If You Want To Know

Is the water crisis a myth or a fact of life? With increasing population and rising temperatures, fresh water sources are under tremendous pressure. About 97% of the water on planet earth is salt water and that leaves us with about 3% of freshwater out of which only around 1 or 2% is fit for human consumption. With increasing population and rising temperatures, fresh water sources are under tremendous pressure. There are many factors that have served to create this water crisis. It would not be erroneous to say that the impending water crisis is largely manmade. Climate change due to global warming has affected almost all the countries. Rivers and lakes, the primary sources of freshwater, have run dry in many parts of the world. Although it is a renewable resource because of the hydrological cycle, the store   of freshwater on earth is not infinite. Water once consumed cannot be replenished, unless it is recycled. Global warming has led to droughts around the globe. Dry spells are ramp

Kids are experts at falling down. Whether playing their favorite sport or just walking across the room, kids regularly reacquaint themselves with the wonders of gravity. However, with the right training, even the goofiest kids can improve their balance and coordination, which can help them in sports and daily activities. Here are four fun exercises that can help your child improve his balance and learn to better master his body. Stand on One Foot Standing on one foot is a basic balancing skill, but not every kid will be able to master it immediately. If your child is having trouble with this, start by having him first stand one foot while keeping the other on a stool. As he improves, replace the stool with a ball. Be sure to do this with both legs. Make a game out of it. See how long he can balance on each leg, and then have him try it with his eyes closed. Play Hopscotch Hopscotch is a classic activity, and for good reason. It's great for developing balance and kids love it. For a

  Large solar arrays could have some surprising side effects, according to a new study, including causing changes in the local climate. On a global scale, these changes will be minor compared to what would happen if humans continue to burn fossil fuel for energy instead, but are still worth watching, scientists say. Figuring out how renewable energy sources will affect their local landscapes is an increasingly relevant challenge for scientists, as more and more nations are vowing to slash their carbon outputs and switch to alternatives, such as solar and wind energy. Previous studies have shown that both solar arrays and wind farms have the potential to cause regional changes in temperature and precipitation by altering the amount of solar radiation absorbed by the Earth or disrupting local airflow patterns. With this in mind, Aixue Hu, a climate change research scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, conducted a study, published Monday in Nature Climate Change, that

Tibetan Buddhism is a religion in exile, forced from its homeland when Tibet was conquered by the Chinese. At one time it was thought that 1 in 6 Tibetan men were Buddhist monks. The best known face of Tibetan Buddhism is the Dalai Lama, who has lived in exile in India since he fled Chinese occupation of his country in 1959. Tibetan Buddhism combines the essential teachings of Mahayana Buddhism with Tantric and Shamanic, and material from an ancient Tibetan religion called Bon. Although Tibetan Buddhism is often thought to be identical with Vajrayana Buddhism, they are not identical - Vajrayana is taught in Tibetan Buddhism together with the other vehicles. History Buddhism became a major presence in Tibet towards the end of the 8th century CE. It was brought from India at the invitation of the Tibetan king, Trisong Detsen, who invited two Buddhist masters to Tibet and had important Buddhist texts translated into Tibetan. First to come was Shantarakshita, abbot of Nalanda in India, who

The endlessly fascinating history of the Maya is a constant draw for travelers to Mexico. Who could resist the grand pyramids, the ancient temples, or the stories of human sacrifice and war? But who were the ancient Maya? And what happened to their once-mighty ancient civilization? Read through this brief history of the ancient Maya to learn the basics of this captivating civilization. Who were the ancient Maya? Although the term “Maya empire” is still sometimes used, the civilization actually consisted of separate city-states, ruled individually from each other. These stood in modern-day Mexico´s Yucatan Peninsula and parts of Chiapas and Tabasco plus Guatemala, Belize, sections of Honduras, and parts of El Salvador. No one government or royalty ruled over these city-states. Instead, they were connected by shared languages, religion, fashion, and behavior – although differences can be seen from city-state to city-state.   History of the Maya: In Brief The earliest Maya communities sta

  The Difference between Temples and Shrines in Japan Temples and shrines  are two of the most common historical buildings you will find while visiting Japan. But how do you tell the difference between the two? In the simplest terms,  temples are Buddhist , while  shrines are Shinto . Temples have a large incense burner and many Buddhist statues, and may or may not have a graveyard attached to them, while shrines have a large, often vermilion red, torii, or sacred gate, standing in front of them. How do Buddhism and Shintoism Differ? Buddhism was originally brought from India to China, then brought and spread throughout Japan during the Heian era. On the other hand, Shintoism originated in ancient Japan. The idea of Shintoism is that there are thousands of different kinds of Gods in this world, such as mountains, rivers, stones, and trees. It is said that there are eight million gods in Japan, although this figure is intended to mean that there are an infinite number of gods and goddes

