TWENTY FIVE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT A NEWBORN BABY

1. All newborn babies have a pug nose. The bridge of the nose isn't there at birth - it grows later - so babies have a small `button' nose.

2. Nearly all babies are born with blue or blue-grey eyes. Permanent eye colouration develops during the following months.

3. Newborn babies may cry a lot but they don't produce any tears. There is moisture to lubricate and clean the eyes but proper tears don't start to appear until the baby is between three and twelve weeks of age.

4. Any hair that is on your newborn baby's head will soon fall out - to be replaced by permanent hair (which may be of an entirely different colour) at about six months.

5. All newborn babies - even black ones - have a ruddy complexion. This is because their blood contains a high number of red blood cells.

6. Four out of ten babies are born with at least one birthmark.

7. The commonest day of the week for babies to be born is Tuesday. Fewer babies are born on Saturday or Sunday than on any other day of the week (though this may simply be because doctors and midwives don't like working weekends).

8. Babies have a strongly developed sense of smell. By the time he is one week old a baby can identify his mother by her smell.

9. Newborn babies are genetically programmed to respond to human voices - especially female voices. Babies learn to distinguish between different sounds very quickly.

10. Few babies have much of a sense of taste - though most prefer sweet tasting liquids.

11. Babies have very poor eyesight. Their eyes are focused on a spot about eight inches away - so you need to get really close if your baby is to see you clearly. Babies prefer looking at curved lines rather than straight lines.

12. Contrary to the old wives' tale, babies are not colour blind. They prefer strong primary colours - particularly red and blue.

13. The heart of a newborn baby beats between 130 and 160 times a minute (about twice that of a normal adult).

14. Babies breathe much faster than adults - 30 to 50 times a minute compared to an adult's 15 to 20 times a minute.

15. Babies often sneeze and snort in their sleep to clear their nasal passages. Only later on can babies breathe through their mouth if their nose is blocked. To minimise the problem keep the air in the home as clear and as smoke and dust free as possible.

16. Although babies get some immunity - and protection from infection - from their mothers, they are still very vulnerable to colds. Keep anyone with a cold away from your baby.

17. Babies have very small stomachs. An 8lb baby can get 3 ounces of milk into its stomach. It is the small size of its stomach that may explain why many babies will occasionally vomit. (But always get medical advice if a baby vomits.) Because they have small stomachs - the average stomach in the average baby is no bigger than the size of his fist! - babies need small feeds regularly (every three or four hours) rather than large feeds occasionally.

18. Nearly every newborn baby gets wind - and colic - that lasts for the first three months of its life.

19. Newborn babies spend between 15 and 20 hours a day sleeping - in bouts of sleep lasting 20 minutes to 5 hours.

20. In the first year of his life your baby will triple his weight, increase his length by 50%, double the size of his brain and create every nerve cell he will ever have.

21. Babies respond well to touch - which stimulates the production of growth-promoting hormones and helps the body become more responsive to these hormones. In one survey it was shown that premature babies who were touched regularly showed 47% more weight gain.

22. Babies are often nervous - even fearful - of new foods. To enable your baby to overcome his fears allow him to play with the food a little before eating it. You may be able to encourage a baby to try a new food by putting a small amount of food on his index finger and then gently guiding his index finger into his mouth.

23. If a baby suddenly starts to refuse a once favourite food it probably means that he is bored with it and would appreciate a little variation in his diet.

24. Teething can start when your baby is just three months old.

25. Babies sometimes need background noise to help them get to sleep (the womb is not the quietest place in the world). Some sounds that are known to relax and soothe babies include: a recording of their mother's heartbeat; the sound of a clock ticking; a recording of a stream, waterfall or sea; a vacuum cleaner; air bubbling through a fish tank; running water from a tap.

Fun & Interesting Facts about Petronas Towers

· Petronas Twin Towers were the tallest buildings in the world until 2004, when Taipei 101 took over the title.

· Petronas Towers are still the tallest twin buildings in the world.

