WHO…WHAT…WHEN… WHERE…WHY…HOW…

WHO…WHAT…WHEN…
WHERE…WHY…HOW…

•What is asthenosphere?
Asthenosphere means the upper layer of the earth’s mantle, whose capacity for gradual flow is thought to give rise to continental drift.

•What is meant by baily’s beads?
Baily’s beads refer to a string of bright points seen at the edge of the darkened moon at the beginning or end of totality in an eclipse of the sun. It is caused by sunlight shining through mountains at the edge of the lunar disc. The phenomenon was first described by the English astronomers, F. baily (1774-1844).

•What is “scorched earth policy”?
“Scorched earth policy “pertains to the burning of crops, etc. and the removing or destroying of anything that might be of use to any enemy force occupying a country.

•What is spillway?
Spillway is the area below a dam or a natural obstruction over which excess water form a reservoir or lake above is allowed to drain away.






•What is Duckworth-Lewis rule in cricket?
Frank Duckworth, a consultant statistician for the royal statistical society, and tiny Lewis, a lecturer in mathematical subjects at the University of the West of England, collated data and evolved a system that was felt easy to use and, more important, fair, in case a cricket match got affected by rain.

•What is an oasis and where do we find it?
Oasis is an area in a hot desert where the presence of water at a suitable level permits sustained plant growth. Such oases vary in extent from a very small area supporting a few palm trees to the tract of hundreds of square kilometers supporting large settled agricultural population.

•What is scuba-diving?
Scuba diving means swimming under water using a scuba, especially as a sport. Scuba is an aqualung-a portable breathing apparatus for divers, consisting of cylinders of compressed air strapped on the back, feeling air automatically through mask or mouthpiece.

•What is geosynchronous orbit?
Geosynchronous orbit is circular orbit in the same plane as the earth’s equator with the same period of rotation as that of the earth, at a height of 35,786 km; also called geostationary earth orbit (GEO).

•What is GDP?
GDP means gross domestic product, the total market value of commodities (goods and services) produced in ac country in a given period of time, usually a year. No allowance is made for the capital consumption and depreciation; the use of market prices ensures that the value of indirect taxes and subsidies are incorporated .The value of intermediate goods used in the production of the other goods in exclude, being incorporated in the market price of the final goods.



•What is bulghur wheat?
Bulghur or Bulgar or Burghul wheat is cracked whole wheat, made by cooking the grains, then drying and cracking them. It is widely eaten in West Asia. Coarser bulghur may be cooked in the same way as the rice; more finely grounded bulghur is mixed with minced meat to make a paste that may be eaten as a dip with salad and stuffed before being grilled or fried.

•What is meant by Zen Buddhism?
Mahayana Buddhism prevails in China, Japan, Korea and Tibet. In the sixth century, Mahayana spread to china with the teachings of Bodhidharma and formed Ch’an, which became established in Japan from the 12th century as Zen Buddhism. Zen emphasizes silent meditation with sudden interruptions from a master to encourage wakening of the mind.

•What is mammogram?
Mammogram is a special x-ray machine of the breast checking for any kind of abnormality. When there is a lump or discharge, the mammography helps the doctor to diagnose the abnormality and evaluate the problem as to whether it is benign or malignant. Usually two x-ray views (up and down and sideways) are taken using special equipment by highly trained personnel, mostly women, in strict privacy. The results are passed to the doctor by the radiologist.

•What is Wall Street?
Currently in the eye of a storm caused by a widespread economic crisis, the Wall Street is the financial nerve centre of the United States, in lower Manhattan, New York, the home of the New York Stock Exchange, many other commodity exchanges and head offices of banks, insurance and brokerage firms.
Wall Street owes its name to Peter Stuyvesant who, in 1652, as Governor of the little Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam, ordered a wall built there to protect the town from attacks by the English. After the Revolutionary War, the Government offices of the city of the state of the New York and United States came to be located here. President George Washington was inaugurated there in 1789, and the first United States Congress met there.