Top 10: Influential Teens of 2016

Here is a list of the Top 10 influential teenagers of 2016

10) Kelvin Doe 

Kelvin Doe was born 26 October 1996 in Freetown, where he is also known as DJ Focus. He is a Sierra Leonean engineer. He is known for teaching himself engineering at the age of 13 and for building his own radio station in Sierra Leone, where he plays music and broadcasts news under the name "DJ Focus."

Kelvin Doe was born to a single mother when Sierra Leone was being torn apart due to the ongoing civil war. "Her resilience and self-belief made it possible for me to be alive today," he once said, with respect to his mother. 
Doe was a speaker at TED x Teen and lectured to undergraduate engineering students at Harvard College In May 2013!

9) Zea Tongeman

A 14-year-old from south London, designed the social media app called “Jazzy Recycling” that turns waste disposal into a game. Jazzy Recycling helps users find places to recycle, tells them what they can recycle and then enables them to scan, share and get rewards for their efforts.
Tongeman was inspired to create her mobile app after attending a workshop with Little Miss Geek at her school, St.Saviours and St.Olaves in Elephant and Castle, England. The presentation had brought fashion designer Francesca Rosella to teach students basic computer coding and circuitry for clothing. Soon after, she entered Apps for Good that is  a competition that encourages students to create positive change through technology. 

Teaming up with her friend, Jordan Stirbu, she laid the foundations for Jazzy Recycling.

8) Jack Thomas Andraka 

Jack Thomas Andraka was born January 8, 1997. He is an American inventor, scientist and cancer researcher. He is known for his award-winning work on a potential method for detecting the early stages of pancreatic and other cancers, which he performed while he was a high school student , at an age where students are still figuring out their career options . Andraka enrolled as a freshman at Stanford University for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Andraka claims to have invented a new type of sensor, similar to those of diabetic test strips, for early-stage pancreatic cancer screening. This paper sensor measures the level of mesothelin (a suspected cancer biomarker) in a sample to test for the presence of cancer in a patient.

7) Jaden Smith

Jaden Christopher Syre Smith , born on July 8, 1998, is an American actor and rapper. He is the son of Jada Pinkett Smith and the well known actor Will Smith.
Sure, Will Smith’s son got the most attention for telling the New York Times that “school is not authentic because it ends,” for example, or tweeting “Kanye For President” to his 5.7 million followers, but he is also making waves in the music industry.  

6) Joshua Wong

Joshua Wong Chi-fung , born on 13 October 1996 is a student activist from Hong Kong and founder of the student activist group known as Scholarism. He is also the secretary general of Demosistō, a political party. currently studying at the Open University of Hong Kong. In June 2014, Scholarism drafted a plan to reform Hong Kong's electoral system to push for universal suffrage. 

Wong was charged on 27 November 2014 with obstructing a bailiff clearing one of Hong Kong's three protest areas , during the umbrella movement. His lawyer described the charge to be politically motivated. He was banned from entering a large part of the city. He was also not allowed to use a large number of roads, even for transit purposes.

5) Ahmed Mohamed

Not everyone makes national news by just bringing a science project to school, but the 9th grader’s arrest spun of a national debate over racial profiling.
The Ahmed Mohamed clock incident took place in 2015. He was arrested for bringing an alleged bomb to the school. He had made a clock resembling an electronic clock using a pencil box. His English teacher who thought it was a bomb, confiscated the clock, and reported him to the principal. The principal called in Local law enforcement who questioned him for an hour and a half and sent him to a juvenile detention facility. Even after his release by the juvenile justice authorities’, he was suspended from school. 

This news went viral on social media, and even president Obama responded to it by tweeting that Ahmed’s clock was cool and also invited him to the white house.
In October 2015, the family decided to move to Qatar, where Ahmed plans to continue his education with the help of a scholarship from the Qatar education foundation.

4) Flynn McGarry

Flynn McGarry, born November 1998 is an American , New York city based chef . When children of his age were still figuring out how to complete their homework or finish math problems , Flynn had started the US$160-a-head Eureka dining club in Los Angeles, at the age of 12. He flew to New York city after completing his high school and started his own restaurant namely Eureka NYC. This year , in 2016, he presented one of his dishes in the eight season of Masterchef Australia , as a pressure test.

3) Moziah Bridges (CEO of Mo's Bows)

Moziah Bridges started his business when he was 9 years old. While his classmates were doing homework and playing sports, Moziah sold over $200,000 worth of products. The teenager had the idea for Mo's Bows when his grandmother, who was a retired seamstress, explained the importance of "dressing sharp" to him. Motivated to make something of his early formed passion, he requested his grandmother to teach him to sew, after which eventually developed the talent of creating bow ties.

