These Countries Love Using Mobile Applications

by Unknown
17
Apr 2009
According to a survey undertaken in Q1 of 2013 by Statista, UAE has the highest smart phone penetration of 73.8% in the world. The sample size for this survey was 1000 people from each country except Ireland (500) and Saudi Arabia and UAE (500). But what is the story now?
Statista – possibly, the biggest statistics portal in the world – conducts surveys based on data gathered from over 18,000 results. The source for this particular survey was Our Mobile Planet – a data-gathering and analysis tool by Google.
Smartphone penetration for a country is theoretically the number of people using smart phones out of the total number of people living in that country. It is simply calculated by dividing the total number of people using smart phones with the total population. For example: If a hypothetical country has 1000 inhabitants with 576 of them using smart phones then the smart phone penetration for that hypothetical country is 576/1000 = 0.576 or 57.6%. (NOTE: This example is purely for conceptual purposes.)
According to the survey the top 15 countries along with the smart phone penetration percentages is given below.
  1. UAE – 73.8%
  2. South Korea – 73.0%
  3. Saudi Arabia – 72.8%
  4. Singapore – 71.7%
  5. Norway – 67.5%
  6. Australia – 64.6%
  7. Sweden – 62.9%
  8. Hong Kong – 62.8%
  9. United Kingdom – 62.2%
  10. Denmark – 59.0%
  11. Ireland – 57.0%
  12. Israel – 56.6%
  13. United States – 56.4%
  14. Canada – 56.4%
  15. Spain – 55.4%
But this was the situation in Q1 of 2013. Currently, what is the situation as far as smart phone penetration on a global scale is concerned? Let’s consider the findings of some reports and surveys that have successfully given a clear picture of the situation today. Furthermore, the estimations in these reports for the years to come are also extremely interesting.
Worldwide Mobile Phone Users: H1 2014 Forecast and Comparative Estimates: The findings of this report are given in bulleted points below.
  • Smart phone penetration is expected to rise from 61.1% to 69.4% of the worldwide population between the time span of 2013—2017.
  • Two-fifths of the worldwide population will be using smart phones on a monthly basis.
  • Estimation: Smart phone penetration in 2014 will increase by 50%.
  • Global smart phone audience will come up to an amount of 1.75 billion in 2014.
This report was published by a market-research company called eMarketer.
Q1 of 2014 has just commenced hence it is too early to expect detailed report outlining smart phone penetration rates on a country basis. However, the future is not bereft of optimism with many financial experts, well-known bloggers, newsletters, and magazines having an optimistic outlook regarding the usage of smart phones in the years to come.
Spring 2013 Global Attitudes Survey conducted by the PEW Research Centre:
  • Marked rise in smart phone users. As an example, the statistics for the countries: Lebanon, Jordan, and Chile are given below.
    • 45 Lebanese out of a sample size of 86 are using smart phones
    • 38 Jordanians out of a sample size of 95 are using smart phones
    • 31 Chileans out of a sample size of 91 are using smart phones
  • 90% Lebanese, 84% Jordanians, and 82% Turks remain online on a daily basis.
This survey was undertaken by the PEW Research Centre – a well-known American research-and-analysis company based out of Washington.
This particular survey has proved that smart phones are becoming famous all over the world, regardless of veteran superpowers, young superpowers, emerging superpowers, or developing nations.
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The Nokia-Microsoft Deal is Not Before April!

by Unknown
17
Apr 2009
The $7.3 billion deal between Nokia and Microsoft has been delayed till April, 2014. This deal involves the sale of Nokia’s mobile-phone unit to Microsoft. Nokia made this announcement at Helsinki on Monday. The reason for the delay is said to be the pending approval from Asian regulatory authorities. The deal has already been approved by E.U. and U.S. authorities.
This deal was initially announced in September, 2013. This $7.3 billion (5.4 billion Euros) was expected to get completed in the first quarter of 2014.
According to an announcement made by Nokia officials last week, the reason for the delay may be the pending decision of a case between Nokia and local authorities in Chennai, India. The dispute, as per the officials, is that the authorities want sales tax to be levied on the export of devices from the company’s plant situated at Chennai.
Nokia is a well-known company in the business of mobile phone development and has made quite a presence for itself despite the presence of formidable competitors like Samsung and Sony.
Financial pundits all over the world are putting forth their perceptions regarding the delay. Speculations are rife about the possibility that this deal may end in Microsoft losing Nokia’s key manufacturing plant based in India.
The Indian Supreme Court has ruled that Nokia must deposit an amount of $571 million into an Escrow account before Microsoft gets ownership of the manufacturing plant in Chennai. The reason for the delay may perhaps lie in Nokia’s and Microsoft’s respective plan-of-actions.
The plant may be shut down in case of non-payment. If this happens then Microsoft will lose a key manufacturing plant in India. Employees working in that Chennai factory will lose their jobs and this is certainly not a welcome proposition.
The month of April will give a clear picture as to the status of this financial deal.
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Chinese Micro-Blogging Service WeChat Reportedly “Censored”

by Unknown
17
Apr 2009
The well-known micro-blogging service in China called WeChat seems to be under the censorship drill these days.
Around 40 pages maintained by prominent activists are no longer accessible. Users are getting “account deleted” messages upon trying to access these pages. Moreover, they have also been advised to end their subscriptions with these “affected” pages.
The reason for deleting these pages have not been clearly specified however people who are trying to access these pages are also getting messages that are specifying the reasons for deletion as the violation of rules.
A partial list of blocked pages has been published by the Chinese Digital Times. This partial list of pages has been given below.
  • Observer
  • Poison Tongue’s Poison
  • Political and Economic Observer
  • Blog Daily Online
  • History and Culture Talk
  • Legal Readings
  • Truth Channel
  • Quanmeng (Reading Group)
  • Recommended Reading
  • Luo Changping
  • Xueye Bimen (Banned Books)
  • Teachingroom
  • China Onlooker
  • Economic Bulletin
  • Rule of Law New Observer
  • Corporate Comment
  • Xu Danei’s Newsletter
  • Elephant Magazine
  • Consensus
  • bigriver0052000
  • Foreign Powers
  • Chinese History Daily
  • Phoenix We Media
  • Wuqin Takes the Wide View
  • World Chinese Weekly
  • Hu Saimeng
  • Ran Family Biography
  • Xu Xin
  • China50Plus
  • Youth Notes
  • Wheatfield Bookstore
  • Standpoint
  • Economics Observer
  • Cloud Thinking
  • Know-Write
  • Reporter Station
  • Beijing New Media Stories
  • Backyard Reporter
  • Utopia
WeChat, also known as Weixin in China, has become the popular portal for starting discussions on a wide variety of topics. There have been speculations that this “censorship” act may be a part of the ongoing endeavors to curb social media in China.
Tencent, the company behind WeChat has issued an official statement on Friday in which it has emphasized that the company does not allow any practices which may violate regulatory laws. The blocking of the pages is being seen as a move to curb the dissemination of political rumors.
The major competitor of WeChat has been Sina Welbo which also faced anti-political rumor laws last year. This was quite unexpected because Sina Welbo operates on the basis of closed user groups with a maximum of 40 group members. Moreover, public pages were limited to operate on the basis of one post per day. Nevertheless, last year saw lot of customers defecting to WeChat from Sina Welbo. However, this year with the censorship act, the reverse situation has taken place with lot of customers defecting back to Sina Welbo.
WeChat is Tencent’s flagship product with an estimated active user-base of 300 million. The lion’s share of this active user-base comes from the Chinese mainland but the number of users signing in from abroad is also seeing an increase.
The future for WeChat, or rather for Tencent’s ambitions for global operations, certainly seems grim with these 40 pages getting blocked – most of them cater to a notable number of users across the globe.
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Passwords! Get them right and out-of-sight!

