Summer Extravaganza - Wonders of the World

Today up for grabs is the last set of Wonders in the subseries "Wonders of the World." Today we have a relatively unique list. The list is 'The 7 wonders of the Internet. This unique list produced below is compiled by Network World.com:

Considering that the Internet itself is one of the "Wonders of the World", here is a list of the 7 wonders of the internet:

1. MapQuest (map service just like Google Maps)

2. The Domain Name System (DNS)

3. E-Commerce (colloquial name for Amazon, eBay e.t.c)

4. Electronic Mail (E-Mail)

5. Google

6. Catsinsinks.com

7. The World Wide Web

Sorry readers, but there are no images available for any of the wonder. Tomorrow we begin a new month, new facts a new subseries and continue our "Summer Extravaganza"!!!!

Summer Extravaganza - Wonders of the World

Today is the penultimate day of the subseries - Wonders of the World. Today we will have a look at the 7 wonders of the Industrial World. This list is compiled by BBC who also made a seven-part documentary on the same:

1. SS Great Eastern

2. The Bell Rock Lighthouse

3. Hoover Dam

4. First Transcontinental Railroad

5. London Sewerage System

6. The Panama Canal

7. Brooklyn Bridge

Just click on the numbers to be directed to the respective images. The last set of 7 wonders up for tomorrow....

Summer Extravaganza - Wonders of the World

Today we will have a look at the 7 Wonders of the Underwater World. This unique list is the one compiled by CEDAM International:

1. The Republic of Palau

2. The Great Barrier Reef

3. The Belize Barrier Reef

4. Northern Red Sea

5. Deep Sea Vents

6. Galapagos Islands

7. Lake Baikal

Again, just click on the numbers to be directed to the links of the images. There is no image only for the Deep Sea Vents. More Wonders tomorrow....

Summer Extravaganza - Wonders of the World

Today we will have a list of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World. This list produced here is compiled by CNN:

1. The Great Barrier Reef

2. The Rio de Janeiro Harbour

3. Mount Everest

4. Victoria Falls

5. Paricutin Volcano

6. The Grand Canyon

7. Aurora Borealis (Northen Lights)

Again, just click on the numbers to get directed to the links of the pictures. More wonders coming tomorrow....

Summer Extravaganza - Wonders of the World

Today we will have a look at the 7Wonders of the Modern World. This list is as per the New7Wonders Foundation who announced the results in 2007.

1. The Great Wall of China

2. Taj Mahal

3. Petra

4. Christ the Redeemer

5. Machu Picchu

6. Chechen Itza

7. Colosseum

The list also featured the Pyramids of Giza as an honorary candidate. Just click on the numbers to be directed to the pictures of the respective monuments.

Summer Extravaganza - Wonders of the World

Today we will see about the 7 medieval wonders of the world. These are also sometimes referred to as the Wonders of the Middle Ages. These wonders are common in all sources. They are:

1. Stonehenge

2. Leaning Tower of Pisa

3. Great Wall of China

4. Hagia Sophia

5. Colosseum of Rome

6. Porcelain Tower of Nanjing

7. Catacombs of Komel Shoqafa

If you click on the respective numbers of the structures, you will be directed to the links of the pics of these structures. [porcelain tower of nanjing pic is a depiction].

Summer Extravaganza - Wonders of the World

We have just completed a long series of reference works and now there are only 7 more days left for the end of "The Merry Month of May". As there are 7 days left, we will see about the wonders of the world in different categories.

Here is how it will go: each day, there will be a list of 7 wonders of the world in different categories. To end, we will have 7 lists totaling to 49 wonders in 7 days. The lists of the wonders are as per different sources. As there are many sources, I will taking the wonders from the best reliable source. Today we begin with the "Seven Ancient Wonders of the World".

