IN PANIC MODE 46 ALTERNATE LIVING 58 ALL WIRED UP 74 SPACE MATTERS 88

WHEN FEAR AFFECTS US HEAL YOUR SOUL INTERNET ADDICTION THE MARS MISSION

APRIL 2015 I `150

C H A N N E L M AG A Z I N E I N D I A

SAKE, SAKURA
AND SAMURAI JAPAN REDISCOVERED

PG 30
 EDITOR'S LETTER

C H A N N E L M AG A Z I N E I N D I A

Editor-in-Chief Aroon Purie

TIME AND TRAVEL
Group Chief Executive Officer Ashish Bagga
Group Synergy and Creative Officer Kalli Purie
There can never be a better
Editorial Director Jamal Shaikh
Managing Editor Abha Srivastava form of education than travel is.
Sub Editor & Feature Writer Adii Dande It doesn’t matter whether you’re headed
Art Director Piyush Garg to an exotic part of the world, or to a small
Asst Art Director Rahul Sharma
Designer Kishore Rawat town in India that few care to visit.
Impact (Advertising) If you have a curious mind, just going
Group Business Head Manoj Sharma agenda-free, walking the streets and taking
Associate Publisher (Impact) Anil Fernandes
in sights, smells, observing people and their
Senior General Managers Kaustav Chatterjee
(East), Jitendra Lad (West), quirks, can be more intellectually satisfying
General Manager Shailender Nehru (Bangalore), than the fanciest of planned holidays. Solo
General Manager Velu Balasubramaniam (Chennai)
travel can sometimes make a journey even
Business
Head Marketing Neeraj Chaturvedi more exciting; you’re not bound to share
AGM-Marketing & Circulation Ajay Mishra your attention or schedule, so you work on
Chief Manager, Operations GL Ravik Kumar
Marketing Managers Kunal Bag, Anuradha Rana
your own time and make memories that go
Production Anuj Jamdegni beyond digital photographs.
News stand Sales I’m a frequent traveller, and my
Chief General Manager D.V.S. Rama Rao last Facebook Travel Map showed that
General Manager (National Sales) Deepak Bhatt
Deputy General Manager (Operations) Vipin Bagga I’ve visited 97 cities in 32 countries.
Regional Sales Manager (North) Unfortunately, Japan is not one of them. Their culture is unique, rich and robust.
Manish Kumar Srivastava
Regional Sales Manager (East) Joydeep Roy The land of the rising sun is as much an And their habits form an efficient web of
Regional Sales Manager (West) Rajeev Gandhi enigma as it is a novelty. Two extremely progress and functionality.
Regional Sales Manager (South) Arokia Raj L
well-travelled South African friends of mine If intrigue is the buzzword this month,
(the do eight to 10 trips a year!) recently then do look at at a story called ‘The
DISCOVERY NETWORKS ASIA-PACIFIC
visited Japan and were blown away by Alternate Truth’ (p58), where scientifically
Editorial Board
President and Managing Director Arjan Hoekstra the politeness of the people. “Leave alone unproven systems of alternative medicine
EVP and GM, South Asia Rahul Johri smoking in public, if anyone receives a are put to practice. The catch: for a lot of
VP, Marketing, South Asia Rajiv Bakshi
VP, Programming Charmaine Kwan
phone call while walking on the street, the people, they actually work.
VP, Marketing Magdalene Ng person will go over to the side of the street And last but not the least, there’s a travel
Editorial (Novus Media Solutions) before he/she takes the call!" they told story with no return. ‘The Mars’ March’
Editor Luke Clark
Design Director Richard MacLean
me with genuine surprise. Then there are (p88) will take you into the world of the
Chief Subeditor Josephine Pang the “sleeping capsule hotels”, automated 700 people who have been shortlisted from
Staff Writer Daniel Seifert machines for everything, exotic geishas, over 200,000 to be sent to the Red Planet.
Photo Editor Haryati Mahmood
Senior Designer Bessy Kim super fast trains, pop fashion and an adult There’s still another round of interviews to
film industry that prohibits the show of decide who of those will take this journey
Subscription/Customer Care private body parts, but is known to be the that has no surety of return.
Email: care.discoverymag@intoday.com
Phone: +91 120 246 9900
kinkiest in the world. As you see, there’s a lot to discover
Mail: Discovery Channel Magazine India, In this issue, we take a close look at in this issue of Discovery Channel
A 61, Sector 57, Noida 201 301 this wonder of the East. You will see that Magazine India. But interestingly, it’s the
VOLUME 2 NUMBER 14 despite the novelty, the Japanese way connections you rediscover that’ll make
Discovery Channel Magazine reserves all rights throughout
the world. Reproduction in any manner, in whole or part, in of life is hardworking and disciplined. your travels truly worthwhile. Enjoy!
English or other languages, is prohibited. Discovery Channel
Magazine does not take responsibility for returning unsolicited
publication material. • Published and distributed monthly by Living
Media India Ltd. (Regd. Office: K-9, Connaught Circus, New Delhi –
110001) under license granted by Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific
Pte Ltd., 21 Media Circle #8-01, Singapore 138562. • All Discovery
Channel logos © 2014 Discovery Communications, LLC. Discovery
Channel and the Discovery Channel logo are trademarks of Discovery
Communications, LLC, used under licence. All rights reserved.
• The views and opinions expressed or implied in Discovery Channel
Email: discoverymagazineindia@intoday.com
Jamal Shaikh
Magazine do not necessarily reflect those of Living Media India Ltd.,
MediaCorp Pte Ltd or Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, including their
Editorial Director
twitter.com/DiscoveryMagIN
directors and editorial staff. • All information is correct at the time of twitter.com/JamalShaikh
going to print. • All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of
competent courts and forums in Delhi / New Delhi only. • Published instagram.com/DiscoveryMagIN instagram.com/JamalShaikh
& printed by Ashish Bagga on behalf of Living Media India Limited.
Printed at Thomson Press India Limited 18 - 35, Milestone, Delhi - facebook.com/DiscoveryChannelMagazine facebook.com/JamalSShaikh
Mathura Road, Faridabad - 121 007, (Haryana). Published at K - 9,
Connaught Circus, New Delhi - 110 001. • Editor: Jamal Shaikh

04
DISCOVERY CHANNEL MAGAZINE INDIA
 ISSUE 04/15

CONTENTS DEPARTMENTS
12
FRONTIERS
STICKY PRINTS
12
How will you save your
fingerprints from Germany’s
smartest hackers?

NEWS
HISTORY IN
A BOX
14
Get ready for time travel of
another kind with these capsules
hidden around the world

CHEAT SHEET
TRUE LIES
18
We give you the best tricks to
pass the polygraph test with
flying colours!

13
TECHNOLOGY
GIZMO GEEK
19
From apps that mimic
mosquitoes to paperclips that

23
can get you killed...

SO YOU WANT TO BE AN

16
AUTOMOTIVE
ARTIST
23
Princess Vidita Singh tells you
how to drive your favourite fancy
car right in to your living room

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

18
WOW 10 STEP INTO A CHILLING NEWS 14 THE SECRET TO A REALLY COUNTRY CLUB 16 THE HEIGHT WATCH IT! 22 A JAMES BOND FAN?
COVER IMAGE: DREAMSTIME

360-DEGREE VIEW OF A CITY THAT'S
BURNT TO A CRISP
THE GRID 13 FIND OUT JUST HOW
AN APPLE IPHONE SURVIVES A FALL
FROM SPACE AND HOW EASY IT IS TO
UNBOIL AN EGG!
LONG LIFE SEEMS TO BE A BOWL OF
PORRIDGE, PLENTY OF EXERCISE
AND STAYING AWAY FROM MEN
LEFT IS WRONG? 16 ONE FINE DAY,
SWEDEN SWITCHED ITS DIRECTION
OF TRAFFIC. HOW DID IT GO?
OF BEING EGOTISTICAL? HAVING A
COUNTRY NAMED AFTER YOU,
WHAT ELSE?
DEATH THROES 18 A STEP-BY-STEP
GUIDE TO DEALING WITH A DEAD
BODY RIGHT NEXT TO YOU MID-FLIGHT
CHECK OUT HIS MOST RIDICULOUS
WRISTWATCH EVER
WHAT'S ON 104 DO YOU KNOW ALL
ABOUT THE INNOVATORS WHOSE
WILD IDEAS MADE THE MODERN
WORLD A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE IN?

06
DISCOVERY CHANNEL MAGAZINE INDIA
 74 58 46

8
08
DISCOVERY CHANNEL MAGAZINE INDIA
 FEATURES
ISSUE 04/15

COVER STORY

JAPAN DE-CODED
30
Whether it’s not apologising while seeming
to apologise or just drinking up a storm
during the cherry blossom season, here’s a
handy list of all the surprises that
Japan has to offer

PSYCHOLOGY

FACING FEAR
46
Could we rewire our reactions to better deal

30 88
with fear and anxiety? The first step could
well be facing our demons

HEALTH

THE HEALING TOUCH

58
From Ayurveda to acupuncture, alternative
healing methods are neck to neck in the race
with contemporary medicine

SCI-TECH

GAME OVER
74
Wean your child away from Internet
addiction by stepping into unique rehab
centres that provide long-forgotten modes
of entertainment as an alternative

SPACE

ONE-WAY TICKET
88
Very soon, humans will be sent to Mars.
From food to ambience, exactly what are
their chances of survival?

11
09
APRIL 2015
 HISTORY
HISTORY
IN
IN360
360
Standing
Standing ininthe
thecentre
centre ofofaa
giant
giant 360-degree
360-degree viewing
viewing
platform,
platform, visitors
visitors atatthis
this
German
German exhibition
exhibition areare
viewing
viewing a scene
a scene ofofhorror.
horror.
Staring
Staring back
back atatthem
them arearethethe
charred
charred ruins
ruins ofofDresden.
Dresden. ItIt
waswas once
once considered
considered oneone ofof
thethe most
most beautiful
beautiful andand well-
well-
preserved
preserved medieval
medieval cities
cities inin
thethe world.
world.
ButBut onon February
February 13,13,
1945,
1945,
thethe German
German town
town waswas fire-
fire-
bombed
bombed byby the
theAllies,
Allies,gutting
gutting
thethe city
cityandand killing
killing 25,000
25,000
people.
people. American
American soldier
soldier
Kurt
Kurt Vonnegut
Vonnegut waswas a prisoner
a prisoner
ofof warwar held
held near
near Dresden
Dresden atat
thethe time,
time, andand heheviewed
viewed thethe
slaughter
slaughter first-hand
first-hand —— it it
ledled
toto
thethe creation
creation ofofoneoneofofthethemost
most
famous
famous anti-war
anti-war books
books ofofallall
time,
time, Slaughterhouse-Five.
Slaughterhouse-Five.
TheThe installation
installation the
is is the
work
work ofof artist
artist Yadegar
Yadegar Asisi,
Asisi,
whowho hashas been
been completing
completing
these
these large-scale
large-scale projects
projects
with
with hishisteam
team forfor
many
many years,
years,
producing
producing over
over3030 panoramas
panoramas
toto date.
date. They
They arearecreated
created
byby combining
combining digital
digital image
image
processing,
processing, computerised
computerised
graphic
graphic and
and 3D 3Dprogrammes.
programmes.
Visitors
Visitors atat
this
thispanorama
panorama
PHOTO GETTY IMAGES
PHOTO GETTY IMAGES

will
will nono doubt
doubt leave
leave thethe
installation
installation feeling
feeling anti-war:
anti-war:
it’sit’s
based
based ininDresden
Dresden

1010
DISCOVERY
DISCOVERY
CHANNEL
CHANNEL
MAGAZINE
MAGAZINE
INDIA
INDIA
WOW

11
APRIL 2015

FRONTIERS
STICKY FINGERS BE HAND IN GLOVES
WITH MITTS TO STAY SAFE FROM HACKERS
Your digits aren’t safe anymore. Germany’s defense minister
recently found that out when hacker Jan Krissler cloned the
politician’s fingerprints in the simplest way possible — off a
photograph. Using a series of close-up shots of her hand,
including one provided in her own press release, he was able
to perfectly reverse-engineer the print. “After this, politicians
will presumably wear gloves in public,” he joked. Krissler, who
is known in hacker circles as Starbug, has tackled biometric
security before. In 2013, he hacked the iPhone 5S print sensor
12
DISCOVERY CHANNEL MAGAZINE INDIA
ISSUE 04/15
ILLUSTRATION QUENTIN GABRIEL
by copying the smudge of a thumbprint on the screen. For
this, he printed a dummy finger using wood glue and sprayable
graphene. But there are simpler hacks out there. Multiple tests
have shown that fingerprint moulds made from Play-Doh and
gelatin (the primary ingredient in Gummy Bears) can fool
fingerprint sensors up to 90 per cent of the time. It prompted
a security expert to note, “Gummy fingers can even fool sensors
being watched by guards. Simply form the clear gelatin finger
over your own. After it lets you in, eat the evidence.”
 DISCOVERY

THE GRID STRANGE AND SERIOUS EVENTS FROM ACROSS THE WORLD

A S I A- PAC I F I C AMERICAS EUROPE MIDDLE EAST/AFRICA

ON THE HUNT Hairy and
huge, the huntsman spider is
among the largest arachnids
in the world. Perhaps the
CREEPY CRAWLIES
SIX-LEGGED SNACKS CLIPPED WINGS Why has
Americans love munching Africa been plagued by a lack of
on burgers and cookies. Ants economic development? You
and scorpions, less so. Yet, could answer with a myriad

Aussie toddler recently filmed
petting one thought it was a
dog? Either way, she displayed
no fear of the eight-legged
intruder dangling in her
Sydney home. Behind camera,
the cooing mother sounds
more concerned for the animal
than the girl, saying, “Darling,
don’t grab him. You might scare
him.” Fortunately, this breed
rarely bites.
many organisations say the of factors, but here’s one in
world could do with eating a study recently published
more bugs, as they are more in the American Economic
eco-friendly to raise. Now, Review: tsetse flies. Affecting
US food manufacturers are both livestock and humans,
experimenting with ingredients the study authors compared
that mask the insect angle in populations and the relative
dishes. For instance, “cricket development of different
flour”, made of mashed up ethnic groups, and found a
crickets. Health nuts, take note: strong correlation between
cricket has 15 per cent more higher tetse populations and
iron than spinach. poor economic development.

PRINT ME HOME A new APPLE FALLS According to LIFT ME UP When it’s

five-storey apartment building a video made by iPhone case- completed in 2020, Saudi
and 1,100 square metre villa makers Urban Armour, iPhone Arabia’s 1000-metre tall
(right) in Suzhou, China might 6 can survive a fall from space, Kingdom Tower will be the
not look like much, but they are if enclosed in one of their cases. world’s tallest building, with the
game-changing — they were Launched into space hooked world’s longest lift. Current lift
HEIGHTS

made using a 3D printer. Crafted to a weather balloon rig, the ropes can only go to 500 metres,
with a patented “ink” made device floated along with two so it took lift manufacturer
from recycled construction GoPro cameras to 328,000 Kone nine years of testing to
waste, the material is sent metres before freefalling to unveil Ultrarope, a carbon-
through a 40-metre long printer. Earth in a small parachute. fibre, friction-proof material
This fabricates the parts in Having braved minus 56 degree that is seven times lighter
large pieces which can then be temperatures and 112 km/hour than steel and will support the
assembled. Hey presto, you’ve winds, the phone was switched weight of a lift going from the
got a building. back on. It worked fine. ground floor to the very top.

HAZMAT HEIST Talking FIVE-MINUTE EGGS LIQUIDS AND LASERS A

of quirky stunts, a man on the
Sunshine Coast in Queensland,
Australia, pulled off a shocking
heist recently, when he entered
a pharmacy in a hazmat suit.
CHEMICALS
Chemists from American and
Australian universities have
discovered how to “unboil”
an egg. First they placed
90-minute boiled eggwhites
lot of chemical reactions occur
in liquids. Now, scientists at the
University of Bristol can follow
these chemical reactions,
which occur in trillionths

Yes, you read that right! Yelling
that he was carrying rat poison,
he sprayed three completely
unsuspecting women with
“an unknown chemical”
before stealing drugs. They
appeared to be unharmed after
decontamination, but as of
writing this, the robber has still
not been caught.
in a solution of urea, then put
the mixture into a vortex fluid
device that spins the white at
high speed. The force of the
movement pulls the proteins
and leaves the egg as a clear,
diluted solution again. This
may help scientists refold
lab-created proteins associated
with cancer.
of a second, by combining
computer simulations and
laser spectroscopy. Unlike
the reactions, it’s no small
matter — by understanding
reactions at a molecular level,
they could better learn about
the environmental chemistry
of oceans and the synthesis of
pharmaceutical drugs.

24
LIFE IS SHORT, AND ART LONG, THE GREEK THINKER HIPPOCRATES ONCE SAID. NOW WORLDWIDE
BESTSELLING AUTHOR JAMES PATTERSON SEEKS TO DISPROVE THAT. HE RECENTLY RELEASED
HIS LATEST BOOK PRIVATE VEGAS IN AN UNUSUAL FORM: FOR US$300,000 YOU WOULD HAVE 24
HOURS TO READ IT BEFORE IT LITERALLY SELF-DESTRUCTED. PRICEY, BUT YOU ALSO GOT A
FIVE-COURSE DINNER WITH THE AUTHOR AND, FOR SOME REASON, A PAIR OF 14-CARAT GOLD
HOURS: BINOCULARS. FOR A FAR SMALLER PRICE, READERS COULD DOWNLOAD THE E-BOOK VERSION
WHICH WOULD AUTOMATICALLY DELETE AFTER 24 HOURS — BUT WHERE’S THE FUN IN THAT?

13
APRIL 2015
 NEWS
NEWS

STRIPES ARE SO HOT RIGHT NOW

+60% 1,41 1 100 2/3

THERE IS A
LONG WAY TO
GO: A CENTURY
SINCE 2008, INDIA HAS SEEN A 60 PER IN 2006, INDIA WAS AGO, THE TIGER INDIA ACCOUNTS FOR

YEARS
CENT INCREASE IN ITS WILD TIGER HOME TO LESS THAN POPULATION TWO-THIRDS OF THE
POPULATION, THANKS TO INCREASED 1,500 TIGERS, BUT IN INDIA WAS GLOBAL WILD TIGER
CONSERVATION EFFORTS NOW BOASTS 2,226 ROUGHLY 100,000 POPULATION

DO THE
TIME WARP
Opening a 200-year-old present!
look cool), pantyhose,
a skateboard and a
dress worn by Cher. At
times, the “capsule”
itself is the prize. When
wealthy Frenchman
Louis Mantin died in
1905, he decreed that
In early 2015, historians his house should remain
in Boston opened a shuttered for a century,
time capsule buried before the doors be
in 1795, by heroes opened to the public. It
of the American gives an intimate look
Revolutionary War, into early 20th century.
Samuel Adams and Other capsules take the
Paul Revere. What was
prosaic then seems
incalculably exciting
200 years later. The
academics used a
Tug to the Rescue
A salvage tug lights the hull of the stricken Hoegh Osaka cargo ship after it
porcupine quill and
ran aground on Bramble Bank after leaving Southampton, England, bound
dental tools to remove
for Germany. All 25 crew members were rescued overnight.
the contents. Inside the
box were newspapers, idea of “no spoilers!”
a Massachusetts to another level. The
commonwealth seal, Future Library project
a silver plate probably
inscribed by Revere, and
is a century-long
installation whereby
Quote “MY SECRET TO A LONG LIFE HAS BEEN
STAYING AWAY FROM MEN. THEY’RE JUST

Unquote
MORE TROUBLE THAN THEY’RE WORTH. I
24 coins. one writer per year ALSO MADE SURE THAT I GOT PLENTY OF
“It was a moment of will pen a piece of EXERCISE, EAT A NICE WARM BOWL OF
excitement as this brass work. They will remain PORRIDGE EVERY MORNING AND HAVE
container was opened unread, kept in a public NEVER GOTTEN MARRIED.”
with surgical precision, library in Oslo until It can’t be easy being longevity?” Usually this
and you suddenly found 2114. Margaret Atwood one of the world’s inane query comes on
yourself in the presence is due to present the oldest people, like their birthday, which
PHOTOS 3DERS.ORG (3D APARTMENT); CORBIS (NEWSPAPER);

of history,” the director first text this year, Scotland’s porridge- makes us wonder why
SILEX (MAISON MATIN); GETTY IMAGES (CARGO SHIP)

of Boston’s Museum of leading us to wonder chugging Gallan, who more of these old-
Fine Arts told CNN. if she won’t just hand recently celebrated her timers don’t answer,
No doubt, time capsules in a blank slip of paper. 109th birthday. Every “My secret is not
are exciting. Like the Los Who knows? Or perhaps few months the media talking to journalists.”
Angeles Bicentennial she’ll write a thrilling will converge upon the Worse still is that you
Capsule, buried in 1976. whodunnit based on JESSIE GALLAN world’s oldest Asian, never hold the title for
It couldn’t be more ‘70s: this novel idea from a or oldest man, and long. On average, the
it contains a pet rock (a netizen: “A time capsule bombard them with the world’s oldest person
craze at the time that would be a great place to same question: “What’s dies every six to nine
makes even Tamagochis hide a body.” the secret to your months.

14
DISCOVERY CHANNEL MAGAZINE INDIA

RIGHT ON,
SWEDEN
Switching sides overnight!
It was an unpopular
decision, one that would
change life in Sweden
forever. And over 80 per
cent of the population
voted against it. Yet, in
1967, the government
announced: the
entire country
would switch
to driving
from the
left side of
the road
to the right.
Sweden was
the only country
in the region to drive
on the right-hand
side, till then. To make
things more complex,
most Swedes drove
American-made cars,
with the steering wheel
designed for right-hand
traffic anyway. And so
September 3, 1967 was
designated as H-Day (H
for Högertrafik or right-
hand traffic). Before
that, roughly 360,000
road signs had to
be reversed,
8,000 public
buses were
replaced
and, drivers
had to have
the change
drummed into
their heads. The
campaign kicked off
four years before the
event itself, which gave
Swedes plenty of time
to hear the contest-
winning song to remind
people about the change
(a ditty called “Keep to
the Right, Svensson”).
In typical Scandinavian
fashion, the H-logo was
16
DISCOVERY CHANNEL MAGAZINE INDIA
HISTORY
The Year That Was: 1782
even emblazoned on
women’s underwear, so
that leggy blondes could
remind appreciative Of 79,000 chapters, witches and a 1,250-tonne statue
viewers of the switch. At
the stroke of 5am of the Estimated world population: 700 to 900 million. Russian leader Catherine
day itself, loudspeakers the Great completes The Bronze Horseman, an immense statue hewn from
blared, “Now is the a rock which to this day is the biggest rock that humanity has ever shifted.
time to change over.” Known as the “Thunder Stone”, it was carved down to 1,250 tonnes and
And was the result moved overland six kilometres. London creates the “Foot Patrol”, a 68-man
Carmageddon? armed force for public security. In China, a literary collection of national
Strangely, no. The photo history known as the Siku Quanshu is compiled. It’s 79,000 chapters and 2.3
(shown left) is actually million pages long. Switzerland beheads Anna Goldi, the last woman to be
executed as a witch in Europe. Not until 2008 does she receive a legal pardon.
Me-Ville
It’s an egotistical world out there — as shown by this
partial list of places named after people
the exception to the
rule. Drivers were so
nervous and risk-averse
that accidents for
that Monday actually
decreased. And on the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA LIECHTENSTEIN
AMERIGO VESPUCCI
day, 125 crashes were (OR POSSIBLY RICHARD
THE PRINCELY FAMILY OF
LIECHTENSTEIN
CHINA
GEORGIA EMPEROR QIN
reported, down from the AMERYK)
ST GEORGE
average of 130 to 198 on SAUDI ARABIA
previous days. MUHAMMAD BIN SAUD
COLOMBIA
CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS
PHILIPPINES
KING PHILIP II OF SPAIN
RHODESIA (NOW ZIMBABWE)
Did You BOLIVIA
SIMON BOLIVAR
CECIL RHODES
PHOTO GETTY IMAGES (OPPOSITE, HITLER)
Know? When
Nazi troops
entered Austria,
Czechoslovakia and
Hungary, Hitler ordered NOTE THAT THE WORLD MAP ABOVE ONLY COVERS A PORTION OF PEOPLE-BASED
them to switch to NAMES — BOTH RUSSIA AND BELARUS, FOR INSTANCE, ARE NAMED AFTER THE RUS
PEOPLE, A SLAVIC OR SCANDINAVIAN WARRIOR RACE. THE CONTINENT OF EUROPE
driving on the right side, IS NAMED AFTER EUROPA, A CRETAN MOON GODDESS WHO IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY
with immediate effect. HAD AN AFFAIR WITH ZEUS.
 SCIENCE

LIES, DAMNED LIES

HOW TO BEAT
A POLYGRAPH
Bite your tongue and daydream away
Between 2002 and
2005, four American
federal security services,
including the FBI,
conducted a whopping
28,000 polygraph
examinations. Not
on criminals, but on
warm summer night…or
drinking beer, whatever
calms you. You’re
throwing them off by
calming your body.'' The
real lies should then
barely register.

potential employees.
Polygraphs, or lie
detectors, work by
recording changes in a
person’s breathing rate,
pulse, blood pressure and
perspiration. Lying is
stressful. So when you lie,
your body freaks out.
Russell Tice, a
National Security Agency
whistleblower, took
about 12 polygraph tests
during his two-decade
career. He told the press
that the NSA “routinely
uses polygraphs to
terrorise the rank and
file of NSA employees”
and to “gather personal
information that can be
used to blackmail them
into participating in
illegal conduct”. He
shared ways to beat
the test:
It starts with the
interviewer asking
“probable lie” questions,
to gauge your reactions
when you’re lying. The
question may be “Have
you ever lied to your
parents?” or, “Have you
ever cheated on a test?”
An Inconvenient Death...
...and what leads to a corpse with a vodka and tonic!
Hotels, airplanes, cruise ships and submarines are the worst places you want to
In a interview with find a dead body. So how do crews deal with guests or passengers who die?
Wired, co-founder
of antipolygraph.org Ships Operation Bright Star
George Maschke had You don’t want to hear this phrase
this to say. When self- announced on a cruise ship intercom
inducing stress to skew — on certain ship lines, it’s the code for
readings, “it has to be a severe medical emergency. Worse
something that cannot still is the follow up, “Operation Rising
be detected. You could Star”, meaning whoever was in trouble
constrict the sphincter, has died. The body is then usually
but many operators put stored in a small freezer for corpses.
sensors on the seat”. Best Since many cruise ships have elderly
go for a mental solution! passengers, the company designs
Fun fact: the sphincter refrigerated units for several bodies
trick was used in a lie-
detector scene in the Planes Corpse Cupboards
second season of the spy When Singapore Airlines upgraded
show The Americans. their fleet to new Airbus A340-500
aircraft, they introduced special
cupboards designed to hold anyone
who died in mid-air. A member of
British Airways, meanwhile, recently
revealed another technique, now
discontinued: “Many years ago we
used to give [the dead body] a vodka
and tonic, a Daily Mail and eye shades
and tell passengers they were fine”
Space Pulverising
As NASA ponders longer space
missions, they also fear what
will happen to crew members
who die up there. Can you just
push the body out the air lock?
Not according to “space debris
mitigation guidelines” set by the
UN, who fear bodies could crash
into satellites. As such, NASA is
in talks with an eco-friendly body
disposal company called Promessa.
The Promessa Process:
 Body is placed in an inflated
GoreTex bag
 Bag is placed outside the craft,
where the minus 270 degree
temperature of space freezes it
 A robot arm vibrates the corpse
until it disintegrates into pieces
 Water is evaporated from the bag
 Now a bundle of dry powder, the
corpse remains outside the craft
until re-entry to Earth.
ILLUSTRATIONS BEN MOUNSEY; PHOTO CORBIS (MAIN)

To cheat on this one,
Tice says you should
not only lie, but bite
your tongue hard. The
machine’s “needles will
fly everywhere, and
you’re skewing the test”.
When they get to serious
questions, just daydream,
he advises. “Think of a
Many experts call LIFE EXPECTANCY THE GOOD AND THE BAD
polygraphs unscientific “In countries doing well,” says Professor James Vaupel of the Max Planck
at best. Want proof? In Institute, “life expectancy has been increasing by 2.5 years per decade”
1987, Gary Leon Ridgway
passed with flying
colours. Yet in 2003, he
admitted to being the + THREE MONTHS + SIX HOURS - FIVE YEARS
Green River Killer — a That equates to 90 … an increased life In South Africa, life expectancy has
serial killer who had days every year or… expectancy of six decreased by five years over the last two
murdered 48 people. hours every day decades, due to the HIV epidemic

18
DISCOVERY CHANNEL MAGAZINE INDIA
 TECHNOLOGY

WHAT’S THE BEST PALM-SIZED GIZMO?

THE MATCHUP: TECH FIRSTS WE BET YOU CAN’T

ANSWER THESE
TECHY QUESTIONS
CORRECTLY
TO Y
O
ANNERS WHO’S THE
OTH WORLD’S LARGEST
DISTRIBUTOR
OF TOYS?