· There are 88 stories in Petronas Twin Towers.

· Petronas Towers were designed by Argentine-American architect César Pelli.

· The foundation of Petronas Twin Towers is as much as 120 m deep and was built by Bachy Soletanche.

· Reinforced Concrete is the main material used in the construction of Petronas Towers.

· Petronas Twin Towers make use of glass facade that was designed to resemble Islamic art motifs.

· The overall height of Petronas Towers is 451.9m (1483ft), from street level.

· Petronas Twin Towers measure 378m (1240ft) high, without the pinnacle.

· Petronas Towers spread over an area or around 341,760 sq. m. (3.7 million sq. ft.).

· The sky-bridge of Petronas Twin Towers is at 41^st and 42^nd level and is 58.4m (192ft) long. It weighs 750 tons.

· There are 10 escalators in each building of Petronas Towers.

· The entry to Petronas Towers is free, but only a limited number of timed tickets are provided on a daily basis.

· Petronas Twin Towers have 32,000 windows.

· It cost US $1.2 billion to build Petronas Towers.

· Petronas Twin Towers also include an art gallery, an 840-seat concert hall, and an underground parking lot.

· The main occupant of the Petronas Towers is Petronas, the national oil-company of Malaysia.

· Below Petronas Twin Towers is a shopping mall, Suria KLCC, and Dewan Filharmonik Petronas, the home of the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra.

· Accenture, Al Jazeera English, Carigali Hess Bloomberg, Boeing, IBM, Khazanah Nasional Berhad, McKinsey & Co, TCS, Krawler Networks, Microsoft, and Reuters are some of the companies that have rented offices in the Petronas Towers.

· There is a service building located to the east of the Petronas Twin Towers. It contains services required to keep the building operational.

Alain "Spiderman" Robert, a French urban climber, tried to climb the Petronas Towers on 20^th March 1997, with his bare hands and feet. He reached the 60^th floor, where he was arrested by the police. He again tried the feat, this time on the other building, on 20^th March 2007. This time also, he managed to reach only 60^th floor and was arrested by the police

Facts About The Taj Mahal

• Taj Mahal was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, in the memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal.
• Apart from being a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Taj Mahal is one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
• The name Taj Mahal, with Taj meaning Crown and Mahal meaning Palace, literally means ‘Crown Palace’.
• The construction work on Taj Mahal was started in the year 1632 and carried on for the next 16 years, ending in 1648.
• It is believed that 20,000 workmen, who worked on a daily basis, were involved in the construction of Taj Mahal.
• Taj Mahal is made purely of white marble, which was brought from the quarries of Makrana, in Nagaur district of Rajasthan.
• It is said that as many as 1000 elephants were used to transport the white marbled used in construction of Taj Mahal.
• The main entrance gate of Taj Mahal faces the Southern gate and is 151 feet by 117 feet. It rises to a height of 100 feet.
• A very popular myth surrounding the Taj Mahal is that after its construction, Shah Jahan ordered amputation of the hands of all the workers. It is said that he wanted to make sure that no person on this earth will ever be able to recreate the magic of ‘Taj’.
• The cost of construction of Taj Mahal, even at that time, came to 32 crore rupees.
• The inlay work in the Taj Mahal has been done with 28 kind of rare, semi precious and precious stones.
• Shah Jahan got Red sandstone from Fatehpur Sikri, Jasper from Punjab, Jade and Crystal from China, Turquoise from Tibet, Lapis Lazuli and Sapphire from Sri Lanka, Coal and Cornelian from Arabia and Diamonds from Panna, for Taj Mahal.
• The calligrapher of Taj Mahal was Amanat Khan Shirazi, since his name appears at the end of an inscription on one of the gates of the Taj.
• The main red sandstone gate of Taj Mahal is 30 feet high and stands adorned with verses from the Koran, in Arabic.
• The central dome of Taj Mahal is 187 feet high at the centre.
• The architecture of Taj Mahal represents a kind of fusion of Persian, Central Asian and Islamic architecture.
• The main building of Taj Mahal is surrounded by gardens known as Charbagh (four gardens), measuring 300 X 300 mt.
• Taj Mahal stands on a raised platform, with one minaret at each of the four corners of the plinth.
• The minarets of Taj Mahal measure 41.6 m in height and have a deliberate outward slant.
• The interior of the Taj Mahal comprises of a lofty central chamber, which has a crypt immediately below it.
• There is a mosque on the left of Taj Mahal, made of red sandstone. It is used for conducting Friday prayers, even today.

