On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi went to three different pharma plants to take stock of the Coronavirus Inn being built in the country. In which Zayeds Cadella of Ahmedabad, Serum Institute of Pune, Bharat Biotech of Hyderabad visited and reviewed the corona vaccine.
Zahids Kedela (Ahmedabad) – The vaccine produced here is completely indigenous. The company’s chairman Pankaj Patel said that, our target is to complete the trial by March 2021.
Bharat Biotech (Hyderabad) – The vaccine produced here is completely indigenous. A third trial of the vaccine is underway. The vaccine produced here is 60% effective.
Serum Institute (Pune) – Serum Institute is the most looked after in India. Because this vaccine is in the final stage and is effective from 70% to 90%. With that, the company has made a vaccine by with Oxford. The CEO of Serum Institute said that, our first goal is to give vaccine to India and then to other country. The company is going to produce 40 crore doses by June – July.
Corona vaccine is being tested in the country and the world. Because cases of corona in the world are constantly increasing. However, it is a challenge to the government not only to corona but to whom to give corona vaccine first ? and how to distribute it?
In India, the corona vaccine may come early next year. According to Healthy Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan 25-30 crore people will be given corona vaccine by June – July of next year. The person will be linked to the Aadhaar card while giving veccine. For which there will be no Aadhar card, the government has not given any kind of information.Simultaneously, the government will use schools, panchayats, and anganwadis to distribute the vaccine and the state government will identify the places from where the vaccine will be given.
How will the covid app work?
While moving the veccine from one place to another, there is no change in the environment of the veccine so the covid app will be taken.
After giving the covid vaccine the person will be given a certificate. in which who, when, and where the vaccine is given will be given information which can be severely reduced in digi locker.
Mantises are the most curious creatures. You might’ve sometimes misunderstood them from grasshoppers. But then…..what exactly are these creatures? Are they…. carnivorous?
Photo by Quang Nguyen Vinh
Now, why are they called ‘Praying Mantis’?? The thing is ,their forelimbs are actually folded and therefore it looks like they are praying(silly? Not really). Let’s get familiarised with them,shall we?
Ecology
The order(a division while creating ecological divisions) of these Mantises are Mantises. The largest family of these organisms are the Mantidae,also known as Mantidae. Their habitat is usually in tropical zones. If we look into the morphology,the Mantises have a triangular head with large eyes(may be to search for their prey). Some of them have wings while some may not,but they have their forelegs to catch their prey with an iron like grip. Their phylum is actually Arthropoda. They sometimes appear in brown or green colours. The factor solely depends upon their species and may be the climatic conditions. How many species do they hold? Well,they have around 2400 species altogether.
They have a significant place in Egyptian and Greek theologies. What were they? Well,in Egyptian theology for instance,they were considered to be the ones who used to guide on editing his/her eternal or afterlife journey. The name Mantis’ however,came from the Greek word which means ‘seer prophet.’
Okay,so according the historical evidences they hold a significant place.In fact,these animals(like they come under the kingdom of animals,where in they are again classified as insects and so on)
Photo by Brandon Phan
Do not go on their size.These organisms are ambush predators,meaning that they are carnivorous animals,but in a stealthy way. What I mean to say is that ,suppose if these animals find their prey,they wait for it to be close enough for them and then…..attack.
Fossils
What are Fossils? When an organism dies,it is usually decomposed. But what if it wasn’t? And by that ,I am talking about the Carboniferous period. During these period bacterias and fungi had not fully developed the ability to decompose. So what happened? They got deposited under sediments. From this,they either got fermented through the anaerobic process,producing fossil fuels like coal and petrol,or got imprinted on the sediments,producing Fossils. The Fossils of Mantises the earliest of their existence is estimated to be about 135 million years ago, probably from Siberia.
Lifespan
Typically,a Mantis can live upto 3 to 4 months. But if it gets its food properly and all’s well,then it can live upto an yearly at most. Female Mantises are usually larger and maybe stinger than male Mantises because it’s the females who lay eggs(duh). The eggs are protected with the capsules and hatch in the time of spring .The female Mantises usually lay their eggs during the season of autumn and after paying their eggs,these Mantises die. But….what about the male Mantises? Do they not die at all?
Reproduction
(Typical teacher) Ahem,class! Nobody will dare to ask unnecessary questions! And….maintain Silence!
(Nah,not really. Firstly, I am not a teacher, and if I were to be a teacher, well that would’ve been purely disastrous.
Secondly, reproduction is a natural process,no matter how much you giggle about it, awareness of such matters is the most important and shall not be ignored. So ya, grinning about the word ‘sexual intercourse’ will do nothing but make you less concentrated) *no offence*
Reproduction in Mantises is quite peculiar yet fascinating. They reproduce sexually,yes but they follow something called ‘sexual cannibalism’. What is sexual cannibalism? Let’s break the word. Okay,sexual means a process through which they reproduce and cannibalism means that they eat their own species,may be raw or cooked(I don’t really know their menu). So,what does this imply?
Sexual cannibalism means that after the mating process,the female Mantises eat up the male Mantises. No worries, Let’s explain it somewhat like this:
Suppose a female Mantises wishes to mate. What exactly will she do? What she does is,she secretes an alluring scene to attract any male Mantis in the vicinity. When the male Mantis comes near the female Mantises,they start their mating process, sexually. But what does the female Mantises do meanwhile? She starts to eat the male Mantis. Slowly,the upper (remaining) part of the map mantis falls away,leaving their abdomen. The abdomen stays,still providing the female eggs with the sperm which will fertilize the eggs. How does the abdomen stay even after the male Mantis has died. Well,the male Mantis has some nerves in their body which continues the mating process even after the organism itself has died.
Now,you might find this weird,but it’s just how the female Mantis reproduction process works. The male Mantis are actually prepared for their death after their mating process. The process is like that,because the female organism also does after they lay their eggs. And the eggs need nutrition to grow well and the male Mantis serves as a nutrition provider to the eggs. Not only mantis but many organisms like jumping spiders,banana slugs etc. All reproduce by sexual cannibalism. They just can’t live that ‘happily lived after’ life due to their short life. Nature has its own methods.
