Comparison of VJD method with the Duckworth-Lewis method

Source:Wikipedia

Both the Duckworth-Lewis method and the Jayadevan System use a statistical method to determine what proportion of a team's runs it is expected to have scored, based upon the number of overs faced and the number of wickets lost (traditionally referred to as the resources available to a team). However, there are two primary differences between the two methods:

• The mathematical relationship used in the Duckworth Lewis system assumes that a team's scoring rate accelerates throughout the team's innings – slowly at first, but more rapidly during the final ten to fifteen overs (the "slog overs"). Jayadevan's relationship is more empirical than Duckworth-Lewis', and assumes that the scoring rate is faster during the first fifteen to twenty overs during fielding restrictions, decelerates during the middle overs when most teams try to consolidate their innings, and then accelerates again for the slog overs. In this way, Jayadevan tries to improve upon Duckworth-Lewis' notion of the "typical innings".
• Secondly, Duckworth-Lewis is based upon a single set of curves which is used to make all adjustments to the scores. The Jayadevan method has two different curves: the "normal curves", which are used to adjust runs already scored by the batting team; and the "target curve", which is used to adjust the runs that the batting team is yet to score. Jayadevan's justification for this is that prior to a rain interruption, a team will base its batting tactics on the assumption that it has its full quota of overs available; but, following an interruption, a team can change its batting tactics to suit the new number of overs – so, if the tactics are inherently different, the curves used to calculate the run targets should also be different.

Under Jayadevan's method, the "normal" curve takes into account both the percentage of overs played and the percentage of wickets lost. The "target" curve considers only the percentage of overs played; i.e. no adjustment is made according to the number of wickets lost.

FActs About Kieron Pollard

A destructive lower middle order batsman, Kieron Pollard is also an useful medium pacer with subtle changes of pace. He made his ODI debut in the 2007 World Cup against South Africa. He came of age in the Champions League tournament in 2009, when he decimated New South Wales with a 18-ball 54 when the game seemed dead and buried.

That coming of age performance brought instant recognition and he was picked up by South Australia to play for them in the Big Bash. He was picked up by the Mumbai Indians in a silent tie-breaker for an undisclosed amount after the bidding process had reached the highest limit of $750,000.

He turned down a central contract from the West Indian board so that he could play T20s all over the world as a freelancer. Yet the West Indian board selected him for the ODIs and the T20s, giving him the permission to play in the IPL. Pollard had an ordinary 2011 and 2012 IPL and failed miserably with the bat. However, he came back with a bang the next year, scoring 420 runs and picking up 10 wickets from 18 matches as MI surged to the title in 2013. He was also the Man of the Final in 2013.

An aggressive batsman, with a penchant to clear the boundary with ease, he relies on hitting the ball out of the park. He is a little susceptible against spinners and often gets out to them unable to pick which way it is going. A dibbly-dobbly medium pacer, he often rolls his fingers over the ball and bowls his leg cutters on a consistent basis. As a fielder, Pollard is one of the best in the world and has taken some unbelievable catches. An all-round fielder who can field at any position, he uses his long reach to good effect.

It was only a matter of time before he hit his straps in the Indian T20 League. His uncanny knack of plundering biggies at will prompted Mumbai to retain him so far.

One of the most sought after players in the shortest form of the game, Pollard has also plied his trade for Somerset, Dhaka Gladiators and Barbados Tridents.

On the international stage he has shown the occasional flashes of brilliance like brutal second ODI ton (102) against a strong Aussie bowling attack at home in St Lucia. His maiden ODI hundred, which came against India was also a special effort, but Pollard failed to deliver the goods on a consistent basis. Having been branded as an ODI specialist, Pollard has been perpetually overlooked for Tests. Besides, injuries have reduced his workload as a bowler. He then missed the tour to New Zealand and the T20 Cup in Bangladesh because of fitness issues.

Kieron Pollard along with Dwayne Bravo did not feature in the West Indies 15-man squad for the 2015 World Cup. Their exclusion was widely slammed by critics and experts. Determined to get back in the West Indies team, Pollard responded, \"Despite the omission, I'm definitely not thinking that my international career is over. No way. I'm only 27 and I want to come back with a vengeance.\"