There is another mosque, standing on Taj Mahal’s right hand side. Since it faces west, it is not used for prayers. It is believed to have been built for maintaining symmetry

Interesting Facts about Egypt

• The official name of Egypt is ‘Arab Republic of Egypt’. The country is known as ‘Misr’ or ‘Masr’ in the local language.
• The capital of Egypt is Cairo and the city holds the distinction of being the largest city in Africa and the Middle East.
• Egypt is spread over an area of approximately 995,450 sq km, which comprises mainly of desert and desert like areas.
• The main language of Egypt is Egyptian Arabic. Apart from that, English and French are also spoken there.
• A large number of household objects were invented or used by the ancient Egyptians, including lock and keys, combs, scissors, wigs, makeup, deodorants, toothbrush and toothpaste.
• Ancient Egyptians used cosmetics as far back as 5,000 years ago. However, it was meant to protect the skin from sunlight, and not for beauty care.
• Egyptian architect Imhotep, who lived almost 5,000 years ago, is the earliest scientist to be known by name today.
• Egyptians created glass and faience objects.
• Egyptians invented the art of painting on plaster. Even cement was first used by them only.
• Ancient Egyptians used to play a game, using large stones set up as pins and small stones as a ball, which was quite similar to the bowling we do today.
• Egyptians were among the very first people to invent writing, along with ink and paper.
• Pharaoh Pepi II of Egypt is known for having the longest reign as a monarch, which lasted from around 2294 BC to about 2220 BC.
• Senet, a game played in ancient Egypt, is one of the oldest known board games of the world.
• The earliest known wine cellars have been discovered in Egypt.
• The earliest will was prepared by Nek'ure, the son of the Egyptian Pharaoh Khafre, who died in circa 2601 BC.
• The first written international peace treaty was made between Ramses II of Egypt and Hattusili III of Hittite empire.
• The pyramids of Egypt are the last remaining ancient wonder of the world. They have been given an ‘honorary status’ in the list of the new ‘Wonders of the World’.
• In ancient Egypt, women could participate in business ventures, own land, represent themselves in court and even become doctors.
• Ancient Egyptians knew all about curing meat and preserving food, with the help of natron and sodium bicarbonate. They used them in the process of mummification also.
• Egyptians have been known to have invented 365 days calendar and the 24-hour division of the day.

· The Ancient Egyptians divided thier years into twelve months consisting of 30 days with 5 days left over.

· Silver was considered more valuable then gold in Ancient Egypt.

· The Cat was a symbol of Fertility and sexuality, which is why later Ancient Egyptians painted their eye to mimick those of cats.

· The Ancient Egyptians were the first to invent paper, using papyrus.

· Ancient Egyptians mummified animals as well.

· Ancient Egytians didn't celebrate birthday's.

· Dreams were thought to be communications from the Gods and clues to thier futures.

· The Ancient Egyptians loved their cats so much that if one of their cats dies they would shave off their eyebrows and mourn until their eyebrows gre back.

· According to ancient myths, bees were the tears of the Egyptians sun god Ra.

· The average life expectancy for an Egyptian woman was 54 and 52 for a man.

· The actual process of mumification took 70 days, where all oragsn were removed save the heart, the body was packed with spices and herbs, packed in a natural salts that grew along the coast in Egypt for 35 dats. When this time was up the salt would have drie dthe body out completely. The mumifiers would return and wrap the body up with cloth with prayers written on them. They stuck the cloth on with resin.

