SHIELDING CARD SCAMS

SHIELDING CARD SCAMS

(Information collected from news paper Times of India)

PRECAUTIONS AT A T Ms

General:

To start with stay away from ATMs those appear dirty or in disrepair. They may not work or, worse, may be fake machines set to capture your card information.

Check machine:

Do not use ATMs with unusual signage, such as command to enter your PIN twice to complete the transaction. Also watch out for the machines that appear to have been altered.

Cover keypad:

Make sure to cover keypad with your hand while entering the PIN to escape any cameras.

Don’t take help:

It is advisable to use your own bank ATMs, particularly those attached to a bank branch and those that have guards. Avoid taking help of any person loitering outside ATM or volunteering to assist you.

Check machine:

Do not use ATMs with unusual signage, such as command to enter your PIN twice to complete the transaction. Also watch out for the machines that appear to have been altered.

ONLINE PRECAUTIONS

Use safe sites:

Go only to well known, established sites for e-shopping. Shop only on those that are Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certified. These can be identified through the lock symbol next to the browser’s URL box. Also make sure that the website uses the ‘https’ protocol instead of ‘http’ where‘s’ stands for ‘secure’. You should also look out for a site’s payment verification tools.

Anti-virus software:

Install anti-virus software on your computer and smart phone to keep out malware. You can also install identity theft detection apps on your phone. Besides have software on your smart phone that enables you to wipe out data remotely if it gets stolen.

Debit card:

Do not use your debit card for e-commerce transactions. If your card is compromised, the entire cash in your bank account can be wiped out instantly. The credit card on the other hand offers a month’s grace period before the cash leaves your bank.

Hide CVV:

When you enter the CVV on the site it should be masked by asterisks. Use a virtual keyboard to avoid keystroke logging.

Public Wi-Fi:

Avoid using unsecured Wi-Fi networks or public Wi-Fi as these are easy targets for identity theft.

Register for alerts:

This is a very important step since the bank will alert you to any online card transactions or ATM withdrawals the moment they take place. Remember to update your mobile number in case of a change.

Log out:  

Always log out from social media sites and other online accounts to ensure data security and avoid storing confidential passwords on your mobile phones.

Change passwords:

Keep changing passwords from time to time to reduce the probability of identity theft.

Virtual cards:

Use this prepaid card if you are not a frequent shopper. It is a limited debit card that does not provide the primary card information to the merchant and expires after a day.

OFFLINE PRECAUTIONS

Don’t disclose details:

Never reveal your PIN, CVV or password to anyone. Make sure not to respond to e-mails or SMSes that ask for crucial personal or card related details. No bank or credit card firm is authorized to seek card details on mail or through phone.

Check statements:

Regularly go through your bank or credit card statements so that you can detect any unauthorized transaction.

Merchants and POS:

At shops or petrol bunks, make sure that your card is not taken to a remote location where you cannot see it as the card information can be easily copied and stolen. Also try shopping with retailers that use chip-enabled card readers.

Don’t sign blank receipts:

Ensure that you never sign a blank receipt, and mark through any blank lines or spaces before signing so that nobody can add any additional amount to your transaction.

Use an accountt without card:
It is always safe to have an account without card. A minimum required amount may be kept in the account with card and the rest may be transferred to the account without card occasionally. 

CARD SCAMS

TYPES OF CARD SCAMS

(Information collected from news paper Times of India)

AT THE A T M:

Skimming:

This involves attaching a data slimming device in the card reader slot to copy information from the magnetic strip or steal the card itself, when one swipes the card. If the slot feels slightly bulky or misaligned, in all probability an additional card reader slot has been placed on top of the actual one.  If the slot is wobbly or loose it indicates the presence of a ‘Lebanese loop’, which is a small plastic device with a barb that holds your card back in the machine. You may think that the machine has swallowed your card or it has been stuck.

Hidden camera:

Tiny pinhole cameras may be placed on the machine or even on the roof at strategic positions to capture your pin.

Card trapping:

This is a barb that retains the card when you insert it in the machine and the card is retrieved later.

Shoulder surfing:

If you find friendly bystanders in the room or outside who try to help you if your card gets stuck or peer over your shoulder, beware. They are there to get you to reveal your pin.

