Earlier this week Trump tweeted complaints about mail-in ballots, alleging voter fraud – a familiar Trump falsehood. Twitter attached a label to two of his tweets with links to sources that fact–checked the tweets, showing Trump’s claims were unsubstantiated.

Trump retaliated with the power of the presidency. On May 28 he made an “Executive Order on Preventing Online Censorship”. The order focuses on an important piece of legislation: section 230 of the Communications Decency Act 1996.

President Trump after signs an executive order on preventing online censorship on May 28, 2020. (The White House)

What is section 230?

Section 230 has been described as “the bedrock of the internet”.

It affects companies that host content on the internet. It provides in part:

(2) Civil liability. No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be held liable on account of

(A) any action voluntarily taken in good faith to restrict access to or availability of material that the provider or user considers to be obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, excessively violent, harassing, or otherwise objectionable, whether or not such material is constitutionally protected; or

(B) any action taken to enable or make available to information content providers or others the technical means to restrict access to material described in paragraph (1).

This means that, generally, the companies behind Google, Facebook, Twitter and other “internet intermediaries” are not liable for the content on their platforms.

For example, if something defamatory is written by a Twitter user, the company Twitter Inc will enjoy a shield from liability in the United States even if the author does not.

Trump’s executive order

Within the US legal system, an executive order is a “signed, written, and published directive from the President of the United States that manages operations of the federal government”. It is not legislation. Under the Constitution of the United States, Congress – the equivalent of our Parliament – has the power to make legislation.

Trump’s executive order claims to protect free speech by narrowing the protection section 230 provides for social media companies.

The text of the order includes the following:

It is the policy of the United States that such a provider [who does not act in “good faith”, but stifles viewpoints with which they disagree] should properly lose the limited liability shield of subparagraph (c)(2)(A) and be exposed to liability like any traditional editor and publisher that is not an online provider …

To advance [this] policy … all executive departments and agencies should ensure that their application of section 230 (c) properly reflects the narrow purpose of the section and take all appropriate actions in this regard.

The order attempts to do a lot of other things too. For example, it calls for the creation of new regulations concerning section 230, and what “taken in good faith” means.

The reaction

Trump’s action has some support. Republican senator Marco Rubio said if social media companies “have now decided to exercise an editorial role like a publisher, then they should no longer be shielded from liability and treated as publishers under the law”.

Critics argue the order threatens, rather than protects, freedom of speech, thus threatening the internet itself.

The status of this order within the American legal system is an issue for American constitutional lawyers. Experts were quick to suggest the order is unconstitutional; it seems contrary to the separation of powers enshrined in the US Constitution (which partly inspired Australia’s Constitution).

Harvard Law School constitutional law professor Laurence Tribe has described the order as “totally absurd and legally illiterate”.

That may be so, but the constitutionality of the order is an issue for the US judiciary. Many judges in the United States were appointed by Trump or his ideological allies.

Even if the order is legally illiterate, it should not be assumed it will lack force.

What this means for Australia

Section 230 is part of US law. It is not in force in Australia. But its effects are felt around the globe.

Social media companies who would otherwise feel safe under section 230 may be more likely to remove content when threatened with legal action.

The order might cause these companies to change their internal policies and practices. If that happens, policy changes could be implemented at a global level.

Compare, for example, what happened when the European Union introduced its General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Countless companies in Australia had to ensure they were meeting European standards. US-based tech companies such as Facebook changed their privacy policies and disclosures globally – they did not want to meet two different privacy standards.

If section 230 is diminished, it could also impact Australian litigation by providing another target for people who are hurt by damaging content on social media, or accessible by internet search. When your neighbour defames you on Facebook, for example, you can sue both the neighbour and Facebook.

That was already the law in Australia. But with a toothless section 230, if you win, the judgement could be enforceable in the US.

Currently, suing certain American tech companies is not always a good idea. Even if you win, you may not be able to enforce the Australian judgement overseas. Tech companies are aware of this.

In 2017 litigation, Twitter did not even bother sending anyone to respond to litigation in the Supreme Court of New South Wales involving leaks of confidential information by tweet. When tech companies like Google have responded to Aussie litigation, it might be understood as a weird brand of corporate social responsibility: a way of keeping up appearances in an economy that makes them money.

A big day for ‘social media and fairness’?

When Trump made his order, he called it a big day for “fairness”. This is standard Trump fare. But it should not be dismissed outright.

As our own Australian Competition and Consumer Commission recognised last year in its Digital Platforms Inquiry, companies such as Twitter have enormous market power. Their exercise of that power does not always benefit society.

In recent years, social media has advanced the goals of terrorists and undermined democracy. So if social media companies can be held legally liable for some of what they cause, it may do some good.

As for Twitter, the inclusion of the fact check links was a good thing. It’s not like they deleted Trump’s tweets. Also, they’re a private company, and Trump is not compelled to use Twitter.

We should support Twitter’s recognition of its moral responsibility for the dissemination of information (and misinformation), while still leaving room for free speech.

Trump’s executive order is legally illiterate spite, but it should prompt us to consider how free we want the internet to be. And we should take that issue more seriously than we take Trump’s order.