A few simple sprinkles can boost the flavor of your coffee and tickle your nose with the most intoxicating aroma of alluring cardamom, soothing cocoa, and spicy cinnamon. There’s no need to suffer the winter blahs when you can easily spice up your brews for oohs and ahhs. Here are three easy spiced coffee recipes to help you feel a little zestier on these long, cold, early-dark days. Masala Chai Spice Cold Brew The warm and fragrant spices more closely associated with masala chai can transform your usual cold brew into an aromatic treat with a complex but soothing blend of herbal star anise and cardamom, sweet cinnamon and sugar, and snappy pepper and ginger. The long steep means you don’t want to use ground spices; they will extract much too quickly and turn bitter and acrid. Also be sure not to steep this cold brew for longer than 12 hours, for the same reason. Ingredients: 10 oz coarsely ground coffee 1 cinnamon stick ½ teaspoon black or pink peppercorns 5 whole cloves 4 cardamom po

  Neuroscience tells us that many animals possess the physiological attributes needed to enable them to experience love, if defined as ‘feelings of strong affection for a particular individual’. Research shows that the ‘cuddle hormone’ oxytocin is heightened in dogs when they are interacting with their owners, which increases bonding. Paired prairie voles stay together thanks to the ‘desire’ hormone dopamine, which they are more receptive to after mating. Behaviourally we see animals displaying extraordinary evidence of grief, care and empathy towards each other and their human companions – this clearly isn’t just ‘cupboard love’! If they could talk, I believe they absolutely would say they can and do love.

It was quite something to see a district court judge   break into tears   as she read her verdict declaring the denial of marriage registration to same-sex couples in Japan unconstitutional. It’s a significant and emotional moment in Japan for a court to affirm the dignity of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in such clear and unambiguous terms. Declaring that laws that deprive same-sex couples of the legal benefits of marriage constituted “discriminatory treatment without a rational basis” is a groundbreaking ruling in the long-fought battle for marriage equality. But it is also reflects the urgent need for the Japanese national government to catch up with its citizens’ opinions and other rights-respecting countries. Public support for LGBT equality has surged in Japan in recent years. This includes the broad public outcry when the media has mocked gay and transgender people. A 2020 nationwide public opinion survey found that 88 percent “agree or somewhat agr

The health potential of lavender People usually associate lavender with two specific traits: its fragrance and its color. But you may not know that the lavender flower and the oil derived from it have long histories in herbal medicine. Read on to learn more about the health potential of lavender in aromatherapy and as a tea. The history of lavender Its name derives from the Latin root “lavare,” which literally means “to wash.”The earliest recorded use of lavender dates back to ancient Egypt. There, lavender oil played a role in the mummification process. During later times, lavender became a bath additive in several regions, including Persia, ancient Greece, and Rome. These cultures believed that lavender helped purify the body and mind. Since ancient times, lavender has been used to treat many different ailments, including: mental health issues anxiety insomnia depression headaches hair loss nausea acne toothaches skin irritations cancer Aromatherapy Lavender is most commonly used in

  The answer to this question is not as straightforward as it may seem. In order to most accurately answer it, we will rephrase the question four different ways: For which country do we locate the most earthquakes? Japan. The whole country is in a very active seismic area, and they have the densest seismic network in the world, so they are able to record many earthquakes. Which country actually has the most earthquakes? Indonesia is in a very active seismic zone, also, but by virtue of its larger size than Japan, it has more total earthquakes. Which country has the most earthquakes per unit area? This would probably be Tonga, Fiji, or Indonesia since they are all in extremely active seismic areas along subduction zones. The sparse seismic instrumentation in those areas doesn't allow us to actually record all the smaller earthquakes. Which country has the most catastrophic earthquakes, or which has had the most damage and fatalities? Both China and Iran are in seismically active are

Vaccines are perhaps the best hope for ending the COVID-19 pandemic. Two pharmaceutical companies have applied for Food and Drug Administration (FDA) emergency use authorization for new COVID-19 vaccines, and a limited number of vaccines will be available before the end of the year. It's likely you've heard claims about these COVID-19 vaccines on social media or from the people in your life. Also, the rapid development and approval of these vaccines may make you hesitant about safety or effectiveness. Let's set the record straight on some of the myths circulating about COVID-19 vaccines. Myth: The COVID-19 vaccine is not safe because it was rapidly developed and tested. Fact:  Many pharmaceutical companies invested significant resources into quickly developing a vaccine for COVID-19 because of the world-wide impact of the pandemic. The emergency situation warranted an emergency response but that does not mean that companies bypassed safety protocols or didn't perform ad