It's official: Nasa has declared our moon ‘alive’. Thanks to the Lcross impact satellite last month, results now pouring in have detected ‘significant’ amounts of water in a crater at the moon's South Pole. This is a major discovery that will dramatically alter how we view the moon as a barren world. In turn, it makes it a more viable option as an off world outpost for interplanetary travel.
“Indeed yes, we found water. And we didn’t find just a little bit. We found a significant amount,” said Anthony Colaprete, the principal investigator for Nasa’s Lcross, in a news conference.
On October 9 this year, the Lcross disengaged from a large bus-sized section which eventually crashed in Cabeus, a crater 60 miles wide and two miles deep, located near the South Pole of the moon. At that exact moment of impact, Lcross was tuned to the location. Not only was it looking, it was also sensing and it picked up a plume—elements of the surface expunged upwards from the impact.
However, the satellite was not tuned properly to pick up the photograph. But what Lcross did do was sense water. An analysis of slight shifts in colour after the impact illuminated water molecules emerging from the impact crater. These water molecules, hydroxyls, absorbed specific colours of light which emerged as specific wavelengths.
Scientists also saw colours of ultraviolet light associated with molecules of hydroxyl, consisting of one hydrogen and one oxygen molecule, presumably water molecules that had broken apart by the impact and then glowed like neon signs.
This becomes an exciting discovery for the scientists who have always theorised that water would be present below the moon’s surface, in craters located in the South Pole which is not exposed to a lot of sun rays or any sun rays at all. In addition to the water molecules, there were spikes in the data indicating the possibility of carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide, methane or more complex carbon-based molecules. But these readings take a backseat compared to the discovery of water.
The possibilities by which the water can be harnessed are actually plentiful, and the news of such information gives hope to some of us, while it makes for an interesting business opportunity for others.
Ever since man first landed on the moon, mankind has envisioned a home for itself there. Moreover, some have even ventured to turn that vision into a business proposition. Lunar real estate has slowly seen an increase in popularity. Thanks to the worldwide web, thousands of websites have cropped up, apparently selling land on the moon, Mars and even Venus. These are all, of course, bogus sites. Nevertheless, people have shown great interest, some so far as purchasing land on the moon and obtaining a certificate from these bogus sites.
However, the only authority on the moon, which is recognised officially by all states around the world, is the United Nation. In the "1979 United Nations moon treaty" which was discussed during the 89th plenary meeting, on December 5, 1979, the treaty states, "... to promote on the basis of equality the further development of co-operation among states in the exploration and use of the moon and other celestial bodies,". It further states under Article 3 that, "The moon shall be used by all States Parties exclusively for peaceful purposes."
The treary continues in Article 4 that, “the exploration and use of the moon shall be the province of all mankind and shall be carried out for the benefit and in the interests of all countries, irrespective of their degree of economic or scientific development. Due regard shall be paid to the interests of present and future generations as well as to the need to promote higher standards of living and conditions of economic and social progress and development in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations."
All these points and more, make it absolutely clear that the moon does indeed belong to the humans, but they should learn to use it wisely and within cooperation.
When Eugene Cernan, the last man on the moon was about to leave, his last words foretold of this time when man's destiny to return to the moon is about to be realised: "As we leave the moon at Taurus-Littrow, we leave as we came, and God willing, we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind."
Originally published here.
8.11.09
The Phantom Rickshaw and Other Eerie Tales
Rudyard Kipling is best known for the story of Mowgli from the aptly titled novel, The Jungle Book. It was Kipling’s fascination with the Indian subcontinent during the height of the British Raj that truly set him apart from his peers.
The Phantom Rickshaw and Other Eerie Tales comprises seven short stories which were originally published nearly 125 years ago but remain timeless, for readers of the subcontinent in parti-cular.
Kipling was one of the great subcontinent romanticists of his time. Born in Bombay, and returning to British India after his education in the United Kingdom, Kipling joined The Civil and Military Gazette as an assistant editor at the age of 17. It was these times, during the 1880s, that the British Raj was at the peak of its glory and splendour. The Indian subcontinent was part of the British Empire and for an Englishman like Kipling the cultural stories of this exotic land made him feel more at home than the newspaper headlines he was printing.
