What Is the Mystery behind a Lunar Eclipse?

Welcome back my fellow learners, today we are going to learn about what all the fuss is about regarding lunar eclipses.

All through time people have been awed by solar and lunar eclipses. For just a few brief moments when the heavens are cast into shadow, is the stuff of myth and mystery, and many legends have been borne. While solar eclipses feature prominently in some prophecies and world-wide event, the spiritual impact can be more immediate and profound than any eclipse of the sun.

So perhaps it is not that surprising given it is the shadow of the Earth which actually blocks out the warm rays of the sun. As we mere mortals who inhabitant this fragile blue orb, find ourselves caught between the energies of Old Sol and Luna, the emotional, psychical and spiritual effects become tenfold.

The effects of a lunar eclipse reach us on a psychical and physiological level. The same as the pull of the moon pulls and pushes the tide, influence the elements, and have many other geological impacts, the passing of the Earth between the Sun and the Moon magnifies energies on peoples body, mind and heart. The Moon is sometimes referred to a a celestial body of our emotions, habits, intuition, and subconscious mind, they all function in direct response to any events and feelings which come at us from the exterior world.

Eclipses need to be seen not just as singular astrological events, but in context with other actions and subsequent reactions which are happening within the cosmos. To start with, individuals should look at what sign the lunar eclipse happens in. In Western astrology, each sign comes with a element, of either earth, fire, water and air. Also, each of these elemental groups are divided into being either Cardinal, Mutable or Fixed.

What Was The First Written Book

Welcome back my fellow learners, today we are going to learn about the first ever written book, long before the computer age, people actually learned about things by something called a book, soon to be as extinct as the dinosaur, mores the pity.

Ok let us start at the beginning. The first book ever written was not popular to contrary belief The Book Of Genesis, and it wasn’t written by God, Adam, Moses or any of the disciples.

The invention of writing is the beginning between pre-history and history. The first ever written language known was archaic cuneiform. It is said to have shown up around 3400 BC in the early part of the ancient Sumerian reign somewhere between Tigris and the Euphrates Rivers, which is now known as Iraq. It was basically a pictographic language slowly becoming syllabic and comprised of shaped characters. The earliest documented writings were found on clay tablets and some think they could have been administrative lists.

However, the first ever written story is the Epic of Gilgamesh. It is an account of an historical figure known as Gilgamesh, who at the time was a ruler of the Sumerian city Uruk, and is thought to have ruled around 2700 to 2500 BC.

There are several fragmented versions of this story. The oldest are around 2100 BC. However, some scholars think these could be transcriptions of even earlier Sumerian writings. Other versions have been found that have been dated from as early as 2000 to 1700BC. The biggest completed version was found on 12 clay tablets from around 1500 to 1200 BC. These were found in the ruins of King Ashurbanipal’s library located in Nineveh, which is the largest documented library in the pre-Hellenic world.

The definition of a book in the recent years has become more flexible. It used to be a book was basically a collection of printed sheets of paper bound together, and placed between two covers. However, with the birth of the e-book, the definition is changing. 

Fact Or Fiction - Do Anti Wrinkle Creams Work?

Welcome back my fellow learners, today's topic if for the ladies and if we are spending our hard earned money of fiction.

Winter is not a friend to our skin. The wind will chap it as does dry air. This combination pushes us into the ready arms of the billion dollar cosmeceutical industry, who waits with their greedy grasping arms to charge us over the top prices for potions and serums promising to work wonders and make your skin look like a teenager again, which I have to laugh, most advertisements in magazines or on the television are either air brushed, or used women barely out of their teens.

However, I digress, these companies promise more than moisturising. Their products will boost oxygen micro circulation, whatever mumbo jumbo that means, sometimes to understand these adverts you need a Phd in science. They also boast their cream will reset a persons ageing by converting stem cells. They have ingredients which will switch on our digestive enzymes, or help to promote collagen production. In short, they will totally transform an old woman into a teenager again, and if you believe this then unicorns to exist.

However, the big question on everyone's lips, is it true?

Yes and no, states many dermatologists and scientists. But mostly no, however it's really difficult to say. Well so much for the eggheads.

Creams do moisturise, even the cheapest ones, and that will aid skin to look more supple and healthy. As for the other boasts, few studies which have been published in the medical journals show these products work as advertised, and are safe to use.

Back in the day when these over priced creams were not even thought of, people's daily cleansing routine was plain soap and water, then put on some moisturising cream. However, due to the pollution which is constantly pumped into our atmosphere, skin is suffering twice as much, so the call for better creams is in more demand.

Having a balanced healthy diet, enough exercise and using a moisturiser should be sufficient. Ageing is a part of everyday life, so ladies thinking some miracle cream is going to make you look 20 years younger is never going to happen.

Why Was Hadrian's Wall Built?

Welcome back my fellow learners, today we are going to learn about why Hadrian's Wall was built and by whom.