GLITTERBOMB MOSQUITO APPLE HEADPHONES

So popular was An anti-loitering device that sends So uncomfortable, they’re like
shipyourenemiesglitter.com that the a high-pitched whine only those thumbscrews for the ear. They
founder asked people to stop buying aged under 24 can hear. In an are equally annoying to sit next
the explosive envelopes. “You’ve interview, the inventor emitted a to, as they leak tinny sound like It’s not Toys R’ US —
made your glitter-coated bed...” bat-like squeak “that was indeed an audio-sieve. A great gift for it’s those Happy Meal
tutted an unsympathetic netizen. bothersome”. someone you loathe. guys, McDonalds. Some
20 per cent of their
CHALIFE- meals include a (fairly
NGE unexciting, if we do say
RS
so ourselves) toy
WHICH COUNTRY
HAS THE THIRD-
HIGHEST GUN
OWNERSHIP RATES?
MONT BLANC PEN PAPERCLIP STERIPEN WATER STER-
The favourite self-defence tool of In Nazi-occupied Norway, ILIZER
famed war reporter Robert Young wearing a simple paperclip could Costs about US$70, and destroys
Pelton: “Mont Blanc has a metal get you shot, as it was a secret viruses and bacteria like nobody’s
refill that costs US$5. One of those symbol of resistance. Hence why business. Stick it in half a litre of fluid
stuck in a soft point is a pretty lethal there’s a seven-metre paperclip and the 200 gram tool will beam UV
weapon.” statue in Oslo today. light, purifying it in 48 seconds.
Peaceful it may look,
ND but Switzerland is
FUN A
FU L
USE bristling with guns.
In terms of civilian
firearms per 100
people, only Yemen and
the USA rank higher.
That’s because military
TWEETPEE CREDIT CARDS SWISS ARMY KNIFE
service is compulsory
An app from Huggies that senses Sure they can lead to crippling Actually, not so useful. They’re
moisture when your baby’s diaper debt, but they also minimise fiddly and impossible to open for Swiss men who,
is full. Pretty pointless? Not if you annoying pocket change! No without ripping a nail. After small once discharged,
have the app and your partner wonder there are 66 million of knives were banned by airport are obliged to keep a
doesn’t, allowing you to escape them in the UK alone (six million security, Victorinox lost 40 percent firearm at home in case
when changing-time strikes. more than there are people). of its business. of invasion
TOP HOW LONG DOES
THREE APPLE STORE YOUR
WINNERS VOICE DATA AFTER
YOU SPEAK TO SIRI?

SWISS ARMY KNIFE PAPERCLIP MOSQUITO

Pointless they may be, but we still In 2006 a Canadian blogger traded Shopkeepers who hate loitering
want “The Giant”: an 87-tool knife a red paperclip for a pen, then a teens may like to pair this device
(including cigar-cutting scissors) doorknob, camp stove, neon sign, with a “zit lamp”, which drive Two years. Yeah.
that weighs 3.25 kilograms and and within one year and 14 trades, youngsters away by casting a Think about that the
looks like it would give even Edward had traded up to a house. blue light that accentuates acne. next time you flirt with
Scissorhands nightmares. Wailing and pimples? No thanks. the AI tool

19
APRIL 2015
 TECHNOLOGY

INFORMATION IS CHEAP

US$40,000
COST OF THE FIRST IBM ONE-GIGABYTE,
US$849 US$60
COST OF A 1GB DISK BY 1995 COST OF A ONE TERABYTE DISK
FRIDGE-SIZED HARD DRIVE. RELEASED IN DRIVE TODAY — 1,000 TIMES LARGER
1980, IT WEIGHS 250 KILOGRAMS CAPACITY THAN A 1GB DRIVE

WATCHING THE TIME Danger Zone

WATCH the games kids play
Get the swag on your wrist from your favourite movies
At the end of last year "SWAT ELECTRIC
a group called World MACHINE GUN"
Late last year a young Against Toys Causing BY JUNXING TOYS
INDUSTRIAL CO.
German lad named Patrick Harm (WATCH) WATCH says:
Priebe, described by the published their list Detailed [gun]
press as a “laser weapons of most dangerous replicas have resulted
hobbyist”, rocked YouTube’s toys on the market in a number of deaths
socks with a video that in 2014. You might through the years
showed him wielding a think the list below
working laser watch that is a bunch of parents "BOTTLE ROCKET
shot a 1,500 milliwatt beam, being killjoys but, as PARTY" BY
NORMAN & GLOBUS
strong enough to burst a report published in (SCIENCEWIZ)
balloons. Not quite as James Clinical Pediatrics WATCH says: Bottle
Bond-level as the “real” notes, in 2011 a child rockets should
laser watch in Never Say was treated in US probably not be
Never Again, but still pretty emergency rooms marketed to kids as
cool. So, we ask: what other every three minutes — young as eight.
fictional watches do we want for toy-related injuries
to hit stores? "TRUE LEGENDS
"CATAPENCIL" BY ORCS BATTLE
TOYSMITH HAMMER"
SOLD AT TOYS R US
SEIKO M516 “VOICE NOTE” WATCH WATCH says:
WATCH says: It’s
As seen in: Ghostbusters Sharpened pencils
not a good idea
Why we want it: As worn by the funky guys should not be
when three-year-
in jumpsuits, this real-life watch included marketed as
old children are
an unearthly premise. It could pick up playthings, much less
encouraged to play
“Electronic Voice Phenomena” — the voices a miniature slingshot-
the part of a Savage
of the dead. style launcher
Orc by wielding a
The Jetsons 1962
"ALPHABET ZOO hard plastic Battle
COMPUTER WRISTWATCH ROCK & STACK PULL Hammer measuring
As seen in: Inspector Gadget TOY" BY SKIP HOP
almost two feet
Why we want it: Worn by Gadget’s young WATCH says: A 20-
in length
niece, this watch is voice-activated, fires inch string poses a
lasers strong enough to cut through doors, strangulation hazard
functions as a video communicator, and has
magnetic capabilities. Buy Your Own Mech Warrior
ICON FROM THE NOUN PROJECT ICONSMIND.COM (DATA CENTRE)

For 120 million yen, or just over US$1 million, you can
Night Rider 1982 purchase the Kuratasu Starter Kit from Suidobashi
And one watch we don’t want:
PHOTOS WWW.72ANDSUNNY.COM/SAMSUNG (WATCHES)

Heavy Industries. Your own mech warrior, basically.

SEIKO 0674
As seen in: The Spy Who Loved Me
Why we don’t want it: Bond is, as usual,
pumping a female agent thoroughly for
information when his watch begins to print
out a miniature telex, like a fax, summoning
to headquarters. Not very classified, and
definitely not very cool.
This two-legged robot weighs five tonnes, is 3.8
metres high and, “unlike normal riding toy, safety and
comfort is not guaranteed” but “you can guarantee
the dream of mankind ‘consisting robot pilot’”. The
mech rolls on wheels and reaches a top speed of just
over 9 km/hour, thanks to a diesel engine. In an earlier
incarnation, Suiodobashi Heavy Industries had armed
it with a high-speed water bottle launcher. Thanks to
Predator 1987 facial recognition, its twin gatling guns could shoot
6,000 BB’s a minute when the pilot smiled. Needless
to say, DCM is currently counting our cash reserves.

22
DISCOVERY CHANNEL MAGAZINE INDIA

OCCUPATIONS
BENTLEY ON THE SOFA!
Want your own set of fancy wheels? Just paint them on any surface available! Quite like
automotive artist Vidita Singh. In conversation with Adii Dande
AUTOMOTIVE ARTIST
VIDITA SINGH
Bentley, Porsche, Rolls Royce
and the likes were never
novelty for her. Brought up
in a family of automobile
enthusiasts, the daughter of
the erstwhile royal family of
Barwani, Madhya Pradesh,
Princess Vidita Singh always
had a special love for cars.
But she preferred to combine
this love with her artistic
flair, rather than actually
collecting them. The result?
She went on to become India’s
leading automotive artist!
Combining passion and art
Automotive art is a genre
where artists specialise
in painting cars on myriad
surfaces, including fabric,
canvas and objects like
cushions and scarves to
mention a few. Prominent
automotive artists from
England, France and America
paint in a variety of styles
that may include pop art but
have the automobile as their
focal point or subject.If you
love art, but want to take
HORIZONS
NEWS
an unconventional route,
automotive art can in fact be
at the top of your options.
Singh has been sketching
and painting cars since her
childhood but took it up
as a profession only after
completing college. “My
father encouraged me to
take it as a profession as he
realised my potential and
knew that I paint cars for the
love of them,” shares Singh. Of
course, this innate love is due
to her family’s passion about
all things automotive since
the last four generations.
Singh finds classic and
vintage cars beautiful, and
always wanted to bring out
their beauty on canvas. She
did just that and started to
document Indian automotive
history through her paintings
and also took up projects to
showcase the same.
Carving a niche
To make one’s place in a
profession as rare as this,
one must be prepared for
challenges and have not-so-
fancy beginnings. “In the
initial years, I exhibited
my work only at
automotive
gatherings
or rallies. Only
automotive enthusiasts
appreciated my work earlier
as it is a very specific subject,”
she reveals. But her patience
and perseverance paid off,
and since the last few years
she has been exhibiting on
a different platform. The
appreciation for her work
is coming from not just car
lovers but also from people
who just enjoy art. Today,
people come back to buy
another painting as they
love her work, and this, she
confesses, is the greatest
feeling ever.
Singh was invited to
become a member of the
International Automotive
Artist Association, and
has been listed among
prominent auto artists
in automotiveartists.com. She
has exhibited in one of India’s
most prestigious automotive
shows – Cartier Concours
d’Elegance. Her paintaings
hang in the offices of
directors of major automotive
companies like Ford Motor
Company (Asia) and Hyundai
Motors India.
Teaching oneself
Vidita Singh feels that if
one is an ardent car lover,
getting into automotive art
shouldn’t be difficult at all,
provided you have an artistic
inclination. “The profession
involves using any form of
art to depict and appreciate
automobiles. All you need is
to be passionate enough about
your subject to bring out its
beauty,” she says.
Endless hours of practice
and patience polish the skills
to make you better with each
piece of work. Although there
aren’t any formal training
institutes that offer a course
in automotive art, there are a
few tutorials available online,
informs Singh. “I am a self
taught artist, and it has taken
me many years to get a certain
quality in my work. I am still
learning with every painting,”
she shares.
A shift in canvas
Automotive artists can
diversify into making
sculptures or other decorative
items. In fact, Singh herself
has diversified from her
artwork into designing what
is being called ‘wearable art’.
“I design pocket squares and
scarves with automotive
motifs and images of my
APART FROM CANVAS, AUTOMOTIVE
ART FINDS PLACE ON SCARVES, TIES
AND EVEN CUSHION COVERS
paintings. These have been
very popular in my last few
exhibitions,” she says. She has
also designed suede cushion
covers with automotive
themes printed on them, as
well as trunks with prints of
her charcoal sketches. And
as an artist’s mind is never at
rest, Singh plans to add
more decorative products to
her collection.
23
APRIL 2015

IDO EYLON OF 3D PRINTER
MANUFACTURER STRATASYS SPEAKING
AT THE INDIA TODAY CONCLAVE 2015
REINVENT, RE-IMAGINE
WITH 3D PRINTING
THE INDIA TODAY CONCLAVE 2015 SHOWED HOW 3D
PRINTING IS SURE TO SHAPE THE FUTURE…
R ecreating objects of desire with 3D
printing is passé. Tech enthusiasts’
printing Christmas gifts and life-size
movie icons seems small when compared
to what else this technology can do. And
no, it is no longer just limited to engineers,
as was explained in detail at the India
Today Conclave 2015.
Ido Eylon, General Manager, Southern
Asia and Pacific, Stratasys – 3D printer
manufacturers, explained during the
session, Future is Here, “The ease
PHOTO M. ZHAZO (MAIN); PHOTOS GETTY IMAGES, DREAMSTIME
of use that latest printers offer has
enabled product designers to create
prototypes, and architects to get a better
view of buildings they design, before
implementing the plans. Fashion designers
can print footwear or apparel, as they
visualise before actually creating it!” He
explained how BMW uses 3D printing
to make tools that are used to optimise
processes, like placing an emblem, rather
than actual manufacturing.
NASA has used this for their space rovers.
24
DISCOVERY CHANNEL MAGAZINE
EVENT
3D PRINTING OR ADDITIVE
MANUFACTURING (AM) IS THE USE OF
ONE OF VARIOUS PROCESSES TO MAKE
A THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECT
Eylon showed images of a space rover that
uses 70 3D printed parts, and stated that
NASA is currently working on a project that
will send a printer to space so that parts can
be re-printed if the need arises.
However, 3D printing’s most significant ORGAN SCAFFOLDS PRINTED
contribution is in the field of medicine. WITH A 3D PRINTER
Eylon said that printers are now being
used to print chest CT scans for medical
students to study them better. 3D
printing complements medical science as
everybody is geometrically unique; and
this technology can help surgeons save
time by getting a better view and multiple
opinions, he added.
Is there more? Of course! According to
Eylon, an object can be personalised by
changing its look, before printing. “Actual
production rather than mere printing is
the next thing to look forward to. Printing
customised medication for patients that
can actually help treat them isn’t too far- ILLUSTRATION OF A
fetched now,” he concluded. DNA CHAIN CREATED
IN A 3D PRINTER
—ADII DANDE
 COLUMNIST
ANIL DHARKER
EVENT PARTICIPATING IN
THE Q&A SESSION

DR DEEPAK CHOPRA SCIENCE AND

SPIRITUALITY
ADDRESSING THE
AUDIENCE AT INDIA
TODAY'S FIRST HEALTH
CONCLAVE, BODY ROCKS
SPIRITUAL GURU DR DEEPAK CHOPRA
ON HOW IT’S EASY TO REVERSE AGE!

R eptilian brain in human beings; genes and

epigenes… A typical afternoon with Dr Deepak
Chopra, who is admired for his controversial yet
popular views on science and spirituality. At India
Today’s first health conclave, Body Rocks, at Mum-
bai’s JW Marriott, a select group was privy to his
journey so far. YOGA GURU DR HR
NAGENDRA WITH
The founder of The Chopra Foundation in his JAMAL SHAIKH,
session titled The Future of Wellness: Mind, Body, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR,
DISCOVERY CHANNEL
Technology, delved into subjects like consciousness MAGAZINE INDIA
and genetics. According to him, violence can be
traced back to the reptilian brain in human beings
DR CHOPRA IN that makes us attack in response to a threat.
CONVERSATION WITH His foundation has also made headway in the
PHILANTHROPIST
RAJASHREE BIRLA field of wireless digital monitoring of people medi-
tating. Dr Chopra paid special attention to genes,
epigenes, genomes and microbiology. He pointed
out how exchanging faeces between an old mouse
and a young one as part of their experiments had
pulled forward the former’s age and caused the
latter to age! “Work in this sphere will tell us how to
reverse biological age by 10, 15 and even 20 years,”
he said, adding that transplanting faeces from a
healthy mouse into a diabetic one, also cured the
mouse of its disease. This apart, he encouraged the
ACTRESS ADITI use of probiotics along with prebiotics. This was fol-
GOVITRIKAR AND lowed by a Q&A segment and a 10-minute medita-
FITNESS EXPERT INDUSTRIALIST
LEENA MOGRE IN tion session that had the guests asking for more. ADITYA VIKRAM SOMANI
THE AUDIENCE WITH WIFE, PADMINI
—VIDYA PRABHU
PHOTOS MILIND SHELTE

ACTRESS POOJA BEDI

INTERACTING WITH BAJAJ GROUP'S VASAVADATTA BAJAJ, RAJASHREE BIRLA, KAILASH AND AARTI
DR CHOPRA DURING SURENDRANATH, ARTIST ROUBLE NAGI, ACTRESS POONAM DHILLON, AMONG
THE SESSION OTHERS, PRACTICED MEDITATION AS PART OF THE SESSION
 FEATURES
74
74 88
88

28 28
DISCOVERY
DISCOVERY
CHANNEL
CHANNEL
MAGAZINE
MAGAZINE
INDIA
INDIA
PAGE 30 A RICH, CULTURAL TOUR
OF THE LAND OF THE RISING SUN
PAGE 46 KNOW WHAT LIES
BENEATH YOUR ANXIETIES
PAGE 58 THE LONG-HONOURED
MODES OF TREATMENT REVISITED
58
46
30
PAGE 74 AN IN-DEPTH LOOK
AT THE NEWEST FORM OF
ADDICTION THAT'S COME UP
PAGE 88 KNOW WHAT THE FIRST
HUMAN INHABITANTS OF MARS
WILL HAVE TO LIVE WITH
29
APRIL 2015
 PHOTO JEREMIE SOUTEYRAT, STICKERS LINE CORPORATION

PHOTO JEREMIE SOUTEYRAT, STICKERS LINE CORPORATION

30 30
DISCOVERY
DISCOVERY
CHANNEL
CHANNEL
MAGAZINE
MAGAZINE
INDIA
INDIA
 COVER STORY

JAPAN AND THE

ART OF LIVING
Don’t be a nuisance. Always be polite. Avoid
making waves. Smartly weasel out of apologising.
For news correspondent Eric Talmadge, who has
lived in Japan for decades, these are just a few
lessons learnt over the years. He introduces you to
a few Japanese quirks that can certainly add zing
to your life! Photography
by Jérémie Souteyrat

31
APRIL 2015
 A MAIKO (APPRENTICE GEISHA) ON
PHOTO JEREMIE SOUTEYRAT, STICKERS LINE CORPORATION

HER WAY BACK FROM WORK AT

NIGHT IN KYOTO

BELOW AND RIGHT THE CUTE

ANIMATED CHARACTERS YOU SEE
THROUGHOUT THE FEATURE ARE
FROM THE JAPANESE APP, "LINE".

PREVIOUS PAGE OMOTESANDO

AVENUE AND JINGUMAE
CROSSING AS SEEN FROM THE
TOKYU PLAZA BY JAPANESE
ARCHITECT HIROSHI NAKAMURA

32
DISCOVERY CHANNEL MAGAZINE INDIA
 COVER
COVERSTORY
STORY

hehefirst
firsttime
timeI arrived
I arrivedininJapan
Japan With
Withtime,
time,however,
however,
was
waswaywayback backininthethe1980s
1980sasas barriers
barriersfall.fall.IfIfyou
youcan
can
ananimpressionable
impressionableteenager. teenager.I I demonstrate
demonstratethat thatyouyou
was
waseager
eagertotosoak soakup upevery-
every- understand
understandthe theJapanese
Japanese
thing
thingabout
aboutthe thenew,new,weird
weird social
socialcomfort
comfortzone, zone,with
withitsits
and
andfascinating
fascinatingculture culturethat
that well
wellestablished
establishedrules rules
enveloped
envelopedme. me. ofofacceptable
acceptablebehaviour,
behaviour,and and
It’s
It’soften
oftensaidsaidthat
thatthethe build
buildup uprelationships
relationshipsfrom from
Japanese
Japanesetend tendtotoshunshun there,
there,the theJapanese,
Japanese,inintime, time,
foreigners,
foreigners,makingmakingitithard hard will
willreveal
reveala averyverydifferent
differentside
side
totoreally
reallyget geta afeel
feelfor
fortheir
their tototheir
theircharacter.
character.
innermost
innermostthoughtsthoughtsand and TheThetruth
truthis,is,they
theylove
love
emotions.
emotions.But ButI’veI’venever
never tototalk
talkabout
aboutthemselves,
themselves,
found
foundthat thattotobebeentirely
entirelytrue.
true. their
theirwayswaysandandhow howthey
theyseesee
Rarely
Rarelywill willa astranger
stranger themselves,
themselves,for forbetter
betterororworse,
worse,
come
comeup uptotoyouyouand andstart
start asasa aterribly
terriblyunique
uniquenation.
nation.
pouring
pouringout outhishisheart.
heart.InIn Many
Manyofofthe thethings
thingsthat
that
fact,
fact,it’s
it’srelatively
relativelyrare rarefor
for used
usedtotoreally
reallymakemakethe the
a astranger
strangertotoeven evenmakemake Japanese
Japanesesosounique uniquewerewere
much
muchmore morethan thanfleeting
fleeting subsumed
subsumedbybythe thetorrent
torrentofof
eye
eyecontact.
contact.People Peoplehere here Western
Westerncultureculturethat thatcame
came
are
arecertainly
certainlymore morereserved
reserved flooding
floodinginto intothe thecountry
country
than,
than,say,say,New
NewYorkers,
Yorkers,oror ininthe
thelate
late19th
19thcentury
century
probably
probablymost mostWesterners
Westernersinin when
whenJapanJapanopenedopeneditsits
general.
general.(Warning:
(Warning:there therewill
will doors
doorsafteraftercenturies
centuriesofof
bebea alot
lotofofgeneralisations
generalisations rigorously
rigorouslyenforced,
enforced,self- self-
totofollow).
follow). imposed
imposedisolation.
isolation.

3333
APRIL
APRIL2015
2015
 It seems that with each
passing year, the very things
that once struck me as being
really Japanese are getting
harder and harder to come
by. But some things will never
change, and there are many
things that I hope never will.
Here are 10 things about
Japanese culture — some
good, some not so good — that
this humble American who
has spent most of his life
immersed in it has learned
over the years. Things that
anybody, anywhere, might just
be able to learn a thing or
two from.

JAPAN’S
GOLDEN
RULE: AVOID
MAKING
WAVES, AT
ALL COSTS
This right here is the most
Japanese of them all. And at
first glance, it is a little hard to
swallow for people who don’t
have it programmed into their
own social DNA.
The basic measuring
stick applied to every social
interaction in Japan is
something that doesn’t have a
good English equivalent, but
probably should. The word for
it is meiwaku, which is often
translated as nuisance,
though that’s really only
scratching the surface. To
the Japanese, the worst
thing anyone can do is to be a
nuisance to others. If you’ve ABOVE A CROWD OF
PHOTOS JEREMIE SOUTEYRAT, STICKERS LINE CORPORATION

got that label, you might as JAPANESE WORKERS

well pack up and leave. WAITING AT A LEVEL
CROSSING IN YOYOGI
The Japanese apply the STATION
concept of meiwaku very
broadly. If you recommend a LEFT SALARYMAN
SLEEPING IN THE
movie to someone, and they SHINKANSEN AT
go to the trouble of seeing KYOTO STATION,
WHILE TRAIN
it, but don’t like it, then you STATION EMPLOYEES
have committed meiwaku. But DOUBLE CHECK
meiwaku is a lot more than THE SAFETY OF
THE PASSENGERS
that. Murderers looking for GETTING ON AND
a lighter sentence often beg OFF THE TRAIN

34
DISCOVERY CHANNEL MAGAZINE INDIA

forgiveness, not so much for
the crime itself but for the
meiwaku they have caused.
Which to most Japanese
makes total sense.
The possibility of being
meiwaku, and the visceral
desire to avoid being meiwaku,
is taken into account pretty
much 24-7 by the Japanese. It
helps explain all kinds of things
in the social sphere, from the
pervasive conservatism, to the
almost irresistible pressure to
conform. Risk-taking, after all,
can lead to failure. And failure
is meiwaku. Standing out can
mean being offensive. And
that’s meiwaku. (Read on for
some notable exceptions).
Though most Japanese
these days are Buddhist only
when it comes time to attend
a funeral, sensitivity to the
impact of what you do on the
lives of those around you is an
essential way of looking at
the world in accordance
with the country’s Buddhist
tradition, which posits that
all things are fundamentally
intertwined as one.
That’s what karma is all
about. But karma doesn’t
just mean you get what
you deserve, based on your
own individual actions, as
Westerners often think.
It means we all get what
we deserve, based on the
collective actions of everyone,
all the time, everywhere.
That’s a pretty heavy
responsibility, if you think
about it. Sometimes it’s best to
tread lightly.
A LITTLE
POLITENESS
NEVER HURT
ANYONE,
EVEN IF
IT MEANS
SAYING
YES AND
MEANING NO
Many, if not most, visitors
to Japan marvel at how polite
the Japanese are. After more
than 30 years, I can attest that
it’s true. They really, really are
polite, sometimes to the point
of almost being annoying.
People hate to say no, even
if they have absolutely no
intention of doing whatever
a “yes” might entail. The
real pillars of politeness are
folks aged over 70 years of
age. It is in these people, and
particularly in the ones who
survived World War II, that
you see politeness that’s not
merely motivated by the
meiwaku principle or social
convenience. This brand
of politeness stems from a
kind of intuitive empathy or
compassion, which only
those who have really
experienced hardship can
instinctively grasp.
Even so, to see Japanese
politeness in action, one
need only take a ride on the
social pressure-cooker of
the rush hour subway, where
COVER STORY
the patience and manners of
millions of Japanese, young
and old, are put to the test
every day.
At even the most crowded
times of the day, commuters
do indeed wait in orderly
lines. No one gets on until
everyone who needs to, has
exited the train. Once seated,
only the most obtuse person
would dare cross his legs, or
fully open a newspaper, since
doing either would invade the
personal space of anyone in
the immediate vicinity. People
are quiet. Mobile phones have
their ringers turned off. If
there is a delay, the engineer
will inevitably get on the
PA system to promptly, and
soothingly, apologise.
Nevertheless, those who
have lived here a long time
are painfully aware that,
while the level of politeness
is still world-class, there are
some big caveats. Again, one
needs look no further than
the trains. During rush hour,
subways have cars reserved
for women passengers
because of the groping
problem, which speaks to the
fact that generalisations about
how well-behaved people are,
do contain some obvious blind
spots. Virtually all subways
and trains now have “priority
seats” reserved for the
elderly, the disabled and
pregnant women. Which
ironically, is another sign of
eroding manners.
Back in the 1980s, when
I first took up residence in
Tokyo, there was no need
35
APRIL 2015
 for the signs: relinquishing
your spot was a given. Yet
as evidence of how this sort
of thinking has eroded, the
creation of priority seats
in turn generated a new
problem. Passengers in
regular seats stopped caring
if the person standing in front
of them was old, pregnant
or on crutches. At one point,
it got so bad that a national
debate broke out over
whether all seats should be
marked as priority, just to
shame people into doing the
right thing. The offenders
generally seem to have
PHOTOS JEREMIE SOUTEYRAT(LEFT AND FAR LEFT) STICKERS LINE CORPORATION
36
DISCOVERY CHANNEL MAGAZINE INDIA
received the message. Most nuisance of themselves. But
people do now get up. how they deal with ‘fessing up,
especially on the public stage,
can itself be enlightening.
APOLOGISING, Forged over centuries of
AND feudal rule, when failure to
please one’s samurai overlord
WEASELING could very well end in death
OUT OF — slitting one’s own belly
with a second standing by
APOLOGISING, to quickly lop off your head
ARE BOTH was the most honourable
AN ART way out — the Japanese
understandably take
Like everyone else, the apologies very seriously.
Japanese are certainly But since truly admitting
capable of doing rude things you were wrong can lead
and making a tremendous to expectations of showy
displays of contrition (all
the way up to suicide), the
most masterful apologies are
generally not apologies at all.
Many of Japan’s neighbours
are still waiting for an apology
for World War II, although
the government insists it has
already done so.
Chief executives accused
of the worst corporate
malfeasance can sometimes
get away with a deep bow
before the cameras, and
a few moments of public
humiliation, before
transitioning to a very
happy retirement.
 COVER
COVERSTORY
STORY

InInthetheeyes
eyesofofthe
theJapanese,
Japanese, about
aboutthree
threemillion
millionyenyen
allallbut
butthe
therarest
rarestofofpublic
public (US$30,000).
(US$30,000). TURNING
TURNINGJAPANESE
JAPANESE
apologies
apologiesare aretaken
takenasasa akind
kind InInthe
theworld
worldofofJapanese
Japanese
ofofperformance
performanceart. art.IfIfdone
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ANDEVENTS
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JAPANESE-NESS
the
themost
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insincere Yet
Yetinstead
insteadofofgoing
goingquietly
quietly
apology
apologywill willoften
oftenbebeaccepted
accepted down
downthe thewalk-of-shame
walk-of-shameinto into BOTHERSOME
BOTHERSOMEENVELOPES ENVELOPES
with
withsurprising
surprisinggrace.
grace. oblivion,
oblivion,Nonomura,
Nonomura,atata anews
news Meiwaku
Meiwaku , another
, anotherWestern
Westernjournalist
journalistrecently
recently
Take,
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example,small-small- conference,
conference,plunged
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lamentedininthe theJapan
JapanTimes
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, isa atricky
trickyconcept
concept
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histrionics,replete
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withloud
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meiwaku ?’?’I ask
I askmymywife.
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Sheshakes
shakesher herhead.
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breakout
breakoutstar starofofJapan’s
Japan’smostmost wailing
wailingand andwatch-out-he’s-
watch-out-he’s- ‘Your
‘YourWestern
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nature,’she
shesays,
says,‘slips
‘slipsout
outlike
likeanan
viral
viralvideo
videoofof2014.
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crazy-stylearm armwaving
wavingthat
that untucked
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shirt.’”Yet
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mostcommon
commonexample exampleofof
been
beenaccused
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usingpublic
public caught
caughthis hismedia
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questioners this
thishighly
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Japanesesense senseofofbother
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something
funds
fundstotomakemakea awhopping
whopping completely
completelyoff offguard.
guard. experienced
experiencedglobally,
globally,hehewrites
writes——ininJapan,Japan,spamspamisis
195
195seemingly
seeminglypersonal
personaltrips,
trips, Nonomura
Nonomurawill willalmost
almost referredtotoasas“meiwaku
referred “meiwakumail”mail”
many
manytotohot hotspring
springresorts,
resorts, certainly
certainlynever
neverbebetaken
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which
whichinintimetimecostcosttaxpayers
taxpayers seriously
seriouslyagain.
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Butdespite
despite KINDNESS
KINDNESSCOSTS COSTSNOTHING
NOTHING
Here’s
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exampleofofextreme
extreme
politeness
politenessthat thatsounds
soundslikelikeanan
urban
urbanlegend:
legend:after afterrobbing
robbing
Fukutoku
FukutokuBank BankofofUS$5.4
US$5.4million
million
inin1994
1994——the thelargest
largestheist
heistinin
Japan’s
Japan’shistory
historyatatthethetime
time——the the
robbers
robberssent senta anote
notetotothe
thebank.
bank.
“Thank
“Thankyou youvery
verymuch
muchfor forthe
the
bonus,”
bonus,”it itread.
read.“We“Wecan canlive
liveonon
this
thisloot
lootfor
forlife”
life”

ANANEXPLOSION
EXPLOSIONOF OFREGRET
REGRET
InInsouthern
southernJapan, Japan,they
theyused
used
totocall
callit it“pineapple
“pineappleseason”
season”
——ananinnocuous
innocuousterm termforforthe
the
throwing
throwingofofhand handgrenades,
grenades,asas
rival
rivalyakuza
yakuzagangs gangssought
soughttoto
annihilate
annihilateeach eachother.
other.But
Butafter
after
seven
sevenyearsyearsand andseveral
severaldeaths,
deaths,
both
bothgangs
gangsremorsefully
remorsefully
marched
marchedtotoa alocal localpolice
policestation
stationinin2013.
2013.“For
“For
a along
longtimetimewe wehave
havemade
madeeveryone
everyoneillillatatease,
ease,
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beena anuisance
nuisancetotosociety,”
society,”
proclaimed
proclaimedone onegang.
gang.“We“Weapologise
apologisetotopeople
peopleand
and
the
theauthorities
authoritiesfor forthe
theanxiety
anxietywewehave
havecaused,”
caused,”
declared
declaredthe theother
other

PIXEL-SIZED
PIXEL-SIZEDPHONES PHONES
Tako
TakoHiyama
Hiyamamightmightjust
justbebea asaint
sainttotopeople
peoplewho
who
like
likethings
thingssmall.
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thepresident
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PHOTO: CORBIS (MAIN, OPPOSITE)
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pg39
pg39

3737
APRIL
APRIL2015
2015
 all the tears and seemingly
Biblical-level contrition, he
actually yammered on about
what a great guy he is, how he
was only trying to make the
world a better place to live in,
and how he was just really,
really misunderstood. It was
a masterful performance of
“apology art”.

