How Zero Gravity Affects The Brain- by Nasa

Nasa-funded researchers are studying brain structures and functions of the astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to understand how brain changes in space and ways to deal with those changes.

Brain Imaging

Astronauts have experienced problems with balance and perceptual illusions in microgravity. The Nasa-funded study is examining changes in both brain structure and function and determining how long it takes to recover after returning from space. Researchers are using both behavioural assessments and brain imaging.

For the study, astronauts complete timed obstacle courses and tests of their spatial memory, or the ability to mentally picture and manipulate a three-dimensional shape, before and after spaceflight. The spatial memory test is also performed aboard the station, along with sensory motor adaptation tests and computerised exercises requiring them to move and think simultaneously.
Astronauts are tested shortly after arriving aboard the station, mid-way through and near the end of a six-month flight.

Structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of the brain are done pre-flight and post-flight. "We are looking at the volume of different structures in the brain and whether they change in size or shape during spaceflight," said principal investigator Rachael D Seidler, director of the University of Michigan's Neuromotor Behaviour Laboratory.

According to Seidler, both the behavioural assessment and brain imaging are important to help identify the relationship between physical changes in the brain and those in behaviour. "On Earth, your vestibular - or balance - system tells you how our head moves relative to gravity, but in space, the gravity reference is gone," Seidler said.

"That causes these perceptual illusions, as well as difficulty coordinating movement of the eyes and head," said Seidler.

These difficulties could have serious consequences for astronauts, especially when changing between gravitational environments, such as landing on Mars.
In those cases, astronauts will need to be able to perform tasks such as using tools and driving a rover, and they must be capable of escape in a landing emergency. The study results could also show whether astronauts return to "normal" post-flight because the brain changes back, or if the brain instead learns to compensate for the changes that happened in space.

Why Cricket is known as Religion in India

Cricket in India is the most popular and most watched sport as compared to all other sports in India. The passion, the craze, the thrill and the excitement that the spectators experience is in-matchable to that of any other sport. Cricket in India is like Football in Brazil or Spain. The enthusiasm and the excitement is above all other things. Cricket in India is everyone’s favorite (still there are few who doesn’t like the hype of the game) and is played by most people. People here in India can talk cricket all the time. Cricket flows in their blood and probably that’s the reason for “We Bleed Blue” slogan we saw on t-shirts during ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.

Cricket is India is not the national sport, though it may seem like. Cricket in India was introduced by Britons who ruled India for about 200 years and now it has struck deep roots in our country. The craze is such that, they watch one match and talk about it for rest of the week. They watch it from the opening ceremony to dressing room discussions to the pitch report till the end of presentation ceremony. In short they watch every single bit of it and regret a lot if by any chance miss a shot or a wicket or even a single run.

Cricket in India for such enthusiasts have become a religion. One reason for these cricket obsessed people to take it as a religion could be that the greatest batsman in the cricketing history hails from India and his name is Sachin Tendulkar. He is a person who doesn’t need any introduction. He, over the period of time has become the God of Cricket in India. Many youngsters look up to him to become at least 1/10th of what he is today.

Recently in Asia cup, Sachin scored his 100th Century against Bangladesh and it is a record that is impossible or very difficult to break. This record include 49 Centuries he scored in One-Day Internationals and 51 Centuries scored in Test Cricket. It was a day to be remembered and those who saw it happening, for them its the best day in the history of Cricket in India. He is a God like figure for die-hard Fan. There are many people for who Cricket is only because of Sachin, they watch it to see him.

Cricket in India has become an obsession. An obsession to watch, to talk, to collect information, to discuss and appreciate the Gentleman’s Game. Cricket in India is Highly publicized game as compared to other sports of India. You can see kids, young boys even men playing gully (street) cricket in India. The love for the game is incomparable to any other game. May be that’s why it is correct to say that Cricket in India is more of a religion than a game.

History Behind Naming Stations of Mumbai

Ambarnath: From the Ambarnath/Ambareshwar shrine in the village, present since the 1100s, which also had mango (amba) trees in its courtyard.

Andheri: Very difficult to get any decent source information on this. Wikipedia says it is named after a hill called Udayanagari, but I find it hard to digest. Kalpish Ratna's book Once Upon A Hill calls it Andhragiri, which is more palatable. But how and when Andhragiri became Andheri, and what etymology does Andhragiri have, no idea.

