First hint of ‘life after death’ in biggest ever scientific study

Southampton University scientists have found evidence that awareness can continue for at least several minutes after clinical death which was previously thought impossible. 

                  Some cardiac arrest patients recalled seeing a bright light; a golden flash or the Sun shining Photo: Shaun Wilkinson / Alamy

By Sarah Knapton

Death is a depressingly inevitable consequence of life, but now scientists believe they may have found some light at the end of the tunnel.

The largest ever medical study into near-death and out-of-body experiences has discovered that some awareness may continue even after the brain has shut down completely.

It is a controversial subject which has, until recently, been treated with widespread scepticism.

But scientists at the University of Southampton have spent four years examining more than 2,000 people who suffered cardiac arrests at 15 hospitals in the UK, US and Austria.

And they found that nearly 40 per cent of people who survived described some kind of ‘awareness’ during the time when they were clinically dead before their hearts were restarted.

Marlisa Punzalan’s some best performances

Happy Diwali, Happy Nepal Sambat 1135

Whatever is bright and beautiful, whatever means the most to you, whatever brings you happiness, and these are the things I wish for you and your family. HAPPY DIWALI!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! HAPPY NEPAL SAMBAT 1135!!! to you and your family members! Let’s prove this year 1135 as the real victory of all.

यस्ता थिए महाकवि

• लक्ष्मीप्रसाद देवकोटाको जीवनको अर्को हिस्सा

समय :    २००० साल

स्थान :    त्रिचन्द्र कलेजको घन्टाघरस्थित पूर्व-पश्चिम फर्किएको नेपाल भाषानुवाद परिषद्को कार्यालय।

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जहाँ महाकवि लक्ष्मीप्रसाद देवकोटाको लेखन सहयोगीका रूपमा मासिक १५ रुपियाँ तलब थाप्थे, श्यामदास वैष्णव। एक दिन कार्यालयमै हल्लीखल्ली भएछ, परिषद्का अध्यक्ष पुष्करशमशेर राणा र देवकोटाबीच केही कुरालाई लिएर  मतभेद भयो र देवकोटा जागिर छाडेर गए ! यसले श्यामदासलाई ठूलो तनाव भयो। नहोस् पनि किन ! वास्तवमा उनी देवकोटाकै सिफारसिमा जागिर खान त्यहाँ पुगेका थिए। त्यसैले उनलाई यो हल्ला स्वादिलो लाग्ने कुरै भएन !  उनी कुरा बुझ्न तुरुन्तै देवकोटाको डिल्लीबजारस्थित घरमा हान्निए। आखिर भएको रहेछ के ?

७१ वर्षअगाडिको त्यो घटना श्यामदासको दिमागमा अहिले पनि आलै छ। खासमा उनीहरूबीच शाकुन्तल महाकाव्यको छन्दलाई लिएर मतभेद भएको रहेछ।

त्यति बेला शाकुन्तलको उठान थियो:

तिमी त नास्तिक बनिसकेछौ

खुलस्त आत्मा नबन्न सक्छौ।

पुष्करको भनाइ थियो, पण्डितहरूसँग कुरा भएर लेख्न बसेको हुनाले वाणिर्क छन्दमै त्यो लेखिनुपथ्र्यो। तर, देवकोटाले वाणिर्क र मात्रिक छन्दलाई मिलाएर तीन महिनाभित्रै शाकुन्तलजस्तो उत्कृष्ट महाकाव्यको रचना गरसिकेका रहेछन्।  पुष्करको अडानप्रति देवकोटाले तत्काल कुनै प्रतिक्रिया जनाएनन्। तर, उनले त्यो महाकाव्य पुष्करका भाइ बालकृष्ण समलाई पनि देखाए। देवकोटाको पहिल्यैदेखिको बानी थियो, आफूले लेखेको साहित्य सबैलाई देखाउने। तर, यति बेला  समलाई त्यो महाकाव्य देखाउनु उनका लागि तीतो अनुभव बन्यो। समले दाजुकै अगाडि देवकोटाको तारपिm गर्दै भनेछन्, ‘बडो राम्रो छ।’

पुष्करले सोचेछन्, आफू केही नबोल्ने। भाइलाई भनेर आफ्नो तेजोबध गराउने। उनले देवकोटालाई त्यहीँ हपारेछन्, ‘बाजे ! मैले हुन्न भन्दाभन्दै भाइका अगाडि मेरो मानमर्दन गर्न खोज्ने ?’ देवकोटा यस्ता कुरामा हतपती प्रतिक्रिया  जनाउँदैनथे। तर, उनलाई पुष्करले उच्चारण गरेको ‘बाजे’ शब्द पि्रय लागेनछ । जुरुक्क उठेर प्रतिक्रिया दिएछन्, ‘म टपरे बाहुन होइन।’ यति भनेर ठमठम हिँड्न लागेका देवकोटालाई बीचमा रोक्दै पुष्करले सोधेछन्, ‘त्यसो भए तिम्रो  मान्छे के गर्छन् ?’