LIVING ON
A VOLCANIC
ISLAND IS
THE BEST!
EXCEPT THAT
IT TOTALLY
SUCKS
To most foreigners, the
kamikaze were World War
II Japanese pilots on suicide
missions who crashed their
own aircraft into Allied ships,
even if that meant sacrificing
one’s own life — a symbol
of fanaticism, desperation
and futility.
The Japanese have a
different take on the word.
Back In the 13th century,
Kublai Khan had expanded
his Mongol empire about as
far east as it could go. But he
wanted Japan. So, in 1274,
he sent a huge fleet of ships.
Fortuitously for Japan, he did
so during the typhoon season.
The assault failed. Even today, the Japanese Many people are also If it blows, Tokyo could be the
When he tried again like to talk about their increasingly aware that while world’s next Pompeii.
in 1281, the same thing shimaguni konjo or islander homogeneity has its benefits,
happened. Typhoons, spirit. When used in a positive so too does ethnic and cultural
normally the bane of summer way, it’s a boast of hardiness, diversity, especially in today’s DRINK LIKE
and autumn, saved Japan
from becoming part of Kublai
ingenuity, self-reliance and
a strong sense of being one
global society. The Japanese
are now embroiled in a heated A SAILOR
Khan’s domain, and these tightly-knit nation. But it is political discussion over WHEN THE
two were dubbed the “divine
winds”, or kamikaze. As every
also just as often stated as a
self-criticism or complaint.
Kublai Khan’s domain, and
these two were dubbed the
CHERRIES
schoolchild here learns, being It’s not uncommon for “divine winds”, or kamikaze. BLOSSOM.
an island nation gave Japan Japanese to blame their less- Along with those typhoons, REMEMBER,
the buffer that it needed
to survive: and the room it
than-stellar abilities to learn
foreign languages — despite
Japan is one of the most
seismically vulnerable
NOTHING
needed to develop its own countless compulsory classes nations on the globe — as the LASTS
unique culture, borrowing throughout their school years earthquake and tsunami of 2011 FOREVER
heavily from, but never — on the fact that they live on proved yet again. Even Mount
being assimilated into, the an island where everybody Fuji, the nation’s most potent Every spring, the weather
civilisation of China. speaks Japanese anyway. symbol, is an active volcano. forecasts on all of Japan’s

38
DISCOVERY CHANNEL MAGAZINE INDIA
 COVER
COVERSTORY
STORY
HANAMI,
HANAMI, THE
THEJAPANESE
JAPANESE
TRADITIONAL
TRADITIONAL CUSTOM
CUSTOMOFOF
ENJOYING
ENJOYING THE
THETRANSIENT
TRANSIENT
BEAUTY
BEAUTY OFOF
FLOWERS,
FLOWERS,
PARTICULARLY
PARTICULARLY CHERRY
CHERRY
BLOSSOMS,
BLOSSOMS, TAKES
TAKESPLACE
PLACE TURNING
TURNINGJAPANESE
JAPANESE
ININ
PARKS
PARKS ACROSS
ACROSSTHE
THE
COUNTRY
COUNTRY
FLY
FLYWITH
WITHPOKEMON
POKEMON
BELOW
BELOW THE
THE NAKAGIN
NAKAGIN Kawaii
Kawaiiisispretty
prettymuch
mucheverywhere
everywhereyou youlook,
look,
CAPSULE
CAPSULE TOWER
TOWER ISIS
AARARE
RARE
REMAINING
REMAINING EXAMPLE
EXAMPLE OFOF including
includingthetheaviation
aviationindustry.
industry.Look,
Look,there’s
there’sananAllAll
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JAPANESE METABOLISM,
METABOLISM, Nippon
Nippon Airways
Airways Boeing
Boeing 747747plastered
plastered with
with
Pokemon
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AN
AN ARCHITECTURAL
ARCHITECTURAL characters.
characters.There’s
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AirbusA330 A330boasting
boasting
MOVEMENT
MOVEMENT EMBLEMATIC
EMBLEMATIC a athree-storey
three-storeytall
tallHello
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Kittyononitsitsfuselage.
fuselage.Kawaii
Kawaii
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JAPAN'S
JAPAN'SPOSTWAR
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CULTURAL
CULTURAL RESURGENCE
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cosmeticsurgery
surgeryisisalso
alsoa ahuge
hugeindustry
industryininJapan,
Japan,
with
withmany
manygirls
girlsgoing
goingunder
underthe theknife
knifetotomake
maketheir
their
teeth
teethcrooked
crooked——whichwhichfans
fanssaysaycreates
createsa acute,
cute,
innocent
innocentlook
look

PHOTOS JEREMIE SOUTEYRAT(MAIN); GETTY IMAGES (CAPSULE HOTEL,); CORBIS (JACK DORSEY) STICKERS LINE CORPORATION
PHOTOS JEREMIE SOUTEYRAT(MAIN); GETTY IMAGES (CAPSULE HOTEL,); CORBIS (JACK DORSEY) STICKERS LINE CORPORATION
GROUP
GROUPTHINKINGTHINKING
Super-sized
Super-sizedgirl girlgroup
groupAKB48
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justone
oneexample
example
ofofJapan’s
Japan’sgroup
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peoplehere
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grow
upuphearing
hearingthe thewell-used
well-usedproverb,
proverb,“the
“thenail
nailthat
that
sticks
sticksout
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getshammered
hammereddown”. down”.Since
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radio
calisthenics
calisthenicshave havebeen
beena apopular
popularexample
exampleofofgroup
group
thinking,
thinking,with
withmusic
musicand andexercise
exerciseinstructions
instructions
blared
blaredoutoutasascorporations
corporationsand andschool
schoolkids
kidsstart
start
their
theirday
daywith
witha asetsetofofdeep-knee
deep-kneebends
bends

DEVOTED
DEVOTEDTO
TOTOYS
TOYS
If Ifyou
youwant
wanttotolearn
learn
more
moreaboutaboutJapan’s
Japan’s
love
loveofofobsessions
obsessions
andandthe thepeople
peoplebehind
behind
them,
them,pick pickupupOtaku
Otaku
Spaces
Spaces , a, agorgeous
gorgeous
picture
picturebook bookthat
that
documents
documentsotaku otaku
stores
storesand andthe thehomes
homes
ofofcollectors.
collectors.One One
report
reportcited
citedininthethe
book
booknotes
notesthatthatJapanese
Japaneseotaku otakucollectively
collectivelyspendspend
US$2.5
US$2.5billion
billiona ayear
yearonontheir
theirhobbies,
hobbies,from frommanga
manga
comics
comicstotovideogames
videogamesand andfigurines
figurines

SHORT
SHORTAND ANDSWEETSWEET
Many
ManyEastern
Easternphilosophies,
philosophies,like likezen,
zen,karma
karma
and
andyinyinand
andyang,
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havebecome
becomepopularpopularinin
the West.Wabi-sabi
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incomplete,isisnonodifferent.
different.It’sIt’sgot
got
nonoless
lessa achampion
championthan thanJack
JackDorsey,
Dorsey,the the
founder
founderofofTwitter,
Twitter,a aplatform
platform
that
thatembraces
embracesincomplete
incompletemessages.
messages.
He’s
He’sknown
knowntotohand
handout outcopies
copiesofof
the
theclassic bookWabi-Sabi
classicbook Wabi-Sabiforfor
Artists,
Artists,Designers,
Designers,PoetsPoets&&
Philosophers
Philosopherstotojournalists,
journalists,and and
feels
feelsthat
thatErnest
ErnestHemingway,
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whose
whosework saysisiswabi-sabi
workhehesays wabi-sabi , ,
would
wouldhave haveloved
lovedTwitter
Twitter

3939
APRIL
APRIL
2015
2015
 A JAPANESE COSPLAYER
AT THE ENTRANCE OF
YOYOGI PARK, EMBODIES
THE JAPANESE CONCEPT
OF KAWAII, AKA
CUTENESS OVERLOAD
40
DISCOVERY CHANNEL MAGAZINE INDIA
 COVER STORY

major television networks
begin the countdown,
tracking a frontline that
begins in the south and
gradually works its way up
north: the progression of the
blossoming of the cherry trees
across the nation.
It is crucial information,
because when the cherries
blossom, millions of Japanese
stop whatever they are doing
and go outside to party. Under
seemingly every available
cherry tree, they spread out
culture and consumer society,
its fascination with crazes and
fads, the weirder the better.
Rarely have I heard
someone here write off a pop
culture phenomenon with the
words “it won’t last”. A more
Japanese response would be:
“It won’t last. So enjoy it while
you can”.
NO MATTER
HOW LITTLE
transistor radio. Automakers
like Toyota, Nissan and
Mitsubishi went on to make
billions selling compact
urban-style cars. And while
nature lovers elsewhere were
out taking walks in the forest,
the Japanese were perfecting
the bonsai, the art of creating
miniature trees.
The examples are endless.
From folding fans to futon
mattresses that can be
neatly stored away in a small
closet, from Sony’s iconic
by Japan, South Korea
and Taiwan.
So while this particular
lesson might already have
been tapped by clever
entrepreneurs and cutting-
edge scientists abroad,
Japanese culture still stands
out in terms of simply
appreciating the aesthetic
of how good things come in
small packages. Which is
surely something to remind
the kids of at Christmas time.

plastic sheets, prepare picnic SPACE YOU Walkman to “capsule hotels”,

feasts and drink like there is HAVE, IT where guests sleep in stacks KAWAII! CUTE
no tomorrow. This is Japan at
its most festive.
WILL FIT of casket-sized beds, the
Japanese are the masters of
IS THE NEW
Without doubt, a cherry Size matters. Especially miniaturisation. BEAUTIFUL.
tree in full bloom is a lovely when you have more than 127 Yet in the race to create APPRECIATE
sight to see. And everybody
loves an excuse to let off
million people all scrunched
up into a country about the
smaller-is-better products
and technology, once so
IT, BE IT
steam and party. But the true size of California, most of synonymous with the “Made No look at contemporary
appeal of the cherry blossom which is mountainous and in Japan” label, Japan appears Japan would be complete
to the Japanese is that it is so uninhabitable. More than to be losing its cultural edge. without at least some attempt
ephemeral. There is this burst another nation, the Japanese According to statistics quoted to understand what is going
of beauty, and then, within the know the value of space, and by the specialty magazine on with all the cuteness out
span of only a week or two, it’s how to make the absolute Nano, the US led the world in there. Of all the pop culture
all gone. most of it. It was Japan, after nanotechnology patents exports to come out of Japan,
Due to the vagaries of the all, that gave the world the at the end of 2012, followed Hello Kitty really says it all.
weather, you can never be
sure exactly when it will start
or finish. If blossom time
happens to also coincide
with a lot of wind or rain, it
may all be ruined. But to be
out enjoying it all with your
friends or family, on a sunny
day when the trees are in full
bloom, is a tremendously
joyous occasion for all.
Sakura, which means
cherry blossom, is the
PHOTOS JEREMIE SOUTEYRAT(COSPLAYER, MAID CAFE) STICKERS LINE CORPORATION

perfect analogy of life itself:

fleeting, and contingent
on forces that are both
inscrutable and beyond
your control. But still,
magnificently sublime. It is
a phenomenon, a blessing,
that is to be appreciated
and savoured. Because,
inevitably and all too soon, it
will end.
On a slightly different
level, I believe that this very
deeply rooted aesthetic is also
ABOVE THE AT HOME MAID CAFE IN AKIHABARA, TOKYO. MALE CUSTOMERS
linked to another well-known VISIT MAID CAFES TO TALK, FLIRT AND DRINK TEA WITH GIRLS DRESSED IN
attribute of Japan’s pop MAID UNIFORMS, THOUGH ANYTHING MORE IS FROWNED UPON

41
APRIL 2015
 MEIJI-JINGU GARDEN IS AN
EXAMPLE OF WABI-SABI, A
BLURRED LINES JAPANESE AESTHETIC OF
THINGS BEING IMPERFECT,
IMPERMANENT, AND
INCOMPLETE

Why have we peppered our cover and these pages

with cute, rotund stickers of animated characters?
You may be surprised to hear that the answer
encapsulates Japanese engineering, earthquakes
and anime.
"Line" is a messaging app with a difference.
The Korean-owned, Japan-based company fronts
its technology with 12 animated characters, each
with their own little bio. Seemingly translated from
Japanese, the one for Brown the bear should give
you a taste: his “facial expressions don’t give away
much, but the bear has a heart of gold”. They are
kawaii cuteness personified.
But there’s a serious heart of gold at the core
of this app too. Released just two months after the
devastating 2011 earthquake — a chaotic time for
Japan, Jun Masuda, an executive for the company
told press. People were not able to communicate
with telephones or email services from mobile
carriers and we wanted as many people as possible
to carry out a conversation.”
"Line" is certainly achieving its goal. At the start
of 2013, the app had been downloaded 100 million
times worldwide. A year later that figure was even
higher with 50 million users in Japan using it, along
with 22 million Thais, 20 million Indonesians and
16 million people in India and Spain, to name just a
few countries. Cuteness is global, it seems.
"Line" has also expanded its efforts, becoming a
force for good. After a similarly devastating natural
disaster struck the Philippines, the app was used
as a fundraising tool that garnered US$500,000 for
PHOTOS JEREMIE SOUTEYRAT(MAIN); STICKERS LINE CORPORATION; DREAMSTIME

hurricane relief. The characters, meanwhile, now

have their own line of plush toys, mobile games,
and even an Uber-style app in Tokyo. Buying
groceries in Thailand? You can now use "Line" for
that, and enjoy 50 percent discounts on certain
products — though alas, we doubt that your bags
will be sent to your door by deliverymen in brown
bear costumes.

More characters and their "Line" bios:

Cony: “Yes, the rabbit is sometimes moody but is
usually very happy and full of energy!”
Moon: “This one has many personalities. You never
know what will be happening next with this one.”
James: “He cares about his appearance over
everything else. Annoying, but you have to love him!

42
DISCOVERY CHANNEL MAGAZINE INDIA
 COVER
COVERSTORY
STORY

The The fictional

fictional character,
character, postwar
postwar Japan,
Japan, andandtoday’s
today’s
produced
produced byby the the
Japanese
Japanese post-economic
post-economic miracle
miracle Japan,
Japan,
company
company Sanrio,
Sanrio, is more
is more really
really
crave.
crave.
than
than a little
a little girlgirl
depicted
depicted asas While
While thethe
peculiar
peculiar sexy-
sexy-
a white
a white Japanese
Japanese bobtail
bobtail catcat cute
cutevariety
variety kawaii
of of kawaii appeals
appeals
with
with a red
a red bow. bow. She’s
She’s a global
a global especially
especially totoyoung
young men,
men, thethe
marketing
marketing phenomenon,
phenomenon, whowho attraction
attraction of of
cute
cute—— being
being
celebrated
celebrated her her40th40th birthday
birthday kawaii,
kawaii,surrounding
surrounding oneself
oneself
inin2014.
2014. with
withkawaii,
kawaii,using
using kawaii
kawaii asas
The The Japanese
Japanese wordword forforcute
cute thethe
highest
highest form
formof of
flattery
flattery
is kawaii
is kawaii . If. If
you youhavehave plans
plans —— is extremely
is extremely strong
strong forfor
totocome
come toto Japan,
Japan, and and wantwant young
young Japanese
Japanese women,
women, and
and
totolearn
learn one one useful
useful word,
word, gogo largely
largelyforfor
thethesame
same reasons.
reasons.
with
with kawaii
kawaii . At. At
times
times it seems
it seems ToTobebebeautiful
beautiful is to
is to
be,be,
byby
like
like
that’s
that’s the theonlyonly adjective
adjective definition,
definition, above
above average
average andand
some
some Japanese
Japanese women
women under
under somewhat
somewhat apart
apartfrom
from your
your
thetheageage of ofabout
about 2323 know,know, too.
too. peers.
peers.ToTobebekawaii
kawaii, however,
, however,
Okay,
Okay, that’s
that’s anan overstatement.
overstatement. is to
is to
shine
shinefrom
from somewhere
somewhere inin
OnOn a superficial
a superficial level,
level,it it thethe
middle.
middle.
is hard
is hard toto bebe anti-cute.
anti-cute. How How
cancanyou you not not likelikecute?
cute? It’sIt’s
like
like
saying
saying
OrOr
you
kittens.
kittens.
you don’t
WeWe
don’t like
areare
like
asas
babies.
babies.
a species,
a species,
HOW
HOWTOTO
hardwired
hardwired toto feelfeel
allallwarmwarm SOLVE
SOLVE
andandfuzzy
fuzzy whenwhen wewe seesee bigbig THE
THEDIVA
DIVA
doedoe
of of
eyes,
eyes,
a vulnerable
toto
a vulnerable
feelfeelprotective
protective
infant,
infant, orortoto DILEMMA:
DILEMMA:
want
want totojust justgivegive a big
a big hughug toto CREATE
CREATEGIRL
GIRL
a sweet,
the
a sweet,
theJapanese
guileless
Japanese
guileless
of of
child.
today
child.
today
But
have
But
have
GROUPS
GROUPS
anan appetite
appetite forfor allall
things
things cute
cute WITH
WITHAA
which
which sometimes
sometimes seems
seems toto ZILLION
ZILLION
border
border
Is Is
onon
this,
this,
addiction.
asas
addiction.
somesome have have MEMBERS
MEMBERS
argued,
argued, the thesymptom
symptom of of
a a BackBack ininthetheday,day,there
there were
were
nation
nation (and(and particularly
particularly itsits singers.
singers. Since
Since the the advent
advent of of
men)
men) soso afraid
afraid of of
growing
growing upup television,
television, thethemostmost popular
popular
andandliving
living inin anan adult
adult world
world werewere young
young andand pretty.
pretty.More
More
that
thatit must
it must seekseek refuge
refuge inin often
often than
than not,
not,theythey could
couldalso
also
infantile
infantile cuddliness?
cuddliness? sing,
sing,which
which required
required talent.
talent.
A good
A good look look at atthethepopular
popular And And if they
if they became
became stars,
stars,
anime
anime character
character Sailor
Sailor Moon,
Moon, theytheycould
could cause
cause allall
kinds
kinds of of
whowho has has the the ponytail
ponytail and and headaches.
headaches. They’d
They’d getgetsick,
sick,
demeanor
demeanor of ofa girl
a girlinin her herearly
early leave
leave thethebusiness,
business, gogodiva
divaand
and
teens,
teens, but butthe thebodybody of ofa Vegas
a Vegas demand
demand more
more money
money —— oror
showgirl,
showgirl, doesdoes seemseem toto point
point justjust
generally
generally trytry totoassert
assert
ininthat
that direction.
direction. There
There is is themselves
themselves inin waysways that
thatmade
made
lotlot
of of
roomroom forfor somesome serious
serious lifelife
forforindustry
industry bigwigs
bigwigs less
less
study
study intointo thisthismatter.
matter. fun funandand less
less
profitable.
profitable.
FAR
FAR
LEFT
LEFTJAPANESE
JAPANESE I however
I however havehave mymy own own Japan’s
Japan’s fabled
fabled group
group
COSPLAY
COSPLAY FASHION
FASHIONGIRLS
GIRLS
POSE
POSE
IN IN
A PARK.
A PARK.
THE
THE theory,
theory, and and it’sit’s
a little
a little less
less mentality,
mentality, andand the thecuteness
cuteness
JAPANESE
JAPANESE TAKE
TAKETHEIR
THEIR judgmental.
judgmental. Beauty
Beauty is is addiction
addiction wewe justjustexamined,
examined,
"CUTE"
"CUTE"
VERY
VERY
SERIOUSLY!
SERIOUSLY! intimidating,
intimidating, perfection
perfection offers
offers a solution
a solution toto allall
of of
that.
that.
LEFT
LEFTJAPANESE
JAPANESE TOURISTS
TOURISTS unattainable.
unattainable. CuteCute has has The Thebiggest
biggest actact inin Japanese
Japanese
ENJOY
ENJOYCHERRY
CHERRY BLOSSOM
BLOSSOM elements
elements of ofboth,
both, but butisn’t
isn’t entertainment
entertainment today,
today, andand
IN IN
ARASHIYAMA.
ARASHIYAMA.
ARASHIYAMA
ARASHIYAMA IN IN
THE
THE quite
quite either.
either. That’s
That’s whatwhat according
according totothe theGuinness
Guinness
WESTERN
WESTERN OUTSKIRTS
OUTSKIRTS OFOF makes
makes it soit so
approachable,
approachable, andand BookBook of of
World
World Records,
Records, thethe
KYOTO
KYOTOBEEN
BEENA POPULAR
A POPULAR sosoappealing.
appealing. CuteCute is non-
is non- largest
largest poppopgroup
group ininthethe
DESTINATION
DESTINATION DURING
DURING
CHERRY
CHERRY BLOSSOM
BLOSSOM SINCE
SINCE threatening.
threatening. It’sIt’s
comforting.
comforting. world,
world, is called
is called AKB48.
AKB48. Since
Since
THETHE8TH
8TH
CENTURY
CENTURY AndAnd thatthat is exactly
is exactly whatwhat their
theircreation
creation inin2005,
2005, they
they

43 43
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 have raked in hundreds of
millions of dollars, produced
record numbers of number
one hits in the country,
and changed Japan’s music
scene tremendously.
The AKB is short for
Akihabara, a neighborhood
in Tokyo famous for its nerd
culture, while 48 refers
to the original size of the
group. AKB48 was created
as an alternative to Japan’s
longstanding love affair with
“idol singers,” cute young
things who perform either
solo or in groups of three-to-
five members, usually in the
teens or early 20s. AKB48
bought them down from their
pedestal by making them
seem more approachable,
more like the girl-next-door
and virtually interchangeable.
Rather than making fans
wait for concert tours, the
band members, still drawn
from the teen or early 20s
demographic, perform daily
in their own theatre, and
participate in a constant
PHOTOS GETTY IMAGES (LINE STORE, OTAKU), STICKERS LINE CORPORATION
They ostensibly follow
strict rules: no nudity, no
dating. But their producer and
lyric writer, Yasushi Akimoto,
has been called out on
several occasions for pushing
the envelope with their
unabashedly risqué Lolita-like
charm. Nevertheless, AKB48
has been so wildly successful
— and hugely profitable — that
it has spawned spinoffs all
across Asia.
IF YOU HAVE
A HOBBY,
DEVOTE
YOUR HEART
AND SOUL
TO IT
The Japanese respect
obsession. To totally devote
oneself to something — to
master it, to embody it — is
seen as a great virtue in
Japanese society. As long as
it doesn’t create meiwaku

torrent of meet-and-greet (and, actually, sometimes

opportunities off stage,
with their legions of fans.
The members, who now
number about 140, are
chosen in a public vote,
giving them something of
an American Idol appeal,
and are constantly in flux
as older members graduate
out and younger ones
enter in, meaning there are
always fresh new faces to get
infatuated with.
even if it does, so long as the
devotion is pure enough)
what that something is
doesn’t particularly matter.
It can be a martial art, some
bizarre cosplay, amassing
a collection of miniature
figurines — even the perverts
who specialise in clandestine
upskirt photography can
enter the Japanese pantheon
of superhuman single-
mindedness. It is no surprise,
then, that the word otaku has
become part of the
global lexicon.
Though most closely
associated with devotees
of manga comics, anime
(Japanese animated
productions featuring
hand-drawn or computer
animation) and girl groups
like AKB48, the personality
type described by the
term runs through most
of Japanese history and
folklore. It has a strong
AKIHABARA DISTRICT IN TOKYO
HAS BECOME A MAJOR TOURIST
ATTRACTION AND OTAKU CULTURAL
CENTRE. OTAKU IS A JAPANESE
TERM FOR PEOPLE WITH OBSESSIVE
INTERESTS AND IS OFTEN
ASSOCIATED WITH THE ANIME AND
MANGA MOVEMENTS
emphasis on men (to a lesser
extent, women) who push
themselves to their absolute
limits to completely master
a chosen pursuit. If one is
clearly taking their otaku-
ness seriously, extremism
is not only allowed, but
encouraged. The otaku
personality type also
dovetails nicely with the
Japanese work ethic (since
it involves such intense
effort) and attention to detail.
Indeed, the headfirst plunge
into seemingly trivial hobbies
offers some people a much-
needed escape from the
realities of day-to-day life.
To be called an otaku is not
necessarily a compliment,
however. Like the words
geek and nerd, which have
similar connotations, otaku
are sometimes stereotyped in
Japan as creepy loners.
Tsutomu Miyazaki for one
completely fitted that bill.

