CULTURAL QA 03-2021-08 Being a compilation there may be errors
Q1 How can I increase the neuron density in order to thinkdeeply? A1 Ken Saladin UpdatedNovember 3-2020 Professor Emeritus (2017–present) You can’t produce any newneurons. The best you can do is to stimulate them to produce more synapticconnections, prune awaysuperfluous or inefficient ones, and strengthen (facilitate) the existing ones.The way to do that (for thecognitive parts of the brain) is to make a habit of taking on intellectualchallenges. That could entail deep reading (good fiction or nonfiction), mentalpuzzles, games that require analytical thinking, etc. No dietarysupplement will have any effect despite the abundant pseudoscience you may seeon the lnternet. There is no easy way, no “smart pill” you can pop, no “brain power”smoothie, no Wizard of Oz to give you a better brain, no shortcut. lt’s purely a matter of mentalengagement, intellectual effort, and daily habit. Synapses—use them or lose them Brain circuitry—challenge it and improve it, or be lazy and lose it Q2 How do I please Lord Shiva on Shivratri? A2 Sunitha Parapatla6-3-2021Devotee of God Shiva and a Home maker God Shiva, the innocent and the Auspicious one gets easily pleased. Shivais worshipped every second and the Maha Shivaratri is considered veryauspicious and is the festival for which every Shiva devotee waits every year. Anyways, for God Shivadevotees, every day is a Shivaratri. The simple way to please theMahadev and get His blessings are Get up early in the morning and finish shower by 6 am. Later, on empty stomach perform Abhisekham to Shivalinga at home. Do Abhisekham to Shiva linga with any one of these things, water, honey,milk, powdered sugar, kumkum, turmeric powder by chanting Shiva's Ashtothram(108 mantras ). Later apply sandalwood paste as bindi and kumkum on top of it to Shiva. Offer flowers (example Hibuscus, plumeria or white crown or any floweryou have) to Shiva and light lamp in front of Him (below images are yellowplumeria and white crown flowers) Light lamp in front of Shiva and offer Naivedyam to Shiva. Do meditation for few minutes, sitting in front of Shiva. Chant any Stotram or Hymn like Bilvashtakam, Kalabhairava ashtakam andShivashtakam. If you can’t chant any of these, just say Om Namah Shivaya :) Noweat the naivedyam as Prasad. Many people do fasting, so if you can fast it’s good, if it is notpossible also it’s ok. Evening all people go to temple to break their fast, but I prefer to doprayer at home, since I can't stand for so long in the Queue because of myspinal issues. You can do anna_danam, donating food for the poor, while donating justsay Shivarpanam. Else feed any hungry living beings, even animals or birds. Hara Hara Mahadev AnswerRecommended for you Q3 What is one thing that I can learn from you today? A3 Anushka 6-3-2021 StudiesClass 11th in India (Expected 2022) Your hands got dirty while eating outside, you asked him for a tissue paper, you took 4–5tissues, wiped your hands with it, and threw it in the near dustbin. Anything wrong with that? No? Okay, here we go; “At least 17 trees will have tobe cut down and 20,000 gallons of water is contaminated in order to produce aton of tissue paper,” So, next time your hands are dirty, wash, take your personal handkerchief and clean yourhands instead of using tissue paper. My note- Similarly using ofnote books, papers for printing etc. Maximum use must be made of paper andpaper products Q4 What is unique to German homes? A4 Jörg Dennis Krüger UpdatedJune 7, 2020 Living in Germany for over 30 years and counting. There may be many things. But the most fascinating for me are the windowsI saw over the world, which are - compared to German windows - just extremelysimple. In Germany we have two majorchallenges regarding windows: 1.) Over the year we can see a temperature change of up to 50 degreescelcius (from about -10 in winter to about +40 in summer). 2.) Energy efficiency is very important. (That's one reason why there isnot much air conditioning in private homes.) So we do not want windows whichlet heat out in winter - because generating heat is very expensive and resourceintensive. And we want windows which can easily get heat out - because of no airconditioning. So German windows have two quite“unique” features: 1.) Double or even three windowpanes. You can't find any*home (even if the house is 400 years old!) with just single pane windows. Innormal or a bit older apartments and houses you find double pane windows. In high class or newerapartments/houses you almost always see triple pane windows. Inaddition the windows are shutting very well, so no air can get through. Thiskeeps heat inside. 