Category: Featured

Moving swiftly across the swamp

the sparrow tentatively

spreads out his territory;

a phonic palisade, which

he surveys with

vain conviction.

 

Contented in solitude,

he slides into

symphonic soliloquy;

preening at the

sumptuousness of

his stereotypic performance.

 

Halfway through the encore

An unwanted response echoes his call.

Susceptible to the vulgarity

of this disturbance,

he jumps down from his perch

to confront his admirer;

the repetition of his retort

parading his position.

 

Bemused by his

audience’s apparition

he turns his ear

to the ground,

shakes his head,

 

and returns to his

own self-worth:

the virility of youth

untroubled by

the artifice of age

 

Sam Illingworth, 

Manchester University, UK

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

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

 

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

National Science Day is Celebrated on 28^th Feb every year. The day marks the announcement of the Discovery of Raman Effect by Sir C V Raman…

In India National Science Day (NSD) is celebrated on February 28 every year. This day marks the

discovery of the Raman effect phenomenon of the Scattering of light by the Indian Physicist Sir C.V

Raman on 28 February, 1928. For the discovery of the Raman effect, he was awarded the Nobel Prize

in 1930.

Keeping this in mind, the National Council for Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC)

decided that every year 28 February will be celebrated as National Science Day. The request was

approved by the Government of India, and from 1936 onwards, this day is celebrated by the whole of India as the National Science Day.

Theme of National Science Day

Every year National Science Day is celebrated with a theme that spreads the message about the

importance of science. This year Department of Science and Technology decided the theme of National Science Day 2023 as “Global Science for Global Well being”. The theme is dedicated to science, with the aim to highlight India’s role in Science and Technology globally.

Objectives of celebrating National Science Day

The main objective of celebrating National Science Day is to widely spread a message about the

importance of science in the daily life of people. It is celebrated to discuss all the issues and implement new technologies for development in the field of science. Significantly it gives an opportunity for people in the science fraternity and scientific minded citizens in the country to encourage to come together and work towards promoting science.

How is National Science Day celebrated?

The National Science Day is celebrated across the country by organizing different science exhibitions,

seminars, workshops, public speeches, science movies, exhibitions on the concept of themes, live

projects, quiz competitions, and many more such activities.

-Dr Siddhivinayak Barve

Editor, ScienceNow Digital

In mysterious circumstances, hundreds of birds die at the Sambhar lake, which is a famous breeding ground for migratory birds…

Sambhar lake, located 80 km southwest of Jaipur city in the state of Rajasthan record the mysterious phenomenon that birds were just falling dead from the sky. The officials were in action to ascertain the cause of sudden death of these flighted animals. They were foxed by the investigations as it was the Avian Botulism – a paralytic and frequently fatal disease caused by the ingestion of toxins that led to the death of hundreds of migratory birds… About Sambhar lake The lake receives water from five rivers – Medtha, Samaod, Mantha, Rupangarh, Khari and Khandela.

The lake is an extensive saline wetland with water depth fluctuating from as few as 60 centimetres during the dry season to about 3 meters (10 feet) at the end of the monsoon season. It occupies an area of 190 to 230 square kilometers based on the season. The lake is elliptically shaped with a length of approximately 35.5 km and a breadth varying between 3 km and 11 km. The circumference of the lake is 96 km, and it is surrounded by the by the Aravali hills on all sides

Birds that were found dead

Every year, thousands of migratory birds flock to the Sambhar lake. According to official records, more than 83 species of water birds are found nesting in this enchanting lake. Among these, the most common ones are little grebe, great crested grebe, great white pelican, little cormorant, black stork, and darter, apart from various species of plovers, egrets, herons, and geese.

Out of the total, about 25-30 species of birds have been found dead. It all began when tourists found a large number of dead birds on November 10, 2019. The trend continued over the next few days, until the Rajasthan government swung into action and buried almost 18,422 bird carcasses to prevent the spread of infection. The officials also rescued about 748 birds, of which around 400 were up and flying.

The cause of death

Finally, it was confirmed by the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) of Bareilly that Avian botulism (bacteria which is commonly found in the soil, rivers, and seawater when consumed by birds affects their nervous system, leading to paralysis in their legs and wings) was the cause. The avian botulism that caused the mass die-off at Sambhar was caused by the climate.

