Bajirao Mastani, A Forbidden Love Story

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s 15-year dream project Bajirao Mastani, which he had been conceiving since his Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam days, finally saw the light of day in December 2015. This epic historical romance stars in its principal cast, Ranveer Singh in the eponymous role of Peswa Bajirao I, Deepika Padukone as Mastani Bai, his love interest and the warrior princess of Bundelkhand, and Priyanka Chopra as the Peshwa’s first wife, Kashibai.

The film, adapted from the Marathi novel Raau by Nagnath S. Inamdar, relates the trials and tribulations faced by lovers from two different religions – while Bajirao hails from a staunch Hindu sect, Mastani belongs to a Muslim cast.  Though their tragic love story is heart-wrenching in countering extreme religious intolerance, the film also portrays the wrongs done to Kashibai, whom the Peshwa, in his pursuit and fierce defensiveness of Mastani, completely sidelines. Bhansali thus proves successful in producing a dichotomy in the minds and emotions of the viewers. On the one hand, a viewer is full of awe and admiration for Bajirao’s skills as a warrior and administrator, as well as his earnest feelings towards Mastani. On the other hand however, the same hero becomes hateful for his injustice towards his loyal and loving wife. One is bound to applaud Kashibai’s prudence – she makes sacrifices but they are not blinded by love for her husband. Yet at the same time, a viewer is forced to praise Mastani too, for her undying courage and perseverance in uniting with her beloved, despite repeated obstacles, taunts, insults and even fatal threats from the Peshwa’s family.

Irrfan Khan’s voice over narrates, at the beginning of the film, the political context of Bajirao Mastani, the hero’s conquests and his prowess as an able warrior and leader. The cinematography is certainly worth a mention, with panoramic and long shots of the battlefield, combined with close-ups of Bajirao and Mastani, as they fight intensely and save each other’s lives. A slow motion movement of the camera makes their actions even more heroic, as they leap up and swerve around to defeat the enemy. The wars off the battlefield, like those between Bajirao and the Brahmins, or Nana Sahib’s plotting against Mastani, are equally intensely captured. The visual effects, especially those at the very end, when the Peshwa goes into the water trying to fight enemies visible to him alone, are convincing.

 Set against the backdrop of 18^th century royalty, Bhansali’s set designs and costumes are grand, to say the least, and the dialogues are overelaborate, though befitting of the era. Ranveer Singh’s crisp Marathi accent is commendable, and the poetical shayari-like dialogues are enjoyable. Mise-en-scene with the rich use of colour , lighting, shadows and props such as chandeliers , fountains and the palaces themselves, is well replicated in this period drama. The dance sequences are somewhat reminiscent of Mughal-e-Azam and the music, along with the background scores, are in perfect sync with their corresponding scenes.

The film is fraught with religious significance and addresses, in a subtle way, the issues of war, love, marriage and religion in the same context. In this respect, a particular scene comes to mind, where Kashibai and her mother-in-law Radhabai – who is most forthcoming in her hatred of her son’s Muslim bride – are sewing a flag in preparation of a war. They sew an orange coloured cloth, but in a moment of pathos, they are seen to helplessly laugh, discussing how they should have sewn a green flag instead, green being the colour of Mastani’s Muslim faith.

Therefore, Bajirao Mastani is not only a commercial entertainer or a drab replica of history – the film in fact, specifically claims not be completely accurate from a historical point of view – but is also a critique of religious obstacles in the course of love , in the garb of a political period drama.

The film has to its credit several awards, won at various award ceremonies through the year, both in the critics’ choice and popular choice categories, including those of Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Film.

Top 10 Fastest Cars in the World

When it comes to cars and their performance in general, there is nothing quite enthralling and electrifying than speed. These four-wheeled tech beasts are the finest representations of human engineering and show the real fun of adrenaline pumping through your veins. Right now Right where we are going to talk about the World's Top 10 Fastest cars. 

We begin with number 10....... Here is the List

NUMBER 10

Built by the British Manufacturer Aston Martin, the One-77 is the most extreme and fastest road-going Aston to ever be created. It shares a similar layout with regular Astons you see on the road, but the One-77 is a completely different beast which sports a 7.3-Liter V12 Engine producing 750 HP and 800 lb-ft torque. A total of 77 cars have been produced and apart from its performance, the vehicle is primarily known for its jaw-dropping good looks. The vehicle has a top speed of 220 mph and can easily accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds.

 

CAR: ASTON MARTIN ONE-77 

TOP SPEED: 220 MPH

NUMBER 9 

The Italian supercar manufacturer that has taken the supercar market by storm, Pagani, has developed quite a reputation in a short period of time. The company provides car enthusiasts and adrenaline junkies with top and high-quality cars which not only provide great speed, but also feature unique design cues, earning the title of hyper cars.

