Friday, December 19, 2008
Ghajini Audio Review
EXPECTATIONS:
Huge with a capital H - That's the best way to describe the expectations that one has from the music of Ghajini. An Aamir Khan project is always big. When A.R. Rahman gets involved, it only becomes bigger. And when it's a project like Ghajini, which is a hardcore commercial fare, it has to be of one of the biggest, if not 'THE' biggest soundtrack of the year. Add in a name like Prasoon Joshi, who writes the lyrics for the film and you know that there is just no room for any error whatsoever. So what do we get here? Let's read on!
MUSIC:
Ever since the music release of Roja, the common saying for almost a decade and a half has been - 'Rahman's music takes time to grow'. That has indeed been the case for some of his best work ever which has gone on to be huge commercial success. Now imagine his music appealing to your ears in the very first go itself! The results are meant to be fantabulous and immediately acceptable, something which happens in case of Ghajini.
A.R. Rahman truly creates a soundtrack which makes an instant impact and yet retains the classy touch which is expected from him, especially noticeable in songs like 'Guzarish' and 'Kaise Mujhe'. Both being complex compositions due to the kind of variation that Rahman brings in spinning a melodic tale, 'Guzarish' and 'Kaise Mujhe' work and how! While 'Guzarish' is sweet-n-saccharine with Bollywood romance at its best, 'Kaise Mujhe' reminds of the kind of work that Ismail Darbar has been doing ever since his Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam days. Slow and pensive, it has a classy feel to it and sound even better in its 'instrumental' version. Someone bring on that 'Karaoke' please!
Only Rahman could have made something like this possible and if you have been a fan of 'Latka Dikha Diya Tumne' (Hindustani), then be sure that 'Aye Bachchu' would get the house on fire, which is a foot tapping track that is way beyond the likes of 'Shano Shano' (Yuuvraaj). It is a party track which has an out and out Western rhythm to it and should be quite some eye candy. Ditto for 'Latoo' which is heavy on orchestra, rightly so since the genre of the number requires that to be the case. The only number which is 'un-Rahmanish' in appeal and appears to be coming from the house of Pritam or Vishal-Shekhar, it is fast paced and boasts of an instant recollection quotient.
'Behka' could well be the 'Main Aisa Kyon Hoon' (Lakshya) moment for Aamir Khan in the way it is has been composed. The most unique composition of the album and something which Rahman has attempted after a long time. 'Behka' has an international sound in the way it is paced and arranged. Especially watch out for the 'antara' portion and you know for yourself that what sets it apart from any other Rahman song you would have heard in the recent times.
LYRICS:
With Prasoon Joshi around, lyrics are bound to be not just impressive but even way different from what one hears in a regular Bollywood album. Whether it is the poetic feel of 'Guzarish' or the intoxicated feel of 'Behka', Prasoon is in full form here. Of course when it comes to bringing on some fun on the house, 'Aye Bachchu' and 'Latoo' win hands down.
VOCALS:
Javed Ali makes best use of the opportunity that he gets with 'Guzarish'. First 'Jashn-E-Bahaaran' and now 'Guzarish', the young man is certainly looking up in his career. Another new singer, Benny Dayal, who made a worthy debut with 'Tu Meri Dost Hain' (Yuuvvraaj), is good once again in 'Kaise Mujhe'. What comes across as a pleasant surprise is to see Shreya Ghoshal letting her hair down for 'Latoo', a kind of track which, on any other day would have fell in Sunidhi Chauhan's lap. Suzanne, who continues to make an impression with every opportunity that comes to her, knows that 'Aye Bachchu' is the number for the dance floor and she gets the right attitude in place to justify her presence in the song as the chosen one.
OVERALL:
Ghajini is what one calls as a chartbuster album in the offering. Clearly boasting of Rahman's best soundtrack of the year (yes, it is better than Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Naa, Jodhaa Akbar, Yuvvraaj and Ada), Ghajini in fact, sees Rahman-Aamir collaboration being successful yet again after some of their best work together in Rang De Basanti, Lagaan: Once Upon A Time In India and Rangeela. The music of Ghajini is all set to make waves way into 2009 after the Christmas release of the film. When 'best of the best' list would be compiled at the year end, it would be hard to ignore Ghajini.
Rating : 4/5
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Winter medical myths 'debunked'
It may feel like the aspirin, fry-up or even "hair of the dog" is helping to alleviate that hangover caused by over-indulging the night before.
But in fact there is no such thing as a "cure" for a hangover, say researchers from Indiana University in the US.
