Now you can 3-D Print Objects made of Wood Fibers.,

Now you can 3-D Print Objects made of Wood Fibers.

Cellulose offers sustainable Alternative to Metal and Plastic.

A tiny 3D printed chair made of cellulose.

From prosthetic hands to an entire bridge, you can pretty much 3D print anything you can imagine. But the materials to make them are diversifying a bit more slowly. Now researchers from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have found a way to 3D print objects from cellulose, a naturally occurring string of molecules derived from wood. The resulting objects are an environmentally friendly and sustainable alternative to the metals and plastics that currently dominate 3D printing. The researchers presented their work this week at a conference titled “New Materials From Trees.”

We’re used to seeing objects and constructions made of wood, but it hasn’t been easy to put it in a form that can be 3D printed. Unlike the metal or plastic commonly used in 3D printing, cellulose doesn’t melt when heated, which means it’s much harder to mold into different objects. To work around this, the researchers mixed tiny fibers of cellulose in a liquid gel made of water. The researchers tested their mixture on a 3D bio-printer, which had been used previously to make scaffolds where cells grew before being implanted in a patient.

Once the object has been printed from the gel, it has to dry, which is critical for maintaining its final shape. The researchers figured out a way to freeze the object, then slowly remove some of the water so that the final product is in the desired shape.

The researchers were also able to insert carbon nano-tubes into the dry object so that it could conduct electricity. When they tested one conductive gel with the nano-tubes and one without, they were able to create a 3D electrical circuit.

Found in the cell walls of plants and algae or secreted by bacteria, cellulose is a very abundant polymer. 3D printed objects made of cellulose would biodegradable and could even capture carbon dioxide that would otherwise pollute the atmosphere.

Paul Gatenholm, a professor of bio-polymer technology at Chalmers and one of the study authors, envisions a huge range of applications for products printed with cellulose. "Potential applications range from sensors integrated with packaging, to textiles that convert body heat to electricity, and wound dressings that can communicate with healthcare workers," he says. In the future his team plans to experiment with other organic compounds derived from wood.

Can Windows 10 give Microsoft a second life?

Can Windows 10 give Microsoft a second life

The tech company looks to redeem itself from the failure of its last operating system Windows 8.

In the last week of July, Microsoft will launch Windows 10. Since 1995, when Windows won over geeks and took over the world of computers, every launch of this operating system (OS) has been a big deal. Windows still powers over 80 per cent of world's computers. But there is one more reason why the release of the new Windows is a significant moment for computers users and Microsoft. It is an operating system that is supposed to fix the wrongs that Microsoft committed with Windows 8 in 2012.

Windows 8 was a disaster. With Apple's iPad stealing the show, Microsoft tried to counter it by Windows 8, an operating system that was supposed to be as easy to run on a tablet as it was on desktop. But the result was dis-appointing. Microsoft tried to do too many things with Windows 8 and lost focus. In the end, Windows 8 turned out to be too complex to be used on tablets and too sloppy and haphazard to really benefit laptop and desktop users. Its user interface was so confusing that enterprise users aka companies that use Windows in their offices opted for Windows 7 over it. Individual users too decided to skip it and even those who somehow ended up with the Windows 8, mostly hated it, finding it cumbersome to use.

Microsoft tried to fix Windows 8 with the Windows 8.1 in 2013 but the damage was done.

With Windows 10, Microsoft is going to undo this damage and so far it seems that the company is on the right track.

With Windows 10, Microsoft is focussing its energy on the core users of the operating system. These core users are people who run Windows on their laptops or desktops and not on tablets. So the whole user interface has been simplified and is now much more closer to the excellent Windows 7. The tile-based interface that Microsoft introduced in Windows 8 is gone. The start menu, which was removed in Windows 8, is back. Similarly, the whole interface has been retooled so that it is easier to use Windows 10 with a keyboard and mouse. This is unlike the approach Microsoft took with the Windows 8 where the focus was on touchscreens.

Windows 10 feels like a logical evolution of Windows 7, which arguably is the best operating system Microsoft has made so far. It marks a clean break from the Windows 8. But that doesn't mean it lacks new features.

