Category: Misc

Acharya Nagarjuna

Acharaya Nagarjuna was the Head of Nalanda University, writer of many treatises on Rasayana alchemy and developer of the philosophy of the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtras. He was the great Buddhist philosopher

Nagarjuna was born in Andhra Pradesh Centuries after his death his biographies were written in Chinese and Tibetan. It is expected that he lived between 150-250 CE.

The most important contribution of Nagarjuna is the concept of śūnyatā, or “emptiness. Nagarjuna taught the concept of relativity. He explained that shortness is only possible because of long length relative to it. He wrote many writings, sutras and responsible for spreading Mahayana Buddhism. He was a teacher at Nalanda University and because of his preaching he later came to be known as Acharaya.

-Dr Shobha Tawde

Team ScienceNow

Boudhayana was a mathematician who lived around 800 BCE. He is the author of Baudhayana Sulbasutra which was more like a pocket dictionary, full of formulae and results for quick references. He is credited with calculating pi, and the square root of 2.

The most creditable achievement is that Baudhayana introduced the “Pythagoras theorem” 1000 years before Pythagoras had developed it!

In Baudhayana Sulbasutra, there are several mathematical formulae or results that told how to precisely construct an altar. He was a man of very considerable learning and probably wrote the Sulbasutra to provide rules for religious rites.

The mathematics given in the Sulbasutras enables the accurate construction of altars needed for sacrifices. It is clear from the writing that Baudhayana, as well as being a Vedic priest, must have been a skilled craftsman. He was skilled in the practical use of the mathematics and construction of sacrificial altars of the highest quality.

-Dr Shobha Tawde

ScienceNow

Gol Gumbaz, situated in Bijapur district of Karnataka, is the largest dome in India built by Sultan Muhammad Adil Shah in the year 1656. About 20 years were spent for the complete construction of this large tomb.

The unique thing about the Gol Gumbaz is that ‘even the softest sound can be heard on the other side of the tomb due to the acoustics of the space’. This circular whispering gallery of the tomb is a great combination of sound and civil engineering.

The tomb is built in such a way that a small whisper gets amplified and is carried across a distance of more than 40 meters in the vast dome and can be heard clearly. Even the slightest whisper is heard from side to side; and a conversation can be most easily carried on across the full diameter of the dome in the lowest undertone. Even if you are 110 meters apart, on the far end of the floor, each whisper, each clap and each shift of your garment will be heard at the other end, as if they were speaking to you over your shoulders.

-Dr Shobha Tawde

ScienceNow

The Great Pyramid of Giza is not only the oldest monument on the list of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, but also the only one still standing. The building of these extraordinary structures created in Egypt some 4,500 years ago are a source of speculation and debate. Let us decode the making of the Pyramid…

HOW WERE THE PYRAMIDS ALIGNED?

The Egyptians used astronomy to guide construction of the pyramids. According to a British Egyptologist, the stars were a guiding force in how the pyramids were aligned. Another research published in 2000 demonstrates how the Big Dipper and Little Dipper were used to align the pyramids in a north-south direction. So accurate were their measurements that they only have a margin of error of up to 0.05 degrees!

WHAT WERE THE MATERIALS USED TO BUILD THE PYRAMIDS?

When the pyramids were originally finished, they were plated in an outer layer of white “casing stones”. These casing stones were cut with astounding precision to give a smooth slope to the pyramids.

 Why limestones?

The original casing stones were made of highly polished Tura limestone that fitted together so perfectly, giving the pyramid, smooth, flawless sides. This would have made the giant structures brightly reflect the sun’s rays like a mirror. It also would have made the inside of the structure perfectly insulated.

Why dolomite?

The material dolomite was used on the inner surfaces of the pyramid. Dolomite is known to increase electrical conductivity, directly relative to the amount of pressure on it, which means high pressure creates more electrical current.

 Why granite?

Lining the passageways and underground tunnels of the pyramid is granite, which is slightly radioactive. Granite contains high amounts of quartz crystal with metal, and it’s a well-known conductor of piezo electricity (the ability of certain materials like quartz to generate electricity when subjected to mechanical stress or vibration).

How were the pyramids used to generate electricity?

Piezo electricity occurs as a result of stress or pressure on the quartz. The granite in the pyramids actually ionises the air inside the pyramid, creating a chemical reaction, which again, increases the conductivity of electricity. When such electrons are given the chance to bypass sections of rock via metal wire, quite large currents can flow.

 Geographically located

An energy generator requires a catalyst from another source. And so the pyramids are geographically located over a powerful natural generator: underground rivers and aquifers. Piezo electricity could be harnessed from the power of the current as the water flows, and it has been proven that thousands of years ago, the Nile River ran straight past the pyramids.

From water to electricity

With water as the source of power, it would have travelled up the limestone based on the principle of capillary action, which happens when a small area of a substance that gets wet, absorbs into the entire area of that substance. The tunnel leading down from the bottom of the pyramid, could’ve tapped into an aquifer, channelling the water up into the pyramid, through a series of tunnels. So, water flowing near or underneath the pyramid could have been absorbed as it passed over the limestone, even travelling upward to the top of the structure. The quartz and the tunnels of the pyramids would be subject to the stress or vibration creating piezo electricity.

-Noel Farnades

Team ScienceNow

 

Many buildings around the world don’t have the 13th Floor. Instead the elevator may be a label 12B or 14A. So also in some airlines like Air France and Lufthansa, don’t be surprised if the 13th row or 17th row happen to be missing, because people of countries like Italy and Brazil considered them as unlucky….

If someone dear to you sneezes, immediately you respond saying “bless you”. You don’t want the devil lurking around to steal their soul after the sneeze, just as your ancestors believed. Else If you are about to start a new venture or undertake an auspicious activity you wouldn’t want to see a black cat cross your path or see a mirror suddenly break or walk underneath a ladder

In each of the above cases, there appears to be a general belief that some supernatural forces are at work and that they are just about to influence something really undesirable, and one ought to best avoid it before things really go haywire.

While most people prefer calling it their ‘gut feeling’, universally believers of pure logic and science would without mincing any words blatantly call it a ‘superstition’. Decisions that appear to be grossly irrational on the part of the decision maker, and entirely based on one’s belief of an eventual ‘good luck’ and ‘destiny’. And to top it all, one may resort to carrying of charms, wearing certain clothes, visiting places associated with good fortune, preferring specific colours or using of a particular number/sign…

Though most of the listed choices and actions appear to be ‘trivial’ in nature, yet the conviction with which one goes about doing it may surprise one and all. Now at a time when science is making life easy and contributing to much of mankind’s progress and advancement, people have begun questioning one’s blind faith on ‘superstitions’, especially those that have been passed onto us by our ancestors.

While it may not be prudent to junk everything that out-rightly appears to be superstitious, instead one should try to follow the ones which have a scientific and logical basis and not let fear and anxiety push us to accept or do something forcibly. But before calling a spade, a ‘spade’, it is critical that one first develops the requisite scientific outlook and temper to identify a prevailing practice as being a ‘superstition’ and only then do away with it.

While taking a decision, one ought to be conscious of the fact that when ancient Indian scriptures and Aryabhatta put forth the assumption that Earth was round and it revolved around the Sun, the entire western world believed otherwise terming it ‘superstition’.

So also, whenever people in India suffered from communicable or infectious disease, traditionally householders performed some rituals using neem leaves on the affected person, which again was considered to be ‘superstition’ by the elite and learned. However, later when the same people who questioned these practices began discovering the amazing medicinal values of neem plant, they found some sense and logic in these age-old practices. In short, ‘superstitions’ are time tested assumptions – some passed down from generation to generation.

While it is true that unless these so called ‘assumptions’ are empirically found to be correct and eventually explained using some theory or principle, one need not accept them as ‘logical’ or ‘scientific’. But there exist many superstitions which may not have been proved scientifically, yet we cannot call these practices as ‘unscientific’ simply because there is every possibility of mankind not having evolved with as much knowledge to reason its veracity or we may not have the requisite technology to debunk them scientifically.

Though some of the superstitions appear to be quite hilarious, there are a few that are really very interesting and connect to heritage and ethos. In such a scenario, it’s best to do away with those which appear out-rightly ridiculous, but as for those where decision making is very tricky, leave it alone. With the passage of time, as the reasoning behind its origin gradually erodes, the truth will appear all by itself. What is scientific will remain, and what’s superstition will fade out into history. So let’s not try to reason out every superstition, at least for now!

