Life

Life is broadly defined as the condition of an organism that exhibits growth through metabolism, reproduction, and adaptation to its environment. These characteristics separate living organisms from inanimate objects.

The cell is the basic unit of life, and an organism must be composed of at least one cell to qualify as a living thing.

The cells of every living organism contain deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), a nucleic acid that holds the genetic instructions for the development and functioning of a life form. It is this substance that allows a living thing to grow and reproduce.

DNA was first discovered in 1869 by Swiss physician Friedrich Miescher who noticed a microscopic substance in the pus on discarded bandages. The substance was later identified as DNA.

A virus straddles the definition of life and, according to scientific definition, is not technically alive. It is composed simply of DNA and ribonucleic acid (RNA) strands surrounded by a protein shell and requires a host cell to metabolize and reproduce. When not within a host cell, a virus lies dormant and is nothing more than a static organic particle.

Scientists estimate the Earth has existed for about 4.5 billions years

Scientists estimate the earth is about 4.5 billions years old and first began to support life forms approximately 3.7 billion years ago.a
While scientists universally believe that naturally occurring amino acids were mediated by nucleic acids to create the first life forms on Earth, the question of how nucleic acids originated from inanimate matter is still being studied today. There is no definitive answer yet as to the origin of life on Earth.

Throughout history, two dominant theories of the origin of life on Earth have prevailed. Abiogenesis, a theory that is now widely discredited, holds that life was and is spontaneously generated from decaying organic matter. The theory of biogenesis, on the other hand, maintains that new life is produced from existing life forms.

The oldest living things on Earth are believed to be single-cell prokaryotes, more commonly known as bacteria. Scientists have discovered fossils of such prokaryotes from roughly 3.5 billion years ago.

The first plant life appeared 430 million years ago and consisted of algae-like growth

Plant life began on the Earth’s landforms about 430 millions years ago. The first plants were likely single-celled organisms distantly related to algae.

The first reptiles began life 300 million years ago, and modern mammals appeared roughly 75 millions years ago.a Apes originated on Earth about 35 million years ago, and the first apelike men appeared about 10 million years ago. The modern human species of Homo sapien has existed on the earth for only 100,000 years.

Scientists believe that Earth will exist for another 7.5 billion years before the sun becomes a red giant star and, in all probability, destroys the planet. Earth may cease to support life forms far before that date, however, due to increased energy output from the sun over time.a
Living organisms are divided into two basic domains: prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Eukaryotes, to which humans belong, have a cellular structure with a nucleus and membrane-bound genetic information, while the cells of prokaryotes do not contain a nucleus.

Today, all identified living organisms are scientifically named and categorized according to Swedish scientist Carl Linnaeus’s taxonomy. In his 1758 publication, Systema Naturae, Linnaeus divided and classified different living organisms with a ranking scale: kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species.

Scientists estimate that anywhere from five million to 100 million unique species of plants and animals currently live on Earth. However, only about two million of these species have been identified.

Insect species account for 950,000 of the two million identified species on Earth.

There are nearly 300,000 different species of plants currently living on Earth.

Mammals make up just 5,416 of the two million identified species on Earth.

The theory of evolution, which explains how living things change over time through natural selection, was first publicized by Charles Darwin in 1859. Many scientists now point to this natural phenomenon as the reason behind Earth’s great biodiversity.

Worldwide, there are currently just over 6.7 billion people living in the world. The population of males is slightly higher than females (3.41 billion compared to 3.37 billion).

According to the Central Intelligence Agency, average life expectancy for a person in the U.S. is 78.11 years.


Average life expectancy in the U.S. increased by 30 years during the twentieth century, primarily due to advances in public health care


During the twentieth century alone, the average life expectancy in the United States increased by more than 30 years. Officials attribute most of this increase to advances in public health care and information.

According to a 2008 report, the average life expectancy in the world as a whole is 66.26 years.

The average life expectancy ranges throughout the world from a high of 84.36 years in Macau to just 31.88 years in the African nation of Swaziland. Experts attribute the low life expectancy in many African countries to high rates of HIV/AIDS infection.

The oldest documented person on record is Jeanne Calment, a Frenchwoman who lived for 122 years and 164 days. The oldest person still alive today is 114-year-old Gertrude Baines of the U.S.b

The greatest verified age for any living organism is from a Great Basin Bristlecone Pine tree in Nevada called Prometheus that was measured by a ring count to be about 4,900 years old when it was cut down in 1964.

Scientists have yet to discover a sign of extraterrestrial life, but the discovery of planets outside of our solar system with habitable climates is a promising indication of life outside Earth.

