Ovin Bandara

sun worship, veneration of the sun or a representation of the sun as a deity, as in Atonism in Egypt in the 14th century  BCE . Although sun worship  has been used frequently as a term for “pagan” religion , it is, in fact, relatively rare. Though almost every  culture  uses solar motifs, only a relatively few  cultures  (Egyptian, Indo-European, and Meso-American) developed solar religions. All of these groups had in common a well-developed urban civilization with a strong ideology of  sacred kings-ship . In all of them the imagery of the sun as the ruler of both the upper and the lower worlds that he majestically visits on his daily round is prominent. The sun is the bestower of light and life to the totality of the cosmos; with his unblinking, all-seeing eye, he is the stern guarantor of justice; with the almost universal connection of light with enlightenment or illumination, the sun is the source of wisdom. These qualities sove...

African culture is embedded in strong moral considerations. It has a system of various beliefs and customs which every individual ought to keep in order to live long and to avoid bringing curses on them and others. Adultery, stealing and other forms of immoral behavior are strongly discouraged and whenever a suspected offender denies a charge brought against him, he would be taken to a soothsayer or made to take an oath for proof of innocence. In Ibibio land for instance,  ukang   (ordeal) is very popular as a method of crime detection. The soothsayer who specializes in it sets a pot of boiling oil, drops a stone into it and asks the suspects to attempt to retrieve the stone. The guiltless can reach to the bottom of the pot and retrieve the stone without the hair on his arms getting burnt. But when the culprit approaches the pot, it rages and boils over in a manner that even the most daring criminal would hesitate to make an attempt at retrieving the stone. The fear of being m...

  Human beings are social creatures. We need the companionship of others to thrive in life, and the strength of our connections has a huge impact on our mental health and happiness. Being socially connected to others can ease stress, anxiety, and depression, boost self-worth, provide comfort and joy, prevent loneliness, and even add years to your life. On the flip side, lacking strong social connections can pose a serious risk to your mental and emotional health. In today’s world, many of us rely on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, YouTube, and Instagram to find and connect with each other. While each has its benefits, it’s important to remember that social media can never be a replacement for real-world human connection. It requires in-person contact with others to trigger the hormones that alleviate stress and make you feel happier, healthier, and more positive. Ironically for a technology that’s designed to bring people closer together, spending too mu...

  Conflict is a normal part of any healthy relationship. After all, two people can’t be expected to agree on everything, all the time. The key is not to fear or try to avoid conflict but to learn how to resolve it in a healthy way. When conflict is mismanaged, it can cause great harm to a relationship, but when handled in a respectful, positive way, conflict provides an opportunity to strengthen the bond between two people. Whether you’re experiencing conflict at home, work, or school, learning these skills can help you resolve differences in a healthy way and build stronger, more rewarding relationships. Conflict triggers strong emotions and can lead to hurt feelings, disappointment, and discomfort. When handled in an unhealthy manner, it can cause irreparable rifts, resentments, and break-ups. But when conflict is resolved in a healthy way, it increases your understanding of the other person, builds trust, and strengthens your relationships. If you are out of touch with your feel...

Teeth contribute to the important functions of food mastication, swallowing, digestion, speech, and aesthetics in humans. Each tooth component serves a specific purpose. The development of human teeth begins in the womb. Children generally have their primary tooth (deciduous tooth) eruption around 6 months of age. By the age of 12, most primary teeth have been lost and secondary teeth continue to replace those teeth until adulthood. The human tooth is divided into three different parts: Crown  – This is the visible portion of the tooth. It covers nearly two-thirds of the total tooth structure. The crown lies above the gums (gingiva). Neck - The small and narrow portion lying between the crown and root of the tooth. Root  – It consists of one-third of the tooth and is deeply seated inside the bone supporting the tooth. This part of the tooth lies below the gums and is usually not visible in healthy teeth.  

Drug abuse or substance abuse is a disorder characterised by excessive use of habit forming drugs or misuse of over the counter medicine, illegal use of drugs which in turn leads to severe addiction and dependence with many negative consequences, drug addiction is a chronic illness with relapse rates similar to those of hypertension, diabetes, and asthma.  We now know that while the initial decision to use drugs is voluntary, drug addiction is a disease of the brain that compels a person to become singularly obsessed with obtaining and abusing drugs despite their many adverse health and life consequences. Treatment of substance abusers depends upon the severity and nature of the addiction, motivation, and the availability of services. Substance abuse may increase vulnerability to mental illness; Relapses to drug abuse can occur during or after successful treatment episodes, Participation in self-help support programs during and following treatment can be helpful in sustaining long-...

  Are ghosts real? Ghost hunters like to believe that ghosts exist, but science and logic are the real ghost busters. If you believe in ghosts, you're not alone. Cultures all around the world believe in spirits that survive death to live in another realm. In fact, ghosts are among the most widely believed of paranormal phenomenon: Millions of people are interested in ghosts, and thousands read ghost stories on reddit every day. It's more than mere entertainment; A 2019 Ipsos Poll found that 46% of Americans  say they truly believe in ghosts. (The nation is discerning in its undead beliefs; only 7% of respondents said they believe in vampires). The idea that the dead remain with us in spirit is an ancient one, appearing in countless stories, from the Bible to "Macbeth." It even spawned a folklore genre: ghost stories. Belief in ghosts is part of a larger web of related paranormal beliefs, including near-death experience, life after death, and spirit communication. The...