44
DISCOVERY CHANNEL MAGAZINE INDIA
 COVER
COVERSTORY
STORY

lifestyle
lifestyle forforcenturies
centuries has has beenbeen
what
what thethe Japanese
Japanese callcall wabi-
wabi-
sabi,
sabi, another
another notoriously
notoriously
difficult-to-translate
difficult-to-translate concept
concept
that
that essentially
essentially extorts
extorts the the
profound
profound nature
nature ofofbothboth
simplicity
simplicity and
and imperfection.
imperfection.
ItIthashasitsits
roots
roots inin ZenZen
Buddhism’s
Buddhism’s focus
focus onon thethe
intrinsic
intrinsic value
value —— andand beauty
beauty ——
ofofeverything,
everything, warts
warts and and all.
all.
According
According toto artist
artist
Leonard
Leonard Koren,
Koren, wabi-sabi
wabi-sabi
cancan bebe defined
defined asas “the
“the
most
most conspicuous
conspicuous andand
characteristic
characteristic feature
feature ofof
traditional
traditional Japanese
Japanese beauty
beauty
andand it it
occupies
occupies roughly
roughly thethe
same
same position
position inin thethe Japanese
Japanese
pantheon
pantheon ofofaesthetic
aesthetic values
values
asasdodo thethe Greek
Greek ideals
ideals ofof
beauty
beauty andand perfection
perfection inin thethe
West.”
West.” ItIt
is is
crystalised
crystalised inin the
the
teateaceremony,
ceremony, which
which turns
turns the the
simple
simple actactofofmaking
making a cup
a cup ofof
teateainto
into a ritualised
a ritualised journey
journey
into
into thetheprofundity
profundity ofof thethe
seemingly
seemingly mundane.
mundane.
OneOne ofofmymy favourite
favourite
takes
takes onon wabi-sabi
wabi-sabi fromfrom aa
Westerner’s
Westerner’s viewpoint
viewpoint comes
comes
from
from Robyn
Robyn Griggs
Griggs Lawrence,
Lawrence,
thetheAmerican
American author
author ofof
Simply
Simply Imperfect:
Imperfect: Revisiting
Revisiting
thetheWabi-Sabi
Wabi-Sabi House
House . “.Wabi-
“Wabi-
sabi
sabiis is
a logical
a logical reaction
reaction toto
a society
a society disgusted
disgusted with
with itsits
ownown excess,”
excess,” sheshe wrote
wrote inin aa
2009
2009 essay
essay collection.
collection. “But“But
thethebeauty
beauty inin it it
is is
that
that it’sit’s
notnot
a bitter
a bitter condemnation
condemnation —— it’sit’s
a change
a change inin
perspective,”
perspective,”
sheshe noted.
noted. “Wabi-sabi
“Wabi-sabi is is
imperfect:
imperfect: a beloved
a beloved chipped
chipped
vase
vase oror a scarred
a scarred wooden
wooden
table.
table. This
This getting-away-from-
getting-away-from-
HeHeisisremembered
remembered inin
Japan
Japan ofof
anime
animeand
and horror
horror films,
films, vegetables
vegetables andand drinking
drinking his
his perfect
perfect is is
one
one ofofwabi-sabi
wabi-sabi ’s ’s
asas
one
one ofof
thethemost
most feared
fearedand
and along
alongwith footage
with footageofofhis own tea
own
his teafrom
from a chipped
a chipped cup.
cup.Well,
Well, most most appealing
appealing facets.”
facets.”
depraved
depraved serial
serialkillers
killersinin
the
the victims, inin
victims, his comic
his comic book
book youyou cancanif if
youyou like.
like.ButBut many
many Unfortunately,
Unfortunately, inin today’s
today’s
country’s
country’s modern
modern history
historyfor
for and
andpornography
pornography filled
filled room. Japanese
room. Japanese actually
actually don’t.
don’t.InIn Japan
Japan thethedesire
desire forforexcess
excess
kidnapping
kidnapping andand murdering
murdering fact,
fact,they
they consider
consider it it
totobebe
aa seems
seems toto have
have replaced
replaced the the
(and
(and then
then dismembering
dismembering life
life
ofofsublime
sublime refinement
refinement andand ancient
ancient appreciation
appreciation ofof
and
andpartially
partially cannibalising)
cannibalising) NOTHING
NOTHING beauty
beauty (though
(though most
most would
would refined
refined poverty.
poverty. But But inin their
their
four
He
four
He
girls
waswas
inin
girls
dubbed
the
dubbed
thelate
the
late
the
1980s.
1980s.
“Otaku
“Otaku IS
ISPERFECT,
PERFECT, personally
and
personally
and spend
spend
prefer
time
prefer
time
totoenjoy
carousing
enjoy
carousing inin
more
a a they
more
they
quiet
tire
quiet
tireofof
moments,
bar
moments,
bar crawling
crawling
when
when
under
under
murderer”
murderer” because
because after
after AND
ANDTHAT’S
THAT’S garish
garish barbarsinging
singing karaoke).
karaoke). thetheneon-lit
neon-lit nights
nights ofof Shibuya
Shibuya
his arrest,
his arrest,
a collection
a collection
police
police
ofof
found
5,763
found
5,763
AN
ANART
ARTTOO
TOO While
largely
While
largely
inin
just
just
today’s
today’s
given
given
Japan
liplip
Japan
service,
it it
is is and
service, ofof
and the
anan
thepink-frill
AKB48
AKB48
pink-frill
concert,
assaults
concert,
assaults
the the
videotapes,
videotapes, which
which included
included Pity
Pity
the
the
poor
poor monk,
monk, living
living
inin oneone ofofthethedriving
driving aesthetics
aesthetics Japanese Japanese always
always have
have wabi-
wabi-
anan
impressive
impressive collection
collection a simple
a simplehut,
hut,eating
eatingpickled
pickled ofofart,
art,
design
design andand eveneven sabi
sabitoto fall
fall
back
back on. on.

4545
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2015
2015
 AXE THAT
WHAT EXACTLY ARE FEAR AND ANXIETY? LUKE CLARK
EXAMINES THE SCIENCE BEHIND THESE EMOTIONS AND
DELVES INTO WHY THESE FEELINGS ASSAIL US
PHOTO GETTY IMAGES

46
DISCOVERY CHANNEL MAGAZINE INDIA
ANXIETY
ANXIETY
INTO
INTO
THE
THE
MIND
MIND

47 47
APRIL
APRIL
2015
2015
“IT IS PITCH BLACK
OUT. THERE ARE
STILL SEVERAL
HOURS BEFORE THE
MUEZZIN’S CALL,
MARKING THE END OF
THE NIGHT. I WOULD
GIVE EVERYTHING
I HAVE TO BE WITH
DANNY AT THIS
MOMENT, WHEREVER
HE MIGHT BE.”
IT MAY BE A FIRST
PERSON ACCOUNT
OF AN EXPERIENCE
DISTANT AND REMOTE
FOR MOST OF US, YET
EVEN AT PAGE 33 OF
MARIANE PEARL’S
PERSONAL MEMOIR,
A MIGHTY HEART, YOU
ARE RIGHT IN THE
DARKEST OF KARACHI
NIGHTS IMAGINABLE.
AND AS A READER,
YOU’VE ALREADY
STARTED ENDURING ecounting her thoughts,
you feel her sickening early
“I know he is not free to
move as he pleases,” his wife
THAT PIT-OF-YOUR- morning realisation, the air
around you choked with the
continues. Then painfully, she
launches into a mind-racing
STOMACH SENSATION reality that her husband,
Danny Pearl, is missing in
sequence of questions. “Why
didn’t I pay closer attention to
THAT THE WRITER Pakistan, in a city where no US the nature of the rendezvous?

WILL CAPTIVATINGLY journalist wants to go missing.

Especially in early 2002, less
Why wasn’t I more vigilant?
Why didn’t I go with him? I
ENDURE, AND than five months after the 9/11
attacks — and particularly not
wasn’t feeling that sick. Why…”
Yet she summons a
EXPLORE: FEAR. if you’re there to interview
those with supposed links to
corrective force, in a moment
of strength that will typify her
the perpetrators. heart-wrenching story. “Stop,

48
DISCOVERY CHANNEL MAGAZINE INDIA

I tell myself,” she writes. “Stop
this chain of thought. Regrets
will just waste energy — don’t
question reality.”
SAFE YET AFRAID
Don’t question reality. It
could be a great mantra for us
all. Only sadly, for too many
people, a more common reality
PHOTO GETTY IMAGES
seems to be that despite most
of us living a remarkably safe
life, it is still often one that is
crippled by fear.
Daniel Gardner, author of
The Science of Fear, expresses
this dilemma eloquently.
“We are the healthiest,
wealthiest, and longest-lived
people in history. And we are
increasingly afraid. This is
one of the great paradoxes of
our time.”
Despite vaccines, safety
helmets and peace accords
— despite having access to
knowledge that’s as instant
and inexpensive as we’ve
INTO THE MIND
FEAR RESPONSE BEGINS
WITH THE AMYGDALAS,
GROUPS OF NERVE CELLS
IN THE BRAIN THAT, WHEN
FRIGHTENED, RELEASE
NEUROTRANSMITTERS, WHICH
RELAY KEY SIGNALS TO OTHER
PARTS OF THE BRAIN, AND TO
THE BODY ITSELF
ever had — still, that fear-
centre within our body — the OUR FEAR OF
amygdala, located deep within A SHARK
the temporal lobe of the
brain — remains as busy as
GETTING US IS
ever. For some of us, this will GREATER
mean anxiety or paranoia. For THAN ACTUALLY
others, it can leads to phobias
and worse.
BEING KILLED
Which makes you think. BY A CAR
What exactly is fear? What ACCIDENT
might humans be like without
fear? As scientific insights into OR A HEART
our brain’s inner mechanics ATTACK
49
APRIL 2015
 expand, could a greater
understanding of our fear
factors help us to reprogram
our fear responses, into
something far more useful?
Daniel Gardner begins
his exploration by taking uis
back us to the September 11
2001, attacks on the United
States. In this time of mass
media, they are arguably
our most well known icon
for fearfulness — as an
unmatched act of terrifying
media choreography. “It
was so clear, so intimate. It
was like watching the whole
awful spectacle through the
living room window.” Which
perhaps explains why, in their
droves and still reeling from
their shock, Americans in turn
flocked from one practice, to a
much more dangerous one.
FEAR IS
TYPICALLY
ASSOCIATED
WITH A CLEAR,
PRESENT AND
IDENTIFIABLE
THREAT, WHILE
THE ABSENCE
OF IMMEDIATE
PERIL USUALLY
PRODUCES A
SENSATION
OF ANXIETY
Gardner cites the work
of German researcher
Gerd Gigerenzer of Berlin’s
Max Planck Institute, who
EXPOSE
YOURSELF:
ADVICE FROM
REWIRE YOUR
ANXIOUS
BRAIN
50
DISCOVERY CHANNEL MAGAZINE INDIA
found that for a year, many
Americans switched from
air travel, to the roads.
“Gigerenzer was able to
calculate the number of
Americans killed in car
accidents as a direct result of
the switch,” writes Gardner.
“It was 1,595.”
And what of those who
lost family and friends on
the roads as a result? “They
thought — they still think —
that they lost husbands, wives,
fathers, mothers, and children
to the routine traffic accidents
we accept as the regrettable
cost of living in the modern
world,” he writes. “They
didn’t. It was fear that stole
their loved ones.”
While something of a leap,
the example does illustrate a
notion of which most of us are
rationally aware. Our fear of
dying of a shark attack, or in
a kidnapping, tends to be far
greater than the “ordinary”
killers that are far more likely
to get us in the end, such as car
accidents or heart attacks. The
problem is, understanding
this sort of “real truth” about
highways and hamburgers,
only tends to make us more
afraid, rather than less.
So what exactly is fear? As
Dr Abigail Marsh, associate
professor of psychology at
Georgetown University, in
the US, explains in a recent
science video, “The Chemistry
of Fear”, the sensation is in
itself an assumption on the
part of our body.
“Fear is the expectation or
the anticipation of possible
NO PAIN, NO GAIN
THE FIRST STEP TO ENDING A FEAR IS
BEING BRAVE. “YOU MUST EXPOSE YOUR-
SELF TO FEARED SITUATIONS AND ALLOW
YOURSELF TO EXPERIENCE ANXIETY IF YOU
WANT TO CHANGE YOUR RESPONSE,”
CAUTIONS AUTHOR CATHERINE PITTMAN.
ONLY THEN CAN YOU CHANGE BRAIN CON-
NECTIONS RESPONSIBLE FOR ANXIETY
harm,” Marsh explains. “We
know that the body is highly
sensitive to the possibility of
threat, so there are multiple
pathways that bring that
fear information into the
brain,” she says. Ground zero
for our fear response in the
brain are the amygdalas, two
almond-sized groups of nerve
cells that in the event of a
frightening stimulus, release
neurotransmitters, in turn
relaying key signals to other
parts of the brain, and on to
the body itself.
There are numerous
possible physical responses to
the initial trigger — including
initially jumping, or freezing.
Then when threatened, fight
or flight. The amygdalas may
summon an adrenaline rush,
or issue a shot of glucose to
the bloodstream, to condition
us to fight off that zombie,
bare handed.
Or, if the fright isn’t actually
physically harmful in nature
— you’ve squealed like a small
child during a scary film scene
— then the adrenaline’s effect
on our heart rate and blood
pressure will simply lead to a
boost of energy and alertness.
And just as it could send in
the troops at the drop of a hat,
the amygdalas can also “dial
down” the brain’s response,
returning you to back to
normal, save for the occasional
embarrassed blush.
Critically for what we’re
exploring, fear is a mixture of
innate response, and learned
response. From the amygdala,
as Marsh explains, the
START SLOW
PITTMAN USES GOING FOR A SWIM
IN AN ICY LAKE AS AN EXAMPLE.
“AS YOU WADE FURTHER IN, YOU’RE
AWARE OF THE COOLNESS OF THE
WATER AS IT REACHES YOUR STOM-
ACH AND CHEST.” SOON “YOUR BODY
ADJUSTS, AND YOU FIND YOURSELF
COMFORTABLE IN THE WATER”
 INTO
INTOTHE
THEMIND
MIND

GET
GETSPECIFIC
SPECIFIC THE
THESUM
SUMOF
OFALL
ALLFEARS
FEARS
BREAK
BREAKYOUR
YOURFEAR
FEARORORPHOBIA
PHOBIA INTO
INTOAA ONCE
ONCEYOU’VE
YOU’VE
RANKED
RANKED YOUR
YOUR FEARS,
FEARS,ASSIGN
ASSIGN
HIERARCHICAL
HIERARCHICAL LIST
LIST
THAT
THATSTARTS
STARTS WITH
WITHTHE
THE EACH
EACHA SPECIFIC
A SPECIFIC LEVEL
LEVELOFOF
ANXIETY
ANXIETYFROM
FROMONE
ONE
PHOTO GETTY IMAGES (MAIN)
PHOTO GETTY IMAGES (MAIN)

LEAST
LEASTTERRIFYING
TERRIFYINGSTEPS,
STEPS, AND
ANDLEAD
LEADTOTO TOTO
100.
100.
“THEN
“THENIT’S
IT’S
TIME
TIME
TOTOSTART
STARTPRACTICING,
PRACTICING,
THE
THE
FEAR
FEAREVENT.
EVENT.
SOMEONE
SOMEONE WHOWHOFEARS
FEARS WORKING
WORKING FROM
FROMTHETHE
LEAST
LEAST ANXIETY-PROVOK-
ANXIETY-PROVOK-
CROWDS
CROWDS ATAT
THE
THE
MALL
MALL MIGHT
MIGHT INCLUDE
INCLUDE ING
ING
ITEM
ITEMTOTO
THE
THEONE
ONETHAT
THATWOULD
WOULD CREATE
CREATE
ELEMENTS
ELEMENTS LIKE
LIKE
“SELECTING
“SELECTING ANANITEM
ITEMTOTO THE
THEMOST
MOSTANXIETY.”
ANXIETY.”YOU’LL
YOU’LLEXPERIENCE
EXPERIENCE A LOT
A LOT
PURCHASE”
PURCHASE” OROR
“WALKING
“WALKING AROUND
AROUND THE
THE OFOF
NEGATIVE
NEGATIVE THOUGHTS
THOUGHTS – TRY
– TRYTOTO
SUBSTITUTE
SUBSTITUTE
MALL
MALLALONE
ALONEWHEN
WHEN IT’S
IT’S
CROWDED”
CROWDED” THEM
THEMWITH
WITH
POSITIVE
POSITIVE REPLACEMENTS
REPLACEMENTS

5151
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2015
2015
 PROBLEMS ARISE WHEN
ANXIETY INTERFERES WITH
IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF LIFE.
THIS RESULTS IN NERVOUS
RITUALS AND OVER-STATED
APPROXIMATIONS OF A
PERCEIVED THREAT

52
DISCOVERY CHANNEL MAGAZINE INDIA
 INTO
INTO
THE
THE
MIND
MIND

information
information is relayed
is relayed toto thethe “Fear
“Fear is typically
is typically associated
associated
periaqueductal
periaqueductal gray,gray,which
which with
witha clear,
a clear,present
present
is “deep
is “deep in inthethe recesses
recesses of of andandidentifiable
identifiable threat,
threat,
thethevery very ancient
ancient brain”.
brain”. ThisThis whereas
whereas anxiety
anxiety occurs
occurs in in
thethe
area,
area, she she says,
says, is responsible
is responsible absence
absence of of
immediate
immediate peril.”
peril.”
forforour our inadvertent
inadvertent jumping,
jumping, AsAstheythey note,
note,problems
problems
oror freezing,
freezing, response
response toto thethe arise
arise
whenwhen anxiety
anxiety “interferes
“interferes
fright.
fright. “Because
“Because it’sit’s
suchsuch anan with
withimportant
important aspects
aspects of of
ancient
ancient part part of of
thethe brain,
brain, these
these ourour
lives.”
lives.”The Theresults,
results, theythey
areareactually
actually quitequite difficult
difficult note,
note,include
include nervous
nervous rituals,
rituals,
responses
responses toto control.”
control.” frequent
frequent nightmares,
nightmares, and and
The The information
information is also
is also over-stated
over-stated approximations
approximations
relayed
relayed toto thethe hypothalamus,
hypothalamus, of of
thethethreat
threat that
thatsay,say,
spiders,
spiders,
which
which in inturn turn controls
controls youryour ororbarking
barking dogs,
dogs, maymay have
have onon
heart
heart raterate and and blood
blood pressure
pressure ourour
livelihoods.
livelihoods.
rising;
rising; thethe pumping
pumping out outof of Luckily,
Luckily, science
science hashasbeenbeen
cortisol
cortisol and and adrenaline;
adrenaline; oror busy
busylooking
looking intointoanxiety
anxiety asas
if needed,
if needed, our our“fight
“fight oror well.
well.
“In“In thethepast
pasttwotwodecades,
decades,
flight”
flight” response.
response. research
research onon thetheneurological
neurological
Our Our initial
initial response
response toto underpinnings
underpinnings of of
anxiety
anxiety hashas
a shock,
a shock, she she says,
says, is usually
is usually been
beenconducted
conducted around
around thethe
toto freeze.
freeze. “There’s
“There’s anan world,”
world,” they
they note.
note.
evolutionary
evolutionary reason
reason forforthis,
this,
which
will
which
will
is that
often
often
is that
release
movement
movement
release predatory
predatory
YOU
YOUMUST
MUST
attacks,”
attacks,” sayssays Marsh.
Marsh. If that
If that EXPOSE
EXPOSE
fails,
fails,nextnext upup you’ll
you’ll seekseek toto YOURSELF
YOURSELF
flee
and
flee
and
—— oror
fight.
if needed,
fight.
if needed, you’ll
you’ll staystay TO
TOFEARED
FEARED
It Itallall
sounds
sounds incredibly
incredibly SITUATIONS
SITUATIONS
sensible,
sensible, in interms
terms of ofour ourtime-
time- AND
ANDALLOW
ALLOW
honoured
honoured
YetYetfear fearalso
evolutionary
also
evolutionary
has hasa learned
a learned
gifts.
gifts.
YOURSELF
YOURSELFTO TO
component
component too too —— which
which EXPERIENCE
EXPERIENCE
determines
determines whatwhat wewe havehave ANXIETY
ANXIETYIFIF
learned
learned toto associate
associate withwith
physical
physical harm.
harm. “When“When you you YOU
YOUWANT
WANTTO TO
learn
learn totofear fear something,
something, youyou CHANGE
CHANGEYOUR
YOUR
areare
that
learning
that
learning
triggers
triggers
toto fear
thethe
fearsomething
actual
something
actual threat,
threat,
RESPONSE
RESPONSE
oror something
something thatthatsignals
signals “This
“This research
researchhashasrevealed
revealed
thatthat thethe actual
actual threat
threat is is something
something very
very
important:
important:
impending,”
impending,” sayssays Marsh.
Marsh. twotwofairly
fairly
separate
separate pathways
pathways
This This dichotomy
dichotomy between
between in in
thethe
brain
braincan
cancreate
createanxiety.
anxiety.
our ourinnate
innate responses
responses and andour our OneOne path
pathbegins
beginsin in
thethe
celebral
celebral
personal
personal ones,
ones, could
could explain
explain cortex,”
cortex,” thethe
authors
authors note.
note.
“The
“The
somesome of ofthethe differences
differences of of other
othertravels
travelsmore
more directly
directly
opinion
opinion that thatscientists
scientists havehave hadhad through
through thethe
amygdalas.”
amygdalas.” PutPut
in in
terms
terms of ofthethe fearfearresponse.
response. simply,
simply, oneoneproduces
produces thinking,
thinking,
InIn thethe bookbook Rewire
Rewire YourYour thethe
latter
lattercontrols
controls our
our
Anxious
Anxious Brain
Brain , trained
, trained emotional
emotional response.
response.
behavioural
behavioural scientist
scientist “The
“The amygdala’s
amygdala’s emotional
emotional
Catherine
Catherine Pittman
Pittman and and processing
processing hashas
profound
profound
coauthor
coauthor Elizabeth
Elizabeth Karle
Karle looklook effects
effectsononourour
behaviour,”
behaviour,” thethe
at at
thethe way way our ourbodies
bodies handle
handle authors
authors note.
note.
fearful
fearful stimuli.
stimuli. TheyThey first
first
PHOTO CORBIS

PHOTO CORBIS

differentiate
differentiate between
between fear,
fear,andand THE
THEFEARLESS
FEARLESSWOMAN
WOMAN
anxiety.
anxiety. “Anxiety
“Anxiety is aiscomplex
a complex ToToexplore
explore
howhowit works,
it works,
emotional
emotional response
response that’s
that’s let’s
let’s
look
look
at at
a case
a case
where
where
thethe
similar
similar toto fear,”
fear,” theythey note.
note. amygdala
amygdala doesn’t
doesn’twork.
work.
InIn

53 53
APRIL
APRIL
2015
2015

WE ARE THE a report in Current Biology,
scientist Justin Feinstein and
HEALTHIEST, partners conducted research
WEALTHIEST, into a rare human patient,
AND LONGEST- who they called SM. Suffering
from “focal bilateral amygdala
LIVED PEOPLE lesions”, the scientists
IN HISTORY. exposed her to live snakes and
spiders, took her on a tour of
AND WE ARE a haunted house, and showed
INCREASINGLY her emotionally evocative
AFRAID - ONE films. “On no occasion did SM
exhibit fear, and she never
OF THE GREAT endorsed feeling more
PARADOXES than minimal levels of
54
DISCOVERY CHANNEL MAGAZINE INDIA
fear,” they note. “Likewise,
across a battery of self-
report questionnaires, three
months of real-life experience
sampling, and a life history
replete with traumatic events,
SM repeatedly demonstrated
an absence of overt fear
manifestations and an overall
impoverished experience of
fear.”Intriguingly, the scientists
found SM “entirely capable” of
triggering and feeling emotions
other than fear. Nor did a lack of
fear reaction mean disinterest
INTO THE MIND
in the tests. In fact, quite
the opposite.
“SM’s reaction to fear-
inducing stimuli was not
characterized by a loss of
responsiveness, but rather
manifested as a heightened
arousal and interest in the
face of a near-complete lack
of avoidance and caution,”
they write. “Moreover,
PHOTO GETTY IMAGES
SM’s lack of avoidance
was often accompanied by
an excess of exploratory
approach behaviour that she

verbally described as an
overwhelming feeling
of ‘’curiosity’.”
Which raises an
interesting question. If a
person incapable of a fear
response can instead react to
fear-inducing situations with
excitement, might this be
something that those wracked
with anxiety might train
themselves to do too?
REWIRED REACTIONS
As recently as December 2014,
Scientific American detailed the
work of researchers at Harvard
University, who discovered
that the differences in our
response between anxiety and
excitement, may indeed be less
than we had imagined.
As Tori Rodriguez writes, a
thumping heart, shortness of
breath and racing mind, could
be interpreted as either anxiety
or excitement, depending on
the choice of the subject.
FEAR IS A
MIXTURE OF
INNATE AND
LEARNED
RESPONSE.
WHEN YOU
LEARN
TO FEAR
SOMETHING,
YOU ARE
IN FACT
LEARNING
TO FEAR THE
TRIGGER OF
THE ACTUAL
THREAT
According to a report in
the Journal of Experimental
Psychology from June 2014,
the experiments saw subject
given differing instructions:
“Some participants were told
to either try to calm down or
try to get excited before the
task; others were given no such
56
DISCOVERY CHANNEL MAGAZINE INDIA
INTO THE MIND
instructions.” The responses
differed with the instructions.
“People who viewed their
anxious arousal as excitement
not only reported feeling more
excited, they also performed
better on all tasks than the
other participants.”
The researchers noted that
a positive level of agitation
may be more effective than
calmness. “Getting excited
about how things can go
well will give you confidence
and energy and increase the
likelihood that the positive
outcomes you imagine will
actually happen,” noted the
report’s author, assistant
professor Alison Wood Brooks
of Harvard Business School
This sort of research is
leading scientists to suggest
that where our brains have
developed a learned fear or
anxiety response to a certain
stimulus, that this response can
in turn be deprogrammed too.
Pittman and Karle dedicate
their practical guidebook,
Rewire Your Anxious Brain,
to all those who “suffer from
anxiety or panic, and who need
daily courage to find their way
through the experience.” building muscle mass in the anxiety itself often impairs
As the authors explore, body is when the muscle fibres people’s ability to sleep.”
where a learned fear response are fatigued. In a parallel way, Equally important are
is impinging on a person’s life, as you do more repetitions, exercise and relaxation.
one option to alleviate this is you grow stronger. You can “Exercise doesn’t just reduce
through constant controlled think of exposure as a way of anxiety in the moment of
exposure to this trigger, to providing exercises that will for a few hours afterwards.
in effect “re-engineer” your
response. As one can imagine
strengthen the amygdala.”
As they note, while painful
Research shows that following
a regular exercise programme
when facing your deepest fears, to those suffering from this for at least ten weeks can
the process is a painful one. overt fear response, the reduce people’s general level
“Exposure is a “no pain, no
gain situation,” the authors
process will be an adaptive
one. “Your amygdala will
of anxiety.”
Equally, they note that
note. “You must expose your- adapt if you remain in the learning and diligently
self to feared situations and situation.” They suggest that practicing muscle relaxation
allow yourself to experience progress will come when techniques, will shorten panic
anxiety if you want to change you’re practicing exposure attacks and make them less
your response.” exercises, “and you feel your likely — good news for those
Unfortunately, Pittman anxiety decrease.” late night moments when
and Karle stress, the best The authors point to our mind turns to a litany of
way to treat the condition, is various lifestyle factors that questions. Instead of being
to provoke it. “The optimal can have an effect on our fear weighed down by our fears,
PHOTO GETTY IMAGES
condition for learning to take reaction. One important one with a little training and some
place in the amygdala is when is sleep. “To calm anxiety, you better habits, hopefully we can
the neurons are excited, just need to resist influences that all question reality a little less,
as the optimal condition for interfere with sleep. However, and rest easier.
58
DISCOVERY CHANNEL MAGAZINE INDIA
 MEDICINE

ARE ALTERNATE METHODS OF HEALING

REALLY EFFECTIVE? ARE THEY THE
PANACEA FOR THE MIND AND BODY?
CAIN NUNNS GOES IN SEARCH
OF SOME ANSWERS
PHOTO CORBIS

59
APRIL 2015

hung Hsu-liung was tired,
frustrated and desperate.
The chronic back pain had
been migrating to the outer
extremities of his body for
months, sending piercing
bolts of pain down his legs
like freight trains on fire.
Sometimes it was so bad,
he couldn’t sit in a chair for
more than 10 minutes or
walk the 400-metre journey
to pick up his three-year-old
daughter form daycare. At
others, the spasms would
make his hand shake so badly
that he couldn’t hold a spoon,
let alone work the mouse or
keyboards needed for his job
as a software engineer.
Chung says the pain was
bad enough. But the bouts
of ensuing depression were
worse. “I had to quit my job
PHOTOS GETTY IMAGES
because even on the days I
was pain-free, I couldn’t focus
because I kept thinking about
when it would reappear. It was
60
DISCOVERY CHANNEL MAGAZINE INDIA
A PATIENT UNDERGOES CUPPING
TREATMENT AT A CHINESE
MEDICINE CLINIC IN CHONGQING
MUNICIPALITY, CHINA. CUPPING
IS AN ALTERNATIVE FORM OF PAIN
THERAPY THAT HAS BEEN PART
OF CHINESE MEDICINE FOR OVER
2,500 YEARS
like a cartoon where a piano
hangs over the bad guy’s head.
Just waiting for that frayed
rope to snap,” he recalls.
“My wife had to go back
to work, while I stayed at
home like a loser,” says the
38-year-old Taipei native,
before adding: “Thank God
for this place,” pointing to a
crammed waiting room in a
grey utilitarian pillbox in a
hardscrabble eastern suburb
of Taiwan’s capital.
“After rounds and
rounds of tests, doctors kept
recommending surgery, which
was expensive and would
have kept me bedridden
for months. But I started
 MEDICINE
MEDICINE

feeling
feeling better
better after
afteronly
onlya few
a few
treatments
treatments here,”
here,”hehe shares.
shares.
This
This “place”
“place” heherefers
refers
toto
is is
DrDr Wang
Wang Hsien-yu’s
Hsien-yu’s
acupuncture
acupuncture clinic.
clinic.Chung
Chung
says
says this
this
is is
thethereason
reason hehe
is is
pain-free
pain-free forfor
thethe
first
firsttime
time
inin
many
many years.
years. ItIt
is is
here
here
that
thatjoint
joint
inflammation,
inflammation,
dislocation
dislocation ofofjoints
joints andand
general
general pain
pain relief
relief
is is
treated
treated
through
through acupuncture.
acupuncture.