Leaving card/pin:

If you write your pin on the card and forget it in the A T M kiosk, it is a virtual invite to be scammed.

Fake keypad :

This is placed on the top of the actual keypad. If the keypad feels spongy in touch or loose, don’t enter your pin.

False front:

It may be a little difficult to detect as the fake front completely covers the original machine because it is installed on top of it. This allows the fraudsters to take your pin as well as your money.

ONLINE TRANSACTIOINS:

Pharming:

In this technique fraudsters reroute you to a fake website that seems similar to the original. Even as you conduct transactions and make payment via credit or debit card, the card details can be stolen.

Keystroke logging:

Here you unintentionally download software, which allows the fraudster to trace your key strokes and steal passwords of credit card and net banking details.

Public Wi-Fi:

If you are used to carrying out transactions on your smart phone, public Wi-Fi makes for a good hacking opportunity for thieves to steal your card details.

Malware:

This is malicious software that can damage computer systems at ATMs or bank servers and allows fraudsters to access confidential card data.

Merchant or point-of-sale theft:

This is perhaps the most effective form of stealth, wherein your card is taken by the salesperson for swiping and the information from the magnetic strip is copied to be illegally used later.

Phishing and vishing:  

While phishing involves identity theft through spam mails which seems to be from a genuine source, vishing is essentially the same through a mobile phone using messages or SMS. These trick you into revealing your password, PIN or account number.

SIM swipe fraud:

Here the fraudster contacts your mobile operator with fake identity proof and gets a duplicate SIM card. The operator deactivates your original SIM and the thief generates one-time password (OTP) on the phone to conduct online transactions.

Unsafe apps:

Mobile apps other than those from established stores can gain access to information on your phone and use it for unauthorized transactions.

Lost or stolen cards, interception:

Transactions are carried out using stolen cards, those intercepted from mail before they reach the owner from the issuer; or by fishing out information like PINs or passwords from trash bins.

Cards using other documents:

New cards are made by the fraudsters using personal information stolen from application forms, lost or discarded documents.

Your card can be hacked in 6 seconds:

By automatically and systematically generating different variations of cards’ security data and firing it on multiple websites, hackers are, within seconds, able to get a ‘hit’ and verify all the necessary security data. The unlimited guesses, when combined with variations in the payment data fields, make it frighteningly easy for attackers to generate all the card details, one field at a time. Each generated card field can be used in succession to generate the next field and so on. So even starting with no details at all other than the first six digits – which tell you the bank and card type and so are the same for every card from a single provider  - a hacker can obtain the three essential pieces of information to make an online purchase within as little as six seconds. This information is as per Mr. Mohammed Ali, a PhD student at Newcastle University.

DO YOU KNOW? - 2

DO YOU KNOW?-2

    

     Any alcohol is risky, may cause cancer. Even an extra glass of wine per day is bad according to U K medical chief.

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     The meteor death rate of people is one person per 20 billion persons per year. One has one in 250 million chance of being killed by a meteor, if he lives upto the age of 80 years.

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     Iron tablets may damage D N A in 10 minutes. Hence the effects of these iron tablets on the body needs to be carefully looked at, researchers said.

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     Light, ultraviolet, x-rays, radio waves are easily absorbed by dust and gas, leaving much of the universe hidden. The beauty of the gravitational waves is that, while weak, they penetrate anything in their path.

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     World’s most livable cities in order are Vienna (Austria), Zurich (Switzerland), Auckland (New Zealand), Munich (Germany), Vancouver (Canada), Dusseldorf (Germany), Frankfurt (Germany), Geneva (Switzerland), Copenhagen (Denmark) and Sydney (Australia).

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     Scientists have found that eating chocolate improves memory and brain function.

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     Chronic lack of sleep increases the risk of diabetes, obesity, hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

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     Way to kill cancer cells in two hours is found. Children and people diagnosed with inoperable tumors.  The method involves injecting nitrobenzaldehyde into the tumor and allowing it to diffuse into the tissue.

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     Strict parenting can turn kids into liars. Children feel unsafe telling truth to rigid parents, says psychotherapist, Philippa Perry.

