside," the IMF cut its global outlook to 3.7 percent for 2008, down 0.5 point, and to 3.8 percent for 2009, down 0.6 point.
The fresh projections would mark the lowest global growth since 2002, when the world economy grew only 3.1 percent. But the report warned that the worst may still lie ahead.
"The IMF staff now sees a 25 percent chance of growth slowing to 3 percent or less in 2008 and 2009, equivalent to a global recession," it said.
"The greatest uncertainty comes from the still-unfolding events in financial markets, particularly the potential for the deep losses related to the U.S. subprime mortgage sector and other structured credits to further impair financial system capital and cause the current credit squeeze to mutate into a credit crunch," it said.
Saturday, April 05, 2008
6 Blunders That Ruin Retirement Plans
6 Blunders That Ruin Retirement Plans
By Katy Marquardt
Regular contributions to an IRA or 401(k) are a good start, but accumulating money is only part of the retirement-planning equation. Securing a comfortable retirement is a tricky process that requires careful planning; a few bad moves can cost you dearly in the long run. Here are six common missteps:
1. Not having a plan: A third of adults have no financial plan for retirement, according to a recent survey conducted for TD Ameritrade. Of the remainder of those surveyed, 46 percent said they have a written retirement plan, and 20 percent said they have a plan in their head. "So many people who have undersaved choose to ignore the issue rather than sit down and create a plan," says Joe Heider, president of Dawson Wealth Management in Cleveland. "It's almost like a fear of going to the doctor."
Retirement calculators are a start. Free counsel might be available through your employer's investment-advice program; otherwise, an investment adviser can help you plot your financial moves. Services range from a one-time financial checkup to a comprehensive plan that includes asset allocation and estate planning.
2. Underestimating life expectancy: Retirees are living longer these days, thanks to more healthful lifestyles, medical breakthroughs, and healthcare reforms. In 1955, Americans lived to be an average of 69.6 years old. The average life expectancy rose to 75.8 years by 1995 and to 77.9 years by 2005, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Keep in mind that life expectancies are averages; many of today's retirees will live well into their 80s and beyond. Rosanne Grande of R. W. Rogé & Co. on New York's Long Island says her firm's plans run to age 100. "We invest for the long term, not the short term, now that people are living 30 and 40 years into retirement," Grande says.
One side note: As retirees' expectations about longevity increase, so does the role of the financial adviser. Grande is one of a growing number of registered financial gerontologists, who specialize in serving older clients.
3. Low-balling your spending: Would-be retirees tend to be too conservative when projecting their annual expenses in retirement, Heider says. "Chances are, a couple retiring in their early to mid-60s is going to spend almost as much in retirement as they did during their working career," he says. Spending in some categories, like travel, may increase. "For most people, spending on discretionary items and travel actually goes up in the early years of retirement," Heider adds.
4. Failing to plan for unexpected extras: Many people have a basic retirement plan in their head, with a general idea of their assets, monthly expenses, pension income, or Social Security income, Grande says. "But what they fail to factor in is extraordinary cash-flow needs, such as boomerang children living at home or extended care for aging parents," she says. A leaky roof or termite infestation could also put a dent in your budget. For such surprise expenses, Grande recommends building a little extra padding into your plan. Think of it as an extended emergency fund.
5. Overlooking rising healthcare costs: A 65-year-old couple retiring this year will need about $225,000 just to cover medical costs in retirement, according to Fidelity Investments. This figure, which assumes retirees don't have employer-sponsored healthcare coverage, represents a 5 percent increase over 2007 and a whopping 41 percent jump from 2002. Meanwhile, the number of large employers offering retiree health benefits is falling.
Employers are also increasingly shifting more costs to retirees through higher premium contributions and cost-sharing requirements. "It's scary, and it's very hard for most people to realize that the cost of the medical plan is going to go up 8 to 12 percent each year," says Ellen Jordan, senior vice president with Bryn Mawr Trust Wealth Management in Bryn Mawr, Pa.
6. Ignoring inflation: Don't underestimate the impact inflation will have on your retirement plan. If you're 65 today, an expense that currently costs $100 will cost $180 by the time you're 80, assuming an inflation rate of 4 percent. Plan your retirement with the assumption that the cost of living in your later years will considerably outpace that of your earlier years. Grande uses a 4 percent inflation estimate in her clients' plans.
http://www.bankrate.com/usn/cgi-bin/retire.asp?nav=grn&page=calc_home
By Katy Marquardt
Regular contributions to an IRA or 401(k) are a good start, but accumulating money is only part of the retirement-planning equation. Securing a comfortable retirement is a tricky process that requires careful planning; a few bad moves can cost you dearly in the long run. Here are six common missteps:
1. Not having a plan: A third of adults have no financial plan for retirement, according to a recent survey conducted for TD Ameritrade. Of the remainder of those surveyed, 46 percent said they have a written retirement plan, and 20 percent said they have a plan in their head. "So many people who have undersaved choose to ignore the issue rather than sit down and create a plan," says Joe Heider, president of Dawson Wealth Management in Cleveland. "It's almost like a fear of going to the doctor."
Retirement calculators are a start. Free counsel might be available through your employer's investment-advice program; otherwise, an investment adviser can help you plot your financial moves. Services range from a one-time financial checkup to a comprehensive plan that includes asset allocation and estate planning.
2. Underestimating life expectancy: Retirees are living longer these days, thanks to more healthful lifestyles, medical breakthroughs, and healthcare reforms. In 1955, Americans lived to be an average of 69.6 years old. The average life expectancy rose to 75.8 years by 1995 and to 77.9 years by 2005, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Keep in mind that life expectancies are averages; many of today's retirees will live well into their 80s and beyond. Rosanne Grande of R. W. Rogé & Co. on New York's Long Island says her firm's plans run to age 100. "We invest for the long term, not the short term, now that people are living 30 and 40 years into retirement," Grande says.
One side note: As retirees' expectations about longevity increase, so does the role of the financial adviser. Grande is one of a growing number of registered financial gerontologists, who specialize in serving older clients.
3. Low-balling your spending: Would-be retirees tend to be too conservative when projecting their annual expenses in retirement, Heider says. "Chances are, a couple retiring in their early to mid-60s is going to spend almost as much in retirement as they did during their working career," he says. Spending in some categories, like travel, may increase. "For most people, spending on discretionary items and travel actually goes up in the early years of retirement," Heider adds.
4. Failing to plan for unexpected extras: Many people have a basic retirement plan in their head, with a general idea of their assets, monthly expenses, pension income, or Social Security income, Grande says. "But what they fail to factor in is extraordinary cash-flow needs, such as boomerang children living at home or extended care for aging parents," she says. A leaky roof or termite infestation could also put a dent in your budget. For such surprise expenses, Grande recommends building a little extra padding into your plan. Think of it as an extended emergency fund.
5. Overlooking rising healthcare costs: A 65-year-old couple retiring this year will need about $225,000 just to cover medical costs in retirement, according to Fidelity Investments. This figure, which assumes retirees don't have employer-sponsored healthcare coverage, represents a 5 percent increase over 2007 and a whopping 41 percent jump from 2002. Meanwhile, the number of large employers offering retiree health benefits is falling.
Employers are also increasingly shifting more costs to retirees through higher premium contributions and cost-sharing requirements. "It's scary, and it's very hard for most people to realize that the cost of the medical plan is going to go up 8 to 12 percent each year," says Ellen Jordan, senior vice president with Bryn Mawr Trust Wealth Management in Bryn Mawr, Pa.