It is because he drew so heavily from his own experiences that nearly all of Kipling’s stories are told in the first person. And because of this writing style, the reader is automatically drawn in and mesmerised with the adventures narrated.
The short stories collected in the book include ‘The Phantom Rickshaw’, ‘The Strange Ride of Morrowbie Jukes’, ‘The Return of Imray’, ‘My Own True Ghost Story’, ‘At the end of the passage’, ‘The Man who would be King’ and ‘Without benefit of Clergy’. All of these are set in and around exotic lands and times; from the exciting journey across the Khyber Pass into what was known as Kafiristan to the many colourful characters that come across the reader’s way.
There are fakirs, princesses, soldiers, sepoys and other fantastical yet real characters that populate his stories.
In the preface Kipling makes it clear that the book ‘is not exactly a book of downright ghost stories’. He admits that ‘it is rather a collection of facts that never quite explain themselves.’ Out of all the stories, the most notable is ‘The Man Who Would Be King’, which tells the daring tale of two Masonic conmen who venture upto the Khyber Pass and beyond it in search of the elusive Kafiristan.
The story was eventually adapted for the big screen in 1975, in a film directed by John Houston and starring Michael Caine and Sean Connery.
Critics refer to Kipling as being classist, racist and even sexist at times. Most if not all of his stories do have a tinge of these elements, but then such were the times in general. Nowhere in literature does the British attitude towards the people of the subcontinent, and the region itself, become more apparent. Fellow British author Eric Arthur Blair (better known as George Orwell) called him the champion of British imperialism.
There are no close comparisons to the works of Kipling, though many authors have written about various cultures. What separates him from the rest is his total dedication and devotion to the form of short story.
In fact, Andrew Rutherford called Kipling ‘an innovator in the art of the short story’, a fact that would be recognised by the Nobel Foundation which awarded him the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1907.
The Phantom Rickshaw and Other Eerie Tales makes for a gripping read, especially for children. It features an introduction by another English author born in India, Ruskin Bond.
Bond writes ‘It is Kipling’s brilliance as a storyteller and stylist that carries the reader along and obscures some of his faults.’ And concludes with: ‘At times his own heart may have remained hidden, but he looked closely into the heart of others. And the rest was genius.’ This book proves Bond right.
The Phantom Rickshaw and other Eerie Tales
By Rudyard Kipling
Introduction by Ruskin Bond
Penguin Books, India
ISBN 0-143-06790-0
170pp. Indian Rs199
Originally posted here
The Phantom Rickshaw and Other Eerie Tales comprises seven short stories which were originally published nearly 125 years ago but remain timeless, for readers of the subcontinent in parti-cular.
Kipling was one of the great subcontinent romanticists of his time. Born in Bombay, and returning to British India after his education in the United Kingdom, Kipling joined The Civil and Military Gazette as an assistant editor at the age of 17. It was these times, during the 1880s, that the British Raj was at the peak of its glory and splendour. The Indian subcontinent was part of the British Empire and for an Englishman like Kipling the cultural stories of this exotic land made him feel more at home than the newspaper headlines he was printing.
It is because he drew so heavily from his own experiences that nearly all of Kipling’s stories are told in the first person. And because of this writing style, the reader is automatically drawn in and mesmerised with the adventures narrated.
The short stories collected in the book include ‘The Phantom Rickshaw’, ‘The Strange Ride of Morrowbie Jukes’, ‘The Return of Imray’, ‘My Own True Ghost Story’, ‘At the end of the passage’, ‘The Man who would be King’ and ‘Without benefit of Clergy’. All of these are set in and around exotic lands and times; from the exciting journey across the Khyber Pass into what was known as Kafiristan to the many colourful characters that come across the reader’s way.
There are fakirs, princesses, soldiers, sepoys and other fantastical yet real characters that populate his stories.
In the preface Kipling makes it clear that the book ‘is not exactly a book of downright ghost stories’. He admits that ‘it is rather a collection of facts that never quite explain themselves.’ Out of all the stories, the most notable is ‘The Man Who Would Be King’, which tells the daring tale of two Masonic conmen who venture upto the Khyber Pass and beyond it in search of the elusive Kafiristan.