GENERATIONAL
GENERATIONALLEGACY
LEGACY
Wang,
Wang, a handsome
a handsome manman ofof
4646
years,
years,wears
wears a long
a long chartreuse
chartreuse
robe,
robe,with
with a wooden
a wooden prayer
prayer
bracelet
bracelet onon hishiswrist.
wrist. HisHis
father
father andandhishisfather’s
father’s father
father
were
were also
alsoChinese
Chinese medicine
medicine
doctors.
doctors. HisHisgrandfather,
grandfather, who
who
waswasborn
born inin Ningbo,
Ningbo, knew
knew
little
little
ofof
hishisadopted
adopted country
country
before
before fleeing
fleeing thethecarnage
carnage ofof
thetheChina
China Civil
CivilWarWar with
with hishis
young
young family
family ininthethelate
late 1940s.
1940s.
“He
“He hadhadnothing
nothing when
when hehe
arrived
arrived —— just
justhishisknowledge
knowledge
andanda desire
a desire totohelp.
help. But
But
given
giventhethestate
state ofofTaipei
Taipei back
back
then,
then,andand itsits
lack
lackofofmodern
modern
doctors,
doctors, hehewas was quickly
quickly inin
high
high
demand,”
demand,” says
says Wang.
Wang.
This
This leaf-shaped
leaf-shaped island
island
some
some 180180 kilometres
kilometres offoff
China’s
China’s southern
southern coast
coast is is
home
home totooneone ofofAsia’s
Asia’smost
most
modern
modern health
health care
caresystems
systems
—— and
andone onethat
that is is
quickly
quickly

6161
APRIL
APRIL
2015
2015
 gaining traction as a medical that was spent on traditional
tourism hotspot. Its universal medicines,” says May Wang,
health care coverage and of the Taiwan National Health
medical insurance scheme is Insurance Agency.
one of the most But despite all the fancy
comprehensive globally. high-tech bells and whistles, it
Researchers seamlessly is a country that still worships
merge high-tech industries at the altar of tradition. About
at the cutting-edge of 25 percent of Taiwanese
biotech, software, and people use traditional
wearable devices. Chinese medicine (TCM)
as primary health care. The
A BOWL OF majority of which are women
AROMATIC aged between 20 to 50 years
of age. That number is only
CURRY THAT lower because infants and
CONTAINS small children do not come
TURMERIC HAS under that remit, says Wang.
Taiwan is home to 42,000
THE BLOOD “modern” doctors and 6,000
THINNING Chinese medicine physicians.
About 70 percent of western
EFFECTS OF doctors work in hospitals,
ASPIRIN. PLUS, while 90 percent of traditional
CURCUMIN, practitioners ply their trade
at private clinics. However,
AN ELEMENT Wang says that two thirds
IN TURMERIC of western doctors provide
CAN ALSO only about one third of the
country’s total outpatient
PREVENT visits. And that's an important
CHOLESTEROL consideration for a country
DEPOSITS with an aging population
straining under the weight of
“We cover outpatient spiraling health care costs.
services for Chinese “We reimburse patients
Medicine, herbal medicine, who choose to use Chinese
massage and acupuncture. medicines as long as there is
Most of which are run through empirical evidence that they
clinics although hospitals work,” says the 48-year-old
also house traditional Taipei native. The 19-year A WORKER PREPARES
HERBS AT A TONG REN TANG
medicine units. In 2013, the veteran of the insurance TRADITIONAL CHINESE
government spent about US$1 agency says one funded
PHOTO CORBIS

MEDICINE PHARMACY IN
billion on health insurance, pilot project that “works” is BEIJING, CHINA
but only about four percent of a 10-year effort for outcare

EXPANDING THE MEDICINE CABINET

A THINNING CURRY?
THE BLOOD THINNING EFFECTS OF ASPIRIN CAN PREVENT BLOOD CLOTS
FROM FORMING, AND THUS STAVE OFF HEART DISEASE. SURPRISINGLY,
YOU CAN ALSO ENJOY THIS BENEFIT OVER A BOWL OF AROMATIC CURRY
CONTAINING TURMERIC, THE ORANGE-YELLOW SPICE. ASIDE FROM WORKING
THE WAY ASPIRIN DOES, CURCUMIN, THE SUBSTANCE IN TURMERIC, CAN
ALSO PREVENT CHOLESTEROL DEPOSITS

62
DISCOVERY CHANNEL MAGAZINE INDIA
 MEDICINE
MEDICINE

patients
patients who who underwent
underwentwant,
want,brain
brain
which
which puts
putsthem
them inin
surgery,
surgery, tumour
tumour removals,
removals,
thethedriver’s
driver’s seat
seat and
and affords
affords
chemotherapy
chemotherapy ororradiation
radiation
them
them a fair
a fairamount
amount ofof control
control
therapy.
therapy. Doctors
Doctors useuseChinese
overChinese
overtheir
their treatments
treatments andand
medicines
medicines inin combination
combination
what
what with
they with
they ingest.
ingest. It’s
It’sthethe
modern
modern pharmaceuticals
pharmaceuticals holistic inin
holistic 3232
preemptive
preemptive nature
nature
hospitals
hospitals thatthatprovide
provide post
ofof post care
care
traditional
traditional medicines,
medicines,
services
services toto about
about 2,600
2,600
sans people.
sans people.
invasive
invasive surgeries,
surgeries,
The
The project
project hashaskept
kept overall
overall
anaesthesia,
anaesthesia, andand growing
growing
costs
costs down
down while
while stunting
stunting
concerns
concernsthe
the
about
about a reliance
a reliance onon
frequency
frequency ofofreadmissions.
readmissions.
overly
overly medicated
medicated patients,
patients,
ButBut it’sit’s
notnotjustjusttraditional
traditional
that
thathashasdriven
driven TCM
TCM useusetoto
medicine
medicine that
that is is
onon thethe
newnew heights.
heights.
rise.
rise.
Globally,
Globally, patients
patients andand
Margaret
Margaret Chan,
Chan, Director-
Director-
health
health care
care providers
providers alike
alike
General
General ofofWHO,
WHO, said
said
are
aredemanding
demanding that
that health
health
recently:
recently: “The
“The twotwo systems
systems
care
careservices
services bebe revitalized,
revitalized,
ofoftraditional
traditional andandwestern
western
with
with a stronger
a stronger emphasis
emphasis
medicine
medicine need
need notnotclash.
clash.
ononindividualized,
individualized, person-
person-
Within
Within thethecontext
context ofofprimary
primary
centered
centered care,
care,and and a broad
a broad
health
health setset
care,
care,they
they cancan blend
blend
ofof
health
health care
care practices
practices that
together that
together inina beneficial
a beneficial
are
arenotnot fully
fullyintegrated
integrated into
harmony, into
harmony, thethe
using
using thethebest
best
dominant
dominant health
health care
care system.
system.
features
features ofof
each
each system,
system, and
and
According
According toto thetheWorld
World
compensating
compensating forfor
certain
certain
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Organisation (WHO),
(WHO),
weakness
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notnot
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allall 1999.
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it it
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2009,Chinese
Chinesemedical
medical herbal
herbal medicines
medicines grew
grew from
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had
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developeda aChinese
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2014institutes
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medication
medicationtototreattreatthe
theA/H1N1
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support
support thethecontribution
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monthsofofscientific
scientificand
andclinical
clinical member
member states
states with
with high-
high-
complementary
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health care,
care,
studies
studiesshowed
showedthatthatthe
theremedy,
remedy,called
called level
level traditional
traditional medicine
medicine
wellness
wellness andand people-centered
people-centered
Jin
JinHua
HuaQingQingGan
GanFang,
Fang,was waseffective
effectiveinin education
education programmes
programmes health
health care
careandand totopromote
promote itsits
treating
treatingA/H1N1
A/H1N1fluflupatients,
patients,according
according including
including Bachelor,
Bachelor, Master
Master
safe
safeandand effective
effective useuse through
through
totoWang
WangChen,
Chen,President
PresidentofofBeijing's
Beijing's and
andDoctoral
Doctoral degrees
degrees theatat
theregu-lation
regu-lation ofof
products,
products,
Chaoyang
ChaoyangHospital.
Hospital.TheThemedication
medication university
university level
level hashas increased
increased
practices
practices andand practitioners.
practitioners.
reportedly
reportedlyshortened
shortenedpatients
patients from
from a handful
a handful toto39.39. TheThe Geneva-based
Geneva-based health
health
fever
feverperiod
periodand
andimproved
improvedtheirtheir body
body hopes
hopes that
that countries
countries
respiratory
respiratorysystems
systemswith withno
no HOLISTIC
HOLISTICBENEFITS
BENEFITS will
will
build
build knowledge
knowledge bases,
bases,
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negativeeffects.
effects.ItItalso
alsocost
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Wang says
says
that
that
choice
choice
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strengthen safety,
safety, quality
quality
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abouta aquarter
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the premium.
premium. Patients
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choose andandeffectiveness
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cost
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6363
APRIL
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2015
CHINESE NATIONAL
WEI SHENGCHU
INSERTS NEEDLES
INTO HIS FOREHEAD
DURING A SELF-
ACUPUNCTURE
PERFORMANCE
IN CHONGQING
MUNICIPALITY, CHINA
IN 2007. WEI INSERTED
1,200 NEEDLES
INTO HIS SCALP
DURING THE SHOW.
ACCORDING TO LOCAL
MEDIA, THE 60-YEAR-
OLD ACUPUNCTURIST
IS A COSMETIC
DOCTOR WHO HOLDS
THE GUINNESS WORLD
RECORD FOR SELF-
ACUPUNCTURING 1,790
NEEDLES IN HIS FACE

PHOTO GETTY IMAGES

64
DISCOVERY CHANNEL MAGAZINE INDIA
MEDICINE
MEDICINE

65 65
APRIL
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2015
 IN A TRADITIONAL
MEDICINE CLINIC IN
KERALA, INDIA, A PATIENT
SITS IN A WOODEN BOX IN
WHICH STEAM CIRCULATES
LACED WITH PLANTS SUCH
AS MAUVE. THE HEAT
PENETRATES THE DEEP
TISSUES OF THE BODY

66
DISCOVERY CHANNEL MAGAZINE INDIA

The idea is that universal
health coverage will be
promoted by integrating
traditional services into
national health systems.
“The affordability of most
traditional medicines makes
them all the more attractive
at a time of soaring health
care costs, says Sangyoung
Anh, Technical Officer of the
WHO’s Essential Medicines
and Health Technology
Unit. “We are experiencing
increased levels of non-
communicable diseases and
aging populations, which
demand individualized,
person-centered care. It is
now becoming increasingly
important to have access not
only to curative care but also
preventive, rehabilitative,
palliative health services.”
TRADITIONAL
MEDICINE HAS
A SIGNIFICANT
IMPACT ON
THE GLOBAL
POPULATION.
IF INCLUDED,
THEY CAN
HELP IN
WESTERN
MEDICAL
SYSTEMS AND
PROCESSES
Anh says the global
burden of chronic diseases
is the most urgent reason for
developing and strengthening
collaboration between
conventional and traditional
medicine health sectors, and
points to studies that indicate
that patients whose general
practitioner has additional
complementary and
alternative medicine training
have lower health care cost
PHOTO GETTY IMAGES
and mortality rates than those
who do not.
In one study of the
Royal London Hospital for
MEDICINE
Integrated Medicine, patients
reported using the unit PINS AND NEEDLES
because other treatments
failed, or because they have WE TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT ACCUPUNTURE, ONE OF
experienced adverse effects THE SEVERAL ANCIENT CHINESE MEDICAL PROCEDURES
with other treatments. The TO HAVE GONE GLOBAL
failure of conventional
medicine treatments and a
desire for a healthy lifestyle
were the main motives for
using traditional medicines.
HEALTH CARE
Gujarat Ayurveda University
in India’s northwest is an
Ayurveda medical school and
WHO collaborative centre
that is wholly state-run and
funded. It provides five-and-
a-half year degree courses
for budding practitioners
of Ayurveda, a system of
Hindu traditional medicine
of Vedic tradition native to
the Indian subcontinent.
Established in 1967, it is the
first university exclusively
devoted to Ayurvedic
studies and research, and
has built a reputation for
the management of chronic
and incurable diseases,
along with the treatment
of modern ailments such as
hypertension.
“Ayurveda is part and
parcel of India’s overarching
health care system,” says MS
Baghel, Director of Institute
for Post Graduate Teaching
and Research in Ayurveda
at the university. “Often it’s
the primary and secondary
options in rural areas.”
The westernisation of
India has had dramatic effects
on health in rural societies,
but modern medicine The above acupuncturist’s model of the human body is as
complex as it looks. Acupuncuture is the Chinese practice of
doesn't have an effective
pricking the skin with a needle to relieve pain and channel
management here because qi, or life force energy. And as you might expect, you don’t
there are too few hospitals. just ram that baby in anywhere. There are specific points,
“It’s about the prevention of or meridians, of the body where needles should be forced
non-communicable diseases to channel or release qi to good effect. The number of those
by modifying lifestyles,” says meridians varies from a few hundred to 2,000. As the authors
Baghel. “Traditional medicine of Acupuncture: An Anatomical Approach note, “The most
has always had a significant commonly mentioned acupoint total in acupuncture books
impact on local populations is 361 points. This is obviously an arbitrary number. In our
globally. We should seriously view, every few square millimetres of body surface can be a
potential acupoint.”
examine how they can help
in western medical systems.
67
APRIL 2015
 Bacteria that are now
drug resistant are pressing
concerns. We really do need
greater inclusion.”
Perhaps that inclusion is
underway. Traditional healing
such as Ayurveda, Chinese
medicine, Unani (a traditional
system of healing and health
maintenance observed in
South Asia) acupuncture,
massage therapies and Reiki
(a hands-on healing technique
with Japanese origins)
are increasingly popular
worldwide. Over 100 million
Europeans are believers, with
one fifth regularly using
TMs, and the same number
preferring health care that
includes them.
AYURVEDA IS
A MAJOR PART
OF INDIA’S
OVERARCHING
HEALTH CARE
SYSTEM.
OFTEN, IT IS
THE ONLY
OPTION IN THE
COUNTRY’S
RURAL AREAS
Acupuncture is one such
example. According to WHO,
80 percent of 129 countries
polled now recognize its
use as a viable form of
treatment. Meanwhile visits
to complementary health
professionals in Australia,
grew by over 30 percent in the
EXPANDING THE MEDICINE CABINET
68
DISCOVERY CHANNEL MAGAZINE INDIA
decade from 1995 to 2005.
In China, the number of
TCM visits was 907 million
in 2009, accounting for
18 percent of all surveyed
institutions. About 90
percent of hospitals include
a traditional medicine
department and provide
services for both outpatients
and inpatients, which are
governed by the same
legislation as conventional
medical institutions.
In Japan, 84 percent of
Japanese physicians use
the traditional therapeutic
system kampo, which is
derived from classical
Chinese medicine, daily.
While in the Republic of
Korea, annual expenditures
on traditional medicine were
US$4.4 billion in 2004, rising
to US$7.4 billion in 2009; and
in 2011, patient admissions to
hospitals for bone, joint and
muscle disorders, dyspepsia,
osteoarthritis and facial nerve
disorders surged.
In Lao People's Democratic
Republic in Southeast Asia, 80
percent of the population lives
in rural villages. Each one is
home to one or two traditional
health practitioners, providing
the backbone of the country’s
health care.
PHOTOS JOHN STANMEYER/VII/CLICK PHOTOS
Of course, there are still
problems to overcome. Anh
says that use of poor quality,
adulterated or counterfeit
products, unqualified
practitioners, misdiagnosis,
delayed diagnosis, or failure
to use effective conventional
THE LOVE DRUG
CHUCHUHUASI , AN AMAZONIAN LOVE POTION, IS OBTAINED FROM
THE REDDISH BARK OF THE MAYTENUS KROKOVII TREE. INSTEAD
OF GIVING THE GIRLS A LIBIDO BOOST AS THE WESTERN SPANISH
FLY DOES, CHUCHUHUASI IS REPORTED TO BE EXCELLENT FOR
SUSTAINING SEXUAL DESIRE, VIRILITY AND FUNCTION
 MEDICINE
MEDICINE

treatments
treatments and and exposure
exposure
toto
misleading
misleading oror unreliable
unreliable
information
information allall
need
need toto
bebe
cleaned
cleaned up.up.
Unlike
Unlike modern
modern drugs,
drugs,thethe
quality
quality of of
source
source material
material forfor
traditional
traditional medicines
medicines can
canbebe
erratic.
erratic. This
This is compounded
is compounded
bybyother
other inputs
inputs such
such asas
thethe
environment
environment at at
source,
source,
harvesting
harvesting techniques,
techniques,
transport
transport and and storage.
storage.
“There
“There areare upup toto500500
commonly
commonly used used herbs
herbshanded
handed
down
down from
from centuries.
centuries. AndAnd
about
about 9090 percent
percent of of
herbs
herbsareare
imported
imported fromfrom China.
China. WeWe have
have
toto
ensure
ensure thatthattheytheydodonotnot
contain
contain dioxins,
dioxins, heavy
heavy metals
metals
ororother
otherpotentially
potentially serious
serious
pollutants,”
pollutants,” sayssaysHuang
Huang
Yi-Tsau,
Yi-Tsau, director
director general
general of of
thethe
department
department of of
Chinese
Chinese
medicine
medicine and and pharmacy
pharmacy at at
Taiwan’s
Taiwan’s Ministry
Ministry of of
Health
Health
and
andWelfare.
Welfare.
Prescribed
Prescribed dosages
dosages cancan
also
alsocause
cause problems.
problems. While
While
modern
modern drug
drug use usevaries
varies
dependent
dependent onon thetheageage
andand
weight
weight of of
the thepatient,
patient, along
along
with
with thethe
severity
severity of of
disease,
disease,
traditional
traditional medicine
medicine doctors
doctors
prescribe
prescribe bespoke
bespoke medicines
medicines
after
aftera consultation
a consultation based
based
ononthethe
patient's
patient's symptoms.
symptoms.
DRDRCHIULA
CHIULA USES
USESA TOY
A TOY
HEHE Another
Another problem
problem occurs
occurs
CALLS
CALLSHISHIS
"X-RAY
"X-RAYGLASS"
GLASS" when
when patients
patients mix mixandandmatch
match
ONONA MALARIA
A MALARIA PATIENT
PATIENT
IN IN
THE
THESOWETO
SOWETOMARKET
MARKET traditional
traditional medicines
medicines and
and
AREA
AREAOFOF
LUSAKA,
LUSAKA,ZAMBIA.
ZAMBIA. modern
modern drugs.
drugs.
WIDESPREAD
WIDESPREAD POVERTY
POVERTY Huang
Huang sayssaysthatthat
bothboth
IN IN
ZAMBIA
ZAMBIAWITH
WITHANAN
UNEMPLOYMENT
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
RATEOFOF 7070 schools
schools of of
medicine
medicine need
need
PERCENT
PERCENT MEANS
MEANS A MAJORITY
A MAJORITY toto
bebebetter
better educated
educated about
about
OFOFTHETHE
POPULATION
POPULATION CAN
CAN other
other practices
practices ininorder
order
ONLY
ONLYAFFORD
AFFORDTOTOVISIT
VISIT
TRADITIONAL
TRADITIONAL HEALERS
HEALERS toto
mitigate
mitigate potentially
potentially
dangerous
dangerous mix mix ups.
ups.
“When
“When

POOP
POOPAWAY
AWAYPAIN
PAIN
IN IN
PLACE
PLACE
OFOF
PANADOL
PANADOL ORORNUROFEN
NUROFEN TOTO
RELIEVE
RELIEVE MENSTRUAL
MENSTRUAL CRAMPS
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TRADITIONAL
TRADITIONALMEDICINE
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ASAS
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METHODREQUIRES
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INGESTING
INGESTINGTHE
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SQUIRREL
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"INVIGORATE"
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TOTO CREATE
CREATE
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PAIN
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ASAS
WELL.
WELL.
YUM?
YUM?

69 69
APRIL
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 Taiwan was a Japanese
colony from 1895 to 1945,
they abolished Chinese
Medicine. There has been
close to a century where
the political and influential
elite derided it as backward
and out of touch with a
continent struggling with the
shackles of colonialism and
industrialisation,” he notes.
“Forty years ago, western
medicine doctors used to
tell their patients to never
return if they were also
using traditional treatments.
Doctors considered
themselves elite, and as
such they were excessively
paternalistic,” says the
director, who has also been
a medical doctor for over
30 years.
ACCORDING
TO THE WHO,
80% OF 129
COUNTRIES
POLLED NOW
RECOGNISE
ACUPUNCTURE
AS A VIABLE
FORM OF
TREATMENT
“In a hospital setting you
have increased dialogue
with other doctors and
the characteristic as a
holistic practice will not be
undermined. The impact of
traditional medicine would
be improved with more
practitioners in hospitals.
Modern doctors don’t have
courses in Chinese medicine.
There needs to be more.”
According to WHO, Africa
hosts a traditional healer to
every 500 residents, while
modern doctors only account
for each 40,000. For millions
of people in rural areas, native
healers therefore remain their
health providers.
Malaria is estimated to
kill about 900,000 people per
70
DISCOVERY CHANNEL MAGAZINE INDIA
year, with the vast majority of
that number being children
in Africa. That number is
compounded by traditional
medicines and a cultural belief
that children with convulsions
were possessed by spirits and
would die if taken to hospital.
The devastating Ebola
outbreak in West Africa,
which according to the Atlanta-
based Centre for Disease
Control and Prevention, has
led to about 17,200 laboratory
confirmed cases and over
6,100 deaths in the hardest hit
countries of Guinea, Liberia
and Sierra Leone, as of early
December 2014.
Health workers warn that
figure is most likely much
higher, in part due to how
the belief in witchcraft is
hampering the fight because
the sick refused to seek
treatment — in the mistaken
belief that the virus, which
still has no cure, was the work
of sorcerers and the only
remedies to combat it were
held by witch doctors.
“Modern system doctors
benefit from research
conducted worldwide using
evidence based knowledge
standards,” says Huang. “The
comparative progress is like
we are riding bicycles and
the other guys are on high-
speed trains.”
About 600 kilometres
north of Guinea’s coast sits
Gambia and its brutal dictator
President Yahya Jammeh,
who has presided over the
poverty-wracked nation since
engineering a coup in 1994.
Part of a long list of his bizarre
behaviour included a claim that
he had invented a herbal cure
made from banana peels for
AIDS, that requires sufferers
to stop taking drugs prescribed
to fight the virus. When the
UN representative to Gambia
complained that it was a
reckless gesture for a country
with one of the world’s highest
adult HIV/AIDS prevalence
rates, he had her expelled.
 MEDICINE
MEDICINE

A DOLL
A DOLL
SITS
SITS
ONONTHE
THE TheThemanymany supporters
supporters ofof
DESK
DESK
OFOF
DRDRCHIULA,
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WHICH
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USED
USEDTOTO
traditional
traditional medicine
medicine saysay it it TRADITIONALLY
TRADITIONALLYSPEAKING…
SPEAKING…
REMOVE
REMOVEEVIL
EVILSPIRITS
SPIRITS could
could bebeeveneven more
more effective
effective
FROM
FROM HOMES
HOMES if if
given
given the thefunding
funding and and FOR
FORAACIVILISATION
CIVILISATIONDATING
DATINGBACK
BACK
THOUSANDS
THOUSANDS OF
OF
research
research it it
needs.
needs. “Traditional
“Traditional YEARS,
YEARS,TRADITIONAL
TRADITIONAL METHODS
METHODS OF
OFHEALING
HEALINGARE
AREAA
medicine
medicine offers
offers substantial
substantial GIVEN
GIVENININ
INDIA.
INDIA.
EXPERTS
EXPERTS
SHARE
SHAREWHAT
WHAT KEEPS
KEEPSTHESE
THESE
benefits
benefits forforprimary
primary care,
care, LONG-HONOURED
LONG-HONOURED MODES
MODES OF
OFTREATMENT
TREATMENT POPULAR
POPULAR
butbutresearch
research is is
still
stilla fig
a figleaf
leaf
covering
covering thethenaked
naked bodybody ofofaa
statue.
statue. SoSo much
much moremore could
could
bebedone.
done. DrugDrug companies
companies
areareabout
about profit.
profit. That's
That's
understandable,
understandable, but but wewe livelive
inin
anan eraera
ofof globalisation.
globalisation. We We cancan
learn
learn a lot
a lotfrom
from eacheach other,”
other,”
says
says Huang.
Huang.Some, Some, however,
however,
have
have heard
heard Huang’s
Huang’s clarion
clarion
call
call
forfor
action.
action. SetSet upup inin 1998,
1998,
thetheMaryland-based
Maryland-based National
National
Centre
Centre forforComplementary
Complementary
andand Alternative
Alternative Medicine
Medicine
(NCCAM)
(NCCAM) is is
the theUS US
government’s
government’s leading
leading Despite
Despite thetheadvent
advent ofofmodern
modern medicine,
medicine, the the age-old
age-old
agency
agency forforresearch
research onon modes
modes ofoftreatment
treatment continue
continue toto exist;
exist;notnot without
without myths
myths
complementary
complementary medicine,
medicine, andandcontroversies
controversies though.
though. DrDr NK NK Sharma,
Sharma, Director
Director and and
which
which works
works toto “define
“define the the Chairman
Chairman ofof
thethe Reiki
Reiki Healing
Healing Foundation,
Foundation, NewNew Delhi,
Delhi, says
says
that
thatalternative
alternative medicine
medicine dates
dates back
back thousands
thousands ofof years,
years,
usefulness
usefulness andand safety
safety ofof andandsome
some have
have even
even beenbeen mentioned
mentioned inin the the Vedas
Vedas (ancient
(ancient
complementary
complementary medicines
medicines Indian
Indian spiritual
spiritual scriptures).
scriptures). According
According toto him,him, thethe basis
basis
andand their
their roles
roles inin improving
improving ofofReiki
Reiki lies
liesininthethefact
fact that
that everything
everything inin the the universe
universe isisaa
health
health care.”
care.” form
form ofofconstantly
constantly vibrating
vibrating energy.
energy. “Reiki
“Reiki works
works onon the the
TheThecentre
centre hadhad a budget
a budget concept
concept ofofprana
prana oror ‘life
‘life force’.
force’. Once
Once youyou havehave mastered
mastered
ofofabout
about US$128
US$128 million
million last
last your
your ownown vibration
vibration through
through meditation,
meditation, channelising
channelising it it
totoaa
year,
year,andand provided
provided funding
funding forfor positive
positive andandlife-giving
life-giving force,
force, youyou cancanactually
actually transfer
transfer it it
toto
studies
studies such
such asas howhow microbes
microbes another
another person
person whowho needs
needs it,”
it,”
hehe explains.
explains. HeHe adds
adds that
that thethe
ininthethehuman
human body
body make
make positive
positive energy
energy ofofReiki
Reiki cancan help
help ease
ease physical
physical oror emotional
emotional
antibiotics
antibiotics that
that could
could fight
fight troubles.
troubles. “So“Sopowerful
powerful arearethethe vibrations
vibrations thatthat youyou cancan eveneven
transfer
transfer them
them from
from a distance
a distance if if
youyousimply
simply think
think about
about thethe
infections,
infections, where
where researchers
researchers person
person andand meditate,”
meditate,” hehe says.
says.
unleashed
unleashed anan algorithm
algorithm Other
Other alternative
alternative healing
healing methods
methods thatthat havehave garnered
garnered
called
called ClusterFinder,
ClusterFinder, which
which much
much attention
attention arearethe the ancient
ancient Chinese
Chinese techniques
techniques
identified
identified over
over 3,000
3,000 bacterial
bacterial ofofacupuncture
acupuncture and
and acupressure.
acupressure. These
These involve
involve thethe
gene
gene clusters
clusters from
from the the stimulation
stimulation ofof
certain
certain points
points onon thethebody
body which
which trigger
trigger thethe
human
human body.
body. release
release ofof endorphins.
endorphins. Stimulating
Stimulating ‘acupoints’
‘acupoints’ enhances
enhances
According
According toto researchers,
researchers, thethebody’s
body’s natural
natural healing
healing ability
ability byby harmonising
harmonising thethe QiQi
thetheclusters
clusters signified
signified (energy,
(energy, pronounced
pronounced chee)
chee) inin thethe body.
body. “Traditional
“Traditional Chinese
Chinese
DNADNA blueprint
blueprint toto build
build medicine
medicine considers
considers lacklack ofofbalance
balance within
within the thebiological
biological
microbial
microbial natural
natural products,
products, system
system asas the
theprecursor
precursor totoallallillness.
illness. According
According totothe the
theory
theory ofofacupuncture,
acupuncture, thethebody
body hashasenergy
energy flowing
flowing through
through
andand a roadmap
a roadmap for forfuture
future
PHOTOS JOHN STANMEYER/VII/CLICK PHOTOS; DREAMSTIME
PHOTOS JOHN STANMEYER/VII/CLICK PHOTOS; DREAMSTIME

it it
along
along energy
energy channels
channels called
called meridians,”
meridians,” explains
explains DrDr
experimental
experimental efforts
efforts using
using Anjali
Anjali Sharma
Sharma ofofEthos
Ethos Healthcare,
Healthcare, New
New Delhi.
Delhi. SheShe sayssays
beneficial
beneficial microbes
microbes found
found inin that
thatforfor
good
good health
health it it
isisimportant
important totohavehave sufficient
sufficient energy
energy
viruses,
viruses, fungi,
fungi, and and bacteria.
bacteria. ininthe
the right
right proportion
proportion andand inin balance,
balance, thethe lack
lack ofof which
which
Other
Other endeavours
endeavours included
included isisthe
thereason
reason forfordisorders
disorders andand diseases.
diseases. “Acupuncture
“Acupuncture
a Stanford
a Stanford University
University study
study triggers
triggers a stronger
a stronger stimulation
stimulation than
than acupressure.
acupressure. Thin,
Thin,
onon creating
creating opioids
opioids from
from hair-like
hair-like needles
needles areare inserted
inserted toto stimulate
stimulate acupoints
acupoints
genetically
genetically modified
modified yeast
yeast whereas
whereas ininacupressure
acupressure a firm
a firm pressure
pressure isis usedused totomassage
massage
strains.
strains. Another
Another found
found that
that thetheacupoints
acupoints totobalance
balance thetheenergy,”
energy,” she she reveals.
reveals.
meditation
meditation might
might help
help toto DrDrAnjali
Anjali states
states that
that thethe basic
basic concept
concept has has remained
remained thethe
same,
same, butbut the
thewayway it it
isis practiced
practiced hashasevolved
evolved over
over time,
time,
reduce
reduce suicidal
suicidal thoughts
thoughts ofof allall
over
overthethe world.
world. “For“For instance,
instance, earlier,
earlier, stone
stone needles
needles
depressed
depressed teenagers.
teenagers. were
were used.
used. Later,
Later, needles
needles made
made ofofbone
bone and and bamboos
bamboos
TheTheisolation
isolation ofof morphine
morphine were
were developed.
developed. The
The use use ofofmetal
metal needles
needles came
came muchmuch
from
from poppy
poppy inin thethe early
early 19th19th Contd
Contd
onon
pg73
pg73

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 century marks the beginning
of drug discovery, and quite an
important one, that was based
on pure organic compounds.
The 2011 Lasker-DeBakey
Clinical Medical Research
Award was given to Chinese
scientist Tu Youyou, who
discovered artemisinin in the
search for a cure for malaria
extracted from Chinese
traditional herbs.
Archaeologists have
found that qinghao or sweet
wormwood had been used as
a traditional remedy in China
for over two thousand years.
Its anti-malarial principle
was finally isolated during the
Vietnam War in 1971, when
Chinese soldiers were being
battered by the disease.
Another Chinese scientist
to win international plaudits
is Zhu Chen of the Shanghai
Institute of Hematology, and
is the principal figure behind
the development of an acute
promyelocytic leukemia
cancer therapy made from
the arsenic of traditional
Chinese medicine. Back
in Taiwan, China Medical
University staffers ran a study
of electro-acupuncture to
alleviate post surgery pain.
They discovered that these
patients were less reliant on
highly addictive opiate-based
drugs such as morphine.
In the US, a Tufts RAW MATERIALS
University study ran in the
The city of Yulin won the
New England Journal of
title of "South China Medicine
Medicine describing how a
Capital" last month, as reported
clinical study of tai chi, the
by the China Daily newspaper. Its
Chinese martial art, being
wholesale market sells about $1 billion
used as physical therapy
of TCM raw materials, including dried
recorded better results for
seahorses and centipedes to seal penises.
sufferers of Parkinson’s
Despite these vast sums, the country's
than that of traditional
entire raw material market is poorly
physiotherapy.
regarded due to its lack of regulation and
“New discoveries are
inspection of its raw materials. In 2013, a
expected to continue,” says
non-profit environmental organisation
Anh. “As of March 2014, there
found nearly half of the TCM it
are nine investigational new
sampled in Hong Kong and nine
drug applications submitted
main cities in the Chinese
to the US FDA based on
mainland contained
Chinese medicine formulae
pesticide residues.
for hepatitis, angina, colitis
and others.