Michael Douglas, Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Western Australia

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Indian States of West Bengal and Odisha on the Eastern coast are hit by one of the worst storms of the Bay of Bengal—cyclone Amphan, leaving a trail of destruction of houses and buildings, uprooting trees and electricity poles, swamping low-lying areas, flooding of Kolkata International Airport and killing 72 in West Bengal. The migrant labourers who lost their sources of livelihood due to the lockdown, now lose their homes in the Cyclonic storm—as the calamity has been described by the Indian Meteorological Department.

Here are nine (8) points on the ongoing Super Cyclone Amphan

• The India Meteorological Department said the extremely severe cyclonic storm crossed the West Bengal-Bangladesh coast between Digha (West Bengal) and Hatiya Islands (Bangladesh) across the Sunderbans (West Bengal) near latitude 21.65N & longitude 88.3E between 3.30 pm and 5.30 pm with wind speeds of 155-165 kmph, gusting to 185 kmph. In Kolkata, wind speeds quickly went from 69 kmph to about 105 kmph a little before 6 pm, and kept increasing in intensity thereafter. The districts of East Midnapore, South 24-Parganas and North 24-Parganas were the worst affected.

• Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, said the impact of the Cyclone is worse than the global pandemic—Coronavirus and the damages in the region could be around Rs 1 lakh crore.
• Weather in various parts of the country has been affected and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), on Twitter, advised people against going out until the Government issues all clear messages. Rainfall is expected throughout the Northeast.

Read more: How do we estimate the intensity of tropical cyclones?

• The Indian Met Department issued a warning to western districts of Assam,

“Heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places very likely over Dhubri, South Salmara-Mankachar, Goalpara districts in Assam” said a release. “While these western districts are experiencing heavy rainfall and winds, the other parts of the state will have light to moderate rains — expected through the day,” said an official from the IMD.

• Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi said No stone will be left unturned in helping the affected, tweeted PM Modi and that the central government is closely monitoring the situation to for assistance.
  

  May 20, 2020: Satellite imagery of super cyclonic storm Amphan. (NASA)

• Timely and accurate forecast by the Indian Met Department and rapid response by the NDRF helped in minimising damage to human lives—considering Cyclone Amphan to be the second strongest cyclone, only after 1999 super cyclone of Odisha. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel reached the majorly impacted areas and began to clear and restore the roads.

• Over five lakhs and two lakh people have been evacuated and placed in shelters in West Bengal and Odisha, respectively.

• UNICEF, said at least 19 million children in Bangladesh and India, are at imminent risk from flash flooding and heavy rainfalls because of the cyclone. It also added the COVID crisis could deepen the humanitarian consequences of the cyclone in both the countries. Evacuees who have moved to crowded temporary shelters would be especially vulnerable to the spread of respiratory diseases like Covid-19, and other infections. “We continue to monitor the situation closely,” UNICEF Regional Director for South Asia Jean Gough was quoted as saying by PTI.

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Twitter on Thursday, 12th May 2020, announced employees can work from home indefinitely. Twitter employees have been working remotely since March in the wake of global lockdown due to COVID-19.

CEO of the social media giant, Jack Dorsey emailed the employees notifying them of the change, and it comes with no loss of pay. In the email, Dorsey said the company wouldn’t likely return to its offices before September, and even after lockdown measures end, employees could continue work from home if they want. This excludes, workers and staff who are required to be physically present in office premises such as those maintaining work servers.

“The past few months have proven we can make that work. So if our employees are in a role and situation that enables them to work from home and they want to continue to do so forever, we will make that happen. If not, our offices will be their warm and welcoming selves, with some additional precautions, when we feel it’s safe to return.”

– read a statement published on the Twitter blog.

This move was preceded with Facebook and Google allowing work from home till the end of the year, although offices are scheduled to reopen in July.

Companies world over are working out of ways to reopen office and make the spaces safe in accordance with the social distancing measures.

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Photo used for illustration purpose only. (pxfuel)

AROUND 3 AM ON THURSDAY, residents of villages around Visakhapatnam flocked out of their homes looking for safer spaces as the air around them grew pungent and suffocated them. Gas leakage in one of the storage tanks at the LG Polymer plant at Gopalapatnam—outskirts of Visakhapatnam, disrupted everyone’s sleep. The plant reopened for the first time since COVID-19 lockdown.

As the plant activities were being resumed gas spread to around five villages within a radius of 3 kilometres, 11 people including a minor have died and around 1000 people have been reported sick. 

The gas leaked—Styrene known as vinylbenzene or cinnamene or ethenylbenzene or phenylethylene is a synthetic hazardous and toxic chemical. Styrene is used manufacturing plastics and plastic-like compounds like polystyrene and resins, rubbers, fibreglass etc. Experts say, negligence before resuming the plant operations along with lack of proper storage, i.e. not at an optimal temperature, could have resulted in the gas leakage.

As people rushed out of their homes and informed the authorities, Police and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team started evacuating people to nearby safer villages and those who complained of breathing difficulties, and irritation of the eyes were rushed to the hospitals.

Dangers of Styrene

Styrene, a derivative of benzene is a probable carcinogen, can cause cancer. The effects on the human body depend on the duration of exposure and intensity of inhalation. As per the US-based Environment Protection Agency (EPA), short term effects of the gas include sore eyes, irritation of the skin and mucous membrane resulting in gastrointestinal and upper respiratory tract complaints.

Long term exposure leads to serious multiple complications and could increase the risk of leukaemia and lymphoma, the studies remain inconclusive in regards to styrene and increased cancer risk. 

