Q: Is there a common culture at all in this world? If it is there , what is it?
Q: Is there are common language in the world?
Krishna: Yes, scientific culture. It is the same everywhere! Well, almost!
Scientific jargon based language. It is the same everywhere on Earth! Scientists are science-lingual wherever they are on this planet.
Scientific principles are unique too. They are the same everywhere in this universe given that the conditions in which they operate are same.
One: The principles with which this universe came into existence (to atheists), or created (to theists) and run by it.
Two: The process with which we study this universe.
People usually take only the second one into consideration, not the first one while dealing with this aspect. But the truth is, without scientific principles, this universe in which we live, wouldn't have come into existence in the first place. Only when the scientific principles based universe came into existence, the consequences like galaxies, stars, planets, origin of life, its evolution, human beings and finally their feelings, opinions, prejudices, beliefs were brought into operation.
So without scientific principles that govern this universe, this universe cannot exist, you and I cannot exist. Science is the basis for everything. That is the importance of science.
Next, the process with which we study the universe and the world around us.
We study the world around us using scientific methods, which is the best process because it controls all the human behaviour that can influence our true understanding in the right way. When what we observe tally with the scientific principles that this universe is being run, they become scientific and evidence based facts.
We can use them - the knowledge we acquired - for the benefit of mankind like, for example, to study diseases to control and eradicate them, to save lives, to increase the food production to feed the ever-growing population, and protect people from natural calamities.
I can go on and on and this can run into several pages. So let me stop with just a few important examples.
Science is celebrated because it is the basis for our existence and it is also celebrated because it caters to our necessities and comforts. We celebrate it to spread the message about the significance of science and how it improves the daily lives of the common folk. Its celebration also has the following objectives in mind: Display all activities, efforts and achievements in the field of science, to provide an opportunity for those people interested in science, to foster and encourage interest in science and technology.
Q: Does a human being know they’re dead once they die?
It doesn't mean that a person is aware that they've died.
Q: What is a lantibiotic?
Krishna: Lantibiotics are gene-encoded peptides that contain temperature-stable thioether bonds and act on gram-positive bacteria. Most lantibiotics are not toxic to humans or animals and show promising features for application as biopreservatives, bactericidal agents in cosmetics, or antibiotics.
Some type A lantibiotics such as nisin A and mutacin B-Ny266 have been shown to kill a wide range of organisms, including Actinomyces, Bacillus, Clostridium, Corynebacterium, Enterococcus, Gardnerella, Lactococcus, Listeria, Micrococcus, Mycobacterium, Propionibacterium, Streptococcus, and Staphylococcus.
What is their mode of action? Some lantibiotics, e.g. nisin, are characterized by a dual mode of action. These peptides form a complex with the ultimate cell wall precursor lipid II, thereby inhibiting cell wall biosynthesis. The complexes then aggregate, incorporate further peptides and form a pore in the bacterial membrane.
Q: What is scientific jargon? Why is it used at all?
Krishna: Jargon is the specialized vocabulary of any profession, trade, science, or hobby (1). As scientists discover
new phenomena and research techniques, they coin terms by which to refer to these findings. These
terms, which are technical terms specific to a discipline, will, by default, be jargon. Thus, jargon
essentially creates language to meet the needs of scientific development. In addition, by introducing new
jargon in their texts scientists signify that they are making progress in the field.
Jargon differs from “fatty” language, or unnecessarily complicated words and phrases. It does not simply
refer to any incomprehensible writing, but to the specific technical terms within a discipline. Thus, jargon
serves the purpose of allowing the author to communicate both concisely and effectively within a
disciplinary audience.
For scientists, jargon is an important communication tool. Using jargon not only signals to others that a person is an expert in their field, but it also helps them communicate rapidly and precisely with others in that field. Using things like DNA, Streptococcus, or PCR convey a huge amount of information in just a word or phrase. This saves time and transmits complex concepts quickly and efficiently.