72
DISCOVERY CHANNEL MAGAZINE INDIA
 MEDICINE
MEDICINE

TRADITIONALLY
TRADITIONALLYSPEAKING…
SPEAKING…
later,”
later,” sheshe says,
says, adding
adding that
that thethe science
science hashaskept
kept pace
pace
with
withmodern
modern medicine
medicine andand technology;
technology; computerised
computerised
acu-diagnosis
acu-diagnosis available
available today
today isisa significant
a significant contribution
contribution
ofof
technology.
technology. Medical
Medical acupuncture
acupuncture isisa sub-stream
a sub-stream which
which
combines
combines modern
modern medicine
medicine andand acupuncture.
acupuncture. “I “I
don’t
don’t think
think
there
there isis
anyany conflict
conflict between
between modern-day
modern-day medicine
medicine andand
this
thisscience.
science. There
There are
are twotwo major
major reasons
reasons more
more people
people
including
including youngsters
youngsters areare turning
turning towards
towards the
thetraditional
traditional
healing
healing methods
methods – awareness
– awareness andand the thelimitation
limitation ofof modern
modern
medicine
medicine solely
solely helping
helping people.
people. TheThe WHO
WHO acceptance
acceptance hashas
added
added totothethe mass
mass acceptance,”
acceptance,” sheshe says.
says.
“The
“The conflict
conflict between
between modern
modern andand traditional
traditional medicine
medicine
has
hasalways
always been
been there.
there. But,
But, it it
cannot
cannot bebe denied
denied that
thatthethe
number
number ofofbelievers
believers andand beneficiaries
beneficiaries have
haveincreased
increased over
over
the
theyears,”
years,” says
says Ayurveda
Ayurveda consultant
consultant DrDr Sandeep
Sandeep Madaan
Madaan
ofof
Aastha
Aastha Ayurveda,
Ayurveda, Delhi.
Delhi. “There
“There hashas been
been a worldwide
a worldwide
research
research conducted
conducted onon herbs;
herbs; modern
modern pharmacology
pharmacology
theses
theses are
are also
also fullfull
ofof research
research onon Ayurvedic
Ayurvedic herbs.
herbs. ForFor the
the
ancient
ancient methods
methods forforwhich
which research
research isisnotnotavailable,
available, wewe are
are
following
following thethe literature
literature andand getting
getting results,”
results,” hehe shares.
shares. Like
Like
many
many other
other conventional
conventional healing
healing experts,
experts, DrDrMadaan
Madaan hashas
also
alsonoticed
noticed anan increase
increase ininthethe number
number ofofyounger
younger people
people
trusting
trusting alternative
alternative medicine.“The
medicine.“The problems
problems forforwhich
which they
they
don’t
don’t find
findsolutions
solutions inincontemporary
contemporary medicine,
medicine, they
they turn
turn
toto
usus andand positive
positive results
results makemake them
them believe
believe inin holistic
holistic
therapies,”
therapies,” hehe says.
says.
Stress
Stress isisthethe reason
reason behind
behind most
most physical
physical andand emotional
emotional
disorders,
disorders, says
says DrDr NK NK Sharma,
Sharma, who
who believes
believes that
that negative
negative
vibrations
vibrations duedue toto stress
stress leadlead toto most
most disorders
disorders and
and thethe
youth
youth isis
now now more
more aware
aware ofof this
thisfact.
fact. “At“Atourourcentre,
centre, 8080
percent
percent ofof thethe patients
patients areare below
below thethe ageage ofof25.
25.They
They havehave
now
now realised
realised thatthat meditation
meditation andand positive
positive vibrations
vibrations areare the
the
cure
cure totoeverything,”
everything,” hehe shares.
shares.
These
These healing
healing experts
experts believe
believe that
that it it
isisunfortunate
unfortunate
that
thateveneven ininthe the modern
modern world
world today,
today, there
there arearemyths
myths
that
thatsurround
surround age-old
age-old therapies.
therapies. OnOn thethe one
one hand,
hand, these
these
are
areseen
seen asas shams,
shams, andandonon thetheother,
other, some
some people
people havehave
unrealistic
unrealistic expectations
expectations fromfrom them.
them. “Awareness
“Awareness isisthethe
only
onlysolution.
solution. We We create
create awareness
awareness among
among people,
people, andand
tell
tell
them
them what
what these
these therapies
therapies are,
are, how how they
theywork,
work,
what
what isis
thethe scientific
scientific explanation,
explanation, inin what
what conditions
conditions areare
these
these ofofsignificant
significant help,
help, what
what areare thethe limitations,
limitations, what
what
should
should bebe thethe realistic
realistic expectations,
expectations, what
what should
should bebe thethe
contraindications,
contraindications, and
and many
many other
other things
things totoconsider.
consider. Once
Once
people
people understand
understand allall
these,
these, they
they will
will bebe able
able totogetgetthethe
best
best from
from traditional,
traditional, alternative
alternative methods
methods ofof
healing,”
healing,”
states
states DrDr Anjali.
Anjali.
—— Adii
AdiiDande
Dande

RAW
RAWMATERIALS
MATERIALS
(INCLUDING
(INCLUDING ANTLER
ANTLER
ANDANDTIGER
TIGER BONE)
BONE)
FOR
FORTRADITIONAL
TRADITIONAL
MEDICINES
MEDICINES ARE
ARE
SORTED
SORTED BYBYWORKERS
WORKERS
PHOTOS GETTY IMAGES; DREAMSTIME
PHOTOS GETTY IMAGES; DREAMSTIME

OFOFA COUNTY-RUN
A COUNTY-RUN
DRUGS
DRUGS COMPANY
COMPANY
ININHEILONGJIANG
HEILONGJIANG
PROVINCE,
PROVINCE, CHINA.
CHINA.
TRADE
TRADE ININ
THESE
THESE
MATERIALS
MATERIALS THRIVES
THRIVESININ
THETHEFOREST
FOREST REGIONS
REGIONS
OFOFTHE
THEXIAO
XIAOHINGGAN
HINGGAN
MOUNTAINS
MOUNTAINS

7373
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74
DISCOVERY CHANNEL MAGAZINE INDIA
 WEB
WEBJUNKIES
JUNKIES

LOGGING
LOGGING
OFF
THE
THEWIRED

THE
WIREDGENERATION
AAVIRTUAL
GENERATIONLIVES
VIRTUALWORLD.
WORLD.HOOKED
THEINTERNET,
INTERNET,GOING
LIVESININ
HOOKEDTO
GOINGOFFLINE
OFFLINE
TO

ISISNOT
NOTAN
ANOPTION
OPTIONFOR
FORTHEM.
THEM.TOTO
INVESTIGATE
INVESTIGATEMORE
MOREABOUT
ABOUTTHIS
THIS
NEW
NEWANDANDSEVERE
SEVEREADDICTION,
ADDICTION,
ADII
ADIIDANDE
DANDESTEPS
STEPSINTO
INTOUNIQUE
UNIQUE
DE-ADDICTION
DE-ADDICTIONCENTRES
CENTRES

75 75
APRIL
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2015
CHILDREN AS YOUNG AS 10
CAN BE ROUTINELY SEEN
PLAYING COMPUTER GAMES
AT CYBER CAFES

76
DISCOVERY CHANNEL MAGAZINE INDIA
 WEB
WEBJUNKIES
JUNKIES

Riya
RiyaSharma
Sharmasneaks
sneaksinto
intoher
herparents’
parents’
bedroom
bedroomand andlooks
looksfor
forher
hermother’s
mother’spurse.
purse.
Pulling
Pullingout
outa acouple
coupleofofhundreds,
hundreds,she shetiptoes
tiptoes
out,
out,heading
headingstraight
straighttotothe
thecyber
cybercafé
café
next
nextdoor.
door.This
Thishashasbeen
beenthethe15-year-old’s
15-year-old’s
routine
routinesince
sinceherherparents
parentscut cutoff
offthe
theInternet
Internet
connection
connectionatathome,
home,ahead
aheadofofher
herexams.
exams.They
They
tried
triedrationing
rationingher herInternet
Internetand andsmartphone
smartphone
use,
use,which
whichevidently
evidentlydid didnot
notwork
workforforthe
the
teenager,
teenager,and
andininfact
factbackfired.
backfired.But Butcan
canthis
thisbebe

H
dismissed
dismissedasasusual
usualteen
teenbehaviour?
behaviour?
clinical
clinical
psychiatrist
psychiatrist andand information.
information. It has
It has
progressed
progressed
psychoanalytical
psychoanalytical therapist,
therapist, to atomore
a more worrisome
worrisome level
level
of of
who whoseessees
at least
at least
seven
seven to to addiction.
addiction. TheThe unfathomable
unfathomable
eight
eight
new newcases
cases
of Internet
of Internet pace pace
at which
at which Internet
Internet usageusage
is is
addiction
addiction every
every
month,
month, suchsuch increasing
increasing hashas given
givenriserise
to the
to the
desperate
desperate cases
cases
aren’t
aren’t
tootoo need needforfor
something
something thatthat
waswas
rare.
rare.
“My “My very
very
recent
recentcase waswas unheard
case unheard andand unthought-of,
unthought-of,
thatthat
of aofboy
a boy
addicted
addicted to online especially
to online especially in India,
in India, until
until
justjust
pornography.
pornography. HeHewaswasawareaware a few a few
years
yearsback back – Internet
– Internet
of his
of his
addiction
addiction andandwaswas eveneven de-addiction
de-addiction centres.
centres. Being
Being
trying
trying
to quit
to quit
butbut apparently a fairly
apparently a fairly
new newconcept,
concept, thethe
nothing
nothing worked.
worked.HeHe actually medical
actually medical fraternity
fraternity is just
is just
about
about
usedused
to burn
to burn himself
himselfwith with
a a wrapping
wrapping its its
head head
around
around
er parents’
er parents’ blaming
blaming thethe lighter
lighter
everyevery
timetime
he he logged Internet
logged Internet addiction.
addiction. In fact,
In fact,
Internet
Internet might
might sound
sound likelike on on
to atoporn
a pornwebsite,”
website,”he he it isitso
is difficult
so difficult to associate
to associate
an an
expected
expected reaction
reaction butbut
thethe reveals.
reveals.
HeHe explains
explainsthat that thetheword word“addiction”
“addiction” withwith
casecase
is graver
is graver than than
oneonewould
would thoughthough such such
patients
patients know know something
something as “harmless”
as “harmless” as as
imagine.
imagine. WhatWhat is generally
is generally where
wherethethe problem
problem lies,lies,
theythey thethe Internet
Internet andand technology
technology
termed
termed as aas“bad
a “bad habit”
habit” feelfeel
theythey
areare
beyond
beyond help.help.
ThisThis that that
mostmosthealthhealthprofessionals
professionals
hashasturned
turnedinto into
a serious,
a serious, drives
drives
them themto extreme
to extreme guilt do do
guilt notnotrefer
referto ittoasitthat!
as that!
“It“It
epidemic-like
epidemic-like situation.
situation. andanddepression,
depression, which
which makes might
makes might seemseem funnyfunny butbut
wewe
PHOTO FERNANDO MORALES/PANOS PICTURES

PHOTO FERNANDO MORALES/PANOS PICTURES

Another
Another incident,
incident, thethe themthemtake take
suchsuch
drastic
drastic steps. often
steps. oftencallcall
it ‘Internet
it ‘Internet overuse
overuse
recent
recentcasecase
of aof19-year-old
a 19-year-old disorder’
disorder’ because
because associating
associating
Chinese
Chinese boyboycutting
cuttingoff off
hishis INTERNET
INTERNET DE-ADDICTION:
DE-ADDICTION: it with it withsomething
something as negative
as negative
handhand at the
at the
wrist wrist
in an
in an attempt NEED
attempt NEED OFOF THE THEHOURHOUR as addiction
as addiction is still
is still
notnot
to cure
to curehishis
Internet
Internet addiction, Clearly,
addiction, Clearly,thethe
ever-increasing
ever-increasing accepted accepted by many
by many patients,”
patients,”
is aisshocking
a shocking revelation
revelation of how useuse
of how of the
of theInternet
Internetis no
is nolonger
longer informs
informs Dr DrTara, Tara,
who whoworks
works
diredire
things
thingscancan get.get. According limited
According limitedjustjust
to entertainment
to entertainment as the as the
counselor
counselor withwithDelhi-
Delhi-
to Dr
to DrPulkit
Pulkit
Sharma,
Sharma, or aorfun
a fun
wayway to access
to access basedbasednon-profit
non-profit organisation,
organisation,

77 77
APRIL
APRIL
20152015
 IGD: THE
NEW KID
ON THE
BLOCK
SO NEW IS THIS
ADDICTION THAT
“INTERNET
GAMING
DISORDER” MERIT
MORE THAN A
MERE FOOTNOTE
IN THE LATEST
EDITION OF
THE DSM. THE
DIAGNOSTIC AND
STATISTICAL
MANUAL
OF MENTAL
DISORDERS
IS A TRUSTED
TEXTBOOK
USED BY
MENTAL HEALTH
PROFESSIONALS
AROUND THE
WORLD

THE DSM NOTES

THAT CURRENT
STUDIES
“SUGGEST THAT
WHEN [ADDICTED]
INDIVIDUALS
ARE ENGROSSED
IN INTERNET
GAMES, CERTAIN
PATHWAYS IN
THEIR BRAINS ARE
TRIGGERED IN
THE SAME DIRECT
AND INTENSE
WAY THAT A DRUG
ADDICT’S BRAIN
IS AFFECTED BY
A PARTICULAR
SUBSTANCE. THE
GAMING PROMPTS
A NEUROLOGICAL
RESPONSE THAT
INFLUENCES
FEELINGS OF
PLEASURE AND
REWARD, AND
THE RESULT, IN
THE EXTREME,
IS MANIFESTED
AS ADDICTIVE
BEHAVIOUR”

LEFT TRAVELLERS
HOOKED ON
TO THEIR
SMARTPHONES
DURING THEIR
EVERYDAY
COMMUTE IS A
COMMON SIGHT

78
DISCOVERY CHANNEL MAGAZINE INDIA
 WEB JUNKIES

CHILDREN'S NET ADDICTION

OFTEN LEAVES PARENTS
HELPLESS. BUT, PSYCHOLOGISTS
REVEAL THAT CHILDREN OFTEN
MIMIC GROWNUPS WHEN IT
COMES TO USING COMPUTERS
AND SMARTPHONES

Uday Foundation. In
2014, the foundation started
their Centre for Children
in Internet and Technology
Distress and Good Health
Clinic. With this, they aim to
address the issue of obsessive
Internet use among children,
especially those between
eight and 19 years. This is the
PHOTOS (MAIN) FERNANDO MORALES/PANOS; DREAMSTIME
these volunteers were totally
addicted to the Internet! It
instantly struck us that this
might be common among
children of that age group.
That’s when we thought that
we must help these children
get a “real life”,” she tells us.
Once the centre was started,
many parents started bringing
an early-warning system
and providing counseling.
THE GUILT AND
There is a screening process, HELPLESSNESS
supervised by qualified health THAT FOLLOW
professionals, that involves
questionnaires, one-to-one
INTERNET
interaction, interviews, etc. ADDICTION
The country’s first CAN LEAD
technology de-addiction
centre was started in PATIENTS TO

first Internet de-addiction
centre in the capital, and
Dr Tara shares with DCM
an interesting detail that
led them to initiate this
programme. “We used to have
computer workshops and
activities for children where
we had school and college
kids volunteering for us.
That’s when we realised that
their children for counseling.
Given the gravity of the
problem and the lengths at
which it has, and can affect
us, Internet de-addiction
centres seem to have become
inevitable. The centres work
with children, parents, schools
and civic groups to provide
basic guidance with mental-
health education, instituting
Bengaluru, by the National
Institute of Mental Health and
Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS)
in April 2014. The Service for
Healthy Use of Technology
(SHUT) Clinic is headed by
Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma,
additional professor at
the department of clinical
psychiatry, NIMHANS.
He tells us that technology
PHYSICALLY
HARM
THEMSELVES
(including computers,
smartphones, iPads,
etc.) addiction in India is
comparable to international
prevalence, and it can be
seen more in the younger
age group — amongst single

79
APRIL 2015
 or unmarried people.
According to him, in today’s
hi-tech world, teens begin
to use the Internet and
technology purely out of
curiosity and to experiment.
Dr Manoj Kumar explains,
“Take pornographic sites for
instance; the initial curiosity
progresses to a habit and
then to addiction. The unruly
behaviour that follows may
not be rebelliousness; it is a
combination of personality
(introvert/extrovert), low
frustration tolerance, coping
mechanism, procrastination,
the inability to manage free
time, peer pressure or even
academic issues.” He adds that
in the clinic, gaming, social
media, chatting, pornography,
downloading movies or
music and reading are all very
common among users in the
age group of 14-24 years.
CARPAL
TUNNEL
SYNDROME,
MOST
COMMON IN
EXCESSIVE
COMPUTER
USE, INCLUDES
ITCHING,
TINGLING OR
NUMBNESS OF
THE FINGERS
The need for an Internet
de-addiction centre in the
country was very evident,
post an Indian Council of
Medical Research (ICMR)
funded study conducted by
the department of Clinical
Psychology, Centre for
Addiction Medicine and
Centre for Public Health,
NIMHANS, where 2755
subjects in the age group of
18-65 were interviewed at
their door steps from an urban
locality in Bengaluru. It was
observed that addictive use
80
DISCOVERY CHANNEL MAGAZINE INDIA
was present for – 1.3 per cent
(2 per cent males and 0.6 per
cent females) for the Internet;
4.1 per cent (5 per cent males
and 3.1 per cent females) for
mobile phones and 3.5 per
cent for social networking
sites. Another important
finding was that physical or
psychological distress was
present as morbidity – 6.8 per
cent with celphone addiction;
4.2 per cent with the Internet
use and 3 per cent with social
networking sites. Dr Manoj
Kumar adds that cyber-sexual
addiction is 0.2 per cent
India while internationally it
is 0.9 per cent.
Turnstone Global, a
non-profit organisation, has
successfully started Kolkata’s
THE ACTIVITY ROOM AT 'CENTRE FOR
first Internet de-addiction CHILDREN IN INTERNET AND TECHNOLOGY
centre earlier this year. Dr DISTRESS' AT UDAY FOUNDATION, NEW DELHI.
HERE, TEENAGERS ARE KEPT OCCUPIED WITH
Satyam Dey, Medical Director BOARD GAMES, GROUP DISCUSSIONS AND
at the organisaiton, reveals OTHER ACTIVITIES (BELOW)
some more numbers that
are equally shocking, if not
more. “India has a huge user
base for smartphones. The
total count of smartphone
user across the world is
around 1.78 billion and India
has almost 200 million
smartphone holders!” he says,
adding that very shortly India
will cross the US in terms of
Internet users, as we have a
population which comprises
mostly those below the age of
40. It can be easily assumed
that adolescent users are
largely contributing in this
segment. “In 2014, even
rural India had an increase
of 39 per cent in Internet
users, reaching 101 million
by October, 2014. It is also
estimated that over 65 per
cent of this are adolescents
using this facility without
any parental guidance or
supervision. Almost all
teenagers use the Internet
for gaming, watching porn,
explicit chats or dating.
As a whole, 18.88 per cent
adolescents use the Internet
including a small portion
that uses it for educational
 WEB
WEBJUNKIES
JUNKIES

activities
activities
such
such
as as
projects,
projects,
assignments
assignments andand
syllabus
syllabus ARE
AREYOU
YOUAN
ANADDICT?
ADDICT?
consultation,”
consultation,”DrDrDeyDey
states.
states.
Following
Following signs
signs
should
shouldsetset
anan
alarm
alarm
forfor
a a
SMART
SMART PHONES,
PHONES, visit
visit
to to
a counselor
a counseloror or
a de-addiction
a de-addiction
centre:
centre:
NOT
NOTPEOPLE
PEOPLE • Being
• Being preoccupied
preoccupied withwith
a strong
a strongdesire
desireto to
TheThe
numbers
numbers may may be bea little
a little use use
thetheInternet
Internet
overwhelming,
overwhelming, especially
especially forfor • A• feeling
A feeling of ofrestlessness,
restlessness, anxiety,
anxiety,
those
those
who who havehave been beenwitness
witness irritability,
irritability, depression
depression while
whiletrying
trying
to to
cutcut
to this
to this
cyber
cyberrevolution
revolution that that downdown Internet
Internet useuse
couldn’t
couldn’t havehavebeen been imagined
imagined • Marked
• Marked increase
increase in in
usage
usage
just
just
a decade
a decade ago.ago.ForFor parents
parents
• Frequent
• Frequent unsuccessful
unsuccessful attempts
attempts to to
control
control
whowhoonce
once uponupon a time
a time werewere Internet
Internet use use
content
content withwiththethe basicbasicDOS DOS or or
• Lying
• Lyingto tofamily
familyabout
about thethe
extent
extentof of
C++C++
programs,
programs, this this
avalanche
avalanche Internet
Internet use use
effect
effect
is an
is anunforeseen
unforeseen
difficulty.
difficulty.However,
However, thethe • Continued
• Continued excessive
excessive useuse
despite
despiteknowing
knowing
thetheconsequences
consequences
quandary
quandary doesn’t
doesn’t just justend end
there.
there.
While
While explaining
explaining thethe • Most
• Most non-school
non-school hours
hoursbeing
beingspent
spentononthethe
gravity
gravityof the
of the
problem,
problem, DrDr computer
computer or or
playing
playing video
video
games
games
Tara
Tara
mentions
mentions thethe case caseof aof a • Falling
• Falling behind
behind with
withassignments
assignments
14-year-old
14-year-old boyboy who who camecame • Falling
• Falling grades
grades
with
with
hishis
distraught
distraught parents.
parents. • Choosing
• Choosing thethecomputer
computer or or
video
videogames
games
“The
“Theparents
parents were were shocked
shocked overover
friends/family
friends/family
at his
at his
sudden
sudden change
change in in • Dropping
• Dropping outout of of
other
othersocial
socialgroups
groups (clubs
(clubs
behaviour.
behaviour. HeHe wouldwould shut shut or orsports)
sports)
himself
himselfin his
in his
room room forfor daysdays • Being
• Being irritable
irritable when
when notnot
playing
playinga video
a video
either
either
chatting
chatting withwith friends
friends or or gamegame or orbeingbeingononthethe
computer
computer
playing
playingonline
online games
games or orjustjust
surfing;
surfing;often
ofteneveneven skipping
skipping Most
Mostcommon
common physical
physical
symptoms
symptoms
associated
associated
meals.
meals.Any Anyquestions
questions from from thethe with
with
teen
teen
Internet
Internet
addiction:
addiction:
family
familywould
would getget irritated
irritated and and • Carpal
• Carpal tunnel
tunnelsyndrome:
syndrome: itching,
itching,
tingling
tingling
angry
angryreactions.
reactions. Internet
Internet forfor or or
numbness
numbness in in
thethe
fingers
fingers(associated
(associated
himhim
was waslikelike
a drug
a drug thatthatkeptkept with
with
repetitive
repetitivemotions
motions such
suchasas
excessive
excessive
himhim
going.
going. HisHisparents
parents gotgot keyboard
keyboard use)
use)
really
really
worried
worried when when hehe started
started • Insomnia
• Insomnia
avoiding
avoiding a bath
a bath or orbrushing
brushing hishis • Poor
• Poornutrition
nutrition
(failing
(failing
or or
refusing
refusing to to
eat,
eat,
in in
teeth.
teeth.
HeHe lostlost
a lot
a lotof weight
of weight order
orderto to
remain
remain online)
online)
andand
alsoalso
started
started skipping
skipping
• Poor
• Poorpersonal
personal hygiene
hygiene (again,
(again,neglecting
neglecting
school,”
school,”DrDr TaraTara shares.
shares. this
this
important
important issue
issuein in
order
orderto to
focus
focusonon
Alarmed,
Alarmed, thethe
parents
parents gotgotthethe online
onlineactivities)
activities)
boyboy
to the
to the de-addiction
de-addiction centre
centre • Headaches,
• Headaches, persistent
persistent back
backandand
neck
neckpain
pain
forfor
counselling.
counselling. AfterAfter a few
a few
sessions,
sessions, there
therewas wasa dramatic
a dramatic • Dry
• Dry
eyes
eyes andand
vision
vision
problems
problems
improvement
improvement in his
in his behaviour.
behaviour.
However,
However, DrDr Tara Tarais is
of the
of the
opinion
opinion that thatthethe
advancements
advancements in technology
in technology
andand
thethe
Internet
Internet areare onlyonly
partially
partiallyto be
to beblamed.
blamed.
Retrospective
Retrospective studies
studies havehave
PHOTOS UDAY FOUNDATION, NEW DELHI

PHOTOS UDAY FOUNDATION, NEW DELHI

revealed
revealed thatthat
children
children either
either
mimic
mimic their
theirparents
parents or orareare
(inadvertently)
(inadvertently) encouraged
encouraged byby
them.
them.“There
“There havehave beenbeen casescases
where
where parents
parents havehave given
given
smartphones
smartphones to their
to their kidskidsas as
a a
summer
summer vacation
vacation funfun activity.
activity.
TheThe
children
children spendspend thethe entire
entire
vacation
vacation playing
playing gamesgames or or

81 81
APRIL
APRIL
2015
2015
 chatting, finally getting so
hooked to the device that it
becomes difficult for them
to keep it away once school
resumes! Who is to be blamed
here?” she questions.
Dr Pulkit has something
similar to say. According
to him, these days many
parents rely heavily on the
Internet and smartphones
for even the simplest of
SURVEYS
INDICATE
THAT ABOUT
40 MILLION
INDIANS
ARE ONLINE
EVERYDAY,
60 PER CENT
BEING BELOW
THE AGE OF 25
tasks; children growing up
in this environment find
technological gadgets a very
normal part of life. “Plus,
children are often lonely as
parents are very busy. Such
kids get depressed and look for
a quick fix. The Internet offers
them a lot of exciting short-
term distractions to feel good
instantly,” he adds.
The number of teenagers
carrying smartphones
to schools leaves one
dumbfounded. No school
allows carrying and using
mobile phones on campus.
What else but a compulsive
desire to stay “connected”
can prompt children as
young as nine and 10 to carry
phones to school, despite
being well-aware that the
device might be confiscated?
The case of 15-year-old Puja
(name changed) opens up
another shocking reason
behind it – social status.
When Puja’s parents refused
to get her a smartphone, she
asked if she could get a copy
of just the device, without
an actual connection, so she
could hold the phone and look
“cool”. So, maintaining one’s
“status” among one’s peers
is also a major reason. Using
smartphones has become
important to ‘fit in’.
WHY LOG OFF?
It isn’t difficult to fathom
the impact any addiction can
have on one’s life. However,
when it comes to the
Internet and technology, the
psychological and physical
repercussions pose as two
separate evils to deal with,
despite being interconnected.
Internet addiction first
controls the thought process
and gradually starts affecting
the body. “The most evident
impacts are on one’s social
life and emotional well-being.
The patients are constantly
distressed and in their own
shell with severe adjustment
issues,” says Dr Pulkit.
Though counselling can
solve these problems almost
entirely, the physical effects
of extensive computer and
smartphone use can have

HOOKED ON PIXELS MEET SOME OF THE MOST POPULAR GAMES THAT DRAW THEIR SHARE OF ADDICTS
WORLD OF WARCRAFT
RELEASED OVER A DECADE AGO, THIS MMORPG
(MASSIVELY MULTIPLAYER ONLINE ROLE-
PLAYING GAME) STILL HAS OVER SIX MILLION
SUBSCRIBERS, MANY OF THEM FANATICALLY
ADDICTED. IN 2012 IT WAS CALCULATED THAT
SINCE ITS RELEASE, PLAYERS HAD COLLECTIVELY
PLAYED MORE HOURS OF WOW THAN MANKIND
HAD SPENT AS A SPECIES: 5.9 MILLION YEARS
CALL OF DUTY
THE ORIGINAL MILITARY SHOOT-EM-UP WAS RELEASED
IN 2003 BUT HAS SPAWNED DOZENS OF SEQUELS SINCE
THEN. SALES OF THE SERIES HAVE TOPPED US$10
BILLION. BOBBY KOTICK, CEO OF THE GAME PUBLISHER,
BOASTED THAT THE LATEST TITLE RELEASED “WAS THE
BIGGEST ENTERTAINMENT LAUNCH OF 2014 IN TERMS
OF REVENUE, SURPASSING ALL MOVIE, MUSIC, AND
BOOK LAUNCHES THIS YEAR”

82
DISCOVERY CHANNEL MAGAZINE INDIA
 WEB
WEBJUNKIES
JUNKIES

ADDICTION
ADDICTIONALERT!
ALERT!
ACCORDING
ACCORDING TOTO
AA REPORT
REPORT PUBLISHED
PUBLISHEDININ
JANUARY
JANUARY2015
2015
BYBYTHE
THE
INTERNET
INTERNET AND
ANDMOBILE
MOBILE
ASSOCIATION
ASSOCIATIONOFOFINDIA
INDIA
(IMAI):
(IMAI):

11
There
There were
wereapproximately
approximately seven
sevenmillion
million
Internet
Internetusers
users inin
India,
India,
inin
2001,
2001,
and
and
this
this
number
number has
hasshot
shotupupbyby
aashocking
shocking2525
times
times inin
the
the
last
last
1212years.
years.

