My Science School

Computers play an important role in communication. Large companies use a network of computers to run their business. When people cannot meet in person to discuss matters, they can use video conferencing to share ideas even if they live in different continents. Video conference is a system where computer networks, telephones and video cameras are used to let people see and talk to each  E-mail is also an important tool of communication if you have a computer and an internet connection. E-mail is nothing more than sending and receiving messages through your computer. People use e-mail for business, to keep in touch with friends and relatives, and to work on a project with someone a hundred kilometres away. The internet is also used for communicating in chat rooms and newsgroups. You can chat with a friend who is far away by typing or even speaking to him as you would do with a  New ways of using computers for communication are being developed at a fast pace. In addition to using videophones to speak to, and see people for way, cars can now find routes to avoid traffic jams, and even give you directions to reach a particular place. ships and trains, planes and spaceships, all depend on computers in one way or the other

Did you know that your computer can be connected to another computer in Africa or America? This is possible because of a giant network called the internet that connects computers through phone lines, cable and satellite links. If you take an internet connection, your computer becomes a part of this network.  An internet connection will allow you to communicate with other users all over the world through electronic mail or email. You can also get access the World Wide Web, which is a vast store of information. You can download this information on to your own computer, copy it and print it. The World Wide Web has many sites that give you news and entertainment too.  So, we can say that the three main uses of the internet are communication, research and ‘publishing’ on the World Wide Web. The Web allows for the display of still images, moving video, audio and text in any combination. The fact is that once you start using the internet, you will find that ‘browsing’ or ‘surfing’ the internet is a very good way to learn a lot… and have a lot of fun as well, for you can play many exciting games on the internet

Most deaf people learn to lip-read. There is an internationally recognized sign language also. Below you can see the sign language of the alphabetical system using one hand.

When greeting one another, Americans shake hands. From an early Americans are taught to shake hands with a firm solid Other commonly used gestures include signaling goodbye by waving the hand and beckoning someone with a curving motion of the index finger. Nodding the head means ‘yes’, shaking it from side to side means ‘no’.A palm facing outwards with the middle finger and index finger forming a ‘V’ and the other fingers clenched signifies ‘victory’ or ‘peace’. You can say ‘OK’ by forming a circle with your thumb and forefinger, while a closed fist with the thumb up means ‘good job!’ Like us, the Americans to extend the forefinger and make a circling motion near the forehead to say ‘he’s crazy’!

The ‘V’ is a hand gesture which means 'Victory' or 'Peace.' It is made with the first and second fingers raised and parted, whilst the remaining fingers are clenched and the palm faces outwards.According to legend, the 'V' sign goes back to the Hundred Years' War between England and France. The story claims that the French cut off two fingers on the right hand of captured archers, and the 'V' sign was a gesture of defiance made by the English archers who were not mutilated. Former British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill used the ‘V’ sign to symbolize victory during World War II. The sign became very popular in the United States during the peace movement of the 1960s. 

The Japanese greet each other by bowing. The bow can be a small nod of the head, or a more elaborate bending from the waist. If your opposite is of higher social status than yourself, you are supposed to bow deeper and longer than him or her!However, nowadays the Japanese do shake hands too. The handshake is usually followed by a bow. Did you know that Japanese people sometimes bow toward the person whom they are talking to on the phone? Though they can't actually see the person whom they are talking to, they tend to bow in order to show respect.Different bows are used for apologies and gratitude, to express different emotions like humility, sincerity, remorse, or deference, and in various traditional arts and religious ceremonies. Generally speaking, an inferior bows longer and more deeply, and more frequently, than a superior.

In India, people greet each other with folded hands and say ‘Namaste’. Many Asian people bow to greet each other, while others touch their foreheads with their hands to say ‘salaam’.The handshake is the universal form of greeting in the West, Now, this practice has spread to other parts of the world too. Native Hawaiians hug and exchange breaths when they meet, while Mexicans just hug each other.In many parts of the world, men greet each other by exchanging kisses on the cheek, while the Maoris of New Zealand rub noses to say ‘hello’!

Gestures are important means of communication, it is true, but sometimes, they can prove troublesome. This happens when the same gesture has different meanings in different When an American meets a Chinese, they will both greet each other with a handshake. Some of the gestures they use will have a common meaning... waving a hand to say good bye, frowning to show displeasure, nodding the head to say ‘yes’ and shaking it from side to side to say ‘no’.However, some gestures means different things to an American and a Chinese. An American will stamp his foot when he is impatient, a Chinese when he is angry. For an American, starting is very rude, while for a Chinese it is only a sign of curiosity or surprise. When an American makes a shushing sound, it means ‘be quiet’, while for a Chinese it is a sign of displeasure. Never pat a Chinese on the head. You may think you are encouraging him or consoling him, but for the Chinese, a pat on the head is an insult!