Why I love Pakistan? Top 5 reasons

The Civilization
Pakistan is not a recent figment but a continuation of 5000 years of history: quite sheepishly, I admit, that I am an adherent of the view held by many historians that the Indus valley and the Indus man were always somewhat distinct from their brethren across the Indus. I do not wish to venture into this debate but I am proud as an inheritor of Harappa, Mohenjo-Daro and Mehrgarh (not strictly in this order) and this makes me feel rooted and connected to my soil as well as ancient human civilizations and cultures.
It also makes me happy that no matter how much the present-day media hysteria about Pakistan (and “natives” in general) diminishes my country and region, nothing can take away this heritage and high points of my ancestral culture. Pakistan is not just Indus civilization – it is a hybrid cultural ethos: the Greek, Gandhara, the central Asian, Persian, Aryan and the Islamic influences merge into this river and define my soul – how can I not be proud of this?
The People
I simply love the Pakistani people – they are resilient, diverse and most entrepreneurial. They have survived calamities, famines, upheavals, injustices and exploitation and yet, by and large, retain a sense of humour. I am not naïve to say that they are totally free of the various bondages of history but they display remarkable entrepreneurial and creative potential. Most of them are “real” and rooted and yet not averse to modernity.
There is an urban revolution taking place in parts of Punjab and Sindh and the drivers are neither the state nor external donors but the people themselves. The private sector has even contributed to build an airport. There is an ugly side as well: the absence or predatory activities of the state (e.g. Karachi) has also provided a breeding ground for mafias but this is not a unique Pakistani phenomenon. From LA to Jakarata, such groups operate within the folds of urbanization.
I am proud of my people who have proved themselves in all spheres and countries – whether it is Professor Abdus Salam, the Nobel Laureate or Shazia Sikander, the miniaturist of international fame or Mukhtaran Mai who has proved her mettle in giving a tough time to forces of oppression.
The Spirituality
There is inordinate focus on Pakistani madrassahs, the pro-Taliban groups and the violent jihadis. How representative are these groups? Only Pakistanis know that such groups are marginal to the mainstream attachment to and practice of religion. The rural folk are still steeped in Sufi worldview and many versions of Islam exist within the same neighborhood. Of course there is manipulated curse of sectarian violence but that mercifully is not embedded despite the attempts of big external players and the octopus-like state agencies.
Ordinary Pakistanis, such as me, value their Islamic beliefs, are God fearing and follow what is essentially a continuation of the centuries old traditions of spirituality that survives in the folk idiom, in the kaafis of Bulleh Shah, and in the verses of Bhitai and Rahman Baba. Our proverbs, day-to-day beliefs are all mixed and laced with history, oral tradition, Sufi lore and of course Islamic simplicity. It is another matter that there are individuals who want to hijack this thread and impose their nonsense on us – but we as a people have resisted that and shall continue to do so. After all we inherited the confluence of ancient religions and practices.
Pakistan is where Buddha taught and Taxila shined, and where Nanak preached and the great saints – Usman Hajweri, Fariduddin Ganj Shakar, Bhitai and Sarmast – brought people into the fold of Islam. Despite the revisionist, constructed history by extremists in India, the sword had little to do with Islam’s rise in this region.
The Natural Beauty
Well the spirituality of my homeland is not just restricted to the intangible belief systems. It also reflects in the splendors of Mother Nature. From the pristine peaks in the north to the mangroves of the Indus delta, Pakistan blends climates, geographies, terrains in its melting pot. Within hours of leaving an arid zone, one enters into a fertile delta. And again a few more hours put you right in front of otherworldly mountains. The deserts of Cholistan radiate the moonlight and the surreal wildernesses of Balochistan are nothing but metaphors of spiritual beauty.
Where else can I experience the aroma of wet earth when the baked earth cracks up to embrace every droplet and where else can one find a Jamun tree with a Koel calling the gods? An everlasting impression on my being shall remain the majestic sunrise at the Fairy Meadows amid the Karakorams and the melting gold of Nanga Parbat peak. I love this country’s rivers, streams and the fields where farmers testify their existence with each stroke, each touch of earth. I cherish trees that are not just trees but signify Buddha’s seat or the ones in graveyards nourishing the seasonal blossoms.
The Cuisine
Yes, I love the aromas and myriad scents of Thai cooking, the subtlety of the French and Lebanese or the Turkish dishes but nothing compares to the Pakistani cuisine. Forget the high sounding stuff; ghar ka khana (homemade food) no matter which strata are you from is difficult to find elsewhere (except India of course).
Whether it is a simple Tandoor ki Roti with Achaar or Palak (in the Punjab) or the intricate Biryani with ingredients and spices of all hues, the food is out of this world. In my house, we were used to at least ten different rice dishes (steamed white rice/saada/green peas/vegetable/channa/choliya/potato Pilau), three types of Biryanis (Sindhi, Hyderabadi, Dilli or just our cook’s hybridized Punjabi version), and my grandmother’s recipe of Lambi Khichdee. The list continues.
In the Northern areas, there are Chinese-Pakistani concoctions, in the North West Frontier there is meat in its most tender and purest form. In Balochistan there is Sajji, meat grilled in earthenware at low heat until all the juices have transformed the steaks into a magic delight. And, the fruits and the sweets – the mangoes that come in dozens of varieties and colours, melons of different sizes, the pomegranates and the wild berries that still grow despite the pollution everywhere!
How could I not love this eclectic cuisine?
And Finally…
…the sum-total of all five: I love Pakistan as this is my identity – immutable and irreversible. Simple.

