8 MARCH

International women’s Day

 

Its seeds were planted in the labour movement in 1908 when 15,000 women marched through the streets of New York.

Their demands included shorter working hours, better pay and the right to vote.

A year later, the Socialist Party of America announced the first National Women’s Day.

The idea of celebrating this day as International women’s Day was brought forward by Clara Zetkin, a communist activist and advocate of women’s rights. She first proposed this idea at a conference of working women in Copenhagen in 1910.

At that conference, 100 women from 17 countries were present and all unanimously accepted Clara’s idea.

Women’s Day was celebrated in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland in 1911.

This day became official in1975.

Clara had no specific date in mind when she came up with the idea of women’s day.

In 1917, Russian women went on strike, the political situation at the time led to the abduction of three Russian Czars. Julian calendar was used in Russia at that time and the editorial date was 23 February. According to the Gregorian calendar (which we use today), it was March 7, so international women’s day was finally decided to be celebrated on March 8.

Purple colour symbolises ‘justice and dignity’, hence it has importance on this day.

International Women’s Day is celebrated to commemorate and honour women’s accomplishments, raise awareness about gender disparities and discrimination, as well as promote global support for women.

It recognizes cultural, political and socio-economic achievements of women in various fields.

Women’s Day also marks a call for a gender-equal world that is free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination and is diverse, equitable and inclusive while differences are valued and celebrated.

This year, 2023, the theme for International Women’s Day is “Embrace Equity”.

6 MARCH

 National Dentist's Day 2023: Celebrating the contribution of dental professionals towards ensuring good oral hygiene

Did you know that dentists play an important part in our health and well-being?
It’s a great day to showcase your appreciation for your dentist and their dedicated work!

National Dentist's Day is an opportunity to recognize the hard work and dedication of dental professionals and promote oral health awareness.
National Dentist's Day is observed every year on March 6th in India to raise awareness about the importance of oral health and hygiene. It serves as a reminder to prioritise regular dental check-ups and oral hygiene practices like brushing and flossing.
The first known dentist, Hesy-Ra, worked in Ancient Egypt around 2600 BC. He was a high-ranking official under Pharaoh Djoser and held the title of Chief of Dentist. In 1530, a book titled The Little Medicinal Book for All Kinds of Diseases and Infirmities of the Teeth (Artzney Buchlein), was published in Germany. This was the first book to be devoted to dentistry entirely.
Since then, dentistry has witnessed major advancements, though a lot is yet to be achieved. Observing National Dentist's Day is a way to express and acknowledge the importance of dental care and the impact it has on our overall well-being.
Dental health is often overlooked, but poor oral health can lead to serious health issues such as heart disease, diabetes, and even certain cancers. National Dentist's Day aims to raise awareness of these risks and promote preventative care.
If you want to show appreciation to your dentist, you can demonstrate your commitment to better oral health by improving your dental habits. You can also schedule a dental checkup and ask questions about your oral health. Alternatively, you can also raise awareness on a personal level by teaching others good oral hygiene practices and encouraging family and friends to visit their dentist.
Important Dental Care Tips:

1. Brush twice per day for at least two minutes

2. Floss daily

3. Visit your dentist twice per year or as recommended by your dentist

4. Eat a balanced diet and limit eating and drinking between meals

Dental Facts:

Did you know that dentists ranked number one for top jobs in 2015?

Dentists recommend that a toothbrush be kept at least six 6 feet away from a toilet to avoid airborne particles resulting from the flush.

The University of Maryland School of Dentistry is the world’s first dental college. It was established in 1840 by Drs. Horace H. Hayden and Chapin A. Harris.

The average American spends 38.5 total days brushing their teeth over a lifetime.

The most valuable tooth belonged to Sir Isaac Newton. In 1816 one of his teeth was sold in London for $3,633, or in today's terms $35,700. The tooth was set in a ring!

In 1866, Lucy Beaman Hobbs became the first licensed female dentist.

Your teeth are as unique as your fingerprints!

Your smile is the first facial feature noticed by half of the people you come in contact with daily.

STORY

 Five more minutes

While at the park one day, a woman sat down next to a man on a bench near a playground.

“That’s my daughter over there,” she said, pointing to a little girl in a red sweater who was on the swing.

“She’s a beautiful girl,” the man said. “That’s my son, gliding down the slide in the blue sweater.”

Then, looking at his watch, he called to his son, “What do you say we go, Todd?”

Todd pleaded, “Just five more minutes, Dad, please. Just five more minutes.”

The man nodded and Todd continued to swing to his heart’s content. Minutes passed and the father stood and called again to his son. “Time to go now?” Again Todd pleaded, “Five more minutes, Dad. Just five more minutes.” The man smiled and said, “Okay.”

“You certainly are a patient father,” the woman responded.

The man smiled and then said, “My older son, Tommy, was killed by a drunk driver last year while he was riding his bike near here. I never spent much time with Tommy and now I’d give anything for just five more minutes with him. I’ve vowed not to make the same mistake with Todd. He believes he has gained five more minutes to swing. The truth actually is that I get ‘five more minutes’ to watch him play.”

Life is all about making priorities - what are your priorities?

LOOK-ALIKE OF RANI LAKSHMIBAI

 Jhalkaribai

She was born on 22nd November in 1830 at Bhojla village near Jhansi. She was a close friend and commander of the women's army wing of Rani Lakshmibai. She attained martyrdom fighting against the British in the war of Independence of 1857.

Once, Rani Lakshmibai invited the women of the villages of Jhansi to attend Gauri (Maa Shakti) Puja at the Jhansi Fort. Jhalkaribai, wife of Pooran Kori, a soldier of the Jhansi army, was among the ladies who accompanied other village ladies to Jhansi fort to be part of the Puja. Lakshmibai’s eyes fell on Jhalkaribai.Rani was struck by Jhalkaribai’s uncanny resemblance with her.