While in terms of user interface and focus, Microsoft is returning to the basics - and these are good basics - it is adding some cool features that would make the new Windows appear modern. The user interface is pleasingly flat, showing that Windows 10 is an operating system that belongs to 2015. It also has features like Cortana, the virtual assistant that would help users interact with the computer with voice commands. While it won't be anything like what we saw in the Hollywood film Her, the idea is similar. The new OS also comes with unique features like desktop spaces - sort of virtual compartments that will help users keep their personal and professional lives separate - and universal search.

While we will know the full capabilities and limitations of Windows 10 once it is out, it is clear the new operating system is shaping up to be a classic similar to Windows 7. If it is everything that Microsoft has promised, it may even help the company save the Windows brand, something that took a hit after the Windows 8.

THESE ARE WHAT THE GOOGLE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE’S DREAMS LOOK LIKE.

THESE ARE WHAT THE GOOGLE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE’S DREAMS LOOK LIKE.

Google's artificial neural network has some explaining to do.

Google's servers drive the much of the world's data, and apparently, they dream as well, according to a Google blog post by two Google software engineers and an intern.

Google's artificial neural network has some explaining to do.

Google’s artificial neural networks (ANNs) are stacked layers of artificial neurons (run on computers) used to process Google Images. To understand how computers dream, we first need to understand how they learn. In basic terms, Google's programmers teach an ANN what a fork is by showing it millions of pictures of forks, and designating that each one is what a fork looks like. Each of network's 10-30 layers extracts progressively more complex information from the picture, from edges to shapes to finally the idea of a fork. 

Eventually, the neural network understands a fork has a handle and two to four tines, and if there are any errors, the team corrects what the computer is misreading and tries again.

The Google team realized that the same process used to discern images could be used to generate images as well. The logic holds: if you know what a fork looks like, you can ostensibly draw a fork.

This is what Google's neural network thinks animals and objects look like.

This showed that even when shown millions of photos, the computer couldn’t come up with a perfect Plutonian form of an object. For instance, when asked to create a dumbbell, the computer depicted long, stringy arm-things stretching from the dumbbell shapes. Arms were often found in pictures of dumbbells, so the computer thought that sometimes dumbbells had arms.

This helped refine the company’s image processing capabilities, but the Google team took it further. Google used the ANN to amplify patterns it saw in pictures. Each artificial neural layer works on a different level of abstraction, meaning some picked up edges based on tiny levels of contrast, while others found shapes and colors. They ran this process to accentuate color and form, and then by told the network to go buck wild, and keep accentuating anything it recognizes. So if a cloud looks similar to a bird, the network would keep applying its idea of a bird in small iterations over and over again.

Arms were often found in pictures of dumbbells, so the computer thought that sometimes dumbbells had arms.

Oddly enough, the Google team found patterns. Stone and trees often became buildings. Leaves often became birds and insects.

Google's artificial neural network often found similar patterns in images of rocks or trees.

Researchers then set the picture the network produced as the new picture to process, creating an iterative process with a small zoom each time, and soon the network began to create a “endless stream of new impressions.” When started with white noise, the network would produce images purely of its own design. They call these images the neural network's "dreams," completely original representations of a computer's mind, derived from real world objects.

The produce of an artificial neural network being asked to amplify and pull patterns out of white noise.

The produce of an artificial neural network being asked to amplify and pull patterns out of white noise.

Google continues to use these techniques to find out what their artificial neural networks are learning, and even ponders if it could shed light on the “roots of the creative process in general.”

Ten Crazy Facts Girls Don’t Want Guys to Know.

Ten Crazy Facts Girls Don’t Want Guys to Know.

There is always something that girls aren’t telling the guys that they are with. Some are a bit strange, others are a bit sneaky, but others are downright crazy. Here are the top 10 crazy things or facts that your girl may be hiding from you.

1.Secretly, girls want all of your ex-girlfriends to be beautiful. This is the easiest way for girls to compare their beauty with others. If your girlfriend is searching through your Facebook list for ex-girlfriends, it is probably so that she can see how pretty they are.

2.Surprisingly, girls actually enjoy when you don’t call them back the next day, especially if you came on strong the day before. You will be constantly on their mind as they ponder everything that could have gone wrong.

 3.On a first date, most girls will refuse to shave their legs. This is the best way to stay out of your bed and leaves you wanting to see them again. Usually they will also wear unflattering underwear on a first date as well for the same reason.

4.At a party, girls will see the sexy women faster than they will see the sexy guys. They always want to know where their competition is and how they stack up against the other girls in the room.

