Writer and Geek Show

In this episode, we talk about the mighty beer!

In this episode we talk about how memory works.

In this episode in the serial killer series, we talk about Jolly Joseph, a killer from Kerala

In this episode, we talk about time measurement in Hindu culture.

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In this episode, we talk about what you need to know while renting a house in India.

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In this episode, we talk about human orgasm.

We are back after a break! To celebrate our 69th episode, we are gonna talk about human orgasm and sex related stuff. Episode is explicit, listner descretion is adviced. Mary Roach’s TED Talk Photo by Wendy van Zyl from Pexels

In this episode, we talk about how water crisis is cripping Bangalore.

Click here to watch the epside on YouTube Introduction: The population in bangalore was 1.62 million back in the 1970s. Now there were nine million people in Bangalore in 2012. The count went up to eleven by 2018 and it is expected to reach 20 by 2030. In the period of 1970-2000 (30 years), the population has grown by 244%. And from 2001-2011, it has grown by 47%. The need for water has gone up with the increase in the number of people in the city. Causes: There were over 280 water bodies in the form of lakes and rivers in Bangalore in the 1960s and 1970s. The number has been cut down to around 80 in the present. Most of these have water which is not suitable for drinking due to the dumping of industrial effluents and garbage. Presently, 80% of the land in Bangalore is covered by concrete making it impossible for water to penetrate under the surface. This has drastically reduced the ability of rainwater to replenish groundwater. Instead of relying on water bodies, the people in Bangalore are highly reliant on groundwater for all their water needs. This has led to the depletion of groundwater to such an extent that it has dropped from 200-300 feet a decade ago to almost 2000 feet now. That is a 10 times increase. Illegal sand mining has also led to lakes and rivers not being able to hold more water in it. The acquisition of land for the construction of high rise building has led to deforestation and reduction in the area of water bodies. Also, most of these complexes does not have a proper water harvesting plan in place. Apartment complexes, stadiums, and other buildings are being built on dried up water bodies, killing the possibility of ever replenishing them. The regulations regarding the construction of borewells have not been on check and many borewells are dug very close to each other. There are on an average 6 people applying for permission to dig borewells everyday. This has also contributed a lot in reducing the groundwater level of the city. Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) supplies 1.4 billion litres of water to the city, but it still falls short by around 800 million to satisfy the total need. Around 40% of the water pumped to the city also leaks from the pipe. Also, subsidies on electricity and irrigation for agricultural purposes has led to the increased use of water. Global warming plays a part, too. As temperature has gone up in the past decade with summer lasting a lot longer than before. Rainfall has also reduced. What is the current state? Major water bodies contaminated, for example, Bellandur lake catches on fire. Farmers relying on contaminated water from these rivers and lakes for irrigation Reliance on water trucks which has lead to higher demand. Formation of water mafia who sell water from the trucks at highly inflated prices. Cauvery is one of the sources of water for bangalore, but it has to travel around 100 kms to be delivered to the people. A good share of the water leaks out during transportation and millions are spent on electricity to pump it. There is a major conflict happening between Karnataka and Tamil nadu because of the Cauvery issue. Bangalore will completely deplete its groundwater by 2020 if it continues at this rate. What can be done? Severe punishment for land encroachers Cleaning of lakes and other water bodies Wastewater reuse for purposes like gardening, washing vehicles, etc. Strict enforcement of rainwater harvesting. Fixing leaking water pipes Conserving the existing greenery and replenishing what is lost. Sources: Times of India Mumbai Mirror BBC BBC Livemint India Water Portal Times of India Huffington Post Image: unsplash-logomrjn Photography

This week, we talk about the history of money.

Barter System Barter system has been in existence since 6000 BC Earliest forms of barter system had livestock trade (sheep, cattle, vegetables, grains) It was first recorded in Egypt Mesopotamia to Phoenicians and the Babylonians improved the system Goods were exchanged for food, tea, weapons, and spices. Even human skulls were used. Salt was a very important trade commodity that Roman soldiers were paid with it. Middle ages, Europeans traded crafts and fur for silks and perfumes. Musket balls, wheat, and deer skins were used by colonial americans The invention of money did not kill barter system. But it made it organised. Barter system came back during the great depression of 1930s in a form similar to that of banks. Disadvantages: No certification of proof to show legitimacy of the person you are dealing with It depends on trust Possible exchange of bad commodities Need a double coincidence of wants No common measure of value Storage issues high Advantages: No need of money Flexibility that anything can be traded. Does not have to be material items. You can exchange skills Coin & Paper Currency Currencies has been in existence for almost 3000 years Chinese started using goods cast made from bronze (cutlery, arrows, spades, daggers) They started using coins to avoid being impaled First known minted currency was a roaring lion coin created by King Alyattes in Lydia (present Western Turkey) It was made using a mixture of silver and gold which is called Electrum Chinese came up with paper currency in 700 BC (Tang and Song Dynasty). These notes in the beginning where only temporarily valid. By 1271 AD, the currency system in China was thriving. The government had took over shops which print currency and made state-issued currency. It was the time when Marco Polo visited the place. Medieval Islamic world build a monetary system during 7th - 12th centuries (Dinar). They are the first to use credit, cheques, savings account, transactional accounts, exchange rates, promissory notes, banking institutions for loans and deposits, etc. Manilla rings were used in West Africa since 15th century for slave trade. Metal coins and Archimedes Principle - To test its purity Europeans used coins up until the 16th century. And it was not until 1661, Europeans (Swedes) started using paper currency. European paper notes could be exchanged at any banks for gold or silver coins More than the government, it were the banks and private institutions who used to regulate the printing of currency First issuance of currency happened in colonial North America so that the traders do not run out of money. Paper currency improved international trade and also lead to conflicts between empires. Impact of World Wars lead the countries involved to print currency out of proportion leading to inflation. The Great Depression of 1930s is a result of this. Gold is set as the standard for printing currency. Mobile and virtual currency - The move towards digital banking Invented in 2009 by the the pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin has become the gold standard of virtual currency. Facts: American - "In God we trust", Chinese - "All counterfeiters will be decapitated" Currency helped improve Lydia's economy, but they were conquered by the Persians not long after. In 1685, plating cards were signed and issued as currency by the governor for soldiers in France. Coins made out of a mixture of metals were used in India. Bijay’s Podcasting course unsplash-logo Steve Johnson