2) Kathleen Genevieve Ledecky 

Kathleen Genevieve Ledecky was born March 17, 1997 .She is an American swimmer who holds a substantial number of world records in the 400, 800, and 1,500-meter freestyle and the fastest-ever times in the 500 and 1,650-yard freestyles. At the age of 15 , she took part in the 2012 summer Olympics. Ledecky has a massive ten world records , and in her final individual event at this year’s 2016 Summer Olympics, the 800-meter freestyle, Ledecky qualified first in the heats with a time of 8:12:86  setting an Olympic record. Her total of ten individual titles won at the three Olympic and seven World Aquatics Championships are a record for female swimmers across the globe.

1)Malala Yousafzai

The name that needs no introduction, Malala was born on 12 July 1997 in the Swat District of Pakistan.  At the age of 15, Malala was shot in the face by the Taliban, for raising awareness reguarding female education after which she became the voice of more than sixty thousand girls who were deprived of education, not only in Pakistan , but round the world. Malala Yousafzai is the youngest recipient of the Nobel peace prize which she received at the age of 17. She currently lives with her parents and two brothers in Birmingham, United Kingdom.

(Read her full article here)

On a concluding note, we at Veritas believe that motivation to do something , comes from within. The fire and the willingness to change the world is something only you can build, may it be with the extremely talented engineer Kelvin Doe, or the human rights activist Malala Yousafzai. Both had a dream of making a world a better place, and they continue to thrive to live up to that dream.

Read More

Boko Barbarism: The Carcinogen for Nigeria

The Boko Haram are the present manifestation of the anti-West, anti-government, and pro-Islam sentiments that have been brewing in Nigeria for the past 40 years. The recent Boko Haram attack of June 2, 2014, involved Boko Haram militants dressing up as soldiers and mercilessly slaughtering 200 civilizians in the Gwoza district of Borno state. The attack came without warning, and the government and local law enforcement were utterly unable to retaliate or ward off the raid. Action must be taken against this ruthless group as they continue to evade the authorities, cause chaos in the area, terrorize innocents, and hold Nigeria back from becoming the power it was meant to be. The actions of the Boko Haram are the culmination of tensions related to inequality, poor governance, and corruption over the past 20 years. Since 1999, 25,000 people have died in killings that can be related to the Boko Haram and groups like it.Issues related to internal diversity, once again, have only exacerbated the problem. Boko Haram was created in 2002 in Maiduguri, the capital of the northeastern  state of Borno, by Islamist cleric Mohammed Yusuf.

The group aims to establish a fully Islamic state in Nigeria, including the implementation of sharia criminal courts across the country. Paul Lubeck, a University of California, Santa Cruz, professor who researches Muslim societies in Africa, says Yusuf was a trained Salafist (an adherent of a school of thought often associated with jihad), and was strongly influenced by Ibn Taymiyyah, a fourteenth-century legal scholar who preached Islamic fundamentalism and is an important figure for radical groups in the Middle East. In July 2009, Boko Haram members refused to follow a motorbike helmet law, leading to heavy-handed police tactics that set off an armed uprising in the northern state of Bauchi and spread into the states of Borno, Yobe, and Kano.

The army suppressed protests, leaving more than eight hundred dead. Human Rights Watch reported that Yusuf, his father-in- law, and other sect members were arrested during the clashes and shot outside police headquarters, actions human rights groups denounced as extra-judicial killings. In the aftermath of the 2009 unrest, "an Islamist insurrection under a splintered leadership" emerged, says Lubeck. Members of Boko Haram carried out a number of suicide bombings and assassinations from Maiduguri to Abuja and staged a prison break in Bauchi, freeing more than seven hundred inmates in 2010.

Historical imbalance between the north and the south According to The Guardian, “seemingly disconnected historical events over the past 60-70 years started the slide into poverty and inequality that eventually led to the formation of Boko Haram”. Boko Haram means “Western education is forbidden”. Western schools were being actively opened in the south, while Christian missions were not supported by Muslim leaders in the north. Insurgents have launched scores of attacks on schools. One of the most outrageous acts was the abduction of the Chibok  girls on April 14, 2014. The children are still missing. The imbalance, both economic and educational, between the regions has remained to this day. There have been accusations of political sponsorship of the sect. Numerous  reports, especially in the Nigerian media, claimed that some powerful politicians finance the terrorists to weaken the government. Some claimed the sponsors were inside Nigeria. Others, however, believed the sect could have been backed from outside the country.

It is widely believed that Boko Haram fighters are (at least predominantly) Muslims. However, basically all the Islamic scholars have been saying that Boko Haram has nothing to do with Islam. They openly disagree with the sect and are outraged that terrorists use religion to justify atrocities, and to cause division in society. The dreaded sect has attacked or attempted to attack several mosques during prayers. Many Muslims, like Christians, have become victims of the mass murders. This indicates that Boko Haram is a non-religious issue.

