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Here are the answers:

Why do birds fly in groups?

Flying in flocks improves the chances of survival. In a large group, the chances of spotting a predator or other potential threat is higher, than a solo bird. Staying in a flock presents more possibilities of targeting a predator.

It also stays in groups so as to keep each other warm.  During winter, a small flock of birds stay together in a tiny space, bird boxes or hallow trees, to keep themselves warm.  A large flock on the other hand, congregate in a single tree to share their body heat.

How do they make patterns?

Birds fly in a parallel direction. They often copy the actions of the other birds in a flock, which is why it looks like they make patterns while flying. They use the air in an energy efficient way flying in ‘V’ shape, where each bird’s wing creates a different current. Such formations increase they flying distance without any breaks that is essential in long migrations.

Wayne Potts, a Zoologist, stated in his journal called NATURE, “Birds in flocks are able to change direction quickly not because they are following a leader, but because they see a movement far down the line and anticipate what to do next.” He called it Chorus-line Hypothesis for bird movement.

Do they collide while flying?

Since the birds do not practice the flying patters, do they have a chance of bumping into one another? The answer is No. There is alignment  as birds  try to match the average heading of its neighbors. It avoids flying close to one another which maintains the flock structure. This team ethic keeps the flock  heading to the same direction without colliding.

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Here are some superstitions we cannot label is being illogical:

1.  Eat curd and sugar before  stepping out

Most of us are fed with curd and sugar while heading out for work, as it is considered to be good luck. The scientific reason behind it is that curd has cooling effect on stomach and sugar provides instant glucose. This combination is essential as a kick-start for the day.

2. Don’t step out during an eclipse

If you observe Sun during eclipse, it can cause ‘eclipse blindness’. According to science, a person should not step out of the house during eclipse to keep away from the harmful UV rays.

3. Do not sleep with head facing towards North

Sleeping with your head facing towards North may cause harmful effects related to blood pressure and other diseases that asymmetry with the Earth’s magnetic field would create. Probably our ancestors had figured out the relation between Earth’s magnetic field and bio-magnetism back then.

4. Do not sweep the house after sunset

During the olden times, there was no electricity and the light of lamp wasn’t enough to see tiny things. As the chances of losing something precious due to the dark were high, it was asked to avoid sweeping after sunset.

5. Stop when a cat crosses your path

In olden days, when people used to travel by carts. During the journey, they would cross dense forest where there were high chances of wild cats such as Cheetahs, Tiger and Leopard to cross paths. The carriage animals used to get scared and chaotic due to that, which is why travellers were warned to stop when a cat crosses path.

6. No loitering around Peepal Tree at night

Have you ever heard the ghost stories woven around the trees at night? Well, that is not the reason behind not going near Peepal Tree. As we all learnt, plants take in oxygen and give out carbon-dioxide at night, which is why people are discouraged to go near the Peepal Tree after it is dark.

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The theory of special relativity says that time and space as the aspects of the same thing. Anything that travels through space-time, slows down or speeds up, depending on the relativity of fast it moves. Approaching at the speed of light, a person inside a spaceship would age slower than the outside world. Also, gravity can bend time under Einstein’s theory of general relativity.

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Science provides us with several methods to take off in the future:

1. At the Speed of light:

The first and most practical way to speed up to the future is to move really fast. It has been measured by physicists by using twin atomic clocks, keeping one on the earth and sending the other on a Jet Aircraft. They proved that a flying clock ticks slower than the stationary one due to its speed. While in a spaceship, time passes about 2.6 times slower than on the Earth. The closer the speed of light, the faster the time travel.

2. Black Holes:

The black holes is said to be natural time machine. The gravity pull is so strong that even light cannot get out, which is known as singularity. The mathematician, Roy Kerr found that, “A singularity still forms, but in the form of a ring, like the mint with a hole. In principle, it would be possible to dive into such a black hole and through the ring, to emerge in another place and another time.”
Physicist Stephen Hawking wrote in the Daily Mail in 2010, “Around and around they’d go, experiencing just half the time of everyone far away from the black hole. The ship and its crew would be traveling through time.”

3. Wormholes:

Wormholes connect two points, the beginning and the end, where an object entering from one end would appear on the other instantly, even if the openings are trillions of miles away. The wormhole is said to be a shortcut within the universe to time travel.