 5.There are times when girls will fake it, just so you will let them go to sleep. At times, it may be difficult for them to realize when they are faking it and when they are not because the line of faking it and not is very thin.

6.Girls like sex to be a bit rough. Secretly they are looking for you to take charge and show a bit of aggression. They may never admit it, but they love to relinquish the control to you.

7.Girls will pretend that they need help in order to get you to do things for them. Not only does this make you feel better about yourself, but you are doing something that they do not want to do themselves.

8.Don’t think your sex details are safe secrets from your girlfriend’s friends. More than likely, your girl discusses every detail (good and bad) with her entire group of friends. Comparing notes is important!

 9.You may be great, but your girl will still think about her ex-boyfriends from time to time. More than likely, your girl is stalking her ex’s via social media and imagining what their lives would be like if they were with them rather than you.

10.Girls always want dessert. May tell you that they, they secretly want dessert. So, in the end, if you are unsure, order that thousand calorie cake and split it. She will be happy, trust me.

GOOGLE AND LEVI'S ARE WEAVING COMPUTERS INTO YOUR CLOTHES.

GOOGLE AND LEVI'S ARE WEAVING COMPUTERS INTO YOUR CLOTHES.

PROJECT JACQUARD' BRINGS SIMPLE, POWERFUL TECH TO TEXTILES.

-Michael Nuñez.

Project Jacquard

Google’s Advanced Technology and Projects (ATAP) group is one of the most exciting divisions of any major technology company: It’s where Project Ara, Google's modular phone experiment, and Project Tango, Google's 3D-mapping tool, were born and are continuing to be incubated. Now, Google is shooting for the moon with another big idea.

Project Jacquard is an effort to invisibly incorporate computers into objects, materials, and clothing. Everyday items such as sweaters, jackets, and furniture will be turned into interactive surfaces that can be used as trackpads, buttons and more. The objects will receive information directly from the surface of the material used to build them, eliminating the need for bulky plastic or metal parts. The objects will then transmit information to a nearby smartphone or computer using low-powered Wi-Fi.

In order to give everyday objects computing power, Project Jacquard engineers had to weave conductive yarns into common textiles. The yarn created for Project Jacquard combines ultra-thin metallic alloys and common synthetic yarn such as cotton, polyester or silk. The end result is a fabric that’s strong enough to be used in common pieces of clothing and home interior items. The yarn is meant to be indistinguishable from common household fabrics.

Creating a conductive textile material was only half of the equation. Project Jacquard engineers also created complimentary computers that are meant to power any textile-based wearable. The computer components created by the Jacquard team are no bigger than the size of a button, and they’re capable of capturing touch interactions and various gestures. The commands received by the SENSOR would be wirelessly transmitted to a mobile phone or other device within range.

This isn't the first time we've seen conductive material woven into fabrics. But Google wants to help make such products less of a novelty and more common. In order to do that, the company will be partnering with fashion brands to integrate useful wearable computing into fashionable clothing. Google announced that the first partner in Project Jacquard is Levis.

What Determines the Winners and Losers in Entrepreneurship?

What Determines the Winners and Losers in Entrepreneurship?

Winners and Losers in Entrepreneurship

For as long as humans have formed groups, there have been business opportunities and entrepreneurs taking advantage of them, which have rather tremendously evolved from early barter and trade into highly organized companies and other worldly technologies.

As the millennia have passed and we've evolved, competition has increased. This is particularly true in recent times where someone with limited experience or training in advanced technologies (programming) can build both highly successful and valuable tech businesses. As in any competitive environment, there are winners and there are losers -- no shock there -- but what is it that about the two opposing outcomes that separates them

HOW HAVING THREE PARENTS LEADS TO DISEASE-FREE KIDS.

HOW HAVING THREE PARENTS LEADS TO DISEASE-FREE KIDS.

HOW HAVING THREE PARENTS LEADS TO DISEASE-FREE KIDS.

This summer, government health officials in the United Kingdom made headlines by announcing that they will let scientists create babies with DNA from three different people. The procedure is a type of in vitro fertilization (IVF) that would allow women with mitochondrial diseases to have healthy babies. If approved by British Parliament, the method, known as mitochondrial replacement, would lead to a historic event: the first genetically modified humans who could pass down those genetic tweaks to their children.

Some bioethicists and media commentators have voiced concerns about the technique's safety because so far it's only been tested on human cells in the laboratory. More broadly, they fear it's a step toward designer babies and eugenics.