by Unknown
17
Apr 2009
Cyber crime has seen an increase despite the stringent cyber-security laws that have been put in place by many countries. So, on the grassroot level, the first and the foremost activity is to create a safe and dependable password.
Creating a secure password is an activity applicable for all those who use the internet. Hence, irrespective of being either a casual surfer or a professional running a website, you should understand the importance of creating a secure password.
Critics might say that securing a safe password is next to impossible these days with the advance level of technologies used by hackers these days. However, the habit of creating secure passwords is one that stands in defiance against any level of advanced technology used for hacking.
An effective employment of common sense will provide you with many unsaid rules while creating passwords. However, there are some basic rules and best practices for creating and securing passwords which are extremely useful. Some of them have been given below.
A STRONG PASSWORD SHOULD:
  • Be at 8-characters long
  • Never have any name identifying you, for example: Your user name, real name, and company name
  • Never have a complete word
  • Not seem similar to your other passwords
A STRONG PASSWORD SHOULD ALWAYS BE A MIX OF THE FOLLOWING:
  • Uppercase letters: A, B, C … Z
  • Lowercase letters: a, b, c … z
  • Numbers: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9
  • Symbols found in a standard QWERTY keyboard: ` ~ ! @ # $ % ^ & * () _ - + = { } [ ] \ | : ; " ' < > , . ? /
A SMART WAY TO CREATE A PASSWORD:
  • Create an acronym from an easy-to-remember phrase. For example: The geeks will win the World Series in 2015!
  • Create the acronym by retaining the initial letters, punctuation symbols and numbers.
  • Tgwwtwsi2015! You have a password in place!
DESIST FROM TESTING NEWLY CREATED PASSWORDS ON PASSWORD STRENGTH-CHECKING WEBSITES
  • Most of these websites are not secure
  • Some websites will even provide you with a cautionary message alerting you about the potential threats
ALWAYS CREATE A DIFFERENT PASSWORD FOR A DIFFERENT SERVICE
DURING REMEMBERING PASSWORDS:
  • Never get into the habit of memorizing them, irrespective of how good a memory you might have.
  • Never resort to the old-school method of writing down all your passwords on a piece of paper and keeping it in a safe location. You never know! Life is absolutely unpredictable especially in circumstances which might not be so comfortable for you. In this case, discovery of that piece of paper.
STAY SAFE FROM PHISING ATTACKS
Simply, never click a secure link directly from your e-mail. Make a habit of opening the browser and typing in the URL to gain access. If you do this, then you are safe from phishing attacks.
What is a phishing attack? A phishing attack is simply an e-mail that masquerades as a message from a website deemed to be a trusted source. For example: A message from a Credit Card Company or a bank.
GLANCE ART ON KEYBOARD:
Create a password that has letters which when seen in terms of their placement make up a letter. For example: Glance at your keyboard for this particular password: 1qazdrfvgy7. Look close and you will discover that the numbers and letters together make up the letter W of the English language.
These are some of the basic rules that you can use. These days, there are password managers available for download. Now, there are advantages and disadvantages of the password manager software. The advantages depend on the brand you choose however a general benefit is that this software stores and encrypts all your passwords. However, the major disadvantage is that this software too requires a password and this “master-password” has to be super-strong and extremely hard to crack. Although, creating such “beefed-up” “master-password” is possible but the element of risk is always there.
So get into the habit of creating passwords that are super-strong themselves and are capable of serving as “master-passwords.”
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3D Printing for Facial Reconstruction: An 8-hour Long Story

by Unknown
17
Apr 2009
According to a publication in The Conversation, the technology of 3D printing has been successfully used to restore the face of a man.
29-year-old Stephen Power suffered a horrible bike accident which caused severe facial fractures. However, surgeons at Morrison Hospital, Swansea successfully recreated his face using the technology of 3D printing.
This is probably the first time when medical science and product designing have been bought together on a common platform to perform a facial reconstruction surgery.
Surgeons at Morrison Hospital were able to fix some of the facial surgeries however they were apprehensive about conducting plastic surgeries on the left cheek and eye socket because of the possible damage to the eye sight. This is where 3D printing came to their rescue.
A joint effort was then undertaken by surgeons at the Morrison Hospital and the National Centre for Product Design and Development Research (PDR) at Cardiff Metropolitan University. First, 3D scans of the face were undertaken and then models of Power’s skull were created on the basis of those scans.
These models were then analyzed to figure out the placement areas for new bones and surgical guides. A virtual surgery was planned on the computer screen and every step was mapped with the required action on the model created.
The next step involved the creation of the 3D implants from medical-grade titanium. The final step was the 8-hour long operation which involved the recreation of Power’s face using these implants.
Dr. Adrian Sugar, the consultant maxillofacial surgeon, said that the usage of this technology enabled them to conduct a well-planned surgery and the ability of virtually conducting as per plans and thereby figuring out possible loopholes. As a result, the actual operation, took place in a flawless manner.
Dr. Adrian Sugar and Sean Peel talked about the operation in an interview with BBCs Hywel Griffith. Sean Peel is the Prosthetic Design Engineer and along with Dr. Adrian Sugar, he explained the various precursors to the operation. Dr. Sugar also gave an idea about the process followed during the operation.
In the interview, Dr. Sugar talked about the usage of metal guides at each stage of the surgical process for cutting and bones and repositioning them. He also talked about the insertion of custom-made fixation plates into the gaps of the guide and the fixing of the bones and then the corresponding removal of the surgical guides.
The impact of 3D printing was clarified by Sean Peel who said this technology has progressed ahead from creating anatomical replicas for medical usage to actual replacements that match healthy body parts. According to him, a step further in this regard is the creation of surgical guides enabling repositioning of bones and therefore restructuring.
The usage of 3D printing is a bright step ahead in medical science with many well-known surgeons of the world vouching for this technology.

