The colourful world

  Imagine a world without colours-no green leaves,no blue sky, no rainbow,no paint,no crayons.

 Colours add emotions to life and without them,everything becomes very dull and uneventful.i am sure that old movies will be a lot better if released in colour. The colour of an object is a very complex result of its surface characteristics, transmission properties, emission and absorption properties. It is further influenced by the ambient illumination and the colour properties of objects nearby(i.e. colour constancy).

Let us take a look at factors that the colour of an object depend on:

Light arriving at an opaque surface is either reflected "specularly" (that is, in the manner of a mirror), scattered (that is, reflected with diffuse scattering), or absorbed – or some combination of these.

Opaque objects that do not reflect specularly (which tend to have rough surfaces) have their color determined by which wavelengths of light they scatter more and which they scatter less (with the light that is not scattered being absorbed). If objects scatter all wavelengths, they appear white. If they absorb all wavelengths, they appear black.

Opaque objects that specularly reflect light of different wavelengths with different efficiencies look like mirrors tinted with colors determined by those differences. An object that reflects some fraction of impinging light and absorbs the rest may look black but also be faintly reflective; examples are black objects coated with layers of enamel or lacquer.

Objects that transmit light are either translucent (scattering the transmitted light) or transparent (not scattering the transmitted light). If they also absorb (or reflect) light of various wavelengths differentially, they appear tinted with a color determined by the nature of that absorption (or that reflectance).

Objects may emit light that they generate themselves, rather than merely reflecting or transmitting light. They may do so because of their elevated temperature (they are then said to be incandescent), as a result of certain chemical reactions (a phenomenon called chemoluminescence), or for other reasons (see the articles Phosphorescence and List of light sources).

Objects may absorb light and then as a consequence emit light that has different properties. They are then called fluorescent (if light is emitted only while light is absorbed) or phosphorescent (if light is emitted even after light ceases to be absorbed; this term is also sometimes loosely applied to light emitted because of chemical reactions).:

When the reflected light has a wavelegth that comes under the visible light's wavelength (390nm to 750nm),then we are able to see the colour of the light.

Colours and the Eye:

  The ability of the human eye to distinguish colors is based upon the varying sensitivity of different cells in the retina to light of different wavelengths. Humans being trichromatic, the retina contains three types of color receptor cells, or cones. One type, relatively distinct from the other two, is most responsive to light that we perceive as violet, with wavelengths around 420 nm; cones of this type are sometimes called short-wavelength cones, S cones, or blue cones. The other two types are closely related genetically and chemically. One of them, sometimes called long-wavelength cones, L cones, or red cones, is most sensitive to light we perceive as greenish yellow, with wavelengths around 564 nm; the other type, known as middle-wavelength cones, M cones, or green cones is most sensitive to light perceived as green, with wavelengths around 534 nm.

Colours and the Brain:
  While the mechanisms of color vision at the level of the retina are well-described in terms of tristimulus values (see above), color processing after that point is organized differently. A dominant theory of color vision proposes that color information is transmitted out of the eye by three opponent processes, or opponent channels, each constructed from the raw output of the cones: a red–green channel, a blue–yellow channel, and a black–white "luminance" channel. This theory has been supported by neurobiology, and accounts for the structure of our subjective color experience. Specifically, it explains why we cannot perceive a "reddish green" or "yellowish blue", and it predicts the color wheel: it is the collection of colors for which at least one of the two color channels measures a value at one of its extremes.
     People who are colour blind have a defect in their cones,i.e, if they are less responsive than a normal cone or if one or more of the cones are missing and these people will not be able to effectively distinguish between the different colours. It is incredible to know that while human beings a trichromatic, spiders, birds and reptiles are tetrachromatic, which means that their eys percieve light in a more characterised manner. There are more such interesting facts about colours and the way living beings percieve them,for example, synesthesia.

    Eye-opening? haha. I feel blessed to have an organ that lets me enjoy the beauty of the world. This compels me to make a suggestion. Donating our eyes should be made mandatory. This will make someone else's life better.

