CULTURAL QA04-2021-28

Being  a compilation there may  be errors 

Q1         Is there any weapon fromhistory that can't be replicated?

A1          Rodra Hascaryo UpdatedFebruary 12, 2020 Studied Aerospace and 
Aeronautical Engineering at Universityof Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

There’s one type of steel whose production method have been lost tohistory but 
people are still trying to replicate today: Damascus steel.

Damascus steel is prettylegendary, because the method of making it is lost to 
history, because of its intricate, beautiful pattern, andalso because of its 
durability. Perhaps more surprisingly, traces of carbonnanotubes have been 
found in real Damascus blades. Now, this is obviously anunintended by product 
of the manufacturing process but it does explain how thematerial became so 
highly regarded to the point of being mythical; it had beensaid that real 
Damascus blades could cut through a gun barrel (most likely amyth; the same way 
that supposedly Japanese WW2 mass-produced katana was saidto have cut through 
hot gun barrels. It’s very unlikely at best).

The term ‘Damascus’ itself isalso hotly debated: What constitutes a proper 
‘Damascus’?

Interestingly, the Damascus steelis not from Damascus. It is actually thought 
to be from India, though it becameassociated with Persia and the Arab world. In 
fact, it got as far as Russia, where it was called ‘Bulat’. 

There are plenty of theories howthey became called ‘Damascus’, like that 
Europeans who first encountered itfound it in Damascus (back thenone of the 
centers of sword production), or it was a corruption of a renownedArab 
swordmaker’s name who made these, and so on. 

Regardless, people from Damascusdo not refer to this steel as ‘Damascus’. The 
truth of the origin of the name is also likely lost to history.

In the 19th century, ‘Damascus’was the term for ‘pattern-welded steel’ that was 
used in making knifes and gunbarrels. And then in the 20th century, people 
started marketing their patterned knifes as ‘Damascus’ to latchon to the fame, 
adding further to the confusion.

Scientists and engineers havebeen trying to recreate the material from current 
samples, but so far they could only come close but not exactlyreplicate the 
process. To make them properly, a smith would need the correctraw materials and 
knowledge of the procedures, both of which probably willnever be found again.

HOWEVER, by today’s standards, Damascus isn’t all that special withregards to 
its strength, the same way that Japanese swords aren’t particularlysuperior to 
European or other types of swords. Back then, however, seeingsomething so 
beautiful and yet durable must have been nearly magical.

Q2         Is fire consideredtechnology?

A2          Patrick Banner, B.S.Physics & Mathematics, Liberal Arts Colleges 
Answered 13m ago

No. Controlled fire, and the toolsused to make it, are considered “technology” 
in the broad sociological sense, but often not in the everyday use.

Q3         Is it true that sleepingonce every 24 hours straight through the 
night is a relatively modern thing forhumans?

A3          Rosemary Lee 12m ago FormerRetired Nurse

Yes. In themiddle ages, folk had what they called the first and second 
sleeps.So they went to bed when it got dark, then some hours later got up and 
did who knows what, thenwent for the second sleep.

 

Q3         What is your salary? Areyou happy with it?

A3          Bhawna Kargeti Mon AssistantManager at Bank of Baroda (BOB)

I am currently working with a nationalised bank. I am a 26yrs old girlposted at 
kota .Mygross pay is around 62k and net pay is around 55k ( in hand).I havenot 
included the perks and allowances we get. Get a lease of 13k. Refreshment and 
houseallowance of 1k , petrol 40 litres, and other quarterly and yearly 
allowances.

Am I happy with my salary??

When I joined bank my main focus was to earn a decent salary. I used tosave a 
lot .And my salary is pretty much good for me as my needs are not huge.

Salary is decent and I am happywith it but with Banking workload sometimes I 
think that may be we deservemore.

We face workload pressure, customers will shout at you for no reason! 😂 As it 
is said — घर की भड़ास बैंक आकर निकलती है😆

There was a time when people respected bankers like anything but nowadaysthey 
have this perception that Bankers do not wish to work.

Honestly speaking we only know howmuch pressure we have to work. Wehave to 
answer the queries of customers repeatedly specially when you areposted at a 
place where population is not that much educated but that's finecoz we are paid 
for that.

But in the end I am just finewith what I earn but yes wish to move to some 
other profession where I can havemy peace of mind too😁

 

Q4         An ancient city largerthan Athens. Did you ever know about 
Sisupalgarh?

