How Can The Sun Burn Without Oxygen?

I was sitting and wondering about a question "Is the Sun consuming the universe' Oxygen?". I really had no idea how can I answer myself. But after surfing the net for some period of time, I got some understandable answers.

The Sun we are seeing these day is not burning. It gives off light because it is a very huge ball of gas and a process called "Nuclear Fusion" is taking place in its core. So what is "Nuclear Fusion"? Well, that is the main part of what I wanna cover.

Nuclear Fusion is a process that the Sun, and other stars use to produce energy. It is a bit hard to understand, but I hope you can get what I am trying to say. Nuclear Fusion happens when atomic nuclei (pl. of nucleus) smash into each other to form a heavier nucleus.

Nuclear Fusion, somehow, needs a very large heat from the start. On earth, to have the process triggered, we need to raise the temperature up to 150,000,000 degree Celsius, which is 10 times hotter than the Sun' core. When the temperature reaches that value, the atom turns to the "plasma" state, the fourth state of matter, the others three are : solid, liquid, and gas. Plasma state can also be called "ionized gas". In this state, the electrons moving around the the nucleus broke free, and then the process above can happen (as in picture).

With this one, I read so many things.
It was quite complex.
I just hope that I was not wrong ;)

Source : www.wikipedia.com

Brainy Tips

Brain is a vital part of our body. Every single invention comes from creative and flexible brain. Here I would like to lists you some knowledgeable tips to improve your brain.

1. Use It Frequently : Using your brain regularly triggers new neuronal growth and slows age-related decline. Challenge yourself to think of a new use for everything you see.

2. Eat Dark Chocolate : The darker the better. Chocolate activates the system that pumps dopamine around your brain, enhancing learning and memory, and keeping your brain sharp and fit.

3. Build a Miniature Model : Following the complex written instructions activates your brain and sharpens your concentration. Assembling your own furniture is just as good, and will save your money, too.

4. Meditate : It can even improve your test scores. University students who took a late-afternoon test after meditating for 30 minutes had better scores than those who napped for the same time.

5. Take A Walk : The American Academy of Neurology studied women and walking. They found that even one extra mile walked per week reduced a woman's risk of cognitive by 13 percent.

6. Brainstorm : Brainstorming means letting your brainpower flow and coming up with original ideas. A stimulating brainstorming session trains your brain to think creatively.

7. Drink Green Tea : Green tea protects the brain from toxins, and mops up free radicals. It is one of the best drink to boost your mental power, but even regular tea provides some benefits.

8. Get Some Exercise: For an instant brain recharge, walk up and down the stairs a few times. Cognitive function is improved after just ten minutes of aerobic exercise.

9. Include Olive Oil in Your Diet : The monounsaturated fatty acids in olive oil guard against age-related decline in cognitive processing. Olive oil can help retain mental agility and prevent memory loss.

10. Do Aerobic Exercise: Getting your heart pumping really does help. A study from the University of Illinois found that aerobic exercise literally increases brain volume.

11. Take a New Route : Don't just go to school, shops or work by the automatic way that you know by the heart. Take a new route, and force your brain to focus its attention on detail.

12. Learn The Words To a Song : Carefully listening will help you with understanding, thinking and remembering. Reciting the song requires close focus, which releases the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.

13. Write An Article : Writing strengthens your brain's ability to communicate. It is linked to improved memory, and to more effective expression of thoughts and feelings.

14. Shower With Your Eyes Closed : Showering stimulates several senses including touch, smell, sound and warmth. Closing your eyes gives your others senses a chance to become more active.

15. Challenge Yourself With Puzzles : They are a great way to get brain exercise. Crossword puzzles, lateral thinking puzzles, and even good riddles are great ways to tune your brain up.

16. Practice Your Recall : After looking at a sculpture or painting, turn away and recall the details. After reading a newspaper article, recall it and tell someone about it.

