Lets Learn Something

19/04/2020

Drop a famous line of your teacher.

13/04/2020

Humans began developing a complex culture as early as the Stone Age . This development was brought about by social interactions between various groups of hunters and gatherers, a UZH study has now confirmed. The researchers mapped the social networks of present-day hunter-gatherers in the Philippines and simulated the discovery of a medicinal plant product.

Around 300,000 years ago, our ancestors lived in small communities as hunters and gatherers. This lifestyle likely played a central role in humanity's success, as it enabled humans to start sharing and combining their individual knowledge with others and in this way come up with innovative solutions. This unique capacity is what distinguishes us from our closest relatives, the chimpanzees.

Insights into this process can be gained by studying the few remaining hunter-gatherer societies, such as the Agta people, who live in the Philippines. An international research team has now investigated the social network of Agta hunter-gatherers to shed light on the evolution of culture. The study was led by Andrea Migliano and Lucio Vinicius from the Department of Anthropology of the University of Zurich as well as Federico Battiston from the Central European University in Budapest.

The researchers simulated the complex cultural creation of a plant-based medicinal product.

The researchers simulated the complex cultural creation of a plant-based medicinal product.

The researchers equipped 53 adult Agta living in woodland in seven interconnected residential camps with tracking devices and recorded every social interaction between members of the different camps over a period of one month. The researchers also did the same for a different group, who lived on the coast.

During this time, the tracking devices documented thousands of interactions and provided a comprehensive picture of the Agta's social structure. As expected, people most frequently interacted with members of their own camp, but the study also revealed inter-camp visits almost on a daily basis. "It is fair to say that 'visits between camps' is the social media of current hunter-gatherers," says first author Andrea Migliano, professor of anthropology at UZH.

“When we need a new solution for a problem, we go online and use multiple sources to obtain information from a variety of people. Hunter-gatherers use their social network in exactly the same way."

The team of researchers then developed a computer model of this social structure and simulated the complex cultural creation of a plant-based medicinal product. In this fictitious scenario, the people shared their knowledge of medicinal plants with every encounter and combined this knowledge to develop better remedies. This process gradually leads to the development of a highly effective new medicinal product. According to the researchers' simulation, an average of 250 (woodland camps) to 500 (coastal camps) rounds of social interactions were required for the medicinal product to emerge.

In the simulation, agents had to find successive innovations by combining virtual medicinal plants. They were given an initial set of six medicinal plants, which could be combined in triads to generate new drugs (A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, and B3) of increasing medicinal value. At the fourth level of innovation, a crossover of trajectories A and B produces the two medicines with highest efficiency (crossovers 1 and 2). The virtual experiment was finished when a crossover was found. (Figure and simulation were adapted from M. Derex, R. Boyd)

Cumulative culture simulation.

In the simulation, agents had to find successive innovations by combining virtual medicinal plants. They were given an initial set of six medicinal plants, which could be combined in triads to generate new drugs (A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, and B3) of increasing medicinal value. At the fourth level of innovation, a crossover of trajectories A and B produces the two medicines with highest efficiency (crossovers 1 and 2). The virtual experiment was finished when a crossover was found. (Figure and simulation were adapted from M. Derex, R. Boyd )

Human interaction accelerates innovation
Next, the researchers simulated the same scenario using an artificial and fully connected network, where all individuals were connected to each other and immediately transmitted any new information to all members of the network. Surprisingly, in this scenario it took longer for the new medicine to develop - necessitating about 500 to 700 rounds. The reason is that the artificial network spread innovations one step at a time, whereas in the real hunter-gatherer networks new discoveries can also develop in parallel in small clusters, which ultimately results in quicker progress being made.

"Our findings indicate that this social structure of small and interconnected bands may have facilitated the sequence of cultural and technological revolutions that characterizes our species as we expanded within and then out of Africa," concludes last author Lucio Vinicius, from UZH's Department of Anthropology.

The article ‘Hunter-gatherer Networks Accelerated Human Evolution’ was originally published on Science Daily.

Source: University of Zurich. "Hunter-gatherer networks accelerated human evolution."