Mantises might seem weak,but they’re really not. Between a hornet and a mantis,guess what who wins? And hornets are not any insect. So ya,this was the truth of the life of Mantises.
Fact- Mantises,when hungry,can sometimes eat themselves. Although that’s pretty rare,but definitely not non-existent. Also,they are experts in camouflaging themselves between the trees.
Undoubtedly the worse & harmful habit, as it’s injurious to one’s health. This evil habit generally takes a toll during adolescence or while passing out school or prime stage of college life. Peer pressure may be one of the key reasons to get habituated. But this harmful indulgence in smoking makes one cigarette addict. And this becomes really difficult to get over this habit. Sometimes people start smoking in order to imitate his favourite heroes who smoke on the TV screen. On the cigarette packet, cigarette companies issue the warning — ‘Cigarette smoking is injurious to health’. Yet the proneness to smoking is on the rise at an alarming state.
Sometimes smokers have so many please in favour of smoking. Some say without smoking they suffer constipation & prolonged tension & worries of modern life. But these are only lane excuses on their part of the part of drug addicts.
Constant or a habitual smoker runs the risk of suffering from some very acute & dangerous diseases & ailments. These are lung cancer, throat cancer, tuberculosis, asthma & high blood pressure. Heart diseases & respiratory troubles & ailments result in stroke or paralysis in the advanced stage or later life. Most smokers suffer from the bad throat, weak lungs & persistent cough & respiratory troubles throughout the year, particularly in the Rainy or Winter season. Moreover, direct smoking gives rise to passive smokers all around them. These passive smokers are compelled to suffer the evil habit of direct smokers, even against their will.
When you smoke your family suffers. As cigarettes are growing costlier gradually, it leads to heavy drainage of the hard-earned money of the smoker. Strict laws should be imposed on smoking in public, in offices, vehicles, streets, movie theatres, and in presence of children, family members & evening presence of those who dislike this evil habit. Smokers should be socially boycotted when all other possible ways to persuade go in vain them to abstain from this bad habit. The use of tobacco may be channelized into other sorts of financial pursuits like making insecticides & other things helpful to mankind rather than in making cigarettes & bidis.
The earthquake is one of the most dreadful natural calamities mankind has ever seen, while other being cyclones, tsunami & floods. The most recurring of all-natural calamities over the world. It is far more destructive than flood & storm. In the past, people believed that the earthquake happened when Vasuki shifted the earth from one good to another.
A better-fabricated story states that a huge giant, carried the earth on his shoulder shifted the earth to another shoulder out of exhaustion & it resulted in an earthquake. But Science doesn’t believe in such ideas. The scientific version of the cause of the earthquake is a sudden contraction, as the result of cooling of hot matters inside the earth. As a result of this sudden contraction, the upper part of the soil of the affected part gets loose & is torn apart. It results in deep cracks and landslides. The bases of houses, whether they are concrete buildings or any other type of houses are badly affected. Sometimes these houses collapse. There are some earthquake-prone areas on earth. Japan, China, the Himalayan range of India, Kutch, Assam, Iran & Turkey are some of them. Japan is highly earthquake-prone country. So most of the houses here are made of light wood.
The intensity of an earthquake is measured with an instrument named with am instrument named Seismograph. Its units of measurement are indicated by the Richter Scale. A quake measuring above life and properties. The source of the tremor is known as the epicenter of the earthquake. There are three types of tremors called minor, major & very major.
In different countries, researches are being carried on in order to predict and prevent the occasion of an earthquake. In India, the National Geographical Research Institute is carrying on such work. In some cases, scientists have succeeded in earthquakes. So it can prevent a huge loss of lives and properties. Like most other natural calamities, an earthquake can not be prevented. It can be predicted. This suitable measures should be taken individually during the calamity hit. Like avoid staying indoors, rather rush to the open grounds for preventing mishaps. Also it is the need of the hour that students in schools need to be taught about disaster management for inculcating skills & knowledge during such disasters in these budding minds.
Movies love to show Piranhas as nasty creatures of the sea. But do we know the exact anatomy of these creatures? What do these species include? And how dangerous can they really be..?
If we look for their size,as to what sizes can they go up to,these sea animal’s sizes basically depend on their exact species. But mostly,Piranhas can grow about 12cm to 35 cm long. Although,some can grow larger,growing as big as 50cms. Some experts claim that Piranhas can grow higher than that,though the necessary proofs are not known or not identified. It is believed that the Piranhas in the past,and by past I mean about 10million years ago. These were called Megapiranha which managed to reach upto 71 to 100cms! Unfortunately though,these Piranhas are extinct and are no longer found,at least not until today that is..
If we look into their Morphology (morphology can be roughly be explained as a study of the structure of a particular organism. The branch of study is actually quite interesting!)
Morphology is a bit different from the size of the organism.
Anyways,many species are quite similar due to their specific dental structure. Don’t get your hopes up though,All Piranhas have grazing teeth on both their upper and lower jaws. They have very ‘tightly packed’ teeth which are sort of triangular in shape when observed individually. This property makes them rapidly puncture any surface quite easily. Their teeth are extremely strong for organisms like them. The larger the jaw muscles,the stronger the fish’s bite can be. How strong are their teeth,though? Well,just get this that their minor teeth are often used to cut hairs.And, Piranhas are not carnivorous,but are omnivores just like us!Set aside their deadly teeth of course..
If we look into their species and all the ecological factors,Piranhas belong to the ‘subfamily’ of Serrasalminae(have a lovely time pronouncing that:D ) The species of these organisms range from 30 to 60 different organisms.
These hairat of these organisms lies in the fresh waters i.e rivers! Okay,so the habitat must have a fresh water basin and maybe a rainforest and at some places,swamps as well. And where are such conditions found..?