The Huayra model specifically is known for its amazing and outrageous performance that beats the best racing cars in the market. It isn’t exactly the fastest, but the acceleration is what surprises many car enthusiasts. It comes equipped with a large and power Twin-Turbo V12 6-Liter Engine that can easily produce a whopping 738 lb-ft of torque and 730 horsepower.

 

CAR:  PAGANI HUAYRA

TOP SPEED:  230 MPH

NUMBER 8

Manufactured by the Danish company Zenvo, the ST 1 is a high-performance supercar hand-made by a small team of workers. It is the company’s first ever supercar model and was introduced back in 2009. The vehicle easily dishes out a max speed of 233 mph and has the ability to accelerate from zero to 60 mph in a mere 3 seconds.

It comes equipped with a 6.8-Liter V8 Engine and generates an impressive horsepower of 1,104 and torque of 1,050 lb-ft, enabling the vehicle to reach 0 to 200 mph in only 8.9 seconds. It also has great features, such as telescopic steering wheel adjustment and a keyless-entry system.

CAR: ZENVO ST1
TOP SPEED: 233 MPH
 

NUMBER 7

Even after 23 years, the McLaren F1 still manages to make the fastest cars’ in the world list. The car has a unique interior design of being a three-seater with the driver’s seat at the center and two passenger seats on the sides. The vehicle is a former champion, but with its center driver’s seat, gold-line engage bay, and carbon-fiber body, it is also one of the coolest cars ever made.

Equipped with a 6.1-Liter BMW M V12 engine, the supercar produces 670 Horsepower and peak torque of 520 lb-ft, enabling the vehicle to accelerate from zero to 60 in just 3.2 seconds. The overall design of the vehicle is also impressive and has great aerodynamics to ensure maximum speed and performance. In a period of 6 years, a total of 106 McLaren F1 vehicles were produced.

CAR: McLAREN F1

TOP SPEED: 241 MPH

NUMBER 6

Koenigsegg enters the top 10 list with its CCR model that is a mid-engine sports car that also briefly held the ‘world’s fastest’ title before being vanquished by the original Bugatti Veyron. The CCR model reached a top speed of 242 mph in 2005 at the Italy’s Nardo Ring and it was among the trendsetters for faster supercars, after McLaren and Ferrari of course.

The CCR is an earlier generation of Koenigsegg’s cars, but it still manages to be one of the fastest. Not to mention, the Koenigsegg was the first ever production vehicle to beat McLaren’s 8-year streak as the fastest production car on the market. The car comes equipped with a large and powerful 4.7-liter V8 Engine that is capable of generating 806 hp and 920 lb-ft torque. According to manufacturer estimates, the vehicle can zoom from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.7 seconds and can complete a standing quarter mile of 9.7 seconds at 146 mph.

CAR: KOENIGSEGG CCR

TOP SPEED: 242 MPH

NUMBER 5

Produced by SSC North America (formerly known as Shelby SuperCars), the SSC Ultimate Aero is a mid-engine sports car that held the title of the world’s fastest production car from Guinness World Records for 3 years (2007 to 2010), till Bugatti introduced the Veyron Super Sport. However, in 2013, the Guinness World Records disqualified the Bugatti Veyron’s record time due to some unknown reasons and reinstated the SSC Aero as the fastest production car ever.

However, this change too was reverted five days later. Regardless, for a rather new company in the market, SSC has generated a lot of attention with its Ultimate Aero car. The vehicle comes equipped with a 6.3-Liter Twin-Turbocharged V8 Engine that is capable of generating an impressive horsepower of 1,287 and torque of 1,112 lb-ft.

It has a top speed of 256 mph, just 1 mph less than the GT9-R! Nevertheless, with its beast of an engine the vehicle can easily hit 200 mph in under 16 seconds, which is quite reasonable for a car that is available for only €550,000. The only drawback of the vehicle is it doesn’t feature any electronic driver aids to help control the power of the engine. The vehicle may gain both positive and negative reviews, as some would like a purer driving experience and others would bemoan the lack of top of the line safety features.

CAR: SSC ULTIMATE AERO

TOP SPEED: 256 MPH

NUMBER 4

Built by the German tuning company, 9ff, the GT9 is a supercar based on the historic Porsche 911. In fact, the looks and exterior styling of the car is also pretty similar to the 911, only with the interior of the car being stripped out for lightness and looks basic as compared to the Porsche. The car is faster than the original Bugatti Veyron, but slower than the SuperSport model.