Hadrian first came to Britain in AD122 and according to his biographer who wrote Hadrian's story two centuries later, was the first person to build a Wall 80 miles long separating those bloodthirsty Romans from the barbarians'.

With building this wall, the function function of said Wall, was to control the frontier, just like today's modern frontier barriers. Here the army put into force the regulations which governed the whole empire. It would appear, from statements on other frontiers, that people were only permitted access to the empire at designated portals and travel unarmed and with a military escort to certain markets or other destinations. The Wall would help stop raiding which we now know occurred on all the frontiers. The reason of auxiliary units stationed on the frontier was completely different, this was not only a military defence, it also served as protection and the policing of provincials. The placement of forts on the Wall blurred the difference between these two functions. Analysis on the location of the Wall on the landscape shows it was not always the best placed should defence be the primary criterion.

It could be considered the Wall formed only one part of a bigger system of frontier control. Cavalry are settled in several forts on the Wall. And to use these soldiers solely for frontier guards would be a complete waste of their skill set, it is however, more likely they patrolled the area further to the north. Certainly later patrols on the north of the Wall is noted, as well as the treaties between those bloodthirsty Romans and their neighbours to the north.

To keep control of their newly won English territory, the Romans built defended forts all across the country. The most famous of them all, on the northern part of their British territory, the Romans built a wall which spanned from coast to coast, thus protecting them from the Scottish tribes. 

THE HISTORY OF THE FALABELLA

Welcome back my fellow learners, today we are going to learn about the smallest breed of horse in the world.

The Falabella is a rare breed of miniature horse from Argentine, which is kept pure by breeding only pure-bred Falabellas to other pure-breds for many generations. It is thought to be the first and original Miniature Horse breed ever, however, the size comes secondary to their pure ancestry. It is a true pure-bred thanks to their unique ancestry, which is just one of their greatest attributes. The other is the Falabella name is recognized throughout the world. Breed ancestry is kept pure by the Falabella Farm, and small groups of breeders that wish to preserve their heritage. The Falabella is an exquisite horse which has always been rare because of their limited number within the gene pool. Estimates show that only a few thousand exist in the world today. The most desirable feature of a Falabella and its value is due to its pure ancestry. Falabellas are extremely prestigious in their own right and are prized by people who have one.

Several historic facts and fables are told about the famous Falabella in books and equine articles. It is said that the original Argentine horses were direct descendants of the Andalusian and Spanish Barb horses first introduced to Argentina by the Spaniards when they arrived in the 15th century. These Spaniards however, were defeated and their horses were left to run free. Over the centuries the environment and inbreeding created a reduction in size and produced small horses. In the 1840s, these equines were seen in herds close to the southern Buenos Aires region by Patrick Newell, and he began to build a herd with the smallest horses he could locate. It was from here that selective breeding began to develop a natural small horse .This started over 150 years ago, with Patrick and he passed his knowledge to his son-in-law, Juan Falabella, who then in turn shared his knowledge with Emilio his son Emilio, who then in turn passed it on to his son, Julio.

Is Global Warming Fact Or Fiction?

Welcome back my fellow learners, today we are going to learn about global warming, fact or fiction?

The study of our mother earth’s history is not a subject to be taken lightly. We have to know more if we hope to salvage the environmental crises which now faces the human race.

Now a days you can hardly turn on the television, open a newspaper or online, without being getting confronted with global warming predictions. In his 2006, Al Gore the former U.S Vice President hosted an Oscar winning documentary named An Inconvenient Truth, warning us that global warming is a strong and imminent threat to the earth, and painted an alarming picture with which mankind will ultimately destroy all life on earth. However, will mankind suffer the heat of global warming, or will we face another ice age?

No matter what mankind faces, one thing is clear, and that is global warming is a complex and emotionally charged problem, which most people want to ignore and pretend does not exist. New claims appear in the press with mind numbing regularity, leaving many people unsure what to believe any more. However, one thing is glaringly clear, and that is if the human race does not sit up and do something about the way we are destroying mother earth, mother earth will eventually throw us off her back.

If a scientist believes in the billions of years of earth history, they will assume, for instance, that polar ice needed thousands of years to build up to what it is today. Scientists that believe in the account of Noah’s Flood, believe ice appeared shortly after the Flood. Depending on their notions, equally skilled scientists do reach different conclusions.

In the global warming debate, it is vital to separate fact from what people want to interpret. We hear a great deal about Co2 emission, and greenhouse gases, but we hardly every hear the facts which are behind the hype.

We as a race have to face up to the fact, that if we don't do something soon, then there will be nothing left to leave to our future children. Expect a distant memory of what it used to be like before greed and industry destroyed everything. 

How Does The Human Brain Actually Work?

Welcome back my fellow learners. Today we are going to learn about one of the best and complex computers in the whole world, the human brain.