Poor response by the government:

Numerous analysts believe that the Nigerian government has been either inadequate or slow in its response to the terrorism challenge in the country. Some associated the government’s failure with the corruption problem. Others link the ineffectiveness with the following reasons: refusal to accept international help (especially after the Chibok girls’ kidnap), the actual inability to admit the failure, negotiating (or not negotiating with terrorists), etc.

1. Means of rehabilitating rape victims in conflict zones

2. Reducing the risk to civilians as well as ensuring greater accountability from states towards sexual violence within their boundaries.

3. Finding ways to provide security to civilians during the conflict itself

4. Curbing widespread trafficking of women as slaves

5. Examining whether stronger guidelines are needed for UN Peacekeepers entering conflict areas as well.

Read More

Top10: Toughest Examinations In the World

 

It is often said that the toughest exam is the exam you don't pass. But in reality, which one is really the toughest? Exams into the world of Medicine, exams that give you a pass into top institutions, are considered the hardest. below is the list of the Top10 toughest examinations around the Globe:

10) Mensa

 

Mensa, a brainchild of Barille, an Australian Barrister and War, a British Scientist, who believed that a society based on IQ, would be better. So, in 1964, they started an English college that has now become a threshold, a benchmark encouraging, stimulating and recognizing skill and knowledge in all the hemispheres of the globe.

9) Higher National Education Exam

 

Better known as Gaokao in China, around 7-9.5 Million attend this test every year. For an entry into a University this is a National prerequisite.  This examination clearly determines the Future of a Chinese teenager and the stress is so high that many stress related problems have already been reports due to thus very exam.

8) LNAT

Called the National Admission Test for Law, originally used as an Entrance exam for the Oxford University, this exam is now required for 9 other Universities. Although based in the UK, any foreign student pursuing has to give this test to enter any of these Universities.

7) GRE

 

The Graduate Record Examination is a commonly used examination in many English speaking countries including the US, required to be taken by those who seek entry into graduate schools. The exam was first introduced in 1949 and today has 6 sections lasting 225 minutes with a 10 minute break at the midpoint.
 

6) CSAT

 

College Scholastic Ability Test originating is South Korea is required for entry into schools for higher Education in this nation. This exam is considered so important that students start their preparation from elementary school itself! A high student suicide rate is observed due to failure in this exam.

 

5) LSAT

 

The Law School Examination Test is a requirement, not only in the United States but also Canada and Australia. First thought of in 1947, the first of these exams were sat in 1948 and was updated in 1991 to include five multiple choice sections, an aptitude test and a written exam that takes 30 minutes.

4) CAT

 

Considered as the 4^th most tough Exam in the World, the Common Admission Test is no joke. This Common Admission Test for the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) and can lead to diplomas and fellowships that are equivalent to an MBA or PhD. The exam consists of a 150 minute computer test.

 

3) IITJEE

 

 Only 1 of 50 applicants makes the grade for The Indian Institute of Technology Joint Entrance Exam. Having 7 branches spread across India, this exam makes the students use every drop of skill they have. Often those that fail are accepted by Caltech, Harvard, Princeton or MIT, some on full scholarships.

2) All Souls Prize Fellowship Exam

This exam is taken every seven years by only the top 500 Oxford honour students or other students that have equal academic status. Only two pass each time and although there has not been an exam where none passed, often only one has been accepted into the fellowship.

1) UPSC

This is the examination conducted under the auspices of the Union Public Service Commission of India and although 300,000 may take the test annually, only 1,000 are accepted into the Indian Administrative Service.

Read More

Leo and His Oscar: A better story than Twilight

We’ve been crying about it years, really, if you go back to watch  Wolf of Wall Street or The Aviator, critically acclaimed for the roles played by Leonardo DiCaprio, we probably understand why is he an actor who's full of adroit. Leo been nominated for six Oscars and eight Golden Globes (and he won for The Aviator in 2005). He has a production company and a non-profit (The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation), but you know, above everything, when you go to see a Leonardo DiCaprio film, you know that you will definitely see a character being brought to life with complete devotion, free from vanity, well everyone's saying it, 2016 might be Leonardo DiCaprio’s year to finally get the coveted Best Actor Oscar. And we for one sincerely hope he does.

