Being a Lifelong Bookworm May Keep You Sharp in Old Age

To keep their bodies running at peak performance, people often hit the gym, pounding away at the treadmill to strengthen muscles and build endurance. This dedication has enormous benefits—being in shape now means warding off a host of diseases when you get older. But does the brain work in the same way? That is, can doing mental exercises help your mind stay just as sharp in old age?

Experts say it's possible. As a corollary to working out, people have begun joining brain gyms to flex their mental muscles. For a monthly fee of around $15, websites like Lumosity.com and MyBrainTrainer.com promise to enhance memory, attention and other mental processes through a series of games and brain teasers. Such ready-made mind exercises are an alluring route for people who worry about their ticking clock. But there's no need to slap down the money right away—new research suggests the secret to preserving mental agility may lie in simply cracking open a book.

The findings, published online today in Neurology, suggest that reading books, writing and engaging in other similar brain-stimulating activities slows down cognitive decline in old age, independent of common age-related neurodegenerative diseases. In particular, people who participated in mentally stimulating activities over their lifetimes, both in young, middle and old age, had a slower rate of decline in memory and other mental capacities than those who did not.

Researchers used an array of tests to measure 294 people's memory and thinking every year for six years years. Participants also answered a questionnaire about their reading and writing habits, from childhood to adulthood to advanced age. Following the participants' deaths at an average age of 89, researchers examined their brains for evidence of the physical signs of dementia, such as lesions, plaques and tangles. Such brain abnormalities are most common in older people, causing them to experience memory lapses. They proliferate in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease, leading to memory and thinking impairments that can severely affect victims' daily lives.

Using information from the questionnaire and autopsy results, the researchers found that any reading and writing is better than none at all. Remaining a bookworm into old age reduced the rate of memory decline by 32 percent compared to engaging in average mental activity. Those who didn't read or write often later in life did even worse: their memory decline was 48 percent faster than people who spent an average amount of time on these activities.

The researchers found that mental activity accounted for nearly 15 percent of the difference in memory decline, beyond what could be explained by the presence of plaque buildup. "Based on this, we shouldn't underestimate the effects of everyday activities, such as reading and writing, on our children, ourselves and our parents or grandparents," says study author Robert S. Wilson, a neuropsychologist at the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, in a statement.

Reading gives our brains a workout because comprehending text requires more mental energy than, for example, processing an image on a television screen. Reading exercises our working memory, which actively processes and stores new information as it comes. Eventually, that information gets transferred into long-term memory, where our understanding of any given material deepens. Writing can be likened to practice: the more we rehearse the perfect squat, the better our form becomes, tightening all the right muscles. Writing helps us consolidate new information for the times we may need to recall it, which boosts our memory skills.

So the key to keeping our brains sharp for the long haul does have something in common with physical exercise: we have to stick with it. And it's best to start early. In 2009, a seven-year study of 2,000 healthy individuals aged 18 to 60 found that mental agility peaks at 22. By 27, mental processes like reasoning, spatial visualization and speed of thought began to decline.

Scientists Finally Discover The Function of the Human Appendix

It has long been regarded as a potentially troublesome, redundant organ, but American researchers say they have discovered the true function of the appendix.

The researchers say it acts as a safe house for good bacteria, which can be used to effectively reboot the gut following a bout of dysentery or cholera.

The conventional wisdom is that the small pouch protruding from the first part of the large intestine is redundant and many people have their appendix removed and appear none the worse for it.

Scientists from the Duke University Medical Centre in North Carolina say following a severe bout of cholera or dysentery, which can purge the gut of bacteria essential for digestion, the reserve good bacteria emerge from the appendix to take up the role.

But Professor Bill Parker says the finding does not mean we should cling onto our appendices at all costs.

"It's very important for people to understand that if their appendix gets inflamed, just because it has a function it does not mean they should try to keep it in," he said.