Source: Razarumi.worldpress.com

Vegetarians Beware! 37 Foods That Are Surprisingly Not Vegetarian

No problem give them gelatin

Pic Credits:alternet.org

By: Lexi Cahill ( isolaterfitness )

Deciding to become a vegetarian is not as easy as substituting ISOPasta or other plant based protein sources for your previous poultry, beef, and fish selections. Sure that’s part of it, but there are so many other foods that seem to be acceptable for vegetarians, but are actually far from it. Here are some of the most surprisingly common unknown offenders.
Gelatin is commonly used as a gelling agent, stabilizer, thickener, or texturizer in many food sources. It is a protein that is most often obtained from the skin, tendons, bones, and/or ligaments of cows or pigs. Gelatin also comes in a few different forms based on cooking requirements, including: sheets, granules, and powder. 

 Altoids

To give altoids their distinct texture most varieties contain gelatin. But if you just can’t give up this curiously strong mint, then look no further than the altoid mints labeled “sugar-free smalls” because they do not contain any gelatin.

Candy Corn

Most Candy Corns are made with Sugar, Corn Syrup, Confectioner’s Glaze, Salt, Dextrose, GELATIN, Sesame Oil, Artificial Flavoring, Honey, Yellow 6, Yellow 5, and Red 3. There are a few brands that do not contain gelatin, so like most foods, it’s best to check the labels before you buy.

Cheesecake

Most cheesecakes contain gelatin as a firming agent to set the cheese. Even if you find a cheesecake that does not contain gelatin be cautious though, because pre-made varieties of this delicious dessert are often made with non free-range eggs. Your best bet on this one is to make it yourself.

Frosted Mini Wheats

The gelatin found in all varieties of Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheats cereal comes from the skin, bones, ligaments, and tendons of beef. Other Kellogg’s Products that contain gelatin include: all cereals with marshmallows, rice krispies treats (and squares), frosted pop-tarts, fruit flavored snacks, and krave treat bars. 

 Gel Cap Medications

Both hard and soft shelled capsules are made using gelatin or plant polysaccharides so it is important to look at labels when purchasing your medications. If you are unable to find your medication in a vegetarian friendly capsule there are empty varieties that you can purchase to transfer the medication into, for use.

Gummy Bears

Most gummy products including: gummy bears, rings, worms, frogs, sharks, apples, peaches, and television characters, are gelatin based, so although checking the label is important you will almost always find that your gummy treats have beef or pork by-products in them. If you can’t give up your gummies, it’s okay, you’ll just have to switch to sour patch kids or swedish fish which are not made from gelatin.

Jell-O

Jell-O is by nature a gelatin dessert so there are not many non-gelatin products under the Jell-O brand, however they can be found for those who are vegetarian, kosher, or halal. For best results, carefully read each label before purchasing.

Marshmallows

The main ingredient in marshmallows is sugar, but it is whipped into a spongy consistency that is most often held into place by gelatin. Some brands also contain eggs. There are vegetarian brands of marshmallows, so you don’t necessarily have to say goodbye to s’mores, homemade rice krispies treats, or marshmallow chocolate cookies, you’ll just have to change your brand choice.

Peanuts

  
Peanuts that have been roasted, whether in oil or dry, are often roasted in a gelatin that is comprised of pig hooves. This additive is used to help the salt and other spices that are added during roasting to bond with the peanuts for a more flavorful result.

Soft Drinks

Some soft drinks, like: Coca-Cola’s Lilt, Lilt Zero, Kia-Ora Orange Squash, and Schweppes Orange Squash, contain a beta-carotene coloring which is stabilized by fish gelatin. The good news is that most US products do not use fish gelatin to stabilize beta-carotene, so unless you are overseas you should be safe. It is important to note that white sugar does often contain small traces of animal bone however so you may still want to steer clear of soft drinks and other products containing white sugar.  

Starburst

Beef-derived gelatin can be found in each and every package of Starburst, but if you’re looking for a fairly similar taste without the gelatin included, pick up a pack of Skittles instead. In 2010, Wrigley’s removed the gelatin from the Skittles recipe but continue to use it in Starburst.

Wine

 

The actual production of Wine does not contain any animal products, but during the finishing process animal products such as: GELATIN, casein, isinglass, and albumen are used to improve clarity and flavor by removing organic impurities. Due to common allergens, wineries and vintners are required to label casein and albumin since they contain milk and/or egg proteins. Gelatin or isinglass does not need to be announced on wine labels. Look for wines labeled as unfiltered, to insure that your wine does not include any of these animal products.  