It’s mad to think that Leo, has been acting professionally since the age of five and still hasn't got an Oscar to commemorate it. Oscars have probably overlooked a number of his mind boggling performances, wherein he not only plays a character but also lives it. Here's a list of movies for which Leonardo DiCaprio should've definitely won an Oscar:

1. Inception:

If teaming up with Chris Nolan doesn't get you an Oscar... Like, seriously,  I don't know what will. Inception was mind-boggling and utterly brilliant, yet it did nothing for Leo's Oscar chances. The film itself won four Academy Awards but alas the Oscar was far off. A movie which was so brilliantly written and adroitly cinematographed that the only thing left in the movie was Caprio's charismatic character. To pull off such a complicated plot and serve it with utmost ease to the audience requires caliber and Caprio is definitely the best man for the job. But still the role of Cobb couldn't fetch him an Oscar.

2. The Wolf of the Wall Street:   

The deadly duo of Scorsese and Caprio was back again on screen with a biopic on none other than the wall street con man Jordan Belfort. Those of you who have seen Wolf of Wall Street will surely be rooting that this should have been Leo's Oscar ticket. The actor gives a enthralled performance as Jordan Belfort in this  rollercoaster of marijuana ,weed and what not. This movie not only portrayed how efficient Leo is in getting into the shoes of another man but also in living the character. But then Leo missed the Oscar as Matthew McCounnaughey grabbed one for Dallas Buyer's Club.

3. The Aviator:

When Leo was preparing to star as the obsessive-compulsive billionaire recluse Howard Hughes in The  Aviator, he delved into the world of OCD so much  that he developed the condition himself. Now come on! Leave it to Leo to bring the character alive. But still an Oscar was something that was miles away from his mantle.

 

4. The Departed:

"Are you a cop?" This dialogue probably gave all of us chills. Considered one of the best movies of the decade, this thriller portrayed one of the best and colloquial cast in the history of Hollywood. Ranging from the "Mr. Oscar", Jack Nicholson to Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg and Leonardo DiCaprio. Despite an equally divided screen time with the ever charismatic Matt Damon, Leo stood tall in portraying the plight of an undercover cop working in a gang. If you feel the cast isn't enticing enough, let me tell that it was directed my the Great Martin Scorsese. Damon and Leo's performances in the film won them Oscar nods but the golden statue was not destined to be for them. 

5. Blood Diamond:

For those of us who had watched Blood Diamond, hear me when I say, No one could possibly carry the role as smooth as he did The South African accent was spot on! And the film also gave the world a look inside the diamond conflict. Trust me, if Leo didn't make you cry by the end, then you can never appreciate true cinema. Leo was nominated for Best Actor in 2006's Blood Diamond, but again was denied the win.

Honourable mentions:

 1.Shutter Island

2.Django Unchained

3.Gangs of New York

4. What's Eating Gilbert Grape

5. Catch me if you can

We might have missed out some movies, but its quite natural isn't it? So many memorable films that it only leaves conundrums whether which one to pick. This year might be Leo's year, if no one else we surely hope that this time Hugh Glass might help him out.

The Revenant again revives hope of Leo finally getting united to his coveted award. I for one,seriously hope that the number of awards he gets in the coming years increases more than the number of women he's been linked to. Just kidding.

Read More

The Bitter Truth: And the Oscar didn't go to..

Every year, the interest and anticipation builds up to a feverish pitch leading up to the Oscars in February. The Oscars are perhaps the single most important event in which Hollywood Fans all over the world watch in bated breath as to see who gets global recognition as the best actor/actresses or which movie walks away with the Best Picture. Over the years, we have seen great personalities cherishing their lifelong dream of standing on the podium, holding the coveted trophy in hand. However, what we generally don't realize amidst the euphoria ,is the other great actors who have delivered compelling performances, standing heartbroken. They applaud their compatriots heartily, but at the same time one feels for them. So close, yet so far. There are many such A list actors, who despite being nominated for the awards, haven't won yet. We bring you a list of such actors, who you might feel have won the Oscars, but are still waiting for their moment of triumph.

Gary Oldman:-

A fan once commented,"Whenever I feel the world is in a great state, I read a newspaper, thinking about the people in the Middle East, and remind myself that Gary Oldman hasn't won an Oscar ." How aptly it sums up the general opinion among the people, especially those who have watched this guy breathe life into his characters. Best known for his versatility,From indie flicks to blockbuster franchises, Oldman has done it all. However, it comes as a shock that he earned his first academy award nomination for 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy', nearly 30 years after his debut, and still hasn't laid his hands on the Oscar.

Edward Norton:-

There has to be something special about you if you win 2 Academy award nominations in your first six roles. But Edward Norton has done just that. With his dedication and brilliant acting, he has done justice to those who backed him, churning out unforgettable performances in Primal Fear, The Illusionist and most notably as the conflicted youth Nazi in 'American History X'. You can truly see how sick and brainwashed he is in the first half. Norton seriously jacked himself up for this role. Secondly, I still don't understand why was not awarded the Oscar for this.

