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  • Air Pollution – The Invisible Threat

    The new WHO guidelines on the permissible levels of particulate matter indicate that more than 90 per cent of the world’s population lived in areas that fall into the category of polluted zones…

    According to WHO’s World Global Ambient Air Quality Database, nine in 10 people on Earth breathe highly polluted air and around 70 lakh people die every year from exposure to polluted air The World Health Organisation (WHO) has lowered the bar of pollution levels from the earlier concentration of PM 2.5 of 25 micrograms per cubic metre to 15 micrograms. The existing norms of WHO, which worked as a yardstick for policy makers and governments battling air pollution, had been in place since the year 2005. But more than 90 percent of the world’s population lived in areas that did not meet the 2005 air quality guidelines and with more stringent guidelines in place now, the number is expected to go substantially beyond the 90 percent mark.

    The New Guidelines

    In a bid to push countries towards clean energy, WHO has tightened the air quality guidelines for the first time since 2005. Even at very low levels, research has shown “air pollution affects all parts of the body, from the brain to a growing baby in a mother’s womb,”. It is one of the biggest environmental threats to human health, alongside climate change. Improving air quality can enhance climate change mitigation efforts while reducing emissions that will, in turn, improve air quality.

    The organisation has revised air quality levels for six pollutants that include particulate matter (PM), ozone (O), nitrogen dioxide (NO) sulfur dioxide (SO) and carbon monoxide (CO). According to the new limits, average annual PM2.5 concentrations should be no higher than five micrograms per cubic meter.

    Scientists have determined that long-term exposure to concentrations even that low still contributed to heart and lung diseases, stroke and other negative health impacts. Announcing the new guidelines, the WHO said that “almost 80% of deaths related to PM2.5 could be avoided in the world if the current air pollution levels were reduced.”

    A Looming Catastrophe

    According to data from more than 3,000 cities compiled by the World Health Organisation (WHO), outdoor air pollution has grown 8% globally in the past five years, with billions of people around the world now exposed to dangerous air. The WHO said that disparities in air pollution exposure are increasing worldwide, particularly as low- and middle-income countries are experiencing growing levels of air pollution because of large-scale urbanization and economic development.

    The fact that nearly 90 per cent of the world population lived in areas that did not meet the air quality standards is definitely the sign of a looming catastrophe and India definitely features prominently in this red alert zone.

    Almost all of India is polluted!

    Significantly, in tune with the new WHO guidelines, almost all parts of India can be deemed polluted as the air quality levels are worse than the permissible limits prescribed by the WHO throughout the year.

    India recommends the concentration of PM2.5 of upto 60 micrograms per cubic metre over a 24-hour period for an area to be termed as pollution free in contrast to the 25 microgram limit set by the WHO 2005 guidelines. Even the lower standards set by the Indian government are flouted every year as several metropolitan cities report severe pollution in the run up to the winter months including Delhi, NCR, Mumbai, Kolkata, Gwalior among others.

    Indian cities dominate and stand on the worst ranks in a number of studies on air pollution. As per a Greenpeace study, the average concentration of PM2.5 was about 17 times higher in Delhi, eight times higher in Mumbai, nine times higher in Kolkata and over five times higher in Chennai than the recommended levels.

    The University of Chicago’s Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) report showed that India is the most polluted country in the world, with more than 480 million people or about 40 per cent of its population living in the Indo-Gangetic plains in the north where pollution levels regularly exceed those found anywhere else in the world by an order of magnitude. It has also been reported that the pollution levels have expanded geographically over time and increased so much in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh that an average person is now losing an additional 2.5 to 2.9 years of life expectancy.

    A Greenpeace report titled, ‘Behind the Smokescreen’ pointed that among the eight state capitals, Delhi had the worst breathable air with a massive spike of 125 per cent in Nitrogen Dioxide concentrations during April 2021 as compared to the corresponding month in 2020. While researchers took into account the weather changes, had it been more severe the pollution would have spiked by 146 per cent from 2020. This clearly indicates that human induced factors contribute exponentially to increase air pollution levels.

    We are responsible…

    In early 2020, NASA published satellite images which showed a dramatic decline in pollution levels over China, which the US space agency says was “partly related” to the coronavirus. This was the case across many countries in the world. Efforts to stem the spread of the coronavirus changed the ways people worked and conducted their lives. Though temporary, these changes have definitely led to curbing greenhouse gas emissions and improving air quality.

