• Welcome to Tamil Brahmins forums.

    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our Free Brahmin Community you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our community today!

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact contact us.

Daily Dose Of Interesting Information

Status
Not open for further replies.
recap # 9

Sapphire.




Sapphire is a variety of the mineral corundum, an Aluminum Oxide – when it is of a color other than red or dark pink. The red sapphire is called a ruby and is considered to be a different gemstone.

Trace amounts of other elements such as iron/ titanium/chromium can give corundum blue, yellow, pink, purple, orange, or greenish color.

Pink-orange sapphires are also called padmaraga. Pure chromium is the distinct impurity of rubies. However, a combination of chromium and titanium can give a sapphire a color distinct from red.

It is the hardest substance known, second only to diamond. Normally sapphires are blue in color. But purple, green, pink, white, gold and orange sapphires have been found.

It is supposed to possess the mystical qualities of purifying one’s mind and promoting peace of mind.
The stone is formed from a variety of aluminum oxide corundum.

Sri Lanka is a notable source of all colors of sapphires.


 
# 126. Believe it or not


The width of our arm span stretched out is the length of our whole body.

While not exact down to the last millimeter,

our arm span is a pretty good estimator of our height.

The Units of length based of the proportions of human body.

Courtesy Wikipedia.



  • Ald - the distance between a man's outstretched arms
  • Beard-second - the length a beard grows in a second
  • Condylos - middle joint of finger
  • Cun - width of the human thumb, at the knuckle
  • Dactylos - Ancient Roman finger breadth
  • Digit - length of a human finger
  • Etzba - finger breadth
  • Fathom - the distance between the fingertips of a man's outstretched arms
  • Finger
  • Fistmele - the measure of a clenched hand with the thumb extended
  • Gradus - Ancient Roman step
  • Hand - breadth of a male human hand
  • League - the distance a person can walk in an hour (by one definition)
  • Lichas - thumb length
  • Orgyia - Ancient Greek fathom
  • Parasang - the distance an infantryman could march in a predefined period of time
  • Pygmē - distance from elbow to base of fingers
  • Sazhen - Russian fathom
  • Shaftment - width of the fist and outstretched thumb
  • Smoot - Oliver R. Smoot's height in October 1958
  • Span - width of a human hand, from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the pinky
  • Spithamē - Ancient Greek span
  • Zeret - Biblical span
  • Ell length of an average person's arm
Cubits
Cubit - length of the human forearm
Palms
Palm - breath of four fingers
Inches
Inch - length of the thumb (by some definitions)
Feet
Foot - length of the human foot
 
Recap # 10

Diamond.



The hardest and the most lustrous gem.

It retains its polish and brilliance for several generations.

Hence the saying "diamonds are for ever!"

It is supposed to bring good luck to the lovers.

It makes the people strong and courageous.

Diamond is a form of carbon which has attained

the crystalline structure under

enormous pressure and a great heat.

Namibia and Australia are the two major sources of diamonds.
 
# 127. Believe it or not

Humans are the only animals to produce emotional tears.

In the animal world, humans are the biggest crybabies.

They are only animals which can cry because they are unhappy,

they’ve had a bad day, they are sad,

they had lost a loved one, or just they don’t feel good.

Frequency of crying

According to a study of over 300 adults, on average, men cry once every month; women cry at least five times per month,[SUP]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crying#cite_note-Cry_p44-1[/SUP] especially before and during the menstrual cycle when crying can increase up to five times the normal rate, often without obvious reasons (such as depression or sadness)[SUP]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crying#cite_note-17[/SUP]

According to the German Society of Ophthalmology, which has collated different scientific studies on crying, women cry on average between 30 and 64 times a year, and men cry on average between 6 and 17 times per year.

Men tend to cry for between two and four minutes, and women cry for about six minutes. Crying turns into sobbing for women in 65% of cases, compared to just 6% for men. Until adolescence, however, no difference between the sexes was found.[SUP]

Courtesy: Wikipedia
[/SUP]
 
Recap # 11.

Blue Sapphire.



Color in gemstones breaks down into three components: hue, saturation and tone.

Hue is most commonly understood as the “color” of the gemstone. Saturation refers to the vividness or brightness or “colorfulness” of the hue, and tone is the lightness to darkness of the hue.

Blue sapphire exists in various mixtures of its primary (blue) and secondary hues, various tonal levels (shades) and at various levels of saturation (brightness).

