Prelim Bits 26-10-2022 | UPSC Daily Current Affairs

Brain Fog

Brain fog, refers to as a “Cognitive Dysfunction”, is a feeling like something being shrouded by a thick fog

• Brain fog was one of the most common symptoms to emerge in the first months of the COVID pandemic.
• Brain fog refers to problems with closely linked tasks such as concentration, information processing, memory, thinking and making sense of language.
• It is associated with a feeling of confusion or disorientation, not quite able to grasp ideas, and having trouble concentrating or recalling memories.
• Brain fog can make even simple tasks like grocery shopping, navigating the car park, remembering a list of items to buy, very difficult.
• The symptoms of brain fog can be similar to those experienced by people with Alzheimer’s disease and other conditions associated with older age.
• Brain fog can affect people of any age and it doesn’t usually worsen over time, and may not last forever.
• People who have suffered with brain fog had normal magnetic resonance imaging profiles, so it is not linked with brain damage.
• Enough sleep, proper diet, and maintaining the health profile of the patient holistically can overcome the effecs of brain fog.

Reference

The Hindu | What is and What isn’t Brain Fog?

Dirty Bomb

Moscow has recently accused that Kyiv might be planning to use a so-called dirty bomb

• A dirty bomb is a mix of explosives, such as dynamite, with radioactive powder or pellets.
• A dirty bomb works completely differently from an atomic bomb.
• For example, an atomic bomb, like those bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, involves the splitting of atoms and a huge release of energy that produces the atomic mushroom cloud.
• But a dirty bomb uses dynamite or other explosives to scatter radioactive dust, smoke, or other material in order to cause radioactive contamination.
• The immediate health impact of this eventwas believed to be limited, since most people in an affected area would be able to escape before experiencing lethal doses of radiation.
• But the economic damage could be massive from having to evacuate urban areas or even abandon whole cities.
• For example, a bomb using radioactive cesium might require the evacuation of an entire area, making it unsafe for decades.

References

1. The Indian Express | What is a Dirty Bomb?
2. CDC | Dirty Bombs FAQ

River Sukapaika

Following the directions from the National Green Tribunal (NGT), a small river which stopped flowing 70 years ago in Odisha’s Cuttack district is set to be rejuvenated

• The Sukapaika River originated from another river, the Mahanadi, near Ayatpur village.
• During the 1950s, the state’s water resource engineers closed the Sukapaika river mouth, enabling the development of the Taladanda Canal System.
• This led to the death of the river, and the process was aggravated by agricultural encroachments.
• In September, the NGT’s Eastern Bench directed the State government to make budgetary provision for the river’s revival and complete rejuvenation by March 2023.

Reference

The Hindu | Breathing life into a dead river in Odisha