हालै ९० वर्ष टेकेका श्यामदास त्यो घटना सम्झन्छन्, “पुष्करशमशेरको इसारा मतर्फ थियो। देवकोटालाई त्यो बुझ्न गाह्रो भएन।” भनिदिएछन्, ‘यहीँ बस्छन्।’

विदेशी पाठ्यक्रम नेपाली भाषामा अनुवाद गर्न खुलेको भाषानुवाद परष्िाद्को जागिर छाडेर देवकोटा हिँडेपछि विवादले चर्को रूप लियो। कुरा पुग्यो, शिक्षा विभागका डाइरेक्टर शारदाशमशेरको अफिससम्म। त्यति बेला भाषानुवाद परष्िाद्  शिक्षा विभागकै मातहत थियो। त्यसैले शारदाले विवाद सुल्झाउन दुवै पक्षलाई तुरुन्त डाके। र, यही टुंगो लाग्यो, लेखकले लेखेपछि लेख्यो, लेख्यो। विवाद निकालेर हुँदैन। त्यो लेखकको अधिकारभित्र पर्छ।

१० दिनमै महाकाव्य

४० बालबालिका स्याहार्दै अविवाहिता सविता

जीवनलाई भाग्यको खेल मान्ने या कर्मको प्रतिक, यो आम मानिसहरुको अन्तरमनमा दगुर्ने प्रश्न हो तर जीवनलाई भाग्यको खेल भन्दा पर राखेर असल कर्म मार्फत जिन्दगी बदल्ने अभियानमा सरिक हुनेहरुले नै सफलताको मिठो स्वाद चाख्छन् । एउटी अविवाहिता युवती कर्म मार्गमा यसरी नै अविचलित रुपमा लागिरहेकी छिन् ।

कोटेश्वर – काडाँघारी सडकखण्ड अन्तर्गत पुरानो सिनामंगलको सेतो घर नजिकै एउटा विशेष स्कूल छ । पहेँलो कलर पोतीएको स्कूलमा बौद्धिक अपाङ्गता तथा ‘अटिजम’ भएका बावाबालिकाहरुलाई स्याहार्दै गरेकी एक युवती भेटिन्छिन् । समाजशास्त्र तथा मानवशास्त्रमा स्नातकोत्तर गर्दै गरेकी अविवाहीता ती युवती करिव चालिस जना अपाङ्गता भएका बालबालिकाहरुको स्याहार, सुसारकर्ता भएकी छिन् । फरक–फरक आमाहरुले उनीहरुलाई जन्म दिए पनि कर्म दिने, जिन्दगीको संघर्षपूर्ण यात्रामा जीवनको रंग सजाउँदै बाँच्न सिकाउने आमा भएकी छिन् ।

। सत्ताईस बर्षे भरभराउँदो जवानीमा तथा ‘लाऊँ लाऊँ खाऊँ खाऊँ’कै उमेरमा अति सघन मानसिक अपांगता (अटिजम) भएका बच्चा स्याहारिरहेका उनी आफ्नो पेशाप्रति लगनशिल मात्र होइनन् उत्तिकै सन्तुष्ट पनि छिन् ।  शारिरिक हिसावले अशक्त, मानसिक हिसावले अस्वभाविक, सघन बौद्धिक अपाङ्गता भएका विशेष प्रकृतिका बालबालिकाहरु परिवारको बोझ बन्ने गर्दछन् । तर, समाजमा हेपिएका तथा परिवारको बोझ ठानेका बालबालिकाहरुलाई नयाँ जीवन दिन पाएकोमा उनी सन्तुष्ट छिन् ।  उनीहरुलाई उचित किसिमको हेरचाह गर्ने, स्वास्थ्य, शिक्षामा विशेष ध्यान पुर्याउने हो भने उनीहरुको जीवन बदल्न सकिन्छ भन्नेमा पनि उनी दृढ संकल्पित छिन् ।   

The 25 Most Influential Teens of 2014

Teens today might have a mixed reputation, but there’s no denying their influence. They command millions of fans on Twitter and Vine,start companies with funds they raised on Kickstarter, steal sceneson TV’s most popular shows, lead protests with global ramifications, and even—as of Friday—win Nobel Peace Prizes. But which ones rise above the rest? We analyzed social-media followings, cultural accolades, business acumen and more to determine this year’s list (ordered from youngest to oldest)

