My Science School

It is a modern style of cooking in which chefs use scientific principles and technology to enhance the flavours and alter the textures of food items. The term ‘molecular gastronomy’ was coined by Hungarian physicist Nicholas Kurti and French chemist Herve This in the 1980s. To practise the techniques of molecular gastronomy, chefs have to be specially trained.

One of the well-known techniques is spherification. It is the process of shaping a liquid such as fruit juice into spheres. The liquid is first mixed with sodium alginate, a chemical. This mixture is then dripped, drop by drop, into a small ball, called‘caviar’. When popped in the mouth, these fruit ‘caviars’ melt, delivering an intense taste.

Using liquid nitrogen to freeze dishes instantly is another technique. Liquid nitrogen has a temperature of -196 ºC (321ºF). So when ice cream is made using this, it freezes very quickly. This reduces the formation of ice crystals, resulting in a creamier ice cream.

Special types of foams can also be created. Traditionally, foams are made with a whisk or an espresso machine (to make coffee froth). But in molecular gastronomy, the substance to be foamed is usually mixed with a stabilizer such as lecithin and then squeezed out through a whipped cream canister fitted with a nitrogen oxide capsule. With this technique, chefs can make truffle foam and top a meat dish with it or make pickle foam to top curd rice.

 

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Between 1914 and 1922, Europe was shaken by World War I, the Russian Revolution and the Ottoman Empire’s genocide of Armenians. Millions of people were displaced, sparking a huge refugee crisis.

An idealistic Norwegian called Fridtjof Nansen (1861-1930) came to their rescue. Nansen was a renowned polar explorer and scientist who later became a diplomat and a leading light of the League of Nations formed at the end of World War I.

In 1921, Vladimir Lenin took away Russian citizenship from the 800,000 expatriates who had fled during the Revolution. Other countries refused to accept the asylum-seekers. Put in charge of solving the crisis, Nansen’s first action was to repatriate the refugees, but they were either executed, imprisioned or forbidden from re-entering by the Soviet government.

In March 1922, Nansen proposed a temporary passport. The Nansen passport featured the holders’ identity, nationality and race and allowed them to move between countries to find jobs and missing family members. ‘Nansen stamps’ had to be bought to renew the passport every year (the money went to refugee relief funds).

Eventually, 52 governments recognised the Nansen passport.

Nansen received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1922. By 1938, around 450,000 refugees, including writer Vladimir Nabokov, composer lgor Stravinksy and ballerina Anna Pavlova, had been rescued from a bleak future by the Nansen passport.

Nansen’s noteworthy achievements

Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen led the team that made the first crossing of the Greenland interior in 1888, traversing the island on cross-country skis. He won international fame after reaching a record northern latitude of ’ during his Fram expedition of 1893-1896.

As a curator at the University Museum of Bergen where his research on the central nervous system of lower marine creatures earned him a doctorate.

After 1896 his main scientific interest switched to oceanography; in the course of his research he made many scientific cruises, mainly in the North Atlantic, and contributed to the development of modern oceanographic equipment.

Later, Nansen devoted himself primarily to the League of Nations, following his appointment in 1921 as the League’s High Commissioner for Refugees. In 1922 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work on behalf of the displaced victims of the First World War and related conflicts.

 

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Coal is a porous, black carbon-rich, naturally-occurring material which is mined from the earth. It is formed by the decomposition of remains of plants which died millions of years ago. Though rich in carbon, coal contains a lot of impurities including sulpher. When used as a fuel it poisons the air with sulphur dioxide.

Charcoal is a black, porous material obtained by heating wood in a closed space, with no air. This type of charcoal contains mostly carbon. Another type is made by heating bones.

Charcoal is used as a filter to clean gases and liquids and as a fuel. It is also as a drawing instrument.