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     In space people grow larger at least 5 c. m. (2 inches) as there is no gravity to pull their bodies downwards.

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     After 200 million years time the earth day will be 25 hours long due to the pull of the Moon and Sun on the tides of ocean which slows down earth’s rotation speed.

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     The magnetic poles of earth have switched places at least 177 times in last 85 million years.

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     A single flash of lighting in clouds can generate a current of 500000 amps, causing the air around it to expand very fast resulting in rumbling noise known as thunder.

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     About 18000 years ago, the sea level was about 100 m. below the present level, as a huge amount of Earth’s water was ice. People could walk over ice from mainland of Europe to Britain and from Asia to Alaska.

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     Antarctica is covered by about 30 million cu. k. m. (7.2 million cu. miles) of ice.  If this melts completely the sea level will rise by about 64 m (210 feet).

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     A single drop of blood contains about 250 million red cells and over 300000 white cells.

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     A person takes more than half a million breaths in an average life time, which covers about 250000 cu. m. of air.

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     An average person sheds 4 kg (9 lb) of dead skin flakes every year (300000 hairs and about 5cm (2 in) of fingernail clippings).

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     Brain cells cannot be replaced when they are worn out. Hence the number of brain cells decreases as you grow older.

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     The newly born mouse opossum is no longer than a grain of rice, the smallest newborn mammal in the world.

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     40% of mammal species are rodents. Some are considered pests, as they eat human food and spread disease.

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     Giraffes are the world’s tallest animals, but are 5 times lighter than elephants.

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     An elephant eats about 150 kg of food a day.

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     A sperm whale can stay underwater, holding its breath for up to two hours at a time.

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     Planet Mars is likely to lose its largest moon. Phobos slowly falling towards planet and is likely to be shredded under strain of tidal forces.

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     Li-fi: internet is 100 times faster than Wi-fi. Transmits data at 1 GBPS via visible light, but cannot pass through walls.

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     Weight-loss surgery may hurt romantic relationships.

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     You can soon download films on mobiles in 5 seconds. Experts working on 5G tech which will make internet 100 times faster, may be a reality by 2018.

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     Long term vegetarian diet can lead to genetic mutation that may increase the risk of cancer and heart disease according to Cornell University researchers.

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     Universal cancer vaccine gets a step closer. Way found to trick immune system into attacking tumours as if they are virus.

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     Scientists simulate N-explosion of asteroid. Move aimed to prepare Us to take down any celestial body headed for collision with Earth.

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     Scientists unveiled a synthetic drug that appears to neutralise pain as effectively as morphine but without the side effects that make opioids so dangerous and addictive.

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     Aliens found?”Strong signal from nearby star just 95 light years away and of the same size as our Sun are detected. It needs further confirmation.

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     A galaxy with 99% of mysterious dark matter (which constitutes 27% of the Universe) and roughly of the same size as our galaxy is found.

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     Eyes make tiny flickering movements about 50 times every second. Without this flickers you would be unable to see.

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     Each year an average man produces about 50 billion sperm cells.

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     If all the D N A in one of your cells is stretched out, it would be about 2m (6.5 ft.) long.

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     During your lifetime you will probably eat about 40 tonnes of food.

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     Static electricity builds up in houses, cars and clothes and can sometimes give you a shock. These shocks can measure up to 50000 volts, but they involve few electrons and are not nearly as dangerous as ones from a household electricity supply.

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     In the early days of the telephone, a single wire could carry only one conversation at a time. Modern electronics would allow over 7500 conversations to be transmitted at the same time along a single plastic fibre.

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     The electric eel produces a 650 volts charge from the muscles and nerves in its tail. This charge stuns its prey. It is nearly three times as powerful as the electricity in our homes.

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     There are at least 2 million kinds of living things on earth. Scientists classify them into five major groups known as kingdoms such as bacteria, protists, fungi, plants and animals.

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     General Sherman tree, a giant sequoia growing in California weighs about 2500 tonnes is the heaviest living thing in the world.

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     Humans live longer than any other mammal, sometimes reaching the age of 100 years or more. After us those that live longest are large whales and elephants, which can live to be more than 70 years old.

