Thursday 5 June 2014

On this day...

5th of June, 1723, the Political Philosopher and the Industrial Economist, Adam Smith was born. Smith is one of the key figures of Scottish Enlightenment, Smith studied social philosophy at the University of Glasgow and at Balliol College, Oxford, where he was one of the first students to benefit from scholarships set up by fellow Scot, John Snell. After graduating, he delivered a successful series of public lectures at the University of Edinburgh, leading him to collaborate with David Hume during the Scottish Enlightenment.

Below are the two books which Adam smith is highly respected for. The Scottish Born icon introduced his theories and thoughts in such a way that he would be worshiped later in the future. Yes, he's that guy on the £20 note! 

The Wealth of Nations (1776)
The Wealth of Nations
The Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759)
The Theory of Moral Sentiments
How people have been inspired by him; 
He died in the northern wing of Panmure House in Edinburgh on 17 July 1790 after a painful illness and was buried in the Canongate Kirkyard. On his death bed, Smith expressed disappointment that he had not achieved more. Smith always expressed a philomathic approach to anything that interested him. He died at the age of 67. His Legacy is today considered as one of the most influential and powerful amongst other greats. Honestly Mr Smith, we owe you, a lot! 

Kinematics - Lesson 1

Two branches in physics examine the motion of objects:
Kinematics: describes the motion of objects, without looking at the cause of the motion
(kinematics).
Dynamics: relates the motion of objects to the forces which cause them (dynamics).

As we work through these two units on kinematics and dynamics (and
through the rest of physics) we will discuss two kinds of measurements
(quantities):
Scalar: scalars have magnitude (a number value), but no
direction.
Examples: time, mass, distance. Mass is a great example, since it
has a number value (like 58 kg), but we don't give it a direction
(like “East”).
Vector: have magnitude and direction
Examples: velocity, force, displacement. Force has a magnitude (like 37 N) and a direction
(like "pushed to the left").

Distance & Displacement
In kinematics we need to be able to have a way to describe the motion of the objects we will be
studying, whether it's a car or an atom.
• The most basic information you must have to describe the motion of an object is its
displacement, and the time it took to move that far.
• The displacement of an object is always measured from some reference point (which is usually “zero”, at a location at the start of the motion of the object).
• Although we use the words “distance” and “displacement” interchangeably in
everyday language, they mean very different things in physics.
• The distance between two objects is scalar, since it doesn't matter which
direction you measure it from. e.g. “We are standing 2.3m apart.”
• The displacement of an object is a vector, since you have to state the direction
the object has traveled. e.g. “The car moved 2.56km east.”

The most simple formula for calculating the displacement of an object is…
Δd = df - di

• The Δ symbol is the greek letter “delta” and means “a change in…”
• The subscript “f” and “i” stand for final and initial.
• So, in this formula, we calculate the displacement of an object by taking the final position

minus the initial position.

Example 1: A car is passing a mark on the road that says
600m, and then passes another one 10 seconds later that says
1000m. Determine the distance the truck moved.

Δd = df - di = 1000 - 600 = 400m

Note: If the example had asked for the displacement, we would have to include a direction (like “east”) in our answer, but in this case as no direction is mentioned, we needn't mention any direction. 

To recap, Distance, is just one thing, one magnitude with no direction (a scalar), Displacement has a magnitude and a direction.

Scientists turn cow manure into clean drinking water Fact 74


It's not quite turning water into wine, but scientists in the United States have developed technology that turns cow poo into water.

The McLanahan Nutrient Separation System, which has been developed by Michigan State University, is an anaerobic digested which takes waste and makes energy coupled with an ultrafiltration, air-stripping, reverse osmosis system.

"One small step into manure, One Giant Leap to efficiency."
What goes in manure, comes out water clean enough for livestock to drink, or, at the very least, dispose of in an environmentally friendly way.
“If you have 1,000 cows on your operation, they produce about 10 million gallons of manure a year,” said Steve Safferman, an associate professor of biosystems and agricultural engineering at Michigan State University, who helped develop the project.
About 90 per cent of the manure is water but it contains large amounts of nutrients, carbon and pathogens that can have an environmental impact if not properly managed.
The system produces about 50 gallons of water per 100 gallons of manure, but they're hoping to soon increase that to 65 gallons.