So we begin with the 7 wonders of the ancient world. As per many sources the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World is a well known list of remarkable constructions of Classical Antiquity. The list of the 7 wonders is the same in different sources and is as follows:

1. The Great Pyramids of Giza [pic]

2. Statue of Zeus at Olympia

3. Lighthouse of Alexandria

4. Hanging Gardens of Babylon

5. Mausoleum of Halicarnassus

6. Temple of Artemis

7. Colossus of Rhodes

As only the Great Pyramids of Giza is intact till date, actual photographs on the other 6 wonders are not available as they were destroyed but there are depictions of the monuments. So only the photograph of the pyramids is linked from the blog. More wonders up tomorrow.....

Summer Extravaganza - Reference Books

Today we have the last reference work, that is the Thesaurus.

A thesaurus is a book that lists words grouped together according to similarity of meaning and contains both synonyms and antonyms in contrast to a dictionary which contains definitions and pronunciations. The history of the Thesaurus begins in the fourth century, when the Sanskrit text Amarakosha, a thesaurus in a verse form was written. The first modern thesaurus was compiled in 1805 by Peter Mark Roget, and published in 1852 and was known as the Roget's Thesaurus. The largest thesaurus in the world is the Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English Dictionary which contains more than 920,000 words. Thus to summarise, the Thesaurus is a book of synonyms, often including related and contrasting words and antonyms.

Notice: the Fourth Edition of the FactBook has been delayed due to internet connection problems and it will be hopefully published on Wednesday. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Summer Extravaganza - Reference Books

We have earlier seen about the Web Directory, so today we will see facts on the Telephone Directory.

A telephone directory (also called a telephone book and phone book) is a listing of telephone subscribers in a geographical area or subscribers to services provided by the organization that publishes the directory. Thus it is necessary that there be different telephone directories in different geographical areas. Subscriber names are generally listed in alphabetical order, together with their postal or street address and telephone number in a typical Telephone Directory. The first telephone directory, consisting of a single page, was issued on February 21, 1878. It covered 50 subscribers in New Haven, Connecticut. There are different types of a Telephone Directory, usually named by the colour of the paper it is printed on. There are three mains types of telephone directories, and more colours do exist. Different colors may have different meanings, depending on a country's customs. Information on Government Agencies is often printed on blue or green pages.The three major types are:

1. White Pages which generally indicates personal or alphabetic listings.

2. Yellow Pages which generally indicates a business directory classified by business type or services provided, almost always with paid advertising.

3. Grey Pages which is also known as a reverse telephone directory.

Summer Extravaganza - Reference Books

Today up for facts is the reference work Pharmacopoeia.

A Pharmacopoeia is a reference work for Pharmaceutical Drug Specifications or it is a reference work containing directions for the identification of samples and the preparation of compound medicines, and published by the authority of a government or a medical or pharmaceutical society. It literally means 'Drug Making' and the name has also been applied to Pharmacopoeias made by private firms. The word is derived from Ancient Greek word for 'Drug', 'Make' and 'Ia (abstract noun ending'. Edwin Smith Papyrus Pharmacopoeia of Egypt, Pliny's pharmacopoeia and De Materia Medica, a five volume book originally written in Greek by Pedanius Dioscorides are considered the major initial works in the field of Pharmacopoeia writing.

Summer Extravaganza - Reference Books

Today we will see about the Handbook.

A handbook is a reference work that is intended to provide ready reference whenever needed. It was sometimes referred to as 'Vade Mecum' which means 'go with me' in Latin or Pocket Reference as it was made so that a person can carry it in his pocket and refer to any information at any time, any where. However, this term is not in use anymore. Handbooks may deal with any topic, and are generally compendiums of information in a particular field or about a particular technique and are designed to be easily consulted and provide quick answers in a certain area. They are designed to be easily consulted and provide quick answers in a certain area and are use in other fields too.

Summer Extravaganza - Reference Books

Today we have facts on an uncommon reference work, that is the Gazetteer.