Byculla: The etymology comes from the bhaya tree (Amaltas, Cassia Fistula) that used to grow here on a plain (khala), or that this was a threshing ground (khala), that belonged to someone named Bhaya.

Charni Road: In 1838, the British introduced a tax on herdsmen who wanted to have their cattle graze on public grounds, that most cattle owners couldn't afford. Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy purchased some land near the Thakurdwar area which he then let the herdsmen use for free for grazing. The area started to be known as Charni (Charna in the local languages means to graze). So when a station was constructed here, it was named Charni Road.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus: Originally Bori Bunder station when the Indian Railways started in the 1850s, and the first station ever to be built, it was renamed Victoria Terminus after Queen Victoria. It was renamed Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in 1996 after the great Maratha monarch.

Churchgate: Of the 3 gates of the Fort (now known as the Fort area) the nearest one to the St. Thomas Church (now St. Thomas Cathedral) used to be where Flora Fountain is now. Obviously, it started getting known as the Church Gate. So when the Colaba station was closed and the new station was built, it was built in the Church Gate area and named 'Churchgate'.

Cotton Green: From what I am able to make out of online archives & Wikipedia, India's first Cotton Exchange started on a village green (a meadow) in the location where Badhwar Park is now. The exchange was supposedly shifted to near where the Cotton Green station is. It kept the name as the Art Deco building it was housed in was painted in a green colour. I think this is anecdotal enough to actually make sense.

Dadar & Dadar East: Named after a set of stairs (dadar) that were built on the eastern edge of Mahim island, near to where the station was built. The name "Dadar" signifies a small stairway built on the eastern edge of Mahim Island; when the British built the Bombay, Baroda & Central India Railways (B.B.&C.I., now the "Western Division" of the Indian Railways), they named the station near these steps as Dadar. The area around the station on either side came to be named after this station by newer immigrants.

Elphinstone Road: Named after John Elphinstone, 13th Lord Elphinstone and 1st Baron Elphinstone, Governor of Bombay from 1853 to 1860.

Grant Road: Named after Sir Robert Grant, who was Governor of Bombay from 1834 till his death in 1838.

Jogeshwari: Named after the Goddess Yogeshwari (Goddess of knowledge and enlightenment) whose temple is there in the caves in this area, called the Jogeshwari caves.

Kandivali: A couple of online sources trace it to Khand, which means stone/rock, as the station was built to service quarries that supplied stones to the Backbay Reclamation project. A better origin, though, is that there was an East Indian Christian village named Condolim since atleast the mid-1600s in the area.

Khar Road: Named after Khar Danda, the local fishing village nearby. खार (Khaar) colloiqually defines a salty land, which is what the area was, being close to the Arabian sea.

Lokmanya Tilak Terminus: Originally named Kurla Terminus, it was renamed after freedom fighter Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak

Mahalaxmi: Named after the Mahalaxmi temple nearby

Mahim: One of the original 7 islands that formed the 'Island City', also from 'Mahikavati' as it was called in the 13th Century CE.

Masjid: The area around this station is known as Masjid Bunder, aka Masjid Station & the Port. The 'Masjid' does not mean a mosque as usually mentioned, but a synagogue dating from the times of Tipu Sultan, which was known as theJuni Mashid (Old Mosque)

Matunga & Matunga Road: One of the villages on the Mahim island. One source traces it to Matang, elephants, which means that around the time of 'Mahikavati', this was where the king's elephants were housed.

Parel & Lower Parel: Both named after one of the original 7 islands that formed the 'Island City', Parel. The word comes from either the paradi tree, a flowering plant that prospered in this area, or the Parali village, from where many residents originated and a temple was constructed in memory of the Lord resident there.

Santacruz: Where the current Sacred Heart Church is, there used to be a Holy Cross and church well before the Marathas fought a war with the Portugese, won, and destroyed the church. The words for Holy Cross, Santa Cruz, became the de facto name of the area, and the railways made it one word, Santacruz, when naming the station servicing it.