2.) You can open the windows inat least two ways. The first is the "full" way, where you open themlike a door. So really thefull window is open. Second way is just to tilt them, so you open the window onthe top for about 10–15 cm and keep it shut at the bottom. So you can exchange the airinside fast (full) or let the window open all day for continuous air flow(tilt). And of course windows are made tobe quite hard to open from outside. On the picture you see a couple metal elements inside the frame wherethe windows locks when it's closed. And as you see on my windows Iadded some sunlight protection layer. So about 80% of the sun heat is reflectedwhich results in about 5–10 degrees less inside (in summer). So even if I live on the highest floor of my building insummer it does not get so warm that I would need an air condition. *There may be some very old homes or historic building s who have singlepane windows. But as we say "Ausnahmen bestätigen die Regel" (Exceptions confirm the rule).And even most of the historic buildings got upgraded with windows which lookhistoric but are very energy efficient. Q5 What is biotin? What health benefits does biotin havefor hair, nails, and skin? A5 Sandhya Bisht UpdatedMarch 5-2021.Former Doctor at National Institute of Mental Health andNeurosciences (2015–2018) Improve Hair, Nail and SkinHealth with Biotin Supplements. Biotin, a B-complex vitamin, is an enzyme that acts as a catalyst forconverting food into energy in our body. It is also referred to as Vitamin H(the H stands for Haar and Hutt - Hair & Skin.) Further, it keeps organssuch as the nervous system, hair, skin, liver, and eyes healthy. What are the Symptoms of BiotinDeficiency? Symptoms of Biotin deficiency include: Loss of Hair Hair Thinning Skin Rashes (dermatitis) Depression Lethargy Seizures Tingling and Numbness Hallucinations In women, however, Biotin deficiency can also lead to impairment of theimmune system, leaving them more susceptible to infections from bacterias andfungus. What are the primary reasonsfor Biotin Deficiency? Biotin deficiency is rare, but it can be caused by issues such as: Pregnancy Alcoholism Smoking EatingRaw Eggs Other Diseases Pregnancy Pregnancy increases catabolism of nutrients such as biotin, leading totheir deficiency. Now, biotin deficiency, even marginal, can be verydetrimental to the health of the fetus. In fact, studies have proved that amarginal biotin deficiency can cause issues such as skeletal deformity in thefetus. Raw Eggs Some people, especially fans of Rocky, consume raw eggs,which contain Avidin, a protein that binds with biotin and stops its absorption.Cooking the egg deactivates avidin. Smoking Smoking not only depletes biotin levels but also increases the productionof free radicals. If you’re asmoker, then take biotin supplements and consume a lot of antioxidants, such asvitamin c & e and beta-carotene. Alcoholism Frequent alcohol consumption has been linked to a depletion in plasma biotin level and inhibitionof vitamin c absorption by the pancreas. Other Cases Antibiotics can kill the goodbacteria in the gut, resulting in loss of biotin created by these bacteria. Further, anticonvulsant use and diseases like IBSand Crohn’s disease can further decrease biotin absorption. Ask your doctorabout biotin supplements in these cases. What are the natural sources ofBiotin? Natural sources of biotin include: ● Egg and Egg Yolk ● Beef Liver ● Pork Chop ● Catfish ● Nutritional Yeast ●Mushrooms ● Milk How can Biotin Supplements helpyou? Biotin works on the keratin system and amplifies it, resulting in betterhair, skin, and nails. Further, depression and lethargy caused by biotindeficiency can be resolved via supplementation. Note: Take health supplements after consulting your doctor, especially ifyou suffer from some health condition, are pregnant, or are consuming othermedications. Decrease Hair Thinning, Fall, andSplits In many studies, Biotin has proved its efficacy for improving hairhealth. In fact, a review of studies on biotin lead to the conclusion thatbiotin supplements can result in improved nail and hair health. Increase Firmness and Hardness ofNails In one particular study, treating patients with 2.5 mg of biotin per daylead to firmness and hardness of nails. Further, the thickness of nailsincreased by 25 percent. After an average treatment of 5.5 months, 91 percentof participants had improved nail hardness. Improve Skin Health and Shine Just to reiterate, by boosting the keratin system of our body, biotinenables faster production of new skin cells. This ultimately leads to betterand shinier skin. Further, biotin can also help with skin flaking andirritation and treat mild to moderate acne. Biotin has also proved itsefficacy in helping with conditions including ● Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes - Biotinidase ● Scleroderma ● Multiple Sclerosis ● Crohn’s Disease Can consuming Biotin Supplements cause overdose or toxicity? Biotin is a water soluble vitamin, and any extra amount is automaticallyremoved by our body via urination. However, in very extreme