Do you Know ?

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Nuclear tests

The first nuclar test (12 kt) by India was at Pokhran desert in Rajastan on 18 May 1974. Later on 11 & 13 May 1998, conducted five tests including a fusion device of yields 15 and 45 kt o TNT.

USA has conducted more than 1036 tests (more than that by Russia). Russia has more tonnage of nuclear warheads in its arsenal.

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Nuclear reactor (Atomic pile) : In nuclear reactor, fission is performed in in a controlled fashion to release energy. Fuels like U 235 & Pu 239 ar fissioned and with the help of moderators, a sustained chain reaction is achieved. First nuclear reactor is at Calder Hall in UK by Fermi in 1956.

Moderators are used to slowdown fast neutrons released in U 235 fission. eg - Graphite, Heavy water (Plants in Talchar in Orissa and Punjab), Beryllium etc.

First nuclear reactor in India - 1 MW Apsara reactor. First power reactor in India - Tarapur, Maharashtra, 1972. 2.7 % of the total power in India comes from nuclear reactors (3000 MW). India's power reactors are at Narrora (UP), Kota (440 MW, Rajastan), Kalpakkam (440 MW), Tarapur (1000 MW).

CIR (Cirus) : Reactor with Canadian collaboration at BARC (Bhabha Atomic Research Centre - India's prime nuclear research establishment), Mumbai. It is a 40 MW research reactor producing U 233 & Pu 239.

Chernobyl reactor in Russia leaked by accident in 26 April 1986.

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Largest Submarine : Typhoon, 170 m, Russia.
Russia has 128 submarines of which 91 are nuclear powered.

USA has 74 nuclear powered submarines. Of the 12 US Aircraft carriers, 10 is nuclear powered. First nuclear powered US Aircraft carrier is USS Nimitz. USS Enterprise : Length 335.2 metre, 32 knots speed, 3325 crew, 99 aircrafts on board. World's largest Air Force & Navy - USA.

First nuclear submarine - Nautilus, USA.

India has 19 submarines of whch none is nuclear powered. In 1988, India has leased a nuclear submarine - INS Chakra from Russia - later returned it.

More than 80 % of the power comes from nuclear reactors in developed countries.

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Active Aircraft carriers of USA

Kitty Hawk - 1961, CV-63 Active up to 2008
USS Enterprise - 1961, CVAN-65
Nimitz - 1975, CVN-68
Dwight D. Eisenhower - 1977, CVN-69
Carl Vinson - 1981, CVN-70
Theodore Roosevelt - 1986, CVN-71
Abraham Lincoln - 1989, CVN-72
George Washington - 1992, CVN-73
John C. Stennis - 1995, CVN-74
Harry S. Truman - 1998, CVN-75
Ronald Reagan - 2003, CVN-76

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USS ENTERPRISE (CVAN-65)
Built by Newport News, laid down 4 Feb 1958, launched 24 Sept 1960, commissioned 25 Nov 1961. Scheduled to decommission in 2012-2014.

Displacement : approx. 93,500 tons full load
Length : 1,123 ft (342.3 m)
Beam : 132.8 ft (40.5 m)
Draft : 39 ft (11.9 m)
Propulsion : 8 x A2W reactor, 4 x steam turbine, 4 shafts, 280,000 shp (210 MW)
Speed : 30+ knots (56+ km/h)
Range : Essentially unlimited
Complement : Ship's company: 3,000 (2,700 Sailors, 150 Chiefs, 150 Officers)
Air wing : 1,800 (250 Pilots, and 1,550 Support personnel)
Armament : 2 Sea Sparrow launchers, 2 × 20 mm Phalanx CIWS mounts, 2 RAM launchers
Armor : 8 inch (20 cm) aluminum belt (equivalent to 4 inch rolled homogeneous steel armour)
Aircraft carried : approx. 66 - Forty three F/A-18 Hornets, Four EA-6B Prowlers, Four E-2C Hawkeyes, Six S-3 Vikings, Five SH-60 Seahawks). Though it can hold up to 90 aircrafts.

Notes : 915 engineers designed the ship. They made 16,100 drawings and 2,400 blueprints. The ship has about 625 miles of electrical cables and 37 miles of ventilation ducts. The ship has 4 steam powered catapults.