Sion: When the Portuguese took the islands of Bombay by force, they gave some part of this island to the Jesuits, who built a church there, dedicated to Mt. Zion. This area formed the boundary between the Portuguese held and British held areas, hence the Marathi name, Sheev (Boundary) while the Hindi & English names colloquialize Zion to Sion.

10 Majestic Temples In South India

The Southern states of India, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, are primarily known for two things, logic-defying movie stunts and breathtaking temples. For those of you who do not know, temples are the holy places where you can worship God and see him in all his beauty and feel his presence in the very air you breathe. Apart from being architectural marvels, temples have a unique and divine aura which has kept the faith alive in people for centuries. The oldest standing temples date back up to the 3rd and 5th centuries. As the Hindu religion consists of over thousand Gods, there are numerous temples spanning the length and breadth of India. However the majority of these temples are found in South India, especially Tamil Nadu which has 34,000 temples. The real beauty of these temples is that they present a different perspective to every devotee. The temples of South India are also one of the main tourist attractions in India. If you haven’t visited any of the temples on this list, make sure you do. It is said that a single minute inside any temple is enough to cleanse your soul. Here is the list of  ten marvellous Holy South Indian Temples.

Tirumala Venkateshwara Temple

The world’s most famous temple, Tirumala Venkateswara Temple located on the Tirumala hills near Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, is one of the most sacred temples for vaishnavites. It is said that Lord Venkateswara, a form of Vishnu, is one of the most powerful gods in the Hindu Religion, and it is believed that he came down to earth to stay on the 7 Tirumala Hills and help Mankind get through the Kali Yuga. Legend has it that Lord Vishnu came down to Earth as Venkateswara to woo back his consort Goddess Lakshmi after a feud. Goddess Lakshmi is present as Padmavathi. Another interesting belief is that Lord Venkateswara took loans from Lord Kubera for his marriage with Padmavathi and will pay the interest till the end of the Kali Yuga. The temple is maintained by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam, one of the richest religious bodies in the world. The Lord’s prasadam, a laddu, is also very famous. Tirupati has the world’s largest solar powered kitchen. The whole temple and all the houses, offices and other buildings run on solar and wind energy which are provided through the numerous solar panels and windmills present on the hill. More than 75,000 devotees visit the temple every day.

Sri Krishna Temple

The Sri Krishna Temple in Guruvayur, Kerala is probably one of the most popular temples in the world. The main deity here, as the name suggests, is Lord Krishna who is an avatar of Lord Vishnu. It is one of the most important temples for Hindus in Kerala. It is referred to as Bhooloka Vaikuntam or Vishnu’s heavenly abode on Earth. The idol of Krishna represents the part of Krishna’s story when the 8th newborn son of Vasudeva a–nd Devaki reveals to them that he is no one but Lord Vishnu and will hence be holding the discus and the conch. Guruvayur is also known as the Dwaraka of South India and Krishna is known here fondly as Kannan and Guruvayurappan. However an interesting fact is that even though this temple is considered very holy by Hindus, it is not considered as one of the 108 Divya Desams of Lord Vishnu.

Meenakshi Amman Temple

The majestic Meenakshi Amman temple is situated on the banks of the river Vaigai near the temple city of Madurai, Tamil Nadu. The temple is dedicated to Meenakshi Amman, a form of Parvathi and her consort Sundareswarar, a form of Shiva. The Meenakshi Amman temple was on the list of top 30 nominees for the New Seven Wonders of the World and it generates revenue of more than 60 Million rupees per year. It is believed that, Indra, the Lord of the Devas, built a shrine for the svayambu lingam that he had found while on a pilgrimage to cure his misdeeds. The temple lost a lot of its ancient elements when the notorious Malik Kafur invaded the temple. However the first Nayak King of Madurai, Vishwanantha Nayak later took it upon him to rebuild this divine and beautiful temple. The temple has a hall called Aayiram Kaal Mandapam or “The Hall of Thousand Pillars” that interestingly contains 985 pillars. However each pillar in the hall is a carved monument of the Dravidian sculpture.

Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple

Situated in the temple village of Sri Rangam, which is located near the city of Thiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu, The Ranganathaswamy Temple is said to be the first of the 108 Divya Desams that are dedicated to Lord Vishnu. This temple is the abode of Lord Ranganatha, who is a reclining form of Lord Vishnu. The Sri Rangam temple is considered the largest functioning Hindu Temple in the world as it covers an area of 156 acres. The Rajagopuram is 237 feet high and consists of eleven tiers. The temple is rich in both art and history. In the 12th Century, when Malik Kafur’s troops were on their way to invade Sri Rangam, The priests and people of Sri Rangam, built a brick wall in front of the Lord’s idol inside the Sanctum Sanctorum. They took the smaller idol of the deity (called utsavar) and travelled to the Thirumala to the abode of Lord Venkateswara and took refuge till 1371. Six centuries later, the wall was brought down by the locals and the priests and Sri Rangam was restored back to its full glory. It is said that 13,000 vaishnavites died to keep Malik Kafur’s army away from the temple until the deity could leave city safely. It is considered the most sacred temples for vaishnavites.

Thillai Natraja Temple

The Thillai Nataraja Temple situated in the small town of Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu, is widely known as the foremost of all Shiva Temples in the world. This temple is referred to in almost all scriptures as the Bhooloka Kailasam (Kailash on earth), as it is said that this temple was Lord Shiva’s home on earth.  This place received lot of remodeling from various dynasties like the Cholas and the Pallavas. It is said that King Kocengannan Chola was born after his parents prayed passionately to Lord Nataraja and after he grew up, he refined the temple’s structure. Here Lord Shiva is in the form of Lord Nataraja, The God of Dance, in the middle of the Ananda Thandavam (The Dance of Delight). The postures of the famous dance form, The Bharatha Natyam, were inspired from the sculptures of Chidambaram. This city is also one of the five Pancha Bootha Sthalams, which represent each of the five elements. Chidambaram represents aether or akasha, which is the fifth element.

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, situated in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala, is dedicated to the protector of the Universe, Lord Vishnu. It is one of the 108 Divya Desams, which can be found all around India. Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple gave the city of Thiruvananthapuram its name, as the city’s name translates to “the Holy Abode of Anantha Padmanabha”. Inside the shrine, the idol of Lord Padmanabhaswamy is in the Anantha-sayanam posture (in the eternal sleep of Yoganindra on the thousand headed snake Adisesha). It is said that the great Lord Balarama himself, once visited the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple long ago during the Dwarapa Yuga. The temple’s gopuram is 100 feet high and the temple tank, Padma Theertham, is located nearby. The platform in front of the vimanam and where the deity rests was cut out of a single rock from a nearby hill and it is hence called Othakkal Madapam.

ISKCON Temple

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) was established by His Divine Grace Abhay Caranarvinda Bhaktivedanta Swami also known as Srila Prabhupada. The ISCKON temple in Nampally Hyderabad is very popular and is called the headquarters of ISCKON in South India. This magnificent temple is always crowded with devotees. It was built mainly for the worship of Lord Krishna, the avatar of Lord Vishnu. Other deities of this temple are Sri Gaura-Nitai, Sri Jagannatha Baladeva-Subhadra, and Sri Radha Madana-Mohana. It is one of the most famous ISCKON temples around the world. Usual programmes are performed on daily basis. On Sundays special programmes are performed. ISKCON Temple also distributes the Krishna Prasadam to nearly 1,000 devotees every month. Bhakti Vrksha facilitates devotees to get personal attention and guidance on how to perform bhakti yoga and sustain good physical and mental health.

Ramanathaswamy Temple

The Ramanathaswamy temple in the holy island town of Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu, is dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva. It is one of the 12 Jyothirlinga temples, where Lord Shiva is worshipped in the form of a lingam. Legend has it that Lord Rama, on returning from Sri Lanka after killing the demon Ravana and rescuing his wife Sita, wanted to pray to Lord Shiva to ask forgiveness for any sins that he may have committed during the war. He asked Hanuman to get the biggest lingam that he could find and due to the delay in Hanuman’s return, Sita built a small lingam for Lord Rama to pray. The temple was further expanded and beautified by the Pandya Dynasty and The Jaffna Dynasty. This temple has the longest corridor among all temples in India. The temple has two lingams, The Ramalingam, which was built by Sita and the Vishwalingam, which was brought from Kailash by Hanuman. It is said that Lord Rama instructed everyone to worship the Vishwalingam first and that tradition is followed till this date.