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Scientists Discover the Fossil of a Tiny T-Rex in the Freezing Arctic Landscape

by Unknown
17
Apr 2009
This is a tale of discovering the apex predator of the Arctic Circle who could call the Tyrannosaurus Rex his elder brother and was no less fearsome – Ferociousness runs in the Tyrannosauridae family.
Dubbed as the Nanuqsaurus Hoglundi (polar-bear lizard), this new species has been estimated to be no taller than an average human being. The search started long back in 2006 and its fossilized skull fragments have been finally discovered in the region around the Prince Creek’s Formation on the Northern Slope of Alaska.
Although this dinosaur has been named after a polar bear, the climatic conditions at that time resembled the climate of the modern-day northern USA or southern Canada – A climatic condition which a polar bear would not prefer at all.
Nanuqsaurus Hoglundi roamed the cold, arctic landscape in search for its prey around 70-billion years ago during the Late Cretaceous era. It was not the sole predator in the arctic region at that time because fossilized remains of another carnivorous dinosaur called Troodon have been discovered prior to this particular discovery.
The discovery has been undertaken on the basis of only four skull fragments. Based on these fragments, scientists have been able to determine:
  • The skull size
  • The body size
The discovery is an exciting one especially because it gives us an idea about the biological richness of the arctic region at a time when the Earth was much warmer than it is today. Moreover, this discovery is also a step ahead in understanding the dominant variety present in tyrannosaurid ecology.
To this day, the search for more fragments is continuing with a passionate zeal in the Alaskan Tundra. The hopes are high that more fragments will be discovered as a result of arduous efforts of many determined and dedicated minds.
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The Five Practices for a Glittering Toothbrush

by Unknown
17
Apr 2009
Toothbrushes – they have been busy cleaning our teeth for a long time now, around 5000 years. The science of cleaning teeth has been handed down through generations – From the ancient “chew stick” to ivory, wood, or bone handled devices having hog or boar bristles. But do we know how to take care of our toothbrushes? Although, there are many dentists and scientists who have asked this question time and again, but are there any dentists or scientists who have given an answer that normal Americans can relate to. This is where Dr. Gerry Curatola comes in to save the day. An oral health and wellness expert, Dr. Curatola puts forth some simple practices that are so simple that most people perhaps have never given a thought to them.
The remaining portion of this blog put forth these practices in a simple manner.
DISTANCE FROM THE TOILET: SIX FEET?
Is your toothbrush stored within a distance of six feet from your toilet? If it is, then you should change its location simply because a toothbrush which is kept within a distance of six feet from the toilet is susceptible to fecal matter and microbes which are harmful.
WHERE DO YOU STORE YOUR TOOTHBRUSH: A PLASTIC CONTAINER?
Did you know that plastic containers act as ideal breeding grounds for bacteria and microbes? You would be inviting all those nasty microbes to infect your teeth if you keep your toothbrush inside a plastic container.
A fabric toothbrush shield should be an ideal choice for storing your toothbrush. This choice is also a good one according to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta which has recommended the use of fabric toothbrush shield for storing toothbrushes.
ARE YOU USING THE MICROWAVE FOR DISINFECTING YOUR TOOTHBRUSH?
You are certainly committing nothing short of a debacle if you are using the microwave for cleaning your toothbrush. Remember, toothbrushes these days are normally made from microwave-susceptible materials: Plastic, nylon or silicone. The bristles themselves are mostly made of nylon irrespective of brands. Extensive damage is done when toothbrushes are subjected to microwaves. Nylon bristles certainly become ineffective.
Furthermore, a plastic toothbrush inside a microwave can also lead to the creation of bisphenol-A (BPA), which is a chemical plastic notorious for causing a variety of health-related problems with cancer being one of them.
Take your dirty toothbrush and clean it by rinsing it with soap in lukewarm water. After that, store it inside a fabric toothbrush shield.
Ideally, you should keep yourself in the habit of buying a toothbrush at least four times in a year.
WAKE UP! THE TOOTHPASTE IS NOT A DISINFECTANT FOR THE TOOTHBRUSH!
Pondering over which brand to select? Will it be the one that you usually select? Will it be the new brand that seems quite promising by a cursory look at the product packaging and the product itself? Do not be intimidated by this triad of questions. Instead just invest some time and look at the advertising content present on the product itself or on those huge banners. Do they say that contain the word: antibacterial? There’s your one definite answer. Toothpastes which claim to be antibacterial should not be bought. Toothpastes have no impact on the brush and those antibacterial ones are not the actual guardians against harmful bacteria.
THE FRIENDSHIP OF EMULSIFIERS AND TOOTHPASTES IS NOT GOOD!
A fact about toothbrushes using toothpastes that are chemical-intensive is that they end up being harmful rather than being protective. Sodium lauryl sulfate and triclosan copolymer are some of the chemicals that should be watched out for.
Sodium lauryl sulphate is an emulsifier leads to irritation to the mouth and has been known to cause canker sores. Triclosan copolymer is an antibacterial and antifungal agent and can lead to an increase in the strains of resistant bacteria.
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Megathrust Earthquakes: The Horror!

by Unknown
17
Apr 2009
11th March 2011, 2: 45 PM, local time Japan, a day, a time, a moment which saw what can be termed as the worst natural disasters for Japan – A magnitude-9 earthquake ruptured the fault line that spreads across 500 km along the northeastern coast of Japan. This earthquake was the fifth largest in the world as per some reports by eminent scientists. The earthquake was followed with a giant tsunami whose size was so overwhelming that the 18-feet tsunami walls near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was literally “drowned” by waves which were, according to some horrified eyewitnesses, around 25-feet high. The death toll still remains unconfirmed as of this day and so do the number of missing persons. The capital city of Tokyo was witness to swaying skyscrapers which were reputedly built with “earthquake-safety” mechanisms.
The above paragraph is by no means a proper account of the destruction that took place on 11th March 2011 but it certainly gives an idea about the destructive power of an earthquake. So it certainly makes sense to know about megathrust earthquakes and their potential power for untold destruction.
Residents of Seattle, one of the cities falling under the Pacific Northwest belt (A huge stretch from Northern California to Canada) along with Vancouver and California are standing right next to the gates of destruction.
Californians certainly need to start preparing for a megathrust earthquake on a proactive note. The San Andreas Fault is right next door for them and if a megathrust earthquake does take place (let’s hope it never does take place) then California will be the first city in the path towards absolute destruction.
These days, everyone is talking about the next megathrust earthquake and what is more alarming its possibility of taking place along the Pacific Northwestern belt. In other words, the poem of Hellenic savagery can be written right here.
The government has certainly been on a proactive note for preparing the general public for this possible megathrust earthquake. But have the preparations started too late? Authorities have started conducting mock-evacuation drills and situational-awareness about earthquakes has begun to be taught to children in schools. Emergency services are in full swing with trainings and preparations for the “big one.”
But can a megathrust earthquake really happen in USA? Well, a lot of people think that such a quake can indeed take place. The numbers do not seem to be too appalling. However, scientists are speculating that the chances for a megathrust earthquake in the near-future are quite high. According to them, the Cascadia subduction zone present underwater of the Pacific Northwest coast is on the verge of reaching their maximum tolerance point.
A subduction zone is a huge gash in the earth’s crust and is the zone where one of the tectonic plates making up the earth’s crust is pushed under the other. And a megathrust earthquake happens when the strain on the tectonic plate that is pushed under reaches the point where this plate slips to bulge upwards and slide suddenly.
Are there any corresponding effects? Yes, there are many and the one that strikes out the most goes by the name of Tsunami – A mammoth wave. A Tsunami takes place when the energy from the sliding motion results in a huge amount of energy getting transferred on to the sea bed and resulting in the corresponding creation of a wave having a magnanimous oscillation rate.
Hence, a deadly combination of a megathrust earthquake and a tsunami is certainly a troublesome aspect to worry about. And this combination is more likely to take place in a subduction zone. Hence, with the speculations now in place about a possible megathrust earthquake in the Pacific Northwest in the Cascadia subduction zone the cause for concern is quite high.
  