Leonardo Di Caprio:-

Leo and his chase of the Oscar is well documented. Regarded as one of the best of the generation, Leo has enthralled one and all with the diversity of his roles and the intensity with which he portrays them. From Inception to The Wolf of Wall Street, Leo has won over everyone with his acting. Having been nominated for the SIXTH time this year, he is tipped to be the front runner in the race for the Best Actor award. He has got rave reviews for his portrayal of Hugh Glass, a fur trapper in The Revenant, a movie which has swept all awards including BAFTA. I really hope that Leo wins it this time and fulfills his dream.

Johnny Depp:-

Whether it is captivating audiences as Captain Jack Sparrow in The Pirates Of The Caribbean or mesmerising everyone as the eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka in Charlie and The Chocolate factory, Depp has been phenomenal. His charisma and personality is second to none. Having been nominated for the Oscars thrice, it comes as a big surprise that he hasn't won one. However with a host of other awards in his kitty, and his penchant for venturing out into newer pastures,we cannot just rule him out yet.

Robert Downey Jr.:-

When the list of famous actors yet to win an Oscar is discussed, this man's  name is sure to be on the list. Over the years, he has transformed into a very respected actor, with a huge overseas fan base, primarily due to his role in the Iron man series, .He may be the worlds highest paid thespian, but he is yet to translate that into Oscar gold. He earned his best Actor Nomination in 1992  for Chaplin and another one for his supporting role in Tropic Thunder. An Oscar is not far given his never say die attitude.

Brad Pitt :-

The world famous actor has been nominated three times for his turns in 'The Crious Case of Benjamin Button, Twelve Monkeys and Moneyball, each time just falling short of the Oscar.  Known for his method acting and the seriousness with which he approaches a particular character, trying his best to live like him. Given that he is getting better with age, an Oscar award would sure be his best bet at creating an immortal legacy.

Will Smith:-

The Maverick actor has given many incredible performances over the years, churning both blockbusters and critical hits every year. And so very award season, fans are faced with just one question, Why Hasn't He Won An Oscar Yet? Well this is truly puzzling given the fact that  he is tinsletowns biggest crowd puller.His eerie mimicry of boxing great Muhammad Ali in Ali was heart rendering, so was his performance in The Pursuit of Happyness. Both the times he came agonisingly close. This year too he is in the mix with this role in The Concussion, but might just miss out to Leonardo di Caprio.

Albert Finley:-

The versatile and evergreen actor was first nominated for 'Tom Jones' way back in 1964, the Mancunian actor received further nominations in 1975, 1984, 1985,and most recently for his starring role on Erin Brockovich. He lost out to Benicio Del Toro's Turn in the Traffic for the latter, which sums up his luck. He continues to strive hard for the only trophy missing from his overflowing cabinet.

Jim Carrey:-

The eccentric, funny and sometimes dramatic career of Jim Carrey has been pretty interesting. His performances in both comedy and drama at his peak have earned him global recognition. His roles in Ace Ventura, Pet Detective and Liar Liar launched him as the funniest actor in the 90's. He put on his dramatic pants in The Truman show, the film becoming a poignant glimpse into the future of reality television and it was Carrey's genuine performance and commanding screen presence that turned him into something more than just a comedian. But even after such wonderful performances over the years, his mantelpiece still lacks the Oscar.

Peter Toole:-

From the Lawrence of Arabia in 1962' until Venus in 2006, the mercurial star picked up a staggering eight Best Actor nominations, yet was left empty handed on each occasion. He brings out the emotion required in his characters with consummate ease, giving them a sense of reality. He can certainly be considered unlucky as his Oscar bid wasn't aided by the fact that he faced performances such as Marlon Brando's in the Godfather and Robert De Niro's in The Raging Bull.

Despite their defeats, these men have gone from strength to strength, coming up with better performances and above all delighting the audiences. I am sure that even though they haven't been awarded the Oscar, they will certainly do so and nothing can belittle their contribution to the film industry. Over to the Oscars.

Read More

Back to the Future: The Time Travel Paradigm

The Time Travel Paradigm

For centuries people have fantasised about time travel. Many novels and poems have been written about time travel; even movies like Back to The Future were made about time travel. But keeping aside the entertainment factor of time travel, let's discuss whether time travel is truly possible.

While doing my research about time travel, I came across several references, but neither quite made sense. Sure I could travel from Mumbai to Delhi because there is a physical relation of distance between them; but how could I travel from 2016 to let's say 1989? At first this question agitated me all day, until I came across the most satisfying theory. Years ago the multiuniverse theory was proposed by physicists. According to the theory, the universe is continually in a state of expansion ever since The Big Bang took place.

