My Science School

The planets in the Solar System form two very different groups — inner and outer. The inner planets, often called terrestrial planets, are composed mainly of rock and metal, with solid surfaces, no rings and few satellites. The outer planets, called Jovian or Gas Giants, are much larger than their inner neighbours. They are composed primarily of hydrogen and helium, have very deep atmospheres, rings and lots of satellites.

Our solar system consists of many planets, one of which is Earth. The total number of planets is eight although there have been disagreements to this statement with some saying there are more than eight (the opponents of the theory that Pluto is not a planet). Whatever the case, when we talk about planets we divide them into two groups; inner planets and outer planets. This classification is relative to the planets’ position with respect to the Sun. The eight planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. We shall now make clear which of these are inner planets and which are outer planets and what actually differentiates them.

Inner planets are those planets which are closest to the sun and include the first four planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars) in order of increasing distance from the Sun. Mercury is the closest, followed by Venus, Earth and then Mars. Outer planets are those which are further away from the Sun and include the next four planets in order of increasing distance from the Sun (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune), with Neptune being the furthest.

The inner planets are made up of rock and metal and are therefore solid. These planets move slowly as they are considered to be heavy. They have an average diameter of about 13000 km as they are small planets. On the other hand, the outer planets are said to be made of gases and they are not really solid. The gases which make them up are Hydrogen and Helium; huge balloons floating in the space are considered as giant gas planets by people and they have an average diameter of about 48000 km.

Furthermore, the inner planets are warmer than outer planets simply due to the fact that they are closer to the Sun. Outer planets are composed of lighter elements such as gases and inner planets are composed of heavy elements such as iron. Inner planets have fewer moons, small, silicate surface, nickel-iron core, higher density and rotate more slowly compared to outer planets. Outer planets have a greater number of moons, no solid part; rotate faster, have a lower density as well as rings in some cases (Jupiter and Saturn). Outer planets are significantly bigger than the inner planets as Jupiter is measured to be 88846 miles in diameter and Mercury is measured to be 3031 miles in diameter.

There is significant difference between the rotation and the orbit of the two types of planets. For example, for Jupiter it would take 9 hours and 55 minutes for a day to complete (or to complete one rotation) and on Venus it would take 234 hours for a day to complete. (The time period of a day is that compared to the standard 24 hour day on Earth.) The inner planets take lesser time to orbit the Sun whereas the planets which are far away need more time as they have to cover more ground. For example, Jupiter takes 164 Earth years to complete one orbit!

An object’s ORBIT is the path it takes around another, more massive object in space. Each of the nine planets in the Solar System is held in orbit by the Sun’s gravitational pull. However, the planets do not orbit the Sun in circular paths but in elliptical (oval) ones. Orbit lengths, and the orbital period (the time it takes a planet to complete one orbit) increase with successively distant planets.

Orbit is the path of a body as it moves under the influence of a second body. An example is the path of a planet or comet as it moves around the Sun. Planets and satellites that orbit other bodies trace out a path called an ellipse. An ellipse is a closed curve of oval shape wherein the sum of the distances from any point on the curve to two internal focal points is constant. In everyday life you probably just call this an oval. As shown in the picture below, an ellipse has a major axis and a minor axis.

The major axis is always at least as long as or longer than the minor axis. When both the major and minor axes are the same length, this is a special case of an ellipse we commonly call a circle. Therefore, orbiting bodies can also trace out a circular path. Although a circle is a special type of ellipse, people commonly refer to satellite and planetary orbits as either circular or elliptical. The orbital period is the time to complete one full orbit.

After ten years of work, Kepler discovered the relationship between the time it takes a planet to orbit the Sun and its distance from the Sun. Kepler's third law says that the square of the orbital period of a planet is directly proportional to the cube of the average distance of the planet from the Sun. Mathematically, this is given by the ratio T^2/r^3 and applies to all planets. The practical application of Kepler’s third law is to calculate the radius of a planet's orbit by observation of that planet's orbital period.