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USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69)

Displacement : 101,000 to 104,000 tons full load
Length : Overall: 1,092 ft (333 m)
Waterline : 1,040 ft (317 m) Overall Length: 1,115 Feet
Beam : Overall: 252 ft (76.8 m)
Waterline : 134 ft (40.8 m)
Draught : Maximum navigational: 37 ft (11.3 m)
Limit : 41 ft (12.5 m)
Propulsion : 2 × Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors, 4 × steam turbines, 4 × shafts, 260,000 shp (194 MW)
Speed : 30+ knots (56+ km/h)
Range : Essentially unlimited
Complement : Ship's company: 3,200, Air wing: 2,480
Sensors and processing systems : AN/SPS-48E 3-D air search radar, AN/SPS-49(V)5 2-D air search radar, Mk 23 target acquisition radar, 2 × AN/SPN-46 air traffic control radars, AN/SPN-43B air traffic control radar, AN/SPN-44 landing aid radars, 3 × Mk 91 NSSM guidance systems, 3 × Mk 95 radars.
Electronic warfare and decoys : SLQ-32A(V)4 Countermeasures suite, SLQ-25A Nixie torpedo countermeasures
Armament : 2 Sea Sparow & 2 RAM launchers
Armour : Unknown
Aircraft carried : 90 fixed wing and helicopters

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USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70)

Displacement : 101,000 to 104,000 tons full load
Length : Overall: 1,092 ft (333 m)
Waterline : 1,040 ft (317 m)
Beam : Overall: 252 ft (76.8 m)
Waterline : 134 ft (40.8 m)
Draught : Maximum navigational: 37 ft (11.3 m)
Limit : 41 ft (12.5 m)
Propulsion : 2 × Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors, 4 × steam turbines, 4 × shafts, 260,000 shp (194 MW)
Speed : 30+ knots (56+ km/h)
Range : Essentially unlimited
Complement : Ship's company: 3,200, Air wing: 2,480
Sensors and processing systems : AN/SPS-48E 3-D air search radar, AN/SPS-49(V)5 2-D air search radar, Mk 23 target acquisition radar, 2 × AN/SPN-46 air traffic control radars, AN/SPN-43B air traffic control radar, AN/SPN-44 landing aid radars, 3 × Mk 91 NSSM guidance systems, 3 × Mk 95 radars.
Electronic warfare and decoys : SLQ-32A(V)4 Countermeasures suite, SLQ-25A Nixie torpedo countermeasures.
Armament : 2 × Mk 57 Mod3 Sea Sparrow, 2 × RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile, 3 × Phalanx CIWS
Armour : Unknown
Aircraft carried : 90 fixed wing and helicopters

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Buruj Dubai Tower becomes tallest structure in the world

From 1974-98 the Sears Tower was the tallest building in the world at 442 meter. In 1998 it was succeded by the Petronas Towers at 452 meter. In 2003 that was bested by Taipei 101 at 509 meter, the first tower to ever surpass 500 meter. Now, the Buraj Dubai Tower has become the tallest building in the world at 515.17 m. The building has 160 floors.



This is not to say the United States has been bested forever. The Freedom Tower, when completed in 2009, is estimated to be 541 meter.

By 2012, the list tallest buildings will be

1.Burj Dubai 818 m, 188 storeys - Emiratos Arabes
2. Torre de Moscu 612 m, 118 storeys - Metros, Russia
3. Spire Tower 610 m, 150 storeys - Chicago, USA
4. The Crown 580 m, 142 storeys - Las Vegas, USA
5. The Freedom Tower 541 m, 108 storeys - NY, USA.

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Mizos (people of Mizoram, an Indian state) are meat eaters. They like dog very much, other favorites are pig and beef. Rice is brewed to form local alcoholic drink 'Zu'. Mizos are mainly tribals and are suspicious about non Mizos. Christanity is deep rooted here.

Tihar Jail, Delhi is India's maximum security prison in 170 acres, which houses 9000 prisoners.

Cryonics : To freeze dead with the hope of reviving it when it thaws.

Silica gel changes blue to white colour when moisture is absorbed by it. Then replace the Silica gel.

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20 Best books I read

Trekking

1. Mountain climbing by Gian Chand, International publishers, Delhi (Rs 125).

2. Spiti (Adventures in trans Himalaya) by Harish Kapadia, Indus publishers, Delhi (Rs 500).

3.Climbers guide to Sonmarg published by Himalayan Club.

4. Trekking in Indian Himalaya by Lonely planet.

5. Trekking in Nepal Himalaya by Lonely planet.