This week, we talk about the unsolved mystery of Dyatlov Pass.

To the east of the Ural mountains, in Yekaterinburg city cemetery, there is a group grave of 9 members from a hiking group who died mysteriously. Timeline Arrived by train at Ivdel a town at the centre of the northern province of Sverdlovsk Oblast on 25th January 1959. Took a truck ride to Vizhai (last settlement towards the north). Hikers purchased and had loaves of bread when they were in Vizhai to keep energy high. Started trek towards Otorten from Vizhai on 27th January. Yuri Yudin returned on 28th due to health issues. On 31st, the hikers arrived at a highland area and started preparing for their climb. They saved surplus food in a wooded area for their return hike. Snowstorms resulted in hikers being deviated from their intended path and ended up on the slopes of Kholat Syakhl (Dead Mountain). Group decided to camp on the slopes of Kholat Syakhl instead of hiking all the way back into the wooded area about 1.5 km away. It is speculated that the group wanted to practice camping on a mountain slope. Dyatlov had told his sports club that he would send a telegram from Vizhai no later than 12th February and that it might take even longer. It was not until 20th that the relatives of the hikers demanded a search be conducted for the missing hikers. The search party was mobilised and the military also took part in the search. On 26th of February, the search party found the tent that was used by the hikers. The tent was torn from inside and the hikers were missing. All the belongings including warm clothing and shoes were left behind. A set of footprints could be found heading away from the tent towards the woods, but after 500m, the tracks disappeared in the snow. At the edge of the forest, under a Siberian Pine tree, there was a visible sign of a fire that was lit. The first two bodies, Krivonischenko and Doroshenko were found shoeless near the fire site wearing only their underwears. The tree also had visible marks of someone having climbed it, with branches up to 5 metres broken. Someone seems to have climbed the tree to either escape from something or to look at something in distance. Further search in the snow between the camp and the pine tree revealed the bodies of Dyatlov, Kolmogorova and Slobodin. Their poses suggested that they were trying to return to the campsite perhaps for food and warm clothing. They were found at a distance of 300, 480 and 630 metres from the tree respectively. The four remaining hikers were not found until 4th of May under 4 metres of snow around 75 metres away from the pine tree towards the woods. These four happened to be better dressed than others and the ones who died later were wearing the clothes of the ones who had died earlier. A hastily constructed den was found near the bodies. Something happened on the night of 31st - 1st which lead to the death of all the hikers. Inquiry An inquiry was started into the matter after the first five bodies were found. It was concluded that hypothermia was the reason for the deaths. The finding of the four bodies later presented puzzling details which changed the course of the inquest. Three of the four hikers had serious fatal injuries to the head and chest area. Doctors concluded that the force required to cause a similar injury would be something similar to that of a car hitting a person. Except for Dubinina who was missing her tongue, eyes, parts of lips and a part of the skull, no major external wounds were found on the bodies. It was later claimed that these injuries were a result of her being face down on the water. Theories The inquest concluded that all the hikers had died of a compelling natural force. The inquiry was stopped in May and all the files sent to secret archives. Mansi: Mansi do not frequently visit this area and the mountain and they were not territorial. Robbery: No valuables were taken from the tent or the hikers Animal attack: No attack marks or animal footprints. This area wasn’t a hunting ground for animals. Avalanche: Most possible explaination but since the Soviet Military Projects: Bomb testing would’ve startled he hikers or caused avalanche. Radioactivity was detected in one of the hikers. Conspiracy theorists state that some of the hikers might have come across a secret military project and would’ve been killed by the military or died when they were pursuide. Interestingly, the bodies were searched for radioactivity which under normal circumstances is not a normal test. This raises further suspicions. Govt. Coverup: Govt wanted the investigation to wrap up quickly. For three years after the incident, the area was closed for genral public. Infrasound Theory: Infrasound causing panic attack. Katabatic Winds: Strong winds blowing down the slope were also claimed to have taken the lives of the hikers. Out of control partying: Excessive partying with alcohol or drugs, causing disorientation amongst the hikers. Some hikers about 50km south of Dyatlov Pass who were hiking at the same time claim to have seen fireballs in the sky. More information can be found here: Dyatlovpass.com Image: unsplash-logo Tom Morel