· The Jackal represents Anubis, the ancients god of embbalming and the protector of the dead.

· The Ancient Egyptians believed that the heart was the center of a human, so they paid special attention to the left side of their body because that is where the heart is.

· Egyptians lived in haouses made of dried mud bricks, even the pharoah did, only the temples for their gods were made out of stone.

· It is though that the riches in Tutankhamen tomb as well as his mask and tomb were stolen from the tombs of his father Akhenaton and Nefertiti, his mother.

· The longest reigning king was Pepy II he was King at age 6 and rules until 94.

· Ancient Egyptians were the first to use pigeons as messangers.

· In Ancient times an amulet was worn to ward off evil.

· The Sphinx lost it's nose in 1798 when Napoleans soldiers used it for target practice.

· Beer was invented in Egypt.

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT TREASURE HUNTING

An interesting fact about treasure hunting is that 90% of all people that own a metal detector started out by hunting coins. Currently, numbers show that 60% of all people that treasure hunt still hunt for coins, although they do on occasion try other forms of hunting. Studies also show that 20% of people coin hunting become quite good at this and actually are considered as professionals in that they know all the right places for finding coins, spending the majority of their spare time hunting. Additionally, 30% of all coin hunters are female, with that number climbing.

Another interesting fact is that the people who treasure hunt are all extremely nice, respectable people. They share many of the same qualities such as being patient and giving. These individuals live life with integrity and studies show the majority are excellent, dedicated parents. There is just something special about people that hunt for treasure in that they are balanced individuals that enjoy adventure.

Some people are so talented when it comes to treasure hunting that they have been inspired to write books on how to be a great hunter. You will also find that some people give so much of their time to treasure hunting, they have unearthed historical artifacts such as a 6.25 ounce nugget, Spanish Reales dating back to the 1530s, a complete set of W.M. Rogers silverware stored in a rich, maple case, twelve 1799 cents, as well as an abundance of gold and diamonds.

The technology for metal detectors is changing all the time, where even metal detectors designed two years ago are considered out of date. When it comes to wet beaches and black sand deposits, the majority of metal detectors designed for hunting coins have difficulty in these situations. For this reason, when shopping for the right detectors, be sure to ask the salesperson if the detector will work in specific scenarios. While some metal detectors are designed to handle special jobs, remember that just because a detector has an extra fancy meter, it may not operate for the type of hunting you plan to do.

14 Amazing Facts About Crocodiles

1. The largest crocodile species is saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), encountered from India to northern Australia and Fiji. In can reach 7 m (23 ft) in length and 1 tonne in weight! At 5 m (17 ft) length, it already has 0.5 tonne!

Even so, a crocodile egg is no larger than that of a goose!

The smallest crocodile is the dwarf crocodile (Osteolaemus tetraspis) from central Africa, which has a maximum length of 1.9 m (6.5 ft). It is more terrestrial than other crocodiles.

2. To "cry crocodile tears" is a common expression which is used for depicting fake sadness. It has its origins in the myth according to which reptiles weep while eating humans. But, believe it or not, crocodiles really do wipe while feasting, but rather due to physiological reasons than remorse. Their eyes can froth and bubble during the feeding. Air pushed through the sinuses could mix with tears in the animal's lacrimal (tear) glands and the whole content could be emptied into the eye; resulting the "fake" remorse.

3. Crocodile skin is considered one of the finest and best, being soft and durable. In many tribal societies, skin crocodile is used as a symbol of high status. But only the skin on the belly has these qualities; the back skin is covered in bones (called osteoderms) that reflects arrows, spears and even bullets!

3. Crocodile skin is considered one of the finest and best, being soft and durable. In many tribal societies, skin crocodile is used as a symbol of high status. But only the skin on the belly has these qualities; the back skin is covered in bones (called osteoderms) that reflects arrows, spears and even bullets!

A crocodile skin purse can cost $ 15,000. The value of the crocodile skin has been fueling an intense poaching and today many of the 23 species of crocodiles and relatives are threatened, many populations being wiped out. The salvation of the crocodiles could come from the crocodile farms.