 

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The blood takes oxygen to each and every part of the body but the oxygen is not in gaseous form. It is dissolved in the blood. If air is injected directly into a vein or artery, say through an injection, the air will not easily get dissolved and will travel in the bloodstream in the form of a bubble. This bubble may finally reach the brain and get lodged in a blood vessel disrupting the flow of blood in the brain. This can lead to serious complications, even death.

It is to avoid the possibility of introducing an air bubble in the bloodstream that the doctor expels a little liquid from syringe. If air is trapped in the needle it will be driven out by the liquid.

 

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After a nuclear explosion has occurred, harmful radioactive material is released into the atmosphere. The debris in due course descends to the surface of the earth and pollutes whatever material it comes in contact with.

This debris, called ‘fallout’ is produced by all nuclear bombs – atom bomb or hydrogen bomb – even if they have been exploded for peaceful purposes. The debris once released into the atmosphere is carried by winds around the world and slowly brought down to the earth either by gravity or by rainfall. The fallout that occurs immediately after an explosion is highly radioactive and will kill living things located near the blast site. The delayed fallout may occur after a few weeks or a number of years. This causes long-term radiation damage to all living things: plants, animals and humans over a vast area. Some of the fallout elements may get into the bodies of living organisms.

The Pokhran explosions were done underground by Indian scientists to keep the fallout to a minimum.

 

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On July 2, 2018, the Delhi Government launched the ‘Happiness Curriculum’ for students from nursery to class VIII in schools run by it, in an effort to shift the focus from students’ academic achievement to their emotional well-being. The best part of the ‘Happiness Curriculum’ is that there is no homework, no exam or no marks.

In the last two years, the system has garnered attention with representatives from other Indian states and countries visiting the schools. After the U.S, First Lady Melania Trump attended one of the sessions of the ‘Happiness Curriculum’ during her recent visit to India, there has been a renewed interest in the programme.

Whose initiative is the Happiness Curriculum?

The ‘Happiness Curriculum’ is a flagship programme of the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government in Delhi. It was envisioned by the Education Minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia. The content of the programme was designed by a committee of members including Delhi government teachers, lecturers from the District Institute of Education and Training (DIET) and principals, and organisations working in the area of child psychology.

What is Happiness Curriculum?

Instead of focussing only on the IQ (intelligent quotient), the Happiness Class focusses on students’ EQ (emotional quotient) and SQ (social intelligence quotient) as well. The curriculum incorporates meditation, mental exercises and storytelling in teaching for a holistic development of the students.

Manish Sisodia, in his book Siksha, lists the three main aspects of the curriculum: mindfulness meditation, inspirational stories to make children responsible and mature and activity-oriented discussions where children are encouraged to introspect and react.

How are the classes conducted?

The ‘Happiness Class’ takes place in all schools run by the Delhi government during the first period of the day, from Monday to Saturday. It breaks away from traditional teaching methodology and involves a combination of meditation, value education, and creative activities which prompt a student to think. On Mondays, mindfulness exercises are done, while on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, students are told stories which are followed by discussions. Students participate in creative activities on Thursdays and Fridays. And Saturdays are reserved for self-expression, when the students speak their mind and reflect on their behavioural changes.

The programme groups children into three categories: kindergarten to grade two, grades three to five, and grades six to eight. The curriculum has been designed catering to each group.

What is the aim of the programme?

According to the Delhi Government, the objectives of the ‘Happiness Curriculum’ are to enable children to develop self-awareness and mindfulness, critical thinking and communication skills. The Curriculum also teaches them to express themselves freely and creatively, to develop empathy, and to ensure healthy relationships with family, peers and teachers. Besides, it aims at helping learners to apply life skills to deal with stressful situations.

Kejriwal termed the ‘Happiness Curriculum’ as the third stage of reforms in the education sector initiated by his government after focussing on infrastructure development and motivation of teachers in the government schools.

Why did Melania Trump show interest in the ‘Happiness Curriculum’?

The Happiness Curriculum is similar to the Be Best programme initiated by her in the U.S. to teach children and young adults to not bully others, avoid drugs and take care of themselves.