    Satellite readings in the troposphere (the lower atmosphere) of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a pollutant primarily from burning fossil fuels, show a dramatic decline compared to early period when power plants were operating at normal levels. NASA Earth Observatory

    The same difference was evident during the 2008 summer Olympics in Beijing. To help improve the air, government officials had shut factories and dramatically limited car travel before and during the games leading to levels of some air pollutants dropped by half. This clearly points out to the fact that the high levels of pollution are due to mankind’s irresponsible behaviour towards the environment, restricted not only to a particular country or continent but across the global landscape.

    Air pollutants also contribute to climate change like heat waves, extreme weather changes, food supply disruptions, and other effects that can create havoc to the very existences of life on planet earth. Humans have pumped enough carbon dioxide into the atmosphere over the past 150 years to raise its levels higher than they have been for hundreds of thousands of years.

    Lakes around the world are freezing less and less over time, and in a few decades, thousands of lakes around the world may lose their winter ice cover entirely. The Amazon is losing the equivalent of nearly one million soccer fields of forest cover each year, much of which is cut down to make way for agriculture.

    When forest is lost, the carbon it seized ends up in the atmosphere, accelerating but across the global landscape. Air pollutants also contribute to climate change like heat waves, extreme weather changes, food supply disruptions, and other effects that can create havoc to the very existences of life on planet earth.

    This implies that in all ways, governments around the world must take bold action to ensure their cities and communities turn from sources of air pollution related health risks to safe places for billions of humans to reside.

    Clean the Air now or …

    The WHO’s updated Air Quality Guidelines are a firm warning about the severity of our air pollution crisis. The need of the hour is for governments across the world to adopt WHO Air Quality Guidelines, which are based on the latest scientific understanding and seek alternatives to burning fossil fuels for power, transport and industry.

    What if…and hear me out…

    what if the entire human population used this opportunity to restart society on a greener, more environment conscious foot…?” Yes, the time to begin is NOW

    -Dr Siddhivinayak Barve

    Editor, ScienceNow

  • Ecology & Environment – Glacial Meltdown

    Glaciers are fast retreating from the Himalayan ranges, and experts believe this could lead to severe water crisis in the region in coming decades…

    The Himalayan mountains, which provides water to two billion people across the region is fast disappearing. According to a recent study, these mountain ranges – right from the Himalayas to the Hindu Kush are retreating at an alarming rate, and if the rate continues, villages and towns in the region will face a severe water crisis in coming decades.

    Known as Asia’s water tower, a glacial landscape with vast quantities of freshwater trapped within its ice, feed the Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra river systems, providing water for communities, agriculture, industry and hydropower stretching from India to China and beyond.

    Climate Change

    But climate change and pollution are threatening this fine balance. It is said that the Himalayan glaciers are disappearing twice as fast as they were 20 years ago. The study predicts this will cause river levels to rise until 2050, matched by increased flooding in the short term, but in the long term, the picture is one of wide-spread water scarcity; the recent instance being the Uttarakhand floods that devastated many lives and property.

    The study looks at the interconnectivity between this and the groundwater and surface water in the area. There are 5 million springs in the Himalayas and they are showing a decline not only because of overuse by an increasing population, but also because of retreating Glaciers and depleting ground water levels. This is alarming because the populations that live in the upper and middle Himalayas, in villages and even towns, are dependent on spring water. Its Impact Long term, water insecurity is of particular significance to the region’s agriculture. About 129 million farmers partly irrigate their lands with Himalayan meltwater.

    The London School of Economics reports, “Meltwater alone provides enough water to grow food crops to sustain a balanced diet for 38 million people.” Also, the Himalayan Karakoram river basins have installed hydropower capacity of 26,432 MW. Glacial loss is a threat to reliable renewable energy production. Not to mention the ever-exploding population which is expected rise by 68% by 2050 of which 90% will be in low-income countries of Asia and Africa. This would mean increased demand for resources including water and energy that will coincide with greater scarcity. Food, energy and drinking water shortages will be felt in megacities such as Delhi, Lahore and Kolkata, whilst at the same time worsening the rural situation.

    Creating water security

    The study states that unless a coherent nationwide policy is developed, the threat looms large in the coming years. In fact a 2020 Water Policy report recommends building a detailed picture of the scope and implications of Himalayan water scarcity. This includes mapping water sources and anticipating changing demand, particularly in urban and peri-urban areas.