13/04/2020

VOLUNTEER

15/06/2019

Did you know?
There are only two ways of saying Tea in the world. One is Cha and the other one is Tea.
Both originated in China.

Did you know?

Tea if by sea, cha if by land: Why the world only has two words for tea

With a few minor exceptions, there are really only two ways to say “tea” in the world. One is like the English term—té in Spanish and tee in Afrikaans are two examples. The other is some variation of cha, like chay in Hindi and Jha in Bhutanese.

Both versions come from China. How they spread around the world offers a clear picture of how globalization worked before “globalization” was a term anybody used.

The words that sound like “cha” spread across land, along the Silk Road.

The “tea”-like phrasings spread over water, by Dutch traders bringing the novel leaves back to Europe.

08/03/2019

Paro Tshechu has been held annually since the mid 17th century, when Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal and Ponlop Rigzin Nyingpo established the festival concurrent with the consecration of Paro Rinpung Dzong in 1646, In its earliest form, the ceremonies were not yet given the appellation, 'Paro Tshechu', but nonetheless functioned much the same as the modern Tshechu does today. Accordingly to Zhabdrung's biography, as part of the dzong consecration ceremony, Zhabdrung and Ponlop Rigzin Nyingpo performed a week long drupchen ceremony as well as some dances. At that time, the festival was on far smaller scale and its extremely unlikely that any foreign tourist were there.
In 1686-87, the Forth Desi Gyalse Tenzin Rabgye undertook a series of initiatives to promote and cultivate Tshechu celebrations. The Forth Desi introduced both new and elaborated upon known dances such as Guru Tshengye, Tumngam, Ging Tsholing, Ringa Chudru, Gyan Druk Pawai Ngacham, Raksha Mangcham, Shingjey Phomo, Degye Cham and Hungoen Cham.
Ponlop Drakpa Gyamtsho, a great artist of the time, specifically mentions the Paro Tshechu in his autobiography, noting that he witnessed both the Guru Tshengye and Raksha Mangchham dances in the second lunar month of the Fire Bird year. (corresponding to 1717-18). His testament indicates that the festival has been held consistently during the second lunar month of the year. The rationale for holding the Tshechu at this time is that farmers have a lull in their agricultural work, ideal time for entertainment.

Therefore, with such significance of spending ideal time, entertainer are organizing entertainment trip on the first day of Paro Tshechu.

Enjoy Day, gain merit!

28/02/2019

Repost

11/07/2017

“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing — that’s why we recommend it daily.” — Zig Ziglar

30/11/2016

How do YOU think we can create a better future of learning. Go here and share your thoughts on the topic in the comment below

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqTTojTija8

THE PEOPLE VS THE SCHOOL SYSTEM How do YOU think we can create a better future of learning. Go here and share your thoughts on the topic! http://www.bit.ly/2...

16/08/2015

Rest in Bhutan is the pioneering travel company with the goal to make a difference

12/08/2015

Happiness is all about sharing and liking and of course commenting. So please like, comment and share the Happiness acrosss the globe.

13/07/2015

The young and new business model of REST IN BHUTAN, which is cooperative model whereby business is not meant for profit maximization but also solution maximization in the society and the community they belong. It was started by the young social entreprenuers with the vision to make it more responsible travel company in innovating the niche tourism products like adventure sports, agri, eco and other means of tourism. They believe that they want to use more money for the community development and subsequently, they get satisfaction at the end of the day. Which stuck me more is the idea of sponsoring tours for the under privilage ones and making them explore some uncovered places is really inspiring.

More more details, see their website at www.restinbhutan.com and the facebook Page by typing Rest in Bhutan.

