My Science School

A plant that had no petals and lived underwater approximately 130 million years ago could be the oldest known ‘flower’, according to scientists. Montsechia vidalii once grew abundantly in freshwater lakes in what are now mountainous regions in Spain. Montsechia was classified as a flowering plant because it produced seeds enclosed within a carpel (the female reproductive organ of a flower). The modern descendant of this ancient plant is Caratophyllum, a dark green aquatic plant popularly used in aquariums.

Researchers from the US, France and Germany have analyzed more than 1,000 fossils of the little plant by painstakingly applying drops of hydrochloric acid to remove the leaves and stems from the rock, carefully bleaching the plant’s protective cuticle to better reveal their shapes and examining the specimen under a stereo microscope, light microscope and scanning electron microscope.

This precise observation led to a new identification for Montsechia, that being so small and not having the obvious features of angiosperms was not previously recognized as a flowering plant. Even though it also didn’t have petals or nectar-producing structures, Montsechia did have fruits, each containing a single tiny seed.

 

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Giraffes use their patches to cool off! Around each patch there is large blood vessel that then branches off into smaller vessels underneath the patch. Giraffes can send blood through these small branches into the middle of the patch in order to release heat. Each patch thus acts as a thermal window to release body heat.

Spots make giraffes easy to spot in a zoo setting, but it works as a type of camouflage in the wild. They live mostly on African savannahs, full of tall grasses and trees that provide dappled shade. The random spots help them blend in with the moving shade patterns, making them more difficult for predators to identify.

While all giraffes are shades of cream and brown, the colors vary significantly by subspecies. For example, Masai giraffes are the darkest, with spots that appear almost black. The lighter color between the spots also is darker than that of other giraffes. Reticulated giraffes have dark brown spots with tiny lines in between -- narrower lines than other subspecies. This creates a web-like effect, and it makes them appear darker than some other species. Angolan giraffes sometimes are described as "smokey" because they are so light in color. The cream lines between spots are darker than some other giraffes, making them a bit harder to distinguish from the spots. The color differences tend to reflect the color of the vegetation in the area the giraffes typically live.

 

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The Emperor of Japan the only remaining monarch in the world reigning under the title of “emperor”. The Imperial House of Japan is the oldest continuing hereditary monarchy in the world. The current emperor is His Imperial Majesty Akihito who has been on the Chrysanthemum Throne since 1989. The Emperor’s birthday (currently celebrated on December 23) is a national holiday. Under the present Constitution of Japan, the Emperor is "the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people". Other members of the Imperial Family perform ceremonial and social duties, but have no role in the affairs of government. The duties as an Emperor are passed down the line to their children.  The Imperial House recognizes 126 monarchs beginning with the legendary Emperor Jimmu  and continuing up to the current emperor, Naruhito.

 

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Great Exuma Island in the Bahamas is one of the most recognizable places on the planet for astronauts aboard the International Space Station. The distinct lines of the tidal channels cut between the small emerald island cays stand out even from the 400 km-high orbit of the space station. The channels have been carved out of the rock ridge over millennia, thanks to the relentless daily ebb and flow of the Atlantic Ocean tides across the tropical island chain.

The Exumas are known for fresh food and cultural significance to The Bahamas. Sea life regularly caught for commercial purpose include bone fish, conch, grouper, lobster, marlin, sailfish, snapper, tarpon, tuna and wahoo.

The capital city, George Town, is home to many different shops and services that serve both the travelling public and residents of the islands. The islands have built a reputation as a luxury travel destination.

 

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The world’s largest university is the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) in Delhi with over 4 million students – ten times larger than its U.S. equivalent, the online University of Phoenix.

IGNOU was founded to serve the Indian population by means of distance and open education, providing quality higher education opportunities to all segments of society. It also aims to encourage, coordinate and set standards for distance and open education in India, and to strengthen the human resources of India through education. Apart from teaching and research, extension and training form the mainstay of its academic activities. It also acts as a national resource centre, and serves to promote and maintain standards of distance education in India.

IGNOU has started a decentralization process by setting up five zones; north, south, east, west and north-east. The first of the regional headquarters, catering to four southern states, Pondicherry, Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep, is being set up in the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala. The Ministry of HRD has entrusted the responsibility of developing Draft Policy on Open and Distance Learning and Online Courses to IGNOU.  IGNOU also partners up with other organizations to launch courses. IGNOU offers a BBA in Retail distance learning course in association with Retailers Association of India (RAI) .

 

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Lucknow is home to the world’s largest school (in terms of students). The City Montessori School has more than 45,000 students. The school, which spreads over several campuses, can’t gather for assembly as there is no venue in town that is big enough!