Lakshmibai enquired about her look-alike. Rani had lost her mother when she was 4 years old. Jhalkaribai too lost her mother at a very young age. Besides, Jhalkaribai killed a leopard with her herding stick while tending cattle.She was also involved in other brave exploits.

Lakshmibai immediately inducted Jhalkaribai into the women contingent of the Jhansi Army called Durga Dal. Later, during battle with the British, on the 10th day, a traitor opened the gate of Jhansi fort for the British to enter. It was Jhalkaribai who disguised as Rani and misled the British army, facilitated Lakshmibai’s safe escape from the fort for gathering forces. Jhalkaribai attained martyrdom at the hands of the British.

DON'T WORRY BE HAPPY

 Keep your worries away

One fine morning, ‘Death’ was walking towards a city.

A man curiously asked him, “What are you going to do today?”

“I’m going to take 100 people,” Death replied.

“That’s horrible!” the man exclaimed.

“That’s the way it must be,” Death said. “That’s what I’m destined to do.”

The man hurried along to warn everyone about Death’s ruthless plan. When evening fell, he met death again.

“You told me you would take just 100 people,” the man said. “But you have taken 1000 instead. Why did 1000 have to die?”

“I kept my word,” Death responded. “I only took 100 people; ‘Worry’ took the others.”

When there was an outbreak of COVID-19, every day, every hour and every minute, we were flooded with news regarding deaths due to the deadly virus. Thousands around us caught the disease each day. While some recovered, many others died because no proper cure or vaccine was found for it,

There were no schools, no entertainment, no social gathering or outing to keep us engaged. We remained confined to our homes and worried about the situation.

But does worrying make the situation any better? No. It only makes the situation worse. As the adage says “Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow; it only saps today of its joy.”

Remember, worry is, and always will be, a fatal disease of the heart. Therefore, release the regrets of yesterday, refuse the fears of tomorrow, and receive the peace of today. Read good books, watch inspirational videos, and learn new lessons.

Always be engaged.

Be prayerful, and pray for all, as well.

Do not forget to thank God for the wonderful gift of life.

MEET THE SCIENTIST

 Antoine Lavoisier

I am Antoine Lavoisier, a famous chemist. I was born in France on August 26, 1743. I grew up in an aristocratic family. My father was a layer but my mother died when I was only five years old.

I didn’t practice law because I found science more interesting. Since I had inherited a good deal of money when my mother died I was able to live as a nobleman and pursued various interests. I also worked in various government positions and was elected to the Royal Academy of Science in 1764.In 1775, I set up a laboratory in Paris where I could run experiments. This lab became a gathering place of scientists and I made many important discoveries in chemistry. 

Do you want to know what scientific discoveries I have done?

The Law of Conservation of Mass:

One of the main scientific theories in my time was the phlogiston theory. This theory thought fire was made up of an element called phlogiston. But I disproved this theory and demonstrated that there was an element called oxygen that played a major role in combustion. I also showed that the mass of products in a reaction are equal to the mass of the reactants and no mass is lost in a chemical reaction. This is known as the Law of Conservation of Mass and is one of the most important and basic laws of modern chemistry and physics.

The Elements and Chemical Nomenclature:

I spent a lot of time isolating elements and breaking down chemical compounds. I also invented a system of naming chemical compounds that were made up of multiple elements and named the element hydrogen. The First Chemistry Textbook:

I also wrote the first Elementary Treatise of Chemistry. This was the first chemistry textbook. The book contained a list of elements. I died when the French Revolution began. I wanted to remain separate from the revolution. But because I had worked as a tax collector for the government, I was branded a traitor and was executed on May 8, 1794 by guillotine.

WORLD'S FIRST COMMERCIAL SAND BATTERY

 Energy from Sand

THE Vatajankoski power plant in Kankaanpää, a small town located northwest of Helsinki, Finland’s capital, is unique. It has the world’s first commercial scale battery powered by sand. 

 

The battery acts as a reservoir for excess electricity produced by the town’s solar and wind farms and stores it in the form of heat energy. The sand, 110 tonnes of it, is fully enclosed in a 7-m-tall steel container. The air inside the sand is heated up to 600 degrees Celsius using a resistance heater that runs on solar and wind energy. The hot air is then circulated by a fan through heat exchange pipes. The thick insulation surrounding the sand keeps the temperature inside the battery at 600 degrees Celsius, even in freezing weather conditions. The battery stores 8 MWh (megawatt hours) of thermal energy when it is full. In use, the battery discharges 200 kilowatts of power through the heat exchange pipes—enough to provide heating and hot water to 100 homes and a public swimming pool in Kankaanpää. It supplements the power supplied from the city grid. The sand is charged at night when clean electricity is more cheaply available. The electrical energy is transferred to the battery using a closed loop air-pipe. The battery is low maintenance. The sand is the cheap, low quality one rejected by builders, and not the high quality river sand utilised for construction. The fan is the only moving part and it’s easy to replace if necessary. Sand retains heat for a long time and can store power for months. The sand can be heated and cooled any number of times. It becomes denser after a while, at which point more sand has to be added. Four young Finnish engineers, Tommi Eronen, Markku Ylönen, Liisa Naskali and Ville Kivioja, who were childhood friends, invented the battery.

How does a sand battery score over a lithium-ion battery?

Lithium ion batteries that power laptops, smart phones and electric vehicles degrade continually even when not in use. A sand battery doesn’t age because there is no chemical reaction. Lithium batteries are not completely safe as they are flammable. Lithium extraction and refining has a much greater impact on the environment because of the carbon dioxide emissions. The sand battery is also eight to ten times cheaper than a lithium battery for the same amount of energy.