It's worth noting that IVF itself, which merges sperm and egg cells in a lab, also set off debate when it debuted 35 years ago. The procedure carries some small medical risks, such as a slightly increased chance of premature and low-weight babies, and creates many embryos that never get used. But let's not forget its enormous upside: It has allowed millions of couples to have children who couldn't otherwise. Mitochondrial replacement isn't any scarier—or any less impressive. Mitochondrial disease affects only about 1 in 5,000 people. The method will be performed at a few select clinics in the U.K. and will be carefully monitored. If it proves to be safe, then thousands of women will have the option to bear healthy biological children without giving them their disease. And if it's not safe, it will most likely be banned.

The method would lead to the first genetically modified humans who could pass down those tweaks to their children.The most counterintuitive thing about mitochondrial replacement is that the babies it produces won't look any different from babies with only two genetic parents. Here's why. The genome that you might already be familiar with is the one in the nucleus of each cell that gets half of its DNA from mom and half from dad. However, everyone also has another genome, the mitochondrial genome, and that's what the new reproductive technique involves. Mitochondria are tiny power plants inside each cell that help turn the food you eat into a usable source of energy. Each has its own DNA, with about 37 genes that help the mitochondrion function properly. Unlike nuclear genes, mitochondrial ones don't affect a person's appearance or personality traits or most of what we associate with heredity. They are also inherited entirely from mom.

If someone's mitochondrial DNA has a lot of mutations, that person could end up with a host of problems, including muscular dystrophy, heart disease, and seizures. The mutations can even be fatal. So the new IVF method simply replaces mom's unhealthy mitochondria with healthy ones. Scientists take an egg from a female donor and remove the nuclear DNA, leaving behind her mitochondria. They then add nuclear DNA from the parents: the mother (who has mitochondrial disease) and the father.

Yes, the resulting baby will be the product of three individuals' genes, but, more important, it won't have a devastating disease. Although all reproductive

technologies have the potential to create biological problems, they're far more likely to prevent them. Let's not let our fears get in the way of medical progress.

6 Facts You Need to Know About Starting Your Own Consulting Business.

6 Facts You Need to Know About Starting Your Own Consulting Business.

Thousands of professionals have dreamed about starting Reviews their own consulting business. It seems like a great career path. Hang a shingle, bring in clients, be your own boss, do awesome stuff and make-bank.

Consulting, as it turns out, is not sexy, glamorous, or easy. It's downright hard - harder than you MIGHT think. I encourage anyone with the moxie to start a consulting business. But I also offer cautions - a few yield signs that could save you a lot of grief and get you closer to Achieving your dreams.

Here's what you need to know:

1. You're going to face cranky people.

Some people can not handle unpleasant relationships, especially people who BS them or kick them around. If you're not ready to face cranky people, then consulting is not for you.

Consulting is a face-to-face business. You meet with people. You shake hands. You step into corporate offices. You sit across tables. You talk to people.

Related: 4 Branding Lessons That You Do not Want to Learn the Hard Way

And some of Reviews those people you talk to are just plain mean.

You figure out pretty quickly intervening who is worth working with and who's not. As you figure it out, you MIGHT have to Endure some relationships that eat away at you.

2. Your deliverable is knowledge.

A consultant is hired for one reason: Knowledge.

You must assert your knowledge in the niche for the which you were hired. A client selects you to work on their Behalf Because you know something that they do not.

This means that you tell them like it is, and do not back down. Deliver the knowledge that they pay for. If they do not like it, so be it. If they disagree, so be it.

Your deliverable is knowledge, and if you deliver it in a half-baked way, you're losing the quality of your service.

3. You're probably not charging enough.

One of the biggest mistakes I see new consultants the make is that they do not charge enough for Reviews their service.

Maybe it's guilt. Maybe it's inexperience. But maybe they just do not know how much they should charge. There is no magic formula for fee-setting, but there is a general rule: Charge more than you think you should.

It's important to your client that they are getting a return on their INVESTMENT, so this should be important to you, too. If you can PROVE your ROI, you've got Leeway to charge a healthy percentage of the client's profit.

Remember, the higher your rate, the better you look. If you saw two wristwatches - one for $ 10 and the other for $ 5,000, the which one would you think was the superior? Obviously the more expensive watch is a better timepiece. The same goes for consultants. A consultant Whose fees are $ 100 per hour will be valued far less than a consultant who charges $ 5,000 per hour.