With hangovers it is just a waiting game, research suggests
It is one of six Christmas-related myths which been debunked in the British Medical Journal.
The team trawled through the medical literature and internet for evidence on a range of commonly held beliefs.
"Both physicians and non-physicians sometimes believe things about our bodies that just are not true," wrote Dr Rachel Vreeman and Dr Aaron Carroll.
"Examining common medical myths reminds us to be aware of when evidence supports out advice."
So what did they find?
HANGOVER CURES:
An internet search flagged up endless methods claiming to cure a hangover from aspirin to bananas to Vegemite and water.
But there is no scientific evidence of an effective cure or method of preventing hangovers, the researchers said, despite many trials being carried out on both traditional and complementary medicines.
Keeping teetotal or drinking in moderation is the only way to avoid a hangover, they concluded.
EATING LATE AND GAINING WEIGHT:
Putting on pounds in the festive period almost seems inevitable but to avoid unwanted weight gain it has been suggested that people avoid eating late at night.
The idea is that you cannot burn off the calories if you are asleep.
But this is not supported by the evidence.
A Swedish study found that obese women were more likely to eat at night, but they also ate more in general.
In another study of more than 2,500 patients, eating at night was not associated with weight gain but eating more than three meals a day was.
Ultimately, taking in more calories makes you gain weight whenever you eat them, the researchers said.
SUGAR AND HYPERACTIVITY:
With Christmas comes selection boxes and a host of sweet treats but parents need not fear their children climbing the walls.
It is commonly thought children become hyperactive after eating sugar
Regardless of what parents might think, sugar does not cause hyperactive behaviour.
At least 12 randomised controlled trials looking at levels of sugar and behaviour - even in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder - were unable to detect any difference.
Scientists also found that when parents think their child has had a sugary drink they rate their behaviour as more hyperactive - so it is all in the mind.
HATS AND THE COLD:
We've all been told to put a hat on in winter because most heat is lost through the head.
The researchers even found that the US Army Field manual for survival recommends covering your head in cold weather because around 40-45% of body heat is lost through the head.
A recent study, however, showed there is nothing special about heat loss from the head - any uncovered part of the body would lose heat.
Scrutiny of the literature shows this myth probably originated with an old military study in which scientists put individuals in arctic survival suits (but with no hat) and measured their body temperature in extreme conditions.
If the experiment had been done with the participants wearing only swimsuits they would not have lost more than 10% of their body heat through their heads, the researchers said.
POINSETTIA TOXICITY:
Poinsettias are a common Christmas decorative feature but many believe they are poisonous.
In reality they are fairly harmless.
Of 22,793 cases of poinsettia exposure reported to poison control in the US, there were no deaths and 96% did not require medical treatment and none resulted in considerable poisoning.
A study in rats could not find a toxic level of the plant sap.
SUICIDES AT CHRISTMAS:
"The combined stresses of family dysfunction, exacerbations in loneliness, and more depression over the cold dark winter months are commonly thought to increase the number of suicides," said Dr Vreeman.
But, although the holidays may be difficult for some, there is no good evidence to suggest a peak in suicides.
Also people are not more likely to commit suicide in the dark winter months - around the world suicides peak in warmer months, the researchers said.
But in fact there is no such thing as a "cure" for a hangover, say researchers from Indiana University in the US.
With hangovers it is just a waiting game, research suggests
It is one of six Christmas-related myths which been debunked in the British Medical Journal.
The team trawled through the medical literature and internet for evidence on a range of commonly held beliefs.
"Both physicians and non-physicians sometimes believe things about our bodies that just are not true," wrote Dr Rachel Vreeman and Dr Aaron Carroll.
"Examining common medical myths reminds us to be aware of when evidence supports out advice."
So what did they find?
HANGOVER CURES:
An internet search flagged up endless methods claiming to cure a hangover from aspirin to bananas to Vegemite and water.
But there is no scientific evidence of an effective cure or method of preventing hangovers, the researchers said, despite many trials being carried out on both traditional and complementary medicines.
Keeping teetotal or drinking in moderation is the only way to avoid a hangover, they concluded.
EATING LATE AND GAINING WEIGHT:
Putting on pounds in the festive period almost seems inevitable but to avoid unwanted weight gain it has been suggested that people avoid eating late at night.
The idea is that you cannot burn off the calories if you are asleep.
But this is not supported by the evidence.
A Swedish study found that obese women were more likely to eat at night, but they also ate more in general.
In another study of more than 2,500 patients, eating at night was not associated with weight gain but eating more than three meals a day was.
Ultimately, taking in more calories makes you gain weight whenever you eat them, the researchers said.