Brazilian poachers capture caymans during the night, by thrusting spears between their eyes (which can be easily spotted night, due to the shiny tapetum layer). The animals are brought into the boats and skinned alive.

4. Some populations venerated the crocodiles (like the ancient Egyptians). From some tribes in New Guinea, the crocodile is a totem god and those people make themselves crocodile-like body scarring, which is an extremely painful procedure.

In the case of Australian Aborigines, some tribes were expert in crocodile hunt, while for others the crocodile hunt was taboo.

5. Crocodiles display increased aggressiveness during the mating season (linked to the monsoon).

6. Each crocodile jaw carries 24 sharp teeth meant to grasp and crush, not to chew. That's why they swallow stones that grind the food inside their stomachs (the stomach stones also serve as ballast). The teeth are continuously replaced along the crocodile's life. Crocodiles can exert enormous pressure when closing their jaws, but the force for opening them is so weak, that an adhesive band is enough to keep a large crocodiles' jaw shut up. The powerful jaws can be extremely delicate, working like pencils, when removing offspring from the nest. Still, beware at the tail: it inflicts powerful blows.

7. Many times crocodiles stay on the river banks mouth wide open. That is not an aggressive posture, but a way to cool off: they sweat through the mouth!

8. The crocodiles have a four-chambered heart like in birds (their closest relatives) and mammals, for an active life. Still, when diving, the heart behaves like a three-chambered reptilian heart, enabling them to stay more underwater.

9. How can you make the difference between a crocodile and an alligator? If you are not accustomed to their shape, look at the mouth: crocodiles have a clearly visible the fourth tooth on the lower jaw even when the mouth is closed (alligators and caymans have a groove where that tooth fits). Because crocodiles have salt glands inside their mouths they can stand sea water, while alligators cannot. That's why many crocodile’s species abound in mangroves and estuaries. Behaviorally, crocodiles are more active and more aggressive than alligators, and also less resistant to cold (alligators are found in subtropical areas, crocodiles not).

10. If you turn on a lantern at night in waters populated by crocodiles, you will see pairs of shiny red dots. These are the crocodiles' eyes which have a layer called tapetum behind their retina, containing crystals that reflect light and make possible the night vision.

11. 99% of the crocodile offspring are eaten in the fist year of life by large fish, monitor lizards, herons and ... adult crocodiles. During the first weeks of life, the crocodile offspring eats the food reserves from its viteline sack. The crocodile eggs are appreciated by monitor lizards, hyenas, large storks and even... humans. A female lays 20-80 eggs which are incubated in a nest built from plant materials and defended by her for three months.

A farmed crocodile reaches 1.5 m (5 ft) in length in just one year. In the wild, without such a constant food supply, it requires 3 years to reach the same length.

12. Crocodiles can swim just with the help of their powerful tail with 40 km (25 mi) per hour, and can stand underwater 2-3 hours. On land they can burst on short rapid races, but they get tired very quickly. They can also execute jumps out of the water, a several meters long.

13. The first crocodiles appeared 240 million years ago, at the same time with the dinosaurs (to which they are related), had less than 1 m (3 ft) in length and ran on two feet! That's why even today, crocodiles have longer hind limbs than fore limbs.