Blue sapphires are evaluated based upon the purity of their primary hues. Purple, violet and green are the most common secondary hues found in blue sapphires.

Violet and purple can contribute to the overall beauty of the color, while the effect of green is considered to be distinctly negative.

Blue sapphires with up to 15% violet or purple are generally said to be of fine quality. Blue sapphires with any amount of green as a secondary hue are not considered to be fine quality.

Gray is the normal saturation modifier or mask found in blue sapphires. Gray reduces the saturation or brightness of the hue and therefore has a distinctly negative effect.

The color of fine blue sapphires can be described as a vivid medium dark violet to purplish blue where the primary blue hue is at least 85% and the secondary hue no more than 15% without the least admixture of a green secondary hue or a gray mask.

Logan sapphire- the 423-carat (85 g) is one of the largest faceted gem-quality blue sapphires in existence.



 
Visalakshi Ramani said:
# 127. Believe it or not

Humans are the only animals to produce emotional tears.

In the animal world, humans are the biggest crybabies.

They are only animals which can cry because they are unhappy,

they’ve had a bad day, they are sad,

they had lost a loved one, or just they don’t feel good.

[SUP]
[/SUP]
Click to expand...

I feel I have to disagree with this fact.
I have seen my dog cry.
I remember once we had to send a dog away cos we could not look after him anymore.
He cried so much and once when I went to visit him after a long time ..he jumped on me and cried.

I have also heard birds make wailing sounds all night long when their chicks got eaten up by some other animal.
A pair of pigeons made a nest on the ceiling area and some cat got in an ate up their chicks.
Whole night long the pair was wailing sadly(I think birds might not cry but they do have emotions too).

I have seen monkeys cry when their mate is dead.


I lived in a house which was on top of a hill surrounded by dense jungle when I was a child.
I have observed all these and I am quite sure animals can produce emotional tears too.

BTW have anyone of you seen cows that are waiting to be slaughtered?
I have seen out here during Eid Ul Adha(Qurban)...tears just roll down their eyes knowing their impending death.
 
I know that animals wail, whine, howl and lament

but it seems the tears that roll down are due to their emotions.

Do animals cry?

While animals do not cry in the way that humans do, they do produce tears. Since tear production, called lachrimation, is necessary for healthy eyes, most vertebrates are capable of producing tears.


Tears are produced in mammals by the lachrymal system, tissues which make water. In land mammals, tears evolved to replace the water bath that the eyes of aquatic animals and fish are constantly surrounded by. Tears serve to clean the cornea and keep it moist. When a speck of dirt, for example, is lodged in the eye, more tears are produced in order to wash away the irritant.


The fluid in tears is rich in nutrients and has anti-bacterial properties which help to fight infections. The salt in tears helps to create an osmotic balance within the eye.


In animals, it is virtually impossible to tell if their tears are the result of emotions or merely caused by eye irritation. Most scientists agree, however, that humans are the only animals who produce emotional tears.


Courtesy wiseGEEK.
 
Normally, it is said in scientific terms that tears are not bad and it is rather
an important function and a sort of lubricant for the eyes. The eyes in the
process flushes out the irritants if any and enables the eyes to have an
enhanced vision. People have watched in the zoo that chimpanzees,
elephants, bears shedding tears. We often see the dogs at our places when
they are separated from their cubs. One is not aware as to whether any
scientific study carried out about the animals emotional tears as a human
being has. But some research studies suggest that very young mammals and
birds utter through their sounds whilst they are separated from their mothers.
When domestic animals like dog, cat, cow, etc. are quite expressive in their
sadness when they are separated from their caretakers. Bear cub if separated
from its mother, sounds on the same lines of a human being, which we have
read in the books.

Balasubramanian
Ambattur
 
Chemicals in Tears

In a research conducted by the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, emotional tears from women have been found to reduce sexual arousal in men.

Emotional tears are made up of a different chemical component than those evoked by eye irritants and can relay chemical messages to others.[SUP]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tears#cite_note-11[/SUP] The change in sex drive could be attributed to the drop in testosterone provoked by the chemicals in the tears meant to reduce aggression. In the animal world, it has been found that some blind mole rats would rub tears all over their bodies as a strategy to keep aggressive mole rats away.[SUP]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tears#cite_note-12[/SUP]

Tears composition varies from tear types: Mainly tears are composed of Water, Salts, Antibodies, & lysozymes(bacterial enzymes)

According to a discovery by Dr.William.H,Frey II, a bio-chemist from St.Paul Ramsey medical center in Minnesota, tears are of two types:
1:Tears because of emotions 2:Tears because of Irritation i.e; onion, dust, allergy etc.