6. Ignoring inflation: Don't underestimate the impact inflation will have on your retirement plan. If you're 65 today, an expense that currently costs $100 will cost $180 by the time you're 80, assuming an inflation rate of 4 percent. Plan your retirement with the assumption that the cost of living in your later years will considerably outpace that of your earlier years. Grande uses a 4 percent inflation estimate in her clients' plans.
http://www.bankrate.com/usn/cgi-bin/retire.asp?nav=grn&page=calc_home
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Sakura blossoms @ Shinjuku Gyoen - largest park in Tokyo
As promised you have photos of Sakura blossoms @ Shinjuku Gyoen - largest park in Tokyo.
http://picasaweb.google.com/rajeshkvp/JapanSCherryBlossomSakuraShinjukuGyoenLargestParkInTokyo
Tree count = 10,000 trees
Turn out = About 1 lakh people between 2pm to 3pm on 29th March 2008 - estimated
Park Size = 58.3 hectares in size, biggest in japan
history = it was built for Imperial Household earlier and later for commoners.
it was completely destroyed during worldwar-2
http://picasaweb.google.com/rajeshkvp/JapanSCherryBlossomSakuraShinjukuGyoenLargestParkInTokyo
Tree count = 10,000 trees
Turn out = About 1 lakh people between 2pm to 3pm on 29th March 2008 - estimated
Park Size = 58.3 hectares in size, biggest in japan
history = it was built for Imperial Household earlier and later for commoners.
it was completely destroyed during worldwar-2
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Japan's cherry blossom (sakura)
For those of you who are crazy about flowers..
As many of you know, Japan is world popular for its flowery
collections and craze for flowers. Sakura flower blooms during the
spring season(which started about 10-15 days back..) it usually
lasts for a short-time.. and I will try posting photos.. as soon as
I can capture them on my camera.
This year sakura blossoms started on March 22nd, Best time to view
in tokyo is March 27 to April 5th 2008.
there are some beautiful photos in this site.. enjoy viewing.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2011_where.html
Exact Description=
"The cherry blossom (sakura) is Japan's unofficial national flower.
It has been celebrated for many centuries and takes a very prominent
position in Japanese culture.
There are many dozens of different cherry tree varieties in Japan,
most of which bloom for just a couple of days in spring. The
Japanese celebrate that time of the year with hanami (cherry blossom
viewing) parties under the blooming trees
As many of you know, Japan is world popular for its flowery
collections and craze for flowers. Sakura flower blooms during the
spring season(which started about 10-15 days back..) it usually
lasts for a short-time.. and I will try posting photos.. as soon as
I can capture them on my camera.
This year sakura blossoms started on March 22nd, Best time to view
in tokyo is March 27 to April 5th 2008.
there are some beautiful photos in this site.. enjoy viewing.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2011_where.html
Exact Description=
"The cherry blossom (sakura) is Japan's unofficial national flower.
It has been celebrated for many centuries and takes a very prominent
position in Japanese culture.
There are many dozens of different cherry tree varieties in Japan,
most of which bloom for just a couple of days in spring. The
Japanese celebrate that time of the year with hanami (cherry blossom
viewing) parties under the blooming trees
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Sleeplessness
HELP WITH INSOMNIAInsomnia is a more and more common condition in modern times. Sadly, a huge percentage of us are sleep-deprived or sleep-impaired, and this leads to irritability, sub-par functioning, muddy thinking, poor judgment, inefficient use of time, dangerous driving, tanking relationships and decreased enjoyment of life.
There are two kinds of sleeplessness or insomnia – the kind where you have trouble falling asleep, and the kind where you wake up in the wee hours and can’t fall back to sleep – or both. Here are a few simple but effective behavioral suggestions to help with insomnia.
Try to make a habit of writing down, before bedtime, all the things you need to take care of for the next day, so that you are, in essence, getting it out of your head and onto a sheet of paper. Journaling thoughts and feelings also serves the same purpose in a more wide-ranging way.
If you work out or exercise at night, it would be better to switch to the morning or afternoon – not just before bedtime. Evening exercise too close to bedtime feeds insomnia.
If you drink alcohol at dinner or after, this might help you fall asleep in the short term, but it’s also likely to be what’s waking you up at 2 or 3 a.m.. Booze is a terrible intervention for insomnia.
If you wake up in the middle of the night and your mind revs up with worries, plans, problems, solutions, whatever, you will either need to distract your mind – with reading, or music or one of the resources I’ll suggest later on in this list; or else get out of bed and try to address some of these things in a more proactive way. The worst thing you can do is just lie there thinking “I have to get some sleep!!! I’m going to be exhausted tomorrow!!! I MUST sleep!! This insomnia is going to wreck my ability to function!!” because, of course, once you’re having that conversation with yourself, you’ll never fall asleep!
If you’re in the middle of one of these dreadful insomnia cycles, you would do well to consider getting a prescription for a mild sleeping pill – not as a permanent solution, but to break the cycle of sleeplessness. Work with your doc to find a good medication that works well for you, without producing a “hangover” the next day. It’s best to experiment over the weekend or on a week night when you don’t have to be terribly sharp the next morning.
Some more tips:-
Try to maintain fixed timings for your sleep. Try to go to sleep at the same time everyday. Also wake up at the same time. This will help your body and mind to regularize your sleep.
Have some simple and light snack before going to bed. Avoid spicy food or too much of sweets. Help your digestive system by taking light snacks like a few slices of bread or some cereal. This is just to reduce the pressure on your digestive system which will allow you to sleep peacefully and will not disturb you struggling to digest food.
Do not take nicotine... or atleast avoid consuming any kind of nicotine atleast 5-6 hours before you go to bed.
The general assumption is taking alcohol gives better sleep. This is not true and also this could lead to complications. Usually, you will have disturbed sleep after consuming Alcohol. Avoid Alcohol atleast for 5-6 hours befor you go to sleep.
Take milk before going to bed. You can take some malt beverages too, which normally helps in having good sleep. Always ensure that you dont go to bed hungry.
Try to keep your bedroom well ventilated and clean. If you are getting disturbed by any noise around, try to use earplugs to have a peaceful sleep.
Be active during the day. Dont doze off during the day, as this may be an obstacle to your night sleep.
There are two kinds of sleeplessness or insomnia – the kind where you have trouble falling asleep, and the kind where you wake up in the wee hours and can’t fall back to sleep – or both. Here are a few simple but effective behavioral suggestions to help with insomnia.
Try to make a habit of writing down, before bedtime, all the things you need to take care of for the next day, so that you are, in essence, getting it out of your head and onto a sheet of paper. Journaling thoughts and feelings also serves the same purpose in a more wide-ranging way.
If you work out or exercise at night, it would be better to switch to the morning or afternoon – not just before bedtime. Evening exercise too close to bedtime feeds insomnia.
If you drink alcohol at dinner or after, this might help you fall asleep in the short term, but it’s also likely to be what’s waking you up at 2 or 3 a.m.. Booze is a terrible intervention for insomnia.
If you wake up in the middle of the night and your mind revs up with worries, plans, problems, solutions, whatever, you will either need to distract your mind – with reading, or music or one of the resources I’ll suggest later on in this list; or else get out of bed and try to address some of these things in a more proactive way. The worst thing you can do is just lie there thinking “I have to get some sleep!!! I’m going to be exhausted tomorrow!!! I MUST sleep!! This insomnia is going to wreck my ability to function!!” because, of course, once you’re having that conversation with yourself, you’ll never fall asleep!
If you’re in the middle of one of these dreadful insomnia cycles, you would do well to consider getting a prescription for a mild sleeping pill – not as a permanent solution, but to break the cycle of sleeplessness. Work with your doc to find a good medication that works well for you, without producing a “hangover” the next day. It’s best to experiment over the weekend or on a week night when you don’t have to be terribly sharp the next morning.
Some more tips:-
Try to maintain fixed timings for your sleep. Try to go to sleep at the same time everyday. Also wake up at the same time. This will help your body and mind to regularize your sleep.
Have some simple and light snack before going to bed. Avoid spicy food or too much of sweets. Help your digestive system by taking light snacks like a few slices of bread or some cereal. This is just to reduce the pressure on your digestive system which will allow you to sleep peacefully and will not disturb you struggling to digest food.
Do not take nicotine... or atleast avoid consuming any kind of nicotine atleast 5-6 hours before you go to bed.
The general assumption is taking alcohol gives better sleep. This is not true and also this could lead to complications. Usually, you will have disturbed sleep after consuming Alcohol. Avoid Alcohol atleast for 5-6 hours befor you go to sleep.
Take milk before going to bed. You can take some malt beverages too, which normally helps in having good sleep. Always ensure that you dont go to bed hungry.