• Mo’ne Davis, 13

  It’s not every day that a black female athlete appears on the cover of Sports Illustrated—let alone one who’s 13. So Mo’ne Davis made quite a splash in August when she landed that spot (cover line: “Remember Her Name”) after pitching a shutout game in the Little League World Series. Her team, Philadelphia’s Taney Dragons, was eventually knocked out of the tournament, but not before Davis got accolades from Michelle Obama, Kevin Durant and Ellen DeGeneres, among others. Many hope she will be a role model for girls in sports, especially those that are typically male-dominated. —Sarah Begle

• Sasha Obama, 13, and Malia Obama, 16

  

  Pablo Martinez Monsivais—AP

  A lot of dads get squeamish about their daughter’s first prom, but only Malia Obama’s date status could be called “classified information,” as the President joked on Live! with Kelly and Michael last spring. Nonetheless, she has emerged as a figure of national interest: her appearance at Chicago’s Lollapalooza Music Festival caused almost as much of a stiras the musicians themselves, and her name has spiked in popularity after her father’s election. (It’s predicted to peak again in 2018.) Sasha, meanwhile, has become an icon in her own right: after being photographed in a unicorn sweatshirt, the style sold out at ASOS in a matter of days. —S.B.

Australia’s millionaire boom

Does it surprise you to hear Australia has more than 1.2 million millionaires? If it does, just think about how much we invest in housing.

Australia also has the highest median wealth in the world, with household wealth growing at an average annual pace of 11 per cent, according to a new Global Wealth Report by Credit Suisse.

The fifth annual study by the Swiss bank of global wealth trends found the median Australian adult was worth more than $US225,000 ($258,000) in June, well ahead of the second wealthiest population on this measure, the ­Belgians, at $US173,000. They were followed by the Italians, French and British, all at around $US110,000.

There are a couple of reasons for this, but one of them is the composition of household wealth in Australia – it is heavily skewed towards “real assets” such as homes and apartments.

Top 10 Business Leaders Under 40

What does it take to disrupt, to lead, to innovate? For Jan Koum it was coming up with a texting app so popular that Facebook had to have it—for $19 billion. For Elizabeth Holmes it was a childhood fear of getting her blood drawn. For Andriy Kobolyev, CEO of Ukrainian gas giant Naftogaz, it’s the fine art of persuading Gazprom to keep the gas flowing—while getting his countrymen to stop sleeping with their windows open.

Welcome to our 2014 40 under 40, our list of the most powerful, influential, important people in business under 40. You’ll see plenty of household names here—Mark Zuckerberg, Brian Chesky, Marissa Mayer—but you’ll also see plenty of new faces. (One thing you won’t see are many repeats. With very few exceptions, once someone’s been on once, we consider them “in the club” and move them off to make room for fresh discoveries.) What we look for: power, influence, leverage, scale, and ideas that disrupt.

Many names on the list are of course in the tech sector, but they’re also in finance, fashion, film, real estate, and even eggless mayonnaise. This year there are a surprising number of legacies, perhaps reflecting how hard it is to get ahead in today’s economy without the right connections (though for a true rags-to-riches tale, look no further than Koum). One thing they have in common: They don’t like limits, and they don’t like being told no.

1. Travis Kalanick & Brian Chesky

Age	38, 33
Title	Co-founder and CEO
Company	Uber / Airbnb

They’re revolutionizing two very different industries, but this year was the year that Kalanick and Chesky became the figureheads for the ongoing clash between the great potential of the Internet economy and the rules and regulations of the old economy. In the Internet economy, the web can connect hundreds of millions of us to powerful platforms and networks where we can help ourselves to extra inventory, whether it’s a spare bedroom in someone’s house or a driver-for-hire idling in between jobs.

In the real world economy, that ability can collide with entrenched interest groups and decades-old re

16 Years ‘Human Barbie’ from Ukraine – Claims no surgery (Video)

• At 5ft 4in, she has a 20-inch waist and 32F bra size
• Claims extreme ‘Barbie’ proportions are not through surgery or Photoshop
• Has a huge following online where she shares hundreds of pictures
• Despite her age, her mother approves, even taking most of the shots
  
• Lolita wants to become a psychologist after she finishes school
  

By KATY WINTER

Lolita Richi, the youngest ‘Human Barbie’ yet to emerge, who claims to be the most doll-like beauty yet. 

Lolita, 16, from Kiev, Ukraine, boasts the same improbable body proportions and blank facial features as a Barbie. She has a tiny 20-inch waist, a 32F bra size and wears contact lenses that give her a wide-eyed, doll-like stare.

Lolita maintains that her striking looks were achieved without plastic surgery, dieting or Photoshop.

At the age of just 16, Lolita claims to be the most doll-like beauty yet – and it’s all natural (apart from the coloured contact lenses)

Breaking News: Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi Are Awarded Nobel Peace Prize 2014

The Norwegian Nobel Committee on Friday awarded the 2014 peace prize to a 17 years Yousafzai of Pakistan and Kailash Satyarthi of India for their work in helping to promote universal schooling and protecting children worldwide from abuse and exploitation.

