What is it? Obesity expert, laparoscopic and bariatric surgeon Dr Muffazal Lakdawala says EA is a term coined by Linda Stone, a former IT executive. “It happens when a person becomes so engrossed in his/her computer that he/she forgets to breathe. It is a variant of sleep apnoea, which is commonly seen in obese individuals. Sleep apnoea is characterised by …

The human body contains about 48 liters of water. But this body fluid is not pure water. It is actually a salt solution. Why is this so. According to one scientific theory, all land animals, including man, are descendants of organisms that once lived in the sea water, and when they left life in their body fluid. Thus, the body …

There’s a media gag on the Indian cricket players at the World Cup. They speak to members of the media only when they absolutely must. If they fail to do that, they face sanctions by the International Cricket Council (ICC). But for the first time in the World Cup, an Indian player — Virat Kohli, no less — spoke to …

Since the advent of films in the early 1900s, theatres have been trying to optimize their viewing quality. During the 1920s, movie producers began to incorporate silver because of its reflective qualities, which delivered a better image. Eventually, the use of silver lenticular screens would fall out of fashion as alternatives became available. But because of the early prevalence of …

Zorro is a charismatic legend, which changed through 90 years of cinema. Zorro’s origin lies in Baroness Orczy’s 1905 novel ‘The Scarlet Pimpernel’, where the hero helped scores of French aristocrats escape from France and avoid the guillotine. Johnston Mc-Culley first introduced the character of Zorro. In 1920, Douglas Fairbanks Sr brought fame to McCulley, by starring as Don Diego …

It is a spectacular dance with several dancers wearing bright, colourful costumes, accompanied by merry music. It is always held in open terrain, such as a square, street etc. This dance is a traditional art form combined with a magical show or trance dance. The Reog dates back to the Hindu period in East Java in Indonesia.

The Peking Opera, which originated in the late 18th century, is a synthesis of music, dance, art and acrobatics. It is the most influential of all operas in China, and can be divided into ‘civil’ pieces characterized by singing, and ‘martial’ ones featuring acrobatics and stunts. Some operas are a combination of both. The operatic dialogues and monologues are recited …

The circus can be dated to ancient Egypt. It started with the exhibiting of exotic animals. As armies conquered distant lands, they would bring the animals back to entertain crowds. So the start of the circus went hand-in-glove with empire-building. The term is derived from the ring or circle in which rope-dancers, jugglers and acrobats performed. The displays were supplemented …

The horo is a folk dance in which participants form a circle or a straight line while holding hands. They perform special step patterns – hops, leaps, crossing of the feet, going forward, going backward – which are repeated according to the musical accompaniment. The dance is found only in the Balkan Peninsula in the far southeastern part of Europe. …

Flamenco is a form of dance and music practised in Spain. It evolved over gypsy, Moorish and Latin American influences, the latter being the effect of its colonization of the American continent for four centuries. It combines instrumental music and dance in three settings, namely, small scale cabaret, concerts and theatres. It may use flute or saxophone, or guitars and …