Rest in Bhutan is the pioneering travel company with the goal to make a difference

25/05/2015

KARMA IN THAI BUDDHISM

Here are just a few of the things that Thai people believe in:

* If you build or maintain public roads in this lifetime, you will have your own car in the next.
* If you donate robes to a monk in this lifetime, you will have fashionable clothes in the next.
* If you donate food to the poor in this lifetime, you will have plenty of food in the next.
* If you are stingy with your money in this lifetime, you will be poor in the next.
* If you donate money to the temple in this lifetime, you will have a large house in the next
* If you put flowers on the shrine in this lifetime, you will be beautiful or handsome in the next.
* If you pray often in this lifetime, you will be clever in the next.
* If you release birds or fish* you will enjoy a long life in the next.
* If you kill people in this lifetime, you will die young in the next.
* If you abuse your husband in this lifetime, you will be a spinster in the next.
* If you have affairs with married women in this lifetime, you will never find a wife in the next
* If you donate oil for lamps at the temple in this lifetime, you will have bright eyes in the next
* If you are rude to your parents in this lifetime, you will be deaf and dumb in the next
* If you didn’t pay your debts in this lifetime, you will be born as a cow in the next.
* If you donate medicine for sick people in this lifetime, you will be healthy in the next
* If you are cruel and cold-hearted in this lifetime, you will be all alone in the next.
* If you like to look at n**e pictures in this lifetime, you will be blind in the next.
* If you gossip about people in this lifetime, you will have a harelip in the next.
* If you like cheating people in this lifetime, you will be born as an animal in the next.
* If you don’t help people in danger in this lifetime, you will be in prison in the next.
* If you sneer at beggars in this lifetime, you will starve to death in the next.
* If you look down on servants in this lifetime, you will be ugly in the next.
* If you don’t believe in the Buddhist teaching in this lifetime, then you will be deaf in the next.
* If you hurt animals in this lifetime, you will have leprosy in the next.
* If you are envious of other people in this lifetime, you will have body odour in the next
* If you make a false charge against a monk in this lifetime, you will be struck by lightning in the next.

09/05/2015

Announcement for interested youths in Thimphu!
Writer's Project: Preservation of oral traditions and histories.
-two days training starting from 13th May.
- One week in field documentation in Thimphu.
This is a project of Y Social Co-Op in collaboration with Bhutan Center for Media and Democracy.

12/04/2015

V is for the valiant efforts you show each day

O is for the organization that you display

L is for the love you share with every child

U is for the understanding in your smile

N is for the need we have for your ability

T is for the talents that we all like to see

E is for everything you give to us

E is for everybody that thinks you're fabulous

R is for a reminder to come back next year because we would be lost without all of you here!

25/03/2015

Most of us have heard of terms like 'freedom of speech' and 'right to vote', at some point. They may seem ridiculous, especially because these civil liberties are often taken for granted, without considering the struggle our ancestors had to go through to obtain them. On the other hand, civil rights are often associated with the popular movement started by Martin Luther King Jr., which successfully ended racial segregation. This movement greatly empowered the African-American community, by giving them equal rights. Which takes us to the question, do civil rights and civil liberties mean the same thing, as they are often used interchangeably? Find the answer in the following comparison between civil rights vs. civil liberties, which covers the key differences between them.

What Do They Mean?

Civil rights are those given by the government to ensure that nobody is discriminated because of their age, gender, race, religion, or s*xual orientation.

Civil liberties are certain basic, constitutional rights and freedoms which prevent the government from infringing in the lives of its citizens.

Whom Do They Protect?

Civil rights are based on the governmental protection of a group (such as African-Americans), who are likely to face discrimination.

Civil liberties aim to protect every individual (or give 'liberty') from an overbearing government.

Role of the Government

Civil rights represent the rights achieved by positive actions taken by the government.

Civil liberties are rights that protect citizens against government actions in the first place, when these infringe upon their rights.

What Kind of Rights are They?

Civil rights are rules and laws specifically designed to eradicate unequal treatment.

Civil liberties are basic rights without much specification, and are enjoyed by all.

Where are They Taken From?

The original civil rights are present in the 13th and 14th Amendments of the US Constitution, and the rest have been derived from laws passed by the Federal Government. Several state constitutions and municipal laws also protect these rights.

Civil liberties are guaranteed by some parts of the Constitution and the entire Bill of Rights (1st Ten Amendments), while the rest are based on interpretations of the Supreme Court and lower federal courts. State and local laws do not play much role in protecting civil liberties.

