210 items in this section. Displaying page 9 of 21
Why do Meteorites Strike the Earth?
On a hot summer afternoon, I sat down with my elder brother to play carom. I took the first strike and pocketed two coins. Then I did a little war dance. Wow! Suddenly dada (Bengali for elder brother) had an idea. “How would it be if a fast-travelling object hit the earth? Quite like the way the striker hit the coins.” I was amused. “How is it possible? The earth is so huge. Anyway there aren’t any strikers flying around in the solar system?...
Why do Airplanes have Wings?
I remember my trip to Goa. The flight was scheduled for six a.m. As the aeroplane taxied on the runway it gained speed. I felt a kick in the stomach and then we were airborne. It was my first flight and I was very excited. My father who was sitting next to me, asked, “Can you tell me how the aircraft flies?” “Because of wings,” I replied promptly. But I could not tell him what the wings do to make a plane fly....
Why do we Yawn?
Do you think that a great big yawn means you are really bored? Well, if you do, then you cannot possibly be further from the truth. Until recently many researchers used to think yawning is essential to increasing the oxygen intake to the lungs. A few on the other hand insisted that yawning is similar to stretching as it increases blood pressure and heart beat rate. While both research findings are correct, new studies show that yawning actually perks you up instead of doing the opposite (as many of us seem to think)....
What to do During an Earthquake?
An earthquake is literally an earth shattering experience! Here you are enjoying an afternoon snooze, or having a cup of coffee in the morning or even sleeping under a quilt on a cold winter night when WHAM! The entire crockery shelf collapses shattering plates and cups; the painting on the wall nearly knocks you down as it falls; or the antique fan looks like it will brain you as it hangs down, held by a single wire!...
What Happens After an Earthquake?
People often wonder whether an earthquake can drastically change the topography of a region. A few tremors and some buildings that collapse does not mean that the shape of the earth has changed, does it? However, earthquakes can and do change the topography of the region. An earthquake raised Rhodes island. The line of erosion (on the rock to the left) shows the sea level before the earthquake. The rise is uneven in different parts of the island, usually several meters....
How are Earthquakes Recorded?
When an earthquake takes place, people say that it measured 6.2 or 6.5 on the scale. The scale they are referring to is the Richter Scale developed by Charles Richter in the 1930s. The Richter Scale measures the magnitude of the seismic waves or vibrations that travels across the earth’s surface. The scale uses a logarithmic formula using high-frequency data collected from seismograph stations. However, long before Richter developed his scale, a Chinese philosopher Chang Heng invented a device to measure earthquakes in 132 A....
Why do Ants walk in a Line?
When I woke up one summer morning, I noticed a string of dashes on my bedroom wall. The line ran from the ceiling to the wall behind my bed and then disappeared under it. As I watched, I saw one of the dashes move. It was a small red ant walking up the line. Soon, another one followed and then another, till it grew into an army of ants marching up the wall. I noticed that while walking in a line the ants were cleaning the wall paint underneath them and, in the process, making a path....
Which is the World's Oldest Working Locomotive?
The Indian Railways is one of the world’s oldest railways dating back to 1849. It also has the largest network in terms of route length covering nearly 63,000 route kilometres touching every nook and cranny of India. The Indian Railways is also the world’s single largest employer with about 1.6 million people working in nine zones. Among its many unique gems are the toy train that runs on the Darjeeling Himalayan rail route, the rack railway at Udagamandalam in south India, the busiest narrow gauge network in the world, etc....
Why does a Kentish Plover Parent Desert its Family?
When couples exchange vows on the marriage day, they generally say ‘till death do us part’. For a species of shore-dwelling bird called the Kentish Plover, it is ‘till divorce do us part’. Indeed, birds of this species usually leave their partners after the incubation (hatching) of the eggs and usually it is the female who moves on, while the male stays on to look after the babies. A recent study conducted by Andras Kosztolanyi of the University of Debrecen, in Hungary, sheds light on the reason behind this behaviour....
Who discovered Vaccination?
“Mom, I have a stomach ache and I am feeling sick!” Try this out at home and the quick response is bound to be, “Don’t worry, we will take you to the Doctor!” More often than not, if the ache is because you haven’t done your homework, the mere mention of the word ‘doctor’ cures you. Of course, if the problem is genuine no one will know the cure better than a doctor. Edward Jenner was an English physician who was the pioneer of smallpox vaccine — the world’s first vaccine....