Water Bulb (Solar)

Surprised to know that water and bleach refracting Solar light to illuminate the interior.

In this maze of windowless tin shacks, school classes are often held outside because even in daytime it’s too dark to see the blackboard. Now a youth group is hoping some 2-liter plastic bottles filled with water and bleach can brighten Kenya’s slums.

The soda bottle-as-lightbulb was first discovered in Brazil by mechanic Alfredo Moser in 2002. In the decade since, tens of thousands of people who can’t afford electricity or other sources of light like candles have converted to the water bottle lightpoint.

When the bottle is hung through a hole in the roof and filled with water and bleach, the bottle refracts sunlight and can produce as much light as a 50- or 60-watt bulb.

Veronica Wanjiru, 24, a mother of two, said even illegal electrical hookups, candles and paraffin are too expensive for many in the Korogocho slums.

Her 11-year-old and 5-year-old had to do their homework outside and in a rush before the sunset. Now that she has a water bulb, it can even produce light at night during a full moon.

“Before they put it in, my children would sometimes use candles, but after they have finished they would forget them on, which can even burn the house,” she said.

The youth group called Koch Hope has been so successful in installing water bulbs for people like Wanjiru that it’s now struggling to meet demand. The group installed the first 100 bulbs for free in April in hopes of attracting attention from donors and expanding the project.

Matayo Magalasia, one of the few people from the area to go to college, saw Moser’s invention on the Internet last year and sought to replicate it. He approached a youth group known as Koch Hope about bringing light to Korogocho.

“I grew up here and I knew the houses were dark even during the day. I had to do my homework outside because we did not have light,” Magalasia said.

Paul Jumbi, 28, a member of Koch Hope, said the group hopes to install the water bulb in every house in the slum and then expand to other Nairobi slums. Jumbi, though, said the project’s expansion has been curtailed by a lack of money.

The plastic bottles are easy to find, but buying the sealant to put around the hole in the iron roof where the bottle sits is expensive.

Jumbi said their first attempts to install the water bulb were met with resistance from people who thought the hole would let in rainwater.

He and his team persuaded the owner of a primary school where students were being taught outdoors because they could not see the blackboard inside. Installing it in the school led other residents to buy in to the idea.

During electricity shortages in Uberaba, Sao Paulo in 2002, Moser discovered that hanging a plastic bottle full of water from his roof brought in extra light. The idea behind Moser’s simple invention — known in different places as solar water bulb or water bulb — has spread to slum dwellers in at least three continents.

In the Philippines, a non-governmental organization is attempting to use the solar water bulb to brighten 1 million homes by next year. The project is known as “Isang Litrong Liwanag,” which translates to “A Liter of Light.”

Key to Happiness

Every one wants to be happy? Is it not?

Then, what is the key to happiness - is the most nagging question, for which almost every creature is groping continually. Normally attribute happiness to attaining/ acquiring possession or retaining it. 

(Needless to say, Failure to do the same will result in unhappiness.)

But, the key to attain ever lasting Happiness is to realise that you are happy by nature - say Vedas.

निरतिशय सुखस्वरूपमात्मानम् वेद।

How is this possible?

Tell your mind about this fact. Constant Reminders will help a lot.

Read the latest scientific data from Italy about this aspect. 

Reasons for Hair Loss - Some observations

Caring for your hair is an important aspect of personal grooming and healthy hair is a sign of robust health. Though dandruff or dead cell is a common problem affecting the young and old alike, many a time hair fall comes as a forewarning of other diseases like thyroid, high BP, hormonal changes, diabetes, obesity and PCOD. People who observe special diets to become slim are prone to hair loss because they become deprived of nutrients.