A4          Sun Posted by BhanuPratap The lost City Of Sisupalgarh. Take a look 
at the iron ramparts in thispicture.

They are the last remains ofthe ancient fortified capital of Kalinga known as 
Sisupalgarh.

This city dates back to 5thcentury BC (according to ArchaeologistMonica Smith) 
and it housed 20,000-25,000 people back then.

The city was bigger than Athens. The pillars you see in this picture area part 
of the outer fortification of the city.

As such, Sisupalgarh is one ofthe largest cities of the ancient world.

It was this city that Ashoka invaded during his Kalinga war. Hisinscription at 
Dhauli was found 6 KM from this place.

Sisupalgarh continued to thriveafter the Kalinga war. The city remained settled 
until 4th century CE when itgradually began declining.

Source- Excavations at Sisupalgarh, 2008

R.K. Mohanty and Monica L. Smith Credit-TrueIndology

Q5         Who developed the theorythat the sun is the center of the solar 
system?

A5         3Answers  Mike Cavedon Answered29m ago

Heliocentrism - WikipediaHeliocentrism - Wikipedia

The first person known to haveproposed a heliocentric system was Aristarchus of 
Samos (c. 270 BC). Like his contemporary Eratosthenes,Aristarchus calculated 
the size of the Earth and measured the sizes anddistances of the Sun and Moon. 
From his estimates, he concluded that the Sunwas six to seven times wider than 
the Earth, and thought that the larger objectwould have the most attractive 
force.

What is the heliocentric modelof the universe?

The Scientific Revolution, which took in the 16th and 17th centuries, wasa time 
of unprecedented learning and discovery. During this period, the foundations of 
modern sciencewere laid, thanks to breakthroughs in the fields of 
physics,mathematics, chemistry, biology, and astronomy. And when itcomes to 
astronomy, the most influential scholar was definitely Nicolaus Copernicus,the 
man credited with the creation of the Heliocentric model of the universe.

Based on ongoing observations of the motions of the planets, as well asprevious 
theories from classical antiquity and the Islamic World, Copernicus' proposed a 
model of the universe where the Earth, theplanets and the stars all revolved 
around the sun. In so doing, he resolved themathematical problems and 
inconsistencies arising out of the classic geocentricmodel and laid the 
foundations for modern astronomy.

While Copernicus was not the first to propose a model of the solar systemin 
which the Earth and planets revolved around the sun, his model of aheliocentric 
universe was both novel and timely. For one, it came at a timewhen European 
astronomers were struggling to resolve the mathematical andobservational 
problems that arose out of the then-accepted Ptolemaic model ofthe universe, a 
geocentric model proposed in the 2nd century CE.

2nd answer-ScottYoung, Amateur Physicist (1986-present) Answered 23m ago

Aristarchus, then Copernicus,then Galileo. And each one was ridiculed and in 
some cases tortured. Because the church cannot accept thatthe Sun can possibly 
be the centre of the universe. It is ladies andgentlemen, I'm new to religion 
but I don't think God wants us arguing aboutpetty crap that has been settled. 
Humans are arrogant in a dumb way, when youkeep getting the same result after 
centuries, I'd say it's proven. Let's moveon.

3rd answer- MatjazMraz, 30 years working as chemical engineer Answered 47m ago

It's not a theory. It's a proven fact, unless you are Flat EarthBeliever. But 
as I remember from my youth it was my budyCopernikus😀.

Q6         Why is Shree Krishna onlycalled the supreme god head? Why not Shree 
Ram or any other avatar of Vishnu?

A6          Lakshmi Narayanputra SatStudied at 10th Class in India

Lord Vishnu is the supreme personalityof Godhead so it's obvious that all his 
avatars are the supreme too. 

In the Bhagvatam it's mentioned several times that the avatars of LordVishnu 
are Supreme.

Q7         Why is Lord Rama calledPurushottam?

A7          Tarun Yadav April 21 Haveread Gita Press and critical edition of 
Valmiki Ramayan

Sri Rama is incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Purushottama is another name ofLord 
Vishnu. InMahabharata, Sanjaya describes why Krishna (or Lord Vishnu) is also 
called asPurushottama.

He is called Purusottama fromPuru implying 'he that createth and preserveth' 
and so meaning 'he thatdestroyeth, the union signifying one that createth, 
preserveth, and destroyeththe universe'.