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Does learning take place in multiple ways?

by Unknown
17
Apr 2009
As a parent, I certainly would wonder about the best way in which my child can learn and move ahead. This mindset fortifies its place in those little grey cells dwelling within our craniums from the time our children start their formal education. A probable question that arises is that learning starts only from the time our children start their formal education?
Studies have shown the rampant stupidity of this question as many scientists and professors vouch for the fact that learning starts from infancy. Some of them, notably Dr. Rita Dunn and her husband Dr. Kenneth Dunn maintain that learning happens in multiple ways, or styles.
Dr. Rita Dunn is the Director of the Center for Study of Learning and Teaching Styles, St. John’s University, New York and Dr. Kenneth Dunn is the Professor and Coordinator, Educational Leadership Program, Department of Educational and Community Programs, Queens College, New York.
Together, they share nearly 25 years in the study and analysis of learning styles prevalent in the world today. According to them, the styles which are most commonly seen are:
  • Auditory
  • Visual
  • Tactile
According to their findings, learning starts right from infancy and the actions and reactions of infants give way to their preferred style of learning: Auditory, visual or tactile.
Infants who prefer the auditory style are more attuned to learning by hearing. Infants who are visual learners get attracted to motion, color, and shape. Infants who are tactile learners are ones who learn by quenching their curiosity about the world through crawling, standing and walking towards the objects of their attention.
The Dunns have in fact formulated a learning model called the Dunn and Dunn Learning Style Model which is designed on the basis of the theory that children learn in different ways and styles. The fact that this model is a valid one can be seen from its inclusion in the International Learning Styles Network.
Learning therefore does take place in different ways and another proponent to this theory would be the Felder-Silverman Learning Style Model. Formulated by Dr. Richard M. Felder and Dr. Linda K. Silverman, this model classifies the preferences of learners under the following dimensions:
  • Active learners and reflective learners
  • Sensing learners and intuitive learners
  • Visual learners and verbal learners
  • Sequential learners and global learners
The Index of Learning Styles (ILS) has been created as an online instrument for assessing the preferences of learners given in the aforementioned list. This model has been developed by Dr. Richard M. Felder and Barbara A. Soloman of the North Carolina State University. It goes without saying that the presence of this online instrument is statement of the fact that learning does take place in different ways.
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A Tornado: Know About It but Never Forget To Stay Prepared For It

by Unknown
17
Apr 2009
A grim outset:
March 18th, 1925 – The Tri-State Tornado – 695 deaths
May 11th, 1953 – The Waco Tornado – 114 deaths
May 7th, 1840 – The Natchez Tornado – 317 deaths
April 5th, 1936 – The Tupelo Tornado – 216 deaths
April 6th, 1936 – The Gainesville Tornado – 203 deaths
April 9th, 1947 – The Woodward Tornado – 181 deaths
April 24th, 1908 – The Amite/Purvis/Pine Tornado – 143 deaths
June 12th, 1899 – The New Richmond Tornado – 117 deaths
June 8th, 1953 – The Flint-Beecher Tornado – 116 deaths
May 27th, 1986 – The St. Louis Tornado – 255 deaths
Note: Figures have been taken from: www.spc.noaa.gov
Do the figures tell the horrific tales and endless misery of countless families destroyed? There might not be a soul that would differ. However, for all those who still beg to differ I would request them to have a look at the next few lines.
May 20, 2013: Who can forget those evening hours of May 20, 2013 when the Moore Tornado wielded its destructive force across its path starting from the west side of Newcastle and then following a east-northeastward path across the city of Moore and certain parts of South Oklahoma city and ending at Lake Stanley Draper. Classified as an EF-5 (EF stands for Enhanced Fujita and refers to a tracking scale followed for measuring the intensity of tornadoes), this tornado ended the lives of 23 people and left its mark on many others. It was not the only terror that day because several other tornadoes made their presence felt in Stephens and Lincoln counties.
April 26, 1989: Perhaps the darkest day in the world when it comes to human deaths due to tornadoes. This day witnessed the appalling Daulatpur–Saturia tornado in Bangladesh taking around 1300 lives and causing destruction to the extent that in some places the existence of any building were made through skeletons of trees.
The title sure does make sense now after the information presented in the above paragraphs. The next few lines are a humble effort for laying down some of the basic rules required to be followed for surviving a tornado.
Tornado spotting: Unpredictability! This is the word that goes well with tornadoes. Because a tornado can happen at any time of the year and during a tornado a single twister can lead to twin twisters as well. A tornado also has quite an uncanny knack of changing its path hence a tornado heading west may suddenly change direction and head east.

Can a tornado be spotted at the time of formation? Yes! It is visible as a transparent funnel shape until the time it starts accumulating dust and debris.

Look out for the standard warning signs for a tornado: a dark, often greenish sky; a constant roar, somewhat resembling the sound of a freight train; a hailstorm; and large, dark, and low-lying clouds.
Preparation: The most important thing to remember while preparing is the element of reality. Preparation with a hyper-enthusiastic attitude or a reluctant attitude will not be helpful. One has to be realistic while preparing for a tornado.
Allocate specific tasks for your family members. For example, your son will be in charge of deciding the emergency meeting spot. Your daughter will have to take care of your pet dog while your father will be in charge of stocking the storm-shelter with emergency rations.
Note the following important points:
  • Do not forget to assign a family member with the tasks of switching of electricity mains, water, and gas.
  • Keep a first-aid kit (make sure it is not short of medical supplies).
  • Keep a flashlight and lots of batteries for it.
  • Get impact-resistant windows for your house.
  • Get doors having at least three hinges and a deadbolt lock with a 1-inch long bolt.
  • Get permanent wooden or metal stiffeners for your garage door.
  • Strengthen your roof covering and the sheathing beneath it so that they are capable of resisting high-velocity winds.
  • You may love your garden but replace the garden landscape with mulch and shredded bark and do away with gravel and rock.
  • Be a responsible and far-sighting gardener and trim the adjoining trees and shrubs. Cut down the branches trees that seem weak and therefore capable of breaking and falling on top of the roof of neighbor’s house or your house.
That “moment” before the tornado:

  • There are many precautionary acts depending on the geographical location but some of the common points are listed below.
  • Do not switch off the weather channel! Monitor the tornado-warning announcements made there and also on the local television and radio broadcasts.
  • Move loose furniture to a secure location (ideally the basement) and remove all grills from doors and windows
  • If you choose to stay within your house then lean a mattress against the wall of the room you are in
  • Get lots of flashlights and lots of batteries. Do not forget to get a hand-cranked/battery-operated radio too.
  • If you reside in a mobile home then do not waste time in making these preparations. Simply, drive quickly as you can to the nearest shelter you can find.

Moments after the tornado:

Listed down below are the most important points and considerations for you to take note of after a tornado:

In case, you had to leave your house then:

  • Do not forget to check for structural integrity of the house before going inside (i.e. check for the severity of the crack in walls, dangling wiring, broken window panes etc.)
  • DO NOT USE A CANDLE OR A LIGHTER IN CASE OF DARKNESS. LEAKING GAS MAY IGNITE WITH THE SLIGHTEST SPARK! Use a flashlight instead.
  • Get an electrician to check the electrical system and only after that turn on the lights!
  • Document a list of damaged items and create an inventory for evidence. Gather your insurance papers and go to the insurance office for damage claims.

