Church made of Human Bones

Truth is sometimes stranger than fiction, and how about 70 kilometers east the capital of the Czech Republic, Prague, lies a small town called Sedlec.
It might have been an ordinary enough town, if not for its extraordinary church.The inside of this church is decorated with artworks made of real human bones.

The story begins in 1218, when a certain Abbot Henry made a pilgrimage to the holy land and brought back a jar full of soil  from cemetery, which he spread over the Church.

As a result the church came to be regarded as more sacred and turned into a popular burial spot .

By 1318, more than 30,000 bodies were buried there and by 1511, it had become necessary to remove the older bones to make place for the new ones.

These later became the material for the macabre creations.
In 1870 a local woodcarver was hired by the Duke of Shwartzenberg to decorate the inside of the church with the human remains (approximately 40,000 sets of human bones).

Attached are some of the pictures of this Boney Church - its simply astonishing

Arianespace to launch India’s INSAT-3D spacecraft on July 26

Computational fluid dynamics simulations have been carried out in-house for incremental effects on protrusion, overall aerodynamic load distribution and distribution on protrusions, according to ISRO.

European space consortium Arianespace would launch India’s INSAT-3D, an exclusive meteorological satellite, from its spaceport of Kourou in French Guiana on July 26.

INSAT-3D is configured with advanced meteorological payloads – a six Channel Imager, 19 Channel Sounder along with data relay transponder and satellite aided search and rescue payloads, an official of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) told PTI here today.

“The spacecraft platform is adopted from the standard I-2K bus with a power handling capability of around 1100 W with a lift off mass of 2090 kg,” the official said.

India has also contracted Arianespace to launch (expected in August) GSAT-7, a multi-band satellite carrying payloads in UHF, S-band, C-band and Ku-band. The satellite employs the standard 2000 kg class bus (I-2K) platform with power handling capability of around 3000 W and lift-off mass of 2550 kg.

ISRO sources said preparations are on at the second launch pad at the spaceport of Sriharikota for the launch of GSLV-D5 (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle-Development flight 5) in August.

GSLV-D5 aerodynamic characterisation has been revisited following the back-to-back failure of GSLV flights — one with indigenous cryogenic engine and another with a Russian-made one in 2010.

Force measurements, steady and unsteady pressure measurements and aero elastic tests have already been conducted using wind tunnel models at National Aerospace Laboratory, Bangalore and Glavkosmos, Russia.

Computational fluid dynamics simulations have been carried out in-house for incremental effects on protrusion, overall aerodynamic load distribution and distribution on protrusions, according to ISRO.

GSLV-D5 would carry GSAT-14 satellite with six extended C band and six Ku band transponders, envisaged to enhance communication transponder capacity.

The satellite employs the standard 2000 Kg class bus (I-2K) with a power handling capability of around 2.5 KW and a lift-off mass of 1980 kg, the space agency added.

Nelson Mandela breathing on his own, says spokesperson

The 94-year-old former South African president and anti-apartheid hero was admitted to hospital early on Saturday after battling the infection for a few days.

Nelson Mandela. – AFP

Nelson Mandela is able to breathe by himself after being admitted to hospital for a recurrent respiratory infection and that is a positive sign, a spokesman for South Africa’s presidency said on Saturday.

The 94-year-old former South African president and anti-apartheid hero was admitted to hospital early on Saturday after battling the infection for a few days.

“What I am told by doctors is that he is breathing on his own and I think that is a positive sign,” presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj said.

“Madiba is a fighter and at his age, as long as he is fighting, he will be fine,” Maharaj said, referring to Mandela by his clan name.

Leonhard Euler honoured by Google doodle

The mathematician introduced most modern terminology and was renowned for his work in mechanics, optics and astronomy

Leonhard Euler, the influential Swiss mathematician, has had the 306th anniversary of his birth honoured by a Google doodle. Photograph: Google

The birth of the Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler has been celebrated by Google with the publishing of an interactive Google doodle.

Euler was arguably the most important mathematician of the 18th century and one of the greatest of all time. He introduced most modern mathematical terminology and notation and was also renowned for his work in mechanics, fluid dynamics, optics, and astronomy.

Euler was born in Basel on 15 April 1707. He was tutored by Johann Bernoulli, a family friend who was also Europe’s leading mathematician. When Euler’s father tried to make him become a pastor, Bernoulli persuaded him that his son had the potential to be a great mathematician.