Heavy rains reduced the salinity of the lake. However, when the water evaporated, it increased the salinity around the edges of the lake bed. The low-levels of warm, saline water in the lake is further estimated by ecologists to have provided an ideal location for the manifestation of botulism.

Why is it a cause for concern?

Mass deaths among migratory birds are not uncommon and it is definitely a grave matter as each bird is a contributor to maintain the ecological balance. In the US, thousands of blackbirds were found dead on roads. In Gujarat, hundreds of migratory seagulls turned up dead in Jamnagar in 2005. In the case of the Sambhar Lake, it is the high mortality rate that has sparked concern. It ranks on par with the death of an estimated 750,000 migrating

Lapland Longspurs in Worthington, Minnesota, US in 1904.

The Need of the Hour

While the IVRI, Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in Dehradun, Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) in Coimbatore and Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) in Mumbai assessed the situation to understand and contain the outbreak. There is need for a long-term, sustainable solution that needs to be arrived at to safeguard not only avian but also human health.

In the era of climate change it is more important to preserve and prevent the loss of avian wealth

Manoj Mahanta
Team ScienceNow

“The development of the nation is intimately linked with understanding and application of science and technology by its people.” – Dr. Vikram Sarabhai

The space research activities were initiated in India during the early 1960’s. Dr. Vikram Sarabhai – the founder of the Indian space programme, envisioned that space research would help address the needs of humankind and lead the nation to progress.

Inception of Space program

Dr. Sarabhai summoned brilliant scientists, anthropologists, communicators, environmentalists and engineers from across the nation to build the Indian space programme that focused on building satellites for communication and remote sensing, space transportation system and application programmes.

He set up the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) which pioneered the manufacturing sounding rockets in India. He also initiated Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) so as to transmit education to remote regions across India. The Government of India set up the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) under the leadership of  Dr. Sarabhai and Dr. Ramanathan. The first Experimental Satellite Communication Earth Station (ESCES) that was set up in 1967 also became a training centre for Indian and international scientists and engineers.

Setting up of ISRO

The time was ripe to harness space technology for India’s development. In 1969, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) replaced INCOSPAR. The Satish Dhawan Space Centre was formed in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh in 1971. The following year, the Department of Space (DoS) was established and ISRO was brought under it. It was now crucial to set up a satellite system that can contribute to the national development. In 1980, ISRO successfully launched its own satellite Rohini-1 from Sriharikota. The launch enlisted India as the eight nation to prove its space technology prowess.

Leap of success

Today, space technology in India has brought immense progress and added the nation into an elite club of developed countries. India has become the sixth largest space agencies in the world. ISRO maintains one of the largest fleet of communication satellites (INSAT) and remote sensing satellites (IRS) for reliable communication, earth observation, satellite navigation, climate and environment. ISRO has also developed two satellite launch vehicles – PSLV and GSLV to place satellites in the Earth’s orbits. The vehicles have become favoured satellite carriers by other nations, thereby fostering international associations.

Contribution towards education

Apart from technological capability, ISRO has immensely contributed to science and education by initiating several autonomous institutions and research centres, promoting studies in astronomy, astrophysics, atmospheric sciences and space sciences. ISRO’s massive lunar missions (Chandrayaan 1 & 2) and planetary mission (Mars Orbiter Mission) has encouraged scientific study and research, further promoting valuable data to the scientific community.

Future ready

With technology as the key to future, ISRO adheres to optimise its development of launchers, human spaceflight projects, reusable launch vehicles, semi-cryogenic engines, orbit vehicles, development and use of composite materials for space applications etc. From the humble beginnings to the massive missions, ISRO has grown as an institution of space research.

–Manoj Mahanta

ScienceNow Digital

 

It was in this modest sleepy fishing village that the first seed of space science was borne that later initiated the quest for space programs in India…

Overlooking the Arabian Sea, Thumba is a small village bordering Menamkulam in the Thiruvananthapuram city of Kerala. It was on 21 November, 1963 that the first sounding rocket was launched from Thumba. But over the years, this place has been lost in oblivion… one of the reasons being that with the Indian space program becoming more robust, there was need for a newer, bigger state-of-theart launch pad in the form of Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.

