Craig Venter creates synthetic life form

On May 20th, J. Craig Venter and his team at J.C Venter Institute announced the creation of a cell controlled by a synthetic genome in a paper published in SCIENCE. As science historian George Dyson points out, "from the point of view of technology, a code generated within a digital computer is now self-replicating as the genome of a line of living cells. From the point of view of biology, a code generated by a living organism has been translated into a digital representation for replication, editing, and transmission to other cells."  This new development is all about operating on a large scale. "Reading the genetic code of a wide range of species," the paper says, "has increased exponentially from these early studies. Our ability to rapidly digitize genomic information has increased by more than eight orders of magnitude over the past 25 years " This is a big scaling up in our technological abilities. Physicist Freeman Dyson, commenting on the paper, notes that "the sequencing and synthesizing DNA give us all the tools we need to create new forms of life". But it remains to be seen how it will serve in practice.  One question is whether or not a DNA sequence alone enough to generate a living creature. One way of reading of the paper suggests this doesn't seem to be the case because of the use of old microplasma cells into which the DNA was inserted -- that this is not about "creating" life" because, the new life requires an existing living recipient cell. If this is the case, what is the chance of producing something de novo? The paper might appear to be about a somewhat banal technological feat. The new techniques build on existing capabilities. What else is being added, what is qualitatively new?  While it is correct to say that the individual cell was not created, a new line of cells (dare one say species?) was generated. This is new life that is self-propagating, i.e. "the cells with only the synthetic genome are self replicating and capable of logarithmic growth

Caste Off Those Blinkers by SAGARIKA GHOSE

India's elite needs to come to terms with caste

The headlines scream almost every day: 'Girl allegedly murdered because of inter-caste romance', 'Couple killed by relatives because of caste honour'. The matrimonials are unabashed: 'Match sought for fair khatri girl," or 'Brahmin boy seeks Brahmin partner.' A Delhi mother whispers that her daughter's choice of husband is not "our kind of person" , but stops short of admitting that the prospective groom is basically not from the same caste. Characters in Bollywood films bear surnames that are drawn from the very narrow social pool of Sharma Mehta and Roy. Indians may be holidaying in Phuket, shopping at Mango and devouring Sex and the City, but one social reality just refuses to go away. And that reality is caste.

Should caste matter to a modern Indian? Of course it shouldn't. Yet whether we like it or not, caste is still a defining category. Excluding a narrow westernized elite band, Indians marry according to caste, socialize within similar castes, education is determined by caste and caste by and large corresponds to class when it comes to backwardness. Twenty years ago when VP Singh implemented the Mandal recommendations reserving 27 per cent government jobs for OBCs, many caste Hindus heard the word OBC for the first time. Today there are similar feelings of dread that the government has decided to include caste in the 2011 census. But its time that the elite and middle class came to terms with caste, debated it openly and exorcised caste demons.

When parliament pushed for a caste census there was near panic about an impending caste war. It was argued that counting OBCs would only add further muscle power to the caste chieftains to once again lobby for that terrible q word: quotas. But will counting OBCs make caste loyalties deeper or will it on the other hand provide, for the first time, hard reliable information on how many OBC castes there are and what their numerical strength is? Confronted by real numbers, it may be more difficult in fact for the quota warriors to argue for reservations. The Constitution makers of '47 aimed to progressively abolish caste discrimination, not abolish caste as an identity. Unless we all understand and study caste, we will never be able to fight it or develop a genuinely anti-caste mindset.

Political scientists Yogendra Yadav and Satish Deshpande say that a colonial caste based census where all castes, including the Hindu "upper castes" are counted and ranked is neither feasible nor desirable. What we need is to count OBCs in the same manner as we count SCs and STs. We need to count Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBCs) in order to get an accurate picture of their actual number. We are thus not counting all castes, but only backward communities. When reservations for OBCs have been provided for at the Union and state levels, surely a census is essential to find out what the actual hard numbers are and whether the quotas are accurate.

So how does caste operate nowadays? There is the robust argument that caste is irrelevant in contemporary India, what matters is quality health and education for all irrespective of caste. Increasingly elections are showing that caste is no longer the sole criteria for voting preferences: voters are voting for bijli sadak pani, padhai and hardworking candidates and not for Gujjars, Reddys and Ezhavas. But while caste may be irrelevant for a minority, it is highly relevant indeed salient for others. When it comes to social and economic progress, certain castes have done better than others and the advantages of English language and a modern education are distributed along caste lines. Generalizations are risky, and rural Brahmins can be impoverished and backward too, yet access to English and to quality education has traditionally been the monopoly of upper castes. Class and caste are still by and large coterminus, and there is every likelihood that an upper class person in India is also "upper caste" and a "lower class" person is also "lower caste". Secure amidst our Krishnamurthys, Sens and Vermas, we never stop to think about how we got so secure in the first place.