INDIA'S PRIDE-HIMALAYAS

HIMALAYAS

The pride and beauty of India lies in the north-eastern part -elegant and strong, tempting climbers to test their grit.She is the mother of the most gorgeous mountain, EVEREST which stands tall and reaches a height of 29200 feet(8850m).The Himalayan range of mountains do not merely add to the beauty of India but they also bear religious significance. They are considered to be sacred in both Hinduism and Buddhism.The mighty rivers that originated from the snow capped ranges,gush down them like free birds flying in the sky enjoying the space given.They guard the life of so many creatures.Rivers worth mentioning are our very own Ganges,the Indus,the Brahmaputra and Yangtze(CHINA).The Himalayas geographically fall in the category of the young fold mountains but in height,as mentioned earlier, has some of the tallest peaks.These ranges have captured the hearts of many people just like mine.It has attracted many tourists. People love the peace that is experienced here and pack their bags just to escape the stress they undergo in everyday life.The first person to reach the summit of the mighty Chomolungma was Sir Edmund Hillary on May 29,1953 via the north col.Photographers enjoy the scenic beauty of the Himalayas and consider it to be one among the few places that would test their talents.The Himalayas have also caught the attention of the many gifted writers.An excerpt from a poem by Rashtrakavi Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar' on the abode of snow:

"My king of mountains! My magnificent one!Radiant embodiment of great glory!Flame of fierce, accumulated prowess!Snowy diadem of my motherland!Effulgent brow of my Bharat!My king of mountains! My magnificent one!

Unvanquished, unfettered, free through the ages,Sacred, righteously proud and great through the ages,What glory have you been radiatingThrough the ages in the limitless sky?How unbroken is your eternal meditation!Sages of sages! How unending your concentration!

Pouring into infinite space, what intricate problemsDo you seek to solve?What intractable web of perplexities?My king of mountains!

My magnificent one! SAGARMATHA

O sage engrossed in silent tapasya!
Open your eyes atleast for a moment!
Our country is burning, in flames
Writhing restlessly at your feet!
The blessed Indus, the five rivers,
Brahmaputra Ganga and Yamuna - the nectar-swept streams
That flow to the blessed land
Are abundant with your melting compassion.

At the gates of that land,
You, the guardian of its borders,
Have challenged,
You must cut off my head
Before you can trample over this land
O pious sage, a great misfortune has fallen todayOn that same land of piety!Afflicted, the children are writhingBitten by countless snakes from four directions.My king of mountains! My magnificent one!

There have also been many stories and novels written based on this.In fact a novel by Jeffery Archer-PATHS OF GLORY,is the soul reason for me writing this. Stories worth mentioning are,

Kim by Rudyard Kipling- the signature account of life in nineteenth century India as seen through British eyes and is based on the exploits of a young boy in the Himalayas and plains of India while engaged in the Great Game.

Shangri-La, a fictional utopia situated somewhere in the Himalayas is based on the legendary Shambhala. It is described in the novel Lost Horizon, written by the British writer James Hilton in 1933.

Tintin in Tibet is one of the series of classic comic-strip albums, written and illustrated by Belgian writer and illustrator Hergé, featuring the young reporter Tintin investigating a plane crash in the Gosain Than massif in the Himalayas. (1960)

The Hollywood movie Vertical Limit (2000)- set in the K2 peak of the Himalayas, in Pakistan.

"Dragon Rider (novel)" is authored by Cornelia Funke and tells the story of an epic journey that a small boy, a brownie, and a dragon take to the "Rim of Heaven," a place in the Himalayas where dragons reside.

Expedition Everest - Legend of the Forbidden Mountain is an elaborately themed roller coaster located at Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World that takes riders through a yeti-guarded Mount Everest.

The Inheritance of Loss written by Kiran Desai is partly set in the Himalaya Mountains. It won the Man Booker Prize in 2006.

India is certianly very proud of its got beauty-The Himalayas.!!

INTERIOR DESIGNING

The work of an interior designer draws upon many disciplines including environmental psychology, architecture, product design, and traditional decoration (aesthetics and cosmetics). They plan and design hotels, corporate spaces, schools, hospitals, private residences, shopping malls, restaurants, theaters, and airport terminals. Today, interior designers must be attuned to architectural detailing including floor plans, home renovations, and construction codes. Some interior designers are architects as well. Homes are about personality. The warmth in the house has to be maintained in the home interior and that style is employed by the owner or through the services of an interior designer. The interior decorators in Mumbai are known for their skills and employing the best facilities to ensure utilization of space. Understanding the play of colors or the use of texture to do up the walls is more complex then we think it is. There are many varieties to do a home and this depends on your budget and lifestyle needs. There are formal or casual styles to choose from. A homogeneous effect can be maintained in the theme or one could choose a different style for each room. Spacious rooms should accentuate the room size and it is important to avoid clutter. Including flexibility is also necessary as it allows you to change the position of movable items like décor or settings. Paintings and other artistic elements like Chinese urns, masks, straw decoration and rugs are another way to set a theme. Ethnic handicrafts done in a minimum way also assure much Indiannes to include in a semi formal setting.