This expansion takes place in the form of a sphere. There may be billions of particles in the universe, but they are still finite; and there is only a limited number of ways they can combine with each other. Hence, at regular intervals a universe like our's repeats itself. Therefore there are almost infinite number of such universes as ours. 

But each one is either at a different stage of time or a result of some different incidents. For example, there might be one universe where Hitler lived on and Germany won the World War, enslaving the entire planet. So the only possible way of time travel is if we could reach any of these universes, and since there are infinite such universes, there is one at every point if time. But if these universes are so far away, how do we get there. Even light would take thousands of years to get there.

The answer is a wormhole. Now let me tell you that a wormhole is a sphere shaped object that bends space time as if it's a piece of paper. Hence, where usually I would have to travel the full length, thanks to the wormhole I just have to poke my way through it, just as a pin would poke through folded paper.

But worm holes do not exists naturally in sizes big enough for humans to fit in with a spacecraft. However, they do exists at subatomic levels where space time usually exists in crumples called quantum foam. But how do I get a human through a sphere smaller than an atom? Well, we do transfer data like movies and pictures from one point of the earth to a other in a matter of seconds, so why can't we do that with humans? The fact is that when we send a picture, our device simply gathers all the information in the picture and sends this data to another device; however humans have information a billion times that of a picture.

Hence, all that we need is a computer strong enough to gather the data of a human and send it through the worm hole to the other universe.

Since time acts like a cycle, we will already be in the other universe by the time we reach there and hence we could literally recreate ourselves in the other universe. This strong computer is called a quantum computer and it is so strong that it is capable of changing the quantum states of matter! This computer was first suggested by famous physicist Richard Feynman, and currently many scientist are working on making such a computer. But until this is achieved, we can always satiate ourselves with sci-fi.

Read More

Prime Numbers: Are they Really that Simple?

That is not even half of it!

The largest known prime number has been discovered by a computer at a university in Missouri in the US. Prime numbers - such as two, three, five and seven - are divisible only by themselves and one, and play an important role in computer encryption.

The new prime is more than 22 million digits long, five million longer than the previous largest prime. Primes this large could prove useful to computing in the future.

The new prime number was found as part of the Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search (Gimps), a global quest to find a particular type of large prime numbers. Mersenne primes are named after a French monk who studied them in the 17th Century.

They are hunted by factoring two by a large number and taking away one, a relatively manageable calculation for today's computers, but not every result is a prime. The discovered prime is written as 2^74,207,281-1, which denotes two, multiplied by itself 74,207,281 times, then take away one.

The Gimps project has discovered the 15 largest Mersenne primes in the 20 years it has been running and it is possible that there could be an infinite number of them to discover. What use are large primes?

Large prime numbers are important in computer encryption and help make sure that online banking, shopping and private messaging are secure, but current encryption typically uses prime numbers that are hundreds of digits long, not millions. "This prime is too large to currently be of practical value,"

However, searching for large primes is intensive work for computer processors and can have unexpected benefits. "One prime project discovered that there was a problem in some computer processors that only showed up in certain circumstances," said Dr Steven Murdoch, cybersecurity expert at University College London.

The new large prime, the 49th known Mersenne prime, was discovered by Dr Curtis Cooper at the University of Central Missouri. Although computers do most of the hard work, primes are said to be discovered when a human takes note of the result.

Read More

Kogalymavia Flight Crash : An Invitation To War

On the fateful day of 7 November 2015 a Russian passenger jet Kogalymavia Flight 9268 crashed into the desert of the Sinai region. This horrific crash claimed the lives of 224 people. The reason behind the crash is still not confirmed but there are many speculations being made.

But according to Alexander Smirnov, a Mertojet official ruled of any technical fault or pilot error and speculates ‘it was due an external impact on the plane ‘.He also went on to say that the plane was in excellent condition.  It is also reported that the routine flight check went well.

In the midst of chaos the ultra extremist group of ISIS has claimed to have bombed the plane. But this news is not confirmed but there is a fiery debate over it. The preliminary investigation shows that uncharacteristic sounds were heard just before the plane went off the radar. Also an audio suggests that a catastrophic event developed quickly.

.An infrared satellite caught a heat surge which did not look like a missile in pursuit but looked like it originated inside the plane. Another mystery regarding the plane has been uncovered through the flight data which shows  that the jet suddenly climbed 3000 feet in 3 seconds and again  3000 feet of altitude in the last minutes of it flight. On the desert of Sinai the debris was scattered all over.
This information along with audio and comments by officials suggests that the plane was bombed or was carrying a bomb.