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     Scientists have predicted the existence of a new fundamental particle - Madala boson – which may help solve the mystery of the elusive dark matter in the universe.

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     A simple blood test that can detect cancer before any symptoms are noticeable has been developed by researchers.

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     Minute magnetic particles produced by car engines and brakes can travel into the human brain and may trigger Alzheimer’s disease, scientists have warned.

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     A new drug that melts away cancer has been given fast-track approval in the U S. Developed in Melbourne, Australia, Venetoclax was developed to specifically target chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.

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     Targeting a network of neurons in the brain may completely reverse alcohol dependence, a new study suggests.

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     Most of the Earth’s life giving carbon may have come from a collision about 4.4 billion years ago between our planet and an embryonic planet similar to Mercury, scientists have found.

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     People with more than 8 dental fillings may have 150% more mercury in their blood, increasing the risk of brain heart and kidney damage, a new study has found.

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     Court rooms could soon have robots as judges, after scientists have managed to develop an artificial intelligence (A1) system capable of predicting verdicts with 79% accuracy.

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     Next cyber attack could come via smart bulbs. Hackers could even set an led light into a strobe pattern and trigger epileptic seizures.

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     Scientists launched a global initiative to map out and describe every cell in the human body in a vast atlas that could transform researchers’ understanding of human development and disease.

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IS THIS UNIVERSE SIMILAR TO BALLOON?

CAN THE EXPANDING UNIVERSE BE COMPARED TO AN INFLATING BALLOON?

     Some astronomers compare the expanding universe to an inflating balloon. Keep some dots on the balloon. When the balloon is inflating the dots move away from each other. Consider one fixed dot. Consider a nearby dot.  The speed of the dot that is at double the distance from the nearby dot is also double than the speed of the nearby dot whiles the balloon is expanding. The same phenomenon is also occurring in the expanding universe also. Consider each dot as a galaxy. If we are at one galaxy and look at the galaxies in the universe, the speed of the galaxies is in direct proportion to the distance from the galaxy from where we look into the universe. This is the same phenomenon from whichever galaxy we look into the universe.

     In the year 1925, Edwin Hubble an astronomer from America, demonstrated that the universe contains numerous galaxies besides our own galaxy, Milky Way. In 1929 Hubble further discovered that the galaxies are moving farther away from our galaxy with a speed in direct proportion to their distance from our galaxy, by studying red shift of light coming from other galaxies.

     In the balloon the elastic rubber is expanding while the dots are attached to it at a fixed place. The same phenomenon occurs in the universe too. The rubber sheet of balloon is compared to invisible space. All the galaxies are attached to the space, and the space is expanding at tremendous speed and thereby it appears as if the galaxies are expanding at tremendous speed. This phenomenon is well accepted by many astronomers.

     However there are certain things that this expanding theory cannot explain. Our galaxy, the Milky Way galaxy and the galaxy Andromeda are moving towards each other with a speed of 300000 miles per hour (130 k m per second). It takes about 5 billion years for their collision. Also some astronomers believe that our galaxy, along with other galaxies is moving towards a massive “The Great Attractor” which is considered to be a million times heavier than our own galaxy, the Milky Way. It will take our galaxy about 15 billion years to reach the center of the Great Attractor. All such phenomena are contradicting the theory of the expanding universe. But the theory of expanding universe is well established by the American astronomer, Edwin Hubble by studying the red shift from the light coming from other galaxies. Hence it cannot be overlooked. We may have to search for the modified theories.

     Let us assume that the universe is bound by space, the invisible elastic sheet of very much less density capable of carrying the entire universe with sufficient thickness and invisible energy and it is being expanding due to high  intensive pressure of the initial Big Bang at the time of creation. Let us also assume that the binding force (may be called dark energy) was unable to bind the expanding space at one stage resulting in breakdown in space. What happens when a balloon is broken we all know. Since the expanding universe is similar to the inflating balloon, the same thing happens to the universe bound by space. The balloon gets broken into small pieces and each piece gets contracted to its center. The same thing happens to the universe bound by space. If we consider a single broken piece of space all the galaxies in it may be moving towards the center of that piece which is similar to the Great Attractor mentioned above. There may be many Great Attractors as there is the possibility of many broken pieces out of which our galaxy is a part of one only. The same shrinking phenomenon of individual broken pieces of space can also explain the fact that our galaxy and Andromeda galaxy are moving towards each other. There is also a possibility that some other galaxies might be moving towards each other. But they may not collide after certain shrinking of space, just as in a broken rubber sheet of a balloon.