SUGAR AND HYPERACTIVITY:
With Christmas comes selection boxes and a host of sweet treats but parents need not fear their children climbing the walls.
It is commonly thought children become hyperactive after eating sugar
Regardless of what parents might think, sugar does not cause hyperactive behaviour.
At least 12 randomised controlled trials looking at levels of sugar and behaviour - even in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder - were unable to detect any difference.
Scientists also found that when parents think their child has had a sugary drink they rate their behaviour as more hyperactive - so it is all in the mind.
HATS AND THE COLD:
We've all been told to put a hat on in winter because most heat is lost through the head.
The researchers even found that the US Army Field manual for survival recommends covering your head in cold weather because around 40-45% of body heat is lost through the head.
A recent study, however, showed there is nothing special about heat loss from the head - any uncovered part of the body would lose heat.
Scrutiny of the literature shows this myth probably originated with an old military study in which scientists put individuals in arctic survival suits (but with no hat) and measured their body temperature in extreme conditions.
If the experiment had been done with the participants wearing only swimsuits they would not have lost more than 10% of their body heat through their heads, the researchers said.
POINSETTIA TOXICITY:
Poinsettias are a common Christmas decorative feature but many believe they are poisonous.
In reality they are fairly harmless.
Of 22,793 cases of poinsettia exposure reported to poison control in the US, there were no deaths and 96% did not require medical treatment and none resulted in considerable poisoning.
A study in rats could not find a toxic level of the plant sap.
SUICIDES AT CHRISTMAS:
"The combined stresses of family dysfunction, exacerbations in loneliness, and more depression over the cold dark winter months are commonly thought to increase the number of suicides," said Dr Vreeman.
But, although the holidays may be difficult for some, there is no good evidence to suggest a peak in suicides.
Also people are not more likely to commit suicide in the dark winter months - around the world suicides peak in warmer months, the researchers said.
Nasa set to launch 'CO2 hunter'
By Jonathan Amos
Science reporter, BBC News, San Francisco
The US space agency is set to launch a satellite that can map in detail where carbon dioxide is in the atmosphere.
Nasa's Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) will pinpoint the key locations on the Earth's surface where CO2 is being emitted and absorbed.
CO2 from human activities is thought to be driving climate changes, but important facts about its movement through the atmosphere remain elusive.
The agency believes the technology on OCO can end some of the mysteries.
"This is Nasa's first spacecraft specifically dedicated to mapping carbon dioxide," principal investigator David Crisp told BBC News.
"The objective of the OCO mission is to make measurements that are so precise that they can be used to look for surface 'sources' and 'sinks' of CO2."
If you look at the rest of the carbon dioxide that's introduced into the atmosphere by our activities, it's uncertain by 100% - David Crisp.
Dr Crisp has been presenting details of the mission here at the American Geophysical Union's (AGU) Fall Meeting.
As he did so, OCO's launch on a Taurus XL rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California was booked for 23 February.
CO2 in the atmosphere has seen a steady rise in recent years
Nasa already has a CO2 detection instrument on its Aqua satellite but this looks at the greenhouse gas some five to 10km above the surface.
OCO, on the other hand, will detail the concentration of carbon dioxide close to the ground where its warming effect is most keenly felt.
The observatory will be engaged in what amounts to carbon accountancy. Its fortnightly global maps of CO2 concentration will help the mission team work out where the gas is entering the atmosphere and where it is being absorbed by land plants and the oceans.
Scientists have calculated that nature cycles about 330 billion tonnes of carbon every year.
Human activities put about 7.5 billion tonnes into the atmosphere - a tiny sum in comparison but enough, say researchers, to imbalance the system and raise the global mean surface temperature of Earth.
"We know where most of the fossil fuel emissions are coming from; we also know where things like cement manufacturing are producing large CO2 emissions," explained Dr Crisp, who works at Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. OCO weighs just under half a tonne
"But there are other things such as biomass (forest) burning and clearing; and we don't have a good quantification of the CO2 released by those processes.
"If you take out the fossil fuels - for which we understand the CO2 source to within 10% - and look at the rest of the carbon dioxide that's introduced into the atmosphere by our activities, it's uncertain by 100%.
"The idea is that OCO will help us to constrain that a whole lot better."
Location, location
The sinks for CO2 - the places where it is absorbed - also have many mysteries associated with them.
The Earth is thought to be absorbing about 50% of the carbon dioxide we put out - the majority of it going into the oceans. But science's description of the other major absorbers is poor, commented UK Earth-observation scientist Shaun Quegan.