    There’s opportunity to expand on initiatives already being trialled in areas of urban water scarcity, such as harvesting rainwater. Modified consumption applies to industry as well, like for instance, drip irrigation in agriculture. Groundwater policies are essential to manage abstraction rates.

    Metering and variable pricing are the other side of this equation, as the relatively low cost of water is often a barrier to efficient consumption. The Atlantic Council says technology will unlock greater water security. There are possibilities in desalination, plus biotech advances, including seeds that thrive under water scarcity.

    Conclusion

    While some experts say, climate change has surpassed the Himalayan glaciers and, with them, the water cycle, scientists are confident enough that addressing water security now should be a priority. Having passed the tipping point, our responsibility in this region is to work towards conserving water and be accountable for each drop!

    -Manoj Mahanta

    Team ScienceNow

  • Know the Genius – Charles Darwin

    Charles Robert Darwin was a British naturalist and biologist known for his theory of evolution and his understanding of the process of natural selection. In 1831, he embarked on a five-year voyage around the world on the HMS Beagle, during which time his studies of various plants led him to formulate his theories. In 1859, he published his landmark book: On the Origin of Species….

    Early Life

    Charles Darwin was born on February 12, 1809, in the tiny merchant town of Shrewsbury, England. In October 1825, at age 16, Darwin enrolled at University of Edinburgh. Two years later, he became a student at Christ’s College in Cambridge.

    HMS Beagle

    While Darwin was at Christ’s College, botany professor John Stevens Henslow became his mentor. After Darwin graduated from Christ’s College with a bachelor of arts degree in 1831, Henslow recommended him for a naturalist’s position aboard the HMS Beagle.

    The ship was to take a five-year survey trip around the world and the voyage proved to be the opportunity of a lifetime for Darwin. Over the course of the trip, Darwin collected a variety of natural specimens, including birds, plants and fossils. Through hands-on research and experimentation, he had the unique opportunity to closely observe principles of botany, geology and zoology. Darwin began to write up his findings in the Journal of Researches and began to develop a revolutionary theory about the origin of living beings that ran contrary to the popular view of other naturalists at the time.

    Theory of Evolution

    Darwin’s theory of evolution declared that species survived through a process called “natural selection,” where those that successfully adapted or evolved to meet the changing requirements of their natural habitat thrived and reproduced, while those species that failed to evolve and reproduce died off. Darwin noticed similarities among species all over the globe, along with variations based on specific locations, leading him to believe that the species we know today had gradually evolved from common ancestors.

    Darwin’s theory of evolution and the process of natural selection later became known simply as “Darwinism.” At the time, other naturalists believed that all species either came into being at the start of the world or were created over the course of natural history. In either case, they believed species remained much the same throughout time.

    ‘Origin of Species’

    In 1858, after years of scientific investigation, Darwin publicly introduced his revolutionary theory of evolution in a letter read at a meeting of the Linnean Society. On November 24, 1859, he published a detailed explanation of his theory in his best-known work, ‘On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection’. In the next century, DNA studies provided scientific evidence to prove Darwin’s theory of evolution.

    -Dr Siddhivinayak Barve

    Editor, ScienceNow

  • Ancient Vaidnyanik – Baudhayana

    Boudhayana was a mathematician who lived around 800 BCE. He is the author of Baudhayana Sulbasutra which was more like a pocket dictionary, full of formulae and results for quick references. He is credited with calculating pi, and the square root of 2.

    The most creditable achievement is that Baudhayana introduced the “Pythagoras theorem” 1000 years before Pythagoras had developed it!

    In Baudhayana Sulbasutra, there are several mathematical formulae or results that told how to precisely construct an altar. He was a man of very considerable learning and probably wrote the Sulbasutra to provide rules for religious rites.

    The mathematics given in the Sulbasutras enables the accurate construction of altars needed for sacrifices. It is clear from the writing that Baudhayana, as well as being a Vedic priest, must have been a skilled craftsman. He was skilled in the practical use of the mathematics and construction of sacrificial altars of the highest quality.

    -Dr Shobha Tawde

    ScienceNow

  • Ancient Vidnyan – Gol Gumbaz

    Gol Gumbaz, situated in Bijapur district of Karnataka, is the largest dome in India built by Sultan Muhammad Adil Shah in the year 1656. About 20 years were spent for the complete construction of this large tomb.