The University of Al-Karaouine (or al-Qarawiyyin) is the oldest existing, continuously-operating educational institution and the first degree awarding university in the world, according to UNESCO and the Guinness World Records. Founded in 859 AD by Fatima al-Fihri, it is located in Fes El-Bali, Morocco. The library in Al-Qarawiyyin is considered the oldest in the world and is home to over 4000 rare manuscripts including a 9th century Qur’an. Students at Al-Karaouine range between the ages of 13 and 30, and study towards high school-level diplomas and university-level bachelor’s degrees.

Muslims with a sufficiently high level of Arabic are also able to attend lecture circles on an informal basis, given the traditional category of visitors "in search of [religious and legal] knowledge" ("zuwwaar li'l-talab fii 'ilm"). In addition to being Muslim, prospective students of the Qarawiyyin are required to have memorized the Qur'an in full as well as several other shorter medieval Islamic texts on grammar and Maliki law, and in general to have a very good command of Classical Arabic. It is a common misconception that the university is open only to men; it is open to both men and women. Women were first admitted into the university in the 1940s.

 

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Scientists identify individual zebras by “scanning” their stripes like a barcode. Princeton University and the University of Illinois created StripeSpotter, a software that converts digital photos of zebra’s flanks into a series of horizontal, black and white pixelated bands, creating a unique “StripeCode” for each animal. Each zebra has a unique configuration of stripes, which allows conservationists to keep track of zebra populations without physically tagging the animals.

On top of that, it's simple to use. Ecologists in the field take pictures of the animals using an everyday digital camera. That image is uploaded to a Stripespotter database. The scientist highlights a portion of the photographed animal, such as its hindquarters, and the program analyzes the pixels in that portion and then assigns a "stripecode" to the animal. When additional images of zebras are uploaded to the database and the hindquarters highlighted, the Stripespotter program compares the stripecode with others in the system. If it finds a match, it provides feedback about why two images of an animal are similar.

 

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Vanilla beans are the product of the world’s only fruit producing orchid, the Vanilla planifolia. The flower blooms for 24 hours and must be pollinated else it dies. Vanilla is the second most expensive spice in the world (after saffron) because its production is so labour-intensive. It is a complex and subtle spice, containing somewhere between 250 and 500 different flavour and fragrance components; the most prominent of these s vanillin. Madagascar and Indonesia produce two-thirds of the world’s supply of vanilla. The U.S. is the world’s largest consumer of vanilla, followed by Europe.

The use of vanilla dates back to ancient times when the Aztec people of Central America flavoured chocolate drinks with the aromatic beans and believed them to have an aphrodisiac quality.

These days, they are sought after for different reasons, with some companies touting them as having anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties that can be used in acne treatment, as well as antioxidants to help reverse skin damage and aging.

 

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The Ware Collection of Blaschka Glass Models of Plants (the Glass flowers) is a collection of realistic glass botanical models at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Commissioned by Harvard to introduce to the beauty and complexity of the plant kingdom, it was created by glass artisans Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka, a Czech father-son team, from 1887 to 1936. This collection of over 4300 models representing more than 780 plant species, includes 847 life-size models and 3000 detail models of plant parts and anatomical sections. Each corolla, leaf, stamen, fruit pod, hair, vein, bracht and petal was handmade by the artists, who moulded glass warmed by a heat lamp with ordinary pincers and tweezers and created each groove and line with a needle. The Glass Flowers are viewed by more than 210,000 visitors annually.

 

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A small sandstone object found in Jordon might be the oldest chess piece ever found. The object was found at Humayma, which was along the busy Via Nova Traiana, an ancient trade route between Asia and the Near and Middle East. The carved, two-pronged object, dated to approximately 1,300 years ago, could be the earliest example of a rook (castle). Historians believe the game of chess originated in India approximately 1,500 years ago, and that its name, rules and pieces names changed over time. The Humayma rook is now stored in University of Victoria in Canada.

In modern chess games, the piece resembles a medieval tower—it moves horizontally or vertically through any number of unoccupied squares. In earlier times, the rook was fashioned to look like a dual-horse chariot, which may account for the two-pronged look of early Islamic figures.