Amazon Basin
The rivers of Guianas
Orinoco
Paraguay
Rivers of Sāo Francisco
Nature always manages to surprise us. Some species have also been found in the south-eastern regions of Bangladesh and were also spotted in a river flowing through China.
But what if I want them in my native? Well,we can breed them artificially, can’t we?
How are they so famous?
It all began with the visit of the former American President,Theodore Roosevelt. The President,who visited Brazil in the ear 1913 went hunting(it was the year 1913 so..may be hunting at that time was not really illegal). The local fishermen wanted to have the President a great spectacle to see and which is why they blocked of a part of the river trapping the Piranhas and starving them. When the President crossed the river,the locals pushed a cow inside the river,and within seconds of time,the cow was a mere skeleton..(brutal?at those times, probably not)
Later,when the President wrote a book,he described his expedition where in, he described Piranhas to be ‘vicious creatures.’ And that’s probably where the movies and the cartoons got their inspiration from.
How do you survive these creatures?
Piranhas work in groups. They are said to be working together by the means of swarming. These creatures respond to noises. So…if you ever get stuck with Piranhas,make sure that you make the least disturbing noises. The lesser,the better. And Piranhas are actually timid organisms and only attack when they are hungry or if you are too near to them or their eggs. Mostly,the Red-bellied Piranhas are believed to be the ones which are the most aggressive. They usually breed on fish meat,or the carcasses (dead bodies) of the animals. But what about living organisms? Piranhas only attack them if they are dying or if they look as a threat. So never panic if you have to confront them.
Actually,one can’t really blame them. It’s not like we don’t eat meat. Then why are they called dreadful or dangerous? The animals which we eat might think the same. These are the laws of nature. Nobody remains without a stain in their hands. In fact,in some places,Piranhas are even said to be a delicacy! And it’s not like they have emotions like we do and just hunt for their survival. So…. let’s not think of them that lowly.
We all are suffering a crisis,and it does a little by avoiding it. With the vaccines still being months away,our only means of protection are a few only a few things which we can do. But…are they even helping us?
No offence,but my motive in no way is to scare you out and blabber about how the world has become so cruel. No. Just no. The main motive of writing is just so that you start to be aware of certain things. This makes you buy things in an effective manner without turning a blind eye on anything.
So,what does our defence involve? Okay…let’s see..
Gloves(although they don’t last too long)
Mask(please let your mask stay where it is supposed to be!)
Sanitizers (at least they don’t have anything wrong with them….right?)
There are many more things like the suit in which you look like a lab surgeon etc. Trust me the situation is not to be laughed at. But we can rarely do something when the situation is so sensitive. And while you are out there battling this calamity every single day,why not make it a tinsy bit brighter!
Anyways,though the things which we think ought to protect us,you might want to recheck some products out of them
Gloves
What is the sole purpose of gloves? Well,so that the microbe does not make any contact with our hands. But it’s true that the microbe makes contact with the gloves. This makes it just like our hands, doesn’t it? Unless you sanitize your gloves regularly. See,gloves are useful so that our hands don’t come in contact with the microbe. But you have to keep in mind that you should avoid any contact of the gloves with your skin.
Photo by Chokniti Khongchum
Masks
What could possibly be wrong with masks? Safety masks are supposed to make it so that you do not get the microbe into your body,and as the medium we are dealing with is air,masks are used. But masks are for your safety,not so that you choke yourself. Meaning,buying expensive masks and a normal mask,both work for the sole cause,to protect you. And wearing a mask to cover your chin will not possibly make you safe.
Photo by Anna Shvets
Sanitizers
Sanitizers are used so that the microbe does not remain on the surface.But the contents in the sanitizers are very important to check. To kill a microbe,a sanitizer must contain about 75 to 80% of ethanol, commonly known as spirit. Ethanol in the Sanitizers is what kills the microbes. But some sanitizers have something called methanol in their sanitizers . Why is methanol? Methanol is commonly known as wood alcohol,and if a sanitizer has any methanol in it,it can potentially be fatal to you. Methanol basically makes your skin really dehydrated and dry and may cause something called dermatitis(skin irritation). The symptoms of metabolism poisoning are as follows:
Nausea
Vomiting
Dizz
Disturbance in your vision
Headache
Unconsciousness
Weakness in body
Now,if you have any of the following symptoms, don’t go running to your doctor. Methanol poisoning maybe one of the factors which are probably making your body react in such a way. If you face by of these problems,first go around and see whether your sanitizer includes any percent of methanol in it. If so, immediately stop the usage of such sanitizers. Even if they are expensive,they are not more than your health. But really,do we even know the things which are added to the sanitizers which are labelled even genuine? Which is why,do make sure of the contents in the sanitizers.
Photo by Anna Shvets
You might be wondering,’why is the writer writing these types of articles now…? ‘You see,for a long time I have been brushing off any topics which relate to our present conditions,but at some point of time I have realised that brushing off things will not make them disappear. Sooner or later,we just have to face them. So..just wanted to clear that.
I do not blame the system,they are doing wonders out there,but one should always remain alert if anybody is scamming with your money and conning you with their words.
Anyhow,we sort of have adapted ourselves to these conditions and probably will learn to find the fun in this as well!!
Fact: Suppose if you are in contact with a particular microbe for a certain amount of time,your body learns to get immune to the microbe itself! Which means,even if the microbe does enter your body,the body already knows how to kill it!
Nature never fails to surprise us with its mesmerizing beauty. But the sad part is,we barely even know any of it. Nature can give us extreme bliss with its delicious and luscious fruits,at the same time many plants which we think are pretty may turn out to be horrendous. But the fact that it manages to fascinate us everytime is a wonder.For instance, did you know that snakes had infra-red vision,through which they are able to find their prey?
Photo by Pia
Before getting to know this jellyfish which is said to be the most venomous animal ever known,let’s get to know the characteristics and features of a jellyfish.