The English-speaking elite is overwhelmingly "upper caste", that is comprising of the forward levels of the Hindu varna system. The Bengali 'bhadralok' class, or the genteel class which was supposed to be the only non-caste class in India, is also a caste-based category as the bhadralok are restricted to the upper caste even though they may not be exclusively Brahmin. A Bengali dalit bhadralok is still unheard of. In 1996 when BN Uniyal undertook a survey of national newspapers, he found that among 686 journalists accredited to the government, 454 were upper caste, the remaining 232 did not carry their caste names and in a random sample of 47, not a single one was a dalit. In a survey of matrimonial advertising carried out in 2000, ad agency McCann Erickson noted that caste remains as important in the new century as it was four decades ago. In 2002 Virginius Xaxa found that only 6 of Delhi University's 311 professors are dalits.

Thus a caste census should thus not be seen as simply a political instrument designed to secure quotas. The fight against caste is best fought when we know the enemy. Caste is an immutable, invisible and overwhelming reality in our daily lives. If we continue to act as if caste does not exist, or deny its existence, we would be failing to do battle with one of the most urgent social inequalities of our time.

No More Excuses, Now Anyone Can Convert Your Paper to iPaper

I came across this article as I was browsing some of my favorite blogs, and this immediately caught my attention. This is a site that is perfect for those who do not own a scanner or have convenient access to one.

Scribd now has a program they call Convert Your Paper to Ipaper…

which is a way for you to have all your paper documents scanned and published on the Internet, all at no cost to you..yes..you read that right….Totally FREE! All you need to worry about it getting the documents sent to them, then they take care of the rest.

How Can They Do This For Free?

They are able to offset the expense for scanning by the advertisements that are relevant to your documents.

Can You Have Any Type of Documents Scanned?

Scribd can scan almost any type of written document. They use a highly advanced scanning process which is provided by their partners, giving them the ability to scan about any document in high volumes. If you do have any questions however, they are easy to contact and ready to answer any of your questions.

Who is Scribd?

Scribd is a huge, digital library where you can publish your own original content. The focus of Scribd is to provide a way for those who have tons of documents sitting around their home or office, and to have a place to publish these documents for all to read.

What’s Their Plan?

First and foremost they are looking to save a lot of trees, which I am all for. They are also looking to utilize their space to service those who have some very important documents that were created long before the digital era. There may also be some documents that have been lost, out of print, or printed but now deleted. This provides a new life to documents that can be shared among many re-digitized and accessible to all.

The reason I am all for this and ready to support them is they are providing a great service at no cost to you. You no longer have to take the time scanning paper after paper, or the expense of purchasing a scanner, but just stick your documents in an envelope, send them off in the mail to Scribd, and before you know it, your documents are accessible to you on the Internet, never to be lost or misplaced again, nor taking up all that valuable space in your home or office.
JUST LOGON TO http://www.scribd.com/

What is Moleosophy?

The study of moles is called Moleosophy.The location of a mole, its size, shape and colour can be interpreted as indicators of your character,as well as generalities for the future. Twin moles could have yet another connotation. Moleosophy, when co-related with interpretations of other psychic sciences, substantiates personality and character readings, and provides a complete view of the subject.
"Did you know that a mole on either of your cheeks could classify you as serious, studious and solemn?"

Significance of Twin Moles


When there are twin moles irrespective of their location,the person possesses a dual nature. The presence of two moles, side by side, is indicative of a person being in love with two people.



Significance of shapes in Moles


Round - A round mole signifies the goodness in people.

Oblong - An oblong mole depicts a modest share of acquired wealth.

Angular - An angular mole suggests that the individual has both positive and negative characteristics.


Significance of Moles based on color Light Colored Moles - Those who have light colored moles are considered lucky.

Black Moles - This denotes that a person would have to surmount obstacles in order to achieve the desired results.


What Moles on your body parts means?

Area Description

Arms Moles on arms indicate that the person is polite, diligent and will lead a happy married life.If mole is near the elbow, the man will need to struggle in life, and might also become a young widower. If the woman has the same characteristics, however, her problems relate to her occupation.

Armpits A mole under the left arm is indicative of great struggle early in life, which is, however, well rewarded. Wealth makes later years equally pleasurable. A mole under the right arm shows that one needs to be alert and cautious in matters of security.