A Gazetteer is a geographical directory or dictionary which gives a reference to place names that are used in maps and atlases. It typically contains information concerning the geographical makeup of a country, region or continent as well as the social statistics and physical features, such as mountains, waterways or roads. Examples of information provided by gazetteers include the location of places, dimensions of physical features, population, GDP, Literacy rate, etc. This information is generally divided into overhead topics with entries listed in alphabetical order. The earliest known Gazetteers existed since the Hellenistic era. The word Gazetteer was occasionally used in newspaper titles like the Indian Gazetteer e.t.c. This word originated in the 1610's and it means Geographical Dictionary.

Summer Extravaganza - Reference Books

Today we will see about the Encyclopaedia.

An Encyclopaedia also spelt as Encyclopedia or Encyclopædia is a compendium holding information of either a branch of knowledge or on all branches of knowledge. These are divided into articles which are usually accessed at the index either alphabetically by article name or by themes. Each article's subject is a single concept that is referred to y the article name unlike a dictionary. Encyclopedias have existed for around 2,000 years; the oldest still in existence, Naturalis Historia, was written in Roman times by Pliny the Elder. The modern encyclopedia evolved out of dictionaries around the 17th century. Historically, some encyclopedias were contained in one volume, but some, such as the Encylcopaedia Britannica, became huge multi-volume works. Some modern encyclopedias are electronic and are often freely available. The present day word of1530s, comes from Greek enkyklios paideia which literally means 'Training in a Circle' and is thought to be 'Course of Construction'.

Summer Extravaganza - Reference Books

Today we have the directory in line as our next Reference Work. But before moving on, let me tell you that there are 2 directories on which we will be discussing today that are the Database Directory and Web Directory. We start off with the Database Directory....

A database directory as it is referred to as, is used in computing and telephony and refers to a database of information which is heavily optimized for reading, under the assumption that data updates are very rare compared to data reads. Commonly, a directory supports search and browsing in addition to simple lookups. Directory technology is often used in white page applications and network information services of which the directory WHOIS is the best example.

Now let us move on to the Web Directory. A web directory or link directory is a database directory on the World Wide Web. It specializes in linking to other web sites and categorising those links. It is not to be mixed ith a Web Search Engine and does not display lists of web pages based on keywords, instead, it lists web sites by category and subcategory.

Summer Extravaganza - Reference Books

Today we have the dictionary, which is a very widely used reference book.

When we do not know what a word means, we refer the dictionary. It is also known as a Lexicon or Vocabulary and basically contains a collection of words of one or more specific languages listed in alphabetical order along with their usage information, definitions, etymologies, phonetics, pronunciations, and other information. A dictionary typically includes each separate meaning in the order of most common usage in the case of multiple words with multiple meanings. The history of the dictionary is a very broad subject and The oldest known dictionaries were Akkadian Empire cuneiform tablets with bilingual Sumerian-Akkadian wordlists, discovered in Ebla (modern Syria) and dated roughly 2300 BCE. There are many ways in which a dictionary can be depicted. Dictionaries are most commonly found in the form of a book, but some newer dictionaries, like StarDict and the New Owford English Dictionary are dictionary software running on PDAs or computers. There are also many online dictionaries accessible via the Internet.

Summer Extravaganza - Reference Books

Today we will be looking at a historical reference work, that is a Chronology.

A chronology is basically the arrangement of events in their order of occurrence in time, or in other words, it is a chronicle and helps in the determination of the actual temporal sequence of past events. Chronology is important as it is a part of periodisation, a part of history, earth history and other related sciences. A best example of a chronology as a reference work is the Timeline, which is often used in the education of students and researchers with which understanding events and trends for a particular subject becomes easy. The word 'Chronology' comes from the Latin word 'Chronologia' and from Ancient Greek 'Chronos' meaning time. A chronology may be either relative, that is, locating related events relative to each other or it can be absolute that is locating these events to specific dates in a chronological era and is also important in determining calendars and eras.

Summer Extravaganza - Reference Books

Today, in line is the Citation Index, so let us see facts on this reference work.

