TOKYO: Tired of petrol prices rising daily at the pump? A Japanese company has invented an electric-powered, and environmentally-friendly car that it says runs solely on water.
Genepax said that a litre of any kind of water – rain, river or sea – is all you will need to get the engine going for about an hour at a speed of 80 km.
“The car will continue to run as long as you have a bottle of water to top up from time to time,” Genepax CEO Kiyoshi Hirasawa said. “It does not require you to build up an infrastructure to recharge your batteries, which is usually the case for most electric cars,” he added.
Once the water is poured into the tank at the back of the car, a generator breaks it down and uses it to create electrical power.
The company said that a proprietary unit splits the water into hydrogen and oxygen using a chemical reaction, which provides fuel for a hydrogen fuel cell to run the car.
It also insists that the new process produces hydrogen from water for a longer time than the existing method.
Genepax informed that power is generated by its Water Energy System (WES) by supplying water and air to the fuel and air electrodes, the system being similar to that of a standard fuel cell.
Its fuel cell system – the company added – has an output of 300W. Genepax has mounted this system in the luggage room of a compact electric vehicle ‘Reva’, manufactured by Takeoka Mini Car Products Co Ltd.
Now, Genepax is planning to provide 1kw-class generation systems for use in electric vehicles and for residential applications.
While the current production cost is about $18,522 (Rs 8 lakh approx), it is estimated to be reduced to $5,000 and even lower if the company succeeds in mass production. ANI
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Wow!!! A Car that Runs Solely on Water.
The invisible threat - We can’t live without them, but can we really live with them?
We can’t live without them, but can we really live with them? Find out how gadgets like mobiles and laptops could be seriously affecting our health.
It’s difficult to imagine life without the cellphone or the laptop. From being luxury gizmos earlier, they are almost human appendages now, attached to us 24x7. But are we paying a huge price for our dependence on such electronic items?
Recently, a Jawaharlal Nehru University pilot study found that 20 rats subject to mobile phone radiation had damaged DNA and low sperm count. And last week, the Union health ministry commissioned the first largescale study of the effects of radio frequency radiation from mobile phones on humans. With 250 million mobile phone subscribers currently in India, and many more using other appliances like television, computer, vacuum cleaner, microwave etc, the fear is that these ‘essentials’ of life may actually be posing a big health risk because of their electromagnetic fields (EMFs).
As such, research has not yet established anything definite about the impact of EMFs on the human body. They are everywhere, though we cannot sense them. Almost all electronic equipment have EMFs and we are constantly bombarded by the radiation from these fields. But then, not all EMFs have an impact. Only those with high frequencies —2mG (milliGauss) and above—cause the maximum harm. And these are usually found in appliances that we use on a daily basis—microwaves, cordless phones, computer monitors, fax machines, cellphones, cellphone towers, hair dryers and so on.
Cancer connection?
Various international studies have tried to establish the link between EMFs and some diseases. Doctors believe that constant exposure to high frequency EMFs leads to digestive disorders, fatigue, hypertension, insomnia, irritability, low blood pressure, infertility in males, cancer, neurological and cardiovascular problems. A Swedish study in 1993 demonstrated a 1.7 times higher risk of leukaemia in adults and a 2.7 times higher risk for childhood leukaemia from exposure to EMFs. A few years back, the California Department of Health Services concluded after a seven-year study that EMF exposure is a risk factor for childhood leukaemia.
The threat is real and omnipresent. Says oncologist Dr Ramananda Nadig, president, Health Care Global-Triesta Sciences, Bangalore, “Most, if not all, electrical appliances that emit EMFs, are harmful to a certain extent. While they may not be initiators of a malignant change, there is every likelihood that they promote/augment such a change. The more people are exposed, the greater the risk. That is why it’s important that we be cautious of EMFs.”
In recent years, experts hav been studying the impact of cellphones and cellphone towers on the h u m a n body, and the initial research results have not been too comforting. An Australian neurosurgeon of Indian origin, Dr Vini Khurana, recently published a research paper on the link between mobiles and brain cancer. He said using mobiles for over 10 years could more than double the risk of brain cancer. Mobile phone radiation, he says, could heat the side of the head or thermoelectrically interact with the brain, while Bluetooth devices and “unshielded” headsets could “convert the user’s head into an effective, potentially self-harming antenna”.
Similarly, cellphone towers are a cause of concern. A 2005 study by Gursatej Gandhi, a researcher in the Human Genetics Department, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, found that “exposure to radio frequency (RF) signals generated by the use of cellular phones has increased dramatically and is reported to affect physiological, neurological, cognitive and behavioural changes and to induce, initiate and promote carcinogenesis….”
Price of progress
Khurana admits that a link between mobiles and brain cancer has still not been definitely proven because mobiles have been in use only in the two decades and it takes years for solid tumours to form. Nevertheless, there is reason to be worried. Says Nadig, “There are currently over three billion cellphone users worldwide. In India, the numbers are equally big and they are growing by the day. We don’t realise it but holding the phone close to the brain regularly, increases our chances of brain tumour.” What is further worrying is the fact that children as young as three years are exposed to cellphones and their growing tissues are much more vulnerable to harmful radiation.Yet, most experts agree that the maximum harm is caused when the cellphone is used constantly and over a long period of time.
While cellphones can be monitored — they can be switched off or used on speaker mode — there is no way the mushrooming cellphone towers can be controlled. “The EMF generated from the tower is 24X7 and is of a much higher frequency. They are a huge threat,” says Ravinder Kohli, professor, centre for environment, Panjab University, Chandigarh.