Foods Containing Lard

Lard, also known as animal fat, is found in many unsuspecting foods, making them off-limits for vegans and vegetarians. The good news is that in the case of lard, most of the time homemade options can be made by substituting non animal fat products to make these foods vegetarian friendly. When reading labels look out for the word “tallow” as it is just a fancy, and sneaky way to label their products with lard.

Cake Mix

Beef and pork fat are common ingredients in dry, boxed cake mixes. These fats are often listed on the ingredient list as lard. To avoid these additions to your cakes, cupcakes, and brownies, opt for making homemade versions.

French Fries

French fries alone are generally vegetarian friendly, but beware of french fries that have been fried in animal fats. Most fries in restaurants these days will be fried in soybean oil to accommodate allergies, but it’s still good practice to ask, and have a backup plan just in case.

Hostess Cupcakes & Twinkies

Many hostess products including cupcakes and twinkies contain animal shortening made with beef fat. The labels on these products are not misleading, and list “beef fat” as an ingredient right on the packaging, so it is easy for the consumer to see exactly what they are consuming.

Jiffy Cornbread Mix

While most cornbread mix does not contain lard, the Jiffy brand does. It is worth noting that some brands may contain milk however, which may need to be considered when maintaining a vegetarian diet.

Pie Crust

Many store bought pie crusts, and traditional pie crust recipes include lard as a way to hold the ingredients together. Although butters and vegetable based products can be substituted for lard in these ingredients, many professional bakers still prefer to use lard due to the flakiness that it provides to the crust.

Potato Chips

  
Some potato chip brands like, Grandma Utz’s handcooked potato chips, are unashamed and include lard right on the ingredients label, but not all potato chip varieties are so easily avoided by vegetarians. Also look for a listing of tallow which is a fancy and misleading way to label animal fat on their products.

Refried Beans

You might think that refried beans are safe, since they are just plant based beans after all, right? Unfortunately most mexican restaurants that offer refried beans are cooked in lard or bacon drippings. Many pre-made canned versions are also made with lard, so look for cans labeled vegetarian, or check the ingredient labels to make sure animal products are not included.

Tortilla Wraps

Most restaurant and homemade versions of tortillas are often made with lard for a soft “melt in your mouth” texture. Store bought varieties do not usually contain this lard, but it is still worth taking a look at the ingredient list, just to make sure.

Salad Dressings

 

Ever wonder why salad dressings that are made in-house at a restaurant taste so much better than store bought varieties or homemade dressings? It’s because many restaurants use bacon fat in their salad dressings. Also look out for traditional and authentic caesar dressings which will contain anchovies.

Foods Containing Anchovies

 

Anchovies are a small saltwater fish that can be eaten raw or cooked. They can also be finely chopped and included in small or large quantities to add flavor to sauces, condiments, and other food dishes. Keep an eye out for anchovies in your favorite foods, they might pop up where you least expect them.

Olive Tapenade

It may come as a surprise to you that some olive tapenade recipes include anchovies alongside the more commonly known ingredients of: garlic, capers, and olives. It is easy to avoid adding the anchovies when making a homemade version, but when ordering at a restaurant, or dining with at a friends house, be sure to ask if they have been added before you dig in.

Pasta Puttanesca

Traditional pasta puttanesca recipes include anchovies, but since they are cooked down until they dissolve into oil many people do not know about this important ingredient. Although restaurants are not likely to list this dish as a vegetarian option because of the inclusion of anchovies, you may look at the description and simply assume that it’s a safe choice. When in doubt, it’s always best to ask.

Worcestershire Sauce

Since Worcestershire sauce is most often used on beef and fish dishes to add flavor, it may be unlikely that a vegetarian would take a second look at this condiment, because they likely wouldn’t use it themselves. It is important to know that this condiment contains anchovies though because it is often used to add a spicy kick to bloody mary cocktails in restaurants and bars. To be safe, simply ask your bartender to leave this ingredient out when they’re making your bloody marys.

Foods Containing Animal Stock

A stock is a flavored liquid that has been prepared with either animal bones, meat, seafood, or vegetables that have been simmered in water or wine. An animal stock may sneak up in foods that you would never imagine, so as with everything else on this list it’s key that you check the ingredient label before buying or eating anything.

Baked Beans

Canned baked beans are almost always prepared and stored in bacon or ham stock to add flavor, so unless the packaging expressly says vegetarian, it’s unlikely that these beans are free of animal product. Luckily you can easily make your own baked beans that are vegetarian simply by using vegetable stock.

Stuffing

Since many stuffings are made to literally stuff within animals to cook, they are often made with animal based stocks. If you’re making your own stuffing though it’s easy enough to use vegetable stock instead. When you’re buying stuffing from a restaurant, or eating at someone else’s house though it is always better to ask and be sure than to find out after you’ve consumed it that the stuffing was made from animal stock.