"There's a bunch of atmospheric collection flasks dotted around the planet and when we apply the models to their data, the models all show there is a carbon sink in northern mid-latitudes," he said.
"But whether that's in North America, in Siberia, or wherever and what's causing it is a big debate."
Since science does not have a good handle on where the CO2 is being absorbed, researchers can have only limited understanding of how CO2 sinks are likely to evolve as the climate changes.
"Let's say we found that the boreal forests in Canada and Siberia were the primary sinks of CO2 because of their incredibly rapid growth during summer months when the Sun is up," speculated Dr Crisp.
"Well those environments are changing dramatically right now.
"Will they still be the primary absorbers of CO2 as time goes on? We don't really know how big an impact they're having right now.
"This is why OCO is so essential."
Reflected glory
The observatory carries a single instrument - a spectrometer that breaks the sunlight reflected off the Earth's surface into its constituent colours, and then analyses the spectrum to determine how much carbon dioxide and molecular oxygen is present.
The data can be used to work out atmospheric concentrations.
OCO will produce monthly maps of carbon dioxide over 1,600-sq-km (620 sq miles) regions of the Earth's surface to an accuracy of just fractions of 1%.
However, to locate the sources and sinks, scientists will need to combine the information with models that estimate how CO2 is being moved and mixed through the air.
1. OCO will head the 'train' of satellites when it gets into orbit. It will measure the concentration of carbon dioxide in the lower atmosphere
2. Aqua will lag OCO by 15 minutes. It is collecting information about the Earth's water cycle - water in the oceans, the air and on the land
3. Cloudsat will allow for the most detailed study of clouds to date. It should better characterise their role in regulating the climate
4. Calipso views clouds just moments after Cloudsat has looked at them. Its primary interest is the way aerosols interact with clouds
5. Parasol is a French satellite that can distinguish natural from human-produced aerosols. It makes polarised light measurements
6. Glory will join the train in June. One task will be to measure the 'energy budget' of Earth, to determine accurately global temperature
7. Aura also has a big European investment. It looks at atmospheric chemistry, and is producing remarkable global pollution maps
Once in orbit, OCO will join a fleet of other satellites - known as the A-Train - which carry a range of instrumentation to give a rounded picture of Earth's atmospheric and water systems.
The spacecraft cross the equator in the early afternoon on a path that takes them over broadly the same observation point in quick succession.
OCO will be followed into orbit next year by a Japanese carbon mission known as the Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT).
Europe is considering two carbon observatories - A-SCOPE (Advanced Space Carbon and Climate Observation of Planet Earth) and a mission called BIOMASS - which could fly in 2016.
Professor Quegan, from the UK's University of Sheffield, is working on the BIOMASS proposal.
"The spacecraft would measure global forest biomass at scales of about one hectare," he said.
"It's a crucial natural resource and ecosystem service - for materials, for energy, for biodiversity - there's a good correlation between how much biomass you've got and how much biodiversity you've got - and for climate and water protection."
"So from a carbon cycle science aspect, forests have some critical parameters that need to be pinned down."
1.In the carbon cycle, natural fluxes are the biggest, accounting for about 330 gigatonnes per year, and are in near equilibrium
2.The roughly 7.5 gigatonnes coming from all human sources may be sufficient to tip this system out of balance, warming the Earth
Science reporter, BBC News, San Francisco
The US space agency is set to launch a satellite that can map in detail where carbon dioxide is in the atmosphere.
Nasa's Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) will pinpoint the key locations on the Earth's surface where CO2 is being emitted and absorbed.
CO2 from human activities is thought to be driving climate changes, but important facts about its movement through the atmosphere remain elusive.
The agency believes the technology on OCO can end some of the mysteries.
"This is Nasa's first spacecraft specifically dedicated to mapping carbon dioxide," principal investigator David Crisp told BBC News.
"The objective of the OCO mission is to make measurements that are so precise that they can be used to look for surface 'sources' and 'sinks' of CO2."
If you look at the rest of the carbon dioxide that's introduced into the atmosphere by our activities, it's uncertain by 100% - David Crisp.
Dr Crisp has been presenting details of the mission here at the American Geophysical Union's (AGU) Fall Meeting.
As he did so, OCO's launch on a Taurus XL rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California was booked for 23 February.
CO2 in the atmosphere has seen a steady rise in recent years
Nasa already has a CO2 detection instrument on its Aqua satellite but this looks at the greenhouse gas some five to 10km above the surface.
OCO, on the other hand, will detail the concentration of carbon dioxide close to the ground where its warming effect is most keenly felt.
