Penchant for Science, Nature and History

Stockholm syndrome is a  condition  wherein a captive begins to develop a  psychological alliance  with his or her captors. The phrase was reported to have been coined by criminologist and psychiatrist Nils Bejerot. Psychiatrist Dr Frank Ochberg was intrigued by the phenomenon and went on to define the syndrome for the FBI and Scotland Yard in the 1970s. There are four key components that characterize Stockholm syndrome: A hostage's development of positive feelings towards the captor No previous relationship between hostage and captor A refusal by hostages to co-operate with police forces and other government authorities A hostage's belief in the humanity of the captor because they cease to perceive the captor as a threat when the victim holds the same values as the aggressor The name of the syndrome is derived from a botched bank  robbery  in  Stockholm ,  Swe den . In  August 1973 four employees of Sveriges Kreditbank were held ho...

We all know symbiosis (mutually beneficial relationship); there are however interesting facets in the animal world. Mutualism:  both partners benefit. An example of mutualism is the relationship between the Egyptian plover and the crocodile. In the tropical regions of Africa, the crocodile lies with its mouth open. The plover flies into its mouth and feeds on bits of decaying meat stuck in the crocodile’s teeth. The crocodile does not eat the plover. Instead, he appreciates the dental work. The plover eats a meal and the crocodile gets his teeth cleaned. Coincidentally, the Egyptian plover is also known as the crocodile bird. Commensalism:  only one species benefits while the other is neither helped nor harmed. For example, remora fish are very bony and have a dorsal fin (the fin on the back of fish) that acts like a suction cup. Remora fish use this fin to attach themselves to whales, sharks, or rays and eat the scraps their hosts leave behind. The remora fish gets a meal...

The Summer Triangle is a Northern Hemisphere asterism (stars of similar brightness recognized in a distinctive shape). Unlike many other asterisms, the Summer Triangle is actually an amalgamation of stars from three separate constellations. Three stars make up the triangle: Deneb, Vega and Altair.  Deneb  is the farthest away from Earth among these three, and is the brightest star in the constellation Cygnus; it forms the tail of the Swan. Coincidentally, Deneb is also the head of another asterism known as the Northern Cross, which is contained in Cygnus. Vega is the brightest star of an otherwise dim and small constellation, Lyra (the Harp).  Vega  is one of the brightest stars in the night sky. (Sirius is the brightest in the night sky, but appears in the winter of the Northern Hemisphere.) About 12,000 years ago, it used to be the North Star due to an effect called precession, where the Earth's north-pointing direction changes due to a wobbling axis. Round...

History is replete with examples of unwarranted individuals donning the roles of heroes with sheer grit and some madness attached to their thoughts. In almost all such cases there is defiance of some central order. When it is a story associated with World War I or II, it has to be associated with guns, revolvers or any other weapon. The heroism of Aristides de Sousa Mendes was not associated with any weapon but with a rubber stamp. When the Germans (read Nazis) overran France from the North in 1940, most of the Jews tried to escape from South i.e. to Spain and Portugal. Portugal, officially neutral, yet unofficially pro-Hitler and under the dictatorial rule of Antonio de Oliveira Salazar, issued a directive – the infamous “Circular 14″ – to all its diplomats to deny safe haven to refugees, including explicitly Jews, Russians, and stateless persons who could not freely return to their countries of origin; in simple sense of today, visas were to be denied to Jews. Our hero was ...