Room theme
A theme is a consistent idea used throughout a room to create a feeling of completeness. Themes are the socio-cultural and the programmatic requirements of the end users. These themes often follow period styles. Examples of this are Louis XV, Victorian, Islamic, Feng Shui, Minimalist, Georgian, Gothic, Indian Mughal or Art Deco. The evolution of interior decoration themes has now grown to include themes not necessarily consistent with a specific period style allowing the mixing of pieces from different periods. Each element should contribute to form or function or both and maintain a consistent standard of quality and combine to create the desired design. For the last 10 years, decorators, designers, architects and homeowners have been re-discovering the unique furniture that was developed post-war of the 1950s and the 1960s from new material that were developed for military applications. Some of the trendsetters include Ray Eames and Herman Miller.

INDIA

Going back to INDIA of the 19th centuary,we were such a wonderful nation to live in-says the records.One such appreciation given by LORD MACAULAY himself is cited.Read it.Isn't it amazing??But one point is to be noted They were very clear in whatever they did. They had designed a wonderful trap and like a mouse running in to get the cheese,we were slammed in!!

We have to salute and thank the the freedom fighters,for they put their life at risk for us to live in the India we know today.Here we are, living their dreams but it feels like we have forgotten their efforts. They spent so many unpleasant and sleepless nights, were imprisoned, killed. They worked for India and its people, for us to become free, to live in place of our own. It is out duty to acknowledge their efforts taken by the freedom fighters to make India an independent nation.!!Atleast from today, think about this, think of them in your prayers and work for the betterment of the country."SAY NO TO TERRORISM".

THE BIG DOPE

We have to admit it that "known is an ocean and unknown is a finger".Just go ahead and read.Lets see how much you know.I would be glad to know the size of your finger :)

WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT GOOGLE?
Am sure that the first thing that will come to most of our minds is the famous internet website-google. but what it actually means is something else. it comes from the term “Googol” which represents a number (written as a 1 followed by 100 zeros) so large that it’s larger than the total number of atoms in the known universe.You wont beleive it but there is one other numeral which is larger than googol,yes,its called googolplex(1 followed by a googol zeros).it was popularized in the 1940’s by the american mathematician Edward Kasner who created it as a useful number when comparing unimaginably large numbers with infinity and the actual term “googol” was coined by his then 9 year old nephew Milton Sirotta

The first ten feet of the ocean hold as much heat as the Earth's entire atmosphere.
The world's densest wood, the Black Ironwood (Olea laurifolia), does not float on water, it sinks.

The increased electricity used by modern appliance parts is causing a shift in the Earth's magnetic field. By the year 2327, the North Pole will be located in mid-Kansas, while the South Pole will be just off the coast of East Africa

Manatees possess vocal chords which give them the ability to speak like humans, but don't do so because they have no ears with which to hear the sound

Polar bears can eat as many as 86 penguins in a single sitting.

The first McDonald's restaurant opened for business in 1952 in Edinburgh, Scotland, and featured the McHaggis sandwich

Approximately one-sixth of your life is spent on Wednesdays.

As printed materials are being replaced by CD-ROM, microfiche and the Internet, libraries that previously sank into their foundations under the weight of their books are now in danger of collapsing in extremely high winds.

Touch-tone telephone keypads were originally planned to have buttons for Police and Fire Departments, but they were replaced with * and # when the project was cancelled in favor of developing the 911 system.

Watching an hour-long soap opera burns more calories than watching a three-hour baseball game.

The world's smartest pig, owned by a mathematics teacher in Madison, WI, memorized the multiplication tables up to 12.

In ancient Greece, children of wealthy families were dipped in olive oil at birth to keep them hairless throughout their lives.

ELECTIONS'09

PSBB is burning hot from being hit by the heat waves of the elections.How can i not talk about ithis monumental event?? My first year voting for a candidate. I'm still unsure about whom to vote for but that aside, what do u think about this election?I know more about the candidates contesting this year than the year before. Well, stepping into high school does make a difference here haha. With all the campaigns in place,its very clear that there's going to be a tough fight between RAHUL and KESHAV but u never know,anything might change anytime.Whatever the result, am certain that the other candidates are no less than the 2 mentioned above.This year,since the school admin has barred the students from heavy campaigns and even hooking up posters,i had a feeling that this whole event might turn out to be insipid but NO.I was wrong.Instead,as i have mentioned above its burning with that oomph as always. I don't know about you but I think this one will not make it to the list of the best elections conducted.We have 5 more days to vote for THE SPL for this academic year.Until then, byeee