TIME TRAVEL What we should know If you sit in a rocket moving at a speed of 0.86 times the speed of light, you will age slowly—half of the aging rate on earth. However, your rocket needs to have a speed of 2.59 lakh Km per second for this. And our rockets need a minimum speed of just 7.9 Km/s to reach space. And if you’re moving at a speed 99.9999999% of the light, by the time you wake up next morning in your spaceship, more than 100 years would have been passed on earth—all of your friends would marry, grow old and die whereas you will be just one day older than you left. This is based on Einstein’s theory of relativity. Einstein said— “The time on fast-moving objects goes by much more slowly than the objects at rest.” We perceive time according to the speed we are moving When you leave the earth, the speed does change

And the thing is that if you are on fast-moving objects, it’s not just that the only clock will slow down. On the contrary, everything would slow down—including your age and other biological functions. However, your perception of time also would slow down, so you would not experience this slowing down of time. You would not feel like being in slow motion. Many people who misunderstood the relativity concept, try to claim that Einstein might be wrong—such as the “Twin-Paradox” argument. But, Einstein’s concept is practically used in GPS technology. Since the satellites used in GPS moves faster ( At around 29000KM per second), time inside them spends slower than the earth. Each day there is a mismatch of around 38 microseconds. Although this is such a small time, the GPS needs higher accuracy—in nanoseconds. So yeah, this small mismatch of microseconds is 1000 times more than the accuracy required. So clocks are regularly adjusted and this time dilation is actually taken into an account. So if scientists hadn’t adjusted the clocks, the place you’re looking on Google Maps might actually have been a few kilometers away.

what is time ? what a question !

Some time ago, following some exam instructions,my students had to read an article about whether it would ever be possible for man to go back in time . Or perhaps to the future. We read an article proposed by the exam board. However my students were more befuddled after reading than they had been before . As a TEACHER, i FELT i had to write something for them so that it might be a bit easier to write something about this conundrum like topic that sets us all grasping for a defnition that is almost impossible to come by RIGHT OR WRONG ? I told them that in my view one thing is TIME and another one was OUR PERFECPTION of TIME On earth, we are born, grow , get old and finally die . OUR TIME is gone from a physical point of view But when we are buried, our matter gives rise to a new form of life . So has time passed ? Yes, it certainly has, but not for the universe. Time beyond the arth is different from our perception on earth . Somehow we are reborn in a different body: a new plant . And life may continue WHAT IS THE TIME ? a VERY FUNNY ANECDOTE CAME TO MY MIND WHILE i WAS TRYING UNSUCCESSFULLY TO EXPLAIN WHAT TIME WAS TO MY BEFUDDLED TRAINEES tHis is a true story Back in 1979 I had set off from the airport of MANAOS bound for Africa. That was the last time I D looked at my watch . It was 3 pm. The flight over the ocean proved a little difficult for me , as I have always been afraid of the sea Somehow bored and anxious about finally