A citation is a reference to a published or unpublished source that is not the original source. The purpose of this citation is mainly honesty. By citing a reference, the author of that particular work is attributing a part or whole of the work to some another author or even a layman and is not denoting that the idea of the work is uniquely thought by him, the author of the work. It sounds a little complicated, but a citation is required to ward off any controversies. A citation index is an index of citations between publications, allowing the user to easily establish which later documents cite which earlier documents. The history of the citation index dates back to 1965, when in a paper Derek J. de Solla Price described the inherent linking characteristic of the SCI as "Networks of Scientific Papers" and that the links between citing and cited papers became dynamic when the SCI began to be published online. Thus came out the citations and citation indices which are now a common part of many works, even reference works. Citation Indices also allow readers to get more information on that particular part of the work as information in that work is conveyed in a shorter form than that available at the cited sources.

Summer Extravaganza - Reference Books

Today we will be facting on another reference book - Atlas.

When we think Geography, we think Maps. And when we think Maps, we think Atlases. Thus, an atlas is a collection of maps compiled together in a form of a book. It is typically a map of the Earth or any specific region of the Earth or even of other planets and celestial bodies in the solar system. Atlases are available in Multimedia format as well, this format being specially viewable on the computer or on the internet. In addition to presenting geographic features and political boundaries, many atlases often feature geopolitical, social, religious and economic statistics. The word 'Atlas' is derived from the name of Atlas, son of Iapetus and Clymene, supposed to uphold the pillars of heaven, which was his punishment for being the war leader of the Titans in the struggle with the Olympian gods. The name perhaps means lit. It is said to have been derived from Mount Atlas in Mauritania, which was important in Greek Mythology. The first reference to the modern day Atlas is said to have come from "Atlas, sive cosmographicae meditationes de fabrica mundi" (1585) by Flemish geographer Gerhardus Mercator (1512-1594), who might have been the first to use this word in this way. A picture of the Titan Atlas holding up the world appeared on the frontispiece of this and other early map collections.

Today, Atlases are generally used by students and laymen, with high-profile and detailed atlases being used by geographers and scientists.

Summer Extravaganza - Reference Books

Today we will be looking at our first Reference Work, that is the Almanac.

The word 'Almanac', also spelled as Almanack or Almanach is generally an annual publication containing Tabular Information in a particular field or general fields. Sometimes, it is arranged according to the calendar. Almanacs are vital since they provide astronomical data like times of rising and setting of sun and the moon, eclipses, timings of low and full tide, timelines e.t.c. The etymology of this word is in the cloud. It is said to be from a Spanish-Arabic word 'Almanakh' meaning a 'Calendar' but it possibly comes from the Late Greek word of coptic origin 'almenichiakon' meaning 'Calendar'. The origin of the almanac can be traced back to ancient Babylonian Astronomy, when tables of planetary periods were produced in order to predict lunar and planetary phenomena. Major topics covered by Modern Almanacs include Geography, Government, Agriculture, Economics, Health, Business, Medicine, Religion, Astronomy, Mass Media, Transportation, Science and Technology, Awards and Sport e.t.c.

Tomorrow we will look at the Atlas.

Summer Extravaganza - Reference Books

For the next 13 Days, that is from 12th May to 24th May, we will facting (Looking at facts, searching facts e.t.c) on Reference Books. Today, we will see what exactly a Referance Work or Reference Book is and on the following days, we will see info and facts on different types of Reference Works.

A Reference Work is a comprehensive compilation of a body of Knowledge or a compendium of information of a specific type so as to allow readers to easily refer to that particular type of Information quickly. These books are not normally read from the first page to the last page and are only used at the time of reference. By avoiding the first person and emphasising on Facts, the writing style of these books is unique and informative. A main factor of a reference book is the Index, which allows readers to get the information that they need quickly and efficiently.

