Alessandro Volta

Born Feb 18, 1745: Alessandro Volta (1745–1827) 

was an Italian physicist known for his pioneering work in electricity. His most significant contribution was the invention of the voltaic pile in 1800, the first electrical battery, which produced a steady electric current. This invention was crucial in the field of electrochemistry and led to the development of modern electrical science. Volta's work laid the foundation for the study of electricity and its applications, and the unit of electric potential, the volt, is named in his honor.

The "Voltaic Pile" or "Voltaic Cell" invented by Alessandro Volta was a device that produced a steady flow of electricity. It consisted of alternating layers of two different metals, typically zinc and copper, separated by discs or plates of cardboard or cloth soaked in an electrolyte solution.

The construction of the Voltaic Pile involved stacking multiple pairs of metal discs, each pair consisting of one zinc disc and one copper disc, with a separator in between. The separators were typically pieces of cardboard or cloth soaked in a saline solution or an acidic solution. The stack of alternating metal discs and separators formed a column or pile.

When the top and bottom of the stack were connected with a conductor, such as a wire, a chemical reaction occurred within the pile. This reaction, known as an electrochemical reaction, involved the transfer of electrons between the zinc and copper discs through the electrolyte solution.

The Voltaic Pile functioned based on the principle of electrochemical potential difference between the two metals. The zinc, being more reactive, would undergo oxidation, losing electrons and generating positive ions in the process. These electrons would then flow through the external circuit, creating an electric current. At the same time, reduction would occur at the copper discs, where the positive ions from the electrolyte solution would accept electrons and be reduced.

The Voltaic Pile demonstrated the production of a continuous and stable flow of electricity, thus becoming the first practical device capable of generating a consistent electrical current. Volta's invention marked a significant advancement in the field of electricity and laid the foundation for future developments in electrical technology.

The Voltaic Pile had a profound impact on the understanding and utilization of electricity. It inspired further experimentation and led to subsequent inventions, including the development of batteries with improved designs and materials. The concept of the Voltaic Pile also contributed to the development of early electrochemical cells and the understanding of electrochemistry as a scientific discipline.

10 Killer Hacks to Become Better at Lying

There are 2 benefits of learning how to become a better liar.

First,

Lying is not the exception, it's the rule.

And the people who claim to fight against it are often the best liars among us.

Let's face it. Absolute and unapologetic honesty is reserved for a select few. For the rest, mastering the art of foolproof deception is key.

Then,

The best liars are also the most liar's proof.

When you understand the characteristics of a masterful lie—its dos and don'ts—you become more adept at recognizing deception, even when it is well-executed.

By learning how to lie, you also learn how to uncover them.

1. Choose Your Lies Wisely

The more you lie, the greater the chance people uncover them and all this will end up earning you an untrustful reputation.

Lies are tools. Don't use them as a means of avoiding situations that trigger insecurities like most do. Use them to protect.

2. Don't Give Details

Keep your lie direct and simple.

Offering unsolicited details raises suspicion and creates potential weak points that could be exploited later on.

Provide only the least information necessary and observe. In most cases, no one will bother to dig deeper.

3. Build the Perfect Alibi

Even if they're unlikely to want further explanations, you want to avoid finding yourself in a situation where they do.

If you hesitate, even for a second, it's game over.

So work out a detailed and complete story in your mind before you lie.

4. Root Your Lies in Truth

By inventing elements in your false stories, you risk exposing inconsistencies that are hard to justify without resorting to further lies.

It's a precarious house of cards, ready to crumble.

Always root your lie in real and verifiable truths.

5. Redirect Attention

Lying should be your last resort. But if you can't avoid it, don't let attention linger too long on you.

Tap into people's egoistic nature by transitioning from lying to talking about them.

If done right, they'll be delighted to take the floor.

6. Control Your Body Language

Words deceive, but bodies never do.

When you lie, your body betrays you through fidgeting and grooming habits—clear signs of dishonesty.

Don't try to control these cues; suppress them.

One widely recognized posture is the hands-joined position.

7. Maintain Your Voice Level

The way you speak conveys as much if not more meaning as to what you say.

Pitch, tone, and level are all elements that showcase how confident you are.

Liars often begin with a high-volume voice but gradually lower it towards the end.

8. Keep Your Gaze Check

Contrary to popular belief, liars make more eye contact. This is how they gauge whether or not you believe their lies.

On the flip side, avoiding eye contact screams guilt.

Strike a balance. Maintain steady eye contact, but break it every 2-3 seconds.

9. Crack a Joke

Humor is a good way to hide the truth.

By incorporating jokes into your lie, it becomes difficult to distinguish between reality and jest.

Consider this your safety net. Even if someone uncovers the truth, you can still claim they failed to grasp your humor.

10. Forget the Family Issue Lie

Family issues the the classic lie used to justify all sorts of excuses.

It's a convenient alibi since most people won't dig any deeper out of respect. But that's also too suspicious. Just find something less common.