Soups

Beef and vegetable soup, chicken and corn soup, and ham and bean soup are of course among the soups that use animal stock in them, but did you know that many vegetable soups also use these stocks? This is especially true in restaurants. Most cream soups like cream of broccoli, or cream of potato are made with chicken stock, and split pea soup is most often made with ham stock. It’s important to ask to make sure these soups are made with vegetable broth or stock while you’re out, and as usual, always check the labels on the canned varieties.

Foods Containing Other Strange Animal Parts

From shellfish, to wasps, to smashed up bugs, beaver butt juice, and even human hair, nothing is more disturbing than the animal bits and pieces that you’ll find in the following foods. In fact, if you have a weak stomach and don’t mind eating foods that aren’t actually vegetarian, you might not want to scroll any farther, but if you’re brave enough to learn about more what you’re eating, take a brave look below.

Bagels

If you check the ingredients list on your favorite bagels or bread you will likely find L. Cysteine listed. What you may not know is what L. Cysteine is. It is an amino acid that is used to extend the shelf-life on these types of factor made products. The important part to note is that it is made from human hair, duck feathers, cow horns, and pig bristles, making these products 100% decidedly NOT vegetarian. L. Cysteine can also be found in Pizza Hut’s garlic bread, McDonald’s honey wheat rolls, cinnamon rolls, and apple pies.

Bananas

I bet that you would never guess that bananas can contain shellfish, if they are not labeled as organic. This is because there is a preservative that contains shellfish that is sprayed onto these bananas to keep them fresh during their trip from the fields to the stores. The sprays contain a bacteria-fighting compound from shrimp and crab shells, that make these bananas not vegetarian friendly.

Beer

Most beers are safe for vegetarians to consume but it is important to note that a few breweries use animal products such as GELATIN, and isinglass to clear the beer of yeast, at the end of the brewing process to produce a more crisp and clear beer. Guinness was once an offender of using this process but has recently developed plans to stop using isinglass to filter the yeast from their beer.

Figs

Figs are pollinated by fig wasps. During the course of pollination the wasps burrow within the fig to lay their eggs in a mutual relationship with reproduction as their goal. When the eggs hatch they burrow back out of the fig and fly off to pollinate more figs. Unfortunately some wasps remain within the fig and are broken down into protein to be made into part of the ripened fruit.  

Hard Coated Candies

Shellac is added to many different types of candy to create a hard coated exterior. This shellac is made from a resin that is secreted from the rear end of the female lac bug, and it takes about 100,000 of these bugs to produce just 500 grams of shellac flakes. This shellac is also occasionally referred to as confectioner’s glaze or resinous glaze on the candy’s list of ingredients. Candies that contain shellac include (but are not limited to) Hershey’s milk duds, Hershey’s Whopper’s Malted Milk Balls, Nestle’s Raisinettes, Nestle’s Goober’s, Tootsie Roll Industry’s Junior Mints, Tootsie Roll Industry’s Sugar Babies, Jelly Belly Jelly Beans, Godiva’s dark chocolate almond bar, dark chocolate cherries, milk chocolate cashews, white chocolate pearls, and milk chocolate pearls, Gertrude Hawk’s chocolate covered nuts and raisins, cupcake sprinkles, and decorative cake pieces, and Russell Stover’s Jelly Beans. Red hard candies that are naturally colored will list Red #4, cochineal, carminic acid, or carmine, in their ingredients. This natural red color is actually derived from the female dactylopius coccus costa insect. The FDA is well aware of this additive and requires pasteurization of the bug-derivative to eliminate Salmonella microorganisms, but that doesn’t stop this from being any less gross. This red dye has also been known to cause allergic reactions in some people. In addition to red candies, it can also be found in wine, vinegar, and colored pasta.

Orange Juice

Orange juice, and many other products that are labeled as heart healthy, include fish oil as a way to include omega-3’s, which are fatty acids with major health benefits. Although omega-3’s can also be found in plant sources including nuts and seeds, these products are often fortified with fish oil, to boost their nutritional value.

Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese

Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese and a few other cheeses are made with rennet, and often times (unless otherwise specified) this rennet is made from the stomach of slaughtered calves. Other cheeses that contain rennet include (but are not limited to) Gruyere, Manchego, Emmenthaler, Pecorino Romano, Gorgonzola, Mimolette, Grana Padano, Camembert, Boucheron, and Vacherin. Look for ingredient labels that list “vegetable rennet” or packages that are labeled as vegetarian to be safe.

Vanilla Ice Cream & Raspberry Flavoring

One rather disgusting ingredient will give you a nice smooth vanilla flavor in ice cream, while also providing a tangy raspberry flavoring for candies and other such foods. The ingredient is called castoreum, but that is just a nice word for the brown slime that is secreted from beaver’s anal glands to ‘mark their territory’. Even non vegetarians should consider checking for this ingredient the next time they’re buying vanilla ice cream, or anything raspberry flavored.