Try to keep your bedroom well ventilated and clean. If you are getting disturbed by any noise around, try to use earplugs to have a peaceful sleep.
Be active during the day. Dont doze off during the day, as this may be an obstacle to your night sleep.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Microsoft Office Boy
Microsoft Office Boy
A jobless man applied for the position of "office boy" at Microsoft.
The HR manager interviewed him then watched him cleaning the floor as a test.
"You are employed." He said." Give me your e-mail address and I'll send you the application to fill in, as well as date when you may start."
The man replied "But I don't have a computer, neither an email."
I'm sorry", said the HR manager, "If you don't have an email, that means you do not exist. And who doesn't exist, cannot have the job."
The man left with no hope at all. He didn't know what to do, with only $10 in his pocket. He then decided to go to the supermarket and buy a 10Kg tomato crate. He then sold the tomatoes in a door to door round. In less than two hours, he succeeded to double his capital. He repeated the Operation three times, and returned home with $60. The man realized that he can survive by this Way, and started to go everyday earlier, and return late Thus, his money doubled or tripled every day.
Shortly, he bought a cart, then a truck, then he had his own fleet of delivery vehicles. 5 years later , the man is one of the biggest food retailers in the US .
He started to plan his family's future, and decided to have a life insurance.
He called an insurance broker, and chose a protection plan. When the conversation was concluded, the broker asked him his email. The man replied, "I don't have an email". The broker answered curiously, "You don't have an email, and yet have succeeded to build an empire. Can you imagine what you could have been if you had an email?!!"
The man thought for a while and replied, "Yes, I'd be an office boy at Microsoft!"
Moral of the story:
M1 - Internet is not the solution to your life.
M2 - If you don't have internet, and work hard, you can be a millionaire.
M3 - If you received this message by email, you are closer to being an office boy, than a millionaire. .........
Have a great day!!!
A jobless man applied for the position of "office boy" at Microsoft.
The HR manager interviewed him then watched him cleaning the floor as a test.
"You are employed." He said." Give me your e-mail address and I'll send you the application to fill in, as well as date when you may start."
The man replied "But I don't have a computer, neither an email."
I'm sorry", said the HR manager, "If you don't have an email, that means you do not exist. And who doesn't exist, cannot have the job."
The man left with no hope at all. He didn't know what to do, with only $10 in his pocket. He then decided to go to the supermarket and buy a 10Kg tomato crate. He then sold the tomatoes in a door to door round. In less than two hours, he succeeded to double his capital. He repeated the Operation three times, and returned home with $60. The man realized that he can survive by this Way, and started to go everyday earlier, and return late Thus, his money doubled or tripled every day.
Shortly, he bought a cart, then a truck, then he had his own fleet of delivery vehicles. 5 years later , the man is one of the biggest food retailers in the US .
He started to plan his family's future, and decided to have a life insurance.
He called an insurance broker, and chose a protection plan. When the conversation was concluded, the broker asked him his email. The man replied, "I don't have an email". The broker answered curiously, "You don't have an email, and yet have succeeded to build an empire. Can you imagine what you could have been if you had an email?!!"
The man thought for a while and replied, "Yes, I'd be an office boy at Microsoft!"
Moral of the story:
M1 - Internet is not the solution to your life.
M2 - If you don't have internet, and work hard, you can be a millionaire.
M3 - If you received this message by email, you are closer to being an office boy, than a millionaire. .........
Have a great day!!!
Humility
Humility
Visiting that Ragavendra temple in Bangalore is almost more than a routine for her. She has not seen him ever before in the temple.
He was sitting on the floor with his closed eyes, folded legs and locked fingers in ' Gnana Mudra '. He looked strange and different with a turban on his head and the very long flowing beard. Some thing was there in his face that attracted her. She could not understand what that was.
She finished her ' darshan ' and came out; she saw the man was walking in the corridor. Again something was happening in her, she could not understand what was that. She was telling herself, "a poor old man. I have to help him". She ran to him, gave rupees ten in his hand and forced him to accept. He smiled, expressed a reverence like a ' prasadam ' by keeping it in the forehead and thanked her by keeping the hand in prayer position (' Namasthey' ).
As she came out, she saw the man was getting into his Mercedes Benz, she was perplexed, shivered and ran to him and said, "Sir (Ayya!), Please forgive me, I did not do this to insult you. By seeing your dress and appearance, I thought you are struggling in life and offered you the money. It is a blunder. I am sorry. Please forgive me. Please give me back that money. I am sorry".
The man with the fake beard and turban laughed and replied her politely, "Ammaa.. There is no mistake of yours. It is the other way. The creator is again and again reminding me through some body, "You are nothing. You are not special. Everybody is equal in front of me". He keeps on sending this message again and again and today you happened to be a medium. That's it. Thanks a ton". His hand again went to prayer position, expressed gratitude to the lady and he went into his car.
When the lady realized the man was none other than Super star Rajini Kanth - Asia's number one paid actor, he has left the place.
She did not know what to do. With tears in her eyes, she was starring at the direction that the car went.
- From Dr. Gayathri Sreekanth's "The Name Is Rajini Kanth – A biography"
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
7 Keys to P.E.R.F.E.C.T. communication
7 Keys to P.E.R.F.E.C.T. communication
Personal Impact
Non-verbal communication such as unease, uncertainty or nervousness can convey negative signals to your audience. These subconsciously perceived weaknesses can capture the audience's attention so that what you are saying is lost.
Know exactly how you are going to start your presentation or conversation. Ensure that it's powerful and engaging and be aware of you body language.
Emotional Connection
If you aren't passionate about what your topic how can you expect any body else to be?
Engage people at an emotional level during a presentation or conversation. Tell personal stories, use metaphors and let people into your life's experiences. You will find that your audience will more easily join you in your pictures.
Right to Talk
What right do you have to talk about the subject you are talking to us about? Tell us your History and in doing so create authority?
As a child we were told not brag about our achievements. You then enter the world of work and what happens you are judged on your accomplishments.
When you identify your expertise and call on the 'hands on' elements of the matter being discussed you develop personal credibility and elicit an emotional response from those listening.
Facts
Once you have developed an emotional rapport, and a reason for them to trust and believe in you, then your presentation has to have defined facts and detail.
Don't talk in terms of hypothetical situations. Make it relevant to your 'audience', their businesses, their hopes and concerns. Understand what they want to know, not what you want to tell them.
Encapsulate
We live in a sound bite society.
"Just do it", "it's the real thing", "Am I bovvered?" We are programmed to expect information to be packaged in instantly memorable phrases. Encapsulate your message, the key elements of your presentation / conversation and translate them into succinct, influential language.
Credibility
Don't make claims that you can't substantiate. At a seminar recently a speaker used the following information.
"A first impression is based on 7% spoken words, 38% tone of voice and 55% body language."
The speaker was questioned about the provenance of the quote but did not know the originator. His credibility was immediately blown.
If you are going to use quotes make sure you know who said it and in what context.
The Company
Apart from your individual right to talk on a specific subject it is also important to establish the credentials of the company or companies that you are associated with.
Use testimonials from delighted customers and the value you bring to the company. Is is a universal truth that those we associate with can give us even greater standing and authority.
The key to your personal and financial success is in your ability to positively impact others
Monday, March 17, 2008
Coffee with Rajesh !
Pharmacist point of view:
Answer the phone by LEFT ear.
Do not drink coffee TWICE a day.
Do not take pills with COOL water.
Do not have HUGE meals after 5pm.
Reduce the amount of OILY food you consume.
Drink more WATER in the morning, less at night.
Keep your distance from hand phone CHARGERS.
Do not use headphones/earphone for LONG period of time.
Best sleeping time is from 10pm at night to 6am in the morning.
Do not lie down immediately after taking medicine before sleeping.
When battery is down to the LAST grid/bar, do not answer the phone as the radiation is 1000 times.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Decide to buy a Mobile ?
Would like to know if your mobile is original or not?!!