Written by Sna. Source : www.gamesforthebrain.com
(Bonus Tips)

Sun's Fun Facts

Do you know the Sun? This is a pretty silly question. Alright, so if you say you do, what do you know about it?

Here are fews things that you might not know about the Sun:

• The Sun is about 150 millions km from the Earth.



• The Sun's diameter is about 1.4 millions km. (About 109 times wider than the Earth's)



• About 1 million Earths can fit inside the Sun.



• The center of the Sun is made from Helium.



• The Sun's core is approximately 15 million degrees Celcius while the coldest spot is around 6,000 degrees Celsius.



• There are about 4.5 pounds of Sunlight hitting the Earth every second.



• The Sun loses about approximately 4 million tons every second, this is the amount that the Hydrogen that the Sun turns into energy



• The Sun is about 4.5 billion years now.

Source: www.thinkquest.org

Discovering A New Earth 430 Light Years AwayAstronomers Spy Earth-like Planet Forming Around Distant Star

April 1, 2008 — Astrophysicists analyzing infrared images captured by the Spitzer Space Telescope found indications of a dust cloud surrounding a relatively young star. The star is 10 to 16 million years old, and analysis of the dust cloud suggests that it may coalesce and become a rocky planet like earth. It is located at a distance from the star that it may build an atmosphere, collect liquid water, and perhaps, in millions and millions of years, support life.

It took billions of years and the perfect conditions for our Earth to grow and form. Now, those same conditions can be seen in space, shaping a similar planet. Ivanhoe explains this exciting space discovery.

Far, far away, something amazing is brewing in space. Swirling around a giant star similar to our sun, astrophysicists have spotted the very early stages of a planet taking shape.

"What we think we're seeing is the actual formation of a planet -- terrestrial planet -- a rocky planet like the Earth, around the star," Carey Lisse, Ph.D., a senior research scientist at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Md., told Ivanhoe.

The Earth-like planet is about 430 light years away or 2.5x10¹⁵ miles from Earth. It's inside a huge dust belt -- bigger than our asteroid belt -- with enough dusty material to build a planet. "The material is forming at just the same distance, or close to the same distance where the Earth formed from the sun," Dr. Lisse says.

To find the planet, astronomers used images captured by the Spitzer Space Telescope. It looks for infrared light or heat radiating from the dusty materials. The images also confirm the rocky fragments forming the new planet are similar to materials found in the Earth's crust and core.

"So, the body that's going to form -- the planet that's going to form -- isn't going to be this gas giant with incredibly thick atmosphere," explains Dr. Lisse. It's going to be a rocky planet like Mars or Venus or the Earth."

There's also an outer ice belt circling the young planet, making it more likely that water could reach the new planet's surface … and maybe even life; but don't wait around for signs of life. The planet still needs another 100 million years before it's completely formed.

Astronomers say the star the new planet is spinning around is between ten and 16 million years old, which is the perfect age for forming Earth-like planets.

Source: www.sciencedaily.com

What You Can Do About Global Warming

These days, Burning fossil fuels such as natural gas, coal, oil and gasoline raises the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and carbon dioxide is a major contributor to the greenhouse effect and global warming.

By using the energy wisely, you can save the world and reduce the global warming rate. Here are tips on how you can help reducing global warming rate:

1. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle : You can reduce your waste by using the reusable stuffs. Try to recycle papers, plastic, newspaper, glass, aluminum cans. Not only doing this can save your money and your house space, but it can also save the whole planet.

Tips: Recycle your plastic bag at the store. You can carry your plastic bag to the store and use it again. Also, if it is possible, you can carry things home with the basket or paper bag, so that you don't need to use the plastic bag.

2. Use Less Air-Conditioner : You can turn off the air-conditioner when the room is not occupied. The best deal is to keep the window and door closed. By then, the temperature in the room will remain stable for a period of time. Also, at night, when you sleep, you can use the sleep-timer function.

You can also open the windows during your day time. Not only can you get the light in the room, you can also get more fresh air.