instances, toxicityis possible. The symptoms for the same include digestive issues, cramping, andnausea. Which Biotin Supplement is the best for me? Biotin supplements come in many forms including: ● Tables ● Capsules ● Shampoo ●Oil ● Powder However, consuming biotin incapsule form is considered best, asthe body is able to properly absorb the nutrient. Further, biotin works fromthe inside out. It boosts the keratin system, which then increases theproduction of new hair, skin, and nail cells. Biotin supplements, thoughhelpful, only start showing results after 90 days. My note- Added the QA for information since written by a doctor. Neverpurchase the medicines with out doctor’s consultation. Q6 What is the best thing that you learned today? A6 Sunny Dhondkar May 4, 2020 Writer. IIT Bombay, MECE. Have you ever seen this liquid part at the bottom of the refill of a gelpen? I am sure that you stare at this part of the refill every time you get anew refill. Wondering. What is that liquiddoing at the bottom of ink? What could be the use of this liquid? I will tell you about that.The ink that is present inside the refill of agel pen consists of different components.It contains: 1. Pigments. These provide colour to the ink.Copper phthalocyanine is used as apigment for blue colour.Iron oxides are used as pigments for red colour ink.Ingel-pens, pigments are present at high proportions. 2. Gel. This is composed of water and some biopolymers like tragacanth gum andxanthan gum.It provides a medium for the pigments.The gel creates a proper flowof ink, from the body of the refill to the tip. 3. Thickeners. This is a substance which increases the viscosity of a liquid, withoutchanging its physical and chemical properties. Polyacrylate Thickeners are used in gel pens. It is known for itsadhesive properties. This holds the entire gel properly and prohibits the constant flow. Now that I have told you the general contents of a gel pen, I can directly say that gel penshave ink in which pigments are suspended water-based gel. We are concerned about the water-based gel here. If it is kept directly… It will evaporate.Do you get it? Your pen will be empty by thetime you finally decide to study after numerous procrastinations. To stop this evaporation from happening, we insert a silicone paste atthe end of a refill. So, the transparent liquid partat the end of a refill is actually a high viscosity paste made from asilicone-based compound. We use silicone, particularly, because it is water-resistant. So, itdoesn’t mix with the water-based gel. In addition to stopping theevaporation of gel, this paste also works as a stopper fluid, i.e. it stops the ink from flowing out from the bottom side. Note that this isn’t doneintentionally by the company.It is like, an umbrella is made to avoid rains andit can be used to avoid sunlight too. Lol. Post credits: Do you know that we haveinvented erasable-ink pens? A series of Pilot named Frixion was released some years ago. When youwrite something using this pen, you can easily erase it.This pen has an eraserkind of thing at its bottom. I have marked the eraser at its bottom.The pen used something called as Metamo ink.Thisink is thermosensitive. That is, its behaviour isdetermined by the temperature. When the temperature goes above a certain value, the ink disappears. The eraser that is given at thebottom, on constant rubbing on the sheet of paper, increases heat due tofriction. This increased heat makes the ink colourless. Let me explain the chemistry behind this phenomenon. Instead of using simple chemicals as pigments, the Metamo ink containsMicrocapsules as the proper pigmentation. A Microcapsule contains these three components: 1. Colour-change temperature-regulator. 2. Leuco dye 3. Colour developer. The ink is manufactured at a low temperature. At this temperature, the Leuco dye is bonded with Colour developer.Due tothis bond, the ink has a particular colour. Leuco dye produces colour only when it is chemically bonded with theColour developer. By friction, when we increasethe temperature considerably, this bond breaks. Now, a bond is formed betweenthe Colour-change temperature regulator and Colour developer.This makes the inkcolourless. One issue was faced while making this ink.It was necessary to make thetemperature gap as high as possible. Otherwise, if the temperature gap would have been small, the ink wouldhave fluctuated from coloured to colourless without a significant change. It would have been like, you wrote something in your notebook and itvanished only due to the heat your brain gained while you were doing calculus.Lol. All the above QA are based onQuora digest to me on 10-03 - 2021. Quora answers need not be 100% correctanswers Compiled and posted by R. Gopala krishnan on 10-3-2021 -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/1230712012.1354487.1615391985399%40mail.yahoo.com.