• Retention of hair works in different ways in men and women. Men have a tendency to lose hair unless it is kept short which makes it essential for them to go for a hair cut every now and then.
• There is a general tendency to apply oil in a bid to attain healthy hair growth. But there is no scientific basis to this as our scalp is gifted with a natural secretion called sebum that gives its natural sheen and keeps dryness at bay.
• But change in climate, excessive use of shampoos, low water level and hair treatments like colouring and straightening can damage the sebum glands. Most alarming is the fact that stress can cause hair fall among children from the age of four. A feeling of insecurity and various reasons like parental incompatibility have to be checked.
• Alopecia Areata is another medical condition where a person loses hair in circular patches usually from the scalp; however there are cases where there is hair loss from other parts of the body. If hair is lost only from the scalp, it is termed alopecia areata totalis and if it is only from other body parts it is termed alopecia areata universalis.
• Many nutrients like zinc are necessary for the healthy growth of hair. When under extreme stress, a condition called zinc depletion sets in resulting in hair loss and even greyness. Often, a lifestyle change like change in water can also contribute to the condition called alopecia or hair loss.
• Constant wearing of caps can cause monk fringes (loss of hair in the covered area). There are seven stages in alopecia and many come in for treatment at the fourth stage when it’s difficult to bring in any improvement.
• So it is important to consult a specialist before it is too late. Genetic factors are also a reason for extensive hair fall. For the correct treatment of hair loss, it is vital to study the history of the patient and not every one can be administered the same treatment.
• But eating right and consuming at least two litres of water a day helps control hair loss to a certain extent.

Lap Top (Battery) Hazards and precautions

High time to adopt discipline in using a Laptop .... after seeing repeated accidents caused by Laptop Batteries.

1. Switch Off/ Log Off the Laptop before going to sleep.
2. Do not place Laptop or any Electronic Gadget near your head, while in sleep. (Remember that your head more valuable than the gadget or its convenience.)
3. In case of emergency of fire, remember the points.
4. Remember that these precautions should be well presented and remembered by all the family members. Because, in case of an emergency the first one to notice should respond quickly. More importantly, to extinguish the fire, one need not know to use a laptop or know its mechanism.

Bye Bye Diabetic Injections??

Good Bye daily Injections for Diabetics!

Here's some good news for those suffering from diabetes, scientists are developing a pill to treat or even prevent the most common form of the disease.

An international team, led by Curtin University in Australia, which is developing the new tablet, claims the pill allow diabetics to get their daily insulin substitute and avoid needles.

Over the past 10 years, lead scientist Prof Erik Helmerhorst and his colleagues looked at millions of compounds on pharmaceutical databases to try to emulate the molecular map of insulin.

"On a computer, in silico, we searched three million compound structures for their ability to fit that map," he said.

In short, they found one, and are developing it as part of their dream to ‘take the needle out of diabetes’.

"Our innovation is the development of a new chemical entity, a small drug molecule we have discovered and developed, that can be taken orally as a tablet to replace insulin per se," said Prof Helmerhorst.

The research has the ability to revolutionise the treatment of diabetes, which is a growing worldwide problem. Professor Helmerhorst said there was a niche market for their drug molecule to target Type 2 diabetics to help delay to the onset of insulin dependency.

"The reality is that nearly one-third of Type 2 diabetics will end up needing insulin therapy at some stage," he said, adding that the insulin substitute would appeal to people who were averse to taking insulin via injections or by pumps.

"We've had a lot of interest already, including a Chinese and UK group interested in the technology," Prof Helmerhorst said.

Insomnia - one more remedy!!

Study found that drinking cherry juice helps one sleep an extra 25 minutes a night, and people who consume it regularly have an improved quality of sleep.

Suffering from insomnia? Drink a glass of cherry juice daily before going to bed, for a study says that it holds the key to a good night's sleep.

Researchers at Northumbria University have found that drinking cherry juice helps one sleep an extra 25 minutes a night, and people who consume it regularly have an improved quality of sleep.

They have found that cherry juice significantly increases levels of melatonin in the body, the hormone regulating sleep, a finding which may benefit those who have difficulty sleeping due to insomnia, shift work or jet lag.

In the study, led by Dr Glyn Howatson, 20 healthy volunteers drank a 30 ml serving of either tart cherry juice or a placebo juice twice a day for seven days.

Urine samples were collected from all participants before and during the investigation to determine levels of melatonin, a naturally occurring compound that heavily influences the human sleep-wake cycle.

During the study, the participants wore an actigraphy watch sensor, which monitored their sleep and wake cycles and kept a daily diary on their sleeping patterns.

The researchers found that when participants drank cherry juice for a week there was a significant increase in their urinary melatonin (15 to 16 per cent) than control condition and placebo drink samples, 'The Daily Telegraph' reported.