14. Crocodiles can live up to 80 years!

Interesting Facts about River Nile

• The Nile originates in Burundi, which is located South of the Equator and then flows across Northeastern Africa, finally crossing Egypt and then drains into the Mediterranean Sea.
• It is one of the longest rivers in the world; it used to be the longest but recent studies suggest that Amazon River can be longer than Nile. The length of the river is approximately 6695 km and the river has two tributaries.
• Only 22% of the river passes through Egypt, the other countries through which Nile passes are Sudan, Burundi, Ethiopia, Zaire, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania.
• The cities that Nile flows past are Cairo, Khartoum, Gondokoro, Aswan, Karnak, Thebes and the town of Alexandria.
• River Nile has two tributaries namely the Blue Nile and the White Nile; the volume of water of Nile is mostly determined by the Blue Nile, which contributes more than 50% of the water of the Nile River but then fertility wise, both the tributaries contribute considerably. In fact White Nile is called so because it appears white due to the presence of silt. White Nile originates at Lake Victoria and then the Blue Nile, which originates at Lake Tana in Ethiopia, joins in Sudan and proceeds northwards.
• The source of the river is debatable since it is commonly known that the source of the river is Lake Victoria, which is the biggest lake in Africa, but it is observed that on the northern side of the lake there is a waterfall called Ripon Falls, which has a small opening and seemingly that is where the water in the River Nile comes from but then this cannot be held as the ultimate truth since there are many rivers that flow into Lake Victoria therefore which one of these or if all of them are the sources of The Nile. Presently River Kagera and its tributary, which is called Ruvubu whose headwaters are in Burundi, are considered to be the source of the River Nile.

Nile also played an important in the building if the famous Pyramids since the blocks of stone, which were used to make these pyramids, were actually transported from the source to the site with the help of Nile.

AMAZON RAINFOREST FACTS.

The Amazon rainforest, world's largest remaining natural resource, represents 54% of the total rainforests left on Earth.

It covers an area of 2,5 million square miles, embracing nine South America countries: Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia and the Guianas - Guyana, French Guiana and Suriname, or two thirds of the South America continent.

Its live force is the Amazon river, born in theAndean mountains of Peru, flows for more than 4,000 miles to discharge its waters in the Atlantic ocean near Belem, Brazil. Along the way, it is fed by about 1,100 tributaries.

· More than 20% of Earth's oxygen is produced in this area, thus the name "Lungs of the Planet"

· With 2,5 million square miles, the Amazon rainforest represents 54% of the total rainforests left of the planet

· Amazon rainforest birds account for for at least one third of the world's bird species, being toucan the most popular icon

· More than half of the world's estimated ten million species of plants, animals and insects live in the tropical forest. Read more at Amazon rainforest animals

· 70% of plants found to have anticancer properites are found only in the rainforest

· The number of edible fruits found in the rainforest is estimated in 3,000. Amazon natives consume more than 1,500, but only 200 are cultivated for use today

· An estimated 90% of Amazon rainforest plants used by Amazon natives have not been studied by modern science

· In 1500 there were an estimated 6 to 9 million Amazon natives. By 1900 the number has gone down to one million lelf in Brazil.
Today, the number is believed to be of around 250,000 Amazon natives, comprising 215 ethnic groups with 170 different languages

· There may also be fifty or so Amazon tribes living in the depths of the Amazon that have never had contact with the outside world

· An estimated number of 2,700 million acres of the rainforest are burned each year