If you're expensive, then you'll be more Likely to get the clients who pay expensive. And that's where you want to be.

4. You're selling yourself.

As unpleasant as it sounds, a consultant is selling him or herself. There's nothing sordid or dirty about this. This is the way business is done in the consulting world.

To successfully sell yourself, here's what you need to be prepared to do:

Dress to kill. You've got the look as good as the services you provide.

Put a big price tag on yourself. People associate higher costs with higher value. The more you charge, the more people will Consider you to be valuable.

Be trustworthy. Trustworthiness is essential in consulting. First off, no one will hire you UNLESS you're trustworthy. Second, if they do hire you, they will not take your advice. Trust is what you have to go on.

Prove your worth. You can not just look it; you've got to actually be it. Give what you promise, and give it well.

Think of yourself as a valuable brand. The better the brand, the more successful you Become. The higher-quality the brand, the better your marketing Becomes.

5. You are not your own boss.

The myth of consulting is that you are your own boss.

You're not your own boss.

I do not know of any industry or occupation where you can Essentially "be your own boss" in terms of defining what you do, when you do it and how you do it. Whoever Gives you money is your boss. As a consultant, that means your clients are in charge. They own your billable hours and they expect results.

Being your own boss extends to your ability to say "no," discipline yourself to work smart and hard and demand fair fees. Beyond that, you've got to work hard for a bunch of other bosses.

6. You're going to face disappointment.

Try starting any business, and you'll have moments of absolute Devastation, both personally and professionally. One of my entrepreneur friends explained how the challenges of running a business the caused severe health problems, and forced him to seek psychiatric care.

If that sounds brutal and scary, then you're exactly right.

Consulting can take an emotional toll. That's a price that you have to pay, but it's not one that you can accurately quantify or Predict. Everyone's emotional and personal makeup is different, and what you MIGHT Destroys the make someone else stronger.

Regardless of how you respond in the face of challenge, one thing is true: You will face disappointment and failure.

There is no easy way to get through tough situations, but the best preparation is simply to expect it and to be ready for it.

Conclusion:

If you aspire to be a consultant, I applaud you and encourage you. I've been down that path, learned valuable lessons and lived to talk about it.

As awesome as it is, there's nothing easy about consulting. Now you know the facts. So, roll up your sleeves, grit your teeth, keep your eye on the goal and be the best consultant you're capable of being. 

Ten things to change when India becomes a Hindu Rashtra.

Ten things to change when India becomes a Hindu Rashtra.

Ten things to change when India becomes a Hindu Rashtra

Here's wishing 2021 is not so far.

1) Delhi will become Hastinapur. So, we will have to go to New Hastinapur Railway Station and Old Hastinapur Railway Stationto catch a train. Delhi University will be known as Hastinapur University. Lutyens' Delhi will be renamed as Lutyens' Hastinapur and Dilliwalas will be known as Hastinapurwalas. On the Metro, the speaker will announce "Hastinapur Metro mei aapka swagat hai".

2) Luxury brands will have to stop selling and marketing their usual wares. Instead they will come out with an all new line for the fashionable Hindu youth: think saffron robes, mini saffron robes, deep neck saffron robes, etc. Instead of rubber sandals, you can even sport saffron coloured wooden sandals. Nike's logo will become a saffron coloured tick.

3) Think Tinder but in Sanskrit or something like that. Young people will propose to girls in Sanskrit with a lit agarbatti in hand (the truer your affections, the longer the agarbatti). Only after approval from parents of both parties can the boy walk up to a girl and say: "Aham tubhyam pranyaami" (I love you) and "Bhavati Mam parinesyati kim" (Will you marry me?)

4) India's population will decrease by 70 per cent since people who did not vote for Narendra Modi or are not true Hindus will be teleported to Pakistan using Vedic maths. Pakistan will become the world's largest democracy and a secular nation and India will become a Hindu Rashtra. Hence, history will be reversed.

5) All major Western brands for women will shut shop as no jeans and no short clothes will be allowed (understandably so). Only salwar kameez, dupattas and saris will be available. Beauty pageants will be renamed as "Shrimati Bharat" and "Shriman Bharat". For formal wear, men will be required to consult Baba Ramdev on matters of fashion.