4. The Triple Cylinder:

The mathematical physicist and cosmologist Frank Tripler proposed Triple Cylinder, which is also known as an Infinite Cylinder. The theory states that there is a cylinder within space-time which is 10 times the mass of The Sun. The cylinder is rotating, has a dense matter and an infinite length.

5. Cosmic Strings:

It is claimed that the Big Band caused cracks within the universe, referred to as Cosmic Strings. They are infinite or in loops and has no ends. It is predicted that if two strings ever collide, it would case a huge configuration in time and space. This configuration may create time loop that provides us an opportunity to experience time travel.

Many movies and sci-fi books have also made a feature on Time Travel and depicted accurate portrayal of some scientific facts.

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The root of Zero

In Babylon, around 700 B.C, the Sumerian scribes used two hooks symbol which represented absence in number columns.  They were the first to invent the space value system. The idea was of denoting an empty space. However, they never developed the concept of using zero as a number.

Six hundred years later, around 350 A.D, the Mayans used zero as a place holder in their calendar system. Their symbol of 0 looked like an eye. However, they never used the number to solve equations despite of being skilled mathematicians.

The symbol  0

An Indian astronomer and mathematician Brahmagupta developed the symbol “0”. He also operated it mathematically in his text. Brahmagupta’s “Brahmasphuta Siddhanta” was one of the earliest text to treat zero as a number rather than just a place holder like the others did. He also developed basic mathematical rules to carry out addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

The Zero Philosophy

The concept of 0 was derived in India from a Sanskrit word “Shunya” which means null or void. The numeral use of zero in mathematical equations was carried out on this philosophy.

Aryabhatta’s Zero

Aryabhatta, a well-known mathematician and astronomer, used the concept of 0 to define the decimal system. He certainly did not use the symbol but used a dot to define empty space in positional notation in his manuscripts. According to French mathematician Georges Ifrah, the knowledge of zero was implicit in Aryabhatta’s place value system as a place holder for the powers of ten with null coefficients. He also discovered the value of Pi correct to 4 decimal places.

Aryabhatta’s contribution in the field of mathematics and astronomy was huge through his famous works like “Aryabhatta Siddhanta” and “Aryabhatiya”. Through his text Aryabhatiya, he covered arithmetic, algebra, continued fractions, quadratic equations, sums of power series and a table of sines, plane trigonometry and spherical trigonometry which is the greatest contribution to the branch of mathematics. This is why it is said that his greatest contribution has been zero.

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Effects of water crisis

• Expensive drinking water: 

The major Indian cities face water crisis due to which we pay ten times more for it.

• Crop failure: 

The rivers turning seasonal, frequent floods and drought lead to crop failure across the country.

• Hunger: 

80% of water is used to grow crops in India. Due to lack of it, food supply will decrease and the cost would increase. This is why water scarcity would result into starvation.

• Poverty:

 People will not be able to meet the basic survival need which would in turn lead to poverty.

How to revive what is on the verge on extinction?

•   Plant more trees:

They reduce climate change and control rainfall. The trees help  soil  to absorb rain, in turn  improving groundwater recharge. Planting trees control floods as well.

• Recycle: 

Save the water that you use for cleaning vegetables and reuse it in your garden or flush the toilet! Using such minimal ways to reuse the commodity we can save a lot of it for the generations to come.

•  Make use of the technology: 

Installing a Rain Barrel that can be set up under the gutter’s pipe to collect and store maximum water or a Gray Water System which diverts the water we use to wash hands or utensils to the toilet flush could require money and maintenance but it can be life-saving.

• Farming techniques:

Make use of farming methods like drip irrigation, dry farming, rotational grazing or organic method of agriculture.

These are some basic things we can do to deal with scarcity , revive resources and make a difference for the future generations.

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Sundials and Obelisks

In 1500 B.C simple sundials were used to divide the time interval between sunrise and sunset in 12 different parts. The Ancient Egyptian Obelisks, constructed about 3500 B.C was the oldest shadow clock used to measure time. The shadows that move to different marks enabled the Egyptians to calculate time which helped to divide day into two parts. It also solicited summer and winter.

Sand-glass

The sand-glass/ hourglass, made up of two conical glass connected vertically by the narrow neck, came into being in the 14th Century. It could measure passage of specific time period depending upon the size and width of the glass and the quantity of sand in it. This tool of measurement was considered more accurate than the water clock or a candle clock.