     The phenomenon of expansion of universe can also be explained in breakage of space. The broken pieces of space shrink together toward the center known as “The Great Attractor”. The galaxies farther away from the center move slowly towards center and the galaxies nearer to the center move with great speed towards center. Due to this phenomenon each galaxy is moving farther away from each other as seen from red shift of light coming from them. Only variation is that the distance between the Great Attractor and any galaxy is getting reduced. The Great Attractor is made up of both the visible matter that we can see along with the so-called dark matter that we cannot see. Even the broken pieces of space are moving away from each other. Hence the Universe appears to be expanding even after its breakdown. This is the theory to be confirmed by the astronomers.

     Some astronomers believe that there may be other universes in the form of balloons. If so what are these quasars. They are away from earth than any other known object. The energy of a quasar is equivalent 100 normal galaxies. Light from quasars takes billions of years to reach earth. There is need to re-examine these quasars whether they have any connection with other universes. Some astronomers believe that our universe is dying but not before 100 billion years.

     There is difference of opinion regarding expansion and contraction of the universe among the astronomers. Majority of astronomers support the expanding theory. My attempt of writing this article is to support both the theories. This has to be confirmed by the astronomers. This theory need not be taken for granted as it is for the present.
          In general the overall universe is expanding. But there are isolated spots that are contracting. The universal balloon appears to be exploded, resulting in overall expansion and contraction at some isolated stretches as explained above. Yet the life of our universe is sufficiently large up to 100 billion years. But the planet earth becomes uninhabitable only after one billion years from now. It is not known that any superior life exists anywhere in our universe, or in other universes if exists.

     According to Indian saints, the soul can take infinitesimal form and taking light ray or any other shorter wave lengths as vehicle and travel anywhere into the universe at the speed of light. Some are of the opinion that the soul can be anywhere in the universe by wish only. That means that there is no limit to the speed of the soul. Ancient Indians were able to leave body by wish and make a journey into the universe and reenter their bodies later duly keeping their bodies under normal condition by power. They were even able to enter the dead bodies of animals and make them alive as long as their soul remains in it. Science and technology are fast improving. Now the man can prepare human D N A in the laboratory. He is also claiming that he can prepare human beings from chemicals. The day will come that the man may be able to separate soul from body temporarily and get it reenter the body at the appropriate time, so that the soul will travel into the universe for the purpose of investigating. Before the time earth becomes uninhabitable man will be able to select some other inhabitable planet from some other star and reach there for further continuation of his life. There appears to be no limit to the technology also. The inter relationship between physical body and the spiritual body is closing in. Yet it may take a sufficiently long time. 

IS THE GOD'S CREATION OF LIFE FURTHER SIMPLIFIED BY MAN?

IS THE GOD’S CREATION OF LIFE FURTHER SIMPLIFIED BY MAN?

(Certain information is collected from the newspaper Times of India)

God created male and female almost in every species for further development of life.  Now the scientists are proposing to develop even human life from chemicals. (please go through my post ‘ Can humans be created from chemicals?). As an additional development they are even proposing to develop life using skin cells and sperm. The new study overthrows the idea that it is only possible to produce children using an egg and fertilizing it with sperm. A new experiment on mice proved that it would be possible to fuse sperm with ordinary cells like skin or other tissue, without using cloning, to produce babies. As such it could lead the way to human reproduction that completely cuts the female part of the process.

     It would allow a man to fertilize his own cells with his own sperm, producing offspring that would use only his genes and those inherited from his parents.

     “our work challenges the dogma, held since embryologists first observed mammalian eggs around 1827 and observed fertilization 50 years later, that only an egg cell fertilized  with a sperm cell can result in live mammal birth,” said lead scientist Tony Perry, a molecular embryologist from the university of Bath. But Perry also made it clear the tests on mice only prove that the technique would work in principle.