6) Only Indian food will be available since Chinese food will cause widespread rapes in the country. Consumption of chowmein will be punishable by law. Fresh scientific/Vedic research will go into looking at the impact KFC and McDonalds have on boys, who will after all, be boys, and their appetites.

7) Every engineer will leave their job in Pune and Bangalore since they will be forced to do ghar wapsi and return to their hometown. Arts and Commerce graduates will surely protest against #EngineerJihad and #ManagementJihad, young girls with Arts and Commerce backgrounds will be lured into marriage by engineers and management types, and later forced to convert their degrees.

8) Forget Bangkok or Switzerland, the good Hindu will go to vacations on Mars, Pluto, Jupiter, Saturn and other planets, since we will have sophisticated flying objects, which can travel in space. So, a typical booking would look like Hastinapur to Saturn with a stop at Jupiter. These planes won't cause pollution since they will run on cow urine, which is environment friendly.

9) Aamir Khan will produce “Ghajini 2”, in which he will change his religion every 15 minutes. Shah Rukh Khan will appear in “My name is Khan not Raj” with a tagline “I am a big terrorist”. Salman Khan will make “Ek Tha Lion” and we will protest like good Hindus because lion is communal, tiger is secular.

10) Your popularity will be judged by the amount of sentences you can complete on Arnab Goswami's News Hour without being interrupted. Twitter will be a safe place for all things that the nation really wants to know.

Four Indians among world's 100 most powerful women

Four Indians among world's 100 most powerful women.

 Padmasree Warrior

Indra Nooyi 

Forbes's 12th annual list of the 100 most influential women feature extraordinary entrepreneurs, visionary CEOs, politicians, celebrity role models, billionaire activists and pioneer philanthropists who are "transforming the world" and and have been "ranked by dollars, media presence and impact".

Arundhati Bhattacharya

Shobhana Bhartia  

SBI Chief Arundhati Bhattacharya, ICICI bank head Chanda Kochhar, Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar- Shaw and HT Media Chair Shobhana Bhartia are among the world's 100 most powerful women, according to the Forbes' annual list which is topped by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Two women of Indian-origin PepsiCo Chief Indra Nooyi and Cisco Chief Technology and Strategy Officer Padmasree Warrior also make the list.

Forbes's 12th annual list of the 100 most influential women feature extraordinary entrepreneurs, visionary CEOs, politicians, celebrity role models, billionaire activists and pioneer philanthropists who are "transforming the world" and and have been "ranked by dollars, media presence and impact".Forbes's 12th annual list of the 100 most influential women feature extraordinary entrepreneurs, visionary CEOs, politicians, celebrity role models, billionaire activists and pioneer philanthropists who are "transforming the world" and and have been "ranked by dollars, media presence and impact".

The top 10 include US presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton (2), philanthriopist Melinda Gates (3), Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen (3), GM CEO Mary Barra (5), IMF Chief Christine Lagarde (6), Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff (7), Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg (8), YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki (9) and US First Lady Michelle Obama (10).

59-year-old Bhattacharya has been ranked 30th on the list, followed by Kochhar on the 35th spot, Mazumdar-Shaw (85) and newcomer on the list Bhartia is on the 93rd spot.

On Bhattacharya, Forbes said she oversees 2,20,000 staff members in 16,000 branches and services 225 million customers at the country's largest lender (assets USD 400 billion) with offices spread over 36 countries.

"Recognising the multiple roles of working women, Bhattacharya pioneered a two-year sabbatical policy for female employees taking maternity leave or give extended care to family," it added.

The SBI Chair-Managing director was ranked 36th last year and moved up six spots in the 2015 list.

Kochhar also moved up eight notches in the rankings, from the 43rd spot last year.

Forbes said the 53-year-old ICICI Bank CEO and Managing Director has been credited with "leading a remarkable transformation" at India's largest private sector bank, which experienced major setbacks after the 2008 financial crisis.

"Her focus on 'mobile banking' in rural areas to reach more clients has been praised as a model for low cost expansion in a country with a burgeoning middle class," it said, adding that Kochhar has also been an outspoken proponent of clearer banking laws.

Mazumdar-Shaw moved up from the 92nd spot last year to 85 in the 2015 rankings.

The 62-year-old founded Biocon in 1978 and turned it from a small industrial-enzymes company to India's largest publicly traded biopharmaceutical company, which had USD 460 billion in revenue last year and distributes its products in 85 countries around the world, Forbes said.