Government efforts to contain the harmful gas

To neutralize the effects of styrene, the state government has airlifted around 500 tonnes of inhibitors like PTBC—Para-tertiary butyl catechol. And water sprinklers have been used to dissipate gas emissions.

Gopalapatnam Police has registered a criminal case against the plant management and the National Green Tribunal has taken cognisance about the case. In addition, Andhra Pradesh High Court has issued notices to both the State and Central governments.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Y.S Jagan Reddy announced an ex-gratia payment of 1 Crore rupees each to the families of those killed in the tragedy. He also announced 10 lakhs and 25,000 each to those undergoing treatment on ventilator support and those treated as out-patients, respectively. Further, villages that were affected would be paid 10,000 rupees each.

This incident of Vizag gas leak brought back memories of a much more lethal and fatal accident of Bhopal Gas Tragedy of 1984. But this time, we hope proper inquiries are carried out and those responsible for the negligence are tried in all fairness in the courts.

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In the first of its kind of transparency, the Pentagon officially released three videos on 28th April 2020, these videos recorded in 2004 and 2015 captured alien objects. The examination into what they are and where remains incomplete, but the speculations are varied.

A UFO spinning in the air, January 2015. (Via www.sciencealert.com / Department of Defense)

First UFO sighting can be dated back to as early as 1440 BC in ancient Egypt, which was then described as fiery disks floating in the skies. “Aerial battle” was reported in 1561 celestial phenomenon over Nuremberg in the Roman Empire, a similar celestial phenomenon was observed five years later in 1566 in Switzerland. The credibility and factuality of these instances are suspicious. While some modern UFO enthusiasts classify as the battle of extra-terrestrial origin, others debunk these stories and classify them as atmospheric optical phenomena. Whatever the facts may be, one thing is for certain, man has always been intrigued by the aforesaid aerial objects.

Coming to more recent encounters, in 1942, the US army already in a war with Japan was caught off guard with unknown aerial raids. Although it was initially thought to be Japan’s aerial attack, the Japanese denied any such activity. The Battle of Los Angeles, as it is widely known, was the battle US fought with an unknown and unseen enemy. A few years later, it was reported the aerial strikes were the result of a weather balloon crash. Besides this seemingly apocalyptic encounter, the first sound encounter was reported in 1947—a flying saucer—nine shiny flying objects were observed in the sky by the pilot, Kenneth Arnold. After this report, a few more sightings and a crash were described in the same year. The crash—Roswell UFO crash, was later discredited by the United States Air Army Forces as a weather balloon crash again. ET life supporters, for a long time, were sceptical of the Army reports and considered it to be yet another conspiracy to cover up an extra-terrestrial landing.

The McMinnville UFO photographs are considered to the most famous photos of UFO ever taken. It was captured by Paul Trent on a farm near McMinnville, Oregon. (Wikimedia Commons)

The mystery surrounding these aerial objects or phenomenon is yet to be cracked, giving humankind a subject to muse over. The recent videos of unidentified aerial phenomena, UFO in simpler terms, released by the Pentagon once again fanned the imagination and curiosity of the human mind. Two of these videos were leaked in 2017 by the New York Times, but Department of Defense (DOD) remained tight-lipped, although acknowledged the existence of these videos.

The recent release, DOD said, is to clear misconceptions regarding the nature of the videos and speculations if there was more to these videos.

These videos, dating back to 2004 and 2015, are available on Naval Air Systems Command Web Site. The 2004 video recorded an unknown flying object being chased in Southern California by two Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jets. Upon observing the speed and movement of this oblong object, it was popularly named Tic Tac. It instantaneously changed directions in the sky and according to the official government reports, it descended very rapidly, from 60,000 ft to 50 ft in a matter of seconds. The 2015 videos were recorded on the East Coast of USA. According to the interview given to the New York Times, the navy pilots encountered multiple flying objects in 2014 and 2015, between Virginia and Florida.

In the video, one of the pilots is heard calling them drones—drones that flew against the wind.

As with any UFO, the theories around these objects vary from person to person, those with a keen interest in sci-fi believe in alien activity, while the realists assess atmospheric illusions or secret military drills, satellites and drones. One may conclude these objects to be aircraft or drones, but their movement and speed are unlike any other aircraft. Perhaps could be AI-driven drones, one can never tell, as these objects upon detection scurried away. Their structures and origin are hard to discern from the videos—leaving a lot for human imagination and scientific and conspiracy theories. The truth and purpose of these Unidentified Aerial Phenomena or Unidentified Flying Objects will only be revealed with time.

Click: There is a UFO religion where people believe in extra-terrestrial beings called elohim

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The Statue of Unity as seen from the bank of Narmada. (Pradeep717 / Wikimedia Commons)

Statue of Unity, built as a tribute to Sardar Vallabhai Patel—the first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of India—was put up for sale by an unidentified user on OLX.

The statue is located in Gujarat along the banks of river Narmada and is the tallest statue in the world. The cost of construction is approximately 3000 crore rupees. A lot of controversies and protests surrounded the project since it’s initiation in 2013. Funds were raised by the state government, tax money was allocated for building the statue. After years of collecting money and designing, the construction was completed in 2018 and is open to the public since then.

The ad on Olx which since then has been removed.