Emotional tears are composed of more protein based hormones, such as prolactin, andrenocorticotropic, and leucine enkephalin (a natural pain killer), which is why crying from emotion often makes you feel better[SUP].

Courtesy Wikipedia.
[/SUP]
 
NOW we know why the heroine always sheds copious tears
begging the villain to keep away from her.
It deters and discourages him in a natural way. :)
 
Last edited:
Emotional/ original/ feigned...
men invariably fall for them! :drama:

I also personally know some men who are happy :heh:
when they see their wives shedding emotional tears.

"Azhu! azhu nallaa azhu!" is the aaseervaadam given.

The same men look troubled when the heroine sheds
glycerine tears in the serial (and gets paid for doing that!) :rolleyes:

PS.
You look stunningly glamorous in your new looks son! :)

Brahin said:
Emotional tear is the biggest weapon any women can use against men.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
# 128. Believe it or not

Right-handed people live, on average, nine years longer than left-handed people do.

This doesn’t have a genetic basis, but is largely due to the fact that a majority of the

machines and tools we use on a daily basis are designed for those who are right

handed, making them somewhat dangerous for lefties to use and resulting in

thousands of accidents and deaths each year.

The % of left handed persons is higher among artists and actors. WHY???.
 
Recap # 12.

Hessonite.



Hessonite or Cinnamon Stone is a variety of grossular, a calcium aluminum mineral of the garnet group.
The name is from the Greek word hēssōn meaning inferior, referring to its lower hardness and density than most other garnet species varieties.

It has a characteristic red color, inclining to orange, much like that of gem zircon. The difference is readily detected by their specific gravity. Hessonite has its specific gravity 3.64 to 3.69, whilst that of zircon is about 4.6.

Hessonite has a similar hardness to that of quartz, about 7 on the moh’s scale, whilst the hardness of most garnet species can reach 7.5.

Hessonite comes chiefly from Sri Lanka and India where it is found generally in placer deposits. It is also found in Brazil and California.

Hessonite is called Gomedhaka in Tamil and Sinhalese.
 
“Feeling Left out”?


Left handed people had lived just as the right handed ones, at all times, though in lesser numbers. Today they are about 10 to 15% of the world’s population.

Each hand is as important as the other. They are complementary since each hand is used in a different but equally important way. The left hand is used for finding, holding and supporting an object while the right hand is used to adjust and manipulate. This division of labour may be due to the differences between the two sides of the brain. They are not identical though they look alike!

The left side brain, which controls the right hand, is the center of logical thinking. The right brain, which controls the left hand, has strong visual skills.

Are a high percentage of the artists, with extra ordinary visual skills, left handed? Yes, left handedness is twice as common among artists, as in the general population.

Until recently, children who were left handed ran the risk of being punished, until they conformed to the majority of children who a right handed.

People have become more tolerant to the left handed persons. Now they are the subjects of engrossing scientific study.

Visalakshi Ramani
 
There are some famous Left Hand people are there. Some of them are
US Presidents :
James A. Garfield (1831-1881) 20th
Herbert Hoover (1874-1964) 31st
Harry S. Truman (1884-1972) 33rd
Gerald Ford (1913- ) 38th
Ronald Reagan (1911 - ) 40th
George H.W. Bush (1924- ) 41st
Bill Clinton (1946- ) 42nd
Barack Obama (1961- ) 44th

Similarly, there are left handed Artists are also there :

Albrecht Dürer
M.C. Escher
Hans Holbein
Paul Klee
Michelangelo
LeRoy Neiman
Raphael
Leonardo da Vinci (RH paralyzed)

Balasubramanian
Ambattur
 
The link to the entire list of famous left handed persons is given in Think it over!!


nannilam_balasubramanian said:
There are some famous Left Hand people are there. Some of them are
US Presidents :
James A. Garfield (1831-1881) 20th
Herbert Hoover (1874-1964) 31st
Harry S. Truman (1884-1972) 33rd
Gerald Ford (1913- ) 38th
Ronald Reagan (1911 - ) 40th
George H.W. Bush (1924- ) 41st
Bill Clinton (1946- ) 42nd
Barack Obama (1961- ) 44th

Similarly, there are left handed Artists are also there :

Albrecht Dürer
M.C. Escher
Hans Holbein
Paul Klee
Michelangelo
LeRoy Neiman
Raphael
Leonardo da Vinci (RH paralyzed)

Balasubramanian
Ambattur
Click to expand...
 