landing somewhere, I decided to ask the flight attendant what time it was . My watch had stopped , as if no time had passed . Puzzled, the flight attendat asked : RIO TIME OR IVORY COAST TIME, MADAM ? Ivory coast was our first reachable destination on the African continent and RIO , which we had left behind sounded possible for the lady to give me some information about my daunting question . I noticed she was short of an answer . I replied : No, Neither of the two I mean now, here . We were neither in RIO, nor were we in IVORY COAST yet . So I repeated my question : WHAT TIME IS IT HERE NOW ? tHOSE TWO SIMPLE WORDS puzzled her even more . She was unable to answer, she said . sHE EYED AT ME , AS IF i HAD put her to a test . Some minutes later, and hearing a buzz of voices behind me who seemed to be discussing my question , i saw her coming up the aisle to my seat . Dutifully she intended to provide me with an answer . I first thought of a number : it is ...... here and now, madam But the point was, that our here and now had already changed . SOME TECHNICAL EXPLANATION ABOUT TIME ZONES AND MEASUREMENTS were on the piece of paper she had brought with her THAT ONLY THE PILOT COULD MAKE WITH HIS SPECIAL CLOCKS . There was no time there . Because the more puzzling question was : Where were we exaCTLY ? TO BEGIN WITH , THE NOW HAD ALREADY CHANGED . NOW WERE IN A DIFFERENT PLACE from where I had brought up my eery question After what sounded like an impossible argumentation on my part she provided some mathematical operations which left me as confused as I had been so far, Have you ever felt this awkward just by asking such a silly question ? Well, I did . The problem was that we were in the middle of the ocean , where only the pilot was able to calculate where we were exaCTLy . My neighbour, who by this time had immersed himself into a phylosophical debate on the question of TIME concluded : " Of course, he asserted , as the earth rotates, it is moving, so we can only know what time it is now in RIO or in IVORY COAST but we don t know what time it is where we are now . Where were we by now exactly? This is a true story . I hope you don t ask the same stupid question I asked while on flight Some time later, although I still didn t know what time it was when I asked my question, , the pilot announced the time it was at IVORY COAST, where we would soon be landing . I felt we were, after all, going back to normal But something had not been as expected while we were crossing some part of our planet From then on, aND Provided I don t have any class appointment with my students I have decided that time is an elusive issue . So, if my husband comes quite late and he fails to give a satisfactory explanation , I have decided it might be wiser to avoid asking When the BRITISH COUNCIL board asks what time is , and whether we could go back to the past or to the future I d tell them I d first like to know what time it was when I asked the question of the flight attendant . She suggested some strange mathematical operation to me . They would tell me what time it was THERE . BUT WHERE , EXACTLY ? To this day , I still don t know . I ve never known and I suspect I nevel will By the way, this stupid question set all pasengers who had heard it talking and busily trying to make those calculations to provide a final answer . We had a lovely conversation and TIME didn t seem to be too long . , PATRICIA GONZALEZ GREY