Regardless, the GT9-R is purely a beast on the roads and comes equipped with a rather unique technology. It is fitted and modified with a 4.0-Liter Flat 6 Engine (six cylinders arranged horizontally in two banks of three cylinders) which enables the vehicle to produce an impressive horsepower of 1,120 and torque of 910 lb-ft.

This massive engine enables the vehicle to reach top speeds of 257 mph and also gives it the ability speed from zero to 60 mph in just 2.9 seconds, and accelerate from halt to 190 mph in under 16 seconds. The makers of the GT9-R have ensured no two vehicles manufactured are alike and offers potential owners with the option of customizing or personalizing their vehicles to their liking when it comes to design, color, and performance.

CAR: 9FF GT9-R

TOP SPEED: 257 MPH

NUMBER 3

The Bugatti Veyron held the Guinness World Record for being the fastest supercar in the world for years and was the first ever production car to exceed the 250 mph mark. However, after facing a few technical difficulties, its title was taken over by the Koenigsegg. This is when Bugatti introduced its Super Sport model that has a max speed of 268 mph.

5 mph less than the Koenigsegg, the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport comes equipped with an 8-Liter Quad-Turbo W16 Engine that is capable of generating an impressive torque of 1,106 lb-ft and horsepower 1,200 HP, enabling the car to go from zero to 60 in 2.4 seconds. The best feature of the Super Sport is it makes reaching insane speeds seem effortless. As a result, the vehicle is a breeze to drive and also comfortable and luxurious to sit in, even though it is a supercar. And, this is one of the main reasons why that despite its €1.6 million price tag, the vehicle has been selling well and the demand is high.

 

CAR: BUGATTI VEYRON SUPER SPORT

TOP SPEED: 268 MPH

NUMBER 2

Coming second in the world’s fastest cars category is the Hennessey Venom GT, which is a relatively new name in the industry, but has generated quite a buzz in a short period of time. The car is based on a modified Lotus Exige and has a max speed of 270 mph (just 3 mph less than the Koenigsegg). As a result, the vehicle will terrify anyone upon first glance, as it is purely a beast.

Packed with a mighty 7.0 Liter Twin-Turbocharged V8 Engine, the Venom GT is capable of generating an outstanding and dazzling horsepower of 1,244 and torque of 1,155 pound-feet, hence enabling the car to fly from halt to 62 mph within 2.8 seconds only and accelerate from zero to 200 mph in 14.51 seconds (all thanks to the intercooler upgrades and single-clutch shift system to ensure faster shift times).

CAR: HENNESSEY VENOM GT

TOP SPEED: 270 MPH

AND HERE IS OUR...... NUMBER 1 

Although, Koenigsegg isn’t a household name in the world of supercars, like Bugatti or Ferrari, it has managed to develop quite a reputation over a short period of time, beating the best supercars in the market. And, the Agera R model is a perfect example of the brand’s might and power that blows all other supercars in the storm with a top speed of over 273 mph, faster than any other supercar you will find on the market today. This is why it’s also known as the fastest car in the world currently.

The car comes with a 5-Liter Turbocharged V8 DOHC engine with a compression ratio of 9.0:1 and is capable of generating an impressive 1200 pound-feet of torque and horsepower of 1140, hence enabling the vehicle to zoom from halt to 60 mph within less than 2.5 seconds and reach speeds from 0 to 186 mph within 11.7 seconds (a world record).

CAR: KOENIGSEGG AGERA R
TOP SPEED:  273 MPH

Cannibalism among late Neanderthals in Northern Europe

Grisly evidence has been uncovered by researchers that Neanderthals butchered their own kind some 40,000 years ago, opening up many possibilities regarding the way late Neanderthals dealt with their dead in this last period before they died out. 