This blog post does not claim to be an exhaustible document for tips on tornado survival. However, should a tornado ever strike within your vicinity and you should benefit from the information given here then my pen will have served its purpose.
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Monday, 31 March 2014

These Countries Love Using Mobile Applications

According to a survey undertaken in Q1 of 2013 by Statista, UAE has the highest smart phone penetration of 73.8% in the world. The sample size for this survey was 1000 people from each country except Ireland (500) and Saudi Arabia and UAE (500). But what is the story now?
Statista – possibly, the biggest statistics portal in the world – conducts surveys based on data gathered from over 18,000 results. The source for this particular survey was Our Mobile Planet – a data-gathering and analysis tool by Google.
Smartphone penetration for a country is theoretically the number of people using smart phones out of the total number of people living in that country. It is simply calculated by dividing the total number of people using smart phones with the total population. For example: If a hypothetical country has 1000 inhabitants with 576 of them using smart phones then the smart phone penetration for that hypothetical country is 576/1000 = 0.576 or 57.6%. (NOTE: This example is purely for conceptual purposes.)
According to the survey the top 15 countries along with the smart phone penetration percentages is given below.
  1. UAE – 73.8%
  2. South Korea – 73.0%
  3. Saudi Arabia – 72.8%
  4. Singapore – 71.7%
  5. Norway – 67.5%
  6. Australia – 64.6%
  7. Sweden – 62.9%
  8. Hong Kong – 62.8%
  9. United Kingdom – 62.2%
  10. Denmark – 59.0%
  11. Ireland – 57.0%
  12. Israel – 56.6%
  13. United States – 56.4%
  14. Canada – 56.4%
  15. Spain – 55.4%
But this was the situation in Q1 of 2013. Currently, what is the situation as far as smart phone penetration on a global scale is concerned? Let’s consider the findings of some reports and surveys that have successfully given a clear picture of the situation today. Furthermore, the estimations in these reports for the years to come are also extremely interesting.
Worldwide Mobile Phone Users: H1 2014 Forecast and Comparative Estimates: The findings of this report are given in bulleted points below.
  • Smart phone penetration is expected to rise from 61.1% to 69.4% of the worldwide population between the time span of 2013—2017.
  • Two-fifths of the worldwide population will be using smart phones on a monthly basis.
  • Estimation: Smart phone penetration in 2014 will increase by 50%.
  • Global smart phone audience will come up to an amount of 1.75 billion in 2014.
This report was published by a market-research company called eMarketer.
Q1 of 2014 has just commenced hence it is too early to expect detailed report outlining smart phone penetration rates on a country basis. However, the future is not bereft of optimism with many financial experts, well-known bloggers, newsletters, and magazines having an optimistic outlook regarding the usage of smart phones in the years to come.
Spring 2013 Global Attitudes Survey conducted by the PEW Research Centre:
  • Marked rise in smart phone users. As an example, the statistics for the countries: Lebanon, Jordan, and Chile are given below.
    • 45 Lebanese out of a sample size of 86 are using smart phones
    • 38 Jordanians out of a sample size of 95 are using smart phones
    • 31 Chileans out of a sample size of 91 are using smart phones
  • 90% Lebanese, 84% Jordanians, and 82% Turks remain online on a daily basis.
This survey was undertaken by the PEW Research Centre – a well-known American research-and-analysis company based out of Washington.
This particular survey has proved that smart phones are becoming famous all over the world, regardless of veteran superpowers, young superpowers, emerging superpowers, or developing nations.
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Tuesday, 25 March 2014

The Nokia-Microsoft Deal is Not Before April!

The $7.3 billion deal between Nokia and Microsoft has been delayed till April, 2014. This deal involves the sale of Nokia’s mobile-phone unit to Microsoft. Nokia made this announcement at Helsinki on Monday. The reason for the delay is said to be the pending approval from Asian regulatory authorities. The deal has already been approved by E.U. and U.S. authorities.
This deal was initially announced in September, 2013. This $7.3 billion (5.4 billion Euros) was expected to get completed in the first quarter of 2014.
According to an announcement made by Nokia officials last week, the reason for the delay may be the pending decision of a case between Nokia and local authorities in Chennai, India. The dispute, as per the officials, is that the authorities want sales tax to be levied on the export of devices from the company’s plant situated at Chennai.
Nokia is a well-known company in the business of mobile phone development and has made quite a presence for itself despite the presence of formidable competitors like Samsung and Sony.
Financial pundits all over the world are putting forth their perceptions regarding the delay. Speculations are rife about the possibility that this deal may end in Microsoft losing Nokia’s key manufacturing plant based in India.
The Indian Supreme Court has ruled that Nokia must deposit an amount of $571 million into an Escrow account before Microsoft gets ownership of the manufacturing plant in Chennai. The reason for the delay may perhaps lie in Nokia’s and Microsoft’s respective plan-of-actions.
The plant may be shut down in case of non-payment. If this happens then Microsoft will lose a key manufacturing plant in India. Employees working in that Chennai factory will lose their jobs and this is certainly not a welcome proposition.
The month of April will give a clear picture as to the status of this financial deal.
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Friday, 21 March 2014

Chinese Micro-Blogging Service WeChat Reportedly “Censored”

The well-known micro-blogging service in China called WeChat seems to be under the censorship drill these days.
Around 40 pages maintained by prominent activists are no longer accessible. Users are getting “account deleted” messages upon trying to access these pages. Moreover, they have also been advised to end their subscriptions with these “affected” pages.
The reason for deleting these pages have not been clearly specified however people who are trying to access these pages are also getting messages that are specifying the reasons for deletion as the violation of rules.
A partial list of blocked pages has been published by the Chinese Digital Times. This partial list of pages has been given below.
  • Observer
  • Poison Tongue’s Poison
  • Political and Economic Observer
  • Blog Daily Online
  • History and Culture Talk
  • Legal Readings
  • Truth Channel
  • Quanmeng (Reading Group)
  • Recommended Reading
  • Luo Changping
  • Xueye Bimen (Banned Books)
  • Teachingroom
  • China Onlooker
  • Economic Bulletin
  • Rule of Law New Observer
  • Corporate Comment
  • Xu Danei’s Newsletter
  • Elephant Magazine
  • Consensus
  • bigriver0052000
  • Foreign Powers
  • Chinese History Daily
  • Phoenix We Media
  • Wuqin Takes the Wide View
  • World Chinese Weekly
  • Hu Saimeng
  • Ran Family Biography
  • Xu Xin
  • China50Plus
  • Youth Notes
  • Wheatfield Bookstore
  • Standpoint
  • Economics Observer
  • Cloud Thinking
  • Know-Write
  • Reporter Station
  • Beijing New Media Stories
  • Backyard Reporter
  • Utopia
WeChat, also known as Weixin in China, has become the popular portal for starting discussions on a wide variety of topics. There have been speculations that this “censorship” act may be a part of the ongoing endeavors to curb social media in China.
Tencent, the company behind WeChat has issued an official statement on Friday in which it has emphasized that the company does not allow any practices which may violate regulatory laws. The blocking of the pages is being seen as a move to curb the dissemination of political rumors.
The major competitor of WeChat has been Sina Welbo which also faced anti-political rumor laws last year. This was quite unexpected because Sina Welbo operates on the basis of closed user groups with a maximum of 40 group members. Moreover, public pages were limited to operate on the basis of one post per day. Nevertheless, last year saw lot of customers defecting to WeChat from Sina Welbo. However, this year with the censorship act, the reverse situation has taken place with lot of customers defecting back to Sina Welbo.
WeChat is Tencent’s flagship product with an estimated active user-base of 300 million. The lion’s share of this active user-base comes from the Chinese mainland but the number of users signing in from abroad is also seeing an increase.
The future for WeChat, or rather for Tencent’s ambitions for global operations, certainly seems grim with these 40 pages getting blocked – most of them cater to a notable number of users across the globe.
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Wednesday, 19 March 2014

Passwords! Get them right and out-of-sight!