"So it's sort of a fun thing that we've found, but we don't want it to cause any harm, we don't want people to say, "oh, my appendix has a function", so I'm not going to go to the doctor, I'm going to try to hang onto it."

Attractive theory

Nicholas Vardaxis, an associate professor in the Department of Medical Sciences at RMIT University, says the theory put forward by the Duke University scientists makes sense.

"As an idea it's an attractive one, that perhaps it would be a nice place for these little bacteria to localise in, a little cul-de-sac away from everything else," he said.

"The thing is that if we observe what's been happening through evolution, the higher on the evolutionary scale we are and the more omnivorous animals become, then the smaller and less important the appendix becomes and humans are a good example of that.

"The actual normal flora bacteria within the appendix, as well within our gut, are the same, so we've lost all of those specialised bacteria.

"So it doesn't have that safe house type of function anymore, I don't think.

"It's a vestige of something that was there in previous incarnations, if you like."

Koala appendix

Unlike the human, the koala is famous for having a very long appendix.

It is thought to aid digestion on a diet made up exclusively of eucalyptus leaves.

Professor Vardaxis says that is not likely to change any time soon.

"Unless of course we have a massive blight and we get the eucalypt on which the koala thrives dying, then we may find some mutant koalas out there perhaps that will start eating other things, and as they start to eat other things, then over generations and hundreds of thousands of years of time, then surely, yes, the koala's appendix will shrink as well," he said.

Professor Vardaxis says it is possible that at that point, koalas might be afflicted by appendicitis and have to have it taken out at times.

Courtesy: Political Blindspot

How Happy is Your Organization?

It's a known fact that the efficiency of any organization is concretely linked with the work satisfaction index of the employees. You can hire good people by tough hiring criteria, you can ensure their attendance by installing time-in and time-out devices; you can ensure their availability on their desk by close monitoring through IP cameras etc however you cannot guarantee or enhance their creativity index, their efficiency and their loyalty factor by all these policing techniques. While most of the entrepreneurs want their teams to be the most effective ones and even they want them to move from effectiveness to greatness (as Stephen Covey tells in his book 'The 8^th Habit') but least of them take the real effective actions in order to achieve the same.

In order to have highly collaborative and creative teams there should be an environment where teams should love what they are doing. Every morning if an employee while coming to office is enthusiastic and charged about the day, then he will make things happen. However if he is coming to office with sad heart or negative attitude then you have already half lost the project. So the point is that a culture of friendliness and trust needs to be ensured. Encouragement and consistent gratitude needs to be in place since it acts as a fuel and empowers the acceleration of the teams and the project tasks. Below are some of the points you must consider for the sake of monitoring the happiness and satisfaction index of your organization:

1-     When was the last time you did an anonymous company-wise survey to seek feedback from each of the employee? What was the score?

2-    One of the known questions from Gallup® is that "Do you have a best friend at work?" Being in-charge of your organization when did you noticed last time about any employees who don't have their best friends at work? If yes, what have you done with your empathic skills to judgethis and then took any action to nourish the culture of friendliness?

3-    Do you have a rewarding culture in your company? Do you give spot awards, appreciation certificates, monetary rewards, free coupons or professional trainings?

4-    Your employees are like batteries, do you measure their 'charge level'. Remember your mobile battery icon becomes yellow and red when charge level is 25% and 10%? Same is the case with employees. You need to have close observatory and emotional intelligence and analytical skills to monitor such things.

5-    Do you ensure that your employees have a great work-life balance? Are they stress free(work related stress) on weekends? Are they over loaded or under loaded or rightly loaded? Are your managers and team leads capable of assigning the right task to the right person?

6-    Do you have family like environment where employees share their emotions, concerns and jokes? Do they laugh/smile while working (not applicable for customer facing employees)? Did you plan any family level or team level get together or any other team building activities?

    

I believe with the above recommendations you can observe, analyze and eradicate the most common causes of disengaged employees and eventually increase the productivity of the organization.