Forbes said Bhartia, who makes her debut on the list this year, is a "media baroness" who chairs and runs listed HT Media, publisher of English daily Hindustan Times, a Hindi daily of the same name, and business paper Mint.

India-born PepsiCo Chief Indra Nooyi is among the seven "Hall of Fame" women, who had appeared on the inaugural list in 2004 and are still making to the list. Nooyi is ranked 15th on the list.

"The 59-year old PepsiCo CEO rang in PepsiCo's 50th anniversary by throwing a bone to an activist INVESTOR threatening to ruin the party. By handing a board seat to Nelson Peltz's Trian Fund Management, who thinks the food and beverage giant should split up, Nooyi avoided a messy proxy fight," Forbes said.

India-born Warrior, however, dropped in rankings this year to 84 on the list from 71 last year. Forbes said in her seven years in the USD 138 billion technology company, Warrior has helped Cisco grow in influence through acquisitions, including six in 2014 and 10 in 2013.

The 54-year old Cornell-trained engineer mentors other women in the tech industry and "believes a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education informs creativity," according to her Forbes profile.

The 2015 Most Powerful Women list features eight heads of state (plus one monarch) who run nations with a combined GDP of USD 9.1 trillion with over 600 million citizens.

The 24 corporate CEOs control nearly USD 1 trillion in annual revenues, and 18 of the women founded their own companies or foundations.

This year's class has 15 billionaires with cumulative net worth of nearly USD 75 billion. The total social media footprint (Twitter, YouTube) of all 100 Powerful Women is nearly 475 million followers.

Merkel has made the list ten times over the past 12 years — nine times as No 1. She was first elected in 2005 and won a historic third term in 2013.

The list also includes media mogul Oprah Winfrey (12), singer Beyonce Knowles (21), Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer (22), Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour (28), Queen Elizabeth II (41), TV personality Ellen DeGeneres (50), actress and humanitarian Angelina Jolie (54), Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed (59) and singer Taylor Swift (64).

Forbes added that as of January 2015, 10 women served as heads of state and 14 as heads of government. Women currently hold 23 (4.6 per cent) of CEO positions at S&P 500 companies.

Of a total 1,826 global billionaires, 197 are women —- 11 per cent of the total. Only 9 per cent of executive officers in Silicon Valley are women.

"That these wretched stats continue year after year is a serious and pressing issue. But there's hardly a void of powerful women – and the numbers are growing. That is, if we enlarge our focus from just who owns the greatest wealth or the heaviest corporate hammer to include the women whose influence and impact may be greater than the sum of their title," it said.

Nearly half the women featured are "female firsts", such as GM's Barra, the most world's most powerful businesswoman, and Fed Chair Janet Yellen, the top global state banker.

Drew Gilpin Faust is the first female president of Harvard, and Folorunsho Alakija is the first self-made African billionaire. More than half of the women (59) on the list are American, including immigrants such as von Furstenberg (Belgium), Weili Dai (China) and Warrior (India).

Asia-Pacific citizens make the second strongest showing at 18. Latin America and the Middle East have four regionals on the list, and there are 12 Europeans and three Africans with a slot.

Watching movies in 3D may boost brain power.

Image for representational purposes.

Watching movies in  3D may boost your brain power by sharpening cognitive skills and reaction times, a new study has claimed. In the study, participants showed a 23% increase in cognitive processing ability after watching a movie in 3D.

Their reaction times improved by 11%, and they experienced a "brain boost" for up to 20 minutes after viewing. The improvement in reaction time was five times that experienced by participants who had been watching a 2D movie.

"It is a fact that people are living longer and there is a noticeable decline in cognitive brain function in old age, which can impair future quality of life," said neuroscientist Patrick Fagan from the Goldsmiths University in UK said.

"The initial results of this study indicate that 3D films may potentially play a role in slowing this decline," said Fagan.

Fagan and Professor Brendan Walker of Thrill Laboratory, said 3D movies could be used to help improve the performance of surgeons and other professionals requiring superlative cognitive brain function, such as boxers or tennis players, The Guardian reported.

For the study, cognitive brain tests and brain-monitoring headsets were used to analyse moviegoers at the Vue cinemas in London.

Researchers also found that 3D provided more immersion for viewers than 2D, with a 7% uplift in engagement for viewers watching in stereoscope.