Amidst, the distressing news of COVID-19, the Statue of Unity gave a reason to be amused. An unidentified person from Gujarat made an advertisement on OLX, an online platform to buy and sell services and goods, to sell the statue. The reason stated for selling was to meet the demands of PPE kits and other equipment by healthcare workers to support them fighting the pandemic. The statue was declared for sale at a whopping cost of 30,000 crores.

Despite being unauthorised to sell government property, the unknown man made the advertisement to mislead people and defame the government, said the chief administrator of the Statue of Unity.

Although the advertisement was removed immediately by the e-portal, a cheating and forgery case has been registered under IPC, Epidemic Diseases Act and Information Technology Act, by the memorial’s authorities.

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A giraffe at Queen Elizabeth Park in Uganda. (Rod Waddington / Flickr)

Giraffes, with their long necks, horns, and unique markings, are one of the most recognizable of all the mammals that live on the African continent. Along with remaining in the public eye constantly through their presence in zoos around the world and through their image replications in toys, books, clothes, and other products, giraffes have always been the staple of all safaris. Go on a safari in Africa and you are bound to see these majestic animals lurching around the grasslands and turning their long necks to give you a long-lashed stare of frank curiosity.

Yet, now we are told, the future of giraffes may be in jeopardy. Once thought to be an animal of ‘Least Concern’, as regards to its place on the animal extinction chart, it has now moved upward to join the Endangered list. If we don’t step up conservation efforts, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the giraffe population numbers will continue to drop, and the animals may soon become extinct.

The various species of giraffes

Giraffes are found across the sub-Saharan region on the African continent. They were once thought to be a single species, with mere differences in markings, but research on the animals has shown that there are four giraffe species in East, Central, and West Africa – Masai Giraffe, Southern giraffe, Northern giraffe, and Reticulated giraffe.

Masai Giraffe. (Esin Üstün / Flickr)

Of these, the Southern giraffe (Giraffa giraffa) has two subspecies, Angolan giraffe (G. g. angolensis) and South African giraffe (G. g. giraffa).

The Northern giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) has three subspecies, Kordofan giraffe (G. c. antiquorum), Nubian giraffe (G. c. camelopardalis), and West African giraffe (G. c. peralta).

Kordofan giraffe in captivity. (Melvin Toul / Wikimedia Commons)

The Reticulated giraffe, whose range is in Kenya, Ethopia, and Somalia, is on the Endangered list, while the Kordofan giraffe and the Nubian giraffe are on the Critically Endangered list. The Kordofan giraffe is found in Chad, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Sudan, and the Nubian giraffe is found in South Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Kenya.

On the other hand, the West African giraffe, spread from Nigeria to Senegal, and the Rothschild’s giraffe, in Sudan, Kenya, and Ethiopia, are doing better in comparison.

So, is the giraffe really becoming extinct?

In December 2016, the IUCN reported that only 97,500 giraffes remained in the countries in sub-Saharan Africa. This is a lower figure than the number of elephants on the African continent. It is also a 40 percent drop in the giraffe population since 1985.

This report came as a shock to conservationists and the general public alike as giraffes had previously never figured on the radar as regards to requiring conservation efforts.

Various media outlets have dubbed the issue as a silent extinction as it started to happen without the usual fanfare.

Assuming the IUCN’s report is 100 percent correct, the giraffe certainly needs all the conservation help it can get. Since humans created the problem, it is up to humans to come up with a viable solution. It is important though to not give in to alarmist thinking and propaganda as happened in the case of polar bears.

Reasons for giraffes becoming endangered

Loss of habitat, warfare, disease, and hunting are some of the prominent reasons for the giraffes becoming endangered.

Giraffes, given their size, require a good amount of open space to thrive in. Their natural habitat, however, is shrinking from the growing invasions of grazing cattle and the steady encroachment and appropriation of land for habitation and agriculture by humans. Largescale mining and drilling for oil on the African continent has also led to a drastic reduction in the giraffe habitat.

In addition, the recurrent civil unrest and warfare in countries like Somalia, Uganda, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Eritrea, Tanzania, Rwanda, Namibia, and Kenya have contributed to giraffe deaths. The animals are either killed in crossfire or are slaughtered for bushmeat by armed gangs. Giraffes are easy prey as they are very curious about humans and approach them without too much fear and their large bodies make them convenient targets.

Giraffes are also knocked over by speeding vehicles.

The giraffe population has also plummeted due to the spread of a skin disease that causes lesions all over the giraffe’s body. The giraffes either die from this disease or become weak and therefore vulnerable to predators.

Another growing problem is the hunting of giraffes by poachers and the so-called big game hunters.

Poachers slaughter giraffes, as they do elephants and rhinos, for their body parts that are sold as trophies, as medicine ingredients to African and Chinese traditional medicine practitioners, and as bushmeat to a hungry population.

The big game hunters kill giraffes and other animals for the sheer thrill of it. These people pay huge amounts of money to kill animals and we are told that these high-priced murders help with ‘saving’ the species and their habitats. The money that comes in from killing one individual animal goes into saving ten other animals. Or so we are told.

In 2017, five environmental groups filed a legal petition in the United States, asking the US Fish and Wildlife Service to add giraffes on the endangered species protection list. While this won’t prevent hunters from continuing their murderous sprees in Africa, it will at least prevent them from bringing the ‘trophies’ back home.