3. Change the Light Bulbs : Whenever you can, try to replace your light bulbs with the compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. Using this kind of bulb, you can save more energy, and money. It consumes less energy than the regular bulb. Moreover, it has longer life-time than the regular bulb. It also give off less heat than the regular bulb.

In my places (bedroom, desk...), I use this kind of bulb. With my experience, I think it is a very good way to use this bulb. It is convenient, cheap, and bright.

4. Drive Less and Smart : Try to reduce your driving on motor bike and car. You can walk or ride bike instead. Reduce car using can reduce the CO2 emission and your expense. Also, walking and bicycling are very good forms of exercise.

When you drive, you should drive smart. As an example, you can ensure that you tire is properly inflated. Doing so can reduce the gasoline consumption by more than 3 percent. Also, check to ensure that your engine is working well. Change the engine oil when it is very old.

5. Buy Energy-Efficient Products : When it is time to buy new vehicle, check out the one with the good gas mileage (gasoline consumption per distance). I also recommend you to buy the electrical appliances that came with the energy-saving option. Like your Laptop, Computer, Air-Conditioner..,you can switch to the energy-saving mode when you don't need it in the first priority.

Tip : If you can, buy the hybrid vehicles. This type of vehicle consumes little gasoline. Some of this type use some other alternative energy source like : solar power, battery-based...

6. Use the "Switch-Off" Mode : When you leave your room, you can turn off you light. Turn off the television, radio, computer, game console when you don't use them. DON'T PUT IT IN STAND BY MODE, BUT TURN IT OFF.

In my house, there is a television remote controller which its power button is broken down. It is good then because people can't put the television into the stand by, they have to get up and turn it completely off.

7. Plant Trees, Love the Green : Plant more tree in your community. Grow and protect them. You should have known that the green leaves do absorb the CO2 and give back the Oxygen. So Why don't you love the tree? It can also give the shade from the sunlight. In my opinion, I don't really support using the wood furniture. It is waste of trees, not important, expensive. You know, a tree can approximately absorb one ton of CO2 during its life time.

8. Tell the Others : Why not? It is our planet. You can tell your friends, your family, and people in your community. What to tell? You can tell them that they should use energy wisely, and save energy. Tell them how they can do save this planet by just doing the "3-re" (Reuse, Reduce, Recycle). Recommend them to changer their light bulb...Lots more.

After you have read this, I hope you can, at least, understand about what we should try to do. Also, I wanna see our next generations can exist longer.

Thanks

Elephant received artificial leg

"After has lost her leg, for stepping on mine 10 years ago, Motola received an artificial leg at the Elephant hospital Aug. 16, 2009"

Source: Yahoo! News

I feel pretty strange after seeing this picture, but it is true, the animal can get the physical aid as us, human.

Why tea?

The Benefits of Tea

Much has been written and said about the amazing health benefits of tea. So much in fact, that it's often difficult to separate fact from fiction. What are the scientifically recognized benefits of tea? The following is a brief synopsis of the latest findings.

Aging
If you are the type to fret over the appearance of wrinkles, age spots and other signs of growing old, oolong tea may be the answer to your worries. In a recent experiment carried out jointly by researchers from the US, Taiwan and Japan, mice which were fed tea displayed fewer signs of aging than mice that were fed water. The Straits Times, Sept. 24, 01

Allergies
The wonder cup just got even more wonderful. Green tea, rich in antioxidant treasures that protect against heart disease and cancer, now shows promise as an allergy fighter. In laboratory tests, Japanese researchers have found that the antioxidants in green tea, block the biochemical process involved in producing an allergic response. Green tea may be useful against a wide range of sneeze-starting allergens, including pollen, pet dander, and dust. Prevention, April 2003

Arthritis
Green tea catechins are chondroprotective and consumption of green tea may be prophylactic for arthritis and may benefit the arthritis patient by reducing inflammation and slowing cartilage breakdown. The Journal of Nutrition, Mar 2002