Jellyfish
What comes to your mind when you think of this animal? Well,a jelly. Partially, that’s exactly what it is. Jellyfishes are invertebrates, actually the term jellyfish is often used to describe any animal which is a made of ‘gelatinious’ material. They are mainly made up of water and protein. These organisms literally exist more than 200 types of these jellyfish,and more of them are yet to be explored.The counting,as to know what exactly is the population of the jellyfish is still unknown,because the larvae of jellyfish are usually found in deep sea-beds. Jellyfish are classified into two types:
Medusae (these are the jellyfish which stings you if you go too close to them. Some of them are also venomous)
Ctenophores( also known as comb jellies,these types of jellies do not sting you, fortunately)
Photo by Buğra Doğan
Jellyfish use their sting,either if you go too close to them or it the jellyfish is really hungry and is hunting for its prey.
Jellyfish existed even before the Jurassic period. That is,they existed even before the first dinosaur came into being. What are their body parts,you may ask. Well,they don’t specifically have any brains(no offence) but they do have a specific structure which enables them to see. Very much like eyes. If we look in the language of English,a group of jellies are actually named as ‘smack’. When jellyfish go around in a large group,maybe with their friends, scientists give it a new name,probably to make our lives harder, as ‘bloom’.And trust me,by large I mean millions and millions of jellies,swimming together. Jellies are usually found in oceans,although,the possibility of them surviving in fresh water is not particularly known. Jellyfish are deep sea creatures,or that’s what known to us. Opaque would not be a word you would describe them with. Transparent? Nah,translucent would be more correct in their case,I guess. The blooms make it very difficult for fishermen and tourists. But I would not blame them,really.
Lifespan
Jellyfishes don’t live really long. Some survive about less than a ear,whereas some species only for a few days. It totally depends on their species, really. The type of species,their habitat,the food they eat,and their ability to survive play a major role on their lifespan. Jellies have a particular stageat each point of their life. The most known stage is medusa, also known as the adult stage,where all the jellyfish does is swim around and also develops it’s tentacles. The larvae of the jellyfish is called a planulae,which grows by breeding on phytoplanktons(microbe which can photosynthesise),small
fishes etc.
Photo by Valdemaras D.
What do they sting? These animals actually have stinging cells inside their body which are called nematocysts. What these tentacles do is that they can actually enter literally inside our skin,maybe through our pores.
Are they any good?
Hey! Don’t make them the bad Gillian here! They are some delicacies in some countries,these jellies also provide sort of a living habitat to young and small fishes in places where there is not much space to hide from predators. They use their tentacles to protect small fishes from their nasty predators. Also,some young crabs,which still can’t swim,prefer a good ride on the jellies’s back rather than all that painful work!
The Box Jellyfish
Phew! Now that you know what are jellyfish (I really hope so!)let’s get to know the animal which is probably the most venomous in the world.
From the name,you might’ve guessed that these jellyfish have a box like structure. It is actually !ore of a box -like -bell, I would say. From these bells,in the corners hang four hang four long and hollow tentacles.The body structure of this animal is pretty interesting,all around. We will not go into a lot of details,solely because at some point of time, you might sort of get…….bored?
Anyways,these jellyfish have a better,and we’ll developed nervous system than the other animals,and they are also the jellies which have true eyes,i.e with retinas,lenses etc.The eyes are located in the outer surfaces of their bell and they are ridiculously fast in swimming.
These species are declared to be called the most venomous but according to a research,only some species actually kill you. These type of Jellyfish have around about 20 species with the exploration of mor species still going on.
The venom in them,if in contact with our skin make our cells so porous( holes in our cell membrane) which makes it easier for potassium to leak. Now, potassium is an element which is needed by our body but in huge doses can also stop your heart. Potassium ,at inappropriate doses can result to be very harmful for humans. And don’t think that you would have time to call someone to your help. Nope. This process literally takes just about 2 to 5 minutes and slowly,may lead to death. And I am not kidding here. In children,this process could be even faster,as their body is smaller. The deaths seem to be more common in the parts of Australia.Most Jellyfish venom make your body almost turn into liquid. Spooky? Oh,you’ve got a long way to cross,buddy..!
All in all,unless you don’t disturb them,they don’t disturb younas well! Initially,we start the write,then…..why do we think they are the one who are ruthless…??
When you think of evolution the first name that comes to one’s mind is that of Charles Darwin. However, the fact is that he was not the first person to put forward the idea of evolution. Lamarck had suggested it earlier but the concept was not popular. In fact zoology professor Robert Grant lost his job because he supported Lamarck theory! An anonymous work titled, ‘The Vestiges of creation’ was ridiculed. It was Charles Darwin who first made the theory acceptable and he was able to do so because he supported it with a huge amount of evidence. Darwin, an English naturalist put forward his theory in a book titled ‘On the origin of the species’. He established that all species descended from common ancestors and that the different species evolved through a process he called natural selection. Darwin’s theory gained acceptance because it was able to explain the diversity of life.
Ramapithecus belongs to an extent group of primates that lived from about 12 to 14 million years ago. Fossils of Ramapithecus were discovered in India and Africa beginning in 1932. Fossil evidence suggested that it had a short face, heavy jaws and enamelled teeth like hominids. Its importance lies in the fact that it was regarded as a possible ancestor of Australopithecus and therefore of modern humans. Later for sale finds indicated that Ramapithecus was more closely related to the orangutan and Ramapithecus is now regarded by many as a member of a group known as Sivapithecus.
It has been long known that humans share a common ancestor with apes but it was only in the last 30 years that techniques for develop to provide strong evidence in support of the theory that humans are more closely related to chimpanzees than they are to gorillas orangutans or Gibbons. The DNA of a chimpanzee is 98% identical to that of a human being. However our bodies adapted for walking on 2 legs. This is possible because the lower portion of the human body evolved to facilitate load bearing and balancing while walking upright. Chimpanzees not only share most of our genes they seem to be able to handle tools and they are able to grasp language pretty well too. Now researchers have found that we share a similar brain pattern when communicating. But in spite of these similarities there are clear differences in body structure intellect and behaviour.