The observatory will be engaged in what amounts to carbon accountancy. Its fortnightly global maps of CO2 concentration will help the mission team work out where the gas is entering the atmosphere and where it is being absorbed by land plants and the oceans.
Scientists have calculated that nature cycles about 330 billion tonnes of carbon every year.
Human activities put about 7.5 billion tonnes into the atmosphere - a tiny sum in comparison but enough, say researchers, to imbalance the system and raise the global mean surface temperature of Earth.
"We know where most of the fossil fuel emissions are coming from; we also know where things like cement manufacturing are producing large CO2 emissions," explained Dr Crisp, who works at Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. OCO weighs just under half a tonne
"But there are other things such as biomass (forest) burning and clearing; and we don't have a good quantification of the CO2 released by those processes.
"If you take out the fossil fuels - for which we understand the CO2 source to within 10% - and look at the rest of the carbon dioxide that's introduced into the atmosphere by our activities, it's uncertain by 100%.
"The idea is that OCO will help us to constrain that a whole lot better."
Location, location
The sinks for CO2 - the places where it is absorbed - also have many mysteries associated with them.
The Earth is thought to be absorbing about 50% of the carbon dioxide we put out - the majority of it going into the oceans. But science's description of the other major absorbers is poor, commented UK Earth-observation scientist Shaun Quegan.
"There's a bunch of atmospheric collection flasks dotted around the planet and when we apply the models to their data, the models all show there is a carbon sink in northern mid-latitudes," he said.
"But whether that's in North America, in Siberia, or wherever and what's causing it is a big debate."
Since science does not have a good handle on where the CO2 is being absorbed, researchers can have only limited understanding of how CO2 sinks are likely to evolve as the climate changes.
"Let's say we found that the boreal forests in Canada and Siberia were the primary sinks of CO2 because of their incredibly rapid growth during summer months when the Sun is up," speculated Dr Crisp.
"Well those environments are changing dramatically right now.
"Will they still be the primary absorbers of CO2 as time goes on? We don't really know how big an impact they're having right now.
"This is why OCO is so essential."
Reflected glory
The observatory carries a single instrument - a spectrometer that breaks the sunlight reflected off the Earth's surface into its constituent colours, and then analyses the spectrum to determine how much carbon dioxide and molecular oxygen is present.
The data can be used to work out atmospheric concentrations.
OCO will produce monthly maps of carbon dioxide over 1,600-sq-km (620 sq miles) regions of the Earth's surface to an accuracy of just fractions of 1%.
However, to locate the sources and sinks, scientists will need to combine the information with models that estimate how CO2 is being moved and mixed through the air.
1. OCO will head the 'train' of satellites when it gets into orbit. It will measure the concentration of carbon dioxide in the lower atmosphere
2. Aqua will lag OCO by 15 minutes. It is collecting information about the Earth's water cycle - water in the oceans, the air and on the land
3. Cloudsat will allow for the most detailed study of clouds to date. It should better characterise their role in regulating the climate
4. Calipso views clouds just moments after Cloudsat has looked at them. Its primary interest is the way aerosols interact with clouds
5. Parasol is a French satellite that can distinguish natural from human-produced aerosols. It makes polarised light measurements
6. Glory will join the train in June. One task will be to measure the 'energy budget' of Earth, to determine accurately global temperature
7. Aura also has a big European investment. It looks at atmospheric chemistry, and is producing remarkable global pollution maps
Once in orbit, OCO will join a fleet of other satellites - known as the A-Train - which carry a range of instrumentation to give a rounded picture of Earth's atmospheric and water systems.
The spacecraft cross the equator in the early afternoon on a path that takes them over broadly the same observation point in quick succession.
OCO will be followed into orbit next year by a Japanese carbon mission known as the Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT).
Europe is considering two carbon observatories - A-SCOPE (Advanced Space Carbon and Climate Observation of Planet Earth) and a mission called BIOMASS - which could fly in 2016.
Professor Quegan, from the UK's University of Sheffield, is working on the BIOMASS proposal.
"The spacecraft would measure global forest biomass at scales of about one hectare," he said.
"It's a crucial natural resource and ecosystem service - for materials, for energy, for biodiversity - there's a good correlation between how much biomass you've got and how much biodiversity you've got - and for climate and water protection."
"So from a carbon cycle science aspect, forests have some critical parameters that need to be pinned down."
1.In the carbon cycle, natural fluxes are the biggest, accounting for about 330 gigatonnes per year, and are in near equilibrium
2.The roughly 7.5 gigatonnes coming from all human sources may be sufficient to tip this system out of balance, warming the Earth
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