Green tea may be useful in controlling inflammation from injury or diseases such as arthritis. Boston Globe, April 26, 99

Bone Strength
Tea flavonoids may be bone builders. A report in this week's Archives of Internal Medicine looked at about 500 Chinese men and women who regularly drank black, green, or oolong tea for more than 10 years. Compared with nonhabitual tea drinkers, tea regulars had higher bone mineral densities, even after exercise and calcium-which strengthen bones-were taken into account. U.S. News & World Report, May 20, 2002

Cancer
"Tea is one of the single best cancer fighters you can put in your body," according to Mitchell Gaynor, MD, director of medical oncology at the world-renowned Strong Cancer Prevention Center in New York City and co-author of Dr. Gaynor's Cancer Prevention Program. The latest tea discovery? Strong evidence that both green and black tea can fight cancer-at least in the test tube-though green tea holds a slight edge. In a new study, both teas kept healthy cells from turning malignant after exposure to cancer-causing compounds. Prevention, May 2000

People who drink about 4 cups of green tea a day seem to get less cancer. Now we may know why. In recent test-tube studies, a compound called EGCG, a powerful antioxidant in tea, inhibited an enzyme that cancer cells need in order to grow. The cancer cells that couldn't grow big enough to divide self-destructed. It would take about 4 cups of green tea a day to get the blood levels of EGCG that inhibited cancer in the study. Black tea also contains EGCG, but at much lower concentrations. Prevention, Aug 1999

Cholesterol
Tea can lower 'bad' cholesterol levels. Researchers at the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center in Beltsville, Maryland, asked test subjects to eat low-fat, low-calorie prepared meals and drink five cups of caffeinated tea or caffeinated and non-caffeinated placebos that mimicked the look of tea. Levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol dropped 10 percent among the test subjects who drank tea. Vegetarian Times, Jan 2003

Heart Disease
Drinking black tea may lower the risk of heart disease because it prevents blood from clumping and forming clots. In a recent study, researchers found that while drinking black tea, the participants had lower levels of the blood protein associated with coagulation. Better Nutrition, Jan 2002

Better to be deprived of food for three days than tea for one,Ó says a Chinese proverb. Research is showing it may just be true. Dr. Kenneth Mukamal of Boston's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center reported that out of 1,900 heart-attack patients, those who drank two or more cups a day reduced their risks of dying over the next 3.8 years by 44 percent. Newsweek, May 20, 2002

Weight Loss
Trying to lose weight? Reach for a cup of green tea instead of a diet beverage. Compared to the placebo and caffeine, green tea extract consumption produced a significant 4% increase in 24-hour energy expenditure. If you consume 2,000 calories per day and don't gain or lose weight (you're in energy balance), an increase of 4% would translate roughly into an 80-calorie daily difference. Over a year, this could result in 89 pounds of weight loss. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Nov 1999

Recent evidence shows that in the battle of fat loss, green tea may be superior to plain caffeine. According to a new study, green tea appears to accelerate calorie burning - including fat calories. Researchers suggest compounds in green tea called flavonoids may change how the body uses a hormone called norepinephrine, which then speeds the rate calories are burned. Joe Weider's Muscle & Fitness, April 2000

Loose vs Bags
Tea made from loose leaves has more antioxidants than tea bags, which tend to have lower-quality, powdered leaves. Prevention, April 2003

Black vs Green
Black tea is turning out to be just as healthful as green tea. Univ of California Wellness Letter, March 2002

One cup of black or green tea has more antioxidant power than a serving of broccoli, carrots, or spinach. Prevention, Aug 1998

Decaf Tea
Tea decaffeinated using a natural CO-2 process retains 90% of its cancer-fighting properties. Prevention, Feb 2000

Java junkies, perk up: Substituting tea for coffee will cut your caffeine intake by more than half. Prevention, May 96

White Tea
White tea appears to have more potent anticancer qualities than green tea. Reuters Health, March 30, 2000

Source: www.teamuse.com