Australopithecus was an early hominid which is now extinct. Fossil evidence suggests that these individuals lived from approximately 4- 2 million years ago after evolving on the continent of Africa. Sense the fossils were recovered from south Africa they were called south African man apes or australopithecines. Australopithecines are believed to have been around 1 to 1.5 metre tall and probably fed on leaves fruits and the remaining of dead animals. Their brains were larger than those of apes but smaller than human brains while their teeth would like human teeth it is believed that Australopithecus eventually evolved into modern humans.
Neanderthal man first appeared in Africa about 200,000 years ago and migrated to the rest of the world around 100,000 years ago. The name Neanderthal comes from Neander valley where an early skull was found. Neanderthals would different from other species of early man. They were much taller and very strong for stop the brains were actually larger than ours are today. They were marvellous hunters. They often used caves as their homes. They were adept at fire making and probably cooked their food routinely. Neanderthals buried their dead. The Neanderthals died out by around 30,000 BC. Cro-Magnon man lived some 40,000 -10,000 years ago. Their remains were first found in France in 1868 and then throughout other parts of Europe.
Cro-Magnon man was anatomically identical to modern humans and deferred significantly from Neanderthal man who disappeared in the fossil record shortly after Cro-Magnons appearance. Cromagnon man was tall and had an erect posture. He had a prominent chin a surprising forehead and skull shaped like hours. These man was killed hunters toolmakers and artists. Cro-Magnon man was a true human and looked just like us. He is represented by the remains of 5 individuals found in March 18683 adult males one adult female and one child.
•First family. In 1975 Donald Johansson discovered the remains of at least 13 individuals of all ages at her there in Ethiopia. The sizes of the specimens varied greatly and Johansson believed that they all belong to a single species Australopithecus afarensis in which men were much larger than the females.
A logically self contradicting statement is a paradox. Also known as antinomy. You can say it is a sentence that runs contrary to one’s expectations. Actually it’s just a smart mess. It does have valid reasoning but leads to a self contradictory or a logically unacceptable conclusion. It might seem absurd but is kind of the ultimate truth. That’s what makes it all the more interesting.
Let’s see some of the many interesting paradoxes that exist and try to understand them.
•Achilles and the tortoise 🐢🏃
One of the “greatest” there is. It was put forward by the Greek philosopher Zeno of Elea in the 5th century BC. It so happens that the great hero Achilles challenges a tortoise to a footrace. Being the hero that he is, he allows the tortoise a headstart of 500m. No doubt, when the race starts, Achilles is at a must faster speed than the tortoise such that by the time he has reached the 500m mark, the tortoise has only walked 50m further than him. When he has reached 555m mark, the tortoise has walked another 0.5m, then 0.25m, then 0.125 m and so on. It is a chain of such infinite small distances with the tortoise always moving forwards while Achilles always has to catch up. Now, logically, Achilles can never overtake the tortoise. Except, of course, intuitively he can overtake.
Don’t think of it in terms of distances and races but rather as an example of how finite value can always be divided an infinite number of times, no matter how small its divisions might become!
•Birthday paradox 🎉🎂
This is personal favourite. It is maths based by the way. Probability to be specific. You have already heard of this probably. It goes like this that in a group of 23 randomly selected people there is a 50% chance two of their birthdays match. Interesting? Wait. In a group of 367 random people there is a 100% possibility atleast two of their birthdays match. Sounds like such a small number. It counts as a paradox because we can’t handle such numbers.
•Crocodile paradox 🐊
A crocodile snatches a young boy from the riverbank. Pretty common situation right? Anyways, his mother pleads with the crocodile to return the boy. The crocodile being in a fun mood, wants the mother to guess if he will return the boy or not. Takes one guess to get the boy out safely. It looks simple – the mother guesses he will return the boy, if she is right she gets the boy, if she is wrong, the crocodile gets the boy. If she answers that the crocodile will not return him, however, we end up with a paradox!
If she is right and the crocodile never intended to return her child, then the crocodile has to return him but in doing so breaks his word and contradicts the mother’s answer. And if she is indeed wrong and the crocodile did intended to return the boy, the crocodile must then keep him even though he intended not to, thereby also breaking his word. It’s a brain twisting dilemma.
•Paradox of fiction 🎟️📕
Are you fixated with the harry potter characters? You ofcourse have a crush on the Marvel or DC comic characters. Oh or did you cry when Augustus died?
So here is the paradox. Point 1 People have emotional responses to characters, objects, events etc. which are fictitious. Point 2 In order to be emotionally moved, we must believe that these characters or events by no way exists in real. Point 3 No person who takes characters to be fictional at the same time believes that they are real. All three of these points one at a time can be true. If any two points are considered to be true then the third must be false or else produce a contradiction. There exist various proposed solutions to this paradox such as pretend theory or thought theory or illusion theory.
•The card paradox 🃏
This one is a little bit similar to the crocodile paradox. A little. So I say we have a card with us. On one side, the front side, “the sentence on the other side of this card is TRUE” written on it. You flip and “the sentence on the other side of this card is FALSE”. You take one as true and it leads to a paradox!
•Mahatma Gandhi, the father of our nation is an inspiring person, who shaped world history. Gandhiji stands out among the great men of the world as a symbol of non violent resistance to political and social repression. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on October 2nd, 1869 in Gujarat. He became the leader of a movement that attracted millions in the struggle for freedom. He was strong advocate of non-violence. India got freedom on August 15th, 1947. Gandhiji was assassinated on January 30th, 1948.
100th birth anniversary
• The year 2019 marks the 100th birth anniversary of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, the father of the Indian space programme. He was born on 12th August, 1919. Dr. Sarabhai has put India on the international map in the field of space research. In 1962, he became chairman of the Indian National committee for space research. The establishment of the Indian space research organisation, also known as ISRO, was one of his greatest achievements. Dr. Sarabhai died on 30th December 1971.