Cyber crime has seen an increase despite the stringent cyber-security laws that have been put in place by many countries. So, on the grassroot level, the first and the foremost activity is to create a safe and dependable password.
Creating a secure password is an activity applicable for all those who use the internet. Hence, irrespective of being either a casual surfer or a professional running a website, you should understand the importance of creating a secure password.
Critics might say that securing a safe password is next to impossible these days with the advance level of technologies used by hackers these days. However, the habit of creating secure passwords is one that stands in defiance against any level of advanced technology used for hacking.
An effective employment of common sense will provide you with many unsaid rules while creating passwords. However, there are some basic rules and best practices for creating and securing passwords which are extremely useful. Some of them have been given below.
A STRONG PASSWORD SHOULD:
  • Be at 8-characters long
  • Never have any name identifying you, for example: Your user name, real name, and company name
  • Never have a complete word
  • Not seem similar to your other passwords
A STRONG PASSWORD SHOULD ALWAYS BE A MIX OF THE FOLLOWING:
  • Uppercase letters: A, B, C … Z
  • Lowercase letters: a, b, c … z
  • Numbers: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9
  • Symbols found in a standard QWERTY keyboard: ` ~ ! @ # $ % ^ & * () _ - + = { } [ ] \ | : ; " ' < > , . ? /
A SMART WAY TO CREATE A PASSWORD:
  • Create an acronym from an easy-to-remember phrase. For example: The geeks will win the World Series in 2015!
  • Create the acronym by retaining the initial letters, punctuation symbols and numbers.
  • Tgwwtwsi2015! You have a password in place!
DESIST FROM TESTING NEWLY CREATED PASSWORDS ON PASSWORD STRENGTH-CHECKING WEBSITES
  • Most of these websites are not secure
  • Some websites will even provide you with a cautionary message alerting you about the potential threats
ALWAYS CREATE A DIFFERENT PASSWORD FOR A DIFFERENT SERVICE
DURING REMEMBERING PASSWORDS:
  • Never get into the habit of memorizing them, irrespective of how good a memory you might have.
  • Never resort to the old-school method of writing down all your passwords on a piece of paper and keeping it in a safe location. You never know! Life is absolutely unpredictable especially in circumstances which might not be so comfortable for you. In this case, discovery of that piece of paper.
STAY SAFE FROM PHISING ATTACKS
Simply, never click a secure link directly from your e-mail. Make a habit of opening the browser and typing in the URL to gain access. If you do this, then you are safe from phishing attacks.
What is a phishing attack? A phishing attack is simply an e-mail that masquerades as a message from a website deemed to be a trusted source. For example: A message from a Credit Card Company or a bank.
GLANCE ART ON KEYBOARD:
Create a password that has letters which when seen in terms of their placement make up a letter. For example: Glance at your keyboard for this particular password: 1qazdrfvgy7. Look close and you will discover that the numbers and letters together make up the letter W of the English language.
These are some of the basic rules that you can use. These days, there are password managers available for download. Now, there are advantages and disadvantages of the password manager software. The advantages depend on the brand you choose however a general benefit is that this software stores and encrypts all your passwords. However, the major disadvantage is that this software too requires a password and this “master-password” has to be super-strong and extremely hard to crack. Although, creating such “beefed-up” “master-password” is possible but the element of risk is always there.
So get into the habit of creating passwords that are super-strong themselves and are capable of serving as “master-passwords.”
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Tuesday, 18 March 2014

3D Printing for Facial Reconstruction: An 8-hour Long Story

According to a publication in The Conversation, the technology of 3D printing has been successfully used to restore the face of a man.
29-year-old Stephen Power suffered a horrible bike accident which caused severe facial fractures. However, surgeons at Morrison Hospital, Swansea successfully recreated his face using the technology of 3D printing.
This is probably the first time when medical science and product designing have been bought together on a common platform to perform a facial reconstruction surgery.
Surgeons at Morrison Hospital were able to fix some of the facial surgeries however they were apprehensive about conducting plastic surgeries on the left cheek and eye socket because of the possible damage to the eye sight. This is where 3D printing came to their rescue.
A joint effort was then undertaken by surgeons at the Morrison Hospital and the National Centre for Product Design and Development Research (PDR) at Cardiff Metropolitan University. First, 3D scans of the face were undertaken and then models of Power’s skull were created on the basis of those scans.
These models were then analyzed to figure out the placement areas for new bones and surgical guides. A virtual surgery was planned on the computer screen and every step was mapped with the required action on the model created.
The next step involved the creation of the 3D implants from medical-grade titanium. The final step was the 8-hour long operation which involved the recreation of Power’s face using these implants.
Dr. Adrian Sugar, the consultant maxillofacial surgeon, said that the usage of this technology enabled them to conduct a well-planned surgery and the ability of virtually conducting as per plans and thereby figuring out possible loopholes. As a result, the actual operation, took place in a flawless manner.
Dr. Adrian Sugar and Sean Peel talked about the operation in an interview with BBCs Hywel Griffith. Sean Peel is the Prosthetic Design Engineer and along with Dr. Adrian Sugar, he explained the various precursors to the operation. Dr. Sugar also gave an idea about the process followed during the operation.
In the interview, Dr. Sugar talked about the usage of metal guides at each stage of the surgical process for cutting and bones and repositioning them. He also talked about the insertion of custom-made fixation plates into the gaps of the guide and the fixing of the bones and then the corresponding removal of the surgical guides.
The impact of 3D printing was clarified by Sean Peel who said this technology has progressed ahead from creating anatomical replicas for medical usage to actual replacements that match healthy body parts. According to him, a step further in this regard is the creation of surgical guides enabling repositioning of bones and therefore restructuring.
The usage of 3D printing is a bright step ahead in medical science with many well-known surgeons of the world vouching for this technology.

