Category Archives: science

Rio de Janeiro

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Standing atop the Corcovado Mountain with his arms spread out, this enormous statue of Christ the Redeemer (Cristo Redentor) has been embracing the people of Rio since its inauguration in 1931. One of the Seven Wonders of the World, the imposing structure of soapstone and cement provides panoramic views of Rio beyond compare.

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Named after the traditional sugarloaves used long ago, the Sugarloaf Mountain is a tall peak rising at the Guanabar Bay in the Atlantic Ocean. At the top you have magnificent views of the sparkling Rio beaches, statue of Christ the Redeemer and the green forests. Although most visitors arrive by a cable car ( which takes 2-3 minutes) others can test their enthusiasm and energy by climbing the mountain.

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I found out where Copacabana and Ipanema are!

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Although Carnival (Carnaval in Portuguese) is celebrated in towns and villages throughout Brazil and other Catholic countries, Rio de Janeiro has long been regarded as the Carnival capital of the world. The Rio Carnaval is not only the biggest Carnival, it is also a benchmark against which every other carnival is compared and one of the most interesting artistic events on the globe.  Foreign visitors to it alone number around 500,000 every year.

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This colorful tiled stairway is the work of Chilean artist Jorge Selaron, self-taught. Having traveled the world, Selarón moved to Rio in 1983.There are 215 steps that he entirely covered with majolica collected in urban areas of Rio or donated by visitors from all around the world. Since 1990, Selarón  laid over 2000 tiles, mainly red-colored: unique pieces representing a “tribute to the Brazilian people”.

 

The Manaus Meeting of Waters

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We had heard about the merging of the Rio Negro,a river with dark(almost black colored ) water and the sandy-colored AmazonRiver(Rio Solimoes) just outside of Manaus but nothing could have prepared me for the sight of it from a sea plane that we took from our lodge on the Rio Negro, to Manaus.

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For  3.7 miles ,the river’s waters run side by side without mixing .This phenomenon is due to the differences in temperature, speed and water density of the two rivers. The Rio Negro flows at near 1.1 miles per hour at a temperature of  82.4 degrees(28°c), while the Rio Solimões flows between  2-3 miles per hour a temperature of 71.6 degrees(22 c).

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We also noticed that there are a lot of places where the convergence is depicted with tile work. This is at the Opera House in Manaus.

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By The Light Of The Candle

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Candlelit dinners really could be good for the heart, new Swedish research has suggested

Candlelit dinners really could be good for the heart, new Swedish research has suggested.

A candlelit dinner works wonders for romance.Now scientists say it could also be good for your heart.Breathing in candle smoke causes beneficial changes in cardiac rhythm, they claim.It is thought that tiny salt particles released when the candle burns are behind  the effect.

The researchers monitored the hearts of 13 men and women as they breathed in air pumped into a small chamber. In some cases the air included smoke from candles in a second room.The volunteers didn’t know which type of air they were breathing, but when it included candle smoke, their heart rate variability improved.Everyone’s heart rate varies naturally all the time, beating a little bit faster when we breathe in than when we breathe out.

This is perfectly healthy and a sign that the brain is alert and able to regulate the heart. But this variation falls as we get older and if we develop heart problems. In the study, it was increased by inhaling candle smoke.

Researcher Christina Isaxon from Lund University in Sweden said the concentration of smoke generated during the study was similar to that created by a candlelit dinner.

As the volunteers could not see the candles and weren’t told what they were breathing, the effect could not be explained away by the calming effect of candlelight .Dr Isaxon said she thought tiny particles of sodium and potassium, which along with soot, make up candle smoke, could be responsible for the  beneficial effects.The two elements are involved in regulating the heart’s rhythm and in sending messages between cells in the body.More salts are produced when a flame is still so she recommends that candles are burned away from drafts. Breathing in candle smoke causes beneficial changes in cardiac rhythm, the study found.

The study, carried out for her PhD, did not find any negative health effects of the smoke – although Dr Isaxon admitted said she did not ‘make a huge effort’ to find any.Soot, which increases when the flame flickers, has been blamed for health problems in the past.The American Chemical Society has warned that paraffin wax candles, the most common type, release potentially harmful chemicals linked to cancer, asthma and eczema. It recommends using beeswax and soy candles.Dr Isaxon used candles made of pure stearine, a natural fat, in her study. Many other types of candle also contain some stearine. Dr Isaxon found paraffin wax candles which had stearine in them also released potassium and sodium particles.

Stearine candles were first developed 200 years ago.They are very popular in Scandinavia and can be bought here from retailers including Ikea.Dr Isaxon recommended using candles that are as natural as possible and avoiding scents and dyes as they may give off dangerous chemicals when burned.Since we spend more than 85 per cent of our time indoors, what we breathe in at home is very important, she said.

from Mail Online February 28,2014