Premier league fixtures 9 and 10 December, 2023

Here are the Premier League interesting fixtures for the week of December 9, 2023:

Saturday, December 9

•12:30 PM GMT:** Everton vs. Chelsea

•12:30 PM GMT:** Fulham vs. West Ham United

•12:30 PM GMT:** Luton Town vs. Manchester City

•15:00 PM GMT:** Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Brentford

•15:00 PM GMT:** Crystal Palace vs. Bournemouth

•15:00 PM GMT:** Fulham vs. Nottingham Forest

•15:00 PM GMT:** Sheffield United vs. Liverpool

Sunday, December 10

•10:00 AM GMT:** Arsenal vs. Aston Villa

•12:15 PM GMT:** Manchester United vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers

•12:15 PM GMT:** Tottenham Hotspur vs. Newcastle United

Premier league in a week

All the Premier League matches that happened last week:

• On December 2nd, Newcastle United F.C. hosted Manchester United F.C. at St James' Park. The match was a tightly contested affair, with Newcastle United F.C. taking an early lead in the first half. Manchester United F.C. tried to come back in the second half, but Newcastle United F.C. were able to hold on for the win.

• On December 2nd, Nottingham Forest F.C. traveled to City Ground to face Everton F.C.. Everton F.C. were the stronger team throughout the match, and they took the lead in the second half. Nottingham Forest F.C. were unable to find an equalizer, and they suffered a defeat.

• On December 2nd, Burnley F.C. welcomed Sheffield United F.C. to Turf Moor. Burnley F.C. were in dominant form, and they scored five goals in the match. Sheffield United F.C. were unable to get a foothold in the game, and they suffered a heavy defeat.

• On December 2nd, Arsenal F.C. hosted Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. at Emirates Stadium. Arsenal F.C. took an early lead in the match, and they doubled their lead in the second half. Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. pulled a goal back late on, but it was not enough to prevent Arsenal F.C. from winning the match.

• On December 2nd, Brentford F.C. welcomed Luton Town F.C. to Gtech Community Stadium. Brentford F.C. were the more clinical team, and they scored three goals in the match. Luton Town F.C. were able to get one back, but it was not enough to prevent Brentford F.C. from winning the match.

• On December 1st, Fulham F.C. hosted Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. at Craven Cottage. Fulham F.C. were in excellent form, and they took a commanding lead in the match. Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. tried to come back in the second half, but they were unable to find an equalizer.

New study sheds light on the psychological complexities of adult webcam viewers

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Meal with animal protein builds more muscle than meal with plant protein in elderly people

A meal with meat ensures faster muscle building than a vegan meal with the same amount of protein. This is according to the research of Philippe Pinckaers from Maastricht University and Maastricht UMC+'s research institute NUTRIM. Pinckaers was the first to compare muscle production after eating a complete meal with animal or vegetable proteins. The findings were recently published in the scientific journal The Journal of Nutrition.

Our muscles are constantly breaking down and building up: they renew themselves every two to three months. For that muscle building, we need protein from food, for example from animal sources such as meat, cheese and yoghurt, or from plant products such as beans, nuts and soymilk. Previous research on protein powders showed that animal proteins have better muscle-building properties than plant proteins. 'But in reality, we do not get our proteins in powder form, but through complete meals,' says PhD student Philippe Pinckaers. 'Those meals contain different types of protein and other nutrients such as fibers, fats and carbohydrates. These nutrients affect how proteins are released from the diet and influence muscle building'. To investigate how muscles respond after eating a complete meal, Pinckaers asked 16 participants aged over 65 to come to the lab twice for dinner.
 

Dining in the lab

On one of the test days, quinoa with chickpeas, broad beans, soy beans and soy sauce was on the menu, while on the other test day participants were served with a beef tartlet, potatoes, green beans, apple sauce and herb butter. Both meals had similar amounts of protein, fat, carbohydrates and calories. Prior to the meals, participants were administered an infusion of amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, which in turn are essential for muscle building. 'The amino acids administered via the infusion were marked, as it were with a flag,' Pinckaers explains. 'We took small pieces of muscle tissue from the participants and were able to measure the amount of 'flags' in them. If more flags are measured, it means that muscle proteins are built up faster, which is beneficial for muscles. In this way, we found that after eating a meal with animal protein, muscle protein was built up faster than after eating a vegan meal. This means that a vegan meal does not have the same capacity to stimulate muscle growth as a meal that includes animal proteins.' This difference arises partly because plant-based foods are harder to digest, and because they naturally contain fewer essential amino acids.
 

Compensate 

The results do not mean that everyone should eat meat or other animal products, clarifies professor of exercise science and lead researcher Luc van Loon. 'Healthy people can very well compensate for the lower quality of plant proteins by eating more of them.' For elderly or frail patients it is a bit more complicated. 'Elderly people actually need more protein because their muscle production decreases, but they actually eat less.  Also, patients with reduced appetite or who do not exercise much, for example during hospitalisation, may have trouble getting that extra protein. For them, it is therefore important to choose protein sources that stimulate muscle production as much as possible. Then you do end up with proteins from animal products".