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Friday, 14 March 2014

Scientists Discover the Fossil of a Tiny T-Rex in the Freezing Arctic Landscape

This is a tale of discovering the apex predator of the Arctic Circle who could call the Tyrannosaurus Rex his elder brother and was no less fearsome – Ferociousness runs in the Tyrannosauridae family.
Dubbed as the Nanuqsaurus Hoglundi (polar-bear lizard), this new species has been estimated to be no taller than an average human being. The search started long back in 2006 and its fossilized skull fragments have been finally discovered in the region around the Prince Creek’s Formation on the Northern Slope of Alaska.
Although this dinosaur has been named after a polar bear, the climatic conditions at that time resembled the climate of the modern-day northern USA or southern Canada – A climatic condition which a polar bear would not prefer at all.
Nanuqsaurus Hoglundi roamed the cold, arctic landscape in search for its prey around 70-billion years ago during the Late Cretaceous era. It was not the sole predator in the arctic region at that time because fossilized remains of another carnivorous dinosaur called Troodon have been discovered prior to this particular discovery.
The discovery has been undertaken on the basis of only four skull fragments. Based on these fragments, scientists have been able to determine:
  • The skull size
  • The body size
The discovery is an exciting one especially because it gives us an idea about the biological richness of the arctic region at a time when the Earth was much warmer than it is today. Moreover, this discovery is also a step ahead in understanding the dominant variety present in tyrannosaurid ecology.
To this day, the search for more fragments is continuing with a passionate zeal in the Alaskan Tundra. The hopes are high that more fragments will be discovered as a result of arduous efforts of many determined and dedicated minds.
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Thursday, 13 March 2014

The Five Practices for a Glittering Toothbrush

Toothbrushes – they have been busy cleaning our teeth for a long time now, around 5000 years. The science of cleaning teeth has been handed down through generations – From the ancient “chew stick” to ivory, wood, or bone handled devices having hog or boar bristles. But do we know how to take care of our toothbrushes? Although, there are many dentists and scientists who have asked this question time and again, but are there any dentists or scientists who have given an answer that normal Americans can relate to. This is where Dr. Gerry Curatola comes in to save the day. An oral health and wellness expert, Dr. Curatola puts forth some simple practices that are so simple that most people perhaps have never given a thought to them.
The remaining portion of this blog put forth these practices in a simple manner.
DISTANCE FROM THE TOILET: SIX FEET?
Is your toothbrush stored within a distance of six feet from your toilet? If it is, then you should change its location simply because a toothbrush which is kept within a distance of six feet from the toilet is susceptible to fecal matter and microbes which are harmful.
WHERE DO YOU STORE YOUR TOOTHBRUSH: A PLASTIC CONTAINER?
Did you know that plastic containers act as ideal breeding grounds for bacteria and microbes? You would be inviting all those nasty microbes to infect your teeth if you keep your toothbrush inside a plastic container.
A fabric toothbrush shield should be an ideal choice for storing your toothbrush. This choice is also a good one according to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta which has recommended the use of fabric toothbrush shield for storing toothbrushes.
ARE YOU USING THE MICROWAVE FOR DISINFECTING YOUR TOOTHBRUSH?
You are certainly committing nothing short of a debacle if you are using the microwave for cleaning your toothbrush. Remember, toothbrushes these days are normally made from microwave-susceptible materials: Plastic, nylon or silicone. The bristles themselves are mostly made of nylon irrespective of brands. Extensive damage is done when toothbrushes are subjected to microwaves. Nylon bristles certainly become ineffective.
Furthermore, a plastic toothbrush inside a microwave can also lead to the creation of bisphenol-A (BPA), which is a chemical plastic notorious for causing a variety of health-related problems with cancer being one of them.
Take your dirty toothbrush and clean it by rinsing it with soap in lukewarm water. After that, store it inside a fabric toothbrush shield.
Ideally, you should keep yourself in the habit of buying a toothbrush at least four times in a year.
WAKE UP! THE TOOTHPASTE IS NOT A DISINFECTANT FOR THE TOOTHBRUSH!
Pondering over which brand to select? Will it be the one that you usually select? Will it be the new brand that seems quite promising by a cursory look at the product packaging and the product itself? Do not be intimidated by this triad of questions. Instead just invest some time and look at the advertising content present on the product itself or on those huge banners. Do they say that contain the word: antibacterial? There’s your one definite answer. Toothpastes which claim to be antibacterial should not be bought. Toothpastes have no impact on the brush and those antibacterial ones are not the actual guardians against harmful bacteria.
THE FRIENDSHIP OF EMULSIFIERS AND TOOTHPASTES IS NOT GOOD!
A fact about toothbrushes using toothpastes that are chemical-intensive is that they end up being harmful rather than being protective. Sodium lauryl sulfate and triclosan copolymer are some of the chemicals that should be watched out for.
Sodium lauryl sulphate is an emulsifier leads to irritation to the mouth and has been known to cause canker sores. Triclosan copolymer is an antibacterial and antifungal agent and can lead to an increase in the strains of resistant bacteria.
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Megathrust Earthquakes: The Horror!

11th March 2011, 2: 45 PM, local time Japan, a day, a time, a moment which saw what can be termed as the worst natural disasters for Japan – A magnitude-9 earthquake ruptured the fault line that spreads across 500 km along the northeastern coast of Japan. This earthquake was the fifth largest in the world as per some reports by eminent scientists. The earthquake was followed with a giant tsunami whose size was so overwhelming that the 18-feet tsunami walls near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was literally “drowned” by waves which were, according to some horrified eyewitnesses, around 25-feet high. The death toll still remains unconfirmed as of this day and so do the number of missing persons. The capital city of Tokyo was witness to swaying skyscrapers which were reputedly built with “earthquake-safety” mechanisms.
The above paragraph is by no means a proper account of the destruction that took place on 11th March 2011 but it certainly gives an idea about the destructive power of an earthquake. So it certainly makes sense to know about megathrust earthquakes and their potential power for untold destruction.
Residents of Seattle, one of the cities falling under the Pacific Northwest belt (A huge stretch from Northern California to Canada) along with Vancouver and California are standing right next to the gates of destruction.
Californians certainly need to start preparing for a megathrust earthquake on a proactive note. The San Andreas Fault is right next door for them and if a megathrust earthquake does take place (let’s hope it never does take place) then California will be the first city in the path towards absolute destruction.
These days, everyone is talking about the next megathrust earthquake and what is more alarming its possibility of taking place along the Pacific Northwestern belt. In other words, the poem of Hellenic savagery can be written right here.
The government has certainly been on a proactive note for preparing the general public for this possible megathrust earthquake. But have the preparations started too late? Authorities have started conducting mock-evacuation drills and situational-awareness about earthquakes has begun to be taught to children in schools. Emergency services are in full swing with trainings and preparations for the “big one.”
But can a megathrust earthquake really happen in USA? Well, a lot of people think that such a quake can indeed take place. The numbers do not seem to be too appalling. However, scientists are speculating that the chances for a megathrust earthquake in the near-future are quite high. According to them, the Cascadia subduction zone present underwater of the Pacific Northwest coast is on the verge of reaching their maximum tolerance point.
A subduction zone is a huge gash in the earth’s crust and is the zone where one of the tectonic plates making up the earth’s crust is pushed under the other. And a megathrust earthquake happens when the strain on the tectonic plate that is pushed under reaches the point where this plate slips to bulge upwards and slide suddenly.
Are there any corresponding effects? Yes, there are many and the one that strikes out the most goes by the name of Tsunami – A mammoth wave. A Tsunami takes place when the energy from the sliding motion results in a huge amount of energy getting transferred on to the sea bed and resulting in the corresponding creation of a wave having a magnanimous oscillation rate.
Hence, a deadly combination of a megathrust earthquake and a tsunami is certainly a troublesome aspect to worry about. And this combination is more likely to take place in a subduction zone. Hence, with the speculations now in place about a possible megathrust earthquake in the Pacific Northwest in the Cascadia subduction zone the cause for concern is quite high.
  
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Wednesday, 12 March 2014

Does learning take place in multiple ways?