A final comment is that you should not treat your employee only as a physical human being, instead treat him as a compound of body, heart, mind and soul. Stephen R Covey recommends that once you start behaving according to this philosophy, employees start generating great results for the organization. If you would like to explore more on this, "The 8^th Habit" book is the rich source of knowledge and wisdom; Google it to learn more.

World's Largest Solar-Powered Hospital

In Haiti, electricity is both costly and unreliable. In the town of Mirebalais, about 60 km from Port-au-Prince, residents pay $0.35 per kWh and the grid goes down for an average of three hours per day. For the town's newly built hospital, Hôpital Universitaire de Mirebalais, both the cost and the intermittency are unacceptable.

Partners in Health (PIH) is a Boston-based non-profit organization whose mission is to bring modern medical science to those most in need. In effect, PIH spreads a little proverbial sunshine to the underprivileged. In this case they're collecting sunshine and turning it into cheap, reliable electricity. PIH coordinated an effort to design and install a grid-tied solar power system that exceeds all of the hospital's daytime energy needs. Surplus energy is sold back to the grid during the day. At night the hospital runs on grid power, with diesel-powered generators available in case of a nighttime power failure.

The hospital's roof sports more than 1800 photovoltaic (PV) panels, each capable of generating up to 280 watts. (I'll save you a trip to the calculator - that's 500 kW of peak DC power.) The panels feed five 95 kW grid-tied inverters, which provide over 400 kW AC. You can see its live production here. Hôpital Universitaire de Mirebalais is now the largest hospital in the world that uses solar power to generate more than 100% of its electrical needs during peak sunlight hours.

If you're wondering about the concrete blocks on the roof, project engineer Ann Polaneczky explains, "We have a membrane roof that can't have perforations, so our racks sit on the roof unbolted and are held down by these CMU [concrete masonry unit] blocks. The racking & block quantities were structurally designed for 120 mph [193 km/hr] winds so that the panels are safe up there even in a hurricane." Wow!

Since PV panels are less efficient at higher temperatures, the roof was painted white to minimize heat absorption. The white surrounding also reflects more light onto the PV panels, providing two benefits for the price of one. The panels sit about a foot above the roof to maximize air flow. As far as panel maintenance is concerned, they're simply rinsed with plain water four times a year. Two local electricians, trained by engineers who designed and installed the equipment, will continue working at the hospital to maintain its electrical system.

In addition to its solar panels, the building was designed to maximize energy efficiency. Passive ventilation techniques help to naturally cool the building and reduce the need for air conditioning. The white roof also contributes to that effort. (Did I say the white roof provided two benefits for the price of one? Make that three.) Motion-sensor lights cut 60% off the energy needed for lighting. Overall, the building's design and the PV panels should save the hospital about $379,000 every year. With a $2.2 million initial investment, the system will pay for itself in just under six years.

If you're planning a photovoltaic system, whether it's for a large-scale operation like a hospital or just a small residential set-up, you can take a number of lessons from this project. First and foremost is to reduce the amount of energy you use. A kilowatt saved is equivalent to a kilowatt generated, and it's usually less expensive. Passive heating and cooling are free sources of energy, so use them. Second, if the grid is available, connect to it; the grid is the cheapest form of "virtual storage" there is. Third, whether on-grid or off-grid, a gas-powered generator, used sparingly, is probably a better back-up power solution than extra batteries. I know it burns fossil fuels, but it's much less expensive and with an ample fuel supply it can provide power through long periods of overcast skies and grid outages. For a small home, a battery bank large enough to provide two days of autonomy can set you back more than $12,000 and the batteries need to be replaced every ten years or so - more often if you deep-discharge them frequently. If you're off-grid, maybe you can live with one day's worth of battery storage and a backup generator. Finally, for municipal or business projects, the payback period for many sustainable energy systems is short compared to the expected life of the building. (That's true for long-term homeowners as well.) At the college where I teach, we convinced the administration to put a geothermal heating/cooling system into a new building. Seeing the $1M price tag, they were reluctant at first. When the architects calculated a six year payback period, they jumped on it! 