    The unique thing about the Gol Gumbaz is that ‘even the softest sound can be heard on the other side of the tomb due to the acoustics of the space’. This circular whispering gallery of the tomb is a great combination of sound and civil engineering.

    The tomb is built in such a way that a small whisper gets amplified and is carried across a distance of more than 40 meters in the vast dome and can be heard clearly. Even the slightest whisper is heard from side to side; and a conversation can be most easily carried on across the full diameter of the dome in the lowest undertone. Even if you are 110 meters apart, on the far end of the floor, each whisper, each clap and each shift of your garment will be heard at the other end, as if they were speaking to you over your shoulders.

    -Dr Shobha Tawde

    ScienceNow

  • Technology – Robots to the Rescue

    From house help to being an emotional companion, Robots have come a long way in becoming a part of our daily life and more so in this pandemic. Covid-19 has redefined the way we work. With a major part of the population working remotely and the trend still on, robots are becoming part of everyday life…

    The House Help Home robots have been in the market for decades now. No longer is just a floor-mopping machine. The newer edition gets Wi-Fi control and is enabled by Alexa. You can simply command the Roomba to begin work. It is AI-enabled to remind it of corners that need extra cleaning. And when low on energy, it can find a charging point and charge itself automatically.

    When Roomba was launched, there weren’t many takers. Post the pandemic, the sales have skyrocketed every quarter. With the shortage of domestic helps due to reverse migration, many people in the cities switched to technologies that help them in their daily chores.

    An Emotional Companion

    Many of us have been looking for a companion to bond emotionally, especially in this pandemic. Humans come with problems! That’s why Asus launched Zenbo a few years ago. This cute-looking humanoid has learnt to share your emotions. So, imagine yourself looking at firecrackers in the sky, and this robot will follow your eyes and react. When you are not home, its AI-enabled system will keep scanning your rooms and report to you about anything suspicious.

    At Your Command!

    In a world suddenly fearful of touch, voice technology is getting a fresh look. Voice activated systems such as Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa and Apple’s Siri have seen strong growth in recent years. Voice assistants are used not only for answering queries and shopping, but also for smart home control and for a range of business and medical applications which could see increased interest as people seek to limit personal contact.

    Voice has already made significant inroads into the smart home space, and voice control can mean avoiding commonly touched surfaces around the home from smartphones, to TV remotes, light switches, thermostats, door handles and more… There is  growing interest in smart locks and doorbells, along with other smart home systems, to eliminate the need for personal contact and face-to-face interaction as a result of the pandemic. It is estimated that voice control device shipments for smart home devices will grow globally by close to 30 percent, and for the broader market of voice assistants, it is estimated to have 8.4 billion devices in use by 2024, with much of the interactions on smartphones.

    Being Your Proxy

    As we keep maintaining social distance and connecting virtually, there is definitely a gap in social intimacy. GoBe Robots are ready to do it for them. This telepresence machine is a remote-controlled mobile robot that allows communication through a 21.5-inch screen that reproduces the user’s face in natural size. A zoomable 4K camera and a wide-angle front camera give the “robot pilot” a clear overview of the location.

    The new generation of GoBe Robots awaiting launch stands out with an open system that creates even more applications and allows users to maximise the potential of the technology. Users get a distinct feeling of being where the robot is as they receive live video streams of the location as the machine moves around it. This enables active collaboration and interaction between people, no matter how far they are from each other.

    -Noel Fernandis

    Team ScienceNow

     

  • Identifying Junk Foods

    Every individual seems to be on a fast track having little time to seek for healthy foods. Are you eating right? You do need to give it a thought! Is there a way to distinguish between junk food and healthy preparations?…

    Globalization has brought in global cuisine including fast foods, which have become a part of daily diet for many people. And this is the reason for increase in childhood obesity and adult obesity thus increasing the risk of developing chronic diseases such as Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases etc.

    Getting to know Junk Foods

    Junk food is staple to urban India. Fast-food restaurant chains are aplenty in the cities. These restaurants are into quick-serve mass produced meals that are high in Calories, Fat, Cholesterol, Carbohydrates, Sodium, Salt and Sugar. Your risk of adverse effects is low if you eat fast foods occasionally. But there are some hidden ingredients, which can cause health issues. The worst are the aerated fizzy drinks that go with the fast food meals.  