for our interpreters : GLOBALIZTION WTO AND BRICS

INTERPRETING II ASPECTOS DE LA REALIDAD SOCIAL CONTEMPORANEA SUBJECT GLOSSARY AND TERMINOLOGY PART II Back in your first year of studies, you got started into the equivalence of your target and source languages by analyzing a) GVs ( General Vocabularies , then b) got into FIELD WORD LISTS ( list of vegetables, or trees, or household objects, C) Then you moved on into TOPIC GLOSSARIES Politics, Encomics, Medicine, Alternative Energies, Chemistry , etc ) and now you are entering into d) the world of TERMiNOLOGY Terminology is a world of rigid and precise translations, where memory plays a very important role . No paraphrasing or explanatory translations are possible here . You just have to know that POINT OF AGENDA es ORDEN DEL DIA This is what you will have to say either at UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASEMBLY translating world or at any shareholder s meeting IN ANY COMPANY where you might have to work This stage leaves the word or phrase factor behind, to pass on to a whole jargon or parlance which is displayed by speakers when dealing with a topic Closely associated to COLLOCATIVE USAGE, these phrases which are sometimes made up of syntactically independent sentences, show interpreters how the speakers they are supposed to interpret will talk about a topic of their interest . It is not just words, or short phrases , it is much more than that , It has to do with a specific discourse, usually of formal register that will always appear when speakers refer to these topics . Paying close attention to these set phrases will deal to whole statements and these in turn will reflect the style of the prose or speech under scrutiny. HOW INTERPRETERS MUST WORK ON THIS RECURRENCE OF TERMS The most important task for interpreters is to contrast texts in both languages. You, in regular practice, will be dealing with speeches that reflect regular procedures, and will leave little room for you to have to do new translations. They will become regular practice This will allow them to see how terms or whole statements appear in the target or source language -. At this point, translations should highlight whole ideas, not only focus on words or set phrases only. Look at the text in the opposite language and you will know what you will have to say in the other or source EXAMPLE TASK Read the following text of general interest Pinpoint the set ideas and find out equivalents in the Spanish texts dealing with this topic . THE WORLD IS JUST ONE PLACE EL MUNDO: UN LUGAR UNICO TASK Look up the corresponding translation into Spanish : Globalization is a term used to describe how trade and technology have made the world into a more connected and interdependent place. Globalization also captures in its scope the economic and social changes that have come about as a result. Economies trade their products or produce with as many countries as they can., which leads to growing economies with jobs galore. No country in the world is self-sufficient. No country in the world profits from selling to its own `people only. It is just not worth investing money and effort on self-sufficiency. It is better to provide ourselves with objects that will cost us much less because they have been developed by other countries at a lower cost. In turn, we will sell our partners our goods that will raise the capital for us to buy. Unlike trying to be protectionists, countries should trade (export and import) the products they manufacture as well as those they need. This makes them enter into negotiations to obtain the best working agreements and benefit in the process . Here is where THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION COMES INTO PLAY Si uds observan la imagen, encontrarán la sigla equivalente en Español : If countries are to accord business deals, there better be agreements to abide by among nations so that all negotiations will be profitable for all parties involved THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION The World Trade Organization (WTO) is the only international organization dealing with the global rules of trade. Its main function is to ensure that trade flows as smoothly, predictably and freely as possible. Global trade rules Global rules of trade provide assurance and stability. Consumers and producers know they can enjoy secure supplies and greater choice of the finished products, components, raw materials and services they use. Producers and exporters know foreign markets will remain open to them. This leads to a more prosperous, peaceful and accountable economic world. Decisions in the WTO are typically taken by consensus among all members and they are ratified by members’ parliaments. Trade frictions are channelled into the WTO’s dispute settlement process, where the focus is on interpreting agreements and commitments and how to ensure that members’ trade policies conform with them. That way, the risk of disputes spilling over into political or military conflict is reduced. By lowering trade barriers through negotiations among member governments, the WTO’s system also breaks down other barriers between peoples and trading economies. CENTRO ESTUDIOS INGLESES, 2023 PROF PAT GREY PART 2 BRICS B FOR BRAZIL R FOR RUSSIA I FOR INDIA C FOR CHINA S FOR SOUTH AFRICA The BRICS countries: where next and what impact on the global economy? Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, originally an informal group of the leading emerging economies of the early 2000s, have since experienced very different growth paths. Their significance in the global economy at a time of considerable geopolitical uncertainty remains an open question. Over the past two decades, there has been an astonishing restructuring of global economic power. This has been driven primarily by the rise of China and, to a lesser extent, the BRICS countries more broadly – which, in addition to the East Asian giant, encompass Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa. As this group has become increasingly formalized and institutionalized – hosting regular summits and establishing collective bodies – many observers have worried that its growing influence might be accompanied by the normalization of authoritarian forms of ‘state capitalism’, and even the unravelling of the liberal order. Others have taken a more sanguine view, arguing that Eastern forms of state-led development appear superior in many ways to Anglo-American economic and political structures, and this is reconcilable with – and, indeed, depends on – an open global economy. Either way, the concerns of many Western liberals have resurfaced following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Recent news that other mostly non-democratic states – Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey (and Argentina) – have either applied to join the BRICS, or are considering doing so, is also cause for concern among Western governments. Qué es el grupo BRICS, países miembro y objetivos BRICS es un acrónimo que representa a cinco países, Brasil, Rusia, India, China y Sudáfrica, y se trata de una asociación económica cuyo objetivo es potenciar las posibilidades de cada uno de sus miembros a través de, por ejemplo, la asistencia financiera para determinados tipos de proyectos. Asimismo, en la actualidad, el grupo promueve un modelo de desarrollo con políticas para la erradicación del hambre y la pobreza a escala global para 2030, sustentado en la cooperación Sur-Sur y en la creciente vinculación entre naciones con economías complementarias y con similares objetivos económicos, políticos y sociales. En su conjunto, esta alianza económica representa el 22% de la superficie continental, el 42% de la población mundial, el 24% del PBI mundial y contribuyen con el 16% de las exportaciones y el 15% de las importaciones mundiales de bienes y servicios. Los BRICS constituyen en la actualidad un eje global de dimensiones cada vez más amplias, y cuyos efectos políticos y económicos se harán sentir con mayor fuerza en las próximas décadas, a medida que se consolide una nueva geopolítica multipolar, capaz de balancear el poder aparentemente omnímodo representado hoy por los Estados Unidos. Origen del BRICS A principios del nuevo siglo, el entonces director del grupo inversionista Goldman Sachs, Jim O'Neil argumentó en un ensayo titulado “Building Better Global Economic” que el potencial económico de Brasil, Rusia, India y China era tan grande que en pocas décadas, hacia el 2050, podrían convertirse en las cuatro economías dominantes del mundo. El economista realizó un juego de palabras entre el acrónimo de Brasil, Rusia, India y China, BRIC, y el vocablo inglés brick, que en español significa ladrillo, para referirse a un bloque de países con grandes poblaciones, economías ascendentes, una clase media en proceso de expansión, y un crecimiento superior a la media global y potenciales herederos del poderío económico limitado a los miembros del llamado "G-7" —Estados Unidos, Japón, Alemania, Reino Unido, Francia, Italia y Canadá—. Esta idea fue tomada en cuenta con seriedad recién en 2006, a partir de una serie de encuentros entre los ministros de relaciones exteriores de cada país en las que discutieron sobre enfoques comunes y problemas económicos importantes de la agenda internacional. En diciembre del 2010, los cuatro países acordaron la incorporación de Sudáfrica al mecanismo de los BRIC, así que en la actualidad se emplea BRICS para incluir al país africano. En términos comparativos, y de acuerdo a información del Fondo Monetario Internacional, China es la economía más importante del grupo, representando más del 70% del poder económico colectivo, seguido de India con un 13%, Rusia y Brasil cada uno con aproximadamente el 7%, y finalmente Sudáfrica con un 3%. En el contexto actual, la fortaleza de esta alianza radica especialmente en la sociedad establecida entre China como primera economía comercial a nivel mundial, y Rusia como principal proveedor de energía. En tanto que India es ya una de las principales potencias económicas a partir de la exportación de recursos naturales y cereales, Brasil se consolida a nivel global como uno de los principales actores de la escena agroalimentaria y Sudáfrica se convierte en una nación clave en la provisión de metales y minerales con amplios usos tecnológicos. La importancia de la incorporación de Argentina al BRICS El ingreso de Argentina a los BRICS se sustenta en la capacidad para proveer productos alimenticios como soja y cereales, junto con recursos estratégicos como el gas natural, el gas de esquisto, distintos minerales y, sobre todo, el cada vez más valorado litio. Además, Argentina posee un capital científico plenamente consolidado, entre otros aspectos, con especialización en biotecnología y en tecnología logística aplicada. En estos últimos años, Argentina manifestó en varias oportunidades sus intenciones de sumarse al bloque. Actualmente hay una veintena de naciones de todos los continentes cuyos gobiernos están pidiendo su incorporación. Además de nuestro país, Arabia Saudí, Egipto, Etiopía, Emiratos Árabes Unidos e Irán también ingresarán al bloque. La incorporación del país criollo a los BRICS tendrá lugar en un contexto de progresiva debacle del sistema financiero internacional, que evidencia signos de desgaste y descontrol en torno a la creciente debilidad del dólar, una inflación amenazante y sustentada en la emisión monetaria, y un déficit fiscal que, en 2022, se calcula en más mil billones de dólares, según datos de la Oficina Presupuestaria del Congreso de los Estados Unidos. CENTRO DE ESTUDIOS INGLESES , 2023