In the year 2015 alone there have many plane mishaps which have taken the lives many civilians, such as the Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 which was  shot down over territory held by Pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine and it claimed 295 lives. As the bodies of the victims arrive at St. Petersburg, the Russian President Vladimir Putin has halted all outgoing flights to Egypt citing security reasons. Many British holiday makers are stranded on the region of Sharam-al-Sheik waiting desperately to go back home. Due to these severe circumstances the Egyptian tourism industry will suffer a major blow and the country tries to fight militants who are creating havoc.

Due to growing concerns of safety, many Airline Companies like Emirates, Lufthansa, AirFrance and Air Arabia have decided to blacklist the area till the reason behind the crash is properly explained.
The truth, when it is disclosed is either going to be a fatal mistake on the part of one of the airline personnel or is another inhumane act of the extremist Islamic group. Whatever it might be, the lives lost cannot be resurrected.

Read More

The Middle East: A Death Valley for Humans

Beirut bombings sign that war is spreading into Lebanon. Poor weather conditions affect refugees throughout the region. Syrian refugees reach 1 million. Thousands of refugees pour into Iraq. Beirut bombings sign that war spreading into Lebanon. Jordan refuses entry to Syrians Riots in Za’atari camp. These are a few of the many headlines that we have encountered in the newspapers and on the internet in the past few months.

The Middle East and North Africa region continues to face multiple and complex emergency situations on an unprecedented scale, that are likely to pose further overwhelming challenges in the year ahead. The question of the hour is “is this potentially leading to a third world war?” the answer is rather ambiguous.

According to a statistical report by the UNITED NATIONS REFUGEE AGENCY, the humanitarian situation in Syria remains extremely challenging. In the fourth year of the conflict, there are more than 3 million Syrian refugees in the region, In addition to over 50,000 Syrians who have sought asylum in more than 90 countries outside the region.

1.8 million people were displaced by insecurity in Iraq.The security situation in Libya is increasingly volatile , the situation is rather getting out of control with the influx of refugees from the other regions and with bombings in different sections of the region  with at least 140,000 Libyans displaced within the country by recent fighting.

Yemen continues to face a complex humanitarian situation characterized by ongoing insecurity, localized conflicts, water scarcity and the extreme poverty of growing numbers of the population. In addition, Yemen hosts 246,000 registered refugees, 95 per cent of whom are Somalis. Belgium, Cyprus, Germany, and Sweden are making significant efforts to accept asylum seekers. Spain is focusing  on preventing Syrian asylum seekers from staying in the country. Bulgaria, Greece and Italy are helping to provide with the flood for refugees and migrants arriving on their shores, receiving little support from the rest of Europe. Nevertheless, arrivals in Europe are low in comparison with countries bordering on conflict zones.

But not everyone is silent in this matter. Many celebrities like Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and Jeremy Renner visited the camps themselves and not only provided financial support but also spent time with them Malala Yousafzai, who was shot in the head by the Taliban in October 2012 after campaigning for girls’ rights to education, added: “On behalf of the world’s children, I demand of our leaders to invest in books instead of bullets.”Books, not bullets, will pave the path toward peace and prosperity. Our voices will continue to get louder and louder until we see politicians and our governments invest in the education of their youth rather than military and war.”

This is more than enough evidence to prove that this crisis is likely to transform into the 3rd world war. In some parts , war  like situation has already arisen.Thus, the inference can be considered as quite redeeming in the context of humanity. No one today actually knows what peace is. If it doesn’t happen to you, it doesn’t mean its not happening. For all the dead, exploited and suffering crushed under the factions of different countries, may their soul rest in peace.

Read More

Hurricane Patricia: The Dawn of a Disaster

Since the past week, meteorologists were continuously honking the sirens over Hurricane Patricia. and all for right reason , In the span of just 30 hours, an ordinary tropical storm had turned into the most powerful hurricane ever measured, with savage winds. the cyclone was bowling right toward Mexico's south west coast. The hurricane hit Mexico at around 7 pm on Friday, as a  Category 5 storm with winds reaching upward of 165 mph .

The center of  hurriane Patricia pushed inland on a track that spared Mexico's major cities from the worst damage, including the popular coastal  cities of Manzanillo and Puerto Vallarta and the inland  of Guadalajara, Mexico's second-largest city.

Rainfall was heavy enough to have caused massive flooding and mudslides, including a slide in the state of Michoacán that took a section of roadway out with it, injuring two people whose vehicle fell into the slide. Only one Category 5 hurricane had ever previously been known to make landfall on Mexico's Pacific coast. That hurricane followed a path similar to that of Hurricane Patricia and struck near Puerto Vallarta in late October 1959, causing  1,800 deaths.

The good news is the core of strongest winds only occurred over a very small area near the center, with hurricane force winds that extended outward up to 30 miles from the center at landfall. Tropical storm force winds extended outward up to 175 miles at the time of landfall.