Press the following on your mobile *#06# and the-international mobile equipment identity number appears
check the 7th and 8th numbers
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 th 8 th 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Phone serial no. x x x x x x ? ? x x x x x x x
IF the digit number Seven & Eight is 02 or 20 that mean it was assembled in the Emirates which is very Bad quality
IF the digit number Seven & Eight is 08 or 80 that means it was manufactured in Germany which is not bad
IF the digit number Seven & Eight is 01 or 10 that mean it's manufactured in Finland which is Good
IF the digit number Seven & Eight is 00 that means it was manufactured in original factory which is the best Mobile Quality ....
IF the digit number Seven & Eight is 13 that means it was assembled in Azerbaijan which is very poor quality and potentially very dangerous to your health!!!
Press the following on your mobile *#06# and the-international mobile equipment identity number appears
check the 7th and 8th numbers
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 th 8 th 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Phone serial no. x x x x x x ? ? x x x x x x x
IF the digit number Seven & Eight is 02 or 20 that mean it was assembled in the Emirates which is very Bad quality
IF the digit number Seven & Eight is 08 or 80 that means it was manufactured in Germany which is not bad
IF the digit number Seven & Eight is 01 or 10 that mean it's manufactured in Finland which is Good
IF the digit number Seven & Eight is 00 that means it was manufactured in original factory which is the best Mobile Quality ....
IF the digit number Seven & Eight is 13 that means it was assembled in Azerbaijan which is very poor quality and potentially very dangerous to your health!!!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
India has become a dumping ground for banned drugs
India has become a dumping ground for banned drugs; also the business for production of banned drugs is booming. Plz make sure that u buy drugs only if prescribed by a doctor (Also, ask which company manufactures it, this would help to ensure that u get what is prescribed at the Drug Store) and that also from a reputed drug store. Not many people know about these banned drugs and consume them causing a lot of damage to themselves.
DANGEROUS DRUGS HAVE BEEN GLOBALLY DISCARDED BUT ARE AVAILABLE IN INDIA. The most common ones are D cold, action 500 & Nimulid.
ANALGIN:
This is a pain-killer. Reason for ban: Bone marrow depression.
Brand name : Novalgin
CISAPRIDE:
Acidity, constipation. Reason for ban : irregular heartbeat
Brand name : Ciza, Syspride
DROPERIDOL:
Anti-depressant. Reason for ban : Irregular heartbeat.
Brand name : Droperol
FURAZOLIDONE:
Antidiarrhoeal.. Reason for ban : Cancer.
Brand name : Furoxone, Lomofen
NIMESULIDE:
Painkiller, fever. Reason for ban : Liver failure.
Brand name : Nise, Nimulid
NITROFURAZONE:
Antibacterial cream.
Reason for ban :
Cancer..
Brand name : Furacin
PHENOLPHTHALEIN:
Laxative. Reason for ban : Cancer.
Brand name : Agarol
PHENYLPROPANOLAMINE:
cold and cough. Reason for ban : stroke.
Brand name : D'cold,Vicks Action-500
OXYPHENBUTAZONE:
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. Reason for ban : Bone marrow depression.
Brand name : Sioril
PIPERAZINE:
Anti-worms. Reason for ban : Nerve damage.
Brand name : Piperazine
QUINIODOCHLOR:
Anti-diarrhoeal. Reason for ban : Damage to sight.
Brand name : Enteroquinol
--
Dr. Kaiser Jamil
Research Director
Indo American Cancer Institute & Research Centre
Banjara Hills, Hyderabad 500034, A.P. India .
DANGEROUS DRUGS HAVE BEEN GLOBALLY DISCARDED BUT ARE AVAILABLE IN INDIA. The most common ones are D cold, action 500 & Nimulid.
ANALGIN:
This is a pain-killer. Reason for ban: Bone marrow depression.
Brand name : Novalgin
CISAPRIDE:
Acidity, constipation. Reason for ban : irregular heartbeat
Brand name : Ciza, Syspride
DROPERIDOL:
Anti-depressant. Reason for ban : Irregular heartbeat.
Brand name : Droperol
FURAZOLIDONE:
Antidiarrhoeal.. Reason for ban : Cancer.
Brand name : Furoxone, Lomofen
NIMESULIDE:
Painkiller, fever. Reason for ban : Liver failure.
Brand name : Nise, Nimulid
NITROFURAZONE:
Antibacterial cream.
Reason for ban :
Cancer..
Brand name : Furacin
PHENOLPHTHALEIN:
Laxative. Reason for ban : Cancer.
Brand name : Agarol
PHENYLPROPANOLAMINE:
cold and cough. Reason for ban : stroke.
Brand name : D'cold,Vicks Action-500
OXYPHENBUTAZONE:
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. Reason for ban : Bone marrow depression.
Brand name : Sioril
PIPERAZINE:
Anti-worms. Reason for ban : Nerve damage.
Brand name : Piperazine
QUINIODOCHLOR:
Anti-diarrhoeal. Reason for ban : Damage to sight.
Brand name : Enteroquinol
--
Dr. Kaiser Jamil
Research Director
Indo American Cancer Institute & Research Centre
Banjara Hills, Hyderabad 500034, A.P. India .
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
The Comparative Anatomy of Eating by Milton R. Mills, M.D.
The Comparative Anatomy of Eating
by Milton R. Mills, M.D.
(Source : http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/2062/ana.HTML)
Humans are most often described as "omnivores". This classification is based on the "observation" that humans generally eat a wide variety of plant and animal foods. However, culture, custom and training are confounding variables when looking at human dietary practices. Thus, "observation" is not the best technique to use when trying to identify the most "natural" diet for humans. While most humans are clearly "behavioral" omnivores, the question still remains as to whether humans are anatomically suited for a diet that includes animal as well as plant foods.
A better and more objective technique is to look at human anatomy and physiology. Mammals are anatomically and physiologically adapted to procure and consume particular kinds of diets. (It is common practice when examining fossils of extinct mammals to examine anatomical features to deduce the animal's probable diet.) Therefore, we can look at mammalian carnivores, herbivores (plant-eaters) and omnivores to see which anatomical and physiological features are associated with each kind of diet. Then we can look at human anatomy and physiology to see in which group we belong.
Oral Cavity
Carnivores have a wide mouth opening in relation to their head size. This confers obvious advantages in developing the forces used in seizing, killing and dismembering prey. Facial musculature is reduced since these muscles would hinder a wide gape, and play no part in the animal's preparation of food for swallowing. In all mammalian carnivores, the jaw joint is a simple hinge joint lying in the same plane as the teeth. This type of joint is extremely stable and acts as the pivot point for the "lever arms" formed by the upper and lower jaws. The primary muscle used for operating the jaw in carnivores is the temporalis muscle. This muscle is so massive in carnivores that it accounts for most of the bulk of the sides of the head (when you pet a dog, you are petting its temporalis muscles). The "angle" of the mandible (lower jaw) in carnivores is small. This is because the muscles (masseter and pterygoids) that attach there are of minor importance in these animals. The lower jaw of carnivores cannot move forward, and has very limited side-to-side motion. When the jaw of a carnivore closes, the blade-shaped cheek molars slide past each other to give a slicing motion that is very effective for shearing meat off bone.
The teeth of a carnivore are discretely spaced so as not to trap stringy debris. The incisors are short, pointed and prong-like and are used for grasping and shredding. The canines are greatly elongated and dagger-like for stabbing, tearing and killing prey. The molars (carnassials) are flattened and triangular with jagged edges such that they function like serrated-edged blades. Because of the hinge-type joint, when a carnivore closes its jaw, the cheek teeth come together in a back-to-front fashion giving a smooth cutting motion like the blades on a pair of shears.
The saliva of carnivorous animals does not contain digestive enzymes. When eating, a mammalian carnivore gorges itself rapidly and does not chew its food. Since proteolytic (protein-digesting) enzymes cannot be liberated in the mouth due to the danger of autodigestion (damaging the oral cavity), carnivores do not need to mix their food with saliva; they simply bite off huge chunks of meat and swallow them whole.