Examples

The rights obtained from the following laws are examples of civil rights.
The Age Discrimination in Employment Act forbids employers from discriminating against employees of 40 years age, or older.
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 outlaws the unequal treatment of people with disabilities.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 forbids any discrimination based on age, race, s*x, religion, and similar parameters.
The Fourteenth Amendment gives equal citizenship rights to all, irrespective of race.

The following rights given by the Constitutional Amendments are examples of civil liberties.
Right to life and liberty
Freedom of speech and religion
Right to vote, marry, and carry weapons
Right of equal protection by law
Right to privacy and protection from having one's property/person searched without a warrant
Right to assemble for peaceful purposes
History

The concept of civil rights is of recent origin, though it represents the centuries-old struggle of African-Americans against unfair treatment. Its use began after the end of the US Civil War, when the 14th Amendment was passed to address the issues faced by former African-American slaves who were freed by the war. Later, the term became popular following the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and '60s, after which the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed.

The origins of civil liberties can be traced to a historic document called the Magna Carta, which granted similar rights to citizens of 13th-century England. When the United States achieved independence, all states wanted individual freedoms to be guaranteed by the new Federal Government, for which the Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution.

Principle

Civil rights are based on the principle of a popular or democratic government, since it represents everyone without discrimination.

Civil liberties arise from a limited government, where citizens have significant control and the government has certain 'limits' over its power.

While the above comparison may depict civil rights and liberties as complete opposites, they can overlap in some cases. For example, a civil-rights complaint, where an employee is discriminated on the basis of his/her religion would also involve his freedom of religion (a civil liberty) if he was prevented from following his religion at the workplace.

12/09/2014

Buddhism is not about either believing or not believing in God or gods. Rather, the historical Buddha taught that believing in gods was not useful for those seeking to realize enlightenment. In other words, God is unnecessary in Buddhism. For this reason, Buddhism is more accurately called nontheistic than atheistic.

The Buddha also plainly said that he was not a god, but "awakened."

29/08/2014

What is Ebola?

Ebola is a viral illness of which the initial symptoms can include a sudden fever, intense weakness, muscle pain and a sore throat, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). And that is just the beginning: subsequent stages are vomiting, diarrhoea and - in some cases - both internal and external bleeding.

The current outbreak is the deadliest since Ebola was discovered in 1976
The disease infects humans through close contact with infected animals, including chimpanzees, fruit bats and forest antelope.

It then spreads between humans by direct contact with infected blood, bodily fluids or organs, or indirectly through contact with contaminated environments. Even funerals of Ebola victims can be a risk, if mourners have direct contact with the body of the deceased.
The incubation period can last from two days to three weeks, and diagnosis is difficult. The human disease has so far been mostly limited to Africa, although one strain has cropped up in the Philippines.

Healthcare workers are at risk if they treat patients without taking the right precautions to avoid infection. People are infectious as long as their blood and secretions contain the virus - in some cases, up to seven weeks after they recover.

07/08/2014

Personality Color Blue

While you may not exhibit all the character traits of a personality color blue as listed here, if this is your favorite color you will find yourself somewhere in the description. You may also find you exhibit some of the negative traits, particularly when you are stressed

If Your Favorite Color is Blue

If this is your favorite color you are conservative, reliable and trustworthy - you are quite trusting of others although you are very wary in the beginning until you are sure of the other person. At the same time, you also have a deep need to be trusted.
You are not impulsive or spontaneous - you always think before you speak and act and do everything at your own pace in your own time. You take time to process and share your feelings.
You are genuine and sincere, and you take your responsibilities seriously.
Having a personality color blue means you have a deep need for peace and harmony in your everyday life - you don't like having your feathers ruffled. You would benefit from daily meditation and quiet time for reflection, introspection and self-discovery.
You appear to be confident and self-controlled, but may be hiding your vulnerable side.
Being a personality color blue means you are generally fairly even-tempered, unless your emotions take over - then you can become either moody and over-emotional, or cool and indifferent.
You are sensitive to the needs of others and caring with your close circle of friends. While you are friendly and sociable, you prefer the company of your own close group of friends.
You are a rescuer and love to be needed but one of your lessons is to learn to love yourself first - you live from your heart and are always busy putting the needs of others first.
You can be rigid - you like to stick to what is familiar to you and it is hard to sway you from your path - you stubbornly do things your way even if there is a better way.
You need to have direction & order in your living and work spaces - untidiness and unpredictability overwhelm you.
You don't like to draw attention to yourself - you prefer to be in the background.
While you don't like to have discord or conflict in your life, you are often the cause of conflict with others; you can be quite manipulative but in a very subtle way.
You make a loyal and faithful marriage partner and you are an honest, trustworthy and sincere friend. You form strong attachments, but risk a tendency to become codependent.
You can be quite emotional, aware of others feelings and sensitive to the moods of others.
As a personality color blue, you are sentimental and love things from the past. You cry easily at sad movies.
You compare the present to the past, looking to authority figures, parents, bosses or other leaders, to support your beliefs about the world.