Source : KMG

Source : Gita Press

Sage Valmiki in his Ramayana hasdescribed all the qualities of Sri Rama in the 
following manner -

Placing his father’s instructions at the forefront, Rama, with dharma inhis 
soul, performed all the agreeable and pleasant tasks required by thecitizens. 
Supremely attentive, he tended to all the tasks required by theirmothers. All 
the time, he took care of all the tasks required by thepreceptors. In this way, 
because of Rama’s good conduct, Dasharatha, thelearned brahmanas and all the 
residents of the kingdom were delighted. He wasalso peaceful in his soul and 
spoke gently. He did not respond to harsh andloud words spoken by others. He 
was content with whatever good deed was done tohim. Even if a hundred acts of 
injury were committed against him, he did notremember them.

Source : Debroy's Translation

Valmiki further mentions -

Whenever he found time while practising with weapons, he always conversedwith 
those who were aged, whether they were aged in conduct or wisdom, and 
withvirtuous people. His birth was fortunate. He was virtuous and not 
distressed.He was truthful and upright. He was instructed by aged brahmanas who 
wereconversant with dharma and artha. He knew about dharma, artha and kama.4 
Hepossessed memory and innate intelligence. He was skilled and accomplished 
inprevalent customs. He knew about the sacred texts and about how they should 
befollowed. He understood differences among people. He was accomplished in 
policyand knew about whom to reward and whom to punish. He knew about earning 
revenueand was accomplished in the techniques of expenditure.

Source : Debroy's Translation

Valmiki goes on mentioning hisqualities -

He obtained instructions about the best collections of sacred texts andabout 
the ancillary texts. He knew that artha should not be accumulated 
throughadharma. He was not lazy when pursuing pleasure. He was acquainted with 
detailsabout artisanship and the fine arts. He knew how to control and ride 
elephantsand horses. He was best among those who knew about dhanurveda. The 
worldrevered him as an atiratha.5 He was accomplished in commanding armies and 
couldstrike while advancing. The prince exhibited the best of qualities 
whiledealing with the subjects. He was revered in the three worlds and his 
qualitiesof forgiveness was like those of the earth. He was like Brihaspati6 in 
hiswisdom and like Shachi’s consort7 in his valour. He was thus loved by all 
thesubjects and brought joy to his father. Rama was radiant in his qualities, 
likethe sun with its rays. He followed all the vows and his valour 
wasunassailable. The earth desired him as her protector, as if he was a 
guardianof the world.

Source : Debroy's Translation

Because all these supremequalities are found within him, he is called as 
Purushottama.

Q8         What is a life hack thatyou think everybody shouldknow?

A8          Sanyukta Tue StudiesComputer Science Engineering (Expected 2024)

Here are a few 1-minute life hacks I curated for you.

Hate it when you show someone apicture on your phone andthey start scrolling 
through your other pictures?

Just enlarge the picture just a little bit. Then when they go to swipe,they are 
just moving that picture around and not going to your next picture. Itworks!

Do you always insert the USBwrongly?

Let a drop of superglue dry on the up face of your USB. It solidifies andgets 
hard, which means you know which side is up just by rubbing your fingerover it 
and plug it right.

Dropped something fragile?

Don't try to grab it on the way down.

Stick out a foot and let it bounce off your foot. It'll absorb enough ofthe 
speed that whatever it is probably won't break.

Clogged nose?

Make a fist and place your hand above your eyebrows. Tilt your head back,and 
press down on your forehead. You now have one unclogged nose.

Clothes are slightly wrinkled?

Bring them into the bathroom with you when you shower. The steam will relax 
thewrinkles.

see behind you without turningback?

Adjust a picture frame at your desk so you can see behind you with 
thereflection of the glass.

Don’t be bothered?

Wear headphones. You don't evenhave to listen to anything,just wear them. 
People won't bother you, and if they do, pretend you didn'thear them.

Want people on your side whenyou made a mistake?

Say “everything was myfault" and "I have no excuse" and "I'm sorry" and"I 
should have known better." They will defend you. It's crazy.

Put your socks on first beforepants. They're like lube but forpants.

When hanging up shirts, alwaysbutton the top button after youput it on the 
hanger. It keeps the collars nice.

Peel a banana from the bottom,it’s way smoother that way.

All the above QA are based onQuora digest on 28-04 - 2021. Quora answers need 
not be 100% correct answers 

Compiled and posted by R. Gopala krishnan on28 -4- 2021

 

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