    How would you distinguish junk foods from healthy foods? Most important differentiation would be that fast foods contain simple Carbohydrates, refined Sugar, excess Salt, Saturated Fat, hidden additives, preservatives and low nutrition value. Some examples of these foods include, packaged food products such as Cookies, Chips, Cakes, Pastry, Fizzy Drinks, Pizza, Burger, Pasta and many more.

    The definition of junk food and healthy food is confusing for Indian people. It is true that the fast food culture has thoroughly been integrated into our food habits. Also, these foods are washed down with cans and bottles of aerated drinks. But Indian food menu also has ‘Indian Fast Foods’, such as the lip-smacking snacks– ‘Batata Vada’, ‘Samosa’,  ‘Vada’, ‘Gathiya’, all of which are deep-fried. On the other hand we are lucky to have options like ‘Pav Bhaji’, ‘Chat’, ‘Idli’,  ‘Dosa’ that cannot be called Junk Foods.

    Processed Food

    There are umpteen numbers of companies that bring out food products such as instant foods, ready-to-eat foods, flavoured Yogurts and many more. The list is endless. The companies sometimes make tall claims regarding the product’s health benefits, thus camouflaging the true nutritional status. Even after reading the label, the nutritional values are unclear. Convincing advertisements lure you into buying these foodstuffs. However, when you delve deeper into the ingredients you will know that the store-based processed foods have a lot of added Sugar and preservatives to increase their shelf life. According to food scientists, any food with preservatives, trans Fat, excess Salt, excess Sugar, excess Oil, foods with high Calorie content, high in Fat content can be included in the category of Junk Foods.

    Before you Eat…

    Read labels before you pick up foods off the shelf. Look out for certain chemicals such as Mono Sodium Glutamate (MSG) added to Chinese food preparations for flavor, Potassium bromate used to enhance the texture and rising of flour, Propylene Glycol added to soft drinks, salad dressings etc. for keeping foods moist.

    These and many other chemicals can be detrimental to your health. Added Sugars such as Corn Sweetener, Sucrose, Dextrose, Barley, Malt etc. in processed food are harmful to your overall health. To avoid confusion and be safe, it is best to opt for natural foods that have no labels.

    Fix your Cravings …

    It is not a sin to eat junk foods. You can prepare the so-called “junk” foods at home and turn them into healthy preparations by being innovative. For instance, use of whole grain Pasta and Pizza, topped with vegetables can become healthy preparations. You can choose oils such as Olive Oil, rice Bran Oil or Sunflower Oil to prepare healthy food. Baked or roasted snacks such as Popcorn, Chips, and Lotus seeds (Makhana) can be healthy. Oats, Cereal and Oatmeal cookies are full of Fibre, Calcium and Iron.

    Your choices matter

    When you visit a fast food restaurant you can always opt for healthy foods on the menu. You can try steamed, grilled, roasted or baked food items. Avoid deep-fried foods. Salads with low-fat dressing accompanying a healthy soup are good choices. A healthy meal should include Fruits, Vegetables, Whole Grains, Legumes, or Eggs, Lean Meat and Fish for non-vegetarians.

    Making junk food a part of your regular diet can be addictive and dangerous.  The foods that you order may be loaded with saturated and trans fat like Butter, Lard, Palm Oil and Vanaspati or Dalda, which are unhealthy in the long run.  Make your food choices as per your dietary requirement. Ensure that you get enough exercise to remain active. Simply burn those extra calories with yoga or any form of exercise that you prefer. Balancing your food habits is an important aspect of managing weight and keeping diseases at bay.

    –Dr. Parul R. Sheth

    Freelance Writer, NCSC

  • Innovation – Pearl Farming

    In the Big Idea Summit organised by Bhanushali Chamber of Commerece, Ghatkopar, Mauktika Pearl Farming with innovator team comprising Mr Chinmaya Saboo from Odisha and Ms Pooja Mange from Nasik got the prestigious award of the Best Innovative Startup. The technique can be used to Cultivate Pearls, which can be a very lucrative enterprise….

