26 Nov 2014

Fighting Fish


Fighting Fish.. known as the betta (Betta splendens). Bettas sometimes require a place to hide, even in the absence of threats. They may set up a territory centered on a plant or rocky alcove, sometimes becoming highly possessive of it and aggressive toward trespassing rivals.Two male Siamese fighting fish will fight to protect  territory. Male and female Siamese fighting fish should not be housed together unless it is for the purpose of breeding. They are likely to become aggressive with each other either before or after breeding. The aggression of this fish has been studied by ethologists and comparative psychologists.These fish have historically been the objects of gambling; two male fish are pitted against each other in a fight and betsare placed on which one will win. One fish is almost always killed as a result. To avoid this, male Siamese fighting fish are best isolated from one another. Males will occasionally even respond aggressively to their own reflections in a mirror.Though this is obviously safer than exposing the fish to another male, prolonged sight of their reflection can lead to stress in some individuals. Not all Siamese fighting fish respond negatively to other male fish, especially if not too many of them are present.       The Siamese fighting fish is a species in the gourami family which is popular as an aquarium fish. In January 2014 a large population of the fish was discovered in the Adelaide River Floodplain in the Northern Territory, Australia. usually grows to a length of about 6.5 cm (2.6 in). Although aquarium specimens are known for their brilliant colors and large, flowing fins, The natural coloration of B. splendens is a dull green, browns, and gray, and the fins of wild specimens are relatively short. Some people of Thailand and Malaysia are known to have collected these fish prior to the 19th century from the wild.In the wild, bettas spar for only a few minutes or before one fish backs off. Bred specifically for fighting, domesticated betta matches can go on for much longer, with winners determined by a willingness to continue fighting. Once one fish retreats, the match is over. Seeing the popularity of these fights, the king of Thailand started licensing and collecting these fighting fish.

23 Nov 2014

Twinkle Stars

In a dark, clear, moonless night.We look up into the sky.We see thousands of stars arranged in patterns or constellations.The light from these stars has traveled great distances to reach Earth. But what are stars? How far away are they? Are they all the same? Are there other planets around them? When stars initially form from large balls of gas, they contract under the influence of gravity, and heat up because that gravitational energy goes into the motion of the gas.Stars get their heat from two sources - gravity, and nuclear fusion.Once they get hot enough, the hydrogen nuclei in the plasma in the center of the star start to occasionally merge to form helium, releasing a lot of energy from that nuclear fusion process. All this heating, from both sources, creates a pressure that causes the star to quit contracting at some point.
If the star is big enough to start with, the central temperature will be high enough to really keep that fusion going, and the heat gradually will seep out to the outside parts of the star, so the outer surface regions will also rise to quite high temperatures. We all know how important it is that our Sun gives us light! But, why does this happen? To understand, we need to look at the structure of stars.
What causes stars to shine?
Because stars are so massive, the density and pressure in the cores are extremely high! It is the temperature of the outer surface that determines the way the stars shine - our sun has an outer temperature of around 5000 degrees, but other stars can be as hot as 50,000 degrees, producing much bluer light, while red dwarf stars are considerably cooler and produce mostly red and infrared light. The process that causes stars to shine is the same one that we have harnessed for use as a weapon: nuclear fusion.Stars start as huge regions of gas, mostly hydrogen. This gas will start to contract, and it heats up. In fact, the Sun's core is so hot and has such high pressure that it undergoes nuclear fusion. Fusion is the combining to two lightweight elements into a heaver element. In our Sun, the core converts hydrogen into helium. This conversion of hydrogen into helium is the first reaction that happens in every star, it is called the main sequence. This reaction actually ends up with a surplus of energy according to the equation E=mc2. This is because the mass of the combing hydrogen is greater that the end product of helium. Therefore, the mass is converted to energy, and that energy is the electromagnetic radiation (light) that we get.

19 Nov 2014

The Blue Grotto



The Blue Grotto is one of several sea caves, worldwide, that is flooded with a brilliant blue or emerald light. The quality and nature of the color in each cave is determined by the particular lighting conditions in that particular cave.  Sunlight, passing through an underwater cavity and shining through the seawater, creates a blue reflection that illuminates the cavern. The cave extends some 50 metres into the cliff at the surface, and is about 150 metres deep, with a sandy bottom. In part because of the dazzling effect of the light from the above-water opening, it is impossible for a visitor who is in one of the row-boats to identify the shape of the larger hole, the outline of the bar that separates the two holes, or even the nature of the light-source, other than a general awareness that the light is coming up from underneath, and that the water in the cave is more light-filled than the air. A visitor who places a hand in the water can see it "glow" eerily in this light.The Blue Grotto became a favoured tourist destination in the 1830s, after the visit of German writer August Kopisch and his friend Ernst Fries to the cave in 1826 and after the issuing of the book of Kopisch Entdeckung der blauen Grotte auf der Insel Capri in 1838. They were guided to the cave by a local fisherman Angelo Ferraro and during their visit they noticed the presence of Roman structures in the cave. Since then the Blue Grotto has become the emblem of the island of Capri. 

The Blue Grotto is located on the southern coast of Malta, west of Wied iz-Zurrieq facing the little deserted islet of Filfla. The site got its name from a British soldier who thought that since the area looks like the Grotta Azzurra in Capri, it deserves the same name, and in fact Blue Grotto is the equivalent for Grotta Azzurra in English. The site is extremely popular, attracting some 100,000 tourists per year, also for diving purposes.

13 Nov 2014

Ro`Hit`

India's Rohit Sharma becomes the highest run-scorer in ODIs, getting 264 off 173 balls including 33 fours and 9 sixes against Sri Lanka(2014). Earlier he done the `Double Feet`Against Australia at Bangalore, In 2013. He scored 209. This was the consecutive third Indian batsman who scored double ton. First record was goes to the name of Sachin 200 vs South Africa at Gwalior, Feb 24, 2010. The second man in the ODI history Sehwag, he scored 219 (vs west indies On 8 December 2011 at Indore. Now Rohit Sharma become the highest individual ODI scorer with 264.With 33 fours, Rohit Sharma hit the largest number of fours in a single ODI, at the Eden Garderns, Kolkata. 
All the four doubles bagged by the Indian batsman. When Sachin scored 200, India won by 153 runs. Sehwag's 219 also resulted in a 153-run win. Guess what? Rohit's record-breaking 264 also gives India a 153-run victory.
One thing common factor between all these double tons is that they have been scored by Indian openers on home grounds. Most importantly, India have gone on to win the match on each occasion.
Previous Profile: Rohit Gurunath Sharma born 30 April 1987. Is an Indian international cricketer. Rohith Sharma was born in a Telugu family of Gurunath Sharma and Purnima Sharma who hailed from Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.Rohit speaks fluent Telugu language. He completed his primary education at Our Lady of Vailankanni High School Borivali, Mumbai, then enrolled in the Swami Vivekanand International School Borivalion a scholarship, after his talent was noticed by the school's cricket coach Dinesh Lad at a summer camp. He excelled in the Giles and Harris Shield school cricket tournaments, after which he was selected for the Mumbai Under-20. He was later chosen for India's Under-17 and Under-19 teams, and made his mark at the 2006 U-19 World Cup in Sri Lanka, finishing 11th on the ranking of top run-makers in the tournament.

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