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The International Space Station. (NASA / Crew of STS-132)

Everyone is aware of a vast, limitless zone, several hundred kilometers outside the Earth’s atmosphere, where celestial objects orbit around giant stars and many unknown astronomical events take place. This boundless zone, known as space, is intriguing and there have been a host of government bodies and individual agencies that have spent billions in research and exploration of this area of nothingness. And to add to it all, there’s one major recent feat in the field of computing that a private info-tech company has achieved, which will change the way astronauts transmit their data back to the Earth. But before we get there, here are a few basics we must know of first.

What is the International Space Station?

In simple terms, the International Space Station (ISS) is a home away from home. It is a huge spacecraft orbiting the Earth, where astronauts live and carry out scientific researches for specific periods of time. Launched in the year 1998 by a Russian rocket, the International Space Station was built by a group of nations, where the first crew, comprising of astronauts from different countries of the world, arrived in the year 2000. Over a period of time, more nations added their own modules to the space station, finally making the ISS as big as an entire football field, as we know it today.

Weighing approximately half a million kilograms, the ISS is huge enough to accommodate six astronauts at a time, with all necessary living facilities, which also includes a gymnasium. With research labs from countries like Japan, USA, Russia as well as some European nations including Germany, France and The Netherlands; the ISS is where space research and exploration is carried out, which otherwise could not have been done on the Earth.

What is Cloud Computing?

We all know that a computer is a device that receives information, processes it; stores it and recalls it as and when instructions are fed into it. A remote server is a computing term, which is a device that is not attached to the client’s keyboard but it can be accessed from any part of the world from anywhere over a shared network. And cloud computing is a term, which means the delivery of a host of Internet services like databases, applications, networking, analytics and storage to a client on demand in any part of the world. In short, cloud computing means a shared pool of computer resources and services, which can be accessed remotely over the Internet by a lot of clients.

Cloud Computing and International Space Station

In the year 2017, when a space cargo capsule called SpaceX Dragon was sent into orbit to deliver cargo to the astronauts at ISS, little did the space researchers know that they were in for a pleasant surprise. Developed by tech giant Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), a supercomputer known as Spaceborne Computer was delivered to the International Space Station after it was thoroughly tested for over a year to check if it would sustain in outer space. The supercomputer (a network of computers working together) was examined to see if it could withstand the harsh space atmospheres, radiation flares, frequent power outages, zero gravity and vacuum; and only then it was delivered to its destination aboard the ISS in August.

Basically, the idea behind delivering this supercomputer to the ISS was to cut down on time that the astronauts required to send research data to and fro from space. HP Enterprise developed cloud computing techniques in Spaceborne Computer and made it easier for the experimenters in orbit to store their own data and use it when necessary. Till now, astronauts transmitted data back to the Earth first to get it checked, while waiting for results to come back. Now, researchers can directly run their analyses in space instead of sending it back for insight. And so, with the help of cloud computing, communication between Earth and space can become a lot quicker, more real-time and much more efficient.

How cloud computing could ease challenges at the ISS

The connection and bandwidth between space and Earth is slow and intermittent and there could be problems regarding communication for a few minutes. With cloud computing, the unreliability can be done away with and there can be no chances of data loss, while it is being sent back to the Earth, as opposed to before. Testing supercomputers in space can make way for more research studies on an advanced level in the future, where astronauts are eyeing other planets for habitation such as Mars. The Spaceborne Computer will also help scientists to carry out their research work without making use of bulky, overly expensive and time-consuming computing devices.

As the one-of-a-kind, first-ever cloud experience, which is set to make communication between Earth and space easier, makes its way into the International Space Station; it gives us one more reason to rejoice, as mankind takes another giant leap in the field of space communication.

Enjoyed this article? Also, check out “NASA’s Deep Space Network: How We Communicate with Space Probes Billions of Miles from Earth“.

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Height comparison of Statue of Unity with other notable statues. (Jdcollins13 / Wikimedia Commons)

Vallabhbhai Patel was one iconic person, who played a key role in the Indian Freedom Struggle Movement, freeing the country from the British rule. He was also the architect of modern India, who was responsible for bringing together the country as one independent sovereign state.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, 1949. (Government of India work)

Vallabhbhai Patel is popularly known as ‘Sardar’ (Hindi for leader), for his administrative skills and leadership qualities even to this day. He was the first Home Minister of Free India and was also the Deputy Prime Minister after India attained freedom. Since he persuaded all the 562 princely states of the country to agree and integrate as a united nation; Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel came to be known as the Iron Man of India.

In honour of the founding father of the Republic Of India, a statue dedicated to him will be inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India on October 31, 2018, which also happens to be the great freedom fighter’s 143^rd birth anniversary. So, just when India is about to unveil the tallest manmade structure in the world – the Statue of Unity – here’s a sneak peek into the monument that is all set to make the world go green with envy.

The Statue of Unity early this year. (Vijayakumarblathur / Wikimedia Commons)

Specifications of the Statue of Unity

At a height of 182 metres, the Statue of Unity will now be the tallest statue in the world, replacing the ‘Spring Temple Buddha’ statue in China, which is approximately 153 metres tall. The Statue of Unity is double the height of one of the world’s most popular statues – USA’s Statue of Liberty (93m) – and will be taller than some of the highest statues in the world, including Japan’s ‘Ushiku Daibutsu’ (120m), Russia’s ‘The Motherland Calls’ (85m) and Brazil’s ‘Christ The Redeemer’ (38m). The monument is built in such a way that it can withstand high-velocity winds, as high as 60 m/sec and also hold out during major earthquakes, as powerful as 6.5 on the Richter Scale.