He travelled to Russia, where he prospered until foreign intellectuals became unpopular and he moved to Berlin. When Catherine the Great succeeded to the throne, Euler returned to Russia, where he died in 1783.

Pope Francis’ women, secrets and future as an idol

The stones on which the Obelisco is elevated, the symbol of the city of Buenos Aires, were placed in 1936. That same year, Jorge Bergoglio, Pope Francis I, was born in the district of Flores, to the west of the city. He grew in that Buenos Aires of old with two great passions; the tango golden era and the popular soccer passion of the people.

Pope Francis’ women

General Peron ruled Argentina when Pope Francis, hardly 12 years of age, proposed to Amalia, an attractive youngster friend. The now smiling old lady shared her story with almost all the Argentine media that the romantic boy gave her a drawing with a small house and a note of promise: “This small house is the one that I am going to buy you when we get married. If we don’t get married, I’ll become a priest.” Amalia never answered that proposal, but the young Bergoglio demonstrated his natural determination and conviction. Some years later, when he was 21-years-old, he entered the seminary.

Camila is a lefty militant, atheist and feminist. She fights for women’s rights and reproductive rights and defends the right of women to a legal abortion. Still, she is a dear friend of Pope Francis who warmly nicknamed her the “troska of God”. Camila is very proud of the great respect that she and the new pope profess to each other, from their diametrically opposed positions.

Maria Elena Bergoglio, the pope’s younger sister, revealed that her brother did, in fact, not want to be Pope, as he considered his chance already having passed for two reasons: In the voting of year 2005, he was second after Pope Benedicto XVI and because he had recently turned 75 years-old. Bergoglio was so certain about not becoming Pope that he told Maria Elena his passage to Rome was a roundtrip. The woman explained that she was sorry not to have been able to communicate with her brother even to congratulate him after the announcement. “When you stop calling me and my telephone is no longer occupied, I will do it!” she joked and concluded, “to have a brother Pope is a God blessing.”

Argentine government’s reaction to Pope Francis’ appointment

The appointment of Cardinal Bergoglio as pope caused confusion first and then disdain among different Argentine government spokesmen. On the very same day as Pope Francis’ appointment, diverse notes were published that indicated suspicions of collaboration between military dictatorship. There were even faked photos circling social media in which Bergoglio was supposedly blessing the ex-general Videla. In just a few short hours, diverse personalities of different political affiliation denied such accusations. Among them, the Nobel Peace prize winner, Perez Esquivel and the former member of the Conadep Graciela, Fernandez Meijide.

Future as an idol

Pope Francis retired his luggage this morning from the House of the Clergy, in via Della Scrofa, and, “he paid the account to give good example,” said Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, in his daily meeting with the journalists.

The new pope speaks Spanish and also Italian, as we heard yesterday, German, English and French, and perhaps also Portuguese. Interestingly, the new Pontiff made a phone call, after being chosen, to former Pope Benedicto XVI.

From his past as Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Pope Francisco always had strong opinions and phrases jeopardized with respect to the different aspects of the political and social reality of Argentina. Subjects like the Tragedy of Once, abortion, gay marriage and drug trafficking were part of his homilies directed to the masses that he gave in the Buenosairean Cathedral.

These are some of the more forceful phrases:

• “Human rights are violated not only by terrorism or repression, but also by extreme poverty.”
• “Gay marriage is one devil action.”
• “You can see death sold at the doors of the schools” (talking about drugs)
• “Abortion is never is a solution. We must accompany and understand in order to save the two lives.”
• “There are irresponsible people in charge who did not fulfill their duties.” (Tragedy of Once)
• “God forgive them for what they just did.” (referring to the cardinals who chose him Pope)
• “They came to look for a Pope from the aim of the world”

Pope Francis is Argentine and the Argentineans know very well how to deify their idols. In this case, that is redundant, of course, but already they have found a higher step on the Argentinity podium. It happened today that Pope Francis’s San Lorenzo’s member card (the football team which the Pope is fan of) was the winner in a lottery drawing, and with the rejoicing of many, Francis was chosen as pope the day of Santa Cristina… perhaps destiny is being especially ironic in this case. There are already Pope Francis T-shirts and souvenirs and it would not be unimaginable that tomorrow we might find Pope Francis seated to the right… of Maradona.

#Modi’s 3D speeches in Guinness Book of World Records

The 3D broadcasts of the speeches of Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi during the 2012 Assembly elections have entered the Guinness Book of World Records, he stated on Friday. ‘Gujarat election campaign 2012 becomes even more memorable with the 3D interaction creating a Guinness World,’ Modi said on Twitter.