The school was founded in 1959 by Bharti and Jagdish Gandhi with just 300 borrowed rupees ($5.70 at current exchange rates) and a total of five students. More than half a century later, the school, which spreads over several campuses, can’t gather for assembly as there is no venue in town that is big enough. Student’s ages between three and 17 are divided into classrooms of 45 children each; every pupil wears identical school uniforms. Younger students pay about $18, older students $47 in fees per month. The school held the record once before, in 2005, when it had 29,212 pupils — beating a school in the Philippines with roughly 20,000 pupils.

City Montessori School is celebrating its Diamond Jubilee in 2019.

The school was the recipient of the 2002 UNESCO Prize for Peace Education – the only school ever to have received this award.

 

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I’m a 15 year old girl in Std X. I was in a relationship with a boy who also studies in the same class but in a different city. We were in a relationship for 5 months. One day my family learned about our relationship and asked me to choose between them and him. I had promised not to contact him or get into a relationship with anyone. But I’m missing him a lot; I still love him. My best friend contacted him and asked him that whether he still love me and he replied, “Yes I still love her but she left me.” This made me sadder. We both truly love each other. My best friend is also sad because of my situation. What should I do?

You did well in choosing your family rather than the boy with whom you were in a relationship for 5 months; on the contrary you have grown up and have been loved by your parents for the last 15 years. Now you are “missing him a lot” and “still love him”. He too still loves you. At the age of 15 the best love both of you can experience is the free and pure love of friendship, not a romantic love leading to a lifelong commitment in marriage. Have patience and in a few years, if your feelings towards each other remain unchanged, you may be free to keep in touch with each other and plan your future.

 

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I am 15 years old and I am just promoted to Std X. I’m so sorry to confess but I hate my parents. They limit me on everything. I have stopped doing everything considering that they would appreciate my efforts. I don’t play, I don’t dance, I don’t talk back to them, I don’t participate in any extracurricular activities…I even limited sketching which was once my only passion. Though they never asked for it but I never found them happy with it. I abandoned so many things. But they want marks…they want me to study, study and study. All children are different. All of them can’t be toppers. I liked studying but they put so much pressure on me that a kind of hatred I born within me. I need some freedom and if I talk about it to my parents then they just shout at me to shut me up and I can even get a slap or two so I try to be silent all the time. It’s useless to talk to my relatives. I have tried it many times but they just add fuel to the fire. I don’t share these things to my friends because I feel that they don’t care. I feel hated and I feel lonely. My worst problem is that I don’t trust anyone now. I want to run away now…I want to die! What should I do?

I’m sorry to read that you “hate” your parents because they limit you in everything and you have abandoned many things “though they never asked for it”. They want you to study and get good marks. Many parents feel that a good education can help their children to build a career and get a good job. Their eyes are on the future. On the contrary, at the age of 15 you are focused on experiencing and learning many things right now. Though this situation in the family is unpleasant and sometimes painful, you should respect your parents. In their own way they love you and want you to work hard in order to build a good future. You feel that your relatives cannot help in this situation and that your friends “don’t care” and you “feel lonely”. Share your feelings and pain with someone your parents trust: a religious leader or a good school teacher who could give some advice to them on how to deal with teenagers. Be patient, in a few years, if you do well in your studies, your parents will give you the freedom you need.

 

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Some students in my class began spreading rumours about me and a boy in class. At first I used to ignore it, but then I got a few hints. After 3 years he told me that he used to like me since years. I started chatting with him on Facebook (because I wanted to use Facebook for the first time) and in class we talked through chits but for a few days only. But then he got quite frank and sometimes followed me home in spite of my warning not to do so. I clearly told him that I didn’t like him and told my father everything. He was also scolded by his father. He gets jealous when I talk to another boy in class and told me that he will beat up that boy in class. I am completely disturbed due to it and can’t concentrate on my studies. Please help.

 You were in a relationship with a boy in your class and chatted with him on Facebook and sometimes through chits in the classroom. Later on he started following you home and you did not like it and told him so. You told your father about it and his father too came to know and scolded him. Now he get jealous when you talk to another boy in the class and spreads bad rumours about you and that boy. Keep your father informed about this situation and he can keep in touch with that boy’s father and warn him not to do so. As you have done nothing wrong with that boy you can have peace and concentrate on your studies as no one will listen to those rumours.

 

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I am preparing for NEET and as a backup I want to know about a career in Neuropsychology. Which colleges in India offer this course and what is the salary in this area?

Neuropsychlogy is not something you can graduate in. It is a medical specialty within thee discipline of clinical psychology. A neuropsychologist is a specialist in clinical psychology that tests for injury to the brain as a result of disease, disorder, injury etc. A majority of them engage in research, studying the human brain and how its physiological state affects human cognition and behaviour.