 

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Scientists for the first time have measured the heart rate of the world’s largest creature. The blue whale, which can reach up to 100 feet in length and weighs 200 tons, is the largest mammal to have ever lived and possesses the largest heart of any living creature – around 180 kg. It lowers its heart rate to as little as two beats per minute as it plunges under the ocean surface for food. Its highest heart rate – between 25 and 37 beats per minute – occurs when it returns to the surface to restore oxygen levels. These extremes suggest that the blue whale’s heart is “working at its limit”. A more robust cardiovascular system is not likely, and the research may explain why no species on Earth has grown bigger than the blue whale, since the energy needs of a larger body might surpass what’s biologically possible for a heart to accommodate.

 

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Researchers at Shiv Nadar University in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, have identified two strains of plastic-eating bacteria which have the potential to decompose polystyrene – a key component in Single-Use Plastic (SUP) items such as disposable cups, cutlery, packaging materials, etc.

The bacteria species, Exiguobacterium sibiricum strain DR11 and Exiguobacterium undae strain DR14, were isolated from the wetlands adjoining the University. Upon coming into contact with the polystyrene, the bacteria strains use it as a carbon source to create biofilms – an assemblage of bacterial cells which grow as communities – allowing for targeted action of enzymes that alter the physical properties of polystyrene and initiate natural degradation.

India consumes about 16.5 million metric tonnes of plastic annually. Of the 300 million tonnes of plastic discarded every year, only about 10 per cent gets recycled. Researchers note that the use of both indigenous and genetically-modified bacteria could lead to eco-friendly, alternative clean-up methods for plastic waste.

 

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In an effort to save local plant species around Vijayawada, the Department of Botany at the Siddhartha College of Arts and Science tagged trees in the college grounds with QR (Quick Response) codes that give students information about the tree – from its scientific name to its medicinal value. Students only need to scan the code using their smartphones.

“Students now do not have the time to learn about the things around them via books. To keep up with the digital trend, we collected the database of all the trees in the college and assigned QR codes to them, making it easier for everybody to learn about a plant or a tree at the tip of their fingers,” said Ch. Srinivas Reddy, Head of Department, Botany.

The department has also brought in a few trees found mainly in the forests of the region, like the Gloriosa superb, and the Gyrocarpus americanus (or Nalla Poniki), used to make the famous Kondapalli toys.

“The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) categorizes the status of every plant species ever year. If we mention the status in the QR code, whether species is vulnerable, endangered or nearing extinction, we hope it will encourage people to grow more of these trees and conserve them,” says Srinivas.

 

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I am a student of Class X and I want to become a fashion designer. Which stream should I take in Class XI? Is there any scope in this field?

A diploma in fashion design technology is the minimum requirement to enter this field. However, many employers prefer a bachelor’s degree with knowledge of textiles, fabrics and fashion trends. A portfolio, representative of a designer’s best work, is sometimes more important in finding a job than an extensive education.

Many polytechnics and institutes all over India offer courses in fashion designing. Duration of the courses varies from new months to five years. National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) is the premier institution professional training in various areas of the fashion industry.

The continued demand for all types of apparel, growth in population and rising personal incomes will favourably affect the need for fashion designers. However, competition for good jobs is expected to be very intense. But individuals with the necessary personal traits, such as creativity and perseverance, may have less difficulty establishing and maintaining careers in fashion designing.

 

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I am a student of Class X. I want to be a paleontologist. What should I take in class 11? Are there any institutions in India or even abroad for paleontology? What courses should I take? Is there scope in India for this?

Paleontology is more than just dinosaurs! It is the study of the history of life on Earth as reflected in the fossil record. Fossils are the remains or traces of organisms (plants, animals, fungi, bacteria and other single-celled living things) that lived up to billions of years ago. It’s an interdisciplinary field involving geology, archaeology, chemistry, biology and anthropology.

To enter this field, take physics, chemistry and biology in 10+2. Then go for graduation followed by a Master’s degree in paleontology, geology or earth science. A doctoral degree or Ph.D. is almost always necessary for any serious professional career in paleontology, especially as a researcher or a professor.

Paleontologists are employed by both public and private sectors. Museums hire them to locate and identify fossilized remains for exhibits and for additional research. There they work as curators, researchers, collection managers, etc. They may work with geologists for identifying fossils, giving programmes or tours, consulting with industry. A few work for oil companies or in government as consultants helping to solve geological problems.