The Guinness World Record for most simultaneous shows of ‘the Pepper’s Ghost Illusion’ (a technology) is now held by Raj Kasu Reddy and Mani Shankar of NChant 3D, which telecast, live, a 55-minute speech by Modi to 53 locations across Gujarat on 10 December, 2012, Modi said on his blog.

NChant 3d used 3D ‘holographic projection technology’ for this purpose. This technology is popular in Europe.

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Future Chinese Naval Bases Overseas – What Would They Be Like?

The recently realized but long in its planning, transition of the Pakistani port of Gwadar to the Chinese management company has led to a series of negative reactions from the Indian experts. India is concerned about a gradual increase of the activity of the PLA Navy in the Indian Ocean and the transition to Chinese port authorities in countries such as Pakistan or Sri Lanka and sees it as a move to encircle India within a chain of Chinese military bases. But in reality, the creation of permanent military bases here is unlikely, says the expert of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, Vasily Kashin.

According to the expert, military bases, located in the neighboring countries of India will be almost useless in case of a military confrontation between China and India. Being isolated from its mother country, the bases will be within range of Indian aviation and cruise missiles and therefore be quickly destroyed. On the other hand, the presence of a constant and a large military base in Pakistan would in turn make China a hostage of the unstable Pakistani domestic politics.

At the same time, the growing global presence of Chinese Navy will sooner or later raise the issue of establishing an appropriate global infrastructure. Already Chinese naval ships that are involved in anti -pirate patrolling off the coast of Somalia are actively using the ports of Oman, Yemen and Djibouti for restocking. Each Chinese squad, along the Somalian coast, also includes transport logistics. Usually these cargo ships restock fuel and other supplies at the local ports and then transport these to the warships at sea .The Chinese navy pays a great deal of attention to the detailed procedures involved in the transfer of fuel, food and water in the open sea.

In 2011, the Government of Seychelles directly proposed China to create a permanent military base in the islands. In response, China’s Defense Ministry stressed that the database will not be created so as not to damage the unique ecology of the islands. Although some Chinese military experts, such as Rear Admiral Wu Shengli, directly called for the establishment of foreign military bases to support operations of the fleet, the Foreign Ministry and the Defense Ministry of China have always denied the existence of such plans. At the same time they do not exclude the possibility of overseas supply points, without deployment of troops on the territory of other countries.

So, we can assume that China will adhere to a step by step approach to the creation of an infrastructure of global military presence. For the start, probably, they will follow the tried and tested tactic of the USSR- to start with the development of infrastructure of the bases overseas by creating logistics points.

An example of such an object can be considered the similar Russian point in the Syrian city of Tartous. It consists of a few warehouses and workshops onshore and a pier to which a floating workshop can be docked. Only a few permanent ground staff members are required to maintain this point. The creation of such structures avoids attracting too much attention and also avoids accusations of expansion.

This work can be developed after the implementation of some of the more important programs of the Chinese navy, in particular the formation of battle ready aircraft carrier groups. It is unlikely that for the supply bases, ports in friendly countries in the region that are already under the control of Chinese companies, such as Gwadar, will be used. Already, The Chinese Navy has no obstacles in using these ports. On the other hand, the creation of special infrastructure for the Chinese navy may be more practical in the less developed countries on the eastern coast of Africa.

Four Young Indians Create a True ‘Smartwatch’ Before Apple

Off late, wrist watches have changed their image from a necessary time tracking device to an accessory, which doubles as a phone. It not only tells time but notifies you on incoming calls, previews the text messages, reads mails and a lot more.

However, none of these “Smartwatches” are not exact replica of a phone. They sync with the phone through Bluetooth and works accordingly. But many tech titans including Apple and Samsung are reportedly on final stages of developing Smartwatch, which is said to be the new ‘hot gadget,’ and a ‘killer of Smartphones.’

But before all of them, here is a watch developed by four Indian youngsters, which according to the developers, is a true wearable phone with size and design of a wristwatch, or a “Smartwatch”, reports TOI.

The four lads behind the innovative gadget are three 24-year olds and a school boy- software developer Ankit Pradhan, communications professional Pavneet Singh Puri, lawyer Apurva Sukant and Siddhant Vats, a 17-year old schoolboy the youngest member in the team. Four of them have formed their company, Androidly Systems Private Limited

“There are other such products in the market, but they mostly sync with Smartphones and are not phones in themselves. We have ported Android on to a much smaller board and built a wearable phone,” says Sukant, a Beethoven fan who is the resident designer of the group.