Hôpital Universitaire de Mirebalais, a state-of-the-art medical facility, was funded by several non-profit organizations, including the Red Cross, the GE Foundation, and Artists for Haiti, an organization founded by actor Ben Stiller and art gallery owner David Zwirner.

Common mistakes in Ramadan; Lets strive not to repeat them

 

 

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barkatuh! Some Common Mistakes in Ramadaan Lets Strive Not to Repeat the Same By Asma bint Shameem 1 : Taking Ramadaan as a ritual For many of us Ramadaan has lost its spirituality and has become more of a ritual than a form of Ibaadah. We fast from morning to night like a zombie just because everyone around us is fasting too. We forget that its a time to purify our hearts and our souls from all evil....we forget to make dua, forget to beseech Allaah to forgive us and ask Him to save us from the Fire.  Sure we stay away from food and drink but that's about all. Although the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said:  "'Jibreel said to me, May Allaah rub his nose in the dust, that person to who Ramadaan comes and his sins are not forgiven, and I said, Ameen. Then he said, May Allaah rub his nose in the dust, that person who lives to see his parents grow old, one or both of them, but he does not enter Paradise (by not serving them) and I said, Ameen. Then he said, May Allaah rub his nose in the dust, that person in whose presence you are mentioned and he does not send blessings upon you, and I said, Ameen.'"  (Tirmidhi, Ahmad, others. Saheeh by al-Albaani) 2 : Too much stress on food and drink For some people, the entire month of Ramadaan revolves around food. They spend the ENTIRE day planning, cooking, shopping and thinking about only food, instead of concentrating on Salaah, Quraan and other acts of worship. All they can think of is FOOD. So much so that they turn the month of fasting into the month of feasting. Come Iftaar time, their table is a sight to see, with the multitudes and varieties of food, sweets and drinks. They are missing the very purpose of fasting, and thus, increase in their greed and desires instead of learning to control them. It is also a kind of waste & extravagance. ".....and eat and drink but waste not by extravagance, certainly He (Allaah) likes not Al-Musrifoon (those who waste by extravagance) " [al-Araaf :31] 3 : Spending all day cooking Some of the sisters (either by their own choice or forced by their husbands) are cooking ALL day and ALL night, so that by the end of the day, they are too tired to even pray Ishaa, let alone pray Taraweeh or Tahajjud or even read Quraan. This is the month of mercy and forgiveness. So turn off that stove and turn on your Imaan!  4 : Eating too much Some people stuff themselves at Suhoor until they are ready to burst, because they think this is the way to not feel hungry during the day and some people eat at Iftaar, like there is no tomorrow, trying to make up for the food missed. However, this is completely against the Sunnah. Moderation is the key to everything. The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "The son of Adam does not fill any vessel worse than his stomach; for the son of Adam a few mouthfuls are sufficient to keep his back straight. If you must fill it, then one-third for food, one-third for drink and one-third for air." (Tirmidhi, Ibn Maajah.  saheeh by al-Albaani). Too much food distracts a person from many deeds of obedience and worship, makes him lazy and also makes the heart heedless. It was said to Imam Ahmad: Does a man find any softness and humility in his heart when he is full? He said, I do not think so. 5 : Sleeping all day Some people spend their entire day (or a major part of it) sleeping away their fast. Is this what is really required of us during this noble month? These people also are missing the purpose of fasting and are slaves to their desires of comfort and ease. They cannot bear to be awake and face a little hunger or exert a little self-control. For a fasting person to spend most of the day asleep is nothing but, negligence on his part. 6 : Wasting time The month of Ramadaan is a precious, precious time, so much so that Allaah calls this month "Ayyamum Madoodaat" (A fixed number of days). Before we know it, this month of mercy and forgiveness will be over. We should try and spend every moment possible in the worship of Allaah so that we can make the most of this blessing. However, there are some of us who waste away their day playing video games, or worse still, watching TV, movies or even listening to music. Subhaan