  When we picture a wintry landscape and think about the people living there, igloos are usually the first dwelling option that comes to mind. While they might seem like extensions of the ice and snow, these shelters are actually quite useful and convenient for keeping their inhabitants out of the cold.   Igloos are familiar dome-shaped dwellings that are built from compacted snow itself. It is commonly associated with the Inuit hunters, who would build igloos as a temporary shelter from their hunting trips. Igloos are most commonly associated with the Inuit tribe, so it stands to reason that they were experts at building such shelters. In fact, Inuit hunters can usually build an igloo in less than an hour! When you’re out in the cold with the daylight fading and facing the threat of frostbite, having an igloo ready in record time could be a lifesaver.  Igloos provide shelter to those who need it, as well as warmth from the cold outside. Warmth, you say? Well, although s...

  Three People's Liberation Armed Forces (PLAF), or Viet Cong (VC), regiments attacked a Civil Irregular Defense Group (CIDG) - and U.S. Special Forces - Camp at Plei Me on 19 October 1965. Intelligence determined the enemy intended to cut the Republic of (South) Vietnam in half. The attack was repulsed with reinforcements from the 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), and supporting Allied forces.  The U.S. then turned to pursuing and destroying the retreating enemy. The division commander, Major General Harry O. Kinnard, sent 3d Brigade to search westward toward the Cambodian border, focusing on the densely wooded area south of the Ia Drang River at the base of the Chu Pong massif, a rugged mountain mass straddling the South Vietnamese-Cambodian border. The brigade advanced to establish artillery fire support bases (FSB) and landing zones (LZ) at the base of the mountain. Early on 14 November, 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Harold G. Moo...

Colors and emotions are closely linked. Warm colors can evoke different emotions than cool colors and bright colors can create different feelings than muted colors. It all depends on how the psychological effects of color are being used. Colors can make us feel happy or sad, and they can make us feel hungry or relaxed. These reactions are rooted in psychological effects, biological conditioning and cultural imprinting. That’s why it’s important to understand the  psychological effects colors might have on an average person  as well as the  fundamentals of color theory  and the  meanings of colors .  The way different colors can affect emotions depends largely on a color’s brightness, shade, tint or tone and whether it’s cool or warm toned. Let’s take a look at some of the effects colors can have on how you feel: Warm colors Red, orange and yellow are next to each other on the wheel and are all warm colors. Warm colors often evoke feelings of happiness, opti...

Racism takes many forms and can happen in many places. It includes prejudice, discrimination or hatred directed at someone because of their colour, ethnicity or national origin. People often associate racism with acts of abuse or harassment. However, it doesn’t need to involve violent or intimidating behaviour. Take racial name-calling and jokes. Or consider situations when people may be excluded from groups or activities because of where they come from. Racism can be revealed through people’s actions as well as their attitudes. It can also be reflected in systems and institutions. But sometimes it may not be revealed at all. Not all racism is obvious. For example, someone may look through a list of job applicants and decide not to interview people with certain surnames. Racism is more than just words, beliefs and actions. It includes all the barriers that prevent people from enjoying dignity and equality because of their race. Not all racism is obvious.   An employer might look th...

EACH DAY, AT LEAST one group of Martu hunts on traditional lands. And for the best part of a decade, two anthropologists from Stanford University in California, USA, have gone with them, documenting what, how and why they hunt. Douglas Bird and Rebecca Bliege Bird calculated that 20 to 50 per cent of the total Martu diet is still composed of bush foods. One of the most interesting aspects of their research has been studying differences in the way men and women hunt. Although traditional Martu law doesn’t dictate it, men and women generally choose different ventures. About 60 per cent of the time, the men undertake high-risk hunting – going for animals such as the fleet-footed kirti-kirti (euro) or the flighty kipara (Australian bustard), with hunting failure rates of about 80 per cent. Women choose the “safer” option of hunting the small parnajarlpa (sand goanna) 74 per cent of the time, banking on a 90 per cent chance of obtaining some, albeit smaller, amount of food – enough to feed ...

  Astronomy is the study of the sun, moon, stars, planets and other objects and phenomena in space. It has a long, rich history. Every night, using the science of astronomy, the entire universe can be revealed above us. Although at some point we've all had that "blanket of stars" moment, it is an illusion. The visible planets and the bright stars you can see with your eyes are mostly very close to us in cosmic terms but the night sky has incredible, almost unfathomable depth. Not only can our own galaxy, the Milky way, be navigated and known but other galaxies can be probed using telescopes, on earth and in space, and in various wavelengths of light from all kinds of cosmic objects.  Here’s everything you need to know about what astronomy is, what it’s not, and how recent developments within the field of astronomy are making it more exciting than ever before. Astronomy is the study of everything in the universe that’s beyond our own planet’s atmosphere. The planets in our...

  We all have dreams,  whether you remember them or not . Dreams can be pleasant, happy, frightening, frustrating, calming, boring, bizarre or downright awkward. (Anyone else ever dream about standing naked in front of a crowd?) Each night, you can have anywhere from one dream up to five or six, depending on how long you sleep and how many rapid eye movement cycles you go through, but you may only remember the most vivid or repeatedly occurring dreams. If you've ever woken from a particularly unsettling or outlandish dream, you may wonder why you dream the things you dream.Unfortunately, but not surprisingly scientists can't attach particular meanings to every dream. It's up to the dreamer to determine what their sleepy, subconscious mini-movies mean, you can start dissecting yours with the help of three sleep experts in this guide to dreams.    To put it simply, "Actually Dreams are thoughts, images, sensations and sometimes sounds that occur during sleep,...