A three-month-long nationwide campaign called ‘Loha’ was initiated in 2013, where Indian farmers and villagers were urged to donate their work-out iron tools and implements and scrap metals, which were to be used in building the tall iron structure. Eventually, as much as 6,500 metric tonnes of structural steel, 18,500 metric tonnes of reinforcement steel and 1,700 tonnes of bronze, along with 210,000 cubic metres of concrete were used to build the Statue of Unity. To overcome rusting issues during monsoons, the statue is clad with bronze panels and comprises of two semi-joined concrete cylindrical cores, which are surrounded by steel bars.

Key Features of the Statue of Unity

The nearly completed statue on unity. (Rahul 71144 / Wikimedia Commons)

In the year 2010, the current Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, who was the Chief Minister of the state of Gujarat then, launched a special purpose vehicle called Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Rashtriya Ekta Trust, which was to undertake the construction work of the statue. In 2013 he laid the foundation stone of the project. Engineering and construction company Larsen & Toubro took up the designing, construction and maintenance initiatives of the statue, which was set to be completed by October 2018. Built on an island called Sadhu Bet or Sadhu Hill near the Rajpipla city of Gujarat, the statue is precisely located in the Kevadiya Village, facing the Sardar Sarovar Dam.

A 3.5 kilometer-long highway is built to link the Statue of Unity to Kevadiya Village, which will be open to visitors after the statue is unveiled. A 5-km long boat ride will ferry visitors to and fro from the monument in the days to come. Occupying around 20,000 square metres of land, the Statue of Unity is surrounded by a 12 square kilometer artificial lake. The tallest statue in the world overlooks the Narmada Dam and the viewing gallery or observation deck, built at 500 feet high above the sea bed (approximately near the statue’s chest area), will allow tourists to soak in the panoramic beauty of the neighbouring Vindhyachal and Satpura mountain ranges. It will also allow viewing the 212 km-long reservoir of the Sardar Sarovar Dam.

The free-standing structure, which has a total height of 240 metres, including the star-shaped 58-metre base, accurately depicts Sardar Patel wearing his trademark dhoti, kurta and a shawl over his shoulders. Once open to visitors, the statue will start its services for its patrons, thus bringing a boost in tourism. A plaza for shops, food stalls, retail outlets, souvenir shops and other amenities will start functioning for public a little after the unveiling ceremony. Two high-speed elevators will help in quick and easy public transit. The statue would be able to accommodate approximately 15, 000 tourists in a day and the observation deck could have room enough for 200 visitors at once, without overcrowding.

Birdseye view of the statue. (Abhinay6597 / Wikimedia Commons)

The three-tiered base of the statue (up to the shin) will have a large museum depicting the life and times of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and the contributions made by the Iron Man of India towards the nation. A mezzanine will form its second base, while a memorial garden on the roof will serve as a visitors’ centre. The statue will have a 3-star hotel, conference centre, research hub and an administrative complex in the premises. The second zone will cover the statue’s thighs and Zone three will house the observation deck. Zone four and five, up to the shoulders and head of the statue respectively, will be out of public reach, and it will function as the maintenance area. The lobby area at the base will also have an audio-visual gallery, complete with depictions of tribal Gujarati culture.

Public reaction and criticism

Designed by renowned Noida-based sculptor Ram Vanji Sutar, the idea of constructing an expensive structure in an artificial lake, initially received a lot of flak from the public and mixed reviews from the world media. The tribals residing in the nearby area said that the project robbed them of their land and the expenditure at which the statue is being built could have been otherwise used for raising the standards of living of the tribal people. Constructed within 42 months at a cost of approximately INR 2,989 crores, farmers and locals were also of the opinion that the extravagant budget of the statue could have been cut down and used towards improving the agricultural land.

Many foreign media outlets had mixed reactions while the Statue of Unity was under construction. Washington Post reported that the statue, weighing 67,000 tonnes, would showcase India’s growing prosperity and rising status as a global power; while other media houses stated that apart from serving as the ruling Indian political party’s fitting homage to the statesman, the Statue of Unity would serve no other purpose.

Whether the towering statue will elevate India’s status in the world economy or not, it will be left for us to see if the tallest structure in the world, aptly named Statue of Unity, would be able to do any justice to its name.

Enjoyed this article? Also, check out “The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and the History Behind It“.

Fact Analysis:
STSTW Media strives to deliver accurate information through careful research. However, things can go wrong. If you find the above article inaccurate or biased, please let us know at [email protected].

The post Statue of Unity: India Unveils the Tallest Statue in the World appeared first on .

A perfectly rectangle shaped iceberg spotted on NASA IceBridge flight. (NASA /Jeremy Harbeck)

On 16 October 2018, Jeremy Harbeck, a senior support scientist with NASA’s Operation IceBridge, encountered a peculiar phenomenon in Antarctica that has generated a great deal of interest around the world. While carrying out an aerial survey to record changes in the heights of the glaciers in the Larsen A, B and C embayments in the northern Antarctic Peninsula, the scientist came across two recently detached, rectangular icebergs near the Larsen C glacier, with one of them having sharp angles and straight edges. Almost as though someone might have used a chainsaw to make them so perfect.