A sob story of a little girl...

A sob story of a little girl... 

Allo & her Father 
A very strict person in nature and a determined doctor by profession!   His aim is to make his children doctors like him.   He wants to live in status and modern day facilities.  The white and beautiful doctor got married in haste to a black and not so beautiful girl.  Their marriage life soon went into trouble with a complex wife.  Allo loves his father, but she cannot accept him completely thinking the injustice he has done to her mother.  The father is a hard task master who wants the children disciplined and concentrates on their studies which the children including Allo don't like.  A father who keep her brother in a locked room food for loving and marrying to a Hindu girl…but a father who keep a bed prepare every night, thinking the same son will be returned some day.   After a point the girl dare to challenge the lion, but follows a dream the lion left to her.   A caring father, but a failed lover- who go out searching for love. 

Allo & her Mother 
Allo's mother was a more worried wife than a loving mother.   This do not mean that she don't love them.  Her aim was to study and get a job, but she was blocked from pursuing her studies.    She knows that her husband is sleeping with another woman and worried that one day he will finish the relation.  To save herself from depression, she tried to find peace at cinema halls but the addiction could not save her.  She tried the religion but the half cooked knowledge could not help.  When her son comes back with a job the entire attitude is changed.  With Allo, the mother was there with her many a time, not always.  The mother was not there to listen to the growing girl where she was been molested and the poor little girl had to contain it in her mind.  When Allo tells 100% about her father's illicit relation, her mother too is under the shadow of suspicion of adultery that too with the brother of her father.  Allo believes that  had her mother given a chance to study and work her life would have been different. 

Allo, her brothers and sister 
Allo had a very good relation with her brothers.  It is on the insistence of her brother she got the name and the elder brother was very proud of her.   The younger brother is presented as a strong willed determined warrior of love.   She only gives small details about her younger sister. 

Allo & her relatives 
There are a lot of stories comes with each relatives of Allo and she makes sure that the reader is with her.  However, two people Allo name it specifically.  An Uncle who forcefully stripped her and her father's younger brother who raped her at an early age.   She didn't told those incidents to her parents where they kept the little girl at a distance.  

Study &  friends 
At home, her brothers and aunties were her friends.  She was not a bright girl at play.  In studies too she had her problems like Taare Zameen Par, she cannot remember things, but can draw pictures easily.  The 'dumb' girl however was storing all her images in her mind.   Her heterosexual attitude was out in her teens itself where she openly admitted in the book that she used to search the body of the playmate and servant in those curious nights.  Also her friendship was barging to a lesbian boat than a normal girl to girl relation.  A girl to whom she used to handover love letters from a friend of her brother, she fall in love with her.   Then she stops giving those letters and start giving her own letters and she feel cozy when she touches her etc. gives sufficient clue to her sexual orientation.  She was an avid reader and we can see her writing skills budding up in those early years.   

Allo and the society 
Her childhood was in the background of independence struggle of Bangladesh.  She reproduces those freedom fighting days, the social condition, poverty soon after independence, her approach towards the poor in the society and lot more.  You can find a person who broke the lion's hard rules when it comes to filling the stomach of hungry.   The blood, rallies, Poverty …the book throws some light to the political condition of Bangladesh during those years of her girlhood. 

Allo and religion 
She doesn't believe the religious books or customs as such.  She search for meaning and when she finds  it wrong dare to question it.   It is nice to go through those curious questions of childhood, but for a hardcore religious person those references can be hurting (so beware)  Her thoughts were mainly influenced by her big uncle who always challenge the religious hard believes.  Her father too was against the hard and fast rules of religion.   Her mother tried to take her to the religious way, but the over addiction of the mother to religion ignoring family life and children did more damage than good.  From a feminist view point, she challenges the double standard the religion follows with woman. 

No further explanations, but believe me, there are many life situations which can make you cry.  One will wonder how fate can have such a hard stand against a little girl who doesn't have anybody to share.  When the girl tells those stories with her exact thoughts at those times we are left with no other option but to sympathize to the character.   She was a victim of circumstances but those made her to think and stand different .  If a film maker reads the book, he can find at least 5 to 6 movie material.   The book is filled with heartfelt moments of life, struggles of love, fight between religion and human souls, robbery of customs and slavery of rituals, a wandering mind's determination…the book throw light to the inner thoughts of Allo Nasrin.