Neanderthal bones from an excavation in Belgium have yielded evidence of intentional butchering. The findings, from the Goyet caves near Namur, are the first evidence of cannibalism among Neanderthals north of the Alps. The skeletal remains were radiocarbon-dated to an age of around 40,500 to 45,500 years. Remarkably, this group of late Neanderthals also used the bones of their kind as tools, which were used to shape other tools of stone.
Professors Hervé Bocherens and Johannes Krause of Tübingen's Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment, along with Cosimo Posth and Christoph Wissing, also of the University of Tübingen, took part in the investigations. A review of the finds from the Troisième caverne of Goyet combined results from various disciplines; it identified 99 previously uncertain bone fragments as Neanderthal bones. That means Goyet has yielded the greatest amount of Neanderthal remains north of the Alps.
By making a complete analysis of the mitochondrial DNA of ten Neanderthals, the researchers doubled the existing genetic data on this species of humans which died out some 30,000 years ago. They confirmed earlier studies' results, which showed relatively little genetic variation in late European Neanderthals -- in other words, that they were closely related to one another. The findings have been published in the latest Scientific Reports.
The Troisième caverne of Goyet was excavated nearly 150 years ago. Today, researchers are able to extract vast amounts of information using current methods -- such as precise digital measurement and categorization of the bones, examination of the conditions in which the bone fragments were preserved, as well as isotopic and genetic analysis.
Some Neanderthal remains from Goyet have been worked by human hands, as evidenced by cut marks, pits and notches. The researchers see this as an indication that the bodies from which they came were butchered. This appears to have been done thoroughly; the remains indicate processes of skinning, cutting up, and extraction of the bone marrow. "These indications allow us to assume that Neanderthals practised cannibalism," says Hervé Bocherens. But he adds that it is impossible to say whether the remains were butchered as part of some symbolic act, or whether the butchering was carried out simply for food. "The many remains of horses and reindeer found in Goyet were processed the same way," Bocherens says. Researchers have long debated the evidence of cannibalism among Neanderthals, which until now focused on the sites of El Sidrón and Zafarraya in Spain and two French sites, Moula-Guercy and Les Pradelles. The Troisième caverne of Goyet is the first example of this phenomenon from more northern parts of Europe.
Four bones from Goyet clearly indicate that Neanderthals used their deceased relatives' bones as tools; one thigh bone and three shinbones were used to shape stone tools. Animal bones were frequently used as knapping tools. "That Neanderthal bones were used for this purpose -- that's something we had seen at very few sites, and nowhere as frequently as in Goyet," Bocherens says.
The new findings open up many possibilities regarding the way late Neanderthals dealt with their dead in this last period before they died out. Bocherens says none of the other Neanderthal sites in the region have yielded indications that the dead were dealt with as they were in Goyet. On the contrary, they have yielded burials. Researchers say that, in addition, other northern European Neanderthal sites had a greater variety and various arsenals of stone tools. "The big differences in the behavior of these people on the one hand, and the close genetic relationship between late European Neanderthals on the other, raise many questions about the social lives and exchange between various groups," says Bocherens.

Taken from The Science Daily

Climate Change pushes the Penguins in real Danger in Antarctica

Washington: According to a new study,  continued warming of Antarctica due to climate change may lead to decline of 60 per cent of Adelie Penguin colonies by the end of this century.

Antarctic Climate is be behaving very peculiarly. It is cooling is some places and warming in others. According to the researchers this is causing a dramatic shifting in the population of  the Adelie Penguins. 

Historic satellite observations and future climate model projections were used to estimate past and future changes in habitat suitability during the penguins' chick-rearing period.

The climate change impacts will be highly site specific based on regional climate trends on Antarctica, said Vincent Saba who works at the geophysical fluid dynamics laboratory at Princeton.

A continued southward contraction of the range of Adelie penguins is likely over the next century.
Saba helped analyse the global climate model output and applied the climate change projections to the penguin presence-absence models.

Over time, Adelie penguins were once positively affected by warming and negatively affected by cooling. 

Researchers found that further warming is no longer beneficial at some locations on Antarctica, although some cooler regions could serve as a refuge and buffer the effects for a while.

Continued warming is expected to lead to population declines at approximately 30 per cent of colonies by 2060 and 60 per cent of colonies by 2099, researchers said.  

Antarctic Ozone Layer is Healing

Scientists at MIT and elsewhere have identified the "first fingerprints of healing" of the Antarctic ozone layer.

The team found that the September ozone hole has shrunk by more than 4 million square kilometers -- about half the area of the contiguous United States -- since 2000, when ozone depletion was at its peak. The team also showed for the first time that this recovery has slowed somewhat at times, due to the effects of volcanic eruptions from year to year. Overall, however, the ozone hole appears to be on a healing path.

The ozone hole was first discovered using ground-based data that began in the 1950s. Around the mid-1980s, scientists from the British Antarctic survey noticed that the October total ozone was dropping. From then on, scientists worldwide typically tracked ozone depletion using October measurements of Antarctic ozone.

Ozone is sensitive not just to chlorine, but also to temperature and sunlight. Chlorine eats away at ozone, but only if light is present and if the atmosphere is cold enough to create polar stratospheric clouds on which chlorine chemistry can occur -- a relationship that Solomon was first to characterize in 1986. Measurements have shown that ozone depletion starts each year in late August, as Antarctica emerges from its dark winter, and the hole is fully formed by early October.