 

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Battle of the Hydaspes, (326 BCE), fourth and last pitched battle fought by Alexander the Great during his campaign of conquest in Asia. The fight on the banks of the Hydaspes River in India was the closest Alexander the Great came to defeat. 

The battle took place on the east bank of the Hydaspes River (now called the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus River) in what is now the Punjab Province of Pakistan. Alexander later founded the city of Nicaea on the site; this city has yet to be discovered. Any attempt to find the ancient battle site is complicated by considerable changes to the landscape over time. For the moment, the most plausible location is just south of the city of Jhelum, where the ancient main road crossed the river and where a Buddhist source mentions a city that may be Nicaea. The identification of the battle site near modern Jalalpur/Haranpur is certainly erroneous, as the river (in ancient times) meandered far from these cities.

Alexander had to subdue King Porus in order to keep marching east.[citation needed] To leave such a strong opponent at his flanks would have endangered any further exploits. Alexander could not afford to show any weakness if he wanted to keep the loyalty of the already subdued Indian princes. Porus had to defend his kingdom and chose the perfect spot to check Alexander's advance. Although he lost the battle, he became the most successful recorded opponent of Alexander.

 

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The River Kwai, more correctly ‘Khwae Noi’ or Khwae Sai Yok is a river in western Thailand, near, but not over the border with Myanmar. It begins at the confluence of Ranti, Songkalia and Bikhli Rivers. 

The river is chiefly known from the Pierre Boulle novel and David Lean film The Bridge on the River Kwai, in which Australian, Dutch and British prisoners of war were forced by the Japanese to construct two parallel bridges spanning the river as part of the Burma Railway, also called the Death Railway, for the many lives lost in its construction. One bridge was wooden and temporary. The other was made of concrete and steel and still exists. The bridges actually spanned the Mae Klong, but as the railway subsequently follows the Khwae Noi Valley, the bridges became famous under the wrong name. In the 1960s, the upper part of the Mae Klong was renamed the Khwae Yai (big tributary”).

River Kwai Noi also runs through a national park, Saiyok National Park. The park’s area is approximately 500 square kilometers. Its landscape and scenery are arguably the most beautiful places in Thailand where once the famous Death Railway passed though Sai Yok Noi. The park’s major attractions are its waterfalls, including Sai Yok Yai waterfall which flows into the Khwae Noi river (River Kwai Noi).

 

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The Yellow River is also called "China's Sorrow". Each year, over 1.6 billion tons of soil flows into the Yellow River, which causes the continual rise and shift of the riverbed. Before damming, it was extremely prone to flooding, and had caused millions of deaths, including the deadliest disaster in human history.

With global warming, decrease in rainfall in the Yellow River Basin, and increasing water demands for irrigation, industry, etc., the Yellow River has been used up by its lower reaches since 1972, when it ran dry for the first time in recorded history. The longest dry period lasted 226 days in 1997.

Drought in the Yellow River region has brought serious challenges to agricultural development and the cities near the Yellow River.

What's worse, the river has been abused. It has become so polluted in some reaches that it is unfit for agricultural and industrial use, because of the huge increase in factory and sewage discharges from China's fast-expanding cities.

The government is taking measures to deal with Yellow River pollution, such as setting limits on the volume of major pollutants discharged into rivers and lakes, and controlling overuse of water resources.

 

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As Kerala grapples with a deluge of unimaginable proportions, the second time in under 100 years, it is interesting to remember the Hyderabad experience. Around 110 years ago on September 26, 1908, it began to rain in the surrounding areas of Hyderabad as a result of a cyclone in the Bay of Bengal. Over the next 48 hours, the downpour continued in the Musi river basin logging 98.57 cm rainfall. Of the 788 tanks and lakes in the river basin, 221 breached due to the cloudburst. 

According to historian Benjamin Cohen, the flood and deaths were used by the Nizam and his advisers to remake the city in a way that made it flood-proof. It also changed the power equations of the city.