White Sugar

If you use white sugar, beware that it might have been bleached and filtered with bone char, meaning that your sugar could contain traces of animal bones. This is the most common way to filter cane sugar, although a few companies are switching over to alternative methods which would use granular carbon instead, which would be okay for vegetarians since it doesn’t contain animal products. Your best bet is still to go with raw, unbleached, and unfiltered sugars though.

Yogurts

Some yogurts like Activia Light, contain carmine which is a crushed insect that gives food a ‘naturally’ red coloring and gelatin which is made from the skin, bones, ligaments, and tendons of animals. Other yogurts contain other slaughterhouse by-products and preservatives that contain animal products. Keep an eye on your labels to make sure that you aren’t buying a yogurt that contains any of these ingredients.

Everyone should be aware of what it is that they’re actually eating, which is why we believe that if you’re going to eat processed or packaged foods it’s ALWAYS a good idea to read the label whether you are a vegetarian or not. However it is especially important if you have a dietary restriction such as veganism or vegetarianism that you keep an eye on everything that you eat, and not just cut out your meat products for ISOPasta, and other high protein sources.

Which of the foods on this list surprised you the most that it wasn’t vegetarian friendly?

Why you will hate India – 8 reasons

Source: wonderlusters

After four month in the country, we can safely say that India left a deep impression. Before we arrived, many travelers told us: ‘You will either hate India or really love it – there is not much in between.’
It was different for us – we had many wonderful moments when we truly loved being in India and then enough moments, when we felt like being in the very wrong place. We feel torn in between strong emotions as we experienced both sides – the beauty and the beast India can be.
Following the rather superficial and subjective collection of aspects we didn’t like about India

1. It is so madly crowded!

While India does not even have the highest population density of all countries (ranked 10th among territorial states), it sure felt like the most crowded place we’ve ever been. It might be the relatively uneven distribution of people, with some urban centers growing like mangoes in may and other areas, like the vast mountains in the north or the desert in the west comparably sparsely populated. We sometimes felt just suffocated by the masses, mostly in cities but even smaller towns. Not to mention in the trains, buses and sumos!

2. The traffic is just crazy!

Combine the population factor with an ancient, insufficient infrastructure and a reckless driving attitude maybe connected to the firm believe in reincarnation, traffic in India is the worst we have seen anywhere. At it is more than an optical illusion: For example 2013 India accounted for over 19% of all global road accident fatalities! But it is not just a question of life and death, more a daily thing. The traffic takes away all pleasure of strolling along the streets, prohibits conversation at normal volume and tires the hell out of you when spending a day out in a city or town. We just wished there would be at least some pedestrian / traffic calmed areas, but even in the smallest alleys motorbikes are darting and honking past you.

3. It is so damn dirty – the pollution factor

Without a doubt directly connected to the two previous aspects, India is not alone by any means when it comes to failing full fledged in the management of all kinds of possible pollution. But once more, from our experience India is the peak of this very issue. Again statistics support our impression: for example this year India has the dubious honor of owning 13 of the worlds 20 most polluted cities! And it is really everything, kilometer long mountains of plastic along roads and railway tracks, the ocean surf carrying loads of trash ashore with each wave, rivers so dirty that they cause skin diseases and worse, streets and alleys reeking of piss and feces, air pollution that lets people die many years earlier in major cities and lastly a noise pollution that is many times above the mandated limits. And what hurts the most: It is not exactly a major discussion in the country – and even pretty educated individuals make a sport out of throwing all their trash out of train windows. More than once we had to fight our tears…

4. A place of no silence

Like mentioned already, noise becomes one’s most loyal companion. If you are not far away from everything in nature or some expensive apartment, expect to be woken up in the morning early enough by harrumphing and spitting men, screeching horns and howling engines, the generator coping with a power cut or just people shouting and talking over three blocks. Your lullaby in most cheap lodges or night trains will consist of the same spitting concert, full power mobile phone music, crying children and quarreling ladies. It took a while to understand, that people don’t mean any harm, but living in a place like India gives no chance to develop any consciousness.

5. Human behavior testing tolerance

Surely just as well another result of the countries crowdedness, in no other country we got pissed off by peoples behavior as much as in India. The permanent staring is surely not meant as an offense and to a certain degree you get used to it. But what directly influences your comfort are people managing to turn a sleeper class train to a semi dump in a matter of one afternoon, the completely uncontrolled mass behavior, e.g. creating war-like scenes at the opening of a subway door or those times when you have to result being stern and rigorous to archive anything. We probably never will get used to the constant sights of men just peeing in front of all public at a wall or children shitting right on the sidewalk with the parents watching the process from their house entrance and not even removing the product afterwards.