We can also say that this blog, The Factorium is a reference work as it justifies all the needs required to be a reference book except for the fact that it does not have specific information and an index and the fact that it is an Anthology. The different types of reference books are:

1. Almanac

2. Atlas

3. Citation Index

4. Chronologies

5. Dictionary

6. Directory

7. Encyclopaedia

8. Gazetteer

9. Handbook

10. Pharmacopoeia

11. Telephone Directory

12. Thesaurus

Summer Extravaganza - Sunny Sports

Today is the last day of sunny sports and let us wrap it up by looking at the History and Types of Kabaddi.

Kabaddi is known as Hu-Tu-Tu in Western India, Ha-Do-Do in Eastern India and Bangladesh, Chedugudu in Southern India and Kaunbada in Northern India and is a different game version of the Chakravyuha which was an ancient war strategy and defensive formation in the shape of a circle. The game was introduced in the Indian Olympic Games at Calcutta in 1938. In 1950 the All India Kabaddi Federation came into existence and compiled standard rules. The Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI) was founded in 1973 after which the men's and women's national championships were held. The first World Kabaddi Championship was held in Hamilton, Canada when 14,000 people at the Copps Coliseum watched top players from India, Pakistan, Canada, England and the United States. The next edition was in Surrey, British Columbia which hosts the first all-kabaddi stadium. Kabaddi is now a very popular game and is a regular sport in Asian Games, Asian Indoor Games and Asian Beach Games apart from SAF Games. Kabaddi will be a demonstration sport during Commonwealth Games 2010 at New Delhi. The various types of Kabaddi versions are Amar, Surjeevani and Gaminee.

Summer Extravaganza - Sunny Sports

For the last two days of the subseries 'Sunny Sports' we are going to see facts on a Tag Game. The Tag Game is Kabaddi. Today we will be looking at general information on the sport of Kabaddi and the Gameplay of Kabaddi. Before moving on...let me tell you that the Factorium has been redesigned and I have added some pages which convey information on The FactBook, The Factorium and some External links.

Kabaddi is a team contact sport that originated in India. Two teams occupy opposite halves of a field and take turns sending a "raider" into the other half, in order to win points by tagging or wrestling members of the opposing team; the raider then tries to return to his own half, holding his breath and chanting "kabaddi, kabaddi, kabaddi" during the whole raid. The name often chanted during a game derives from a Hindi word meaning "holding of breath", which is indeed the crucial aspect of play. It is the national game of Bangladesh, and the state game of Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh in India. India is currently the undisputed champion in this sport. The game in India is governed by a body called The Kabaddi Federation of India which was founded in 1950.

Now we will look at the international rules of the game as given by the International Governing body. In the international team version of kabaddi, two teams of seven members each occupy opposite halves of a field of 13m × 10m in case of men and 12m X 10m in case of women and the game is played in 2 20 minute halves. Teams take turns sending a "raider" to the opposite team's half, where the goal is to tag the opposite team member. Tagged members are "out" and temporarily sent off the field. The raider is sent off the field if If the raider takes a breath before returning or if the raider crosses boundary line or a part of the raider's body touches the ground outside the boundary except during a struggle with an opposing team member. Each time a player is out the opposing team earns a point. A team scores a bonus of two points, called a lona, if the entire opposing team is declared out. At the end of the game, the team with the most points wins. Matches are categorized based on age and weight. Six officials supervise a match: one referee, two umpires, a scorer and two assistant scorers.

Summer Extravaganza - Sunny Sports

Today we will looking at a brief history of Kayaks and different types of Kayaks.

When the Kayaks were developed, their sole purpose was for hunting and fishing and not for playing a competitive sport. They were developed by the indigenous Arctic people and the oldest Kayaks are well over 4,000 years old. These first kayaks were constructed from stitched animal seal or other skins stretched over a wooden frame made of driftwood and they were a personal craft with each Kayak being used by a single person who built it. The word Kayak probably comes from the Inuktitut word 'Qajaq' or 'Kajukki'.

