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Why do Onions Make us Cry?
One of the earliest memories I have as a child is when I was approximately three or four years old. I remember watching my mother work in the kitchen. She was cutting onions for the salad and I could see tears in her eyes. For a child the worst possible thing is to watch his/her mother cry. I got so upset that I got hysterical at my father for causing her pain. For I assumed my father was somehow responsible as we were only the three of us in our family....
Why is Snow White?
I am sure like my two kids, all of seven and three years, you too may find the cold in Delhi a bit too extreme. It is cold and clammy and some days it is foggy making it dangerous to drive. Some days I would like them to be adequately muffled up in warm winter clothing, while they feel quite comfortable running around in a sweater and shorts! But most days it was grumble, grumble, grumble!...
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)....
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....
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....
Why Don't Spiders Get Caught in Their Webs?
Spiders are not insects but are classified by biologists as arachnids. Arachnids are different from insects as they have eight legs and no antennae. There are over 40,000 species of spiders and some of them build webs while others rely on speed to catch their prey. A spider building its web is extremely fascinating to watch. Some spin these webs by squirting silken threads from modified excretory glands in their body. Each silk gland (some species have up to five) produces a different type of silk....
Why does Cutting Onions Make us Cry?
If you cut an onion, you begin crying. Have you ever wondered why this happens — why onions make tears run down your face? Well, onions contain a oil, which has lots of sulphur in it. When you cut the onion, this oil is released. It evaporates very fast. When the oil gases reach your eyes, it causes irritation and sends signals to your tear gland to produce tears. So that the tears can wash away the irritant from your eyes....
Why is Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow?
Here’s a quiz question: what is curly or straight and needs to be combed, brushed, plaited or twisted? It is gelled, shampooed, dyed, coloured black, blonde, white, red, brown and needs to be cut once in a while. A hint – the answer is above your head – it’s your hair! Each time you pass by a mirror, the one thing that strikes you is the hair on your head. Hair is something that grows by itself without any help....