india

1. India is the world's largest, oldest, continuous civilization.
2. India never invaded any country in her last 10000 years of history.
3. India is the world's largest democracy.
4. Varanasi, also known as Benares, was called "the ancient city" when Lord Buddha visited it in 500 B.C.E, and is the oldest, continuously inhabited city in the world today.
5. India invented the Number System. Zero was invented by Aryabhatta.
6. The World's first university was established in Takshashila in 700BC. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century BC was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.
7. Sanskrit is the mother of all the European languages. Sanskrit is the most suitable language for computer software - a report in Forbes magazine, July 1987.
8. Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to humans. Charaka, the father of medicine consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago. Today Ayurveda is fast regaining its rightful place in our civilization.
9. Although modern images of India often show poverty and lack of development, India was the richest country on earth until the time of British invasion in the early 17th Century. Christopher Columbus was attracted by India's wealth.
10. The art of Navigation was bornin the river Sindhu 6000 years ago. The very word Navigation is derived from the Sanskrit word NAVGATIH. The word navy is also derived from Sanskrit 'Nou'.
11. Bhaskaracharya calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the sun hundreds of years before the astronomer Smart. Time taken by earth to orbit the sun: (5th century) 365.258756484 days.
12. The value of pi was first calculated by Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is known as the Pythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the 6th century long before the European mathematicians.
13. Algebra, trigonometry and calculus came from India. Quadratic equations were by Sridharacharya in the 11th century. The largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Hindus used numbers as big as 10**53(10 to the power of 53) with specific names as early as 5000 BCE during the Vedic period. Even today, the largest used number is Tera 10**12(10 to the power of 12).
14. IEEE has proved what has been a century old suspicion in the world scientific community that the pioneer of wireless communication was Prof. Jagdish Bose and not Marconi.
15. The earliest reservoir and dam for irrigation was built in Saurashtra.
16. According to Saka King Rudradaman I of 150 CE a beautiful lake called Sudarshana was constructed on the hills of Raivataka during Chandragupta Maurya's time.
17. Chess (Shataranja or AshtaPada) was invented in India.
18. Sushruta is the father of surgery. 2600 years ago he and health scientists of his time conducted complicated surgeries like cesareans, cataract, artificial limbs, fractures, urinary stones and even plastic surgery and brain surgery. Usage of anesthesia was well known in ancient India. Over 125 surgical equipment were used. Deep knowledge of anatomy, physiology, etiology, embryology, digestion, metabolism, genetics and immunity is also found in many texts.
19. When many cultures were only nomadic forest dwellers over 5000 years ago, Indians established Harappan culture in Sindhu Valley (Indus Valley Civilization).
20. The four religions born in India, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, are followed by 25% of the world's population.
21. The place value system, the decimal system was developed in India in 100 BC.
22. India is one of the few countries in the World, which gained independence without violence.
23. India has the second largest pool of Scientists and Engineers in the World.
24. India is the largest English speaking nation in the world.
25. India is the only country other than US and Japan, to have built a super computer indigenously.

Quick Facts About UV Rays

· Sunlight consists of 2 types of light waves or radiation; visible and invisible. Visible light has a spectrum of 7 colors ranging from red to violet. Invisible ultraviolet (UV) radiation is not possible for detection to the human eye, e.g. infrared and X-rays. UV radiaition is further divided into 3 different types - UVC, UCB and UVA.

· The very toxic UVC is filtered out by the ozone layer. The ozone layer also filters UVB but about 1% of UVB still passes through to reach earth. UVB is what causes sunburn and even skin cancers after prolong exposure.

· UVA is abundant around us since the ozone layer poses no obstruction. UVA is what causes photoaging of the skin and is linked to photosensitivity resulting from certain diseases (e.g. lupus and the consumption of some drugs and herbs).

· Whether the weather is windy, cloudy or foggy during the day, harmful UV rays are still able to penetrate through.

1- UV light can damage the human skin.

2- UV light or phototherapy vitiligo treatment can help create repigmentation.

3- Possible eye damage can result from high doses of UV light, particularly to the cornea which is a good absorber of UV light.

4- High doses of UV light can cause a temporary clouding of the cornea; called 'snow-blindness' and chronic doses have been tentatively linked to the formation of cataracts.

5- A Pinguecula or a Pterygium both growths on the eye, may be caused by UV light exposure.

6- UV light can exert deleterious effects on melanin.

7- Many things that are invisible to the human eye become visible under UV light.

8- Sun tanning describes a darkening of the skin (especially of fair-skinned individuals) in a natural physiological response stimulated by exposure to ultraviolet radiation from sunshine (or a sunbed).

9- UVA rays are primarily absorbed within the lens of the human eye, though there are no documented disorders of the human eye from UVA.

10- A positive effect of UVB exposure is that it induces the production of vitamin D in the skin.

11- UVA, UVB and UVC can all damage collagen fibres and thereby accelerate aging of the skin.

12- Both UVA and UVB destroy vitamin A in skin which may cause further damage.

13- In general, UVA is the least harmful but can contribute to the aging of skin, DNA damage and possibly skin cancer. UVB rays are the ones that burn the skin and can damage the eyes.