Now let's head on to the different types of Kayaks. These Kayaks are the modern versions that were developed say early 20th century onwards. The Kayaks are categorised by their application and their different types are as follows:

1. Recreational Kayak

2. Sea Kayak

3. Sit on Top Kayak

4. Skin on Frame Kayak

5. Folding Kayak

6. Surf Ski Kayak

7. The Waveski Kayak

8. Whitewater Kayak

9. The Playboat Kayak

10. The Creekboat Kayak

11. Slalom Kayak

12. Inflatable Kayak

13. Pedal Kayak

14. Military Kayak

15. Wooden Kayak

For the last two days of Sunny Sports,we will see about another 'Sunny Sport' tomorrow.

Summer Extravaganza - Sunny Sports

For the next 2 days, we will be looking on facts on another sunny sport, that is Kayaking. Today, we will look at general information on the sport of kayaking and about a kayak and tomorrow, we will look at the History of the Kayak and about different types of Kayaks.

Kayaking is basically the use of a Kayak, which is a small boat that works on human power with the use of a double-bladed paddle. The Kayak is primarily used to move across any water body especially rivers, seas, oceans e.t.c. While Kayaking, a person (the paddler) faces forward with his legs in front using a double bladed paddle to move across the water body. Kayaking has increased in popularity in the 1990's and the early 21st Century and is now a competitive sport with many professional Kayakers who try to cross any whitewater rapid or any sea with the Kayak.

Now let us move on to the Kayak. A kayak is a small human-powered boat that traditionally has a covered deck, and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler who strokes a double-bladed paddle. The cockpit is covered by a Spraydeck that keeps the inside of the boat and the paddler's lower body dry. Some modern kayaks eliminate cockpits, seating the paddler(s) on top of the boat or replace paddles with other propulsion methods. The kayak was invented and first used by the native Ainu, Aleut and Eskimo hunters in sub-Arctic regions of northeastern Asia, North America and Greenland.

Summer Extravaganza - Sunny Sports

Today we will see about the different swimming strokes that are used in competitive swimming.

1. Butterfly Style

2. Backstroke

3. Breaststroke

4. Freestlyle

5. Individual Medley

The following turns are used in competitive swimming:
1. Open Turn

2. Flip Turn

3. Bucket Turn.

Tomorrow we will see facts on another sunny sport....

Summer Extravaganza - Sunny Sports

Today we will see facts on another sport that is widely played in summer, like cricket. We will discuss on the sport of Swimming Today. Now, swimming is basically practised to beat the heat and as a fun sport but it is also a competitive sport. For the next 2 days, we will see about the History, Types of Modalities and about the Officials present in an around the Swimming Pool.

We will today see facts on the History of Competitive Swimming and about the different officials present in and around the swimming pool. Competitive swimming started in Europe around 1800, mostly using Breaststroke. Swimming was part of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 in Athens. In 1908, the world swimming association, Federation Internationale de Natation (FINA), was formed.

There are several types of Officials:

1. Starter (starts of the race and can determine false starts)

2. Finish Judges (determine the order of finish)

3. Turn Judges (determine if the turns of the swimmers are within rules)

4. Stroke Judges (check the swimmers' strokes)

5. Timekeepers (keep the time)

6. The Referee (overall judgement)

Summer Extravaganza - Sunny Sports

Today we will be seeing facts on the History of Cricket. The History of Cricket, for centuries has been unknown and a mystery to us. Before moving on, let me tell you that today's post will depict the History of Cricket cited by other relevant reference sources.

The first reference to the game dates back to 1300 when King Edward 1 aka Edward Longshanks referred in his accounts (which were later found) to a game called 'Creag' being played by Prince Edward, who was then 15 years old.

But, the most widely accepted theory today is that cricket developed among the communities of Weald, which spreads across Kent and Sussex. From here, the game reached London. It is believed that Cricket stood the test of time as a children's game before it was played by adults.

Tomorrow we will see about another 'Sunny Sport'.