According to evolutionary theory, the anatomical features consistent with an herbivorous diet represent a more recently derived condition than that of the carnivore. Herbivorous mammals have well-developed facial musculature, fleshy lips, a relatively small opening into the oral cavity and a thickened, muscular tongue. The lips aid in the movement of food into the mouth and, along with the facial (cheek) musculature and tongue, assist in the chewing of food. In herbivores, the jaw joint has moved to position above the plane of the teeth. Although this type of joint is less stable than the hinge-type joint of the carnivore, it is much more mobile and allows the complex jaw motions needed when chewing plant foods. Additionally, this type of jaw joint allows the upper and lower cheek teeth to come together along the length of the jaw more or less at once when the mouth is closed in order to form grinding platforms. (This type of joint is so important to a plant-eating animal, that it is believed to have evolved at least 15 different times in various plant-eating mammalian species.) The angle of the mandible has expanded to provide a broad area of attachment for the well-developed masseter and pterygoid muscles (these are the major muscles of chewing in plant-eating animals). The temporalis muscle is small and of minor importance. The masseter and pterygoid muscles hold the mandible in a sling-like arrangement and swing the jaw from side-to-side. Accordingly, the lower jaw of plant-eating mammals has a pronounced sideways motion when eating. This lateral movement is necessary for the grinding motion of chewing.
The dentition of herbivores is quite varied depending on the kind of vegetation a particular species is adapted to eat. Although these animals differ in the types and numbers of teeth they posses, the various kinds of teeth when present, share common structural features. The incisors are broad, flattened and spade-like. Canines may be small as in horses, prominent as in hippos, pigs and some primates (these are thought to be used for defense) or absent altogether. The molars, in general, are squared and flattened on top to provide a grinding surface. The molars cannot vertically slide past one another in a shearing/slicing motion, but they do horizontally slide across one another to crush and grind. The surface features of the molars vary depending on the type of plant material the animal eats. The teeth of herbivorous animals are closely grouped so that the incisors form an efficient cropping/biting mechanism, and the upper and lower molars form extended platforms for crushing and grinding. The "walled-in" oral cavity has a lot of potential space that is realized during eating.
These animals carefully and methodically chew their food, pushing the food back and forth into the grinding teeth with the tongue and cheek muscles. This thorough process is necessary to mechanically disrupt plant cell walls in order to release the digestible intracellular contents and ensure thorough mixing of this material with their saliva. This is important because the saliva of plant-eating mammals often contains carbohydrate-digesting enzymes which begin breaking down food molecules while the food is still in the mouth.
Stomach and Small Intestine
Striking differences between carnivores and herbivores are seen in these organs. Carnivores have a capacious simple (single-chambered) stomach. The stomach volume of a carnivore represents 60-70% of the total capacity of the digestive system. Because meat is relatively easily digested, their small intestines (where absorption of food molecules takes place) are short -- about three to five or six times the body length. Since these animals average a kill only about once a week, a large stomach volume is advantageous because it allows the animals to quickly gorge themselves when eating, taking in as much meat as possible at one time which can then be digested later while resting. Additionally, the ability of the carnivore stomach to secrete hydrochloric acid is exceptional. Carnivores are able to keep their gastric pH down around 1-2 even with food present. This is necessary to facilitate protein breakdown and to kill the abundant dangerous bacteria often found in decaying flesh foods.
Because of the relative difficulty with which various kinds of plant foods are broken down (due to large amounts of indigestible fibers), herbivores have significantly longer and in some cases, far more elaborate guts than carnivores. Herbivorous animals that consume plants containing a high proportion of cellulose must "ferment" (digest by bacterial enzyme action) their food to obtain the nutrient value. They are classified as either "ruminants" (foregut fermenters) or hindgut fermenters. The ruminants are the plant-eating animals with the celebrated multiple-chambered stomachs. Herbivorous animals that eat a diet of relatively soft vegetation do not need a multiple-chambered stomach. They typically have a simple stomach, and a long small intestine. These animals ferment the difficult-to-digest fibrous portions of their diets in their hindguts (colons). Many of these herbivores increase the sophistication and efficiency of their GI tracts by including carbohydrate-digesting enzymes in their saliva. A multiple-stomach fermentation process in an animal which consumed a diet of soft, pulpy vegetation would be energetically wasteful. Nutrients and calories would be consumed by the fermenting bacteria and protozoa before reaching the small intestine for absorption. The small intestine of plant-eating animals tends to be very long (greater than 10 times body length) to allow adequate time and space for absorption of the nutrients.
Colon
The large intestine (colon) of carnivores is simple and very short, as its only purposes are to absorb salt and water. It is approximately the same diameter as the small intestine and, consequently, has a limited capacity to function as a reservoir. The colon is short and non-pouched. The muscle is distributed throughout the wall, giving the colon a smooth cylindrical appearance. Although a bacterial population is present in the colon of carnivores, its activities are essentially putrefactive.
In herbivorous animals, the large intestine tends to be a highly specialized organ involved in water and electrolyte absorption, vitamin production and absorption, and/or fermentation of fibrous plant materials. The colons of herbivores are usually wider than their small intestine and are relatively long. In some plant-eating mammals, the colon has a pouched appearance due to the arrangement of the muscle fibers in the intestinal wall. Additionally, in some herbivores the cecum (the first section of the colon) is quite large and serves as the primary or accessory fermentation site.
What About Omnivores?
One would expect an omnivore to show anatomical features which equip it to eat both animal and plant foods. According to evolutionary theory, carnivore gut structure is more primitive than herbivorous adaptations. Thus, an omnivore might be expected to be a carnivore which shows some gastrointestinal tract adaptations to an herbivorous diet.
This is exactly the situation we find in the Bear, Raccoon and certain members of the Canine families. (This discussion will be limited to bears because they are, in general, representative of the anatomical omnivores.) Bears are classified as carnivores but are classic anatomical omnivores. Although they eat some animal foods, bears are primarily herbivorous with 70-80% of their diet comprised of plant foods. (The one exception is the Polar bear which lives in the frozen, vegetation poor arctic and feeds primarily on seal blubber.) Bears cannot digest fibrous vegetation well, and therefore, are highly selective feeders. Their diet is dominated by primarily succulent lent herbage, tubers and berries. Many scientists believe the reason bears hibernate is because their chief food (succulent vegetation) not available in the cold northern winters. (Interestingly, Polar bears hibernate during the summer months when seals are unavailable.)
In general, bears exhibit anatomical features consistent with a carnivorous diet. The jaw joint of bears is in the same plane as the molar teeth. The temporalis muscle is massive, and the angle of the mandible is small corresponding to the limited role the pterygoid and masseter muscles play in operating the jaw. The small intestine is short ( less than five times body length) like that of the pure carnivores, and the colon is simple, smooth and short. The most prominent adaptation to an herbivorous diet in bears (and other "anatomical" omnivores) is the modification of their dentition. Bears retain the peg-like incisors, large canines and shearing premolars of a carnivore; but the molars have become squared with rounded cusps for crushing and grinding. Bears have not, however, adopted the flattened, blunt nails seen in most herbivores and retain the elongated, pointed claws of a carnivore.
An animal which captures, kills and eats prey must have the physical equipment which makes predation practical and efficient. Since bears include significant amounts of meat in their diet, they must retain the anatomical features that permit them to capture and kill prey animals. Hence, bears have a jaw structure, musculature and dentition which enable them to develop and apply the forces necessary to kill and dismember prey even though the majority of their diet is comprised of plant foods. Although an herbivore-style jaw joint (above the plane of the teeth) is a far more efficient joint for crushing and grinding vegetation and would potentially allow bears to exploit a wider range of plant foods in their diet, it is a much weaker joint than the hinge-style carnivore joint. The herbivore-style jaw joint is relatively easily dislocated and would not hold up well under the stresses of subduing struggling prey and/or crushing bones (nor would it allow the wide gape carnivores need). In the wild, an animal with a dislocated jaw would either soon starve to death or be eaten by something else and would, therefore, be selected against. A given species cannot adopt the weaker but more mobile and efficient herbivore-style joint until it has committed to an essentially plant-food diet test it risk jaw dislocation, death and ultimately, extinction.
What About Me?