Things to keep in mind when you ask her out

Things to keep in mind when you ask her out

Women are sticklers for remembering ‘perfect’ moments and stuff like the first date,

the way the guy asked her out, what he spoke about during the first date, the way he looked at her will be etched in their memory forever. To use a cliché, first impression is the last impression and it is the one that lasts the longest. So don’t simply walk up to a girl and ask her out like you’d ask your buddy for beer; do it with elegance and like a gentleman. But before you ask a lady out, you need to keep certain things in mind. What follows is a concise list that you need to check before you proceed to ask her out.

1. Be polite / Ask, don’t tell

You need to have a soft / polite tone when you ask a girl out. Please avoid sounding cocky; an overtly aggressive and brashly confident tone will not only ensure that you come across as a git but it will lower your chances considerably. Also don’t tell her she needs to go out on a date with you, ask her if she’d like to accompany a gentleman like you on a date. Using the right words and using them in a dignified manner will get you that first date.

2. Don’t over-promise

In a bid to get her to go out with you, don’t make the common error of over-promising and exaggerating through the roof. It is good to boast and build expectations, but it is suicidal to raise her hopes and then under deliver.

3. Keep her schedule & likes/dislikes in mind

While you may think that Saturday night is perfect date night, ensure that she has no other plans that evening and would be interested in going out during the weekend. Be sensitive to her likes / dislikes and suggest a venue that she would feel comfortable in and enjoy. Try finding a venue that has a soothing ambiance; one which allows you to wine and dine in style & at ease.

4. Need for Secrecy

Not all women like the world to know that they are going on a date. So be sensitive to her need for privacy and don’t brag to the world about landing a date with a beautiful lady. This display of immaturity will turn her off and she in turn might just call the date off.

The Right Way to Flirt on the Phone

flirt on phone

All men not only want to get the ladies to go on a first date with them , but to keep them hooked after the date is long over and get them begging for more before the date has even started. Now, the trick to getting any girl totally latched onto you is by getting her to listen to every word you say. And for her to want to listen to you, you have to master some simple guidelines that enable you to Flirt the Right Way on the Phone.

1. The Voice

A soothing voice can truly calm and enchant a woman. When talking on the phone, don’t yell, shout, and talk too fast or too slow. Maintain the pace and keep your voice soft and gentle at all times. As long as your voice soothes her nerves, she will never want to disconnect the line.

2. Talk clean

You want her to like you, so don’t talk ‘dirty’ right away. That will just freak her out and get her thinking that you are some creep from weirdo-land. Talk naughty, and flirty; tease her once a while. For example: ‘I wonder if are twirling your hair with your fingers right now. I love it when you do that’. A simple statement like that will get her to have a soft spot for you right away.

3. Don’t patronize, instead Please

All women love to be flattered. Flatter her voice, compliment her dressing sense, and praise her hairstyle. More often than not, such good gestures from you will be appreciated to be only followed by some odd question. Like, ‘Which actress do you find the sexiest?’ or ‘Do you think so-and-so is beautiful?’ These, gentlemen, are trick questions. Relax. Breathe. Don’t falter. And most importantly don’t give cheesy answers. Be honest. Let her know that while you are going ga-ga over her beauty, you do have genuine appreciation for

other beautiful women. This way she’ll know you are a man with an opinion of your own; a man she won’t be able to resist.

4. Sweet Nothings

Hun, Babe, Baby, Darling, Doll, Sweety, Love are not just common nouns. They are the most effective and powerful sweet nothings to please a girl with. Use these in sentences as often as you’d use conjunctions and prepositions and she is bound to get all dooey eyed. (Dating, MensXP.com)

Rules of office romance

Office Romance

To navigate through potentially delicate situations at your workplace, read on...

Do: Keep your work separate from personal issues
It is very difficult to separate office issues from personal ones when both the partners are working in the same organization. It takes two mature people to understand this and not let emotions affect your work performance.

Don't: Broadcast your relationship
Even though you might not like it, it's best to keep things quiet for as long as you can and maintain a professional relationship at work. Believe it or not, you will become the topic of discussion in the office if you're not careful.

Do: Be sure it ends amicably
When you split, it can be extremely dirty if things are not handled properly. Since both of you will be in the same workplace. You will be seeing each other regularly and it can become highly uncomfortable.

Don't: Mix business with pleasure
Don't misuse your relationship to get ahead professionally. You don't want to be tagged as the 'office slut'. For as much as you may try to keep an office romance under wraps, word does get around. And if things don't work out, unfortunately the tag will still remain.

Do: Date someone of equal status
One cannot deny the fact that power dynamics exist in the workplace. People are bound to talk if you get involved with a superior. And if you get a raise or a promotion, the only thing that will come to their mind will be that you were favored more than the others for certain reasons.

Don't: Make out or getting physical in the office premises
Public displays of affection in office are a no-no. Not only does it blacklist you as unprofessional, it also can be very embarrassing.