# 129. Believe it or not

Women burn fat more slowly than men, by a rate of about 50 calories a day.

Most men have a much easier time burning fat than women.

Women, because of their reproductive role, generally require

a higher basic body fat proportion than men,

and as a result their bodies don’t get rid of excess fat at the same rate as men.

So if your wife becomes pleasantly plump or even well-rounded

do not blame her. Nature has made her that way!
 
Recap # 13.

Cat’s Eye.



The gem chrysoberyl has a narrow, bright band of light on a shimmering golden background, which seems to glide magically across the surface when the stone is moved.

The name ‘chrysoberyl’ comes from the Greek and means ‘gold-colored beryl’. In spite of its name, however, it is not actually a beryl at all. Together with alexandrite, chrysoberyl forms an independent gemstone category.

From a mineralogical point of view, chrysoberyls are aluminum oxide containing beryllium, and thus actually have little in common with the beryls, which belong to the silicate family.

Indeed, with their hardness of 8.5 on the Mohs scale, they are superior to the beryls. The popular chrysoberyls come in many shades between lemon and greenish yellow and in honey colors and shades from mint green to brownish green.

Cat’s eye are found in the gemstone deposits of Brazil, Sri Lanka and East Africa.
 
Last edited:
Visalakshi Ramani said:
# 129. Believe it or not

Women burn fat more slowly than men, by a rate of about 50 calories a day.

Most men have a much easier time burning fat than women.

Women, because of their reproductive role, generally require

a higher basic body fat proportion than men,

and as a result their bodies don’t get rid of excess fat at the same rate as men.

So if your wife becomes pleasantly plump or even well-rounded

do not blame her. Nature has made her that way!
Click to expand...


Dear VR ji,

Guys are get out of shape as they grow older!LOL

So don't worry..both will look fat eventually if no exercise and life style modification is done.

Many people are always asking my husband why he still has a good body even though after many years in marriage.

They don't know that I keep a close watch on his weight gain and make sure he exercises so we both remain slim and trim and healthy.

It's good for husband and wife to motivate each other to remain fit.
 
Dear Renuka,

Getting out of shape is common for both guys and ladies. After 50, guys start loosing their muscle tone and the tummy starts to get flabby. I put on few kilos after I gave up smoking. My daughter loves to punch on my tummy every now and again. She reckons my tummy is still not flabby yet. If we maintain the muscle tone, it won't bcome flabby very soon. But it is much easier for the guys to maintain the muscle tone in the earlier years. But in the later years, girls can actually develop a much better muscle tone by rowing and similar total exercises. My wife has a friend who is a weight lifter! The social worker here is young girl who is a cyclist; her frame is thin and taut like wire. ( cycling is a very good exercise too. Burns calorie quite fast. One of my patient is an exercise enthusist. He actually converted his regular bike into an exercise bike, set it up in the middle of his lounge).

Cheers!
 
Raghy said:
Dear Renuka,

Getting out of shape is common for both guys and ladies. After 50, guys start loosing their muscle tone and the tummy starts to get flabby. I put on few kilos after I gave up smoking. My daughter loves to punch on my tummy every now and again. She reckons my tummy is still not flabby yet. If we maintain the muscle tone, it won't bcome flabby very soon. But it is much easier for the guys to maintain the muscle tone in the earlier years. But in the later years, girls can actually develop a much better muscle tone by rowing and similar total exercises. My wife has a friend who is a weight lifter! The social worker here is young girl who is a cyclist; her frame is thin and taut like wire. ( cycling is a very good exercise too. Burns calorie quite fast. One of my patient is an exercise enthusist. He actually converted his regular bike into an exercise bike, set it up in the middle of his lounge).

Cheers!
Click to expand...


But if you worked out regularly somehow muscle tone remains good.
I love exercise machines....I sort of collect them but I use them regularly.
I do not like to use stationary bikes all that much..it does not work you out as much as a thread mill.
steppers are also good..it works up the heart rate fast.

On days where I need a low impact work out.. I use my walker..its almost zero impact on joints.
I love weights..not too heavy though and I do not lift anything that might increase intra abdominal pressure cos for a woman one might need to take care..cos it might lead to uterine prolapse.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Share this page

Share this page

Latest posts

Latest ads

Follow us on Social Media

Back
Top