The human gastrointestinal tract features the anatomical modifications consistent with an herbivorous diet. Humans have muscular lips and a small opening into the oral cavity. Many of the so-called "muscles of expression" are actually the muscles used in chewing. The muscular and agile tongue essential for eating, has adapted to use in speech and other things. The mandibular joint is flattened by a cartilaginous plate and is located well above the plane of the teeth. The temporalis muscle is reduced. The characteristic "square jaw" of adult males reflects the expanded angular process of the mandible and the enlarged masseter/pterygoid muscle group. The human mandible can move forward to engage the incisors, and side-to-side to crush and grind.
Human teeth are also similar to those found in other herbivores with the exception of the canines (the canines of some of the apes are elongated and are thought to be used for display and/or defense). Our teeth are rather large and usually abut against one another. The incisors are flat and spade-like, useful for peeling, snipping and biting relatively soft materials. The canines are neither serrated nor conical, but are flattened, blunt and small and function Like incisors. The premolars and molars are squarish, flattened and nodular, and used for crushing, grinding and pulping noncoarse foods.
Human saliva contains the carbohydrate-digesting enzyme, salivary amylase. This enzyme is responsible for the majority of starch digestion. The esophagus is narrow and suited to small, soft balls of thoroughly chewed food. Eating quickly, attempting to swallow a large amount of food or swallowing fibrous and/or poorly chewed food (meat is the most frequent culprit) often results in choking in humans.
Man's stomach is single-chambered, but only moderately acidic. (Clinically, a person presenting with a gastric pH less than 4-5 when there is food in the stomach is cause for concern.) The stomach volume represents about 21-27% of the total volume of the human GI tract. The stomach serves as a mixing and storage chamber, mixing and liquefying ingested foodstuffs and regulating their entry into the small intestine. The human small intestine is long, averaging from 10 to 11 times the body length. (Our small intestine averages 22 to 30 feet in length. Human body size is measured from the top of the head to end of the spine and averages between two to three feet in length in normal-sized individuals.)
The human colon demonstrates the pouched structure peculiar to herbivores. The distensible large intestine is larger in cross-section than the small intestine, and is relatively long. Man's colon is responsible for water and electrolyte absorption and vitamin production and absorption. There is also extensive bacterial fermentation of fibrous plant materials, with the production and absorption of significant amounts of food energy (volatile short-chain fatty acids) depending upon the fiber content of the diet. The extent to which the fermentation and absorption of metabolites takes place in the human colon has only recently begun to be investigated.
In conclusion, we see that human beings have the gastrointestinal tract structure of a "committed" herbivore. Humankind does not show the mixed structural features one expects and finds in anatomical omnivores such as bears and raccoons. Thus, from comparing the gastrointestinal tract of humans to that of carnivores, herbivores and omnivores we must conclude that humankind's GI tract is designed for a purely plant-food diet.
Summary
Facial Muscles
CARNIVORE: Reduced to allow wide mouth gape
HERBIVORE: Well-developed
OMNIVORE: Reduced
HUMAN: Well-developed
Jaw Type
CARNIVORE: Angle not expanded
HERBIVORE: Expanded angle
OMNIVORE: Angle not expanded
HUMAN: Expanded angle
Jaw Joint Location
CARNIVORE: On same plane as molar teeth
HERBIVORE: Above the plane of the molars
OMNIVORE: On same plane as molar teeth
HUMAN: Above the plane of the molars
Jaw Motion
CARNIVORE: Shearing; minimal side-to-side motion
HERBIVORE: No shear; good side-to-side, front-to-back
OMNIVORE: Shearing; minimal side-to-side
HUMAN: No shear; good side-to-side, front-to-back
Major Jaw Muscles
CARNIVORE: Temporalis
HERBIVORE: Masseter and pterygoids
OMNIVORE: Temporalis
HUMAN: Masseter and pterygoids
Mouth Opening vs. Head Size
CARNIVORE: Large
HERBIVORE: Small
OMNIVORE: Large
HUMAN: Small
Teeth: Incisors
CARNIVORE: Short and pointed
HERBIVORE: Broad, flattened and spade shaped
OMNIVORE: Short and pointed
HUMAN: Broad, flattened and spade shaped
Teeth: Canines
CARNIVORE: Long, sharp and curved
HERBIVORE: Dull and short or long (for defense), or none
OMNIVORE: Long, sharp and curved
HUMAN: Short and blunted
Teeth: Molars
CARNIVORE: Sharp, jagged and blade shaped
HERBIVORE: Flattened with cusps vs complex surface
OMNIVORE: Sharp blades and/or flattened
HUMAN: Flattened with nodular cusps
Chewing
CARNIVORE: None; swallows food whole
HERBIVORE: Extensive chewing necessary
OMNIVORE: Swallows food whole and/or simple crushing
HUMAN: Extensive chewing necessary
Saliva
CARNIVORE: No digestive enzymes
HERBIVORE: Carbohydrate digesting enzymes
OMNIVORE: No digestive enzymes
HUMAN: Carbohydrate digesting enzymes
Stomach Type
CARNIVORE: Simple
HERBIVORE: Simple or multiple chambers
OMNIVORE: Simple
HUMAN: Simple
Stomach Acidity
CARNIVORE: Less than or equal to pH 1 with food in stomach
HERBIVORE: pH 4 to 5 with food in stomach
OMNIVORE: Less than or equal to pH 1 with food in stomach
HUMAN: pH 4 to 5 with food in stomach
Stomach Capacity
CARNIVORE: 60% to 70% of total volume of digestive tract
HERBIVORE: Less than 30% of total volume of digestive tract
OMNIVORE: 60% to 70% of total volume of digestive tract
HUMAN: 21% to 27% of total volume of digestive tract
Length of Small Intestine
CARNIVORE: 3 to 6 times body length
HERBIVORE: 10 to more than 12 times body length
OMNIVORE: 4 to 6 times body length
HUMAN: 10 to 11 times body length
Colon
CARNIVORE: Simple, short and smooth
HERBIVORE: Long, complex; may be sacculated
OMNIVORE: Simple, short and smooth
HUMAN: Long, sacculated
Liver
CARNIVORE: Can detoxify vitamin A
HERBIVORE: Cannot detoxify vitamin A
OMNIVORE: Can detoxify vitamin A
HUMAN: Cannot detoxify vitamin A
Kidney
CARNIVORE: Extremely concentrated urine
HERBIVORE: Moderately concentrated urine
OMNIVORE: Extremely concentrated urine
HUMAN: Moderately concentrated urine
Nails
CARNIVORE: Sharp claws
HERBIVORE: Flattened nails or blunt hooves
OMNIVORE: Sharp claws
HUMAN: Flattened nails
by Milton R. Mills, M.D.
(Source : http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/2062/ana.HTML)
Humans are most often described as "omnivores". This classification is based on the "observation" that humans generally eat a wide variety of plant and animal foods. However, culture, custom and training are confounding variables when looking at human dietary practices. Thus, "observation" is not the best technique to use when trying to identify the most "natural" diet for humans. While most humans are clearly "behavioral" omnivores, the question still remains as to whether humans are anatomically suited for a diet that includes animal as well as plant foods.
A better and more objective technique is to look at human anatomy and physiology. Mammals are anatomically and physiologically adapted to procure and consume particular kinds of diets. (It is common practice when examining fossils of extinct mammals to examine anatomical features to deduce the animal's probable diet.) Therefore, we can look at mammalian carnivores, herbivores (plant-eaters) and omnivores to see which anatomical and physiological features are associated with each kind of diet. Then we can look at human anatomy and physiology to see in which group we belong.
Oral Cavity
Carnivores have a wide mouth opening in relation to their head size. This confers obvious advantages in developing the forces used in seizing, killing and dismembering prey. Facial musculature is reduced since these muscles would hinder a wide gape, and play no part in the animal's preparation of food for swallowing. In all mammalian carnivores, the jaw joint is a simple hinge joint lying in the same plane as the teeth. This type of joint is extremely stable and acts as the pivot point for the "lever arms" formed by the upper and lower jaws. The primary muscle used for operating the jaw in carnivores is the temporalis muscle. This muscle is so massive in carnivores that it accounts for most of the bulk of the sides of the head (when you pet a dog, you are petting its temporalis muscles). The "angle" of the mandible (lower jaw) in carnivores is small. This is because the muscles (masseter and pterygoids) that attach there are of minor importance in these animals. The lower jaw of carnivores cannot move forward, and has very limited side-to-side motion. When the jaw of a carnivore closes, the blade-shaped cheek molars slide past each other to give a slicing motion that is very effective for shearing meat off bone.