The story was eventually adapted for the big screen in 1975, in a film directed by John Houston and starring Michael Caine and Sean Connery.
Critics refer to Kipling as being classist, racist and even sexist at times. Most if not all of his stories do have a tinge of these elements, but then such were the times in general. Nowhere in literature does the British attitude towards the people of the subcontinent, and the region itself, become more apparent. Fellow British author Eric Arthur Blair (better known as George Orwell) called him the champion of British imperialism.
There are no close comparisons to the works of Kipling, though many authors have written about various cultures. What separates him from the rest is his total dedication and devotion to the form of short story.
In fact, Andrew Rutherford called Kipling ‘an innovator in the art of the short story’, a fact that would be recognised by the Nobel Foundation which awarded him the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1907.
The Phantom Rickshaw and Other Eerie Tales makes for a gripping read, especially for children. It features an introduction by another English author born in India, Ruskin Bond.
Bond writes ‘It is Kipling’s brilliance as a storyteller and stylist that carries the reader along and obscures some of his faults.’ And concludes with: ‘At times his own heart may have remained hidden, but he looked closely into the heart of others. And the rest was genius.’ This book proves Bond right.
The Phantom Rickshaw and other Eerie Tales
By Rudyard Kipling
Introduction by Ruskin Bond
Penguin Books, India
ISBN 0-143-06790-0
170pp. Indian Rs199
Originally posted here
4.10.09
Shiraz Uppal presents Ankahi
To say that Shiraz Uppal is a musician of diverse talent would be an understatement — he’s composed, mixed, recorded and mastered his latest album, Ankahi, all by himself. He’s also had the privilege of working with A.R. Rehman, not once but twice.
Before all this, he delivered Roya Re, a song dripping with the blues and melancholy that propelled him into the limelight, thanks to Mahesh Bhatt’s film, Dhoka (2007). Now, Uppal has returned with his third album which features the likes of Zeb and Haniya, Baqir Abbas, Kami and Ali Hamza of Noori, to name a few.
His first two albums, Tu Hai Meri (2001) and Tera Te Mera (2003), did well, but it was Jhuki Jhuki (2005) whose title track and Man Ja Ve made people sit up and take notice of Uppal’s music-making. And now on Eid-ul-Fitr, Uppal released Ankahi through Fire Records.
Ankahi starts off slow for a title track, showcasing that Uppal doesn’t want to follow a formula for opening an album. He’s joined on backing vocals by Zeb and Haniya, which adds a pleasant mix to the number.
Next, Rabba sounds like it’s been taken from or is part of an Indian movie soundtrack — you can almost picture the lovelorn hero scouring the landscape for his lady love. It is strangely melodic and its melancholy lyrics are accompanied by amazing flute play.
Munn Laga is where Uppal brings in the organic sound and mixes it delicately with the modern. Amir Azhar and Asif Ali carefully serenade with Uppal’s singing on bass and tabla and dholak, respectively. It’s a familiar track — not that it feels lifted or borrowed — as the composition pays respect to heritage and culture. Munn Laga is particularly refreshing in the sense that in an age where more and more Pakistani musicians jump on the guitar, drum and trance bandwagon, Uppal mixes the old with the new and keeps it focused at the same time.
There are two Roya Re tracks here with the first one from the film (the fact that Uppal put it on the album shows that he wasn’t afraid of it overshadowing the other tracks). The second subtitled Original Version is a stripped down, basic version of the original. Whereas the film version required the track to be big, the other one starts slow and then picks up at the chorus. It’s the same yet different because of Uppal’s careful composition. He did the original to prove he could withstand the Bollywood test and now with the original he’s out to prove that he can compose and sing on another level, too.
If there was anybody on this album who could overshadow Uppal it would be Baqir Abbas’ flute on Tere Bina. Abbas’ flute is like an undercurrent to the song, flowing through it in the background. And just when you think it’s gone, it’s back again. The only slightly annoying part is where Uppal interjects and sings a few verses in English. Clearly the song could’ve done without it.