Chamundeshwari Temple

Atop the beautiful Chamundi Hills in Mysore, Karnataka stands the popular Chamundeswari Temple which, as the name suggests, is dedicated to the Goddess Chamundeswari, a form of Goddess Shakti. It is one of the most famous temples in South India and the prime attraction of the city of Mysore. Initially, it was built as a small temple which was built by the Hoysala, but with the generous donations of many Mysore Maharajas, it was made bigger and better. It is believed that human and animal sacrifices were made in this temple a long time back. However many experts dismiss this as pure speculation. The doors to the shrine are said to be made of silver and gold. In 1659, a path consisting of a thousand steps was built leading to the temple on top of the hill which is 3000 feet high.

Brihadeeshwarar Temple

Situated at the heart of a temple town in Tamil Nadu, Thanjavur (Tanjore), the Brihadeeswarar Temple or the Big Temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This wonder was built over 1000 years by the Chola King, Raja Raja Chola I using granites. It is dedicated to Lord Brihadeeswarar, a form of Lord Shiva. The vimana or the tower is one of the tallest in the world and many of the interiors and the kalasha is said to be made from a single stone. It is a widely held belief that the gopuram doesn’t cast a shadow at all. The temple has fortified walls around it which is rumored to have been built in the 16th century. The temple walls are filled with beautiful paintings which include both Chola and Nayaka murals that depict the majestic Lord Shiva.

San Fermin Festival, Spain

San Fermin festival is celebrated in the city of Pamplona, Spain. This celebration is held annually on 6th July, when the opening of the party is marked by setting off the pyrotechnic chupinazo to midnight 14 July, with the singing of the Pobre de Mí. While its most famous event is the encierro, or the running of the bulls, which happens from 7 July to 14 July, the week-long celebration involves many other traditional and folkloric events. It is known locally as San fermines and is held in honor of Saint Fermin, the co-patron of Navarre. Its events were central to the plot of The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway, which brought it to the general attention of English-speaking people. It has become probably the most internationally renowned fiesta in Spain. Over 1,000,000 people come to participate in this festival.

History of San Fermin
It is said that Fermin is the son of a Roman of senatorial rank in Pamplona in the 3rd century, who was converted to Christianity by Saint Honestus, a disciple of Saint Saturninus. According to tradition, he was baptised by Saturninus at the spot now known as the "Small Well of Saint Cernin" Fermin was ordained a priest in Toulouse and returned to Pamplona as its first bishop.

San Fermin Celebration
The combination of two medieval events compose the celebration of the festival. At the beginning of summer some commercial secular fairs are also held. As cattle merchants came into town with their animals, eventually bullfighting came to be organized as a part of the tradition.  They were first documented particularly in the 14th century.th century. On the other hand, religious ceremonies honoring the saint were held on October 10. However, in 1591 they were transferred to 7 July to take place at the same time as the fair; when Pamplona's weather is better. This is considered to be the beginning of the San fermines. The acts included an opening speech, musicians, tournaments, theatre, bullfights, dances or even fireworks during medieval time. Bull running appears in 17th and 18th century chronicles together with the presence of foreigners and the first concerns on the excessive drinking and dissolute behaviour during the event. The Giant's Parade was created by the end in the mid of the 19th century. The first official bullring was constructed in 1844.

Modern age celebration
The worldwide fame of the modern festival, and the great number of foreign visitors it receives every year, are closely related to the description by Ernest Hemingway's book ‘The Sun Also Rises’ and his job as a journalist. He was greatly amused in his first visit in 1923 coming back many times until 1959. Hemingway was also deeply fond of bullrunnings and bullfights, but he did not participate in the running. Different city locations are famous in part due to the fact that the writer used to visit them, such as La Perla Hotel, or the Iruna Cafe.

Procession of Saint Fermin
The key day of the festival is 7 July, when thousands of people accompany the 15th-century statue of Saint Fermin through the old part of Pamplona. The statue is accompanied by dancers and street entertainers, and different political and religious authorities including the city mayor. During procession a Jota (an ancient traditional dance) is performed for the saint, a rose is offered in the Saint Cernin well, and the "gigantes" (enormous wood-framed and papier-mâché puppet figures managed from inside) dance and twirl while the cathedral bell named María (Mary) peals.