The teeth of a carnivore are discretely spaced so as not to trap stringy debris. The incisors are short, pointed and prong-like and are used for grasping and shredding. The canines are greatly elongated and dagger-like for stabbing, tearing and killing prey. The molars (carnassials) are flattened and triangular with jagged edges such that they function like serrated-edged blades. Because of the hinge-type joint, when a carnivore closes its jaw, the cheek teeth come together in a back-to-front fashion giving a smooth cutting motion like the blades on a pair of shears.
The saliva of carnivorous animals does not contain digestive enzymes. When eating, a mammalian carnivore gorges itself rapidly and does not chew its food. Since proteolytic (protein-digesting) enzymes cannot be liberated in the mouth due to the danger of autodigestion (damaging the oral cavity), carnivores do not need to mix their food with saliva; they simply bite off huge chunks of meat and swallow them whole.
According to evolutionary theory, the anatomical features consistent with an herbivorous diet represent a more recently derived condition than that of the carnivore. Herbivorous mammals have well-developed facial musculature, fleshy lips, a relatively small opening into the oral cavity and a thickened, muscular tongue. The lips aid in the movement of food into the mouth and, along with the facial (cheek) musculature and tongue, assist in the chewing of food. In herbivores, the jaw joint has moved to position above the plane of the teeth. Although this type of joint is less stable than the hinge-type joint of the carnivore, it is much more mobile and allows the complex jaw motions needed when chewing plant foods. Additionally, this type of jaw joint allows the upper and lower cheek teeth to come together along the length of the jaw more or less at once when the mouth is closed in order to form grinding platforms. (This type of joint is so important to a plant-eating animal, that it is believed to have evolved at least 15 different times in various plant-eating mammalian species.) The angle of the mandible has expanded to provide a broad area of attachment for the well-developed masseter and pterygoid muscles (these are the major muscles of chewing in plant-eating animals). The temporalis muscle is small and of minor importance. The masseter and pterygoid muscles hold the mandible in a sling-like arrangement and swing the jaw from side-to-side. Accordingly, the lower jaw of plant-eating mammals has a pronounced sideways motion when eating. This lateral movement is necessary for the grinding motion of chewing.
The dentition of herbivores is quite varied depending on the kind of vegetation a particular species is adapted to eat. Although these animals differ in the types and numbers of teeth they posses, the various kinds of teeth when present, share common structural features. The incisors are broad, flattened and spade-like. Canines may be small as in horses, prominent as in hippos, pigs and some primates (these are thought to be used for defense) or absent altogether. The molars, in general, are squared and flattened on top to provide a grinding surface. The molars cannot vertically slide past one another in a shearing/slicing motion, but they do horizontally slide across one another to crush and grind. The surface features of the molars vary depending on the type of plant material the animal eats. The teeth of herbivorous animals are closely grouped so that the incisors form an efficient cropping/biting mechanism, and the upper and lower molars form extended platforms for crushing and grinding. The "walled-in" oral cavity has a lot of potential space that is realized during eating.
These animals carefully and methodically chew their food, pushing the food back and forth into the grinding teeth with the tongue and cheek muscles. This thorough process is necessary to mechanically disrupt plant cell walls in order to release the digestible intracellular contents and ensure thorough mixing of this material with their saliva. This is important because the saliva of plant-eating mammals often contains carbohydrate-digesting enzymes which begin breaking down food molecules while the food is still in the mouth.
Stomach and Small Intestine
Striking differences between carnivores and herbivores are seen in these organs. Carnivores have a capacious simple (single-chambered) stomach. The stomach volume of a carnivore represents 60-70% of the total capacity of the digestive system. Because meat is relatively easily digested, their small intestines (where absorption of food molecules takes place) are short -- about three to five or six times the body length. Since these animals average a kill only about once a week, a large stomach volume is advantageous because it allows the animals to quickly gorge themselves when eating, taking in as much meat as possible at one time which can then be digested later while resting. Additionally, the ability of the carnivore stomach to secrete hydrochloric acid is exceptional. Carnivores are able to keep their gastric pH down around 1-2 even with food present. This is necessary to facilitate protein breakdown and to kill the abundant dangerous bacteria often found in decaying flesh foods.
Because of the relative difficulty with which various kinds of plant foods are broken down (due to large amounts of indigestible fibers), herbivores have significantly longer and in some cases, far more elaborate guts than carnivores. Herbivorous animals that consume plants containing a high proportion of cellulose must "ferment" (digest by bacterial enzyme action) their food to obtain the nutrient value. They are classified as either "ruminants" (foregut fermenters) or hindgut fermenters. The ruminants are the plant-eating animals with the celebrated multiple-chambered stomachs. Herbivorous animals that eat a diet of relatively soft vegetation do not need a multiple-chambered stomach. They typically have a simple stomach, and a long small intestine. These animals ferment the difficult-to-digest fibrous portions of their diets in their hindguts (colons). Many of these herbivores increase the sophistication and efficiency of their GI tracts by including carbohydrate-digesting enzymes in their saliva. A multiple-stomach fermentation process in an animal which consumed a diet of soft, pulpy vegetation would be energetically wasteful. Nutrients and calories would be consumed by the fermenting bacteria and protozoa before reaching the small intestine for absorption. The small intestine of plant-eating animals tends to be very long (greater than 10 times body length) to allow adequate time and space for absorption of the nutrients.
Colon
The large intestine (colon) of carnivores is simple and very short, as its only purposes are to absorb salt and water. It is approximately the same diameter as the small intestine and, consequently, has a limited capacity to function as a reservoir. The colon is short and non-pouched. The muscle is distributed throughout the wall, giving the colon a smooth cylindrical appearance. Although a bacterial population is present in the colon of carnivores, its activities are essentially putrefactive.
In herbivorous animals, the large intestine tends to be a highly specialized organ involved in water and electrolyte absorption, vitamin production and absorption, and/or fermentation of fibrous plant materials. The colons of herbivores are usually wider than their small intestine and are relatively long. In some plant-eating mammals, the colon has a pouched appearance due to the arrangement of the muscle fibers in the intestinal wall. Additionally, in some herbivores the cecum (the first section of the colon) is quite large and serves as the primary or accessory fermentation site.
What About Omnivores?
One would expect an omnivore to show anatomical features which equip it to eat both animal and plant foods. According to evolutionary theory, carnivore gut structure is more primitive than herbivorous adaptations. Thus, an omnivore might be expected to be a carnivore which shows some gastrointestinal tract adaptations to an herbivorous diet.
This is exactly the situation we find in the Bear, Raccoon and certain members of the Canine families. (This discussion will be limited to bears because they are, in general, representative of the anatomical omnivores.) Bears are classified as carnivores but are classic anatomical omnivores. Although they eat some animal foods, bears are primarily herbivorous with 70-80% of their diet comprised of plant foods. (The one exception is the Polar bear which lives in the frozen, vegetation poor arctic and feeds primarily on seal blubber.) Bears cannot digest fibrous vegetation well, and therefore, are highly selective feeders. Their diet is dominated by primarily succulent lent herbage, tubers and berries. Many scientists believe the reason bears hibernate is because their chief food (succulent vegetation) not available in the cold northern winters. (Interestingly, Polar bears hibernate during the summer months when seals are unavailable.)
In general, bears exhibit anatomical features consistent with a carnivorous diet. The jaw joint of bears is in the same plane as the molar teeth. The temporalis muscle is massive, and the angle of the mandible is small corresponding to the limited role the pterygoid and masseter muscles play in operating the jaw. The small intestine is short ( less than five times body length) like that of the pure carnivores, and the colon is simple, smooth and short. The most prominent adaptation to an herbivorous diet in bears (and other "anatomical" omnivores) is the modification of their dentition. Bears retain the peg-like incisors, large canines and shearing premolars of a carnivore; but the molars have become squared with rounded cusps for crushing and grinding. Bears have not, however, adopted the flattened, blunt nails seen in most herbivores and retain the elongated, pointed claws of a carnivore.
