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 Antarctica is known for producing large icebergs, as they break off from ice shelves and ice sheets. The Sentinel-1 satellite from the European Space Agency scanned the area on May 13 and confirmed a giant free-floating iceberg breaks away from the shelf and named it A-76. These ice-breaking events are known as calving. Calving is a term for the mechanical loss of ice from a glacier edge. Calving is most common when a glacier edge moves into the teer. The edge of the glacier moves into the ocean or a lake, it becomes unstable as it is no longer supported by solid land. A large chunk of ice can break off, creating a floating mass of ice (an iceberg). This finger-shaped block of ice is around 170 kilometers (105 miles) long and around 25 kilometers (15 miles) wide. The 4,320 square kilometers (1,660 square miles) iceberg has been named A-76, after the Antarctic “A quadrant where it broke off. It is currently the largest iceberg in the world”. Scientists don’t think that human-indu...

  The avocado, a tree likely originating from South- Central Mexico is classified as a member of the plant family Lauraceae. The fruit of the plant is botanically a large Berry containing a single large seed. The scientific name is Rersea Americana. The benefits of Avocados are, it is a source of vitamins C, E, K, and B6, as well as riboflavin, niacin, folate, pantothenic acid, magnesium, and potassium. They also provide lutein, beta carotene, and omega-3 fatty acid. Avocados contain high levels of healthy beneficial fats, which can help a person feel fuller between meals. Avocados are cultivated in the tropical and Mediterranean climates of many countries with Mexico as the leading producer of avocado, supplying 32% of the world total. There are many varieties of avocados. The Avocado tree also has a long history of cultivation in central and South America, likely beginning as early as 5000BC. A water jar shaped like an avocado, dating to AD900, was discovered in the pre- Incan ...

 India started shining not only in sports but also in research especially in Antarctica!  Yeah, Indian scientists have discovered a new plant species in Antarctica. This is the first time a plant species has been discovered in the 4 decades of the Indian Antarctic mission. A polar biologist, Prof Felix Bast stumbled at a species of moss in 2017 in the ice-covered continent And It took 5 years to confirm that it has been discovered for the first time. The biologist based in Central University of Punjab, has named the species as Bryum bharatiensis ,bharathi is one of India's Antarctic research stations . We all know that plants need sunlight, water and essential minerals for growth and only 1% of Antarctica is ice free. “The biggest question was how does the moss survive in a landscape of rock and ice”. The scientist also found that moss grows on penguin poop as it is rich in nitrogen, but the manure doesn’t decompose in this climate. Then, you may ask what about the sunlight? ...

 Spotted Lake or Lake khiluk in Canada is richly concentrated with various minerals. It contains dense deposits of magnesium sulfate, calcium, and sodium sulfates. It also contains high concentrations of eight other minerals and lower amounts of silver and titanium. Most of the water in the lake evaporates over the summer, revealing colorful mineral deposits. Large ‘spots’ on the lake appear and are colored according to the mineral composition and seasonal amount of precipitation. Magnesium sulfate, which crystallizes in the summer, is a major contributor to spot color.  Originally known to the First Nations of the Okanagan Valley (Native American Tribe) as Khiluk, Spotted Lake was for centuries and remains revered as a sacred site thought to provide therapeutic waters. It is the most mineralized lake in the world. Each spot holds a different cure due to the unique chemical content found within each puddle. Lake Khiluk is considered a saline endorheic alkali lake. The Okanag...

Theobroma cacao is also called the cacao tree. It is a small evergreen tree native to South America. Its seeds are used to make cocoa powder and chocolate. It is economically important as cocoa butter extracted from the seeds is widely used in the confectionery industry.          It is part of the family: Malvaceae,k ingdom: Plantae,  order: Malvales and s pecies : T.cacao It only grows 4 – 8 meters in height. Chocolate comes from the fruit of the kakaw tree. Kakaw’s scientific name “Theobroma” means “Food for the gods”, derived from the Greek words Theo (god) and (drink). In the Aztec language, the drink was called chocolate. Cacao contains a high level of antioxidants, minerals, theobromine and has a modulating effect on your neurotransmitters. The three main varieties of the cocoa tree are Forastero, Criollo and Trinitario Forastero:  It is approximately 95 % of the Worlds production and is considered an ordinary cocoa called “bulk Cocoa” or “c...