Take for instance, the acronym DNA. To a non-scientific audience interested in science, this word likely conveys the idea of an information storage system within the cells of living beings. But to structural biologists, the word DNA unlocks a whole compartment in their minds linked to the chemistry of the molecule — its three-dimensional structure, physical and chemical properties, movement, function, and perhaps more. To molecular biologists and geneticists, the word may let loose a ton of facts on how the information system in a cell works, how proteins are encoded and decoded, how glitches in this information system can lead to diseases such as cancer, and much more (2).
In this capacity, jargon seems to function somewhat like a password that allows scientists to access particular knowledge pools.
Another reason why scientists use jargon is because new discoveries often require new words. Using jargon also helps in precise communication as most jargon words only denote one thing and are not mixed up with commonly-used words.
Jargon saves the scientific world a lot of time and the effort of detailed explanations.
Footnotes:
1. https://twp.duke.edu/sites/twp.duke.edu/files/file-attachments/scie...
2. https://india.mongabay.com/2023/06/explainer-why-do-we-use-jargon-w....
Q: Where does lightning strike? How?
Krishna;Lightning occurs most frequently at the tropical and subtropical latitudes.
In the early stages of development, air acts as an insulator between the positive and negative charges in the cloud and between the cloud and the ground. When the opposite charges build up enough, this insulating capacity of the air breaks down and there is a rapid discharge of electricity that we know as lightning. The flash of lightning temporarily equalizes the charged regions in the atmosphere until the opposite charges build up again.
Lightning can occur between opposite charges within the thunderstorm cloud (intra-cloud lightning) or between opposite charges in the cloud and on the ground (cloud-to-ground lightning).
The basic ingredients for thunderstorms are warm and moist air near the ground with cooler, drier air above it and a way to lift the warm moist air. Anywhere those ingredients are present, lightning can occur.
This happens most frequently near the Gulf Coast, where the sea breeze helps trigger thunderstorms most days in the summer.
While lightning storms are impressive in their own right, they don't quite compare to the spectacle when volcanic eruptions trigger lightning strikes.
When an eruption occurs, earth and ash are thrown into the air in a giant plume, colliding to create an electrical charge. In the same way as normal lightning, the imbalance between the plume's electrical charge and the charge in the atmosphere leads to lightning strikes.
Recent research revealed that helicopters can cause an isolated lightning strike. While flying, the helicopter acquires a negative charge, so if it flies close to an area that is positively charged (e.g. hail or a positively charged part of a cumulonimbus cloud) it can trigger a lightning strike.
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Q: What is the purpose of a mangalsutra and why do married women wear it? Is there a scientific explanation for its significance?
It is just a cultural and traditional practice. It is followed by just a fraction of people in the world.
Don’t try to link cultural practices with science. It becomes pseudo-science if you do so, not genuine science.
Mangalsutra ( source: wikipedia)
The Mangalsutra holds deep cultural and symbolic significance in Hindu marriages. It represents the bond and commitment between a husband and wife. It is believed to bring good luck and protect the husband's well-being and longevity.
The word ‘mangal’ means auspicious and ‘sutra’ means thread – together mangalsutra means an auspicious thread uniting the souls. The groom ties the auspicious thread around the bride's neck on the day of their holy nuptial as significance that their relationship would be as auspicious as the thread.
That is the purpose and cultural significance of mangalsutra. There is no science behind it.
The mangala sutra's origin dates back to the 4th century BCE, referred to as the mangalya sutra in the Lalita Sahasranama and the Puranalu, the texts, mention a sacred marriage tail upon a woman's neck. It also finds a mention in the 6th century CE as a single yellow thread that was tied around the bride for protection from other men and evil spirits. The tying of the mangala sutra is a social practice widespread in India, Sri Lanka and Nepal. As told by religious customs and social expectations, married women should wear mangala sutra throughout their life as it is believed that the practice enhances the well-being of her husband. (1)
The Scientific Revolution is assumed to have started with the Copernican Revolution (initiated in 1543) and to be complete in the "grand synthesis" of Isaac Newton's 1687 Principia. (2).
So the cultural practice of tying mangalsutra during the marriage ceremony started well before the emergence of the scientific era and it has no connection with science as a subject.
Footnotes:
- Mangala sutra - Wikipedia
- Scientific Revolution - Wikipedia