14- There are also naturally occurring compounds found in rainforest plants that have been known to protect the skin from UV radiation damage, such as the fern Phlebodium Aureum.

15- New snow can reflect up to 80% of ultraviolet rays, according to the World Health Organization, while normal ground surfaces and bodies of water tend to reflect less than 10%.

16- Mountaineers are exposed to higher than ordinary levels of UV radiation, both because there is less atmospheric filtering and because of reflection from snow and ice.

17- Ultraviolet (UV) light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than that of visible light, but longer than soft X-rays.

18- Ultraviolet is colloquially called black light, as it is invisible to the human eye.

19- UV light systems produce ultraviolet radiation falling into one to three UV bands: UVA, UVB and UVC.

20- Wavelengths of UV light in the range of 200 to 280 nm have been demonstrated to effectively inactivate bacteria and viruses due to DNA mutations induced by the absorption of UV light by DNA molecules.

21- Longwave UV light (315nm to 400nm), or UV-A, refers to what we commonly call 'black light'.

22- Germicidal UV light (200nm to 280nm), or UV-C, is effective in microbial control.

23- UVC rays are the highest energy, most dangerous type of ultraviolet light.

24- Scientists have divided the ultraviolet part of the spectrum into three regions: the near ultraviolet, the far ultraviolet, and the extreme ultraviolet.

25- The three regions are distinguished by how energetic the ultraviolet radiation is and by the 'wavelength' of the ultraviolet light, which is related to energy. The near ultraviolet, abbreviated NUV, is the light closest to optical or visible light. The extreme ultraviolet, abbreviated EUV, is the ultraviolet light closest to X-rays and is the most energetic of the three types. The far ultraviolet, abbreviated FUV, lies between the near and extreme ultraviolet regions.

26- Scientists have developed a UV index to help people protect themselves from these harmful ultraviolet waves.

27- UV light is also an essential tool in thin-layer chromatography (TLC), a process that chemists use to identify the components in a mixture.

28- Many polymers used in consumer products are degraded by UV light and need addition of UV stabilisers to inhibit attack.

29- Polymers exposed to UV light will oxidize thus raising the surface energy of the polymer.

30- Cystine, methionine and aromatic amino acids can be destroyed by UV light.

31- Ultraviolet levels are over 1,000 times higher at the equator than at the polar regions so it is presumed that marine life at the equator are much better adapted to the higher environmental UV light than organisms in the polar regions.

32- Apple juice or cider is treated with UV light to reduce the levels of microbial pathogens.

33- UV light can be used to pasteurise fruit juices by flowing the juice over a high intensity ultraviolet light source.

34- UV light has been proven for decades to effectively disinfect air, surfaces and water.

35- UV light can destroy many types of virus, mould and bacteria.

36- Ultraviolet radiation is used in several food processes to remove unwanted microorganisms.

37- Many fruits, flowers and seeds stand out more strongly from the background in ultraviolet wavelengths as compared to human colour vision.

38- Many birds have patterns in their plumage that are invisible at usual wavelengths but observable in ultraviolet and the urine and other secretions of some animals, including dogs, cats, and human beings, is much easier to spot with ultraviolet.

39- The urine of many species of rodent strongly reflects ultraviolet light.

40- Ultraviolet light is generated predominantly by hot, young massive stars.

41- The Sun emits ultraviolet radiation in the UVA, UVB, and UVC bands, but because of absorption in the atmosphere's ozone layer, 99% of the ultraviolet radiation that reaches the Earth's surface is UVA.

42- Humidity may increase the effects of UV light.

43- Ultraviolet Light Absorbers (UVAs) are molecules used in organic materials (polymers, paints, etc).

44- Ultraviolet traps are used to eliminate various small flying insects.

45- Ultraviolet lamps are used to sterilize workspaces and tools used in biology laboratories and medical facilities.

46- UV lights have been installed in some parts of the world in public toilets and on public transport, for the purpose of deterring substance abuse.