 

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I’m currently studying in Class XI. I’m not interested in NEET or JEE. Though I’m a biology student I’m only interested in music. I love singing but I’m not a trained singer. What are the courses I need to complete to be a professional singer? Are there any colleges in India that preferably have courses in western music?

In order to become a professional singer, start with some basic music training. Also learn multiple music instruments; this will help you in identifying your style of singing. Make your demo song recordings and promote yourself online.

There are no educational requirements for singers interested in performing popular music. Formal education is more likely to be required for classical music. Still singers need extensive training and regular practice, as the qualities of a singer’s voice affect his/her ability to be successful. You must take lessons from a qualified guru. Short-term training in western music is provided by private institutes all over India.

Some good colleges are:

• Bhatkhande College of Hindustani Music, Lucknow


• Kalakshetra, Madras


• National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama (Sangeet Natak Academy), New Delhi


• Prayag Sangeet Samiti, Allahaba


• Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata


• Visva Bharati, Santiniketan

The music industry is always in need of innovative, creative, successful musicians to introduce different styles and various fusions in an attempt to innovate new sounds. But competition is severe and talent alone is no guarantee of success; it requires dedication and sometimes good luck. Developing contacts in the music business is as important as finding opportunities to perform. However, being able to play several types of music or sing in a variety of styles enhances the opportunity to find employment.

 

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My circle of friends consists of both boys and girls, but I spend most of my time with boys. It's because they "understand me better". There's no case of "attraction", but my parents see our friendship in the opposite way. They don't want me to be with boys and I can't understand why. My parents are very orthodox, while I am quite modern. I am a "go-with-fashion" type and try out all the new fashion trends. But my parents oppose this and are putting restrictions on my clothing sense. My relatives add fuel to all this. It has affected me badly and I feel like committing suicide. Whenever such things happen in my house, I harm myself with a blade. This has made me feel very depressed. Please help me.

You are feeling overwhelmed, under pressure and depressed by the standoff with your parents and relatives, and you are turning against yourself. Perhaps you also feel a bit guilty and ashamed that. You are not what your parents want you to be?

While harming yourself may make you feel better able to deal with your strong emotions for that moment, in the long run it is not a good way to cope with problems. By using a blade, you are putting your life at great risk. I strongly recommend meeting your school counsellor or approaching a trusted adult/teacher to seek face-to-face help for your feelings of depression and wanting to commit suicide. Please do this at the earliest.

When your feelings become strong and agitated, instead of harming yourself, calm yourself by channeling your energy and feelings into something soothing. You can exercise, listen to calming music, colour mandalas, dance or focus on a hobby if you have one till you become calm again. Decide on 2 to 3 methods that you can use.

 Later, when you are ready, you can sit with your parents and understand their concerns and views about your friends and your dressing. Perhaps, their concern is not so much about 'attraction' but about your 'safety'. The only way is to talk maturely to them and come to an agreement on boundaries. The counsellor/teacher/trusted adult can help in this discussion.

Right now, it is important that you deal first with your feelings of tension, depression and your desire harm yourself.

 

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I am a boy studying in Class 11. I always feel ignored and lonely in class. I try to change my mind and attitudes but I don't know the reason for this. Although I am handsome and muscular physically, I don't have a girlfriend.

You really want to belong and make friends in your class, but don't know how to go about it. Perhaps people see you as aloof? Make the first move: Wear a smile and look welcoming. Greet others warmly.

Instead of focusing on yourself, focus on the other person: Ask more and tell less. They will slowly begin to know and like you ask about you once they find you

Learn the art of conversation: Pick up a topic that seems to interest the other person, e.g; music and ask about the singer/group, music style, songs and what they enjoy most about it. Each response can lead to more exploration and sharing.

Be up-to-date on current topics; yet don't hesitate to show you don't know It's a great conversation starter you say, "Hey, I don't know much...how about telling me about it?"

People are intelligent. So it is not your looks, your physique and how you appear to others that will attract a girl or other people to you. It is the real person within.

 

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