The researchers tracked the yearly opening of the Antarctic ozone hole in the month of September, from 2000 to 2015. They analyzed ozone measurements taken from weather balloons and satellites, as well as satellite measurements of sulfur dioxide emitted by volcanoes, which can also enhance ozone depletion. And, they tracked meteorological changes, such as temperature and wind, which can shift the ozone hole back and forth.

They then compared their yearly September ozone measurements with model simulations that predict ozone levels based on the amount of chlorine that scientists have estimated to be present in the atmosphere from year to year. The researchers found that the ozone hole has declined compared to its peak size in 2000, shrinking by more than 4 million square kilometers by 2015. They further found that this decline matched the model's predictions, and that more than half the shrinkage was due solely to the reduction in atmospheric chlorine.

Agents Raid Jerusalem Souvenir Store

JERUSALEM, ISRAEL—Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) agents confiscated bronze arrowheads, 2,000-year-old coins, perfume vessels, and other ancient artifacts during the raid of a souvenir store in an upscale Jerusalem mall that was lacking a proper license. The Times of Israel reports that earlier this year, the IAA mandated licensed dealers of antiquities use a digitized inventory system and upload detailed descriptions of their items for sale into an IAA database. According to the IAA, the new system should prevent licensed dealers from “laundering” artifacts acquired illegally and manipulating inventories. Eitan Klein, deputy head of the IAA's theft prevention unit, said that before the new regulations were implemented “it was abundantly clear that in order to supply the merchandise antiquities sites in Israel and around the world were being plundered and history was sold to the highest bidder.

Who Was Buried in Egypt’s KV55?

LUXOR, EGYPT—Funded with a grant from the American Research Center in Egypt Endowment Fund, Egypt’s Ministry of Antiquities will begin the second phase of a study to identify a sarcophagus found in tomb KV55 in the Valley of the Kings in 1906. The results of the first phase of the study suggested that a box of 500 gold sheets, found in a storage room at the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir, may belong to the KV55 sarcophagus. Ahram Online reports that the remains of a skull and a note written in French were found along with the box. Elham Salah, head of the ministry’s Museums Department, says the note is dated to the time of the discovery of tomb KV55, and it states that the gold sheets were discovered with a sarcophagus.

Family Burial Plot Unearthed in Indiana Roadway

AMITY, INDIANA—The remains of two women, a man, and four children have been recovered from a family plot in the middle of a road in rural central Indiana. The Associated Press reports that a team of archaeologists from the University of Indianapolis were investigating the area ahead of the expansion of the road when they found the graves. All but one of them were thought to have been moved in the early 1900s when the road was constructed. Nancy Kerlin Barnett’s grandson is said to have defended her 1831 grave with a shotgun. “As it stands right now, it looks at least in the immediate area by where we feel like where the Nancy Kerlin Barnett grave was, nothing was removed,” said archaeologist Christopher Schmidt. The road remains closed while the investigation continues. For more on archaeology in the Midwest.

Rare Skara Brae Figurine Rediscovered in Scotland

STROMNESS, SCOTLAND—According to a report in The Orcadian, a figurine unearthed on the largest of the Orkney Islands in the 1860s has been rediscovered in a box at Stromness Museum. Dubbed the “Skara Brae Buddo,” the figurine had been packed away among artifacts from Skaill House, a historic manor overlooking the Neolithic site of Skara Brae, since the 1930s. The 5,000-year-old figurine, carved from a piece of whalebone, was originally found in the remains of a house in the Neolithic village. Modern scholars only knew of the sculpture, which has eyes and a mouth cut in its face and a navel in its body, from a sketch in the nineteenth-century notebooks kept by antiquarian George Petrie. Researchers think the holes in the carving may have been used to suspend it.

SS Coast Trader Identified in Canadian Waters

VANCOUVER, CANADA—A team of researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Vancouver Maritime Museum, and Ocean Exploration Trust has confirmed that a well-preserved shipwreck in the Strait of Juan de Fuca is the SS Coast Trader, a World War II–era merchant marine vessel. The 324-foot supply ship exploded and sank off the coast of Vancouver Island in June 1942. At the time, reports indicated that an “internal explosion” caused the ship to sink. The survey, reported in The Lookout, revealed that the ship had been struck with a torpedo. “This finding brings an important part of [the Second World War] right to our doorstep and proves the fears of a full-scale attack were very real and the [Japanese] submarines were right here operating on Canada’s west coast,” said Ken Burton, executive director of the Vancouver Maritime Museum. The 56 people on board the freighter were rescued by the Royal Canadian Navy after 40 hours at sea. One of the sailors eventually died from injuries and exposure.