Sunday, September 11, 2011

Black holes are the evolutionary endpoints of stars at least 10 to 15 times as massive as the Sun. If a star that massive or larger undergoes a supernova explosion, it may leave behind a fairly massive burned-out stellar remnant. With no outward forces to oppose gravitational forces, the remnant will collapse in on itself. The star eventually collapses to the point of zero volume and infinite density, creating what is known as a "singularity." Around the singularity is a region where the force of gravity is so strong that not even light can escape. Thus, no information can reach us from this region. It is therefore called a black hole, and its surface is called the "event horizon."


But contrary to popular myth, a black hole is not a cosmic vacuum cleaner. If our Sun was suddenly replaced with a black hole of the same mass, Earth's orbit around the Sun would be unchanged. Of course, Earth's temperature would change, and there would be no solar wind or solar magnetic storms affecting us. To be "sucked" into a black hole, one has to cross inside the Schwarzschild radius. At this radius, the escape speed is equal to the speed of light, and once light passes through, even it cannot escape.



Saturday, September 10, 2011

Garlic

Benifits
-Daily doses may help to lower blood pressure and blood cholesterol
-Acts as a nasal decongestant
-Has antiviral and antibacterial properties

Drawbacks
-Makes the breath smell
-May induce migraines
-Occasionally causes contact dermatitis

Herbalists and naturopaths regard garlic as something of a miracle food and use it as a remedy for dozens of complaints , ranging from asthma to arthritis. Garlic's reputation has some basis in truth, and the bulb's healing properties - as an antiviral and antibacteria agent- are now backed up with scientific evidence.

Garlic can be eaten raw in order to reduce nasal congestion as well as to help to relieve the other symptoms of a cold. The medicinal properties of garlic are the result of the sulphur compounds it contains, including those that are responsible for the pungent odour released when a bulb is crushed. There is some dispute as to whether garlic offers the same health benefits when eaten cooked as when taken raw, as many of the volatile components are lost through cooking.

In several studies scientists have shown that the compounds in garlic are good for the heart : they lower blood presssure , suppress cholesterol production in the liver , reduce harmful cholesterol and raise levels of the beneficial high- density lipoproteins in the blood.