6. Racism reversed – being ‘white’ in India

You are a white ‘Sahib’ in India, no matter how ragged your clothes, how humble your behavior or your actual origin and personal background, more often than not it creates the following idea in the head of people: There’s a person from a wealthy place being on holiday with pockets full of dollars waiting to be spend as they are easily re-earned once home. Given, like in many stereotypes, this one does carry some truth as well. But it is frustrating being reduced to this concept many times over and over again. It means being in the absolute focus of begging persons, even with a whole group of well dressed Bangalore business men just next to you, it means being exposed permanently in half way touristy places to the frenzy of touts and furthermore we felt looked up to by regular people of our age often, just because we were from Europe. Well, in short: We felt perceived like pure holiday making tourists a lot. Consequently, when it comes to money often enough you have to pay ‘white tax’ – don’t expect the rickshaw driver to ask you the price he would ask a local for. Some bargaining is fine – but sometimes we were sick of being asked four times the regular price and being deliberately lied to that this is actually the normal price.

7. Being a female in India is not easy

While the media focus on all the rape stories definitely creates an exaggerated and expended image of the dangers as a female traveling in India, it is not the easiest place to be as a girl. First off, we didn’t have any severe trouble personally, but Maria was most of the time with me – so not traveling alone. But we heard enough credible stories of men using chances in crowded spaces (enough available!) to grope, guys watching girls sleep in a train while touching their dicks or just annoying exchanges on otherwise great websites like Couchsurfing about having a date instead of hospitality. But here we have to mention very critically the other part of the story: We couldn’t believe how some western tourists were walking around in a dress-wise highly sensitive place like India – in Amsterdam’s red lighted showcase windows the fashion is not much different. India is no Mallorca – but with some mental strength and sensitivity should not be taboo for single female travelers.

8. Traveling simple = traveling stressful

Usually the aspects of traveling we enjoy the most contain hitchhiking, camping, couchsurfing, random interactions, random places. While it is definitely partly our fault, in India it was immensely tough to stick to those principles and still enjoy it. Why? Hitchhiking means fending off the countless rickshaws and taxis, hoping that one of the few private cars or a truck stops. In general, we found road travel exhausting in India, due to that mad traffic, the road conditions and the fact that the surrounding of main roads nearly never is too pretty. We mostly moved long distances by train. Camping worked fine in nature places – but on travel days it would have meant crashing in some dump, potentially bothered by stray dogs, the smell of trash and feces or people who get curios to the point that the tent will be just opened. Furthermore, we didn’t feel too good about leaving our stuff alone even for a while in most places in India. Regarding Couchsurfing, unfortunately many places in India just have a handful of real active Couchsurfers – and in big cities Couchsurfing likely means being stuck in a suburb and consequently lots of commuting to the city center. We quickly realized that the average Indian small town is a dusty, uncontrolled grid of crowded streets and noise, framed by the usual piles of trash – thus we didn’t fancy much ending up in such random places at night (..or even day). For those reasons we used public transportation too much, slept too many nights in hostels, planed our directions too much and partly lost the spirit of free traveling.

Scientists solve puzzle of converting gaseous carbon dioxide to fuel: Saving the planet from climate change with a grain of sand

Converting greenhouse gas emissions into energy-rich fuel using nano silicon (Si) in a carbon-neutral carbon-cycle is illustrated.

Credit: Chenxi Qian

Every year, humans advance climate change and global warming -- and quite likely our own eventual extinction -- by injecting about 30 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

A team of scientists from the University of Toronto (U of T) believes they've found a way to convert all these emissions into energy-rich fuel in a carbon-neutral cycle that uses a very abundant natural resource: silicon. Silicon, readily available in sand, is the seventh most-abundant element in the universe and the second most-abundant element in the earth's crust.
The idea of converting carbon dioxide emissions to energy isn't new: there's been a global race to discover a material that can efficiently convert sunlight, carbon dioxide and water or hydrogen to fuel for decades. However, the chemical stability of carbon dioxide has made it difficult to find a practical solution.
"A chemistry solution to climate change requires a material that is a highly active and selective catalyst to enable the conversion of carbon dioxide to fuel. It also needs to be made of elements that are low cost, non-toxic and readily available," said Geoffrey Ozin, a chemistry professor in U of T's Faculty of Arts & Science, the Canada Research Chair in Materials Chemistry and lead of U of T's Solar Fuels Research Cluster.
In an article in Nature Communications published August 23, Ozin and colleagues report silicon nanocrystals that meet all the criteria. The hydride-terminated silicon nanocrystals -- nanostructured hydrides for short -- have an average diameter of 3.5 nanometres and feature a surface area and optical absorption strength sufficient to efficiently harvest the near-infrared, visible and ultraviolet wavelengths of light from the sun together with a powerful chemical-reducing agent on the surface that efficiently and selectively converts gaseous carbon dioxide to gaseous carbon monoxide.
The potential result: energy without harmful emissions.
"Making use of the reducing power of nanostructured hydrides is a conceptually distinct and commercially interesting strategy for making fuels directly from sunlight," said Ozin.
The U of T Solar Fuels Research Cluster is working to find ways and means to increase the activity, enhance the scale, and boost the rate of production. Their goal is a laboratory demonstration unit and, if successful, a pilot solar refinery.