22
The
Theresearch
research adds
adds
that
thatabout
about4040
million
million
Indians
Indiansare
are
online
onlineevery
everyday,
day,
and
andover
over
6060
per
percent
cent
ofof
Internet
Internetand
andsmartphone
smartphone
users
usersare
arebelow
belowthe
the
age
ageofof
25.
25.

33
The
The number
number ofof
people
peopleaccessing
accessing
the
theInternet
Internetinin
India
Indiawill
willjump
jumpfrom
from
190
190 million
million
inin
June
June 2014
2014 toto over
over 550
550
million
millioninin
2018,
2018,primarily
primarily asas
aa result
result
ofof
the
thenear-universal
near-universal 2G2G reach,
reach, improved
improved
3G3Gand
andwireline,
wireline,and
and govern¬ment
govern¬ment
intervention
intervention ononsuch
such keykey
issues
issues asas
pub¬lic
pub¬lic
access,
access, connectivity
connectivity costs,
costs,
and
and consumer
consumer
awareness.
awareness.

44
Even
Eveninin
rural
rural
India,
India,
the
the
Internet
Internet
user
user
base
baseisis
likely
likely
toto
gogo
upupbyby
4040
per
per
cent
cent
per
perannum.
annum.
PHOTOS (MAIN) UDAY FOUNDATION, NEW DELHI; DREAMSTIME
PHOTOS (MAIN) UDAY FOUNDATION, NEW DELHI; DREAMSTIME

WHILE
WHILEBEING
BEINGININ
THE
THE
OUTDOORS
OUTDOORS ISIS
EXTREMELY
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT
IMPORTANTFOR
FOR
ANY
ANYCHILD'S
CHILD'S
OVERALL
OVERALLGROWTH
GROWTH AND
ANDDEVELOPMENT,
DEVELOPMENT, INDOOR
INDOORGAMES
GAMES
LIKE
LIKE
CHESS,
CHESS,CARDS,
CARDS,
AND
ANDACTIVITIES
ACTIVITIES
LIKE
LIKE
READING,
READING,STORY-TELLING,
STORY-TELLING, DEBATES,
DEBATES,
ETC.
ETC.
MAKE
MAKECHILDREN
CHILDREN
MENTALLY
MENTALLY ALERT
ALERTAND
ANDATTENTIVE.
ATTENTIVE.
INTERNET
INTERNET DE-ADDICTION
DE-ADDICTIONCENTRES
CENTRES
ARE
ARETURNING
TURNING BACK
BACK
TOTOTHE
THE
AGE-OLD
AGE-OLD INDOOR
INDOOR GAMES
GAMES
AND
ANDACTIVITIES
ACTIVITIES
TOTO
CHANNELISE
CHANNELISE A CHILD'S
A CHILD'S
MENTAL
MENTALENERGY
ENERGY BETTER
BETTER

STARCRAFT
STARCRAFTII II FLAPPY
FLAPPYBIRD
BIRD
A SCI-FI
A SCI-FI
STRATEGY
STRATEGY GAME
GAME SOMETIMES,
SOMETIMES, SIMPLE
SIMPLE GAMES
GAMES CREATE
CREATE THETHE
MOST
MOST RABID
RABID
JUNKIES.
JUNKIES. FLAPPY
FLAPPY BIRD
BIRD
WAS
WAS
RELEASED
RELEASED ININ
2010
2010AND
ANDHIGHLY
HIGHLY A SMARTPHONE
A SMARTPHONE GAME
GAME WHERE
WHERE YOU
YOU SIMPLY
SIMPLYHADHAD TOTO
MAKE
MAKESURE
SUREYOUR
YOUR PIXELATED
PIXELATED
POPULAR
POPULAR ININ
SOUTH
SOUTH KOREA.
KOREA. ONON BIRD
BIRDDIDN’T
DIDN’T
FLY
FLY
INTO
INTOA PIPE
A PIPEWITH
WITHA FEW
A FEWWELL-TIMED
WELL-TIMED TAPS.
TAPS.INDIE
INDIE DEVELOPER
DEVELOPER
ITSITS
RELEASE
RELEASE IT IT
BECAME
BECAME THETHE DONG
DONG NGUYEN
NGUYEN PULLED
PULLED THE
THEGAME
GAME OFFOFFAPP
APPSTORES,
STORES,BECAUSE:
BECAUSE: “IT“IT
HAPPENED
HAPPENED TOTO
FASTEST-SELLING
FASTEST-SELLING GAME
GAME ININ
ITSITS BECOME
BECOME ANAN
ADDICTIVE
ADDICTIVE PRODUCT.
PRODUCT. I THINK
I THINKIT IT
HAS
HASBECOME
BECOME A PROBLEM.
A PROBLEM. TOTO
SOLVE
SOLVE
GENRE
GENRE OFOFALL
ALL
TIME,
TIME,
WITH
WITHOVER
OVER THAT
THATPROBLEM,
PROBLEM, IT’S
IT’S
BEST
BEST TOTO
TAKE
TAKE DOWN
DOWN FLAPPY
FLAPPY BIRD.
BIRD.
IT’S
IT’S
GONE.”
GONE.” USERS
USERSWAILED
WAILED
THREE
THREEMILLION
MILLION COPIES
COPIESBLITZING
BLITZING THEIR
THEIRCOLLECTIVE
COLLECTIVE FURY,
FURY, AND
ANDSEVERAL
SEVERAL DEATH
DEATH THREATS
THREATS WERE
WERE EVEN
EVEN LEVELLED
LEVELLEDATAT
OUTOUTOFOF
STORES
STORES WORLDWIDE
WORLDWIDE THE
THEHARD-NOSED
HARD-NOSED NGUYEN
NGUYEN

8383
APRIL
APRIL
2015
2015
 much longer lasting effects if
GAME left untreated for too long. Dr
LINGO Rajeev Sharma, orthopaedic
THESE ARE TERMS surgeon, Apollo Hospital, New
USED MAINLY BY Delhi, notes that while excess
ONLINE PLAYERS. of anything is bad, technology
HOWEVER, GAMING addiction can be worse.
SLANG CAN VARY Long hours of sitting in the
TREMENDOUSLY
FROM COUNTRY same position, be it with the
TO COUNTRY smartphone or the computer,
affects the posture causing
AFK backache. Constant strain on
AWAY FROM KEYBOARD. the back, neck and shoulders
A STATE MOST can cause chronic problems
GAMING ADDICTS FIND
UNCOMFORTABLE (repetitive strain injury) like
painful joints and fatigue.
DING! Dr Tara mentions that
AN EXPRESSION OF JOY most patients at Uday
UTTERED AFTER A USER Foundation also complain
HAS PASSED A LEVEL OR
THEIR CHARACTER HAS
of Carpal tunnel syndrome
GAINED A NEW POWER – something that is very
common among people who
FETCH QUEST use computers for extended
AN IN-GAME MISSION hours. The condition occurs
WHEREBY THE PLAYER when the median nerve that
MUST TRAVERSE A NO SLOWING
LARGE AREA, OFTEN runs from the forearm into DOWN!
GOING BACK SEVERAL the palm is pressed at the Increase in Internet use among
LEVELS, TO FETCH A wrist. Symptoms include teens is potentially because the
CRUCIAL OBJECT THAT burning and itchy fingers, with
WILL ALLOW THEM availability and access to the Internet
TO ADVANCE TO THE
frequent numbness. has boomed, and it will continue to too.
NEXT STAGE Long hours of staring The definition of ‘Internet addiction’ is
at the computer or an evolving concept, whether in teens or
KILL STEAL smartphone screens leave adults. It is still far from being seen as a
WHEN A TEAM the eyes strained, dry and "medical disorder" in our Indian narrative.
OF GAMERS WORKS infection-prone, apart
TOGETHER TO It is seen definitely as a fast emerging
DEFEAT AN ENEMY, from negatively affecting social narrative. What has not kept pace
AND ONE MEMBER the vision, says Dr Kinshuk at all is any thinking about what the
CLAIMS CREDIT Biswas, ophthalmologist, consequences are or can be – good,
Columbia Asia Hospital, bad or ugly.
LEWT Gurgaon. “Usually, the
REFERS TO HIGHLY — Psychiatrist Dr Kavita Arora, Children
DESIRABLE IN-GAME
eye blinks to lubricate the First — A multi-disciplinary child
WEAPONS, ARMOUR OR cornea. This tear film covers and adolescent mental health
ITEMS. SOUNDS LIKE the transparent part of the service in Delhi
"LOOT", GET IT? eye and is responsible for
its nourishment, facilitate
PWN vision and to remove micro-
AN EXPRESSION THAT
INDICATES ONE PLAYER bacterial flora which is
HAS BEATEN ANOTHER. responsible for infections.
FOR EXAMPLE: “HIS But when one is staring at
LEVEL 48 NECROWIZARD the screen for a long period
JUST GOT TOTALLY
PWNED BY MY VIKING OF
of time, the blink reflex
THUNDER DEATH” decreases, leading to the eyes
being dry and malnourished.
SMURFING Such eyes are easily prone to
WHEN AN EXPERIENCED infections,” he adds.
PLAYER CREATES A
NEW ACCOUNT TO
DISGUISE THEMSELVES AS A WELCOME INITIATIVE
Dr Tara states that most often, CHILDREN HOOKED TO ONLINE CHATTING
A NEW PLAYER TO EASILY AND COMPUTER GAMES ARE DIFFICULT
DEFEAT INEXPERIENCED parents bring their children TO WEAN AWAY FROM THE INTERNET.
OPPONENTS to the centres on hearing or BUT IT HAS BEEN SEEN THAT THEY
APPRECIATE THE PHYSICAL AND M ENTAL
"RELIEF" THAT ACTIVTIES NOT INVOLVING
84 TECHNOLOGY OFFER, AT THE INTERNET
DISCOVERY CHANNEL MAGAZINE INDIA DE-ADDICTION CENTRES (TOP)
 WEB
WEBJUNKIES
JUNKIES

reading
reading about
about thethe facility.
facility. needs,
needs, psychological
psychological
TheThe first
firstfewfew sessions
sessions areare just
just assessment
assessment through
through individual
individual
casual
casual discussions
discussions about
about thethe andandgroup
group classes
classes begins.
begins. This
This
patient’s
patient’s daily
daily routine,
routine, things
things is is
followed
followed bybyseveral
several group
group
they
they like
likeoror dislike,
dislike, etc.etc.“One
“One activities
activities including
including indoor
indoor
can’t
can’t simply
simply announce
announce toto aa andandoutdoor
outdoor involvement.
involvement. The
The
patient
patient – looks
– looks like
likeyou you areare patients
patients are arekept
kept occupied
occupied
addicted
addicted toto thethe Internet.
Internet. That
That with
with chess,
chess, carom,
carom, cards
cards
cancanhave
have permanent
permanent negative
negative andandother
other indoor
indoor games.
games.
impacts,
impacts, making
making it it
almost
almost These
These games
games help
help makemake their
their
impossible
impossible toto bebe treated
treated thoughts
thoughts moremore systematic
systematic and
and
further.
further. SoSo wewe have
have totostart
startbyby logical.
logical.DrDr DeyDey emphasises
emphasises
asking
asking very
very casual
casual questions
questions onon getting
getting patients
patients involved
involved
about
about mundane
mundane activities.
activities. ItItis is ininother
otheractivities
activities like
likevisiting
visiting
amazing
amazing totosee see them
them open-up
open-up places,
places,volunteering
volunteering andandother
other
asasthe
the sessions
sessions progress,”
progress,” social
socialprojects
projects that
thatinterest
interest
sheshereveals.
reveals. them,
them, toto
helphelp them
them live
live
the
the
“We“We also
also conduct
conduct several
several “real”
“real”social
social life.
life.
formal
formal andand informal
informal sessions
sessions
with
with
schools
students
schools
students
andand
atat various
colleges,
various
colleges, clubbed
clubbed
RESEARCH
RESEARCH
with
with thethe screening
screening andand RESULTS
RESULTS
counseling,”
counseling,” shares
shares DrDr Dey,
Dey, INDICATE
INDICATETHAT
THAT
asashehe speaks
functioning
speaks
functioning
about
ofof
about
anan
the the
Internet
exact
Internet
exact
THE
THENUMBER
NUMBER
de-addiction
de-addiction centre.
centre. When
When OF
OFNET
NETUSERS
USERS
a prospect
a prospect comes
comes toto thethe IN
ININDIA
INDIAWILL
WILL
clinic,
clinic, their
their empanelled
empanelled
doctors
doctors along
along withwith clinical
clinical JUMP
JUMPFROM
FROM
psychologists
psychologists speak
speak with
with 190
190MILLION
MILLIONININ
them
them
level
level
toto note
note
(student/job
their
(student/job
their societal
societal
holder/
holder/
JUNE
JUNE2014
2014TOTO
residual
residual user
user etc.),
etc.),level
level ofof WELL
WELLOVER
OVER
understanding,
understanding, maturity
maturity 550
550MILLION
MILLION
level
leveland
descriptors
and
descriptors
other
other
toto
relevant
relevant
identify
identify thethe
IN
IN2018!
2018!
victim
victim asas a mild,
a mild, moderate
moderate oror DrDr Manoj
Manoj Kumar,
Kumar, from
fromthe
the
severe
severe IAD IAD victim.
victim. “Further
“Further SHUT
SHUT Clinic
Clinicfollows
follows a very
a very
totosuch
such identification,
identification, there
there systematically
systematically designed,
designed, step
step
is is
a huge
a huge base
base ofof modules
modules byby
step
step approach
approach toto
address
address
andandtools
tools which
which play
play aa the
the
problem:
problem:
pivotal
pivotal role
roleinin treating
treating thethe Step
Step 1 –1 A
–Aclinical
clinicalinterview
interview toto
disorder.
disorder. AtAt ourour centre,
centre, thethe understand
understand thethe
usage
usage pattern
pattern
practical
practical andand theoretical
theoretical and
anddysfunctions
dysfunctions with
withthe
the
assessment
assessment and and monitoring
monitoring help
help ofof
ananInternet
Internet addiction
addiction
is is
conducted
conducted simultaneously.
simultaneously. test,
test,
video
videogame
game addiction
addiction
AtAtregular
regular intervals,
intervals, wewe tool,
tool,Facebook
Facebook intensity
intensity
sensitise
sensitise students
students inin schools
schools questionnaire,
questionnaire, screening
screening
about
about holistic
holistic learning
learning andand tool
toolforfor
mobile
mobile phone,
phone,
effective
effective useuse ofof thethe Internet.
Internet. pornography,
pornography, shopping,
shopping,
PHOTOS UDAY FOUNDATION, NEW DELHI; DREAMSTIME
PHOTOS UDAY FOUNDATION, NEW DELHI; DREAMSTIME

InIncolleges
colleges tootoo wewe havehave similar
similar gambling,
gambling, etc.
etc.
community
community talks
talks where
where wewe Step
Step 2– 2 Educate
– Educate and
and provide
provide
work
work asas a mentor-mentee
a mentor-mentee feedback
feedback about
about the
theusage
usageand
and
team.
team. We We nownow planplan toto conduct
conduct dysfunctions,
dysfunctions, and
andpromote
promote
tri-monthly
tri-monthly conferences
conferences with
with healthy
healthy use.
use.
selected
selected schools
schools andand colleges
colleges Step
Step 3– 3 Work
– Work onon
coping
coping
where
where practical
practical training
training will
will behaviour
behaviour asaswell
wellasas
emotions,
emotions,
bebegiven,”
given,” hehe informs.
informs. using
using psychotherapy.
psychotherapy.
After
After identifying
identifying thethe Step
Step 4 4Counselling
Counselling thethe
disorder
disorder andand the the patient’s
patient’s family
family soso
that
thatthey
theycancan
relax
relax

8585
APRIL
APRIL
2015
2015
 WEB JUNKIES

INTERNET ADDICTION HAS

SERIOUS OPHTHALMIC
AND ORTHOPAEDIC

PHOTO DREAMSTIME
REPERCUSSIONS THANKS TO
SITTING FOR LONG HOURS
AND STARING AT THE SCREEN

teenagers, they avoid coming psychological, physical symptoms like irritability,

THERE WERE for long sessions. So we like to
ABOUT SEVEN achieve all these steps in three
MILLION to four sessions and encourage
them for long term follow-up,
INTERNET at times, even via telephone.
USERS IN We also initiate support
INDIA IN 2001, groups for family and patients
once a month,” he explains.
AND THIS Apart from counseling, at
NUMBER HAS Uday Foundation, children are
encouraged to play traditional
SHOT UP BY A games that are now almost
SHOCKING 25 forgotten. Self-help groups
TIMES IN THE are created, i.e., once a child
starts using the Internet and
LAST 12 YEARS technology in a better manner,
amongst themselves. they help other children
Step 5 – Ensure that the with their own experiences.
family diligently attends Plus, an effort is made to
treatment follow-up sessions. lay a strong foundation
“As most patients are for a well-conceived
and social development of
the child, through cultural
events, interactive education,
device-free retreats and
camps, school workshops
and seminars, community
building, and outdoor
adventure activities. Small
groups of patients along with
their parents spend a weekend
with the team, where the
entire day has group activities
like yoga, meditation, eating
together, games, storytelling
and much more. The
foundation now plans to
increase the frequency of
their group activities and
group interactions.
However, even after coping
with stressful withdrawal
anger, restlessness,
emotional distress, etc.,
there is no guarantee that a
patient won’t revert to old
habits given an environment
conducive enough, admit
those handling the cases.
“Like any addiction, this
too requires more of self-
determination and will than
anything else. So, sticking
to the new, improved and
healthier routine has to be
a matter of personal choice
even when out of the centre.
That could effect a ‘cure’”
says Dr Tara. No wonder
then that these centres have
arrived with a fresh ray of
hope for ‘connections that
never seem to time-out’.

86
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THE MARS PHOTO GETTY IMAGES

88
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 SPACE

S’ MARCH!
IN 2011, MARS ONE JOINED NATIONAL SPACE AGENCIES
IN A BID TO SEND PEOPLE TO MARS, PERMANENTLY.
FROM THE INITIAL POOL OF 202,586 APPLICANTS,
AROUND 705 SPACE HOPEFULS REMAIN, PENDING
RESULTS FROM THE THIRD ROUND OF INTERVIEWS.
WHAT EXACTLY WILL HAPPEN IF THE CONTROVERSIAL
ONE-WAY MISSION TO MARS SUCCEEDS? WHAT KIND
OF A LIFE WILL THE LUCKY FEW LEAD? SARAH LIU
TOUCHES OFF TO FIND OUT

89
APRIL 2015
Every day of the week except
Sundays, a bleary-eyed Dianne
McGrath religiously drags
herself to the gym by 6am. Her
intensive exercise regimen
supports her on-off affair with
chocolate and cakes. An affair
that could see an untimely
death soon. In the months after
she speaks to DCM, there’s
a possibility she might get a
letter that changes her life.
As a hopeful in the Mars One
astronaut selection programme,
McGrath may have to give up
the chocolates, the cakes, and
the morning runs — in fact, give
up all of her life as she knows
it — in order to set off on a one-
way mission to Mars.
t has long been humans on the Red Planet understanding, and to fulfill Institute of Integral Studies,
a distant dream in The Martian Chronicles, our age-old obsession with and Director of Interstellar
of authors and we first sent Laika the exploring the outer limits of Message Composition — and
philosophers martyred Russian dog into our world. Indeed, now that the only social scientist — at
alike, a frontier space in 1952. We then we’ve covered 83 percent of the SETI Institute, in San
to end all successfully toured, and the Earth with our footsteps, Francisco, US.
frontiers — the returned from, the moon in the vastness of space presents In fact, our recent
colonising of 1969. And next up, we look itself as a final frontier. times seem to have been
Mars. In the set to commercialise space “The face of Earth is now characterised by a revival of
little over 60 flight, to make a trip beyond explored. There’s nowhere the type of Mars fervour that
years since the atmosphere available for to go but up,” explains peaked 50 years ago after
Ray Bradbury the super rich and sponsor- Douglas Vakoch, who is NASA’s Mariner 4 spacecraft
published his friendly alike. both a professor in clinical sent back 21 shots of the
splendidly We have spent millions and psychology at the Californian Red Planet in 1965, our first
surreal tales risked lives to continuously
of pioneering push the boundaries of our

90
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 SPACE

factor in certain up-front risks

AN ARTIST RENDERING OF THE
MARS ONE COLONY, AS IMAGINED
BY THE DUTCH NONPROFIT
ORGANISATION WHICH INTENDS
TO SEND FOUR ASTRONAUTS
TO THE RED PLANET IN 2024
TO ESTABLISH A PERMANENT
HUMAN SETTLEMENT ON MARS
of failure, with the possibility
of deaths, that national
agencies such as NASA are
no longer willing to consider.
Those that have made a
private pitch for a slice of the
Mars action include the high
profile SpaceX, founded by
Tesla Motors’ Elon Musk, and
Inspiration Mars Foundation,
headed by multi-millionaire
Dennis Tito, who also happens
to be the world’s first space
tourist to fund his own trip
into space. In mid-2001,
he spent nearly eight days
in orbit as a crewmember
on a visiting mission to the
International Space Station.
But another unlikely
candidate has emerged among
the big boys. Enter Mars One,
a not-for-profit organisation
established by Bas Lansdorp
and Arno Wielders, two
apparent underdogs from
The Netherlands. Even as big
players like Tito flag delays
to their target mission dates
— from 2018 to 2021 — Mars
One remains unbothered
by public scepticism as to
whether scientists yet have
the technical capabilities to
support human life on Mars.
Nine years from now, the
company aims to send an
initial team of four pioneers to
both scour and permanently
live on, the alien territory.

glimpse into the planet’s
dusty, pockmarked wasteland.
Now, some scientists eager
to reignite the “glory days” of
the Apollo lunar missions, are
campaigning for a manned
mission to Mars, to leave a
PHOTO BRYAN VERSTEEG/MARS ONE
colonising a neighbouring
planet that no human has
yet visited certainly seems
like a leap in the dark. Yet
for its proponents, it would
also seem to be increasingly
possible, given advances
imaginable. The difference
now however is that national,
government-financed space
agencies are no longer alone
in calling the shots. Instead,
they now share the control
panels with a number of
ONE-WAY TICKET
The Mars One project hit the
news in 2011, when it unveiled
its surprising, yet it insists
legitimate, plan to establish a
permanent human settlement
on Mars, from 2024. In the
meantime, Mars One says it
aims to raise the US$6 billion

working populous there.
THE NEW SPACE RACE
While we currently
send people aboard the
International Space
Station, the idea of actually
in technology, and our
increasing knowledge of
Martian territory. Seemingly,
a new Space Race is on, and
we may be closer to realising
Bradbury’s bizarre dream
than we had once thought
private enterprises and not-
for-profit organisations. And
as such, it is also difficult for
us to discern how likely their
plans are to be actioned.
Pundits suggest that
private missions to Mars can
that it estimates it will need
— a steal compared to NASA’s
$80 to $100 billion budget for
deep space exploration over
the next 20 years.
This Mars mission,
however, has been likened
to a jettison. The first-ever
Mars residents will never see

91
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 their families and friends on MARS ONE PLANS TO
Earth in person again. Then LAUNCH AN UNMANNED
SUPPLY MISSION IN JANUARY
as Mars and Earth make their 2016. IT WILL LAND THAT
closest approach at twice OCTOBER WITH MORE THAN
yearly intervals, Mars One 2,000 KILOGRAMS OF FOOD
OR OTHER SUPPLIES, IN
aims to raise a further US$4 READINESS FOR HUMAN
billion, in order to grow the SETTLEMENT IN 2024
colony population by a further
four residents every two years,
as new and intrepid explorers
land on Mars.
The plan, timed over six
missions in total, seems
simple. For some, perhaps it’s
a little too simple. From 2016,
a demonstration mission
plans to send what it deems
as “necessary” supplies to
Mars. Two years later, Mars
One will send a rover to locate
the most suitable place for the
settlement. In 2020, Lansdorp
and Wielders aim to send the
following to Mars: another
unit for supplies, another
rover, two life support units,
and two living units.