NASA, however, assures us that it is all Mother Nature’s doing.

Rectangular icebergs are nothing new, they tell us. In fact, they even have a name for these regularly occurring icebergs. They are called tabular icebergs, and they occur when a section of a glacier or of a larger iceberg cracks and breaks off from the edge. Their sharp lines come from the nature of the ice crystal structure, and the sharper the lines, the more recent the break. NASA uses the phrase ‘freshly calved’ for newly detached icebergs. As with many icebergs, only a fraction of the total mass of tabular icebergs is visible above water, while the greater portion remains out of sight underwater.

That is likely the case too with the recently spotted rectangular icebergs and the many other trapezoid-shaped icebergs that the NASA aerial photos show floating in the area.

None of these other icebergs, however, have quite the sharp-lined silhouette like that of the iceberg that amazed the NASA scientist. It is a pity that the NASA crew didn’t think of sending a drone to give us a close-up capture of those perfectly straight edges.

Full image edited together of the rectangle shaped iceberg. (NASA /Jeremy Harbeck)

Operation IceBridge

Operation IceBridge is the codename for NASA’s program to survey and document the state of the ice in both the polar regions, in Greenland as well as in Antarctica, capturing changes in the ice in spring in the first and in autumn in the latter.

NASA, originally, began their survey of polar icecaps in 2003 with the launch of their Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite (ICESat). This satellite deorbited in 2010 and NASA sent out a second, ICESat 2, on 15 September 2018. There has been a considerable gap in the collection of data between the operations of these two satellites, and Operation IceBridge is meant to narrow the difference. In addition to monitoring the ice, the ICESat mission also collects cloud, weather, land, and vegetation data. For the recent survey, Harbeck and his crew flew to Antarctica from Chile’s Punta Arena.

Rectangular icebergs, though? really?

It’s not even the first of April and there are many strange occurrences in nature, so, yes, maybe there could be an iceberg with perfectly rectangular sides. Why not? Besides, we have seen the NASA photographs, and so what if there are diehards that always doubt NASA’s photographic evidence?

Jan Lieser, who works with the Antarctic Climate & Ecosystems Cooperative Research Center as a marine glaciologist, endorses NASA’s claim that ice sheets with straight edges and sharp corners are nothing out of the ordinary. He has personally seen plenty of such icebergs in the course of his work in Antarctica.

That may very well be the case.

But, on the other hand, we mustn’t completely abandon the scientific mindset and scientific scepticism.

The real point of the hullabaloo doesn’t seem to be so much about a rectangular iceberg as about highlighting the fact that chunks of icebergs are falling off the ice shelf.

And why?

Because of global warming, of course.

A survey of mainstream media news outlets featuring this story shows a majority of them repeating this mantra. We hear yet again that the polar ice caps are melting, and the sea ice is disappearing, and the sea-levels are rising. We shall all soon experience global warming first-hand if we haven’t done so yet.

A second rectangle shaped iceberg was also discovered nearby. (NASA /Jeremy Harbeck)

Global warming

Global warming is the term used to describe the phenomenon of the earth becoming progressively warmer, largely due to the nefarious activities of mankind.

It is a popular topic, not just amongst climatologists, but also with the general public, and to such an extent that it has even had many Hollywood actors and actresses shilling for it. The actor Leonardo DiCaprio – he of the Titanic fame, the film, you know, about the unsinkable ship that an iceberg sank in two hours and 40 minutes – is one of the more well-known faces. He is passionate about global warming. So passionate, in fact, that he used his Oscar spotlight to deliver a speech about how manmade activities are driving up global warming and how all of us should be held accountable for the sacrilege to Mother Earth. If he didn’t hold himself accountable for the extra CO2 that Mother Earth gets when he travels around the world on his personal jet, it may have been out of the courtesy of not taking up the stage time of the luminaries following him.

We have yet to hear from him or any other over-lionized public figure about how certain countries of the world are accelerating global warming with the after-effects of the many bombs they drop on other countries.

Remembering the crop circles

While certain manmade, non-war activities can certainly be destructive to our overall well-being and ought to be curtailed as much as possible, it is important to remain rational and avoid all forms of hysteria. Sensationalizing issues is something that the mainstream media has long been adept at. Now we have rectangular icebergs, a while back there were the mysterious crop circles. That had to be proof that there were aliens on earth. No, it only highlighted that there are pranksters on this planet.

Fudging climate data

Many scientists and researchers, including former scientists from NASA itself,  have gone on record accusing NASA and other governmental agencies of fudging climate data over a very long period. Why would these agencies do this? Perhaps because fighting global warming is a politically-motivated billion dollar industry.

Before warning the world about the perils of global warming became their popular pastime, NASA, NOAA, and others of their ilk were banging the drum about the coming Ice Age.

They should have continued with it as it appears that the Arctic and Antarctic sea ice is at record high levels in 2018.

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The post NASA’s Rectangular Antarctic Icebergs and the Data Scandal of Global Warming appeared first on .

Allahabad Junction railway station. (Superfast1111 / Wikimedia Commons)

The Greek philosopher Heraclitus once said that – nothing is permanent except change – and that is the absolute reality of the universe. Change is the way of life and that is how living individuals grow and develop. Humans make changes in and around them, in their surroundings, in nature and in every little thing they come across.