Allaah! Trying to obey Allaah by DISOBEYING him! 7 : Fasting but not giving up evil Some of us fast but do not give up lying, cursing, fighting, backbiting, etc. and some of us fast but do not give up cheating, stealing, dealing in haraam, buying lotto tickets, selling alcohol, fornication, etc. and all kinds of impermissible things without realizing that the purpose of fasting is to not stay away from food and drink; rather the aim behind it is to fear Allaah. "O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqoon (the pious)" [al-Baqarah 2:183] The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "Whoever does not give up false speech and acting upon it, and ignorance, Allaah has no need of him giving up his food and drink." (Bukhaari) 8 : Smoking Smoking is forbidden in Islam whether during Ramadaan or outside of it, as it is one of al-Khabaaith (evil things). And this includes ALL kinds of smoking material eg.cigars, cigarettes, pipes, sheesha, hookah etc. "he allows them as lawful At Tayyibaat (all good and lawful things), and prohibits them as unlawful Al Khabaa'ith (all evil and unlawful things) [al-Araaf :157] It is harmful, not only to the one smoking, but also to the ones around him. It is also a means of wasting ones wealth. The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "There should be no harming or reciprocating harm." This is especially true during fasting and it invalidates the fast. (Fatwa -Ibn Uthaymeen) 9 : Skipping Suhoor The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "Eat suhoor for in suhoor there is blessing."(Bukhaari, Muslim). And he (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "The thing that differentiates between our fasting and the fasting of the People of the Book is eating suhoor." (Muslim) 10 : Stopping Suhoor at Imsaak Some people stop eating Suhoor 10-15 minutes earlier than the time of Fajr to observe Imsaak. Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen said: This is a kind of bidah (innovation) which has no basis in the Sunnah. Rather the Sunnah is to do the opposite. Allaah allows us to eat until dawn: "and eat and drink until the white thread (light) of dawn appears to you distinct from the black thread (darkness of night)" [al-Baqarah 2:187] And the Prophet (pbuh) said: "...eat and drink until you hear the adhaan of Ibn Umm Maktoom, for he does not give the adhaan until dawn comes." This imsaak which some of the people do is an addition to what Allaah has prescribed, so it is false. It is a kind of extremism in religion, and the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "Those who go to extremes are doomed, those who go to extremes are doomed, those who go to extremes are doomed." (Muslim) 11 : Not fasting if they missed Suhoor Some people are too scared to fast if they miss Suhoor. However, this is a kind of cowardice and love of ease. What is the big deal if you missed a few morsels of food? Its not like you will die. Remember, obedience to Allaah overcomes everything. 12 : Saying the intention to fast out loud or saying a specific dua to start fasting The intention is an action of the heart. We should resolve in our heart that we are going to fast tomorrow. That is all we need. It is not prescribed by the Shariah for us to say out loud, "I intend to fast", "I will fast tomorrow" or other phrases that have been innovated by some people. Also, there is no specific dua to be recited at the time of starting the fast in the correct Sunnah. Whatever dua you may see on some papers or Ramadaan calendars, etc. is a Bidah. 13 : Delaying breaking fast Some people wait until the adhaan finishes or even several minutes after that, just to be on the safe side. However, the Sunnah is to hasten to break the fast, which means breaking fast whenever the adhaan starts, right after the sun has set. Aaishah (RA) said: This is what the Messenger of Allaah (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) used to do. (Muslim) The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "The people will continue to do well so long as they hasten to break the fast." (Bukhaari, Muslim) Determine to the best of your ability, the accuracy of your clock, calendar, etc. and then have tawakkul on Allaah and break your fast exactly on time. 14 : Eating continuously until the time for Maghrib is up Some people put so much food in their plates when breaking their fast and continue eating, enjoying dessert, drinking tea, etc., until they miss Maghrib. That is obviously not right. The Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh) was that once he