MARS ONE IS
EVIDENTLY
UNBOTHERED
BY THE PUBLIC
SCEPTICISM AS
TO WHETHER
SCIENTISTS
YET HAVE THE
TECHNICAL
CAPABILITIES
TO SUPPORT THE AUDITION
HUMAN LIFE PROCESS
ON MARS With 200,000 applicants
received for just four “pioneer”
Assuming that every positions, the Mars One project
mission goes smoothly, the has had to seriously whittle down the
two car-sized robotic rovers candidates. At press time, a total of 1058
will first move all equipment people are still in the running — 586 men
to the settlement, where they and 472 woman — with more than 107
will then assemble all the solar countries represented. All candidates are
panels needed for life-support aged 18 years or older; 357 are under 25
PHOTO BRYAN VERSTEEG/MARS ONE

systems. Next will begin
the effort to start gathering
water from the Martian soil,
essentially “baking” it in order
to extract water .
Initial food supplies appear
to be sparse, save for some
92
DISCOVERY CHANNEL MAGAZINE INDIA
and 415 are under 35. The oldest person on
the list is 81 years of age. The candidates
will be narrowed down to 40 by 2018,
before moving on to a Mars One-
sponsored reality show, where
the viewers will decide who
will colonize the
Red Planet.

emergency “storable food”.
On arrival, Mars settlers will
certainly not be savouring
sushi and salami, and clinking
champagne glasses. On arrival,
they’ll need to start growing
food where possible, or live
on a diet of insects and algae,
within a self-sustaining and
life-supporting ecosystem
that will somehow produce
a viable atmosphere. When
there’s eventually enough
water and air for humans
to survive in the artificial
atmosphere for a long enough
time, the first four “chosen
ones” will be launched on
their seven-to-eight-month
journey to Mars.
Naturally, a plan as
ambitious as Mars One invites
praise, criticism and ridicule.
Granted, the project initially
inspired a well publicised
200,000 applicants to sign
up. Yet initially at least, the
project has yet to describe in
detail its exact plans for some
of the colony’s basic needs.
Lansdorp told a 2012 TEDx
Talk: “We have rockets that
can be used to send humans
and equipment to Mars. We
know how to land equipment
on Mars. And we have the
technology to keep humans
alive in space [with photos
of the International Space
Station] and we can use this
technology to sustain human
life on Mars,” he noted. “And
we have robotic support
missions [with photos of
rovers] that help the humans
on Mars. All the technology
that we need to send humans
to Mars and to sustain their
lives there, exists.”
Despite the fact that
they may seem as yet to lack
a certain weight in their
promises to develop the
necessary technology over
the next decade, Lansdorp
and Wielders’ team dares to
dream. And of course, not
knowing everything yet does
not guarantee future failure.
History has shown that, no
MEET THE APPLICANTS
WE CAUGHT UP WITH THREE INDIVIDUALS
ON THE LONG-LIST FOR THE MARS ONE
PROJECT. THEY TALKED TO DCM ABOUT THE
CHALLENGES AHEAD, AND THE THOUGHT OF
LEAVING OUR EARTH FOREVER
Dianne McGrath,
sustainability and
business consultant, in
Melbourne, Australia I
am not afraid of going to
Mars and leaving Earth. I
know that the loneliness
aspect is something
the selected astronauts
will have trained hard
to be ready for, and they
will have many tools
available to help through
tough times. We will
have Internet access, so
contact with loved ones
will still be possible. What
does worry me is whether
I can live up to my own
expectations. I feel that
if I’m lucky enough to
be chosen, I am not
only representing Mars
One, but also the rest of
humanity. That’s a lot of
responsibility!
Robert P. Schröder
electrical engineering
student at the University
of Applied Science
Darmstadt, Germany I
am not scared of being
away from Earth for a
lifetime — that's the
biggest adventure of
humanity. There will be
limitless possibilities to
build up the first outpost
and civilisation on Mars;
other organisations will
follow, or are already
preparing their venture.
I like challenge. Up
there, one will need to
adapt accordingly, as
SPACE
there won't be the same
resources as on Earth. So
creativity will be a must.
Max Fagin, aerospace
engineering graduate
student at Purdue
University, and
engineering intern at
SpaceX in Los Angeles,
USA Life on Mars won’t
be easy. And while I don’t
want my life to be difficult,
some difficulty is usually
required, in order to
enable something great
— such as, for example,
making humanity a
multi-planetary species.
But that doesn’t bother
me. Stop and think about
just how strange it is
that we live in a world
where a significant
fraction of the human
race will never have to
worry about producing
enough food to eat, or
obtaining enough water
to drink. Historically, that
is extremely unusual.
I’m willing to give up the
luxury of food delivered to
my doorstep in exchange
for the very genuine
challenges that living on
Mars presents.
93
APRIL 2015
 THE MARS ONE LIVING
SPACES ARE DESIGNED
TO BE COMFORTABLE BUT
MINIMALIST SINCE SHIPPING
OF ONLY THE MOST CRITICAL
matter the challenge, it behind everything they love LIVING ELEMENTS WILL BE
takes enterprise and audacity on Earth,” he notes. Yet as he POSSIBLE
to enable something great reminds us, this experience
to happen. is far from unique in human
In the words of former US history. “In reality, this is
President John F Kennedy, similar to the loss that all
we chose to go to the moon immigrants felt throughout
not because it was easy, but the history of human
because it was hard. Given migrations, whether they
that mankind has made it were forced to leave home or
to the moon and back, with whether they left voluntarily,”
1960s technology, what’s so he says.
far-fetched about this plan? Judged from the comfort
of the future, Mars One may
ON ARRIVAL, turn out to be just the kind of
plan that we need, in order
SETTLERS to overcome the difficulty,
WILL EITHER cost and danger of a round-
NEED TO START trip mission — and to ensure
that those who travel there
GROWING can really achieve something
FOOD, OR LIVE meaningful. “Mars One
ON INSECTS is revolutionary because
it overcomes one of the
AND ALGAE, greatest challenges faced by
WITHIN A SELF- past missions planned for
SUSTAINING the Red Planet: getting back
home safely”, says Vakoch.
ECOSYSTEM Instead of grappling with
THAT WILL complicated, not to mention
extremely costly, procedures
PRODUCE to launch from Mars back to
A VIABLE Earth, he points out that the
ATMOSPHERE solution Mars One provides
is elegantly simple (and “free-
As Vakoch, whose of-charge”). Its astronauts
published works include will simply never return.
Psychology of Space “Astronauts usually have
PHOTO BRYAN VERSTEEG/MARS ONE

Exploration, tells DCM, one the comfort of knowing they

major difference this time
around is the apparent finality
of the Mars mission. “Most
people can’t conceive of
going on Mars One, because
they can’t imagine leaving
can return to a safe, familiar
environment. However
difficult the mission is, there’s
an end in sight. Not so for
Mars One. By launching off
to Mars, they’ll be making a

A BRIEF HISTORY OF MARS

PRE-1500S
THE RAGING KING
USING METHODS WAY AHEAD OF THEIR TIME TO PREDICT
ASTRONOMICAL EVENTS SUCH AS ECLIPSES, THE BABYLONIANS —
AS EARLY AS 400 BC —OBSERVE MARS LITERALLY AS A RED PLANET
THAT FOLLOWS A STRANGE PATH IN THE SKY. THEY NAME IT AFTER
NERGAL, A FIERY GOD OF DESTRUCTION AND WAR THAT WENT BY
THE MONIKER, “RAGING KING” . SIMILARLY, MARS, AS IT IS KNOWN
TODAY, DERIVED ITS NAME FROM THE ROMAN GOD OF WAR
1500s
NAKED EYE
BEFORE THE INVENTION OF THE TELESCOPE, DANISH
NOBLEMAN TYCHO BRAHE OBSERVES THE HEAVENS IN A
HUMBLE OBSERVATORY ON AN ISLAND NEAR COPENHAGEN.
RELYING ON NOTHING BUT 20/20 VISION AND SOME “VERY LARGE
INSTRUMENTS”, BRAHE ACCURATELY POSITIONS MARS TO
WITHIN FOUR MINUTES OF ARC IN 1576. HE HAS A CRATER ON
MARS AND ON THE MOON NAMED AFTER HIM

94
DISCOVERY CHANNEL MAGAZINE INDIA
 SPACE
SPACE

commitment
commitment toto
ananunknown
unknown
way
way
of of
lifelife
that
that
they
they
can
cannever
never
‘unchoose’,”
‘unchoose’,” hehe
notes.
notes.

LIFE
LIFE
ONON
MARS
MARS
ToTo understand
understand thethekindkind of of
environment
environment thatthat Mars
Mars
OneOne astronauts
astronauts willwill
needneed
totoendure,
endure, wewe might
might bestbest
approximate
approximate thethekindkind
of of
conditions
conditions our ourearly
early
ancestors
ancestors once
once braved.
braved. WayWay
before
before thethe
advent
advent of of
the the
supermarket,
supermarket, eveneven before
before
wewe mastered
mastered farming,
farming, howhow
diddid
early
early
mankind
mankind stave
stave offoff
unbearable
unbearable hunger
hunger and andcold?
cold?
HowHow diddid
wewe knowknow whatwhat waswas
safe
safetoto
eat,
eat,
andand what
what wasn’t?
wasn’t?
Every
Every waking
waking moment,
moment,
perhaps,
perhaps, waswas a matter
a matter of of
lifelife
andanddeath.
death.AndAnd toto livelive
wasn’t
wasn’t
about
about choosing
choosing low lowfatfatoror
gluten-free
gluten-free options.
options. It It
waswas
survive
survive orordie.
die.
Similarly,
Similarly, potential
potential
Mars
Mars pioneers
pioneers will
willneedneed
totoconfront
confront the the
perils
perils of of
thethealien
alien
conditions,
conditions, the the
nature
nature of of
which
which arearestill
still
largely
largely unknown.
unknown. While
While wewe
understand
understand MarsMars shares
shares a a
2424hourhourandand4040 minute
minute day,
day,
which
which humans
humans cancan adapt
adapt to,to,
some
some differences
differences known
known toto usus
areare
clearly
clearlypotentially
potentially fatal.
fatal.
Settlers
Settlersmaymay bebe literally
literally
dying
dying toto
live
live
onon Mars.
Mars.
Apart
Apart from
from the the
wonder
wonder and
and
weirdness
weirdness thatthattwo twoMartian
Martian
moons
moons might
might inspire,
inspire, there
there
is also
is alsopotential
potential danger
danger at at
every
every corner.
corner. For Forone one thing,
thing,
prolonged
prolonged weightlessness
weightlessness
ononMarsMars could
could result
result inin

1600
1600
s s
SKETCHUP
SKETCHUP
POSSIBLY
POSSIBLYDUEDUETOTO
THETHE INVENTION
INVENTION OFOFTHE THE
TELESCOPE,
TELESCOPE,THETHE
1600S,
1600S,
UNLIKE
UNLIKE
THE
THE
CENTURIES
CENTURIES
THAT
THAT
PRECEDED
PRECEDED IT,IT,
IS IS
ONEONETHAT
THATPRONOUNCES
PRONOUNCES MANY
MANYIMPORTANT
IMPORTANT DISCOVERIES
DISCOVERIESABOUT
ABOUT
SPACE
SPACE
ANDANDMARS.
MARS.IN IN
1659,
1659,
PROMINENT
PROMINENT DUTCH
DUTCHMATHEMATICIAN
MATHEMATICIAN AND
AND
SCIENTIST
SCIENTIST
CHRISTIAN
CHRISTIAN
HUYGENS
HUYGENS COMPLETES
COMPLETES THETHE
FIRST
FIRSTSKETCH
SKETCH OFOF
MARS
MARSAND
AND ANAN
ACCURATE
ACCURATE COMPUTATION
COMPUTATION OFOF
THE
THE
RED
REDPLANET'S
PLANET'S 24-HOUR
24-HOUR PERIOD.
PERIOD. THIRTEEN
THIRTEENYEARS
YEARSLATER,
LATER,
HUYGENS
HUYGENSDISCOVERS
DISCOVERSA WHITE
A WHITE
SPOT
SPOT
ATAT
THETHESOUTH
SOUTH POLEPOLEOFOF
OUROURNEIGHBOURING
NEIGHBOURING PLANET,
PLANET, WHICH
WHICHWEWE
KNOW
KNOWTODAY
TODAY
ASAS
THE
THE
SOUTHERN
SOUTHERN POLAR
POLARCAP CAP WHERE
WHEREICEICE
IS IS
FOUND
FOUND

95 95
APRIL
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2015
2015

irrevocable physiological
changes in astronauts,
including the potential
for muscle atrophy and
osteoporosis. Although this
may not be an issue, since the
astronauts have a one-way
ticket. Unlike our Earth, Mars
has a virtually non-existent
atmosphere (less than one
percent the weight of Earth’s),
which would fail to protect
the astronauts from elevated
levels of radiation or cancer-
causing cosmic rays far
outweighing NASA’s lifetime
dosage for their astronauts.
Long-term radiation effects
are not the only dangers the
settlers will be exposed to. The
Mars atmosphere is composed
of 95 percent carbon dioxide
and three percent nitrogen.
Oxygen, mankind’s life
source, is found only in trace
amounts, meaning breathing
would be simply impossible
without aid. Thankfully,
water is now believed to
be found everywhere on
landlocked Mars, in the
form of permafrost. Yet it is
currently visible only at the
PHOTOS BRYAN VERSTEEG/MARS ONE; NASA (MARTIAN MOON)
northern pole, and found at
the southern pole in the form
of “dry ice” (a combination of
carbon dioxide and water).
The climate of Mars is an
important factor to consider.
Annual temperatures range
from a high of 20 degrees
Celsius to a low of about
minus 153 degrees Celsius
— some 59.8 degrees Celsius
colder than the lowest
A BRIEF HISTORY OF MARS
1700s
TWO IS BETTER THAN ONE
MORE THAN A CENTURY BEFORE THE DISCOVERY OF MARS’ TWO MOONS,
THE FICTIONAL ASTRONOMERS IN THE NOVEL GULLIVER’S TRAVELS
PRESCIENTLY SAY: "THEY HAVE LIKEWISE DISCOVERED TWO LESSER STARS,
OR SATELLITES, WHICH REVOLVE AROUND MARS, WHEROF THE INNERMOST
IS DISTANT FROM THE CENTRE OF THE PRIMARY PLANET EXACTLY THREE OF
HIS DIAMETERS, AND THE OUTERMOST FIVE"
96
DISCOVERY CHANNEL MAGAZINE INDIA
ESTABLISHING A PERMANENT
HUMAN COLONY ON MARS
WILL BE NO EASY FEAT;
ANNUAL TEMPERATURES
RANGE FROM 20 DEGREES
recorded temperature in CELSIUS TO A LOW OF MINUS
Antarctica. Settlers won’t be 153 DEGREES CELSIUS
huddling together over hot
chocolate beside a warm fire,
either. Hot chocolate would
more likely be an insect-algae
blended smoothie, while fires
are a hazard in an oxygen-rich
atmosphere, which ironically,
settlers need in order for them
to breathe.
HUMAN
BEINGS ON
PLANET
MARS WILL
RISK EITHER
FREEZING IN
THE ABSENCE
OF CRITICAL
HEATING
TECHNOLOGY
OR THEY
MAY JUST
COMBUST
FROM TOO
MUCH OXYGEN
Humans on Mars will risk
either freezing in the absence
of critical heating technology,
or spontaneously combusting
from too much oxygen. Strong
winds also create violent dust
storms on Mars. Potentially,
these can inhibit solar panels
from converting sunlight into
sufficient energy, as they did
to NASA’s rovers Opportunity
and Spirit (now defunct) in
1800s
MARTIAN CANALS
USING A PRIMITIVE TELESCOPE THAT SPANS ONLY 0.2 METRES (COMPARED TO
THE 13.2 METRE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE), ITALIAN ASTRONOMER GIOVANNI
SCHIAPARELLI OBSERVES MARS AND DRAWS OUT WHAT HE THINKS ARE CANALI
OR CANALS. PERCIVAL LOWELL, AN AMERICAN ASTRONOMER, LATER GROWS AN
OBSESSION BASED ON SCHIAPARELLI’S IDEA AND CREATES MAPS OUT OF THE
CANALI, WRONGLY PREDICTING THEY WERE CREATED BY ALIEN LIFE FORMS
 SPACE
SPACE

2007.
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this happens
this happens toto
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lessinin some
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colony,
colony,it it
wouldn’t
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REALITY
REALITYCHECKS
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seemingly conjures
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that Mars
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author ofofthethe
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spending her
her days
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Jones
Earth
Earth preparing
preparing andand musing
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tellsDCMDCM that
that Mars
Mars OneOne feels
feels
about
about thethepossibilities
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likelittle
little more
more than
than a “public
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I were scared
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and worried,
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aa One
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—— andand it’sit’s
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—— they
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likeJones
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the than
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concerned about
about thethe
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community —— much
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plan; they
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9797
APRIL
APRIL
2015
2015
 also believe that we’re too
limited in our technological
capabilities. And on Mars, that
could translate to throwing
lives away.
Some even put data
behind the caution. A team
of US graduate students from
Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT) predicted
that the first four Mars One
colonists would only live 68
days before they essentially
died of suffocation. To avoid
this ghastly scenario, a system
to vent excess oxygen —
where too much is not good
for you — will be needed.
Currently, this system
hasn’t been developed for
use in space.
Rather than risk lives,
Jones, who is now retired
from NASA, subscribes to
a step-by-step approach to
paving the way for humans to
Mars. “Mars One’s goals are
not technically achievable
with present technology,” he
told DCM. “Mars colonisation
will only take place after
we’ve learned to harvest
resources in space: sunlight
at commercial scales, water,
construction materials and
rare metals from the moon
or asteroids.” Jones argues
PHOTO BRYAN VERSTEEG/MARS ONE

that this phased approach

will prove far less risky. “The
success of those commercial
businesses will provide the
know-how and cash needed
to finally reach, and stay on
Mars,” he notes.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF MARS

1938
WAR OF THE WORLDS
ACTOR ORSON WELLES STAGES A SENSATIONAL RADIO PERFORMANCE OF H.G WELLS’ WAR OF THE WORLDS THAT IS SO CONVINCING IT
CAUSES MASS PANIC WHEN LISTENERS LEARN ABOUT AN UNSTOPPABLE ALIEN INVASION FROM MARS. DENIZENS OF AMERICA RUN OUT
OF THEIR HOMES AND FLEE. THE ACTOR'S STELLAR PERFORMANCE BEGINS LIKE THIS: “WE KNOW NOW THAT IN THE EARLY YEARS OF THE
TWENTIETH CENTURY THIS WORLD WAS BEING WATCHED CLOSELY BY INTELLIGENCES GREATER THAN MAN'S AND YET AS MORTAL AS HIS
OWN. WE KNOW NOW THAT AS HUMAN BEINGS BUSIED THEMSELVES ABOUT THEIR VARIOUS CONCERNS THEY WERE SCRUTINIZED AND
STUDIED, PERHAPS ALMOST AS NARROWLY AS A MAN WITH A MICROSCOPE MIGHT SCRUTINIZE THE TRANSIENT CREATURES THAT SWARM
AND MULTIPLY IN A DROP OF WATER.”

98
DISCOVERY CHANNEL MAGAZINE INDIA

NASA, meanwhile, is in
the process of developing the
capabilities that it believes are
needed to send humans to an
asteroid by 2025, with Mars in
the pipeline by the 2030s.
But that’s not it. A
large part of the Mars One
mission’s success also hinges
on whether or not Mars One
can raise the money it needs
to finance the five advance
missions before settlers
arrive, not to mention the
cost of the manned mission
itself. Lansdorp and his team
currently rely on donations,
sponsorships, investments,
and even an Indiegogo crowd-
funding campaign.
The fact that potential
revenues from the media
are a Mars One mainstay
to financing its operations
is possibly among the most
eyebrow-raising aspects in
an already ambitious project
brief. Put simply, the four
colonists will be the subject
of 24-hour Big Brother style
surveillance, as their private
lives on Mars are broadcast
for all those on Earth to see.
Funding US$6 billion
for the first crew and US$4
billion for each crew that
follows isn’t child’s play.
And indeed, for Mars One
to put a lot of its eggs into
PLANT AND VEGETATION one basket — especially a
SURVIVAL WILL BE A basket that blurs science and
CRITICAL COMPONENT
IN THE SUCCESS OF THE entertainment so openly
MARS ONE PROJECT — may not prove the most
effective or ethical way to
1976
FACE OF MARS
IN JULY 1976, NASA’S VIKING 1 ORBITER CIRCLES THE PLANET, SNAPPING PHOTOGRAPHS OF PLAUSIBLE LANDING
SITES FOR A SPACECRAFT, WHEN A SHADOWY IMAGE REMINISCENT OF THE FACES ON MOUNT RUSHMORE
IS DISCOVERED. THE MEDIA CERTAINLY TAKE IT UP, SPAWNING AN ENTIRE POPULAR CULTURE AROUND IT.
HOWEVER, THE “FACE” IS LATER DISCOVERED TO BE NOTHING MORE THAN AN OPTICAL ILLUSION. WHEN NASA’S
MARS RECONNAISSANCE ORBITER UNMASKS THE “FACE” IN 2006, CROWDS OF CONSPIRACY THEORISTS ARE
DISAPPOINTED TO FIND OUT IT IS, IN FACT, A MASS OF ROCK SOME 243-METRES-HIGH WITH STEEP FLANKS AND
SOME TOPOGRAPHICAL CREASES
SPACE
finance a hard return trip
to Mars.
“The greatest threat to
Mars One is economic,” says
Vakoch. “How can its founders
assure continued interest on
Earth? What happens if the
venture capitalists who send
the first generation of settlers
to Mars decide that further
investments can’t be justified?
Where will the ongoing
support come from?” And
chillingly, who might tell the
settlers on Mars if the show
gets cancelled?
THE ANNUAL
TEMPERATURE
ON MARS IS
BETWEEN A
HIGH OF 200C
TO A LOW OF
-1530C, WHICH
IS SOME 59.80C
COLDER THAN
THE LOWEST
RECORDED
TEMPERATURE
IN ANTARCTICA
The potential heroism of
pushing forward our frontiers
in space science is such that
we also have a tendency to
lose sight of the more human
dimensions to space travel.
Foreseeable problems of
colonising Mars are largely
directed at the technical and
99
APRIL 2015
 financial feasibility levels.
ARE YOU MARS ONE MATERIAL? Yet issues can go beyond the
utilitarian, and can also likely
be psychological in nature.
The premise of Mars One,
with the Earth out of sight
and the everyday perils that
come with surviving Martian
conditions, present many
new frontiers in space travel
psychology for researchers
to mull over. Think for a
moment about an eternity
spent confined in a capsule
Before launch, candidates will need to carefully not much bigger than what
consider their intentions for going to Mars and the Tom Jones describes as “two
dynamics of working and living among his or her peers. minivans stacked on top of the
“Long duration crews may want to avoid conflicts other, with seats removed”.
by voting an errant crewmate 'off the island' before How would that feel?
launch,” advises former NASA astronaut Tom Jones. Mixed with a less resilient
“You don’t want to take serious conflicts along a long mentality, the conditions
voyage. The baggage would drive you crazy.” of danger, isolation and
According to space psychology writer Douglas confinement that a journey
Vakoch, Mars One should not be a “reboot” for
to Mars might entail, could
unsuccessful lives. Rather, it’s an opportunity for people
made of sterner stuff, who have done well on Earth, and prove a breeding ground
aren’t self-destructive, but who now want to take on for loneliness, boredom
a greater challenge than they have ever faced before. and depression, allowing
“Any baggage that astronauts leave behind will follow interpersonal conflict to
them to another planet. There’s no room for social fester like a deadly bacterium.
misfits on Mars,” adds Vakoch. After you’ve set about
That’s not to say that astronauts would be left bereft launching into space on a
of even a small glimmer of hope to survive. When you shuttle that carries the risk of
go through thick and thin with someone every day, 40 percent vehicular failure
sort of like living in a fraternity, you form relationships
and a flight failure of 1.5
and develop rapport to such an extent that living and
breathing at elbow’s length from your flatmates, was percent, one can only then
to Jones, far from off-putting. “By launch day, we could begin to comprehend the kind
practically read each other’s minds,” he tells DCM. of helplessness you might feel
Training for a year or more with his crewmates — or as you come to terms with the
eight years in the case of Mars One astronauts — will prospect of never going home.
dramatically and inherently reduce the risk of a Lord of In the darkest sense, it’s not
the Flies psychological fiasco. In fact, rather unexpected unlike preparing for your own
results from Mars-500, a study that simulated living funeral. Or at least, a funeral
on Mars, found that it was more likely that potential for the life you had.
settlers would be sleepy, irritable and extremely bored
For former NASA
from spending their days all cooped up.
Before we forget, rigorous selection criteria have astronaut Tom Jones, these
also been designed to weed out candidates with feelings were exacerbated
the “wrong stuff”, thus pre-empting psychological when he parted with his
breakdowns. Traditionally, space agencies such as family, then couldn’t contact
NASA don’t only assess a candidate’s academic or them the moment he was
industrial accolades, but also his or her physical and due to jet away. “I missed my
mental impeccability, which includes being free from a family and it was notably hard
history of severe psychiatric disorders, and even to say goodbye to my kids
marital problems. and not hug them because of
Mars One is no exception to this battery of tests.
the medical quarantine we
Aside from five key characteristics — resiliency,
adaptability, curiosity, ability to trust and creativity worked under before launch,”
or resourcefulness — used to pick the fantastic four, he tells DCM. “If that was
candidates will also go through round after round of bad, then saying goodbye to
interviews, assessments and exercises that will teach my wife was twice as hard.”
them anything from medical and dental procedures, to To cope with separation,
dealing with psychological situations such as isolation. Jones maintained contact
100
DISCOVERY CHANNEL MAGAZINE INDIA
with his family via email and a
weekly voice call, sometimes
with video. He recalls that his
wife and kids wrote him notes
and cards, and stowed them
away in the shuttle to surprise
him as he went into orbit.
“It was important for me
to receive emails daily from
my family and friends to feel
a sense of belonging — of not
being forgotten when I was
off the planet.” In perilous
times, communication
with ground control was
also critical for the crew to
maintain composure, he says.
When Jones and his teams
needed assistance on weather
conditions for landing,
they were able to receive
directions and help to ensure
their safety operations.
While not completely cut
off, communication from
Mars to Earth will take at
least 44 minutes. In dire
straits, 44 minutes can be a
matter of life and death. In a
fundamental sense, Mars One
astronauts will have to learn
that their emergency backup
lies with their own abilities.
TO INFINITY AND BEYOND
Mars One is a truly
international endeavour.
While the intention may
be to represent the human
race, this could also spell
interpersonal conflict, warns
psychologist Vakoch: “In the
best of circumstance, it can
be difficult to learn to live
with foreign customs and
values. In the worst, it could
be deadly.”
PHOTOS NASA (MARS); COURTESY OF MAX FAGIN (SIDEBAR)
Ultimately though, while
dangers may be numerous,
our species has braved
numerous trials to get to
where we are today, a notion
that gives candidate Max
Fagin the belief that this can
work as well. “In light of all
the adversity that humans
have suffered and endured in
the past, I find it ridiculous
to think that a small group of
hand-picked individuals, with
 ONLY 68
DAY
If a group of MIT experts
are to be believed, the first
residents of Mars could be dead
within just 68 days. A feasibility study
of the Mars One plan was presented
to the 65th International Astronautical
Congress in Toronto in late 2014 by the
MIT team. Their reasons for the fatalistic
predictions? The space allocated for crops
isn’t big enough; more than twice as many
rocket journeys will be needed to keep
the base supplied than planned; and
malfunctioning equipment would
result in spare parts taking up
almost two-thirds of all cargo on
the future resupply missions
from Planet Earth.
GIVEN THE ADVANCES IN
TECHNOLOGY, AND THE
INCREASING KNOWLEDGE
OF MARTIAN TERRITORY AND
TERRAIN, THE RACE TO VISIT,
AND EVEN COLONISE, THE
RED PLANET IS WELL AND
TRULY IN FULL SWING
SPACE
a decade of preparation and
training behind them, will be
unable to face conditions that
our ancestors had to face on a
daily basis,” he notes.
Mars One provides the
chance to reflect on where we
are as a species, and whether
science can or should help
us to evolve into a multi-
planetary species. Despite the
fact that its volunteers would
set off willingly, the ethics
of sending human subjects
off our planet for their
foreseeable lifetime, could
ultimately be something we
give serious thought.
MARS ONE
IS BEING
DISMISSED
BY SCEPTICS
AS A SHEER
GIMMICK.
SCIENTIST,
NASA
ASTRONAUT
AND AUTHOR
TOM JONES
SAYS IT FEELS
LIKE NOTHING
MORE THAN A
PR STUNT
And then there’s that
delirious prospect of actually
living extra-terrestrially, as
permanent residents of
Mars. Despite doubtless
hardships, the prospect does
provide us with a utopia
of a kind at least, and the
undeniable attraction of
the most alternative way of
life imaginable.
Even if Mars One turns
out to be unfeasible, the plan
reminds us to dream big
again. As Lansdorp himself
says, aside from expanding
the horizons of science, Mars
One offers something more
positive on the news than
crisis and war.
101
APRIL 2015
WHAT’S ON THIS MONTH ON DISCOVERY CHANNEL

Strip The City

Strip The City uses stunning CGI animation to strip eight
iconic cities of their buildings, roads, rivers and bedrock
– layer by layer – to explore the secret technology and
infrastructure that keeps them running. What keeps
New York’s super tall skyscrapers standing during deadly
superstorms? How can Tokyo survive sitting on some of
the most seismically active rock on the planet? How did
the ancient Inca’s build a city high in the Andes without
modern technology? This series explores these and
other mysteries to expose the ingenious engineering
innovations that lie hidden beneath these cities.
THURSDAYS AT 9 PM, STARTING APRIL 16.

102
DISCOVERY CHANNEL MAGAZINE INDIA
 WHAT'S ON

So You Think
You’d Survive
A hurricane is about to make landfall.
You’re behind the wheel of your car
when it gets trapped in floodwaters.
You are skiing and you’re caught in an
avalanche. You’re attacked by a swarm
of killer bees. So You Think You’d
Survive? In each, self-contained, hour-
long episode, we’ll look at the choices
you have to make if mother nature
wreaks havoc. Hearing from survivors
of these disasters, this series gives the
audience a situation, an explanation
and a choice!
MONDAY TO FRIDAY AT 8 PM, STARTING APRIL 6

103
MARCH 2015
How
We Got
To Now
In How We Got
To Now, discover
the little known
innovators whose
wild ideas and
breakthroughs
made our modern
world possible.
This inspirational
and entertaining
series presented by
world-renowned
innovation expert
Steven Johnson
charts the twists
and turns of history,
science, business and
technology that have
brought us to where
we are today. With
an exciting blend
of location filming,
imaginative graphics
and stylish action
sequences, the series
untangles the web
of ideas that made
each of our ‘modern
miracles’ possible.
MONDAYS AT 9 PM,
STARTING APRIL 6

104
DISCOVERY CHANNEL MAGAZINE INDIA
 WHAT'S ON

Chaos: Caught
On Camera
Chaos: Caught On Camera features user-generated
content and shows chaos of all kinds – from
catastrophic weather to the world’s worst man-
made disasters; amazing tales of human endurance
and survival to disastrous engineering failures; and
incredible real-time footage of near-fatal accidents
to astonishing animal attacks. The heart-stopping
clips play for viewers as originally captured –
often in life-threatening situations – and are then
deconstructed using incredible facts and statistics
illustrated with stunning graphics that reveal the
amazing truth behind each unbelievable moment.
MONDAY TO FRIDAY AT 8 PM, STARTING APRIL 27

105
APRIL 2015