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The above post is reprinted from materials provided by University of Toronto. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Brain activity in sex addiction mirrors that of drug addiction

The glass brains and coronal images show the effects across groups of the following contrasts: explicit – exciting (left, top row), erotic – exciting (middle, middle row) and money – exciting (right, bottom row).

Credit: doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0102419.g002

Pornography triggers brain activity in people with compulsive sexual behaviour -- known commonly as sex addiction -- similar to that triggered by drugs in the brains of drug addicts, according to a University of Cambridge study published in the journal PLOS ONE. However, the researchers caution that this does not necessarily mean that pornography itself is addictive.

Although precise estimates are unknown, previous studies have suggested that as many as one in 25 adults is affected by compulsive sexual behaviour, an obsession with sexual thoughts, feelings or behaviour which they are unable to control. This can have an impact on a person's personal life and work, leading to significant distress and feelings of shame. Excessive use of pornography is one of the main features identified in many people with compulsive sexual behaviour. However, there is currently no formally accepted definition of diagnosing the condition.
In a study funded by the Wellcome Trust, researchers from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge looked at brain activity in nineteen male patients affected by compulsive sexual behaviour and compared them to the same number of healthy volunteers. The patients started watching pornography at earlier ages and in higher proportions relative to the healthy volunteers.
"The patients in our trial were all people who had substantial difficulties controlling their sexual behaviour and this was having significant consequences for them, affecting their lives and relationships," explains Dr Valerie Voon, a Wellcome Trust Intermediate Clinical Fellow at the University of Cambridge. "In many ways, they show similarities in their behaviour to patients with drug addictions. We wanted to see if these similarities were reflected in brain activity, too."
The study participants were shown a series of short videos featuring either sexually explicit content or sports whilst their brain activity was monitored using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which uses a blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signal to measure brain activity.
The researchers found that three regions in particular were more active in the brains of the people with compulsive sexual behaviour compared with the healthy volunteers. Significantly, these regions -- the ventral striatum, dorsal anterior cingulate and amygdala -- were regions that are also particularly activated in drug addicts when shown drug stimuli. The ventral striatum is involved in processing reward and motivation, whilst the dorsal anterior cingulate is implicated in anticipating rewards and drug craving. The amygdala is involved in processing the significance of events and emotions.
The researchers also asked the participants to rate the level of sexual desire that they felt whilst watching the videos, and how much they liked the videos. Drug addicts are thought to be driven to seek their drug because they want -- rather than enjoy -- it. This abnormal process is known as incentive motivation, a compelling theory in addiction disorders.
As anticipated, patients with compulsive sexual behaviour showed higher levels of desire towards the sexually explicit videos, but did not necessarily rate them higher on liking scores. In the patients, desire was also correlated with higher interactions between regions within the network identified -- with greater cross-talk between the dorsal cingulate, ventral striatum and amygdala -- for explicit compared to sports videos.
Dr Voon and colleagues also found a correlation between brain activity and age -- the younger the patient, the greater the level of activity in the ventral striatum in response to pornography. Importantly, this association was strongest in individuals with compulsive sexual behaviour. The frontal control regions of the brain -- essentially, the 'brakes' on our compulsivity -- continue to develop into the mid-twenties and this imbalance may account for greater impulsivity and risk taking behaviours in younger people. The age-related findings in individuals with compulsive sexual behaviours suggest that the ventral striatum may be important in developmental aspects of compulsive sexual behaviours in a similar fashion as it is in drug addictions, although direct testing of this possibility is needed.
"There are clear differences in brain activity between patients who have compulsive sexual behaviour and healthy volunteers. These differences mirror those of drug addicts," adds Dr Voon. "Whilst these findings are interesting, it's important to note, however, that they could not be used to diagnose the condition. Nor does our research necessarily provide evidence that these individuals are addicted to porn -- or that porn is inherently addictive. Much more research is required to understand this relationship between compulsive sexual behaviour and drug addiction."
Dr John Williams, Head of Neuroscience and Mental Health at the Wellcome Trust, says: "Compulsive behaviours, including watching porn to excess, over-eating and gambling, are increasingly common. This study takes us a step further to finding out why we carry on repeating behaviours that we know are potentially damaging to us. Whether we are tackling sex addiction, substance abuse or eating disorders, knowing how best, and when, to intervene in order to break the cycle is an important goal of this research."

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The above post is reprinted from materials provided by University of Cambridge. The original story is licensed under a Creative Commons Licence. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.