Following Patricia's upgrade to Category 5 status, the National Hurricane Center called the storm "potentially catastrophic"a source of criticism and praise from various media. Citing the relatively limited damage and loss of life, soe even aimed that the agency was over-hyping or over-blowing storm. Most outlets praised them for effectively communicating the dire threat and potentially saving lives from an exceptionally powerful hurricane

For the Mexican government of President Enrique Peña Nieto, it was a rare bit of good news in a year in where  mostly  everything wouldd go wrong, . Tens of thousands of people evacuated their homes. More than 1,200 shelters were set up.

Peña Nieto’s government as well as the state administration of Guerrero came under heavy fire after the storm, accused of not providing adequate warning to residents of Guerrero, or a decent evacuation effort. The state governor at the time, Angel Aguirre, was reported to be out partying rather than mustering the evacuation of residents in high-risk zones.

Patricia became the ft Category 5 hurricane to pose an imminent threat to land in North America since Hurricane Felix approached Nicaragua in September 2007. Like Patricia, Felix ultimately stayed a Category 5 all the way to landfall. The magnitude of Patricia's rapid intensification is among the fastest ever observed. In a 24-hour span, October 22–23, its central pressure fell by 100 mbar. tthis fell just short of the world-record intensification set by Typhoon Forrestin 1983, which featured an identical pressure drop in under 24 hours.Wiith winds of 165 mph (270 km/h), Patricia is the strongest landfalling Pacific hurricane on record.The previous record was 160 mph (260 km/h) set by the 1959 Mexico hurricane. A tentative reanalysis determined the 1959 storm to have been a Category 4 upon moving ashore, thereby making Patricia the only reliable Category 5 landfall on record in the basin.

It almost seems like Mexico has gauned a good handful of knowledge about tackling such situations from the past. With past experiences in mind, Mexico prepared for the worst as Patricia approached. Before and after the hurricane, warnings  on radio and television broadcasts across the region, and government pickup trucks with loudspeakers made their way through neighborhoods.
thousands of people along the coast were evacuated into shelters and out of the danger zone.
States of emergency were declared in Colima, Nayarit and Jalisco states, which include the tourist resorts of Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo.

Apart  from that , the military and police troops to had a major involvement in helping to overcome this situation . About 3,000 soldiers and more than 800 federal police officers were dispatched to the area. More than 1,200 shelters were set up, able to accommodate 240,000 people. Schools were closed and three airports shut down.

Read More

In Search of Humanity: The faction between Putin and ISIS

In this World where we observe ample lots of casualties from global leaders to enhance and provide complete disarmament we have a “ HERO” Mr. Vladimir Putin , President of the World’s Largest Country- The Russian Federation who has marked its credibility as a Global Stake Holder by deploying a Special Military Task Force Team to bust out the Islamic State at whole.
Mr. Putin has strategized a special task force with its Military Chief and have thrashed in over 5000 troops to Iraq and the Syrian Arab Republic to whitewash the “evil” jihadist group the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria who have a selfish motive to establish an Islamic Caliphate all over the World .The Russian Federation have worked efficiently on preventing the serious Human Rights Abuses as reported by the Amnesty International. The Islamic State has been taking support through the Social Networking Sites and carrying on torturous approach as their way of working and putting up violent and brutal killings of the reserved civilians. Russia has struck over 110 ISIS targets in Syria in just two weeks. Over 40% of the Islamic State’s infrastructure has reportedly been destroyed already. The U.S. allegedly has been bombing ISIS targets in Syria for more than a year, yet failed to weaken ISIS at all. Military experts report that most U.S. bombers that went out on missions in Syria came back with their arsenals intact as ordered by the Commander-in-Chief. In short, the airstrikes were all for show. Russia began its air campaign in Syria on September 30 after the US-led coalition struggled to dislodge ISIS militants for over a year. Now it has come to a conclusion that the US led collated Airstrikes were “vague” enough but  harmed the other side of the conflict killing the civilians of the sovereign nation itself.
It has come to a Notice through a legal report that the United States have led the foundations for the rise of the ISIS , after they intervened into Iraq in 2003. Its not about the “Blame Game” but a simple need of Diplomatic Negotiations by both the counterparts to be discussed and not compromising the grass root reasons of these uprising issues. Russian ships in the Caspian Sea have also fired cruise missiles over Iran and Iraq to strike Raqqa and Aleppo provinces.
This is an ultimatum mission of Mrs. Putin , who’s leading towards a Change and bring in a hope for Peace and Global Disarmament. I hope that this exquisite planning to whitewash the Abu Bakr Al Bagdadi led ISIS gives this World a positive conclusion with Peace and Integrity and the downfall of the Evil Extremist Group.

Read More