500th death anniversary
• Leonardo da Vinci was perhaps the most widely talented person ever to have lived. He was a consummate painter and sculptor, a great inventor, military engineer, scientist, botanist and mathematician! He lived during the Renaissance in Italy and while working in Milan as an artist, he began writing texts for his students and apprentices. His notebooks covered more than 1000 pages of observations and illustrations. They remained unpublished for more than a century and were printed only after his death. He was born on April 15th 1452 and died on May 2nd 1519.
150th anniversary
• The period table gives us information about element symbols and atomic weights. It brings order to information about the chemical elements and helps chemists to understand why elements react as they do. The milestone in the development of the periodic table was set by the Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev in 1869, who is acknowledged as the ‘father’ of periodic table though the title is also claimed by the German scientist Lothar Meyer. Today, the periodic table organizes the elements by order of increasing atomic number.
150th year of publication
• 2019 marks the 150th year of one of the greatest novels ever written – Leo Tolstoy’s ‘War and Peace’. This classic work from Russia was first published in the book form in 1869. Tolstoy took almost 7 years to finish this epic work and a Russian magazine named ‘Messenger’ serialised some portions of it during 1865-67. But the full novel came out as a book only in 1869. The story woven around Napoleon’s invasion of Russia covers a period of over 15 years. The unique literary style and the historical context make ‘War and Peace’ a monumental work.
125th year of publication
• Is there anyone who isn’t familiar with the famous character ‘Mowgli’? Hopefully none. The main character of the evergreen ‘Jungle Book’, a collection of stories written by Rudyard Kipling is a huge part of our childhood. ‘The Jungle Book’ was first published in 1894.
100th anniversary
• The Jallianwala Bagh massacre was a turning point in our freedom movement. The British troops under the command of Colonel Reginald Dyer, opened fire on unarmed Indians on 13th April 1919. This event took place in the heart of Amritsar. Hundreds were killed and thousands injured. This was followed by widespread protests across a grieving country. Many Indians became convienced that the British had to be paid back in their own coin that violence has to be met with violence. The 100th anniversary of that cruel incident fell last year.
300th year of publication
• Daniel Defoe’s ‘Robinson Crusoe’ has fascinated readers around the world for the last 300 years. Daniel Defoe was an English writer, famous for his novel Robinson Crusoe that was published in 1791. One reason for it’s popularity is that it us packed with excitement and adventure, with sailing ships, stormy seas and guns. Without doubt, Defoe’s ‘Robinson Crusoe’ established a realistic style of fiction and set the tone for modern novels.
You might have come across this term manner times,maybe even witnessed it. Movies love to portray at least one scene of quicksand. You might’ve even seen the ‘forwarded’ messages where one is literally bouncing on the ground. How does this happen. More specifically,why does it happen?
What is quicksand?
Okay,let’s not dig directly into the concept. First….. Let’s get to know about what exactly is this quicksand. So,have you ever seen people playing and diving in oobleck? What is this ‘oobleck’? Basically,oobleck is cornstarch or cornflour +water. When you mix water with this oobleck, it does something completely ofbeat.If you’ve not seen this ‘oobleck’ then just grab on some cornflour and water and mix them. But…what does this imply and how the heck is it related with quicksand??!?
Okay! No more suspense! Let me ask you something. Do you believe this statement that everything in this world is made of some..or the other ‘matter’. First of all,why should I believe in these statements just because my textbooks say so. Well, actually it’s completely on us whether to believe these statements or not. By believing these factors, these statements,these assumptions,we can categorise,classify and discover many more things. And the species of humans are achingly curious. They do not limit anywhere and continue to explore,invent and discover. So,by the statement that ‘everything is made of some ‘matter’ or some basic ‘elements’ is our own postulates which actually help us to live in a better way. So ya,to understand a few concepts,you have to accept these postulates even if they are wrong. (Just like I have to get an yearly paid membership to binge-watch various shows,even if that means pulling up and all nighter. Sad? I know..)
So,this statement is pretty contradictory about an atom being invincible because then your next statement is that an atom is made up of three things and we will not delve into that part,at least not for now.
So ya,oobleck also has some particles in them. Alright,till the all cool. But this is when it’s dry and something very enthalpy. And what is that….??
Okay,so you might have believed until now that,’Physics and chemistry applies for non-living beings and biology is the only branch where living things’ Hate to make this complicated for you but,All The Three Branches Of The Above Science Apply To Everything Which Belongs. Which is why they are branches of science. What is Science? Anything which is studied deeply is called a science of that particular object.
Oobleck,when dry has some particles in it,and when you play with dry corn flour,it has small particles which distribute themselves when you play with it. But upon adding water,this distribution kind of changes. Now it becomes a sheer thickening liquid. What do mean by sheer thickening liquids? Basically,it reacts to pressure in a different way than normal liquids do. That is,upon applying pressure,it acts like a solid and upon releasing the pressure,it acts like a liquid. Which basically gives it one more synonym: a Non Newtonian liquid. ‘Liquid’ would arise yet another contradiction and therefore the term ‘mixture’ is more preferable.
Now that you know oobleck,just know that quicksand has almost the exact properties that of oobleck. Quicksand is nothing but water mixed into the sand. Only that this ‘mixture’ is present in large quantities and occures naturally without any human interference . By this, I mean that none of the human interference end up being the result of the formation of quicksand. The only difference oobleck and quicksand is that sand is much more
‘granular’ than oobleck and this makes it a bit different from oobleck.
Source:Pinterest
What makes quicksand harmful?
Well well, here’s the thing which is mind boggling, isn’t it? Quicksand, initially acts like a vacuum.Why?How? Well because of its sheer thickening property, anything and everything which stands still on its surface,the objects tends to get sucked inside the quicksand. The formation of quicksand can also be observed in forest in the cases of ‘granular soil’ mixed with water. As per experiments,as sand is more granular and has more minute particles in them,the quicksand free near the forests are usually more dangerous. Ultimately,if you just run on a quicksand it would not engulf you,unless you stand still or dump in right into the quicksand,the quicksand will not gulp you. Just remember the property of the sheer thickening mixtures,and be a bit more watchful and..You’re good to go!