There are more than 87 million cows in the US, so if the system works then theoretically they could produce 870 million gallons of clean water every year.
“Here in Michigan we have a tendency to take water for granted,” Steve Safferman, an MSU associate professor of biosystems and agricultural engineering, said in a statement. “But out west, for example, where drought remains an issue, the accessibility of clean water could make the difference between a farm remaining viable or going out of business.”
Perhaps more feasibly, however, is what this invention can do for manure disposal. The US Environmental Protection Agency says that poorly managed manure has consequences – poison drinking supplies, algae growth in water systems, and even air pollution.

_____________________________
Source; http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/scientists-turn-cow-manure-into-clean-drinking-water-9486227.html

First TV ad in color Fact 73

In the UK, the first product advertised on TV (in color) was Birds Eye Peas.


How much water should we drink? Fact 72

To stay healthy, it's important to replace the fluid we lose when we breathe, sweat or urinate.
We get some fluid from our food but most comes from drinks.
The European Food Safety Authority recommends that women should drink about 1.6 litres of fluid and men should drink about 2.0 litres of fluid per day. That's about eight 200ml glasses for a woman and 10 200ml glasses for a man. 


However, the amount a person needs to drink to avoid getting dehydrated will vary depending on a range of factors, including their size, the temperature and how active they are. So, for example, if you're exercising hard in hot weather you'll need to drink more.
All drinks count, including hot drinks such as tea and coffee, but water, milk and fruit juices are the healthiest. It is best to avoid alcoholic drinks.
Try to avoid sugary, soft and fizzy drinks that can be high in added sugars. These can be high in calories and bad for teeth. Read more on this and other topics here.

Wednesday 4 June 2014

NASA Sees Spectacular Sun Eruption Like Never Before (Video) Fact 71

A tiny NASA space observatory built to snap unprecedented view of the sun has captured its first video of a violent eruption of super-hot solar plasma from the surface of Earth's parent star. 



NASA's sun-watching IRIS spacecraft spotted the solar eruption, called a coronal mass ejection (CME), surging off the sun on May 9. Video footage from IRIS shows the amazing explosion with a stream of charged particles and hot plasma spewing from the sun at speeds up to 1.5 million mph (2.4 million km/h). Read More

Monday 2 June 2014

"We have to end this, for once and for all."


Bill Gates is on a mission to eradicate as much problems and scenarios he can from the danger of Malaria. A vigorous disease spread by Mosquitoes. Mosquitoes cause a huge number of deaths per year, especially in undeveloped countries. Here is more on some of these brutal statistics. 

Check out for more information about this revolutionary project of Gates and his team at his website.

Sunday 1 June 2014

“I’m proud to call you Dr. O’Neal!” said his mother Fact 64

Shaq earned a Doctoral Degree (not an honorary doctorate) in Education. Read more about this here.

On this day...


Morgan Freeman was born (1st July, 1937). Actor, Director and a Narrator, the 77 years old Star is highly respected in Hollywood. Though he wanted to pursue a career in Acting, Morgan joined the air force to become a fighter pilot, he realized later that this was not his and therefore began his acting career. 
Freeman has starred in immensely successful films like; The Shawshank Redemption, Million Dollar Baby, Olympus has fallen, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises.

And many more... Freeman has received Academy Award nominations for his performances in Street SmartDriving Miss DaisyThe Shawshank Redemption and Invictus, and won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 2005 for Million Dollar Baby. He has also won a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. 



As a kid, Freeman spent a good portion of his time scraping together enough money to see movies, where he formed an early admiration for actors like Gary Cooper, Spencer Tracy and Sidney Poitier. It was by chance that Freeman himself got into acting. He was in junior high school and, as punishment for pulling out a chair from underneath a girl he had a crush on, Freeman was ordered to participate in the school's drama competition. To his surprise, and probably school administrators, the 12-year-old proved to be an immediate natural on the stage, taking top honors in the program.