 

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The northern half of the western shore lies within the Palestinian West Bank and has been under Israeli occupation since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. The Jordan River, from which the Dead Sea receives nearly all its water, flows from the north into the lake.

The Dead Sea has the lowest elevation and is the lowest body of water on the surface of Earth. The Dead Sea lies in a desert. Rainfall is scanty and irregular. Al-Lis?n averages about 2.5 inches (65 mm) of rain a year, the industrial site of Sedom (near historical Sodom) only about 2 inches (50 mm). 

The waters of the Dead Sea are extremely saline, and, generally, the concentration of salt increases toward the lake’s bottom. That phenomenon can create two different masses of water in the lake for extended periods of time. Such a situation existed for some three centuries, lasting until the late 1970s.

 

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Yangtze River, Chinese (Pinyin) Chang Jiang or (Wade-Giles Romanization) Ch’ang Chiang, longest river in both China and Asia and third longest river in the world, with a length of 3,915 miles (6,300 kilometres). Its basin, extending for some 2,000 miles (3,200 km) from west to east and for more than 600 miles (1,000 km) from north to south, drains an area of 698,265 square miles (1,808,500 square km). The Yangtze has eight principal tributaries. On its left bank, from source to mouth, these are the Yalung, Min, Jialing, and Han rivers; those on the right bank include the Wu, Yuan, Xiang, and Gan rivers.

The name Yangtze—derived from the name of the ancient fiefdom of Yang—has been applied to the river mainly by those in the West. Chang Jiang (“Long River”) is the name used in China, although it also is called Da Jiang (“Great River”) or, simply, Jiang (“[The] River”). The Yangtze is the most important river of China. It is the country’s principal waterway, and its basin is China’s great granary and contains nearly one-third of the national population.

 

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The longest river in Europe is the Volga, in Russia. It is 3,645 kilometres long and is the 15th longest river in the world. It is also Europe's largest river in terms of discharge, with 8,060 cubic metres per second.

Its source is in the Valdai Hills, 228 metres above sea level, and it flows through ten Russian oblasts (Tver, Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Ivanovo, Nizhny Novgorod, Ulyanovsk, Samara, Saratov, Volgograd and Astrakhan) and three republics (Mari El, Chuvashia and Tatarstan).

It flows into the Caspian Sea, and almost its entire course is navigable. The Volga's main tributaries are the Kama and the Oka rivers, and it has a total of about 200 tributaries.

 

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Saudi Arabia does not have any permanent rivers, but does have numerous wadis (valley) which are riverbeds that are either permanently or intermittently dry.

This list is arranged by drainage basin, with respective tributaries indented under each larger stream's name.

Saudi Arabia has the largest economy in the Middle East, and as of 2018, it was the 18th largest economy globally. Saudi Arabia has no permanent rivers within its border. It is one of the 17 countries in the world without rivers.

Saudi Arabia had deep water holes around the 'Al-Kharj and lakes at the Layla Aflaj up until the 1980s. They were fed by massive underground aquifers that were formed several millions of years ago. The 'Al-Kharj was a critical source of drinking water. However, there are Wadis that serve as the source of water. The Wadis refer to a valley or a dry river bed which contain water, especially during the rainy season. Saudi Arabia stores approximately 6 billion cubic feet of water in the more than 200 dams found in the Wadi Bisha, Wadi Jizan, Wadi Fatima, and Najran among others.

 

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The name 'India' is derived from the River Indus, the valleys around which were the home of the early settlers. The Aryan worshipers referred to the river Indus as the Sindhu. The Persian invaders converted it into Hindu. The name 'Hindustan' combines Sindhu and Hindu and thus refers to the land of the Hindus.

When the first Constitution of India came into existence on 26th January, 1950 Bharat was thought to be the other official name of the Republic of India.

Derived from the Sanskrit term 'Bharata' that means 'the cherished', this name dates back to the ancient 'