2012 - The end of human race?

2012.

Guys what does this year mean to you? Just another year, 3 years later...or... something more?
One of my dear colleagues is eating my head off literally with his continuous arguments (read predictions) that the world would come to an end.

Now, now, I do not want to provide you with junk information, as the internet today is already cluttered with lots and lots of junk. So, what did I do.. well, I tried to validate how much of this is really true.

Perspectives to it:

The Mayan Calendar =>
As per the Mayan calendar, the dates end on December 21, 2012. However, the astronomer Philip Plait has stated very clearly that the Mayan calendar does not end in 2012 at all, that it is like the odometer on your car, as each section of the odometer reaches 9 and then clicks over to 0, the next number to it starts a new cycle, so that when all the numbers again reach 0 all the way across the odometer - the last number will change from 1 to 2 and the new cycle starts all over again.
So, going by it, the Mayan calendar (whether or not the dates end in 2012) alone cannot usher in the doomsday.

The Kali Yug (as per Hinduism) =>
The Kali Yug as per the ancient scriptures started 3102 BC, a mere 8 years after the advent of the current Mayan Calendar count. However, the Kali Yug is supposed to last 432,000 years, well eclipsing 2012 and far beyond.

Planet Nibiru's collision with Earth=>
Yet another theory propounded discusses about a planet which will collide with the earth and abolish the entire human race. [in 2012]

Magnetic Pole Reversal=>
Magnetic polarity reversal may even cause our earth to rotate in reverse direction, thus eliminating human race [in 2012]


Now, tell me friends, are you afraid? Have you already started Googling on one or more of the word combinations, viz. doomsday, 2012, mayan calendar etc etc etc?

Ah... well even I did and that is when I came across this wonderful article. Read it friends and sleep in peace!

'The world is not enough' and it will not end in 2012.


References:
www.2012doomsday.com
www.mayancalendar2012.org
www.2012rising.com
www.npr.org

Missions to the moon - then and now

The moon has fascinated us since ages. From being regarded as some sort of a God to being a mere natural satellite revolving around the earth, mankind has come a long way in his perceptions concerning the moon. There have already been multiple expeditions to the moon. And here is something that I found out while going through Yahoo news this morning. It is about the first successful expedition - the Apollo 11 mission. Suddenly out of the blue, a lot of secrets are being revealed. It is debatable as to how much is really true and how much is not. Nevertheless, all of these make for an interesting read. Here is the excerpt:

So, 40 years after the Apollo 11 moon landing, here are some of the facts that you probably didn't know about the historic event:

1. Aldrin took secret communion: Before leaving the Apollo 11 moon-landing module, US astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin took a Christian Communion, including a wafer and a thimbleful of wine from a kit prepared by his pastor.
Neil Armstrong "watched respectfully, but made no comment to me at the time," Aldrin recalled.

Atheism advocate Madelyn Murray O'Hair, who objected to government employees praying publicly, was suing NASA at the time, so Aldrin kept the act private.

2. Mementos left on Moon: Along with their backpacks, an American flag, and half the Apollo 11 moon-landing module, Armstrong and Aldrin left some sentimental mementos on the surface of the moon, including, a patch from the never-launched Apollo 1 mission, which ended prematurely when flames engulfed the command module during a 1967 training exercise, killing three US astronauts.

The mementos also included medals commemorating pioneering Soviet cosmonauts Vladimir Komarov and Yuri Gagarin, who had died in flight in 1967 and 1968, respectively; goodwill messages from 73 world leaders; and a small gold pin shaped like an olive branch, a symbol of peace.

3. US President had speech ready in case of disaster: President Richard Nixon's speechwriter William Safire wrote a speech in case the Apollo 11 moonwalkers missed the rendezvous with the orbiting command module to return to Earth.

Among the sentiments: "These brave men, Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, know that there is no hope for their recovery. But, they also know that there is hope for mankind in their sacrifice."

4. Between homecoming and oblivion may have stood a pen: While on the moon, one of the astronauts knocked loose the circuit breaker responsible for igniting the engine that would propel the Apollo 11 astronauts back to the orbiting command module-their only ride home. The interesting fact bout the incident is that Aldrin used a felt tip pen to push the breaker back into place.

5. American flag bit the dust: As the Apollo 11 astronauts blasted off from the moon, flying dust and debris toppled the first American flag planted on the moon. (ANI)

With respect to expeditions to the Moon, not too long back, India's very own formidable mission Chandrayan-1 suffered a terrific setback when one of its key sensors stopped functioning. Although, the ISRO scientists claimed that this would not abort the mission as of now, it could potentially do so in the future. But, it has been claimed that 90 percent of the mission objectives have already been achieved over a period of the last 8 months.

Here is a slideshow, courtesy Sanjana, featuring this very interesting but lifeless natural satellite which you will probably like. If the slideshow does not run automatically, click on the thumbnails on the right hand for a view of some of the most historic pictures concerning the Moon.







Image source: http://static.howstuffworks.com

Synthetic sperms: Future for men?

According to recent developments, scientists have claimed that synthetic sperms can be created out of male stem cells which could revolutionize the way infertility is treated nowadays.

"This is an important development as it will allow researchers to study in detail how sperm forms and lead to a better understanding of infertility in men -- why it happens and what is causing it," said professor Karim Nayernia, who spearheaded the research.

You can read the full article here. A very good breakthrough and would help people cope with male infertility much better in years to come.
But, on a different note, that just made me think, will males really be necessary 'that much'? With the landmark Delhi High Court ruling on same sex relationships and now with this new breakthrough, one just wonders, what is coming up next!

These are a few scenarios which we may see in years to come:

A female only country:
It is said that in some primitive civilizations in remote islands, there used to be only females, no male species whatsoever and those primitive women had no other way out other than satisfying their primitive needs in weird ways. In case they had access to a single male, he would be subjected to lust and greed of the extreme order.
In today's scenario, this could apply to lesbians, who can very well have the children of their dreams through this 'synthetic' technique, although they would require a male for the donation.
In future, due to some unknown reason, if a political heavy weight woman leader demands a separate country only for women, she could actually have it. The women there need not worry, as there would be men employed in the service, who would just work in huge scientific labs just for creating synthetic sperms and facilitating in offspring generation without the need for mating, without the need of any kind of relationship. With more and more women making a choice of being single throughout their lives, this could just be what they ever wanted. A baby without a father. Freedom from all sorts of male oppression and rule, women can finally be free.

Relevance for men?
There could be a huge question mark over the relevance of men. The way people prepare their CVs to get into top organizations, similar CVs would be created to have access to the exotic females. Mass 'campusing' would be organized and the men with the most attractive features stand to win there. The Government would be allotting special budget for 'unmarried' males, on similar lines of 'unemployed' youths. The male child would be hated in families and cases of male foeticide may occur secretly. Special rights groups would hold protests against the inhuman treatment of males and there would be classes for families on why the male child should not be ignored. In some countries, this scientific procedure would be banned and there would be threats issued against nations who go for this. In the new light of threats, the United Nations would hold special all-men sessions to try and find out how these can be handled in the best manner.

Speculations galore. But I just hope that the scientists find out something good for the men as well. I mean why are they so intent on abolishing (or rather diminishing the importance of) most of the male species from this world! LOL