Pehla Pehla Pyar is particularly well-composed. It has just the right beat and the mixture of backing vocals and guitars. Kami’s guitar here is particularly noteworthy, not too much and not too little, always there helping to carry the song ahead.
Kabhi Kabhi is a happy-go-lucky song where Uppal sings about all the positive things in life. It’s not him singing “don’t worry, be happy” but that’s the essential message we get to hear. It could’ve been much better but ends up sounding like a filler at best.
In Nadaan written by Noori’s Ali Hamza, the guitars and bass are all over the place, but in a good way. The track stands out as being the most jumpy on the album and it’s nice to hear Uppal taking this change of pace. Fareeha Pervaiz joins in on the vocals in Tum He To Ho and like Munn Laga, it is the old school sound of music in terms of arrangement and composition.
Shiraz Uppal is one of the underrated musicians in Pakistan and if you haven’t heard him before, well it’s about time you got started.
Before all this, he delivered Roya Re, a song dripping with the blues and melancholy that propelled him into the limelight, thanks to Mahesh Bhatt’s film, Dhoka (2007). Now, Uppal has returned with his third album which features the likes of Zeb and Haniya, Baqir Abbas, Kami and Ali Hamza of Noori, to name a few.
His first two albums, Tu Hai Meri (2001) and Tera Te Mera (2003), did well, but it was Jhuki Jhuki (2005) whose title track and Man Ja Ve made people sit up and take notice of Uppal’s music-making. And now on Eid-ul-Fitr, Uppal released Ankahi through Fire Records.
Ankahi starts off slow for a title track, showcasing that Uppal doesn’t want to follow a formula for opening an album. He’s joined on backing vocals by Zeb and Haniya, which adds a pleasant mix to the number.
Next, Rabba sounds like it’s been taken from or is part of an Indian movie soundtrack — you can almost picture the lovelorn hero scouring the landscape for his lady love. It is strangely melodic and its melancholy lyrics are accompanied by amazing flute play.
Munn Laga is where Uppal brings in the organic sound and mixes it delicately with the modern. Amir Azhar and Asif Ali carefully serenade with Uppal’s singing on bass and tabla and dholak, respectively. It’s a familiar track — not that it feels lifted or borrowed — as the composition pays respect to heritage and culture. Munn Laga is particularly refreshing in the sense that in an age where more and more Pakistani musicians jump on the guitar, drum and trance bandwagon, Uppal mixes the old with the new and keeps it focused at the same time.
There are two Roya Re tracks here with the first one from the film (the fact that Uppal put it on the album shows that he wasn’t afraid of it overshadowing the other tracks). The second subtitled Original Version is a stripped down, basic version of the original. Whereas the film version required the track to be big, the other one starts slow and then picks up at the chorus. It’s the same yet different because of Uppal’s careful composition. He did the original to prove he could withstand the Bollywood test and now with the original he’s out to prove that he can compose and sing on another level, too.
If there was anybody on this album who could overshadow Uppal it would be Baqir Abbas’ flute on Tere Bina. Abbas’ flute is like an undercurrent to the song, flowing through it in the background. And just when you think it’s gone, it’s back again. The only slightly annoying part is where Uppal interjects and sings a few verses in English. Clearly the song could’ve done without it.
Pehla Pehla Pyar is particularly well-composed. It has just the right beat and the mixture of backing vocals and guitars. Kami’s guitar here is particularly noteworthy, not too much and not too little, always there helping to carry the song ahead.
Kabhi Kabhi is a happy-go-lucky song where Uppal sings about all the positive things in life. It’s not him singing “don’t worry, be happy” but that’s the essential message we get to hear. It could’ve been much better but ends up sounding like a filler at best.
In Nadaan written by Noori’s Ali Hamza, the guitars and bass are all over the place, but in a good way. The track stands out as being the most jumpy on the album and it’s nice to hear Uppal taking this change of pace. Fareeha Pervaiz joins in on the vocals in Tum He To Ho and like Munn Laga, it is the old school sound of music in terms of arrangement and composition.
Shiraz Uppal is one of the underrated musicians in Pakistan and if you haven’t heard him before, well it’s about time you got started.
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