Saturday 31 May 2014

Strange Laws Fact 63

In Russia by law the homeless must be at home after 10pm.

That's some of the greatest logic I've ever heard of.

Friday 30 May 2014

That's Science for you... Fact 62

The scientific name for the gorilla is "Gorilla Gorilla-gorilla"

"Yeah... That's my name according to Science" 

Spectacular Scenes

"I want the Truth!" "You can't handle the Truth" It's a code itself nowadays. You don't need to be an expert in any field to understand the great depth of power this phrase reaches. 

A Few Good Men (1992) sheds light upon a cruel Colonel (portrayed by Jack Nicholson), who gave orders to two ordinary men to carry out the process of Code Red. It basically means to eliminate and kill someone. During the court meeting, Lt. Kaffee (Tom Cruise) pierces every wall of defenseless lies within the Colonel to make him admit of the fact that he did indeed give orders to carry out the murder. 

This Law based movie is a great portrayal of corruption within the army, and not to mention the phenomenal talk which Nicholson gives in response... 

It could be that costly Fact 61

In 1919 in the USA, you could be jailed for Sneezing in the Public.

"I want the..... AAAchooo!" 

Strange Laws Fact 60

In Oklahoma by law baseball teams cannot Hit the ball over the fence, initially out of ground. 

"What the hell are you doing?"
"Trying to obey the Law"  

Wasn't expecting this... Fact 59

Colgate (the toothpaste) translates to (in Spanish); Go hang yourself.

The Most Popular Movie Series Fact 58


Half the worlds population has seen at least one James Bond Film!

Tuesday 27 May 2014

The Biggest Living Thing Fact 57

A giant fungus called a 'honey mushroom' has been found growing under ground just 1 meter below the Malheur National Forest in Oregon, USA. This humongous fungus is estimated to cover 8.9 square kilometers, about the size of 1665 football pitches, and is the largest living thing in the world found so far. 

You can smell bits of the fungus showing above the ground. Experts aren't quite sure how old it is, but they know it is very old and started growing at least 2400 years ago! Amazingly, this giant will have started off in the same way as a mushroom you might have in your dinner, from a single seed-like 'spore', so small it isn't visible to the naked eye. The scientists first noticed it when the trees in the forest began to die. The honey mushroom thrives by sucking water and nutrients from the tree's roots and trees are unable to survive. 


Spectacular Scenes


Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol offers tense imagery and spectacular scenes including this one above, where Ethan Hunt - Tom Cruise has to climb 7 Units up to the 130th floor with a pair of "sticky Gloves" Blue is Glue and Red... Dead. The scene involves the building Burj al-Khalifa in Dubai - formerly the tallest infrastructure in the world.  

Starring Paula Patton, Simon Pegg and Jeremy Renner - this action packed film will make you gasp all along. Apart from that, there is one script which I loved during this scene; The Wire's not long enough, says Brandt (Renner), Oh Shit!! replies Hunt (Cruise).  

Monday 26 May 2014

The Best Memory Fact 56

Elephants have wonderful memories - which is useful as they can liver for over 70 years. If an elephant is separated from a friend and they don't see each other for a number of years, when they do meat again they instantly recognize each other. There is evidence to suggest that they can even remember humans and bear grudges against people that have done them in the past. 

Elephants also feel sadness. If a friend or a member of their family dies, they actually show grief. It is thought that elephants can remember trauma from their childhoods right into their adult life that can affect their behavior and even turn them into hooligans.

Thursday 22 May 2014

Cicadas can hibernate for an immaculate 17 years! Fact 55

Cicadas are insects, best known for the sounds made by male cicadas. The males make this sound by flexing their tymbals, which are drum-like organs found in their abdomens. Small muscles rapidly pull the tymbals in and out of shape — like a child's click-toy. The sound is intensified by the cicada's mostly hollow abdomen. Female cicadas also make a sound by flicking their wings, but it isn't the same as the song cicadas are known for.