09/06/2014

The symbol of oak Tree

Symbolizing courage and strength, the oak tree is believed to be the most powerful of trees. In ancient times, the Romans conceived that oak trees were responsible for attracting lightening. So they associated it to Jupiter, the Sky God, and Juno, the Goddess of Marriage, and the wife of Jupiter. So, this tree is symbolic of fulfillment and conjugal fidelity. Socrates believed that the oak tree had divine powers, and considered it to be authoritative. Pre-Christian priests of the Celts are believed to have eaten acorns while preparing to preach. Moreover, they also believed that its leaves had healing properties.

11/05/2014

The Lincoln Assassination Conspiracy

John Wilkes Booth’s April 14, 1865 assassination of President Abraham Lincoln was just one part of a much larger plot to strike a decisive blow against the Union high command. The conspiracy had originated months earlier, when Booth and several other Southern sympathizers schemed to kidnap Lincoln and hold him ransom in exchange for Confederate prisoners. The plan encountered repeated setbacks, and as the rebellion disintegrated in April 1865, Booth was forced to alter his strategy. After learning that Lincoln and Union General Ulysses S. Grant were set to attend the play “Our American Cousin” at Ford’s Theater in Washington, D.C., he resolved to carry out a series of coordinated assassinations. Booth would personally murder Lincoln and Grant, while his co-conspirators George Atzerodt and Lewis Powell would kill Vice President Andrew Johnson and Secretary of State William Seward in their homes.

The conspirators hoped the killings would send the U.S. government into a tailspin, but their plan quickly fell apart. While Booth succeeded in mortally wounding Lincoln at Ford’s Theater, he missed out on Grant, who had decided not to attend the play. At the same time, Powell attacked Seward as the Secretary lay in bed, but only succeeded in leaving him with severe knife wounds. Atzerodt, meanwhile, abandoned the plan entirely and made no attempt to assassinate Johnson. While Lincoln would die the following morning, his administration remained intact. Within weeks, Booth had been killed and Powell, Atzerodt and several other conspirators were arrested. All were later executed or condemned to prison

11/05/2014

Mother’s Day is a holiday honoring motherhood that is observed in different forms throughout the world. The American incarnation of Mother’s Day was created by Anna Jarvis in 1908 and became an official U.S. holiday in 1914. Jarvis would later denounce the holiday’s commercialization and spent the latter part of her life trying to remove it from the calendar. While dates and celebrations vary, Mother’s Day most commonly falls on the second Sunday in May and traditionally involves presenting mothers with flowers, cards and other gifts.

MOTHER’S DAY: HISTORICAL PRECURSORS

Celebrations of mothers and motherhood can be traced back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, who held festivals in honor of the mother goddesses Rhea and Cybele, but the clearest modern precedent for Mother’s Day is the early Christian festival known as “Mothering Sunday.” Once a major tradition in the United Kingdom and parts of Europe, this celebration fell on the fourth Sunday in Lent and was originally seen as a time when the faithful would return to their “mother church”—the main church in the vicinity of their home—for a special service. Over time the Mothering Sunday tradition shifted into a more secular holiday, and children would present their mothers with flowers and other tokens of appreciation. This custom eventually faded in popularity before merging with the American Mother’s Day in the 1930s and 1940s.
MOTHER’S DAY: EARLY INCARNATIONS
The roots of the modern American Mother’s Day date back to the 19th century. In the years before the Civil War (1861-65), Ann Reeves Jarvis of West Virginia helped start “Mothers’ Day Work Clubs” to teach local women how to properly care for their children. These clubs later became a unifying force in a region of the country still divided over the Civil War. In 1868 Jarvis organized “Mothers’ Friendship Day,” at which mothers gathered with former Union and Confederate soldiers to promote reconciliation.