     The study produced 30 mouse pups with a success rate of 24%. That finding matters because parthenogenotes are similar to other ordinary cells, like skin cells. Both are mitotic, and if an offspring can be produced from one, then it should be possible to create them from the other.

     In principle and by experiments on mice, it looks as if what is stated above appears to be true. Man is simplifying God’s creation of life by understanding several other secrets under God’ creation. We have to wait and see everything in practice in the near future.   

ARE WE MOVING AT A SPEED OF MORE THAN 2 MILLION K M PER HOUR ?

ARE WE MOVING AT THE RATE OF MORE THAN 2 MILLION K M PER HOUR ?

(Most of the information is collected from Google .com)

The answer to the above question is yes. It is confirmed by the cosmic background explorer satellite in 1989 and 1990. Accordingly our galaxy the Milky Way and its neighbors, the local group is moving at 600 k m per second or 1.34 million miles per hour (2.1 million k m per hour) in the direction of the constellation Hydra. Since the solar system is only a part of the galaxy Milky Way, we are also moving along with our galaxy. But we don’t feel the effect of the speed as we are attached to the planet Earth by gravity.

     The diameter of Milky Way galaxy is about 100000 light years. (One light year is the distance travelled by light in one year at the rate of 300000 k m per second). It contains about 200 billion stars as per latest available information. The Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies are approaching each other with a speed of 300000 miles per hour (130 k m per second). It takes about 5 billion years for their collision. They are likely to merge without causing damage to the individual stars and form a greater galaxy. The Andromeda galaxy is likely to contain about 300 billion stars. Milky Way moves through space within the cluster of galaxies it is a member of, and this cluster in turn moves through space towards yet another larger cluster of galaxies in the direction of the constellation Virgo with a speed of approximately 300 k m per second. Therefore the speed of the Milky Way galaxy is not a single number, its value is relative to the speed of other objects.

     Astronomers believe a huge concentration of matter in this direction. Some people call it ‘The Great Attractor’. Our galaxy contain the equivalent of 10^11 (10 to the power 11) solar masses. The Great Attractor is estimated to be on the scale of 10^17 solar masses, a million times heavier than the Milky Way. Its attraction is so strong that we are being sucked into it at the rate of 600 k m per second. The Great Attractor is something on the order of 150 million light years from earth. (One light year is 10^ 13 k m). It takes about 15 billion years to arrive at the center of The Great Attractor.  Since forces accelerate objects we will surely arrive there a few billion years earlier.

     The galaxies in our neighborhood are also rushing at a speed of nearly 1000 k m per second towards The Great Attractor, which has a span of 500 million light years and is made up of both visible matters along with the so called dark matter that we cannot see. The dark matter is neither dark nor black, but it is invisible as it cannot reflect light and cannot emit light, but it has got gravitational pull only.

     Besides the motion of our galaxy, Milky Way the Sun has got its motion round the center of galaxy.  It takes our Sun approximately 225 million years to make the trip around the galaxy, which is known as a galactic year. In all of recorded human history, we have barely moved in our long path around the Milky Way. The Sun has to move at an astounding speed of 483000 miles per hour (792000 k m per hour). The Earth anchored to the Sun by gravity follows along at the same fantastic speed. The Sun is almost a perfect sphere of diameter 846000 miles (1360000 k m) approximately. The Sun has about 99.9% mass of the entire solar system; balance of one tenths of 1% belongs to all planets, moons, asteroids, comets, meteors, and interplanetary dust and gas. More than a million Earth-sized planets can be packed inside the Sun. Rotation period of Sun around its axis is 24 Earth days and 16 hours. The age of the Sun is about 4600,000,000 years. Its surface temperature is 10,472 degrees F. Its temperature at the center is 27,000,000 degrees F. The Sun has 9 planets namely Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. (Pluto is now a day’s is not considered as a planet). Life exists only on the planet Earth as on today, not only in solar system but in the entire universe.

