+Gravity, magnets and the energy problem+ (the "magral cell")

When God created man he put in a small brain and in that brain he made some neurons-not one, not two, but millions –we still do not know the exact amount. Why is this relevant?

It is our neurons that differentiate us from our fellow creatures. Our neurons analyze, sift and store information through complex interactions that we barely understand. Early man survived because of the discoveries he made; not from what he invented. Fire was always there before man discovered the flint stone. If he did not find water, his race would have disappeared. He made the wheel, but a log of wood rolling down the mountain slope- akin to a cylindrical wheel existed prior to this.

Over a period of time he instinctively realized that his existence was dependent on his ability to discover and harness existent energy in one form or the other. He used animals for farming and transport. He used the heat energy from the sun to give him salt (Nacl) something that we can hardly do without. Early man killed his prey, dried the flesh and stored it for the harsh winters. Dried wood was burnt and the energy released was used for cooking and keeping him warm.

Through the centuries our neurons worked overtime, as one generation climbed up on the shoulder of the previous one. The greatest discovery of all ages is considered to be electricity, which was pre-existent- a bolt of lightning release millions of volts of electricity. Our minds turned to electricity and we utilized it in all walk of life. Yet this electricity was not a panacea to all our problems. Producing it, distributing it and continuously generating it has always remained a problem.

We then turned to the nucleus that was also pre-existent. Our scientist and physicist worked hard to liberate ‘nuclear energy’. We used this energy to create ‘destructive bombs’ an endeavor in which we were successful. Did this solve our energy problem? Not at all! Our reactors are dangerous and potential bombs. We now restrict countries in the fear that nuclear wars will destroy our race!

In the midst of all this we discovered petroleum- natural gas in plenty. God had stored this for millions of years- one day man would need it. We then started using this to solve our energy problems. But as our population grew, our problems increased, our requirement for energy increased exponentially. We realized that this energy was limited and countries estimated that their resources would last a hundred or more years.
All these sources of energy were doing something that we did not expect-

it was destroying the very source of our existence. We were polluting the atmosphere, our water and destroying the ozone barrier. Global warming is now a serious issue!! Alternative source of energy become the need of the hour. Man turned to the sun again- now solar towers and solar fields are being developed. It does need a lot of resources, but how successful we will be? Only time will tell. ‘Wind energy’ is another source but is still limited. ‘Cold fusion’ appears to be a solution but we are still struggling with it. All this has given rise to the concept of ‘fuel less’ energy. New technologies are emerging day by day, use of water as fuel is still experimental and the feasibility will remain to be seen. Thus we realize that our search for energy will go on.

If we stop and ponder awhile and think how we reached here:

a man of science will argue that the ‘big bang’ was the origin- well what existed before the ‘big bang’- can we answer this question? For the religious, God created man. He created the sun and the stars, the moon and the earth. The sun liberates energy. The earth and the others rotate around the sun and the moon around the earth. This has gone for millions of years- we have no count. I am not a technologist- but the one force that existed from the beginning of our life is the gravitational force energy. It is that force that is so ingrained in our lives that we hardly look at it.

‘The greatest of truths are the simplest’.

It is clean, green and perpetually present. When Newton discovered gravity it was pre-existent from time immemorial. We understood gravity and we defied it in our planes and rockets and space flights. But did we use it- frankly we have not looked at gravitational energy as a permanent source of energy. Magnets maintain their attractive and repellant forces for years- we use them and our children play with them.

The question is can we combine these two forces- the gravitational force and the magnetic force’ to create a clean, green energy source! It is that source of energy that has kept our solar system in place and our planets in their orbit. Even our romances endure seeing the moon in place.

For a start, on a theoretical level, if we can evolve a system in which we have a series of attractive and repellent magnetic force, placed strategically on a wheel and couple it with the gravitational force- it may be possible to keep the wheel in perpetual motion. we could call this the '' magral cell'' (seen on the right) as it is based on the magnetic and gravitational forces. In part A gravity turns the wheel downwards while in the rest of the motion magnetic forces propel it upwards which should keep the wheel in motion. This motion can then be converted into energy. I am sure that intelligent systems or cells and models can be evolved by our present scientists. We need to harness gravitational energy and magnetic energy. This may be one of the solutions to the energy problem or at least it may cut down our energy requirements!

You might wonder what’s all this to do with burns and burns management? Well everything in life is connected. As a child I read in one of Flash Gordon’s comics- ‘You break a twig- you stir a distant star’. For quite some time I went around breaking twigs and even planned to cut down a tree – in the hope of seeing a star move. Energy development will affect all walks of life- medical and otherwise. Our very existence itself depends on our ability to generate energy. Our hospitals, theaters, and all devices use energy. If free energy is available –our lives will become simpler, the gap between the rich and poor will diminish and the lives of millions below the poverty line will be enriched. We can look forward to day when the basic necessities of life- food, clothing, shelter and basic health care will be available for all.

(an original thought provoking article from asktheburnsurgeon+) 

Friction Burns

++Dear Burn Surgeon,
My friend had a motorcycle accident. Though there was no fire the doctor says he has a “friction burn”. Can you please explain this?

Rajiv sood , Mumbai

Dear Rajiv, thank you for your question. When you rub the palms of your hands together, heat is created by friction. Similarly in the motorcycle accident when your friend fell off the bike, probably he was dragged on the road due to the momentum. The friction between the body and the road created a high temperature which caused the burn. However ‘friction burn’ is rarely a pure burn and there is often an element of traumatic injury (usually abrasions) involved in it, along with dirt and gravel that gets embedded in the burn wound. ‘Friction burns’ may either be deep or superficial depending on the drag and trauma involved. Friction burns that are superficial need only conservative management (ointment and dressings) after cleaning the wound to remove the dirt and debris. This is very important since tatooing of the wound may result from the dirt and debris which gets embedded in the wound. However deep burns may need surgery (skin grafting) as the skin will fail to heal by itself.

The picture on your right shows a ‘friction burn’ in a gentleman who suffered a motor cycle accident. There is a ‘third degree burn’ (see blog degree of burn) in the centre with 2nd degree burn in the periphery along with abrasions and the wound has debris embedded in it.

He was subjected to debridement (surgical cleaning of wound) following which a meshed skin graft (graft with holes in it) was applied over it.

The wounds healed well and the gentle man was advised to shift to a four wheeler and avoid two wheelers which are potentially dangerous. (I have still to see the owner of a two wheeler vehicle who hasn't had an accident). Friction burns can occur in sportsmen and wrestlers playing on mats, or on the carpet or the playground when they fall and their skin rubs against the rough surface.
Footballers who make a sliding tackle on a dry pitch may suffer from friction burns.
Other causes of friction burns include exercise treadmill at home which can cause accidental contact and friction burn from the fast moving belt. Rolling belts and fast moving belts used in industries can also cause friction burns.
Use of adequate protective clothing, headgear, knee and elbow pads, footwear and following proper safety precautions and protocols will be very helpful in preventing these burns in different situations. Friction burns should not be confused with redness and excoriation that may occur at different sites of the body due to infection or trauma. Tetanus prophylaxis should be given as per protocol if needed. Antibiotic are prescribed to avoid infection in patients who have dirt and gravel embedded in the wound.

The picture on your right shows a ‘friction burn” which was managed conservatively. Notice the scar with healing marks of the abrasions, obviously this was deep burn to begin with. This scar will need aggressive ‘scar management’ which is a topic by itself and I shall explain it in detail in a future blog.

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