-Dr Shobha Tawde

Team ScienceNow

The science of mantras has fascinated mankind for centuries. It is believed that the resonating sound of mantras in our body and mind stimulates the nervous system to evoke favourable physical and emotional energy…

Mantras

In Sanskrit, mantras are referred to as ‘sound tools’, and these tools are used to induce energy movements in one’s body and his immediate environment. When used repetitively, it is believed that the sound of mantras is capable of penetrating deep into one’s conscious and sub-conscious mind creating the desired physical and emotional changes.

No wonder, since the Vedic era, people have resorted to regular chanting of mantras with the belief that it will resolve one’s state of fear, anger and depression, and also help relieve disorders concerning respiratory, digestive, reproductive, circulatory, speech, intellectual and cognitive systems.

Probably, it has been the most popular sought-after psychosomatic route known to mankind for achieving physical and mental wellness – a panacea for all ills, and it seems to continue for centuries.

Do mantras work?

Though mantras have been accepted as beneficial meditative practice – empowered The Magic of Mantras Spirituality by faith, intention and concentration, there continues to be an iota of doubt amongst a section of society about the science behind it. For some, it is hard to believe that mere chanting of certain ‘words’ or ‘passages’ can have a far-reaching impact on one’s health and environment.

There are some who think mantras have no power per se, and it is purely their faith. Like it’s believed ‘faith can move mountains’, it’s one’s feelings and strong desire that give strength to this resolve which in turn brings about the change, aka ‘positive affirmations’.

Insight

While this discussion/debate can go on endlessly, there are some research institutions who have been dedicatedly working to get unto the depth of the reality.

How do mantras work?

According to Brahmvarchas Shodh Sansthan, a Haridwar-based research centre for Integration of Science and Spirituality, mantras being energy-based sounds produce physical vibration and thought-energy waves aligning body organisms in-sync with the bodily functions, thereby creating a state of perfect harmony.

No wonder, some professionals practicing spiritual modalities recommend rhythmic chanting of mantras for creation of the desired Neuro Linguistic Effect (NLE).

“You just need to have a good ear, stay true to the punctuation, pauses, pronunciation, notation, length and the force of the chant and repeat it over and over again. The transformation happens step by step, over a period of time,” claims a Vedic Scholar.

In short, whether one understands the meaning or not, the mantras if uttered in a scientific manner will give you the desired results, every time, no matter who does it.

The Science of Mantras

“Knowing the meaning of mantras that one is chanting will only facilitate the process, as one’s mind will be more focused and concentrated. One would experience the added advantage of the Psycho Linguistic Effect (PLE),” iterates Usha Sundar, Director – Vedic Chanting Division, Viniyoga Healing Foundation (VHF). Whether it be Neuro Linguistic Effect (NLE) or Psycho Linguistic Effect (PLE), the process results into production and spread of certain chemicals in the brain, which has a calming and curative effect on the entire body.

While listening to mantras helps regulates blood pressure, the heart rate, adrenalin levels…, it is important that one is aware that like medicine there are specific chants for specific purpose and professional help of an expert should be sought to get the desired results. While there is a universal acceptance to the fact that sound can alter molecular structure of a substance.

For instance: Maseru Emoto studied effect of positive and negative sound on water. He found that water exposed to positive sounds such as mantra revealed intact and beautiful crystals when frozen, whereas water exposed to negative sounds showed the opposite.

So if sound had a profound effect on all liquids, definitely they would have a significant impact on all humans, animals and plants, as each one of them have water as a major constituent of the body. As social beings, we humans have been using speech and language as a means of communication and interaction involving our brain. So it would be reasonable to assume that sound and language can influence our lives significantly; and if this be true, mantras that use high impact ‘sound’ words would definitely have a resonating impact on us.

 

–Dr Shobha Tawade

ScienceNow Digital

 

Bharat – Ek Khoj – Varahamihira

India has been the cradle of many scientific discoveries. Here we profile an Indian

scientist and one ancient Indian technology…

Varahamihira, also called Varaha or Mihira, was an Indian philosopher, astronomer, and mathematician. He is the author of the Pancha-siddhantika (“Five Treatises”) – a collection of Greek, Egyptian, Roman, and Indian astronomy. He made great contributions in the fields of hydrology, geology and ecology. He was one of the first scientists to claim that termites and plants could be the indicators of the presence of underground water. He gave a list of six animals and 30 plants, which could indicate the presence of water.

In the history of Science, he was the first to claim that some “force” might be keeping bodies stuck to the earth. This force is now called gravity.

Varahamihira was the first to mention and explain how each planet in the solar system has been created by and centered on the sun. The earthquake cloud theory given by Varahmihira devoted to signs of earthquakes is another important contribution to the world of science. He tried to relate earthquakes to the influence of planets, undersea activities, underground water, unusual cloud formation and abnormal behaviour of animals.

Do you know?

Varahamihira predicted the presence of water on Mars nearly 1500 years ago!

-Team ScienceNow

Ancient Vigyan – Natural Cooling Effect

The architects of ancient India designed monuments with natural cooling systems. Rajasthan’s Hawa

Mahal is a perfect example of how the interiors served as natural coolers without the use of electricity….

Hawa Mahal also known as Palace of Winds is one of finest tourist attractions of Jaipur city. This beautiful pink sandstone palace was built by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh around 300 years ago. Its unique five-storey exterior resembles the honeycomb of a beehive. It has 953 small windows called jharokhas decorated with intricate latticework. The purpose of the lattice design was to allow royal ladies observe everyday life, festivals celebrated in the street below.

The latticework lets in cool breeze into the area due to the Venturi effect in Physics, creating almost an air-conditioning like effect during peak summers. The jharokhas serve as a device that generates wind for those who stand inside. The air blown through is compressed and is reflected through the windows – very similar to the ordinary laws which govern a modern-day air-conditioner.

Do you know?

The “Venturi effect” is a physical principle according to which a fluid that moves inside a pipe or channel increases or decreases its pressure according to its speed.

-Team ScienceNow

India has been the cradle of many scientific discoveries. Here we profile an Indian scientist and one ancient Indian technology…

Aryabhatta was the first mathematician astronomer from the classical age of India. His works in mathematics and astronomy have been extensively used by the Greeks and others in the Middle East. His most famous work Ayrabhatiya’ covering several branches of mathematics such as algebra, arithmetic, plane and spherical trigonometry was compiled when he was just 23 years old.

He was the first mathematician to give what later came to be known as the tables of sine, cosine, versine, and converse sine to four decimal spots, which brought forth trigonometry. Aryabhatta has named the initial 10 decimal places and derived the methods for extracting square roots and summing the arithmetic series. But it was his work on the place value system and discovery of zero that was of utmost significance.

Do you Know

Aryabhatta calculated the sidereal rotation which is the rotation of the earth with respect to the stars as 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4.1 seconds. He calculated the length of the sidereal year as 365 days, 6 hours, 12 minutes and 30 seconds.

In Astronomy, he discovered the position of nine planets, provided the circumference and measurement of the Earth, pronounced that the moon has no light of its own and concluded that the earth is round and that it rotates on its own axis thus causing days and nights. He also made predictions about the solar and lunar eclipses, duration of the day as well as the distance between the Earth and the Moon. India’s first indigenous satellite was named after this legend

Dr Shobha Tawade

ScienceNow Digital

India has given us many water conservation techniques that are still used in many a places across the country. Of the many unique forms, the stepwells built over thousand years ago are not only an architectural marvel but innovation at its best. Let us take the example of Chand Baori, a stepwell built over a thousand years ago in the Abhaneri village of Rajasthan…

This 13-storey deep well is one of the oldest, deepest and largest stepwells in the world with 3,500 narrow steps arranged in perfect symmetry to the bottom of the well. At the bottom of the well, the air would remain 5-6 degrees Celsius cooler than at the surface.

The Baori has a precise geometrical pattern with the steps forming a magical maze. As you go down the steps on the left, you can see the baori narrowing towards the bottom. The wall of the well is symmetrically lined with two flights of steps each on three sides of the wall. It is based on the concept of equilateral triangle pattern where three smaller triangles would form a bigger triangle. Its deep and well-rounded bottom along with other geometrical shapes like rhombus, and diagonal criss-crossing lines makes Chand Baori look like an inverted pyramid

Dr Shobha Tawade

ScienceNow Digital