The human brain performs an amazing amount of tasks including:

Controlling a bodies temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, and even breathing.

It absorbs and incredible amount of information on the world around, this is done by your five senses, sight, sound, smell, taste and touch.

It controls all your physical movement such as walking, talking, standing or sitting.

It sends information even in sleep, which how dreams happen, and also controls your reason and emotions.

Each of these tasks are coordinated, controlled and regulated by something which is no bigger than a small cauliflower.

Your brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerves are complex, and will process information via your central nervous system. And together they will regulate all conscious and unconscious parts of your life. A scientific study on the brain and nervous system is known as neuroscience.

Your brain has around 100 billion nerve cells, also referred to as neurons. These have the ability to collate and transmit electrochemical signals, similar to the gates and wires found in computers.

Neurons have the same characteristics and make-up as other cells, however, the electrochemical lets them send signals over long distances.

Neurons have three parts, cell body or soma. This part has all of the required components of the cell, like the nucleus, containing DNA, endoplasmic reticulum and ribosomes, used for making proteins, and mitochondria, for creating energy. Should the cell body die, the neuron does also.

Axon, this cell takes the electrochemical message along the entirety of the cell. Depending upon the kind of neuron, axons are sometimes covered with a layer of myelin sheath, similar to insulated electrical wire. Myelin is a composition of protein and fat, and helps to speed up the transmission of a nerve impulse down an axon. Myelinated neurons are normally located in the peripheral nerves, also known as the sensory and motor neurons, while non-myelinated neurons are located within the brain and spinal cord.

Why Marijuana Should Be Legalized

Welcome back my fellow learners, today we will learn why marijuana should be made legal, and the beneficial effects it has on modern medicine today.

Marijuana is now legal in several US states, over 20 states have legalized cannabis soles for medical reasons, however, Colorado and Washington state allow people to use it purely for recreational use. Certain forms are actually extremely potent medicine, with little or no psychoactive side effects.

For over 18 years medical marijuana has been legal in California. Dr. Allan Frankel, a certified internist from California, has treated his patients using medical cannabis for the last seven years.

Dr Frankel states that between 85 to 95% of Americans are in favour of medical cannabis, and 58 to 59% want it legalized. However, the federal government wants to abolish all medical usage, which does beg the question of WHY? I think though we all know the answer to that one, MONEY and the sole ownership of all marijuana. The profit margin alone would be staggering.

Medical cannabis is a definite forerunner to pharmaceutical industries, as cannabis can take the place of various synthetic drugs, especially for anxiety and mood disorders. The last thing the pharmaceutical industry wants is a cut in their profit margin.

According to Dr. Frankel, cannabis has been grown in the Northern Europe before the last Ice Age. Even way back then, there were two distinct strains. One being cannabis, the other would be hemp. There's some confusion about the two. While they are both subspecies of the same plant, they look totally different, and are vastly different in ways which really matter when it comes down to medicinal usage.

The one thing they both have in common is cannabidiol, this contains medicinal properties. The of cannabidiol does differ between the two. Dosing, therefore, is totally different where you to try to use hemp instead of cannabis, as the latter, is 100 times more potent.

So there you have it my lovelies, so if you are reading this, then light up and relax.

How Dolphin Radar Works

Welcome back my fellow learners. Today we are going to learn how a dolphins radar works, and how this knowledge has helped mankind.

A dolphin uses sound to see size, shape, and speed of objects many yards away. Fascinating as well as complex, a dolphin’s natural sonar, is so precise it determines the difference between a ping pong ball and a golf ball solely on its density. Even though humans have done intense research on these highly intelligent marine mammals for several decades, a lot of their acoustical world is still a mystery.

One of the keys to dolphin radar is due to water’s superb conduction of sound. Sound waves travel faster in water than in air. Dolphins use this in ways which would make a superhero jealous. The the help of nasal sacs in their heads, dolphins send fast clicks which pass through their forehead. The sound is then focused and beamed out in front of it. The sound wave rockets through water, and bounces off the object which is under investigation, and is then bounced back to the dolphin. Fat filled cavities in the dolphin’s jaw get this information and then auditory nerves take it to the middle ear and brain, where a picture is then created.

Although dolphins have not vocal cords, they still talk using sounds. A mother dolphin will whistle to her newborn to imprint a signature whistle to her baby so this will enable it to recognize her.

Dolphin defenders object to the navy’s use of sonar, which they use to scan and investigate the ocean, stating it harms the dolphins. They refer to incidents like the beaching of four different species of whale off the coast of the Bahamas in 2000, following the navy's sonar exercises within the area. Marine mammals strand themselves for various reasons, but investigations did confirm that navy sonar created the disaster in the Bahamas. Researchers are not sure how man made sonar is affecting marine mammals. Some think sounds could scare or disorient marine mammals and make them flee to the water’s surface, this results in a kind of decompression sickness which damages sensory organs and is believed to cause internal bleeding.