Einstein storey: higher you stay, faster you age

Theory That Time Passes Faster As One Goes Further Away From Earth, Works On Human Scale Too: Study

London: If you live on the top floor of a skyscraper, you may age faster than those living in the ground floor, American scientists have claimed citing Einstein’s theory of relativity. 
    Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Colorado, have demonstrated that one of Albert Einstein’s theories of relativity that the further away from the Earth you are, the faster time passes works even on a human scale. 
    That means — even though the differences are tiny — people will really age faster if they live on the top floor of a skyscraper than in a bungalow, the Telegraph reported. 
    The discovery confirms a theory first proposed by Einstein that clocks run faster the further away from the ground they are — a phenomenon that works in space rockets and aircraft as the forward movement offsets the height. Using a pair of the world’s most precise clocks, physicists at the NIST, discovered that simply going upstairs will make you age faster. 
    If one of the clocks was moved just a foot higher, then it ran a little bit faster — albeit by a tiny fraction of a second, they found. So, taking just a couple of steps upwards will remove 90 billionths of a second to a 79-year lifetime, they said. 
    By moving about 10 feet to the top of the stairs, one would age quicker by 900 billionths of a second. And if you were to spend your life at the top of the 102-storey Empire State Building (1250 feet) you would lose 104 millionths of a second, said James Chin-Wen Chou, co-author of the study. 
    The researchers used “quantum logic” atomic clocks which can keep time to within one second over 3.7 billion years. 
    They proved the theory that clocks at higher elevations run faster because they are subject to less gravitational force. 
    A NIST spokesman, however, said the phenomenon, called “gravitational time dilation”, would not impact people’s lives. 
    “The difference is much too small for humans to perceive but it may provide practical applications in geophysics and other fields,” he said. 

    According to Einstein’s theory of relativity, big objects with lots of gravity — planets or stars — bend the fabric of time and space, like bowling balls on a trampoline. The closer you get to these objects, the stronger the pull of gravity and the slower time moves. An astronaut watching a clock fall into a black hole, for example, would see its hands gradually slow down as gravity increases. PT

Moneyless World: What would a moneyless world look like?

A moneyless world operating on a gift economy -- one where people give and receive freely instead of paying for things -- might seem unimaginable, but try to think back and remember the last time you saw a squirrel whip out a credit card to buy an acorn. Thought so. A moneyless world already exists all around us -- the squirrel needs an acorn, the squirrel takes an acorn. A bear needs a fish, a bear takes a fish. But it never takes more than it needs. And that's a very critical point.
The basic idea, which relatively few -- but definitely some -- people actively endorse at this time, is that we're a community of humans, and if we can all rely on one another, then no one has to struggle for basic necessities or suffer in miserable poverty. It's even more basic than a barter system, which is based on trade. It's all about generosity and gratitude, not envy or greed.

For a gift economy to work, everyone would have to continuously focus on being as productive as possible. Things wouldn't work if certain folks did nothing or waited for a handout. Next, if you possessed or produced something you didn't need, you'd give it to someone who did without complaint. If you needed something (and crucially, that's "need," not "want"), you'd take it without feelings of guilt.

During the transition, people would need to focus on decreasing ownership of unnecessary stuff that serves little practical purpose -- although that doesn't mean all technology would be thrown out the window. It does, however, mean that wastefulness would have to be kept to an absolute minimum. Uneaten food, unused parts -- throwing still-useful items into landfills and oceans would need to cease so there was more available for distribution among us.

So how does this play out in real life? Take the people of Anuta, an island in the Solomon Islands archipelago. They maintain a modern gift economy on their tiny scrap of land by practicing a philosophy they call Aropa. Lots of things are shared freely among the families on the island -- everything from land to food -- so nobody ever struggles next-door to prosperous neighbors. All the islanders are responsible for farming patches of land, and since they practice a sort of crop rotation, highly prized yet delicate crops are given freely to families currently stuck farming sturdier, less desirable items.


A few folks on Anuta do occasionally earn money (fisherman, for example, and islanders who travel to other lands to work), but that money is mainly used to purchase manufactured goods which are brought back to the island for people to share and share alike.

So while only a limited number of people now live the moneyless life, could it work on a global scale? It would be a massive transition, and an incredibly complicated shift in cultural ideology, but perhaps someday the time will be right to embrace the lifestyle of squirrels, fish and bears -- as well as the people of Anuta.