Dr Howard W Fisher, a Toronto-based natural physician, has been vocal about the invisible threat to health from EMF radiation. And his concern is voiced in his bestselling books, The Invisible Threat series. “EMF radiation is a serious health risk and unfortunately, we are not aware of it. To spend 60 minutes in a wi-fi environment is equal to 20 minutes on a cellphone. If the EMF radiations can penetrate concrete walls and cellphones can work in basements, then there is no reason why they can’t penetrate human tissues,” reasons Fisher. On a recent visit to the country, he was alarmed by the number of power transmitters in residential areas and markets. They are dangerous, he says. “I was horrified to see children playing close to the transmitters. They have such powerful EMFs. I am sure people who live close to them would be suffering from irritation, fatigue and various other problems,” points out Fisher.
What is interesting is that the extent of the harm caused differs from individual to individual. Some people may be affected more, while it may take years for some others to develop a disease.
But not everybody feels that there is any reason to worry. Says Dr Anusheel Munshi, professor, radiation oncology, Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, “While too much exposure to EMFs is usually not good, till we have concrete proof of a correlation between cellphones and cancer, there is no cause for immediate alarm.” Besides, some people feel that a protective device, currently available in the market, can minimise the harmful rays. “The MRET polymer chip significantly reduces the damage caused by EMF,” informs Fisher.
Yet, the health risks from EMFs cannot be completely ruled out. There’s no escape from them in a world that is so dependent on all things electronic. Perhaps, what is required is some bit of caution.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
The 70-year-old with the world's smallest waist - just 15 inches
Pensioner Cathie Jung has worn tight-fitting corsets for years to become the woman with the world's smallest waist.
The super-fit 70-year-old has a tiny waist which measures just 15in (38cm) - making her figure distinctly hourglass.
The Queen of Corsets, as she has aptly named herself, appears in the new edition of the Guinness Book of World Records.
But the super-thin 70-year-old insists there is no, ahem, corset for concern. Grandmother Cathie is perfectly healthy despite having a midriff that can be reduced to the size of a large mayonnaise jar.
And having the smallest living person’s waistline has got her into the new edition of the Guinness Book Of Records. Cathie’s astonishing 39-15-39 figure is the result of spending the last 25 years laced into tight corsets, which only come off when she showers.
Cathie, from Manteo, North Carolina, reckons that while her corsets restrict her waist they don’t hold her back from everyday tasks. She said: “I do everything that I want to do. I eat fairly small meals but I prefer that at my age anyway. I find it tricky sitting in low chairs and sometimes in restaurants I have to sit on the high chairs at the bar.
“I even have a special swimming costume with a corset sewn in it, so I can still go to the beach. And I am still able to do housework — unfortunately!”
Cathie’s husband Bob is an orthopaedic surgeon and he reckons his wife’s unique look does her no harm.
She said: “Bob has carried out X-rays on me and says the corset actually helps support my spine. Everything in the midriff is flexible."
Friday, June 13, 2008
Cheat's Guide to Looking Thin ( ner )
PEAR-SHAPED
Rajani says:
APPLE-SHAPED
Rajani says
PLEASANTLY PLUMP
Rajani says
TIPS FOR EVERYONE
The Man Who Survived Fall From 47-Storey Building
Left: Pic of Alcides Moreno
Right: Pic of the building he fell from
NEW YORK: A window cleaner who survived falling 47 storeys from the roof of a New York skyscraper has made a 'miraculous' recovery – and is walking again.
The World’s Most Stupid Thief?
Mugger snatches necklace on tram then admires reflection in CCTV lens
LONDON: This is the moment when a mugger provided police with an unmistakable clue to his identity — by admiring his reflection in the lens of a CCTV camera. The image shows the thief moments after he had stolen a £200 silver necklace and bracelet from a 16-yearold boy.
Rather than escape, he decided to try on the jewellery, apparently unaware — or unconcerned — that he was being filmed by the camera he was gazing into.
'Not the brightest spark': How police described this thief trying on the stolen necklace in front of a camera The resulting image shows his face clearly.
London police have appealed for anyone who can identify the mugger to come forward. The robbery happened on a tram in Bromley. The victim was with his girlfriend and another boy when they were approached by the youth. The mugger demanded that the boy show him a bracelet he was wearing, then grabbed it before asking to see the necklace, which he also snatched.
After putting on the jewellery, the robber took at least 15 seconds to admire his reflection. When he made to get off the tram his victim asked for his jewellery back but the youth claimed he had a knife and would stab him.
Police said the boy is very upset as the necklace was given to him by his late mother and so has huge sentimental value. Dc Dan Arundell, of British Transport Police's robbery squad, said: “The CCTV images are very clear. It was quite clear that he was checking himself out in the reflection of the CCTV camera.
The general consensus is that he is not the brightest spark. He was there for a long time and either didn't care or wasn't aware he was being filmed.” He added that the victim tried to go after the mugger, adding, “The youth turned around to face him and said, 'You don't want me to use this,' with the knife in his pocket. All three were severely intimidated and felt they could not stop him.”
The piglet with special boots - The World's only porker who is afraid of mud
THE PIG WHO HATES MUCK Skyscraper made of one million toy construction pieces
‘What My Dad Gave Me’
NEW YORK: The latest skyscraper to go up in Manhattan is 20 metres tall, weighs seven tonnes and is constructed of about one million stainless steel toy construction set pieces.
The skyscraper — actually a sculpture by artist Chris Burden called “What My Dad Gave Me” — was to be unveiled at Rockefeller Center Tuesday.
Burden gained notoriety in 1971 as a performance artist when he had a friend shoot him in the arm with a rifle.
For the past decade, he has been working with replica Erector Set pieces. ‘What My Dad Gave Me’ is billed as his most complex work to date. The six-storey skyscraper will be on view through July 19. AP
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