Water clock

Water clock was known to have existed in Babylon in Egypt around 16th Century. It was used to measure time observing steady flow of water from or into a container. Measurements were marked on the container but there were variations due to the pressure of water flow.

Candle clock

The candle was marked with numbers and the burning of wax indicated a specific period of time. It is unknown where the candle clocks were used although it was first referred by a Chinese poet called You Jiangu in 520 A.D.

Pendulum 

A scientific study was done around 1602 by an Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei on pendulum where its motion was used to keep a track of time. It was considered to the the world’s most accurate time-keeping invention until 1930.  The pendulum clock was invented by  Christian Huygens in the year 1658 which was used till 270 years and was world-wide credited for its accuracy.

The Quartz

In early 20th Century, Albert Einstein proposed theories of relativity and defined time as the fourth dimension.  The Quartz clocks were developed in 1930 which were far more improvised version of a pendulum clock. The quartz crystal has to be placed in the suitable circuit in a way that creates interaction between mechanical stress and electric field which creates vibration in the crystal to generate a constant frequency. This is used to operate electronic clock display.

Last, the atomic and laser invention in 1960’s has changed the measurement of time forever. Also, we never know what future the time holds!

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1. The time on Earth would speed up

The moon uses Earth’s orbital energy to compensate for its loss of gravitational force, in order to stay in its own orbit. So day by day, decades by decades and millennium by millennium the Earth slows down. Without the Moon, the time on our planet would run fast. Our 24 hour day would get as short as 6 hours a day.

2. Loss of seasons

Half of the planet would be receiving permanent light from the Sun, while the other half would be immersed in total darkness for thousands of years; until the Earth flips its axis again. Hence, Earth would lose its natural stabilizer if the moon is gone. Due to its gravity, the Earth can maintain its tilted axis constantly. If we lose it, the axis wouldn’t be titled any longer and would just be vertical, resulting into the oddity of seasons.

3. Tides and ebbs in the ocean would reduce

It is due to the gravitational pull of the Moon that the tides and ebbs are formed. The reduction in tides would result into the loss of minerals, water, flow of energy and other resources.  Also, a huge variety of aquatic species would be extinct or endangered, as their life depends on the tides-ebbs cycle on the coasts.

4. External attacks from meteorites and asteroids

Our satellite acts as a natural shield and protects the Earth from all types of celestial attacks that might have otherwise occurred. The Moon bears it all and hence, the uneven craters on its surface are created. These meteorites and asteroids move in an orbit around the Sun and sometimes their path collides with that of the Earth and the Moon. But because of having similar revolution axes, the Earth is rarely ever affected by these attacks.

5. No more Eclipses 

Three objects need to be aligned for an eclipse to occur: the Sun, a planet and a planet’s moon. Our only natural satellite would never pass into Earth’s shadow without its existence. Thus, there will not be any eclipse. Solar eclipse, when the moon obscures the sun, the corona’s outer and middle parts are seen in visible light. This is the ideal time to study the Sun’s Corona.

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What does The Sun mean to our Earth?

According to scientists, The Sun is the reason behind the existence of mankind on Earth. It is the immense power of The Sun  that draws all the planets towards the Solar System and holds them on the orbit. If it disappeared, all the planets would just fly off in the outer space.

What happens if The Sun waves us a goodbye?

The Sun keeps the Earth warm. The sunlight takes about eight and a half minutes to reach the Earth. Thus, the Earth will not immediately be cold and dark but within a week, the average global temperature will drop below 0°F.  The temperature would continue to drop steadily further and within a year it will fall below -100º F. The plants carry out the process of photosynthesis through the sunlight. So if there is no Sun, the plants will not be able to convert the carbon-dioxide to breathable oxygen. One way out is that the humans could live in submarines or adapt the method of heating homes using geothermal energy which is already in use in Iceland. But it is extremely difficult to survive in a climate where there is no sunlight and heat. With passing time, the Earth would become an ice ball if the Sun ceases to exist.

The Moon will disappear too…

As we know, the Moon does not have a light of its own. The Moon shines bright because the sunlight reflects off it. Hence, if the Sun disappears, so will the Moon and many other celestial bodies in the sky.

In our next blog we will discuss, what would happen if the moon disappeared!

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Here are some interesting facts about the iconic symbol of love!