The watch with 2-inch screen has a 2-mega pixel camera and runs on an older version of android operating system. The device is built with a speaker and mic. Besides, the end of the wrist-strap can be plugged into a USB socket to charge the phone as well as to be used as a storage device. According to the developers, the device will be available in Indian markets from March 15 as well as abroad and each set will cost 12000.

The smart watches have been around more than a decade but it has failed to grab the attention as the lucrative touch phones ruled with their innovative designs, finish and software. Apart from the Indian quartet, other multinational companies like Apple and Samsung are also working on the similar, wearable devices with some of them like pebble, already available in the market.

For instance, wearable devices like Sony SmartWatch, LG Watch Phone, Samsung Cell-Phone Wristwatch and Nike+Fuelband were some of the popular ones. But none of them turned out to create a new space in the market.

The story of the device named to be ‘Androidly’ is quite interesting. “We have all been friends for years now and would hang out at Rajinder da Dhaba a lot. I was a member of my college student council then and was getting a lot of calls regarding the college fest. That day, my phone rang at a time when my hands were dripping with chicken curry. And I just couldn’t retrieve it from my pocket,” says Puri, who had been working two jobs in Melbourne during the development stage of the Smartwatch.

Hailing from middle-class backgrounds, the youngsters started their own company will little help from home. Currently, they are on the process of finding investors to have a close contact with Chinese manufacturers.

 

It kills me not to be president, says Romney

As President Barack Obama faces one crisis after another, Mitt Romney, his Republican opponent in the November election, says “it kills me” not to be in the White House finding solutions to the nation’s problems.

“I’ll look at what’s happening right now, I wish I were there,” Romney told Fox News Sunday said in his first television interview since the election suggesting he would have been more effective in the current political situation.

Accusing Obama of “campaigning” rather than governing as the sequester – $85 billion across the board spending cuts that kicked in Friday – loomed, he said: “It kills me not to be there, not to be in the White House doing what needs to be done.”

“The president is the leader of the nation. The president brings people together, does the deals, does the trades, knocks the heads together; the president leads. And – and I don’t see that kind of – of leadership happening right now,” he said.

Romney said that he was convinced he’d win until Ohio’s vote came in, and that he damaged his campaign by failing to attract black and Hispanic voters and speaking too freely in his infamous “47 percent” comments.

“I think we were convinced we would win. We saw that the polls were very close, but we knew that the energy and passion was with our voters. My heart said we were going to win,” he said.

Romney said he doesn’t look back at the campaign with anger or regret.

“You look back at the campaign and say, ‘OK, what did the president do well?’ And you acknowledge that his campaign did a number of things very effectively.

“Of course you rehearse all the mistakes that you made, and I went through a number of my mistakes, I’m sure. Then you think about the things that were out of your control. But you move on. I don’t spend my life looking back,” said Romney

Sethusamudram project is illegal, arbitrary and unacceptable: Subramanian Swamy

Lashing out at the UPA Government over its decision to go ahead with Sethusamudram Project despite the R. K. Pachauri Committee report suggesting it is unviable, Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy on Monday said the mega project is illegal, arbitrary and unacceptable.

“The important thing is that the project is not acceptable. It is illegal, arbitrary, unreasonable and extremely expensive,” said Swamy, while talking to reporters here.

“They (government) also clamed in their affidavit that Rs.860 crore have already been spent and therefore we want to go ahead with the project. Well if you have spent Rs.860 crore for a project which was illegal, arbitrary and unreasonable, malafide and extraordinarily expensive then according to the Supreme Court judgments, those who cleared the project they are responsible and this amount must be taken out of their wealth,” he added.

Swamy further stated that cutting of the Ram Setu (Adam’s Bridge) for this project would be a violation of section 295 (malicious of the religious sentiments of the citizen irrespective of any class) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Sethusamudram project was started in 2005 but was suspended following the Supreme Court order and R. K. Pachauri Committee was constituted to look in to the matter.

The committee has submitted its report on Friday last week, suggesting the entire Sethusamudram project unviable on two fronts – economically as ecologically.

However, the government has rejected the Pachauri Committee report and submitted an affidavit in the Supreme Court with and intention to pursue the project cutting through the Adam’s Bridge, popularly known as Ram Setu.

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