do you ever have an itchy skin? by PROF ANA LOVATO

HOW S YOUR SKIN ? DOES IT EVER ITCH ? 1 things your itchy skin can reveal about your health The possible causes of chronic itch go way beyond dry skin. By Ashley Lewis Intense itchy skin all over the body often occurs in people with late-stage kidney disease or those who suffer from chronic renal failure. In fact, 42 per cent of dialysis patients suffered from moderate to extreme itchiness, according to a study published in Renal Failure. “Some people describe it as a nuisance,” says dermatologist, Dr Anthony M. Rossi. “[The itch] is so intense that people wake up in the middle of the night scratching.” Science has yet to uncover why kidney disease causes itchiness, but doctors suspect it has to do with the build-up of toxins in your body when your kidneys are unable to remove the waste from your bloodstream.

Itchy skin all over could also be a silent sign of liver disease. Where incessant itchiness shows up late-stage in kidney disease, it can be an early symptom of liver disease. “If your liver is not functioning properly to detoxify the body, byproducts like bile acids back up,” says Dr Kathleen Cook Suozzi, assistant professor in the department of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine. “The primary goal is to treat the underlying liver disease and prescribe medications that can eliminate bile acids.” Doctors will typically prescribe medications that can inhibit your body’s uptake of bile acids or help reduce the amount of bile acid returning to the liver. LOOK AT THESE BEGINNINGS AND FINISH THE STATEMENTS ACCORDING TO THE IDEAS IN THE TEXT People with later stge kidney disease ........................................................... According to a study ............................................................................ Described as a nuisance by patients, ..........................................................This itch may be brought about by ............................................................................................. Itchy skin could also be hiding ......................................................v Medications to inhibit the patienmt s uptake of ..................................................

THE CONOMIST VIEWS ON THE THREATS TO OUR ECONOMY

Zanny Minton Beddoes Editor-in-chief The strength of the world economy in 2023 has been a continuing—and continually surprising—source of good news. This time last year most people expected America’s economy to be in recession by now; instead it grew at a barnstorming annualised pace of 4.9% in the third quarter. Across the world, economies have proved surprisingly resilient as central banks have raised interest rates, and inflation has fallen to boot. Unfortunately, as we argue in our cover leader this week, trouble lies ahead. Markets now expect interest rates to stay “higher for longer”, which is going to squeeze companies, households and indebted governments. The new era threatens to pit hawkish central bankers against spendthrift politicians in a tug-of-war over what matters most: keeping inflation down or avoiding painful austerity. We also have a new newsletter, Essential India, launching on November 9th. Delivered every Thursday, this free newsletter will help you understand a vast and complicated country that will increasingly shape the future. You can sign up here.

THE OLYMPICS FAIR OR UNFAIR GAMES? ANALIA FENI

DEAR MATES Some time ago, while I was wondering whether overspending for some countries on these flashes of competiteness was worth it or not , I read this journalist s opinion on QUORA , which I recommend ports Journalist (Soccer, Track, Action Sports) (2011–present)2y Sports are for the most part fair in terms of rules being applied equally in the arena of competition itself. Are the conditions for nations to send athletes to the Olympics “fair”? No, not really, but nothing much can be done about it, either. Larger nations will always have more and more varied viable athletes to pick from and more money and resources to throw at the issue of training and preparing their athletes. When there are nations in Africa where if the president is seriously ill, he’ll be flown to a hospital in Europe because his own nation lacks even basic top-tier medical expertise and in contrast there are other nations like the USA where you can get a sports medicine doctor who mostly focuses on just surfing and skateboarding, then you see how inequality really pans out. Size and GDP will always mean some nations have advantages beyond just the talents of one singular athlete. That’s just how it is, but that makes triumphs of smaller nations all the more compelling, also. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT HJIS VIEWS?