A career in neuroscience requires long hours of study. Only those with patience can thrive in this field. Go for a degree in Psychology with Biology; after which you should go for masters, followed by a doctoral degree in clinical psychology, then specialize in neuropsychology as post-doctorate. So it’s not a shorter or easier way in your career in neuropsychology.

Some of the institutes are: Centre for Neuroscience, India Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore; School of Studies in Neuroscience, Jiwaji University, Gwalior; National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bangalore.

 

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I am a student of Std IX ICSE board. I am a Physical Science student and want to become a gynaecologist. Please guide me.

Gynaecology is the postgraduate level education. To pursue a career in this field, you should start by taking Physics, Chemistry and Biology. Then go for Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree. The duration of this course is 5½ years of which the last one year is a period of rotary internship, which is devoted to complete practical training.

CBSE conducts NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) for admissions to MBBS, BDS and nursing courses. The Entrance Test consists of one paper with 180 objective type questions from the subjects Physics, Chemistry, Botany and Zoology. There are other institutes like AIIMS, AFMC, PGI and JIPMER which conduct their own all-India level test.

After completing MBBS, paper  for the entrance test for taking admission in MD/MS course and choose gynaecology as a specialization. Duration of MD is 3 years.

 

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I’m a student of Std IX. I want to be a gynaecologist. What steps should i take to fulfill this?

Gynaecology is the postgraduate level education. To pursue a career in this field, you should start by taking Physics, Chemistry and Biology. Then go for Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree. The duration of this course is 5½ years of which the last one year is a period of rotary internship, which is devoted to complete practical training.

CBSE conducts NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) for admissions to MBBS, BDS and nursing courses. The Entrance Test consists of one paper with 180 objective type questions from the subjects Physics, Chemistry, Botany and Zoology. There are other institutes like AIIMS, AFMC, PGI and JIPMER which conduct their own all-India level test.

After completing MBBS, paper  for the entrance test for taking admission in MD/MS course and choose gynaecology as a specialization. Duration of MD is 3 years.

 

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I am a student of class 11 (PCS). I want to be a doctor. In which line of medicine is there scope nowadays?

Market demands keep on fluctuating and in my opinion, should not form the basis of selecting your branch. Many doctors are doing well in branches like pathology, anatomy and microbiology which are not very much sought after in India, and at the same time there are people in so-called “popular branches” and still struggling with the practice. So it is all hype; the ground realities are different...and one must choose a branch keeping in mind family background, place of practice and the lifestyle one wants to lead. Any branch where you have skill and knowledge with aptitude will have scope for you.

 

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I am 15 years old and want to become a Creative Director in Fashion or a fashion stylist/editor. Which stream should I opt for in Class XI? If Humanities, then what subjects are preferable? Kindly guide me also about undergraduate programmes. 

Creative directors in the fashion industry may be known as an art director for a high-fashion magazine; or a creative director of a fashion design company overseeing the design of apparel. No matter the formal in which they work, creative directors in the fashion industry use their skills of creativity in exercising concepts, communication, leadership and industry-related technology. They are expected to keep up with fashion trends and developments to produce trendy outfits for your department store or magazine. In short, a Creative Director’s job is to reinforce or recreate the brand aesthetic.

It is not an area where you can become a creative director just after doing a particular course. First you have to work as a copywriter, designer, art director or do a similar creative job, and show an aptitude not only for the creative side, but for the business side of advertising and marketing. On an average, you would need about 5-8 years of experience in a senior or management position. To become a copywriter you need a degree in Mass Communication. To become a designer, go for a Bachelor’s in Fashion Designing. For both these courses, eligibility is 10+2 with any stream.

 

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I’m currently doing my B.A. Since my school days I was very interested in basketball and I represented my school in inter school tournaments and played for different local clubs. I believe I have talent and determination but due to the lack of infrastructure and facilities in my town I’m thinking to go back to my home state Jharkhand after my BA studies and start my career in basketball and play for my state. I searched online for basketball clubs, Sports Authority of India in Jharkhand but I couldn’t find anything. I want to be a basketball player but I don’t know how to start my basketball career in Jharkhand. Please help.

There are various institutes and academies under the Sports Authority of India (SAI) that impact training to young talents to transfom them into talented sportspersons. Other than SAI, there are many state level and private organizations that support sports enthusiasts. Basketball Federation of India (BFI) is the governing and controlling body of basketball in India, and is responsible for the development and promotion of this sport at all levels.

Remember, breaking into the sports profession is not an easy task. Just because you’re good, doesn’t give you a free pass to a professional career. The fact of the matter is that in order to get there, you need to put in plenty of hard work, more than you may anticipate. Also, most sportspeople compete as amateurs (unpaid) until they reach a sufficiently high standard to be offered payment for their performance. Professional sportspeople are usually paid on individual contracts.

 

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