One man’s dream

At a time when two space superpowers (USSR and America) were competing against each other by launching various space programs, India was just beginning to wake up from the newly acquired Independence. But it was the dream of one man, Dr. Vikram Sarabhai (the father of Indian space program) that changed the whole perception towards space science in the country. In fact it was Dr. Vikram Sarabhai who convinced the Americans and the Russians and other space agencies

at that time to use Thumba as a launching pad for their rockets as it had the advantage of close proximity to earth’s magnetic equator. Basically a magnetic equator is an imaginary line on the surface of the Earth where magnetic lines of force are directed horizontally (or where a magnetic needle that is free to rotate remains horizontal). It means that at all points of the line, the magnetic dip is equal to zero.

Donation from Church

But before convincing the Russians and the Americans, Dr. Vikram Sarabhai had to first persuade Rev. Fr. Peter Bernard Pereira who was the bishop of St. Mary Magdalene Church at that time. Since the place where the church stood was ideal for a launch pad, the bishop readily agreed to give the church over for space research. The fishermen and their families were also promised jobs in the premises and they also moved out. It was this church that housed the first unit of the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launch Station (TERLS), which was later named the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre. In fact the St. Mary Magdalene Church housed the first office of the Thumba Space Centre. The prayer room was Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam’s first laboratory, the bishop’s room was his design and drawing office.

The first launch

It was a sounding rocket, called Nike-Apache, made at NASA that was first launched from Thumba. The rocket was assembled in the church building and was shifted from the church premises to the launchpad by truck. Later, the payload for the Rohini launch was famously transported on a bicycle. This was just the beginning for the Indian space program and scientists grabbed the opportunity with both the hands. Apart from Indian payload, sounding rockets from many other countries including United States, Russia, Japan, France, and Germany were also launched from Thumba as part of mutual international collaboration. TERLS quickly developed infrastructure for all aspects of rocketry, ranging from rocket design, rocket propellant, rocket motor casting, integration, payload-assembly, testing, evaluation besides building subsystems like payload housing and jettisonable nose cone. However, the rocket launch from TERLS came to a stand-still in 2000. Later in 2002, the rocket launchings were resumed from TERLS. ISRO sometime back announced their plans to launch 180 number of RH-200 rockets from TERLS over the next few years.

-Manoj Mahanta

ScienceNow

Adapted from Andy Weir’s novel of the same name, Ridley Scott’s, ‘The Martian’ depicts a tale of extreme optimism, courage, determination and imagination. Astronaut and botanist Mark Watney along with the Ares 3 crew led by Commander Melissa Lewis is collecting samples from the Martian surface. A sudden windstorm wreaks havoc on the crew and sweeps Watney away. Assuming Watney to have been killed by the falling debris, the crew abandons the planet and begin their journey back to Earth. But as the storm settles, Watney is injured and finds himself stranded alone on the red planet. As he struggles to survive with limited resources, Watney wanders around the Martian surface and tries to establish contact with folks back home. Though NASA reports about Watney’s death and aborts the mission, the crew is shocked to know about Watney being alive and thus contemplates a rescue plan to bring him back. The movie brilliantly illustrates loneliness, uncertainty, hope and survival. The application of scientific knowledge to his situation helps Watney survive. The movie reinstates human faith in science and evolution. The Martian brings us close to the possibilities of science and human potential for survival.

-Team ScienceNow

Bidding a warm goodbye to 2022, I welcome the new year,
Bringing along with new dreams, new hopes and new cheer.
Fleeting through my mind are a million hues
As I stand and stare at the cosmos for clues.

 

The setting crimson sun peeps through the white clouds,
Tiny tweeting birds hop from branch to branch,
Withering leaves waft away from the trees,
As rain drops play sonata on the rooftops.

 

Kitten-black, brown and white jump up and down,
Crying Meh… Meh… a little Lamb runs through town.
Children crowding around the candy man,
Lilting music notes float through the cool fan.

 

There are zillion and more things to make us happy,
Let us just Stand and Stare and Smile at the cosmos
Cos’ in that space beyond the blue planet lie some answers,
And its loveliness will increase Year after Year after Year!

 

–V.S. Venkatavardaan,
Former Director, Nehru Planetarium, Mumbai