India, Asia's third-largest producer and exporter of coffee has started producing the world’s most expensive coffee on a small scale in Coorg district of Karnataka, India. Yeah, it is Civet coffee also known as Luwak coffee. A drink of the elite consumed widely in gulf nations and Europe, is sold for ₹20,000 - ₹25,000/ Kg abroad. It is mainly produced on the Indonesian islands of Sumatra, Java, Bali, Sulawesi, and in East Timor also in the Philippines. It is highly-priced as it is claimed to be more nutritious and for sourcing animal dropping, wastage during process and quality certificate It is expensive because of its uncommon method of production!  Yeah, it is made from the poop of a civet cat. The feces of this cat are collected, processed, and sold. As a civet cat eats selected coffee cherries and the natural enzyme in the civet's stomach removes some of the acidity to make a smoother cup of coffee. The taste of kopi luwak varies with the type and origin of excreted been,...

  The Black Chilean Guava is a rare fruit in the Myrtle family. They are biologically classified as Ugni myricoides. Black Chilean Guava is native to Chile, the West Coast of South America. They can also be found growing in Mexico, Central America, and parts of Argentina. These are very popular in England since the 1800s. The fruit likely made its way to Australia with the British where it became a  popular fruit. In Australia and New Zealand, these are referred to as "Tessie or Tizzies berries" and are marketed as an exotic treat. Black Chilean Guavas contains a high amount of vitamin C & vitamin K. These are a good source of fiber and carbohydrates. Black Chilean Guava grows best in cooler subtropical areas and can withstand temperatures down 18-degree Fahrenheit. They grow on multiple branched trees that are an average of 1 to 2 meters in height. They appear more likely a shrub than a tree. The small fruits suspend from short bright green stems and ripen a deep burgund...

  Raspberry is the edible fruit of a multitude of plant species in the genus Rubus of the Rose family, most of which are in the subgenus Idaeobatus. Black and purple raspberries and some - blackberry varieties have arced canes and are propagated by “tip layering” wherein the tip of the cane is buried in two to four inches (5 to 10 cm) of soil. The tip then forms its own root system. Red berries are propagated by suckers from the root of the parent plant, through leaves or roots cutting are also used for the rapid increase of varieties. Raspberry, bramble fruit of the genus Rubus. Raspberries are an economically significant crop throughout much of Northern Europe, as well as in the United States and Canada, and are thought to have evolved in eastern Asia. Fruits contain iron, vitamin C, and antioxidants and are usually eaten fresh, often with cream or ice cream. Raspberries are perennial plants with canes that live two years each. The canes are either armed with prickles ...

Telegram has introduced group video calls — over a year after initially announcing its arrival. Users across mobile devices, tablets, and desktops can utilise the update to transform their group audio chats into video conference calls. These changes include the addition of animated backgrounds, new message sending animations, and new animated emoji. Telegram has also provided the option to share your screen and even both your camera feed and screen simultaneously. Users on tablets and desktops get additional support during video calls, where they can open the side panel and see a split-screen view of the video grid and list of participants. It will be optimised for both portrait and landscape orientation. On desktops, users will also have the ability for selective screensharing. This is similar to how you can share a particular screen from your desktop when using Zoom. However, the option to make group video calls is currently limited to the first 30 people join...

The Poison Dart frog, which is 6cm long, is the world's most expensive animal. The worth of the frog is Rs 1.5 lakhs. It is expensive because of its poison and color. They are the most brightly colored frogs in the world. It is found in yellow, gold, copper, red, green, blue, golden, or black. Beneath its skin, it keeps its poison. The poison is called batrachotoxin. This type of frog is found in wet, tropical forests of Central and South America, where their diet contributes to the toxins they secrete through their skin. The Golden Poison Dart frog is the most toxic among them. The venom it has is enough to kill 10 grown men. It eats ants and small insects that have toxic chemicals in their bodies. The insects consume toxic plants, and the frog consumes the insects. If a Blue Poison Dart frog is touched, it does not cause death like a Golden Poison Dart frog. Instead, it causes immense pain, cramping, stiffness, serious swelling, nausea, and muscular paralysis. ...