But what if you did manage to get yourself into quicksand?
First of all,that would not be pleasant. But if you did,then your only chance is to make space or a greater surface area. Usually, quicksand pits are not all that deep,and normally can come up to an average adult’s waist. But do not be faxed by this,there were cases when two people who unknowingly stepped on quicksand died of choking because the pit was too deep. First of all,DO NOT PANIC. Every situation can be handled smoothly if you stop ripping those hair off your head. One can bend behind to create a surface area or keep on wiggling your feet. DO NOT try to fight quicksand by shaking your whole body. The less mass on you,the better. As a precaution,be careful and gentle while shaking your feet because any carelessness can result in severe damage. Many types of ‘survival instincts’ can be found with illustrations by experts on sites. At least I haven’t gotten the pleasure to see a quicksand pit. So,even if I do tell you a lot,I still can’t describe more. Because I can just give you a theory. The practical use is all upon you!!
Ever heard someone asking about the things you added into the food which you prepared? Feel a bit annoyed by that remark? Well, don’t be,cause even a small mistake may result as fatal for them..
What exactly are allergies?
The etymology of Allergy i.e ‘Allergie’ which was actually invented by a doctor who actually combined two Greek words, allow,meaning ‘strange’ and ergon which means ‘activity’. Which means that an allergy,if roughly explained,is any ‘strange activities in your body is an allergy.
Mechanism
So,your body contains some antibodies. What are antibodies? Well,whenever your body has any foreign organism inside it,your body starts to release something called antigens. These antigens have antibodies present on them which will bind the foreign material in order to destroys it. The difference? 1. Antigens are the substance which ‘induce’ the immune response of the body whereas antibodies are the proteins which actually recognise and bind them to the antigens.
2. Antigens maybe within the bodies of be added externally and the antibodies are always present in the bodies. Suppose you take a Red Blood Cell(RBCs),every blood cell has an antigen on them. Let’s imagine the blood cell to be of A+ve person and the antigen which is present on the cell be of a triangular shape.
O>.
How will the antigen be of that cell? The antibody which the body will produce will be exactly opposite,let’s imagine the antibody like a circular or anything which is not triangular intially the antibodies of ‘B’ blood group. Why is it so? So that they don’t fit together! So will the ‘B’ blood group cells make the antibodies of A blood group. What happens if they fit together? The cells die. Which is why people from blood banks are really specific about the ‘blood group’ which the patient belong to. But then..what happens in the case of ‘O’ blood group? The cells from ‘O’ blood group do not have antigens at all! So what kind of antibodies will the body produce? The perish with ‘O’ positive blood produces antibodies of both ‘A’ and ‘B’ blood group. Wait….this is all getting very confusing. How am I exactly supposed to know which blood group produces which antibody or whatever it is?!? Well,let’s see below.
Human blood is made of several groups. Not all blood groups are same. What is different in blood group is usually the antibodies. How are they divided? Let’s see!
A blood group- Has antigens of A blood group-But has antibodies of B blood group
B blood group- Has antigens of B blood group-But has antibodies of A blood group
AB blood group-Has antigens of both A and B blood group-but has no antibodies
O blood group- has no antigens-but has antibodies of both A and B blood groups
Now,you might have many questions regarding the above explanations. Don’t worry,every question will be cleared!
O blood group has both that antigens.Supposing,if we are to transfuse the blood to a person with A blood group,why doesn’t the antibody not kill the cell?
The answer can be derived with two possibilities. Firstly,whenever there is a transfusion of blood,it is very rare that antibodies get transfused. So, normally it is quite safe. Secondly,even if the antibody did manage to get inside,the antibody will die soon due to the difference,maybe from the environment of the other factors affecting it.
Photo by Amornthep Srina from Pexels
How is the blood group negative or positive determined? Whether the blood group is positive or negative is determined through something called the Antigen D. The presence of this antigen D means that the blood is positive and if the presence is not seen,then the blood is said to be negative. Hematology (the study of blood) is quite complicated and even today,many mysteries are yet to be disclosed. Why so? Did you think that only 8 blood groups exist?( A+ve,A-ve,B+ve,B-ve,AB+ve,AB-ve,O+ve,O-ve)
Then you are quite wrong,because according to a research,around 400 types of blood groups have been found till today,and the hematologists,are still studying very hard about the various properties of our blood and the various elements it contains.
Now,how does this affect allergies?
Antibodies,also known as Immunoglobulins are the ones which are sent when there is an foreign material identified by the body. It is very helpful due to its immunological memory which remembers the foreign organism for a long time,and when the same material again comes in contact with the material,the body knows how to kill it. This is extremely smart in the cases of pathogens(disease causing microbes). The problem arises when a micro organism is repaired by,let’s take pollen grain for example. Pollen grains are freely present in the atmosphere. When the pollen is inhaled through respiration,the body thinks the pollen to be a foreign material and produces large amounts of antibodies. This antibodies rush towards,where the pollen is present. Its main motive is to either destroy or remove the foreign material form the body. So the antibodies bind the pollen,and during this process,many side effects take place for eg. rashes,runny nose, constant sneezing(because the body wants the pollen out of the it’s system) etc. These are just minor allergies,some may develop some major effects which may be drastic enough to make one hospitalized. It may also be the case when an object,which was previously in contact with the body may suddenly be recognised as a foreign body and again,the process repeats. Some allergies may even turn out to be hereditary.
One is always advise to consult a doctor if suffering through any unusual reactions after the contact of anything. If not,one must make a note about what exactly is the factor which is causing the body to react as such,and try to avoid it
The concept which was written over here are usually temporary and soon the body adapts itself. But if you experience constant trouble with any material,try to avoid the contact with it and consult a doctor to prevent any further consequences
The research is still going on about what exactly does our body heal ourself,or why our brain releases certain fluids at certain situations,but these are are speculations and theories and are believed to make and define things in an easier way. There might be a time in future when we crack the code and get to know what exactly happens inside our bodies. Till then,to wonder is all we can do!!