     In continuation of the above mentioned motions the planet Earth has its motion around the Sun. The full path of Earth around the Sun is about 600 million miles (970 million k m). The Earth moves around the Sun at a speed of 66000 miles per hour (107,000 k m per hour). The distance of Earth from the Sun is 93,000,000 miles (150,000,000 k m). Earth’s diameter across the equator is 7925 miles (12756 k m). Earth’s atmosphere contains about 78% Nitrogen, 21% oxygen. It has one moon. Length of a day on earth is 24 hours. Length of the year on Earth is 365 days and 6 hours.

     As seen above the planet Earth, where we, human beings are living is having so many speeds in the space. The maximum speed is that of our galaxy Milky Way. Hence we can conclude that we are moving in space at a speed of more than 2 million kilometers per hour, without even feeling the effect of that speed, as we are attached to the planet Earth by gravity. 

CAN HUMANS BE CREATED FROM CHEMICALS?

CAN HUMANS BE CREATED FROM CHEMICALS ?

(Information collected from newspaper Times of India)

     The answer to the above question from many scientists is yes. A synthetic human genome potentially could make it possible to create humans who lack biological parents- raising the spectre, for instance, of made-to-order human beings with special genetic enhancements. A group of 25 scientists on Thursday (02-06-2016) proposed an ambitious project to create a synthetic human genome, or genetic blue print, in an endeavour that is bound to raise concerns over the extent to which human life can or should be engineered. A synthetic genome would involve using chemicals to create the D N A present in human chromosomes.

     They said they hoped to get $100 million in public and private funding to launch the projet this year and expects total costs of less than $3 billion. According to scientists the project includes growing transplantable human organs, engineering immunity to viruses, engineering cancer resistance, and accelerating vaccine and drug development using human cells and organs. They would also consider ethical, legal and social implications on the project, which is likely to take a period of about 10 years. The new project would involve not reading but writing the human genome – synthesizing all three billion units of D N A from chemicals.

     But such an attempt would raise ethical issues. Could scientists create humans with certain kinds of traits, perhaps people born and bred to be soldiers? Or might it be possible to make copies of specific people? “Would it be okay to sequence and synthesize Einstein’s genome? All these matters need great consideration. Only future will reveal what is going to happen. 

HUMAN BODY INGREDIENTS

HUMAN BODY INGREDIENTS

Taken from plus.google.com by Michael Parker (Originally shared by Nass Daoud).

     The first four ingredients below are essential parts of body’s protein, carbohydrate and fat architecture.

1.      Oxygen ------ 65.0%

Critical to the conversion of food into energy.

2.      Carbon-------18.5%

The so called backbone of the building blocks of the body and a key part of other important compounds such as testosterone and estrogen.

3.      Hydrogen------9.5%

Helps to transport nutrients, remove wastes and regulate body temperature, also plays an important role in energy production.

4.      Nitrogen-------3.3%

Found in amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, an essential part of the nucleic acids that constitutes D N A.

Other key elements:

5.      Calcium--------1.5%

Lends rigidity and strength to bones and teeth, also important for the functioning of nerves and muscles and for blood clotting.

6.      Phosphorus--------1.0%

Needed for building and maintaining bones and teeth, also found in the molecule A T P (adenosine triphosphate) which provides energy that drives chemical reactions in cells.

7.      Potassium--------0.4%

Important for electrical signaling in nerves and maintaining the balance of water in the body.

8.      Sulfur--------0.3%

Found in cartilage, insulin (the hormone that enables the body to use sugar), breast milk, proteins that play a role in the immune system, keratin, a substance in skin, hair and nails.

9.      Chlorine--------0.2%

Needed by nerves to function properly, also helps to produce gastric juices.

10.  Sodium--------0.2%

Plays a critical role in nerves electrical signaling and helps to regulate the amount of water in the body.

11.  Magnesium--------0.1%

Plays an important role in the structure of the skeleton and muscles and found in molecules that help enzymes use A T P to supply energy for chemical reaction in cells.

12.  Iodine-------- (trace amount)

Part of an essential hormone produced by the thyroid gland, regulates metabolism.

13.  Iron--------(trace amount)

Part of hemoglobin which carries oxygen in red blood cells.

14.  Zinc--------(trace amount)

Forms part of some enzymes involved in digestion.