As children, most of us had staring contests with siblings or friends. Your eyes burned and watered and finally, you gave up. However, have you ever wondered why we should blink, what will happen if we stop blinking or blink at a fast rate? Blinking is necessary for two main reasons: clearing away dust particles and lubricating the eyeball. Even though you probably don't notice it, the average person blinks approximately once every 10 seconds. The average blink takes about 400 milliseconds, but the speed can be affected by many things such as fatigue, use of medication, and certain health conditions. Blinking wipes and renews your tear film, the smooth, moist layer covering our eyeballs. Your tear film and tears are made of water, oil, and mucus. The tear film also contains many nutrients and amino acids to nourish the cells in the cornea, the clear, dome-like structure on the front of the eye.  Besides keeping your eyes lubricated, tear film al...

There are three main types of chocolate, and they are white chocolate, milk chocolate, and dark chocolate. Usually, everybody goes with their favourite. But eating Milk chocolates is highly beneficial to us. Milk chocolate has a name for contributing to weight gain due to its high fat, sugar, and caloric content.  The Percentage of Cocoa solids is 20-30%. But time of eating chocolate may differentially affect energy balance and impact body weight due to changes in energy intake, substrate oxidation, microbiota composition and their function, and circadian-related variables. Morning or night-time, chocolate intake does not lead to weight gain. Eating chocolate in the morning or in the evening can influence hunger and appetite, microbiota composition, sleep and more. A high intake of chocolate during the morning hours could help to burn fat and reduce blood glucose levels. Consumption of white chocolate must be in an alternate time with proper exercise. Chocolate consumpt...

Nearly 72% of the earth is filled with water and it is present with different names- oceans, seas, rivers. Why are they named differently? There are five oceans namely Artic ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Indian ocean and Antarctic ocean . All the oceans are different in their physical and biological character called ocean clines. When we look at the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean junction, they do not mix. Is there any invisible Wall in between them? Many scientists have conducted research to solve this mystery. The Atlantic and Pacific Ocean have different chemical composition. The salinity of the water in the Atlantic Ocean is five times more than the Pacific Ocean. The density of water is also different, so even marine animals in Atlantic Ocean will not go to the Pacific Ocean. They cannot survive in other oceans. Atlantic and Pacific Ocean meet at Cape Horn. The narrow straight line formed by the water bodies is called Drake Strait. The Pacific Ocean is ...

Psychology of nail-biting Many people bite their nails at some point, especially as children. It’s a type of body-focused repetitive behaviour that goes by the clinical name of onychophagia. There’s a spectrum of nail-biting. It can range from an occasional benign behaviour to a deeply ingrained self-mutilate behaviour. Many people who begin biting their nails as children eventually outgrow the habit. For others, it becomes a lifelong habit that can be extremely difficult to quit. Why do we bite our nails? Nail-biting typically begins in childhood and may accelerate during adolescence. It’s not always clear why someone develops this particular habit, but once it starts, it can be difficult to manage. Impatience, frustration, boredom Once nail biting becomes a habit, it can become your go-to behaviour when you’re waiting around, frustrated, or just plain bored. It’s something you do to keep yourself occupied. Concentration Sometimes, it’s just an absentminded tenden...