Without change, there is no future and had there been no change in the past, there would have been no present. Speaking of which, in recent times, the one thing that has kept most Indians talking is the renaming of the historic city of Allahabad in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which will now officially become Prayagraj.

A brief history of Allahabad

As per the verbal folklore in Bundelkhand region, Allahabad derives its name from the ballads of a twelfth-century brave general called Alha, who served in King Parmal’s army. Alha fought against Rajput king Prithviraj Chauhan, the stories of which went on to be popularized as poetic narrations that spoke of his great valour. This led people into believing that the ancient city got its name from the Hindi ballads of Alha named Alha-Khand and that subsequently led to the city’s name – Allahabad

Some others believe that the city was initially named Kaushambi by Hastinapur rulers during 1200 to 900 BCE, until the Mughals invaded the country and changed the city’s name. Emperor Akbar in his chronicles – Akbarnamah – mentions the naming of the city in 1583. It is said that the Mughal Emperor first visited the city in the sixteenth century and was so greatly impressed by its location that he named it Allahabad or Alahabas, which literally translates to ‘Residence of God’. He built a fort named Ilahabad on the banks of the confluence of three rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati, which were and still are collectively known as Prayag. It was only when his grandson Shah Jahan took the throne, he renamed the city from Ilahabad of Allahabad, which until a few days ago, stuck with its identity.

Allahabad Fort. (Vyomtripathi / Wikimedia Commons)

History of the name ‘Prayag’

As per the Hindu mythology and scriptures, when Lord Brahma created the universe, it was at this specific place in the country that he offered his supreme sacrifice, which came to be known as prayag or ‘‘place of offering’. It is also said as per the Vedas, that when the three sacred rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati met at a point, that particular place came to be known as Triveni Sangam. And hence the place came to be known as prayag, which can also mean a ‘place of confluence’. Whatever the story, the name Prayag remained in the end.

The man behind the new name

A Hindu cleric named Ajay Mohan Bisht, who is popularly known as Yogi Adityanath in India, was sworn in as the Chief Minister of the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Renouncing his family life and home when he was only 21 years of age, Yogi Adityanath became a disciple of Mahant Avaidyanath, from whom he also received a few tips in Indian politics. Becoming a Member of Parliament at the young age of 26, Yogi Adityanath slowly rose in the political scenario of the country, finally landing the prestigious CM seat of Uttar Pradesh in March 2017.

Yogi Adityanath is the person who has been instrumental in changing the name of the historical city of Allahabad, on the request of his cabinet members in 2018, which currently awaits confirmation. His cabinet ministers had tried to forward a renaming proposal to the Centre on two occasions, once during CM Kalyan Singh’s reign between 1991 and 1992 and the other during current Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s tenure as CM of Uttar Pradesh between the years 2000 and 2002. Prior to the proposal of renaming Allahabad came into force, Yogi Adityanath was also instrumental in renaming another place in Uttar Pradesh. Weeks before Prayagraj was conceptualized, Yogi Adityanath, along with his cabinet ministers, forwarded the suggestion of rechristening Mughalsarai Railway Station as Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction, naming it after the titular RSS ideologist. The official renaming ceremony of Mughalsarai station was held in August 2018, with a long list of BJP leaders present at the occasion.

The process of changing a city’s name

After the end of the British Rule in India in 1947, several Indian cities were renamed in due course of time, since people believed the names were more anglicized and sounded English. Procedures of changing an Indian city’s official name differ from state to state and it is the duty of the State Legislators to look into it. First, an MLA would raise a request in the form of a resolution, which has the proposal of changing a city’s name. The proposal is then carefully thought upon and finally when the resolution is deliberated and cleared from the State and Centre, the State Legislation makes necessary changes and gives a new name to the city, finally making it public.

Public reaction and after-effects

A lot of flak was received from all corners of the country, once the Yogi Adityanath-led UP government decided to finalize on a new name for the city of Allahabad. Scholars and politicians alike were of the opinion that changing the names of cities randomly do no good and that change was unnecessary and uncalled for. Not only would it affect the Allahabad University, Allahabad Bank or other prestigious institutions bearing the city’s name, but it would also add to the woes in the name of the Allahabad High Court. It would add an extra financial burden on the state government to rename the educational or financial institutions in accordance to the new name of the city. And that in turn, would pinch the pockets of the taxpayers in the state.

Historically the city has its own importance with places of great interest. The Triveni Sangam has its own cultural and religious significance, where the Kumbh Mela is held every twelve years. It is also the site where various national leaders’ ashes after their cremation have been immersed. Allahabad is also the site where the aftereffects of the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 during the British Rule had taken place, with the massacre of countless Indians. The Allahabad Museum, which is one of the four national museums in the country, holds its own importance with rare collections of unique artworks, prehistoric paintings, and archaeological finds put up on display, talking of the city’s historical prosperity.

The city of Allahabad with its biodiversity of flora, fauna and culturally-different people thriving together in the same region, along with a national prominence is also a historically wealthy place, which has migrated towards a modern world, with its heart still in the right place.

Fact Analysis:
STSTW Media strives to deliver accurate information through careful research. However, things can go wrong. If you find the above article inaccurate or biased, please let us know at [email protected].

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