There were a record 278 nominations this year, 19 more than ever before – including US whistleblowers Edward Snowden and Chelsea Manning, Russian president Vladimir Putin, and Pope Francis. Also on the list of nominees was an anti-war clause in the Japanese constitution and the International Space Station Partnership.

प्रधानमन्त्रीलाई लुम्बिनी-कपिलवस्तु दिवस अभियानको ज्ञापनपत्र

बेल्जियम, १ अक्टोबर – संयुक्त राष्ट्र संघको ६९ औं महासभालाई सम्बोधन गरेर प्रधानमन्त्री सुशील कोइराला स्वदेश फर्कने क्रममा बेल्जियमको राजधानी ब्रुसेल्समा आउनुभएको अवसरमा लुम्बिनी कपिलवस्तु दिवस विश्व अभियानका तर्फबाट बेल्जियमस्थित अभियानका अभियान्ताहरुले प्रधानमन्त्री कोइरालालाई अभियानका गतिविधिहरुको बारेमा संक्षेपमा प्रकाश पार्दै अभियानले आगामी वुद्ध जयन्तीका अबसरमा बेल्जियममा आयोजना गर्ने अन्तराष्ट्रिय संगोस्ठीमा नेपाल सरकारको सहयोग र सहभागिता होस भनी अभियानका विश्व संयोजक रामकुमार श्रेष्ठद्वारा हस्ताक्षरित ज्ञापनपत्र बुझाएका छन । नेपाली राजदुतावास ब्रुसेल्सले प्रधानमन्त्रीको सम्मानमा आयोजना गरेको दिवाभोज कार्यक्रमको अवसरमा उक्त ज्ञापनपत्र दिइएको हो ।

“वुद्ध जन्मेको देशमा आजका स्वर-लहरीहरु” शिर्षकमा अन्तराष्ट्रिय साहित्यिक महोत्सब

लुम्बिनी-कपिलवस्तु दिवस अभियानको आगामी डिसेम्बर १ मा छैटौं बार्षिकी मनाउने क्रममा वुद्ध र लुम्बिनी बिषयमा केन्द्रित भएर अन्तराष्ट्रिय साहित्यिक महोत्सब मनाउने हेतुले डा मधु माधुर्यको मूल संयोजकत्वमा गठित समदर्शी काइंला (युनाइटेड अरब एमिरेट्स), उमा सुवेदी (नेपाल), कमला प्रसाई (अमेरिका), भगवती बस्नेत (इजरायल), सानु घिमिरे (अस्ट्रेलिया), सुरेन्द्र लिम्बू परदेशी (भारत), बिमल गिरी (बेल्जियम), बिकल आचार्य (वेलायत), हरि कृष्ण लभली श्रेष्ठ (नेपाल), बिनोद अधिकारी (कुवेत), डा लेखनाथ काफ्ले (ताइवान) र डा हरि कुमार श्रेष्ठ (नेपाल) रहनु भएको १३ सदस्यीय मूल आयोजक समितिले “वुद्ध जन्मेको देशमा आजका स्वर-लहरीहरु” शिर्षकमा तपसिलका सीमामा रहेर अन्तराष्ट्रिय साहित्यिक महोत्सब आयोजना गर्ने भएको छ:

अस्ट्रेलियन नेताहरुले समेत लगाइदिए दसैंको टिका

अत्यन्तै थोरै नेपाली बसोबास गर्ने अस्ट्रेलियाको जिलोङमा जिलोङ नेपलिज एसोशियसनको पहलमा आयोजनामा गरिएको पहिलो दसैंं कार्यक्रममा वरिपरिका शहरहरु मेलबर्न, बालाराट र वार्नाबुलदेखि नेपाली एबं बिदेशीहरु आएर नाचगान सहित भब्यताका साथ मनाइएको दसैंं कार्यक्रममा अस्ट्रेलियाको आसन्न सांसद निर्वाचनका लागि उम्मेदवार भएका ठूला पार्टीका उम्मेदवारहरु समेतले नेपाली एबं बिदेशीहरुलाई दसैंको टिका लगाएर आशिर्बाद दिए । यसरी टिका लगाएर आशिर्बाद दिने बिदेशीहरुमा लेबर र ग्रिन पार्टीका सांसद उम्मेदवारहरु क्रमश: क्रिस्टिन कोउजेन्स र लोइड डेविस, भिक्टोरिया मल्टिकल्चरल कमिसनका कमिसनर डा टेरेज डे फजिओ, ग्रेटर जिलोङ काउन्सिलका बहुसांस्कृतिक जिम्मेवारी बहन गरेका काउन्सिलर एड्डी कोन्टेल्ज र अजी एक्सन अब्रोडका प्रबन्ध निर्ढेशक ग्राएम केण्ट थिए ।