Friday 1820 February 2011 25 Tuesday March 2012 24
sci-life
Hyderabad Chronicle Did you know?
Love concoction The first phase of the chemical madness unfurls when we feel the initial connection and it manifests in feelings similar to obsession
AASHIMA DOGRA
Have you ever wondered if there was a little vial of love potion somewhere? And could we formulate one of these vials in our high-tech laboratories? The answer is: unlikely at our present state of understanding neuroscience, molecular biology and behavioural psychology. Still, turned inside-out, love appears like a play of signals attached to receptors and parts of the brain lighting up from the surges and troughs of biologically active chemicals within each of us. The first phase of the chemical madness unfurls the first time we feel a connection, or maybe it develops over time (for non-believers of love-atfirst-sight). We like our prospective partners and enjoy their pixie dust pheromones. Many animal studies show that attractive choices are based on the dissimilarity of the immune system in the hope that future offsprings get the best of both. Dopamine is the neurotransmitter (the signals between two brain cells separated by a tiny distance) that enhances the attraction. Serontonin makes it all worth it. The way this works is called the ‘dopa-
mine reward pathway.’ It manifests in feelings similar to obsession, where we crave and pine till we reward ourselves giving a chance for our brain to finally get the neuroactivity going — that madness in love or puppy love. This obsessive/reward dynamics happens to be prevalent in addiction and obsessive compulsive disorders (OCD). Sexual drive is also heightened in this phase but the main stars of those feelings are the sex hormones — the profile of which is significantly different between male and female. Testosterone is the main sex hormone, both in female and male biology. It is also associated with other traits like aggression and body hair. Additionally, estradiols and a bunch of ot-
Step 1 emove dust from the figurines by wiping with a fine and soft cleaning cloth. The cloth can be washed with your laundry and put away once it is dry. Always use a fine and soft cloth so that it won’t scratch the porcelain. It is best to keep such a cloth aside only for cleaning your porcelain.
her chemicals make up the female sex signals. Long-lasting love aka true love or academically ‘pairbonding’ involves the surge of
oxytocin and vassopresin; these are frequently dubbed the empathy hormones, cuddle hormones, happy chemicals etc. It’s been observed in experiments that oxytocin has a strong positive link to sharper emotional cognition and less stress reactivity and sociability. These studies were performed by administering healthy adults with oxytocin doses and then testing its affect against a placebo group. Research on vasopressin is not as expansive. There are a few reports on vasopressin having the opposite effects to oxytocin on social stress and cognition. Although both work closely together, especially in the part of the brain called amygdala. They promote familiarity and even play the lead role in the euphoria of both male and female orgasm. Along with pair bonding both of them enhance behaviours associated with maternal attachment, parental care and monogamy —the basic social pillars. This complex alchemy is regulated by an even more vast system and new discoveries are being made everyday.
True love involves the surge of what are called ‘happy chemicals’
MCT
A planet of steam SINDYA N. BHANOO
Astronomers have discovered a new planet in our galaxy that is unlike any other found so far. Both the planet and its atmosphere are mostly water, though none of it is liquid. The planet, GJ1214b, has a diametre 2.7 times that of the earth, and it weighs seven times as much. It probably has much more water than the earth — in the form of steam and a peculiar high-temperature ice that exists at extremely high pressures — and far less rock. “There’s probably nothing too special about this planet itself,” said Zachory K. Berta, an astronomer at Harvard University who was involved with the research. The main thing, he added, is that “we have the opportunity to really see the density of the planet.” He and his colleagues report their findings in The Astrophysical Journal. To estimate the density and diametre, they measured the colour of the light from the star that shines through the planet’s atmosphere. Though the planet was discovered with a ground-based telescope, the data that allowed Berta and his colleagues to estimate the planet’s mass and density was gathered by the Hubble. — NYT
Step 3 ow, set the figurines on a paper towel to dry. Clean the surface of the display area using a clean cloth. This will help remove the dust from your curio cabinet or shelf and keep your porcelain figurines cleaner for a longer time.
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Porcelain figurines are something all of us are worried about when it comes to cleaning. Experts suggest displaying the figurines in a protective case or curio cabinet that not just protects the porcelain from damage but also avoids dust from reaching the pieces. If dust is the problem with your figurines, try this remedy.
Step 2 f there are rigid stains, mix one tsp of mild soap with one gallon of water to make a cleaning solution. Dampen your cloth with this solution and gently remove the dirt on the figurines. Do not scrub, as this could take the paint off the statuettes. You may also soak the figurines in the cleaning solution if the spots don't go away.
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