An animal which captures, kills and eats prey must have the physical equipment which makes predation practical and efficient. Since bears include significant amounts of meat in their diet, they must retain the anatomical features that permit them to capture and kill prey animals. Hence, bears have a jaw structure, musculature and dentition which enable them to develop and apply the forces necessary to kill and dismember prey even though the majority of their diet is comprised of plant foods. Although an herbivore-style jaw joint (above the plane of the teeth) is a far more efficient joint for crushing and grinding vegetation and would potentially allow bears to exploit a wider range of plant foods in their diet, it is a much weaker joint than the hinge-style carnivore joint. The herbivore-style jaw joint is relatively easily dislocated and would not hold up well under the stresses of subduing struggling prey and/or crushing bones (nor would it allow the wide gape carnivores need). In the wild, an animal with a dislocated jaw would either soon starve to death or be eaten by something else and would, therefore, be selected against. A given species cannot adopt the weaker but more mobile and efficient herbivore-style joint until it has committed to an essentially plant-food diet test it risk jaw dislocation, death and ultimately, extinction.
What About Me?
The human gastrointestinal tract features the anatomical modifications consistent with an herbivorous diet. Humans have muscular lips and a small opening into the oral cavity. Many of the so-called "muscles of expression" are actually the muscles used in chewing. The muscular and agile tongue essential for eating, has adapted to use in speech and other things. The mandibular joint is flattened by a cartilaginous plate and is located well above the plane of the teeth. The temporalis muscle is reduced. The characteristic "square jaw" of adult males reflects the expanded angular process of the mandible and the enlarged masseter/pterygoid muscle group. The human mandible can move forward to engage the incisors, and side-to-side to crush and grind.
Human teeth are also similar to those found in other herbivores with the exception of the canines (the canines of some of the apes are elongated and are thought to be used for display and/or defense). Our teeth are rather large and usually abut against one another. The incisors are flat and spade-like, useful for peeling, snipping and biting relatively soft materials. The canines are neither serrated nor conical, but are flattened, blunt and small and function Like incisors. The premolars and molars are squarish, flattened and nodular, and used for crushing, grinding and pulping noncoarse foods.
Human saliva contains the carbohydrate-digesting enzyme, salivary amylase. This enzyme is responsible for the majority of starch digestion. The esophagus is narrow and suited to small, soft balls of thoroughly chewed food. Eating quickly, attempting to swallow a large amount of food or swallowing fibrous and/or poorly chewed food (meat is the most frequent culprit) often results in choking in humans.
Man's stomach is single-chambered, but only moderately acidic. (Clinically, a person presenting with a gastric pH less than 4-5 when there is food in the stomach is cause for concern.) The stomach volume represents about 21-27% of the total volume of the human GI tract. The stomach serves as a mixing and storage chamber, mixing and liquefying ingested foodstuffs and regulating their entry into the small intestine. The human small intestine is long, averaging from 10 to 11 times the body length. (Our small intestine averages 22 to 30 feet in length. Human body size is measured from the top of the head to end of the spine and averages between two to three feet in length in normal-sized individuals.)
The human colon demonstrates the pouched structure peculiar to herbivores. The distensible large intestine is larger in cross-section than the small intestine, and is relatively long. Man's colon is responsible for water and electrolyte absorption and vitamin production and absorption. There is also extensive bacterial fermentation of fibrous plant materials, with the production and absorption of significant amounts of food energy (volatile short-chain fatty acids) depending upon the fiber content of the diet. The extent to which the fermentation and absorption of metabolites takes place in the human colon has only recently begun to be investigated.
In conclusion, we see that human beings have the gastrointestinal tract structure of a "committed" herbivore. Humankind does not show the mixed structural features one expects and finds in anatomical omnivores such as bears and raccoons. Thus, from comparing the gastrointestinal tract of humans to that of carnivores, herbivores and omnivores we must conclude that humankind's GI tract is designed for a purely plant-food diet.
Summary
Facial Muscles
CARNIVORE: Reduced to allow wide mouth gape
HERBIVORE: Well-developed
OMNIVORE: Reduced
HUMAN: Well-developed
Jaw Type
CARNIVORE: Angle not expanded
HERBIVORE: Expanded angle
OMNIVORE: Angle not expanded
HUMAN: Expanded angle
Jaw Joint Location
CARNIVORE: On same plane as molar teeth
HERBIVORE: Above the plane of the molars
OMNIVORE: On same plane as molar teeth
HUMAN: Above the plane of the molars
Jaw Motion
CARNIVORE: Shearing; minimal side-to-side motion
HERBIVORE: No shear; good side-to-side, front-to-back
OMNIVORE: Shearing; minimal side-to-side
HUMAN: No shear; good side-to-side, front-to-back
Major Jaw Muscles
CARNIVORE: Temporalis
HERBIVORE: Masseter and pterygoids
OMNIVORE: Temporalis
HUMAN: Masseter and pterygoids
Mouth Opening vs. Head Size
CARNIVORE: Large
HERBIVORE: Small
OMNIVORE: Large
HUMAN: Small
Teeth: Incisors
CARNIVORE: Short and pointed
HERBIVORE: Broad, flattened and spade shaped
OMNIVORE: Short and pointed
HUMAN: Broad, flattened and spade shaped
Teeth: Canines
CARNIVORE: Long, sharp and curved
HERBIVORE: Dull and short or long (for defense), or none
OMNIVORE: Long, sharp and curved
HUMAN: Short and blunted
Teeth: Molars
CARNIVORE: Sharp, jagged and blade shaped
HERBIVORE: Flattened with cusps vs complex surface
OMNIVORE: Sharp blades and/or flattened
HUMAN: Flattened with nodular cusps
Chewing
CARNIVORE: None; swallows food whole
HERBIVORE: Extensive chewing necessary
OMNIVORE: Swallows food whole and/or simple crushing
HUMAN: Extensive chewing necessary
Saliva
CARNIVORE: No digestive enzymes
HERBIVORE: Carbohydrate digesting enzymes
OMNIVORE: No digestive enzymes
HUMAN: Carbohydrate digesting enzymes
Stomach Type
CARNIVORE: Simple
HERBIVORE: Simple or multiple chambers
OMNIVORE: Simple
HUMAN: Simple
Stomach Acidity
CARNIVORE: Less than or equal to pH 1 with food in stomach
HERBIVORE: pH 4 to 5 with food in stomach
OMNIVORE: Less than or equal to pH 1 with food in stomach
HUMAN: pH 4 to 5 with food in stomach
Stomach Capacity
CARNIVORE: 60% to 70% of total volume of digestive tract
HERBIVORE: Less than 30% of total volume of digestive tract
OMNIVORE: 60% to 70% of total volume of digestive tract
HUMAN: 21% to 27% of total volume of digestive tract
Length of Small Intestine
CARNIVORE: 3 to 6 times body length
HERBIVORE: 10 to more than 12 times body length
OMNIVORE: 4 to 6 times body length
HUMAN: 10 to 11 times body length
Colon
CARNIVORE: Simple, short and smooth
HERBIVORE: Long, complex; may be sacculated
OMNIVORE: Simple, short and smooth
HUMAN: Long, sacculated
Liver
CARNIVORE: Can detoxify vitamin A
HERBIVORE: Cannot detoxify vitamin A
OMNIVORE: Can detoxify vitamin A
HUMAN: Cannot detoxify vitamin A
Kidney
CARNIVORE: Extremely concentrated urine
HERBIVORE: Moderately concentrated urine
OMNIVORE: Extremely concentrated urine
HUMAN: Moderately concentrated urine
Nails
CARNIVORE: Sharp claws
HERBIVORE: Flattened nails or blunt hooves
OMNIVORE: Sharp claws
HUMAN: Flattened nails
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