    Background

    The world was standstill… in lockdown… Everything shut… this was the time when a bright idea was unfolding… Chinmaya Saboo from Odisha and Pooja Mange from Maharashtra started a venture.. very new… very innovative… The Pearl Farming…

    Chinmay perceived the idea… got deeper. He started getting training to do the innovative venture of Cultivating Perals.. The idea is different… He started culturing the Mussels to induce Pearls in them… and as always the same happened as it happens with any new venture… Chinmay started with 20000 mussels.. but alas… most of the mussels died…

    Plan

    Without giving up the idea Chinmay started afresh… Now he followed the scientific path… Started reading a lot of research papers on Pearl Cultivation… read a lot of research papers and came up with a very innovative novel culturing method for mussels…Now he got the confidence of growing the Pearls… mortality subsided… here he introduced a very novel concept of Designing Pearls… he collaborated with Pooja Mange from Nashik… and started on his own…Mauktika Pearl Farming started… a New venture was born…

    A powerful game-changing plan for doing pearl farm with new ways and using mother of pearl and beautiful shapes was conceptualized. The water zones were identified where those mussels for the Pearls were grown… The conducive parameters that comply the pearl growing were identified… Along with the natural sites the pearl farming was also attempted in artificial tanks.

    Innovation

    The exhaustive study was done on which species should be grown to give the best results.. The mussel species… Lamellidens marginalis collected from the hatcheries was found to be best suitable for Pearl Culture… mussels were subjected to selective breeding… proper medicines were administered… The mussels were maintained for seven days…

    Lamellidens belongs to the class Pelecypoda phylum Mollusca. Fresh water mussels live in ponds, lakes, slow moving streams all over the world. The lamellidens are distributed throughout Indian subconti­nent. Pearls of small sizes have been re­ported from lamellidens

    Methodology

    The critical step of inducing the Pearl was done by initiating the surgery…  the process of surgery is performed by implanting the nucleus on both sides…the method of surgery that is followed in India is mostly the mantle cavity surgery which allows the mussels to handle the stress and get the best

    pearls … the mortality is just around 10%… after the surgery the mussels are observed for a period of 7 days preventing bacterial infection and for healing the wound…

    The mussels are kept in ponds of tanks… the nutritional sources like calcium and proteins are supplied to the culture… this helps in increasing the lustre and quality of the pearls formed…The mussels are now maintained for a period of 15 to 18 months to get the best pearls… The pearls are harvested with quality parameters like weight and lustre…

    Big Idea

    Chinmay Saboo and Pooja Mange has developed this Novel Technology…The Big Idea… The Pearl Farming and Cultivation is very lucrative as it fetches a very good return.. If the proper method is followed Pearl Culture is a prospective enterprise….

    -Team ScienceNow

  • TEST YOUR IQ

    Test your Brain Power… solve this QuiZ…..

    1. In which month will the Gulmohar tree be at its peak of blossoms, filled with red flowers?

    (A) December

    (B) January

    (C) June

    (D) September

     

    1. For which of the following tasks will an artificial satellite not be used?

    (A) To measure the forests on earth

    (B) To transport goods

    (C) To telecast TV programmes

    (D) To obtain information about weather

     

    1. Public Health Department appeals to observe ‘A Dry Day’ once in a week __________.

    (A) to prevent mosquito reproduction

    (B) to clean up polluted water supply

    (C) to tackle water shortage

    (D) to make the area disinfectant

     

    1. According to the time of sunrise, starting with the earliest, arrange the cities – Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai and Shillong in the correct order.

    (A) Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi, Shillong

    (B) Shillong, Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai

    (C) Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Shillong

    (D) Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Shillong

     

    1. Which of the following characteristic of a surface helps to form an image?

    (A) Hardness

    (B) Transparency

    (C) Opacity

    (D) Smoothness

     

    1. What is the shape of galaxy Mandakini?

    (A) Spiral

    (B) Elliptical

    (C) Barred Spiral

    (D) Irregular

     

    1. For avoiding pollution, which method of disposing wet garbage should be followed?

    (A) To throw garbage in the dumping ground.

    (B) To burn the garbage.

    (C) To throw the garbage in stream water.

    (D) To put earthworms in the garbage.

     

    1. In which organ does mixing of inhaled Oxygen in the blood and exhaling of Carbon dioxide from the blood take place?

    (A) Lungs

    (B) Windpipe/Trachea

    (C) Air-sacs

    (D) Diaphragm

     

    1. Soyabean mixed wheat flour used for making rotis provides more ________ to the body.

    (A) carbohydrates

    (B) fats

    (C) proteins

    (D) salt

     

    1. Guess who am I?

    I am formed out of ice and dust particles. I am seen after certain years.

    My identity is my long feathery tail.