broke his fast with some dates, them he would hasten to the prayer. Once you are done with the prayer, you can always go back and eat some more if you wish. 15 : Missing the golden chance of having your Dua accepted The prayer of the fasting person is guaranteed to be accepted at the time of breaking fast. The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "Three prayers are not rejected: the prayer of a father, the prayer of a fasting person, and the prayer of a traveler." (al-Bayhaqi, saheeh by al-Albaani). Instead of sitting down and making Dua at this precious time, some people forego this beautiful chance, and are too busy frying samosas, talking, setting the food, filling their plates and glasses, etc. Think about it....Is food more important than the chance to have your sins forgiven or the fulfillment of your Duas. 16 : Fasting but not praying The fasting of one who does not pray WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. This is because not praying constitutes kufr as the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "Between a man and shirk and kufr there stands his giving up prayer." (Muslim) In fact, NONE of his good deeds will be accepted; rather, they are all annulled. "Whoever does not pray Asr, his good deeds will be annulled." (Bukhaari) 17 : Fasting and not wearing Hijaab Not wearing the Hijaab is a major sin as it is obligatory for Muslim women. (See Surah Nur, Surah Ahzaab). So fasting and not wearing hijaab certainly takes away enormously from the rewards of fasting, even if does not invalidate it. 18 : Not fasting because of exams or work Exams or work is NOT one of the excuses allowed by the Shariah to not fast. You can do your studying and revision at night if it is too hard to do that during the day. Also remember that pleasing and obeying Allaah is much more important than good grades. Besides, if you will fulfil your obligation to fast, even if you have to study, Allaah will make it easy for you and help you in everything you do. "Whosoever fears Allah, He will appoint for him a way out and provide for him from where he does not expect, Allah is Sufficient for whosoever puts his trust in Him." (Surah at-Talaaq 2-3) 19 : Mixing fasting and dieting DO NOT make the mistake of fasting with the intention to diet. That is one of the biggest mistakes some of us make (esp. sisters). Fasting is an act of worship and can only be for the sake of Allah alone. Otherwise, mixing it with the intention of dieting may become a form of (minor) Shirk. 20 : Fighting over the number of Rakaah of Taraweeh  There is no specific number of rakahs for Taraweeh prayer, rather it is permissible to do a little or a lot. Both 8 and 20 are okay. Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen said: "No one should be denounced for praying eleven or twenty-three (rakaah), because the matter is broader in scope than that, praise be to Allaah." 21 : Praying ONLY on the night of the 27th Some people pray ONLY on the 27th to seek Lailat ul-Qadr, neglecting all other odd nights, although the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: "Seek Lailat ul-Qadr among the odd numbered nights of the last ten nights of Ramadaan." (Bukhaari, Muslim). 22 : Wasting the last part of Ramadaan preparing for Eid Some people waste the entire last 10 days of Ramadaan preparing for Eid, shopping and frequenting malls, etc. neglecting Ibadah and Lailatul Qadr. although, the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) used to strive the hardest during the last ten days of Ramadaan in worship (Ahmad, Muslim) and not in shopping. Buy whatever you need for Eid before Ramadaan so that you can utilize the time in Ramadaan to the max. Aaishah (RA) said: "When the (last) ten nights began, the Messenger of Allaah (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam)) would tighten his waist-wrapper (i.e., strive hard in worship or refrain from intimacy with his wives), stay awake at night and wake his family." (Bukhaari and Muslim). 23 : Iftaar parties Although inviting each other for breaking fast is something good and encouraged, some people go to extremes with lavish Iftaar parties with all sorts of disobedience to Allaah, from flirting, mixing of the sexes and hijaab-less women, to show-off and extravagance, to heedlessness to Salaah, and Taraweeh. ~~~ Share this POST with maximum number of people you can. Guiding one soul to knowledge and faith is a momentous achievement. It is what will earn us great blessings..Insha Allah! May Allah accept this little service from us..Aameen! With kind & humble regards.