Unsolved Brain Mystery - The Conundrum of Consciousness

This section might just "blow your mind," to use a common expression. But do you even have a mind? Scientists don't know where the brain ends and the mind begins. Are they the same thing? What about souls? Are these located in our brains? What is responsible for all of the unique thoughts and feelings that make us who we are? Everyone from philosophers to physicists has taken up this question of consciousness and come up empty.


For a long time, the study of consciousness was considered too far out to study. How do you scientifically study something so subjective? How can what one person feels become something that another person can quantify? But now, in their relentless pursuit to understand every single thing about the world, scientists are trying to figure out what exactly is going on with consciousness.

Though questions about the nature of a soul, a mind and brain leave questions as to whether this issue is in the realm of scientists, the brain is likely involved in some way with our conscious thoughts. With the help of brain imaging, scientists can watch different parts of the brain light up, and they know they can alter the brain and our consciousness with surgeries or chemicals [sources: Eagleman, Pinker]. But what scientists don't know is at what stage of the process a firing neuron becomes a conscious thought. The things that make up consciousness may be scattered all over the brain, with different cranial parts responsible for different pieces of a person. But, as I've mentioned, there are tons of other brain mysteries about how these parts might work together.

Scientists are also trying to figure out the relationship between conscious and unconscious experiences. There are some things -- like breathing and maintaining a regular heart beat -- that we don't have to think about. How are these unconscious actions wired differently than the conscious ones? Is there any difference at all? We like to think we make our own decisions, but one recent study shows that we may not even do that. This study found that by using brain scanners, researchers could predict how a person was going to act a full seven seconds before the person knew that a decision had been made [source Keim]. Our consciousness might just be an illusion.

It's possible that something like free will could enter into the equation at the last possible moment, overriding the decision made by the brain. The researchers in the study also admitted that this test was best suited to a simple laboratory test that involved pushing a button, as opposed to a more important decision like taking a job [source: Keim].


Will we ever solve these brain mysteries? Who knows -- our instrument for doing so is the very one we're trying to figure out.

World's 11 most expensive homes

ealth, it would appear, is the most talked about element of human existence. People are ever eager to cull information about billionaires, their lifestyle, residences, stories of opulence, etc.

A curiosity to know about billionaires' residences stems from that very urge. Here are some interesting facts about 10 most expensive houses in the world. Read on . . .

Interestingly the first place is occupied by Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani's house.

1. Antilla, Mumbai -- $2 billion, say reports

Named Antilla, the house owned by Mukesh and Nita Ambani, is a 27-storey, 40,000-square foot tower.

Known for its custom measurements and fittings, Antilla comes with a six-story car park.

The house has been designed after consultation with architecture firms Perkins and Will & Hirsch Bedner Associates based in Dallas and Los Angeles.

No floors in their home are alike. Each floor has a different layout, material and design.

Atop the parking lot begins the living space with nine elevators in their lobby. The house also boasts of a silver coloured railing large ballroom with 80 per cent of its ceiling covered with crystal chandeliers.

The 570-foot tall mostly glass, the tower has 600 staff to handle the chores. There is a crystal chandelier in the ballroom ceiling.

It also features retractable showcases for artwork and entertainment stages. Each floor is double the average height.

The head of Reliance Industries, a oil and petrochemicals giant, Mukesh Ambani holds a net worth of $43 billion.

2. Villa Leopolda, French Riviera -- $506 million

This villa was built in 1902 by King Leopold II of Belgium.

It belonged to Lebanese banker Edmond Safra. It is now owned by Safra's wife, Lily.

This is an 80,000-square foot estate furnished with beautiful antiques. It boasts of 19 bedrooms, courts, a bowling alley, multiple kitchens and dining rooms and a movie theatre.

The villa has multiple swimming pools and lavish gardens that need more than 50 gardeners for its maintenance.

3. The Penthouse, London -- $200 million

Atop the 82 other apartments at the famous Number One Hyde Park address sits the most expensive flat in the world, at 6,000 pounds (Rs 434,000) per square foot.

The flat has panic rooms, bulletproof windows, iris scanners and even a secret tunnel to the nearby Mandarin Hotel.

The building houses communal spas, squash courts and even wine tasting rooms. This plush apartment has 24-hour room service.

4. Fairfield Pond, The Hamptons -- $170 million

The 63-acre home of American investor and businessman Ira Rennert is considered the largest residential compound in entire America.

The publicity shy billionaire owns the most valuable home in the Hamptons; with 29 bedrooms, 39 bathrooms, as well as a huge dining room (91 feet long), 5 sports courts, bowling alley and a $150,000-hot tub.

 
 

5. Hearst Mansion, Beverly Hills -- $165 million
 

This mansion, formerly owned by publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst, features 29 bedrooms and three pools.