WHAT IS SOCIAL WORK? WOULD U VOLUNTEER? by C1 STS

What is Social Work? The profession of Social Worker is an odd mixture of many things. It is usually practised by government civil servants in the west (Europe and North America) while many international NGOs have social workers on their staff. The clientele of social work are often called the vulnerable, ie people whose special conditions or circumstances put them in positions of weakness or vulnerability in comparison with the mainstream of a society. Generally they include members of society who need some help. Typically, these include those with physical or mental disabilities, persons who are not able to work for a living or not able to care for themselves. In special cases, these may include battered women (those who have been physically or emotionally assaulted – eg by their spouses –and can not escape dangerous situations on their own), frail elderly persons, children without parents to support them, or who are being mistreated, The tasks of a social worker mainly include administration and counselling, along with a little bit of medical (usually psychological) intervention and advocacy. The social worker provides her or his clients with little bits of wisdom, advice, information, counselling, as needed. Every case is different. The government (or NGO) social worker in a western country (Europe and North America) provides services that are usually provided by elders and family members in other countries. Social work services are too expensive for governments in the least developed countries. The word "social" is a bit misleading because, in the west, where it is mainly practised, the social worker does not work with a whole society, or even with a community or a group in a social context. The social worker usually handles "cases," and a case is usually about an individual or lately increasingly, a family. This is even more ironical because where social work is taught, usually in a university in a department or a school of social administration or social work, often (where they are small) they are attached to sociology departments. Such schools or departments, in turn, are then usually also where community development (like much of the material on this web site) is also taught. Community development, in contrast, is an activity aimed at social institutions, such as communities or groups, rather than at individuals. (See Community).

CAN WE REALLY DISCONNECT FOR VACATION TIME ? by B1 STS

The Importance of Vacation Time Many of us do noto r may not use our vacation time. This seems to happen in the United States more than in the rest of the world, and I’m not sure why, since we get fewer days off than most other countries. For some of us, we just feel too guilty about taking days off. We think our workplace will shut down if we’re not there to work hard. . In any case, think about how many times you’ve heard yourself or one of your colleagues say “I have too much to do and can’t get away” as you bury yourself further into another project. Less than half of America’s workforce use all of their vacation days. I know folks who proudly say “I haven’t used my vacation time in years!” It’s true that many of us may not be able to use the whole two weeks every year. But for some (and you know who you are) shutting down the laptop or Blackberry, leaving the cell on vibrate (or—gasp!—leaving it at home), or letting the paperwork go for a even few days is unthinkable. But for our own physical, mental, and emotional well-being, it’s important to get away for a few days and recharge those batteries. Signs That You Need a Vacation You say you can keep going without any time off? If you regularly put in 10 or 12-hour workdays, it’s going to catch up with you after a while. If you keep up that pace for weeks or months, your body will simply start wearing out. You’ll also have to take a look at the work you’ve been doing in that time—is it really your best effort? Think people won’t notice that you’re starting to get burned out? The next time you’re stuck at the office for what seems like days on end, see how many co-workers, friends, or good old Mom ask you “Are you okay? You look tired”. Or, if you’re starting to notice any of these symptoms, you may want to pencil in a few days off to decompress: • Irritability • Fatigue • Insomnia • Inability to concentrate • Memory loss • Eye strain (from staring at a computer screen for a long stretch) • Dark circles under your eyes from lack of sleep Too much stress or overwork without time off can lead to more serious health problems in the future. The short list includes: • High blood pressure (which can lead to a stroke or heart attack) • Weight gain (from eating quick, easy, but usually unhealthy meals on the run) • Bouts of insomnia • Hair loss • Depression If you suffer from any of these conditions already, prolonged stress can make them worse. Though it’s admirable to plow through the mountain of work on your desk day in and day out, if you have any of the above symptoms, you have to ask yourself if risking your health for the sake of your job is really worth it. Wrap up any current projects and tell your boss that you’ll be unavailable for a few days next week. Chances are your work performance and those who’ve been putting up with your grumpy moods will thank you. What to Do on Days Off It sounds hard to believe, but I know people who just don’t know what to do with themselves when they get a little bit of free time. High-energy folks who always need to be doing something might see vacation days as the kiss of death. But relax! It’s not a crime to take a day or two off to just do nothing. For me, every vacation day I’ve used in the past year was to go on a trip of some kind. My holidays off have been filled with visiting family and friends, with very little down time for myself. . Finally, my July 4th holiday this year was reserved for me—I purposely did nothing all day. I got my picnicking, fireworks, and obligatory quality time with friends and family out of the way early in the weekend, and that day was just for myself. Try it sometime. Lay around in your pajamas all day. Read a book. Organize your closet. Go shopping. Really take the day off.