    (A) Asteroid

    (B) Dwarf planet

    (C) Meteor

    (D) Comet

     

    1. On which tree-leaves, does a female tiger butterfly lay eggs?

    (A) Cotton (Rui)

    (B) Mango

    (C) Mulberry

    (D) Banyan

     

    1. The colour of soil in Maharashtra state is different in various regions, as _______.

    (A) the temperature of each region is different

    (B) the proportion of minerals is different in the stone from which the soil is formed

    (C) there is a difference in rainfall

    (D) different crops are grown on the soil

     

    1. Which of the following animals is a vertebrate?

    (A) Toad

    (B) Cockroach

    (C) Earthworm

    (D) Snail

     

    1. When grain was stored in a closed tin, there were no maggots in it. But when opened after some months, there were maggots in the tin. From where they could have entered the tin?

    (A) They must have entered the tin from the gaps

    (B) They were hidden in the gaps

    (C) There must be maggot eggs in the grain, when the grain was filled in the tin

    (D) Maggots were born automatically

     

    1. Which vehicle will require minimum energy to carry equal mass at equal distance?

    (A) Ship

    (B) Aeroplane

    (C) Truck

    (D) Railway

     

    1. Raju sowed coriander seeds in a pot. After a few days, he noticed that the saplings from the pot had rotted. Find the reason.

    (A) Got more sunlight

    (B) Less use of manure

    (C) More water was supplied than required

    (D) Less sunlight and more manure were supplied than needed.

    1. Smoking is prohibited in public place by law because.

    (A) it causes diseases to breathing organs

    (B) It causes lungs cancer

    (C) persons who come in contact with the smokers, have to face bad effects of smoking.

    (D) lips turn black.

     

    1. Which of the following is an example of uniform linear motion?

    (A) A girl coming down a slide

    (B) A ball thrown in upward direction

    (C) An arrow sent at its aim by the archer

    (D) A train starting from station

     

    1. Density of planet ________ is less than water.

    (A) Earth

    (B) Mars

    (C) Saturn

    (D) Mercury

     

    1. A 10 cm long pencil is placed vertically in front of a mirror at a distance of 5 cm. If we join both ends of the pencil and its image to make a rectangle, what will be its area?

    (A) 200 cm2

    (B) 50 cm2

    (C) 100 cm2

    (D) 25 cm2

     

    1. What is the principle behind functioning of a pinhole camera?

    (A) Light rays travel in a straight line

    (B) Light gets reflected

    (C) White light is made up of seven colours

    (D) While travelling through the hole, light changes its path

     

    1. A boy weighing 50 kg is sitting on a seesaw 3 m away from its support. On how many meters a girl should sit, whose weight is 25 kg to balance the see-saw?

    (A) 1 m

    (B) 2m

    (C) 3m

    (D) 6 m

     

    1. Which astronomical incident takes place when the Sun, the Mercury and the Earth come in a straight line?

    (A) Mercury eclipse

    (B) Solar eclipse

    (C) Transit of mercury

    (D) Earth eclipse

     

    1. Which year was a leap-year after 1897?

    (A) 1898

    (B) 1900

    (C) 1902

    (D) 1904

     

    1. Where on Earth can we not have ‘Zero’ shadow day?

    (A) Equator

    (B) Equator to the tropic of Capricorn

    (C) Equator to the tropic of cancer

    (D) Both poles

    -Team ScienceNow

    QUIZ ANSWERS 1. C; 2. B; 3. A; 4. B; 5. D; 6. C; 7. D; 8.

    C; 9. C; 10. D; 11. A; 12. B; 13. A; 14. C; 15. A; 16. C;

    1. C; 18. C; 19. C; 20. C; 21. A; 22. D; 23. C; 24. D; 25. D

  • Have fun… Solve this Riddle…

    RIDDLE

    SOLVE THIS

    Have fun… Solve this Riddle…

    -I can rush, I can be still, I can be hot, I can be cold, I can be hard, I can slip through almost anything. What am I?

    Water

    -Which four periodic elements, when combined, make up something that terrifies criminals?

    Carbon, Oxygen, Phosphorous and Sulphur (C+O+P+S)

    -What is neither water nor land, and is always soaking wet?

    Wetlands

    -Which two periodic elements, when combined, heal?

    Helium and Aluminium (HE + AL)

    -It is impossible for me to be created, and I can never be destroyed, I can only change form. What am I?

    Energy

    -Team ScienceNow