The mansion houses a disco and a theatre. It was the estate used in the film The Godfather.

It is heard that former US President John F Kennedy stayed here during his honeymoon.


 
 


6. Franchuk Villa, Kensington -- $161 million
 

This Victorian Villa was a girl's prep school until 1997.

Bought by developers and upgraded in 2006 with more than 10 million pounds, it was purchased by Ukrainian AIDS philanthropist Elena Franchuk.

This 5-story home is freestanding, with 10 bedrooms, an underground swimming pool, movie theatre, panic room, saunas and gym





7. The Pinnacle, Montana -- $155 million

This luxury ski-lodge is the home of private ski and golf community Yellowstone Club. It is owned by American billionaire Tim and Edra Blixseth.

With 10 bedrooms, this home has heated flooring throughout the house, a heated driveway, fireplaces in all bathrooms, a huge wine cellar, an indoor/outdoor pool, gym and massage room.


 
 
 

8. The Manor, Los Angeles -- $150 million
 

This is American film and television producer Aaron Spelling's 56,000-square-foot mansion . Built for him in 1991, it has 123 rooms.

It has an indoor skating rink, multiple pools, three kitchens, sports courts, private orchard, and a bowling alley.

The mansion has some interesting appendages, such as a doll museum, a room used exclusively to wrap presents and an entire floor dedicated to closet space.

9. Updown Court, Windlesham, Surrey -- $139 million

This 40,000 square foot mansion is bigger than the Buckingham Palace. With 103 rooms, it has been billed 'the most important private residence to be built in England since the 19th century'.

It is said to be owned by crown prince of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

It has a bowling alley, squash court, movie theatre, five swimming pools, a heated marble driveway and a staircase apparently modelled after the one found in Gianni Versace's Miami mansion.

Its most outstanding feature is the 24-carat gold leaf mosaic floor in 22 bedrooms and 27 baths.

10. Hala Ranch Aspen, Colorado -- $135 million

The main house on the property was designed by the architectural firm of Hagman Yaw and built by Hansen Construction of Aspen. The house is said to be owned by Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, a former Saudi ambassador to the United States.

The estate features several smaller buildings, stables, a tennis court and an indoor swimming pool.



 
 


11. L N Mittal's The Kensington Palace Gardens house -- $128.25 million

Steel magnate Lkshmi N Mittal, chairman and chief executive officer of Arcelor Mittal, bought this central London house in 2004.

The 12-bedroom mansion located at the prestigious Kensington Palace Gardens has garage space for 20 cars. Bernie Ecclestone, the Formula One racing boss, who sold the house to Mittal, had bought it for his wife three years ago.

The Kensington Palace Gardens houses are dubbed Billionaires' Row. Nearby are Kensington Palace and the London home of the Sultan of Brunei. It is also close to Kensington Palace where Princess Diana lived.

Mittal also owns a 9-million pounds mansion on London's Bishop Avenue, and a house on Delhi's Prithviraj Road which is said to have cost him Rs 40 crore (Rs 400 million).

Mittal also has a penthouse at Hyde Park and houses in Surabaya, Indonesia, and in Trinidad

Source : Rediff.com

You blink 15 000 times a day

The muscle that lets your eye blink is the fastest muscle in your body. It allows you to blink 5 times a second. On average, you blink 15 000 times a day. That’s about 10 times per minute, or more than five million times a year. Women blink more than men.

Jean-Dominique Bauby, a French journalist suffering from “locked-in” syndrome, wrote the book “The Driving Bell and the Butterfly” by blinking his left eyelid – the only part of his body that could move.

Animals blink too, of course. Some bird species, usually flightless birds, have only a lower eyelid, whereas pigeons use upper and lower lids to blink. Fish and insects do not have eyelids – their eyes are protected by a hardened lens.

To care for your eyes, eat carrots. They really do make you see better. Vitamin A is known to prevent “night blindness,” and carrots are loaded with Vitamin A. Deficiency of Vitamin A actually is a significant world problem, comparable to that of protein deficiency and second only to caloric deficiency.

Carrots also contain fiber, potassium, vitamin C, and beta-carotene, which may reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. Carrots have zero fat content. One carrot provides more than 200% of recommended daily intake of Vitamin A.

Carrots were first cultivated in 500 BC in the Mediterranean regions. The first carrots were purple, white, and yellow. They were introduced in Europe in the 1600s. Orange carrots – the ones we know today – were first grown in Japan in the 17th century, and later made popular by the Dutch.

Mel Blanc, who played the voice of Bugs Bunny, was allergic to carrots.