After the long 2 to 17 years, cicadas emerge from the ground as nymphs. Nymphs climb the nearest available tree, and begin to shed their nymph exoskeleton. Free of their old skin, their wings will inflate with fluid and their new skin can harden. Once their new wings and body are ready, they can begin their brief adult life.

Wednesday 21 May 2014

Spectacular Scenes

"I look at you, I don't see an intelligent confident man... I see a Cocky Scared Shit-less kid. But you're a Genius bro, no one denies that, no one can possibly understand the depths of you." 

Good Will Hunting is just more than Robin Williams craziness. Matt Damon, Ben Afleck and Minnie Driver present together a masterpiece directed by Gus Van Sant. One of the most interesting things about this film is that it offers fabulous advice, displays great logic and philosophy to intake and unbelievably iconic quotes (like one above).


Robin Williams and Matt Damon discuss below how inappropriate acts and decisions can vary the future ultimately - and give an unexpected surprise... surprisingly. Love this philosophical touch in the movie by Sant.

Friday 16 May 2014

On this day...

16th of May 1929 The 1st Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 1927 and 1928 and took place on May 16, 1929, at a private dinner held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles,California

AMPAS president Douglas Fairbanks hosted the show. Tickets cost five dollars, 270 people attended the event and the presentation ceremony lasted fifteen minutes. Awards were created by Louis B. Mayer, founder of Louis B. Mayer Pictures Corporation (at present merged into Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer). It is the only Academy Awards ceremony not to be broadcast either on radio or television.

The first ever winner of the first Oscar was Emmil Jannings, for the two films in fact, The Last Command and The Way of All Flesh. Over time, the most consistent actors over the Oscars have been the following, winning the Award on more than one occasion (Daniel Day Lewis is the only one to have won it 3 times in the same category of a Leading Role). 


 My Left Foot (1989) Poster There Will Be Blood Lincoln 
Daniel Day Lewis
The Godfather

Marlon Brando Picture On the Waterfront (1954) Poster
Marlon Brando
Gary Cooper Picture Sergeant York High Noon
Gary Cooper
Tom Hanks Picture  Forrest Gump Philadelphia (1993) Poster
Tom Hanks
Dustin Hoffman Picture Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) PosterRain Man (1988) Poster
Dustin Hoffman
Fredric March Picture Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931) Poster The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) Poster
Fredric March
Jack Nicholson Picture  One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) Poster As Good as It Gets (1997) Poster
Jack Nicholson
Sean Penn Picture Mystic River (2003) Poster Milk (2008) Poster
Sean Penn
Spencer Tracy PictureCaptains Courageous (1937) Poster Boys Town (1938) Poster
Spencer Tracy

Thursday 15 May 2014

Spectacular Scenes

Iconic, catchy, short and snappy, this scene is and will be one of the most remembered ones ever! Leanardo DiCaprio's sweet humbleness towards a smart and cheeky 'campaigner' Matthew McConaughey.

The film allowed Mathew to win an Academy Award for the Best Actor, whilst Leo was nominated. Whoever the hell deserves the Oscar, the scene/film and acting of the two professionals were staggering and Mind blowing. The Wolf of Wall Street was one of 2013's highest earning films. 

8 Flying machines inspired by birds Fact 54

BAE Hawk - a jet made famous by the Red Arrow team. 

F-15 Eagle - a fighter plane that can out-climb a Saturn V rocket. 

Fw 200 Condor - a German aircraft used in World War 2.

Harrier Jump Jet - a military jet that takes off vertically.

Millennium Falcon - Han solos spaceship in Star Wars

SH-60 Seahawk - a US Navy search-and-rescue helicopter.

V-22 Osprey - aircraft with rotor blades that can fly like a plane, or take off like a helicopter. 

The Vulture - a futuristic robot spy plane under development.