India is a land of countless mysteries that have puzzled the rest of the world. Perhaps the most enduring of these mysteries is that of the ‘Indian rope trick’. In the classic version of Indian rope trick, a rope is thrown into the air where it remains rigid. A young boy then climbs the rope, only to disappear at the top. The performer quickly follows him only to disappear when he reaches the top of the vertical rope! Shortly after, pieces of the boy’s body fall from the sky and land on the ground at the bottom of the rope. A few seconds later, the performer is seen climbing down the rope with a blood stained knife in his hand. On reaching firm ground, the performer utters a magic word and the rope falls limp to the ground. He then gathers up the pieces of the boy’s body and bundles them under a sheet. Within seconds, the sheet is lifted and the boy appears completely whole and unharmed! Travellers to India have described this amazing trick for over 600 years, but there is considerable doubt as to whether the trick is fact or fantasy.
• Shroud of Turin
The shroud of Turin is reputedly the cloth in which Jesus Christ was wrapped and buried. The shroud is 4.34 meters long and it bears the image of a man with wounds similar to those suffered by Jesus Christ. The shroud is unquestionably old. Its history is known from the year 1357, when it surfaced in the tiny village of Lirey, France. Today, it is kept in a silver chest in the Cathedral of Saint John, the Baptist in Turin, Italy, where it has been since 1578.
Does the shroud really show the face of Jesus? No one really knows. Although, many scientists have expressed doubts about the accuracy of the image, millions believe it to be divine and it has been a religious relic since the middle ages.
• Loch Ness monster
As far back as the 17th century, people have reported seeing a monster in the Loch Ness in Scotland. Loch means lake in Scotland. This is the largest freshwater lake in the UK. But, rather than being known for its size, it is famous for the mysterious legend of the Loch Ness monster or Nessie.
For thousands of years, people have reported catching glimpse of a huge creature. This creature is said to have a small head, a long neck and an immense body with flippers. Some people have shared photos they claim to have taken of this huge creature. The legend is so great that even scientists have been intrigued and many have conducted experiments and come up with theories to try and explain what people could be witnessing.
One explanation is that the monster could be a prehistoric creature called plesiosaur, an animal that has been considered to be extinct. Maybe one of these creatures managed to survive in the Loch Ness Lake, who knows?
For many people, terms like gene, DNA and chromosome are hard to be interlinked. Which thing makes up what? A very common confusion indeed. So, why don’t we try to ‘zoom in’ into the human body and see what makes us what we are!
Upto the Cellular Level
Human body is a complex system of organs working in tandem, producing necessary hormones, energy and other requirements that are needed to keep the body healthy and active.. This whole organ system is made up of different constituent organs, which have one or several particular functions. Damage or decrease in function of even one organ may through the whole body in a serious condition. These organs, in turn, are systematic aggregates of different kinds of tissues. Tissues are structures of related cells, which function together to perform a specific function. Connective tissues are present in almost every organ, and their main purpose is to provide support and elasticity to the related organs. It forms a large part of the skin, blood vessels, muscles etc. Now, tissues, if broken down, would result into constituent cells. Cells, which are also known as the building blocks of life. Organisms can either be unicellular, or can multiply in a systematic way to finally form a multicellular organism. Cells are of different kinds, performing a variety of functions by themselves, or by clustering together to develop into subsequent structures.
Zooming Past The Cellular Stage
The cell itself has a range of organelles that ensure the proper development, and when the time comes, reproduction and finally, the destruction of the cell. The edge of the cells is demarcated by the plasma membrane, which allows a semi-osmotic connection with the surrounding. Cytoplasm is the solution which fills up the space inside the cell, the organelles being situated over it. These organelles include mitochondria, Golgi bodies, endoplasmic reticulum, ribosome, amongst the others. The nucleus is a very important component of the cell, as for they contain the key to transmission to the future, the chromosomes. The nucleus has its own set of organelles, separated from the cytoplasm and other organelles by the nuclear membrane. Those are: nucleolus, nucleoplasm and the chromosomes. The somatic or the non reproductive cells in the human body are diploid, that is, all the chromosomes are paired to a similar sized chromosome. But in the reproductive cells (gamates) in humans, such as the sperm and ova, only one chromosome of each type is present. These cells are also known as the haploid cells. In other words, n is the number of chromosomes in a haploid cell and 2n is the number of chromosomes in the diploid cell. In human beings, n=23. During the fertilization, the merging of cells will result in the restoration of two sets of each type of chromosome, thus forming a diploid cell, also known as the zygote.
The chromatins (one arm of a single chromosome) actually consists of tightly bound nucleosomes, which in turn are made up of densely coiled DNA strands over a protein called histone. The DNA molecule, which is also known as the genes of an individual, is responsible for the continuation of traits from parents to offspring. Also, the function of each cell in making a specific protein is also determined by the DNA, or more specifically, by a particular code in the DNA. These codes are responsible for dictating what enzymes will be released to drive specific chemical reactions related to various processes in the human body. These codes, and hence, in turn, the biochemical processes determine the appearance and some other innate characteristics in an individual.
The Most Basic Structure
The information is coded in the DNA using four chemical bases: adenine (A), guanine (G), thymine (T) and cytosine (C). The pattern or sequence of these bases gives the information for the development and maintenance of an organism. It can be equated with how letters are used to form words. These base pairs can only pair with their complementary bases; adenine with thymine and guanine with cytosine. Along with these base pairs, a sugar and a phosphate molecule attach up, collectively known as nucleotide. The nucleotides are the basic building blocks of the DNA. When these are arranged in two long strands, which wound up and form a spiral structure, then it is called a double helix, which constitutes a DNA molecule.
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