As a parent, I certainly would wonder about the best way in which my child can learn and move ahead. This mindset fortifies its place in those little grey cells dwelling within our craniums from the time our children start their formal education. A probable question that arises is that learning starts only from the time our children start their formal education?
Studies have shown the rampant stupidity of this question as many scientists and professors vouch for the fact that learning starts from infancy. Some of them, notably Dr. Rita Dunn and her husband Dr. Kenneth Dunn maintain that learning happens in multiple ways, or styles.
Dr. Rita Dunn is the Director of the Center for Study of Learning and Teaching Styles, St. John’s University, New York and Dr. Kenneth Dunn is the Professor and Coordinator, Educational Leadership Program, Department of Educational and Community Programs, Queens College, New York.
Together, they share nearly 25 years in the study and analysis of learning styles prevalent in the world today. According to them, the styles which are most commonly seen are:
  • Auditory
  • Visual
  • Tactile
According to their findings, learning starts right from infancy and the actions and reactions of infants give way to their preferred style of learning: Auditory, visual or tactile.
Infants who prefer the auditory style are more attuned to learning by hearing. Infants who are visual learners get attracted to motion, color, and shape. Infants who are tactile learners are ones who learn by quenching their curiosity about the world through crawling, standing and walking towards the objects of their attention.
The Dunns have in fact formulated a learning model called the Dunn and Dunn Learning Style Model which is designed on the basis of the theory that children learn in different ways and styles. The fact that this model is a valid one can be seen from its inclusion in the International Learning Styles Network.
Learning therefore does take place in different ways and another proponent to this theory would be the Felder-Silverman Learning Style Model. Formulated by Dr. Richard M. Felder and Dr. Linda K. Silverman, this model classifies the preferences of learners under the following dimensions:
  • Active learners and reflective learners
  • Sensing learners and intuitive learners
  • Visual learners and verbal learners
  • Sequential learners and global learners
The Index of Learning Styles (ILS) has been created as an online instrument for assessing the preferences of learners given in the aforementioned list. This model has been developed by Dr. Richard M. Felder and Barbara A. Soloman of the North Carolina State University. It goes without saying that the presence of this online instrument is statement of the fact that learning does take place in different ways.
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Thursday, 6 March 2014

A Tornado: Know About It but Never Forget To Stay Prepared For It

A grim outset:
March 18th, 1925 – The Tri-State Tornado – 695 deaths
May 11th, 1953 – The Waco Tornado – 114 deaths
May 7th, 1840 – The Natchez Tornado – 317 deaths
April 5th, 1936 – The Tupelo Tornado – 216 deaths
April 6th, 1936 – The Gainesville Tornado – 203 deaths
April 9th, 1947 – The Woodward Tornado – 181 deaths
April 24th, 1908 – The Amite/Purvis/Pine Tornado – 143 deaths
June 12th, 1899 – The New Richmond Tornado – 117 deaths
June 8th, 1953 – The Flint-Beecher Tornado – 116 deaths
May 27th, 1986 – The St. Louis Tornado – 255 deaths
Note: Figures have been taken from: www.spc.noaa.gov
Do the figures tell the horrific tales and endless misery of countless families destroyed? There might not be a soul that would differ. However, for all those who still beg to differ I would request them to have a look at the next few lines.
May 20, 2013: Who can forget those evening hours of May 20, 2013 when the Moore Tornado wielded its destructive force across its path starting from the west side of Newcastle and then following a east-northeastward path across the city of Moore and certain parts of South Oklahoma city and ending at Lake Stanley Draper. Classified as an EF-5 (EF stands for Enhanced Fujita and refers to a tracking scale followed for measuring the intensity of tornadoes), this tornado ended the lives of 23 people and left its mark on many others. It was not the only terror that day because several other tornadoes made their presence felt in Stephens and Lincoln counties.
April 26, 1989: Perhaps the darkest day in the world when it comes to human deaths due to tornadoes. This day witnessed the appalling Daulatpur–Saturia tornado in Bangladesh taking around 1300 lives and causing destruction to the extent that in some places the existence of any building were made through skeletons of trees.
The title sure does make sense now after the information presented in the above paragraphs. The next few lines are a humble effort for laying down some of the basic rules required to be followed for surviving a tornado.
Tornado spotting: Unpredictability! This is the word that goes well with tornadoes. Because a tornado can happen at any time of the year and during a tornado a single twister can lead to twin twisters as well. A tornado also has quite an uncanny knack of changing its path hence a tornado heading west may suddenly change direction and head east.

Can a tornado be spotted at the time of formation? Yes! It is visible as a transparent funnel shape until the time it starts accumulating dust and debris.

Look out for the standard warning signs for a tornado: a dark, often greenish sky; a constant roar, somewhat resembling the sound of a freight train; a hailstorm; and large, dark, and low-lying clouds.
Preparation: The most important thing to remember while preparing is the element of reality. Preparation with a hyper-enthusiastic attitude or a reluctant attitude will not be helpful. One has to be realistic while preparing for a tornado.
Allocate specific tasks for your family members. For example, your son will be in charge of deciding the emergency meeting spot. Your daughter will have to take care of your pet dog while your father will be in charge of stocking the storm-shelter with emergency rations.
Note the following important points:
  • Do not forget to assign a family member with the tasks of switching of electricity mains, water, and gas.
  • Keep a first-aid kit (make sure it is not short of medical supplies).
  • Keep a flashlight and lots of batteries for it.
  • Get impact-resistant windows for your house.
  • Get doors having at least three hinges and a deadbolt lock with a 1-inch long bolt.
  • Get permanent wooden or metal stiffeners for your garage door.
  • Strengthen your roof covering and the sheathing beneath it so that they are capable of resisting high-velocity winds.
  • You may love your garden but replace the garden landscape with mulch and shredded bark and do away with gravel and rock.
  • Be a responsible and far-sighting gardener and trim the adjoining trees and shrubs. Cut down the branches trees that seem weak and therefore capable of breaking and falling on top of the roof of neighbor’s house or your house.
That “moment” before the tornado:

  • There are many precautionary acts depending on the geographical location but some of the common points are listed below.
  • Do not switch off the weather channel! Monitor the tornado-warning announcements made there and also on the local television and radio broadcasts.
  • Move loose furniture to a secure location (ideally the basement) and remove all grills from doors and windows
  • If you choose to stay within your house then lean a mattress against the wall of the room you are in
  • Get lots of flashlights and lots of batteries. Do not forget to get a hand-cranked/battery-operated radio too.
  • If you reside in a mobile home then do not waste time in making these preparations. Simply, drive quickly as you can to the nearest shelter you can find.

Moments after the tornado:

Listed down below are the most important points and considerations for you to take note of after a tornado:

In case, you had to leave your house then:

  • Do not forget to check for structural integrity of the house before going inside (i.e. check for the severity of the crack in walls, dangling wiring, broken window panes etc.)
  • DO NOT USE A CANDLE OR A LIGHTER IN CASE OF DARKNESS. LEAKING GAS MAY IGNITE WITH THE SLIGHTEST SPARK! Use a flashlight instead.
  • Get an electrician to check the electrical system and only after that turn on the lights!
  • Document a list of damaged items and create an inventory for evidence. Gather your insurance papers and go to the insurance office for damage claims.

This blog post does not claim to be an exhaustible document for tips on tornado survival. However, should a tornado ever strike within your vicinity and you should benefit from the information given here then my pen will have served its purpose.
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