1. Mumtaz was buried thrice at three different places

Yes! That’s true. Mughal emperor Shah Jahan had first built the Taj Mahal in the city of Burhanpur, Maharashtra. The queen’s body was first buried in Burhanpur which was later shifted to Taj Mahal complex for 12 years and it was again shifted to the basement of the monument which became the final resting place.

2. Optical illusions spotted!

The Taj Mahal was build by the craftsmen, whose fingers were NOT cut, were extremely innovative with the designs. When you first enter the monument, the Taj Mahal appears huge in size which gets smaller and smaller in size as you walk towards it. This is the outcome of the architectural tricks and twists.

3. It is magical! It is the magician too!

Taj Mahal changes its colour throughout the day. It is observed that the monument is pearl grey and pink during the sunrise, white at noon and orange-bronze when the sun sets. On the day of full moon and eclipse, special tickets are sold to witness the beauty of this monument.

4. ..and to save this magic the Indian government has brought about some rules

This 17th Century monument has undergone a huge amount of “human load” for which necessary steps had to be taken. The Indian government has reveled a plan to limit the visitors to 40,000 per day. Also, the age and pollution has taken a toll over the perfectly white marble of the monument which has turned yellowish. The Taj Mahal gets occasional facial pack of Multani Mitti to keep it bright and shiny.

5. AB De Villiers love towards Taj Mahal

The South African batsman AB De Villiers proposed his wife in front of the Taj Mahal in 2012. As he is fond of the beauty of this monument and it being very close to his heart, it is reported that he might name his third child after the masterpiece, Taj.

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Where is the Bermuda Triangle?

An unnamed,  region in the Atlantic Ocean between between Florida, Bermuda Islands, and Puerto Rico, was first termed as the ‘Bermuda Triangle’ in 1964, by Vincent H Gaddis. However, the first written account of this region is found in the journal of the famous sea-explorer, Christopher Columbus. The journal which dates back to the 15th century.  Columbus states that his compass went amok when he entered, the now known as Bermuda Triangle region.

The Theories

Where there is a mystery, there is an interesting theory. The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the ‘Devils Triangle‘ or the ‘Limbo of the Lost’, is also one such infamous mystery.

Devils Triangle

The one’s who believe in a heaven and a hell, suggest that the Bermuda Triangle is Satan’s demonic alley of hell. Another far fetched theory is that of the battered souls and demons of the sunken city of Atlantis attacking ships.

Aliens and Time Travel

The sci-fi experts like to explain the disappearance by suggesting the existence of extraterrestrial or alien base at the bottom of the triangle.  It is also theorised to be The Tunnel of Time Travel. Since pilots have stated that they have experienced electronic fog followed by a time lapse and going off the radar and re-emerging at a different location miles away from source.

While these theories are a little far fetched and hard to believe, there are a few others which provide more agreeable explanations. 

oWN BIOSPHERE

The Bermuda Triangle is said to be so eerie that it has its own weather and environment. This leads to unexpected tornados and storms that torment ships and planes.

Methane Hydrates

This theory though being plausible, does not help us completely solve the mystery. According to this theory, the Bermuda Triangle sits on marshes of methane hydrates. This explains the sinking of ships due to the low density of water but does not explain the disappearances of aircrafts. However, other explanations suggest that the methane gas-blow could also rise into the sky producing a mixture of 5-15 per cent methane that would explode on contact with a hot aeroplane engine exhaust. Nevertheless, this theory does not explain how the crew members did not manage to survive while the supplies remained intact. Lastly, research and records suggest the most recent naturally-occurring hydrate gas blowout off the south-eastern US probably occurred at the end of the glacial episode … about 15,000 years ago or more.

The Truth

The theory that is most likely resolve this mystery is the Magnetic Field Theory. Researcher organisations and scientists have commented that the Bermuda Triangle is the only place, after North Pole, where the magnetic field is such that all compasses point towards true north, instead of magnetic north. Such sudden deflection in the navigation, if not adjusted for can lead aircrafts and sea-ships astray. This theory however does not provide explanations for instances when the ships and aircrafts have been intact, without any internal or external damage.

Karl Kruszelnicki, an Australian scientist, states that there are no need for any theories because there is no mystery to be resolved. His research concludes that the disappearances are consequences of plain and simple human error and bad weather conditions. Lastly, he also mentions that, “According to Lloyd’s of London and the US Coastguard, the number that go missing in the Bermuda Triangle is the same as anywhere in the world on a percentage basis.”

The Bermuda Triangle, till date is an extremely busy patch of the sea.

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