JioPhone Next was announced by Mukesh Ambani at Reliance Industries' 44th Annual General Meeting (AGM) today. The new Android smartphone has come as a result of the partnership between Reliance Jio and Google that was announced last year and was revealed by both Mukesh Ambani and Google head Sundar Pichai. It offers an optimised Android experience on top of entry-level hardware. The JioPhone Next also offers Google Play store access and features including voice assistant, automatic read-aloud of screen text, and language translation. The basic android features were added on JioPhone Next. JioPhone Next will be available for purchase from September 10. Till now, They didn't announce the official price. The price of the JioPhone maybe around 2k to 4k segment. They also said that needy people can also now experience android at this price. Credits: BharaniDharan

The only flying mammal with mysterious characters. We know that bats are blind, but only the smaller species of bats use echolocation as their main means of orienting themselves. Bigger bats can see better than humans. Sight is a blessing and a curse for them because sight can override echolocation signals. For instance, a bat may fly into a window because it sees light outside, even if echolocation tells it, the surface is solid. Why bats hang upside-down? Unlike birds, bats have trouble with take-offs from the ground. Their wings are not as strong as those of birds and they cannot run fast enough to build up flight speed. Bats have an easier time flying when they start already in the air. They use their front claws on their wings to climb to a high spot and launch themselves to achieve flight. Another reason they hang upside down is that a bat’s talons or back claws work opposite of most muscles. In fact, their knees face backwards. When they relax, s...

It might be surprising to know that just like humans, the earth also has a heartbeat. According to a recent study of ancient geological events, the heartbeat is 27.5 million years old and slow as well. It was first discovered during the 1960s. The Schumann Resonance waves (named after Winfried Otto Schumann) oscillating between greater and lower energy have a base frequency of 7.83 Hz. The base frequency of 7.83 Hz is called 'Earths Heartbeat'. Progressively weaker harmonics have been measured at around 14.3, 20.8, 27.3, and 33.8 Hz. Humans have a pulse, so does the earth. The pulse of the earth is a cluster of geological events which are volcanic activity, mass extinctions, plate reorganizations, and sea level rises. Research shows that the next pulse will be after 20 million years as it occurs only every 27 million years once.  The pulses of tectonic and climate change are the result of geophysical processes related to the dynamics of plate tectonics and mantle pl...

Tardigrades are phylum eight-legged segmented micro-animals. These species have been sent to space by Japan ‘s National Institute of Polar Research. There are about 1,300 known species in the phylum- Tardigrada, a part of the superphylum is Ecdysozoa consisting of animals that grow by ecdysis such as arthropods and nematodes. The earliest known true members of the group are known from Cretaceous (145 to 66 million years ago) amber, found in North America, but are essentially modern forms, and therefore likely have a significantly earlier origin, as they diverged from their closest relatives in the Cambrian, over 500 million years ago. They are often found on lichens and mosses and can be seen by soaking a piece of moss in water. These species are not harmful to humans. They can survive extreme conditions by going into a “tun” state, in which their body dries out and their metabolism drops to as little as 0.01 percent of its normal rate. When conditions return to normal, the tardigrade ...

After three missions, new research indicates that the planet Venus is geographically active. Journal proceeding of the national academy of species states that the evidence of tectonic movement has not been seen anywhere. Tectonics are the processes that control the structure and properties of the Earth's crust and its evolution through time. These include the processes of mountain building, the growth and behaviour of the strong, old cores of continents known as cratons.  This tectonic is the large-scale motion of plates that makes the earth’s interior surface. This interior motion is driving the surface deformation on Venus. These plates movement brought the continental surface. Venus resembled the Earth’s geology during the Archean Eon 2.6 billion years ago. Venus is referred as Earth’s twin as it resembles the size, mass, density and gravity of earth.  Rotating back on its axis, Venus’s atmosphere consists mainly of carbon dioxide with clouds of...

Researchers who study human hand preference agree that the side of the preferred hand (right versus left) is produced by biological and, most likely, genetic causes. The two most widely published genetic theories of human hand preference argue that evolutionary natural selection produced a majority of individuals with speech and language control in the left hemisphere of the brain. Because the left hemisphere also controls the movements of the right hand--and notably the movements needed to produce written language--millennia of evolutionary development resulted in a population of humans that is biased genetically toward individuals with left hemisphere speech/language and right-hand preference.  Approximately 85 % of people are right-handed. These theories also try to explain the persistent and continuing presence of a left-handed minority (about 15% of humans). The genetic proposal to explain hand preference states that there are two alleles, or two manifestations of ...