Another precursor to Mother’s Day came from the abolitionist and suffragette Julia Ward Howe. In 1870 Howe wrote the “Mother’s Day Proclamation,” a call to action that asked mothers to unite in promoting world peace. In 1873 Howe campaigned for a “Mother’s Peace Day” to be celebrated every June 2. Other early Mother’s Day pioneers include Juliet Calhoun Blakely, a temperance activist who inspired a local Mother’s Day in Albion, Michigan, in the 1870s. The duo of Mary Towles Sasseen and Frank Hering, meanwhile, both worked to organize a Mothers’ Day in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Some have even called Hering “the father of Mothers’ Day.”

MOTHER’S DAY: FOUNDING BY ANNA JARVIS
The official Mother’s Day holiday arose in the 1900s as a result of the efforts of Anna Jarvis, daughter of Ann Reeves Jarvis. Following her mother’s 1905 death, Anna Jarvis conceived of Mother’s Day as a way of honoring the sacrifices mothers made for their children. After gaining financial backing from a Philadelphia department store owner named John Wanamaker, in May 1908 she organized the first official Mother’s Day celebration at a Methodist church in Grafton, West Virginia. That same day also saw thousands of people attend a Mother’s Day event at one of Wanamaker’s retail stores in Philadelphia.

Following the success of her first Mother’s Day, Jarvis—who remained unmarried and childless her whole life—resolved to see her holiday added to the national calendar. Arguing that American holidays were biased toward male achievements, she started a massive letter writing campaign to newspapers and prominent politicians urging the adoption of a special day honoring motherhood. By 1912 many states, towns and churches had adopted Mother’s Day as an annual holiday, and Jarvis had established the Mother’s Day International Association to help promote her cause. Her persistence paid off in 1914 when President Woodrow Wilson signed a measure officially establishing the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.

Anna Jarvis had originally conceived of Mother’s Day as a day of personal celebration between mothers and families. Her version of the day involved wearing a white carnation as a badge and visiting one’s mother or attending church services. But once Mother’s Day became a national holiday, it was not long before florists, card companies and other merchants capitalized on its popularity.

While Jarvis had initially worked with the floral industry to help raise Mother’s Day’s profile, by 1920 she had become disgusted with how the holiday had been commercialized. She outwardly denounced the transformation and urged people to stop buying Mother’s Day flowers, cards and candies. Jarvis eventually resorted to an open campaign against Mother’s Day profiteers, speaking out against confectioners, florists and even charities. She also launched countless lawsuits against groups that had used the name “Mother’s Day,” eventually spending most of her personal wealth in legal fees. By the time of her death in 1948 Jarvis had disowned the holiday altogether, and even actively lobbied the government to see it removed from the American calendar.

MOTHER’S DAY: CELEBRATIONS AND TRADITIONS

While versions of Mother’s Day are celebrated throughout the world, traditions vary depending on the country. In Thailand, for example, Mother’s Day is always celebrated in August on the birthday of the current queen, Sirikit. Another alternate observance of Mother’s Day can be found in Ethiopia, where families gather each fall to sing songs and eat a large feast as part of Antrosht, a multi-day celebration honoring motherhood.

In the United States, Mother’s Day continues to be celebrated by presenting mothers and other women with gifts and flowers, and it has become one of the biggest holidays for consumer spending. Families might also celebrate by giving mothers a day off from activities like cooking or other household chores. At times Mother’s Day has also been a date for launching political or feminist causes. In 1968 Coretta Scott King, wife of Martin Luther King Jr., used Mother’s Day to host a march in support of underprivileged women and children. In the 1970s women’s groups also used the holiday as a time to highlight the need for equal rights and access to childcare.