Back People like this are unreliable, and with them one must ensure that all facts are available before one enters any sort of negotiation for any enterprise.

Breast(mole on breast) A mole on the right breast is indicative of laziness, which may affect family life. You need to be assertive about your needs to be able to enjoy the love and comfort of the children. A mole on the left breast belongs to active and energetic people, who generally get what they want in life.

Buttocks People who have a mole on buttocks are un-ambitious, and will be reconciled to any mode of living.

Cheek A mole on cheek (either cheek) indicates a serious and studious person who has no interest in material pleasures.

Chin(mole on chin) A mole on either side of the chin is indicative of people who are affectionate and caring. These people adapt easily to any situation. They love travelling and respect the law of the land. They are also dedicated and conscientious workers and willingly accept responsibilities.

Ear People who are born with a mole on ear are generally considered lucky.

Elbow People who have moles on elbow love to travel. They are adventurous and spirited.

Eye If the mole is located on the outer corner of the eye, this indicates that the person is honest, reliable and forthright.

Eyebrow If a mole is located on the right eyebrow, it signifies that these people will have a highly active life and will be successful in all ventures.

Finger People who have a mole on finger turn out to be dishonest and tend to grossly exaggerate.

Foot People with a mole on foot are easy going and laid back. They need to exercise to stay healthy.

Genitals Mole on genitals lead to sexual addiction.

Forehead People who have a mole on forehead will be prosperous and well settled in life.

Hand Those people who have a mole on hand are talented and make a success of their lives.

Heel People who possess a mole on their heel make enemies easily and are prone to losing friends.

Hip A mole on any part of the hip except the buttocks signifies that these people are contented, resilient and spirited.

Knee If you have a mole on right knee, it implies that you are a friendly person. A mole on left knee signifies that these people lead an extravagant lifestyle.

Lips People with a mole on lips always aspire to get ahead in life.

Navel A man who has a mole on navel will be lucky in life and a woman who has the same desires children.

Neck If the mole is on the front of the neck, it signifies unexpected good fortune. If it is on either side of the neck, it indicates an unreasonable temperament. A mole on the back of the neck indicates a person's desire to lead a simple life.

Nipple If a man has a mole on nipple, it indicates a fickle nature. If a woman has a mole on nipple, it indicates that she is striving for social status.

Nose A mole on nose belongs to a person who will be a sincere friend and a hard-working individual.

Shoulder A mole on right shoulder indicates a sensible, industrious individual.

Wrist A mole on wrist indicates that the person is frugal, ingenious and dependable.

Nokia India To Launch Stunning N8 By Diwali 2010

If you have ever thought that Nokia has gone into the shadows equipped with a host of smartphone talents then you are wrong, because Nokia unveils N8, one of the best Super phone in N-Series probably.

This is the first device to be powered by the brand new Symbian 3 platform, the Nokia N8 will launch with a new super breed of camera that promises to capture photos and video beyond your imagination.

The biggest plus in the Nokia N8 is its 12-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics and Xenon flash.

It also features a substantially BIGGER sensor than any ever used in any other Nokia device – even bigger than many found in dedicated cameras.The N8 is also the first Nokia device to support HD Video recording And also allows you to edit them with a smart built-in editing suite on the device.

This super phone also supports Dolby Digital Plus surround sound and users can connect it to their home theatre system.There’s also a HDMI connector allowing you to hook the smartphone to your HD TV and share your media with friends and family with a very high level of clarity.

The Nokia N8 also doubles as a portable entertainment centre, allowing you to watch HD quality video with Dolby Digital Plus surround sound and hook into a dedicated Web TV application for access to news and entertainment on the move.Nokia N8 also exceeds your imagination in the space constraints as it has 16GB of built-in storage and is expandable up to 48GB with a micro SD card.

Joining the social messaging Bandwagon fold with the likes of the latest Eseries and Cseries devices, N8 enters the fray with LIVE Twitter and Facebook updates direct to your homescreen. Comment, read and send messages, update your status and share your location and photos with just a touch.Embracing the likes of location based services, the N8 is very location-savvy and comes with FREE global Ovi Maps walk and drive navigation with support in more than 70 countries worldwide for LIFETIME.

Nokia N8 is carved from a single piece of anodised aluminium and looks glorious decked in one of five eye-catching colours, The N8 will be available in SELECT markets during the third quarter of 2010 and in India by Diwali. It is estimated to be priced at around the EUR 360 (Rs. 22,000) excluding taxes or subsidies in Countries other than India. Also, it would be outright foolishness to expect this phone to be priced below the 25k mark in India, that’s something Nokia has learnt more from its brother companies like Apple .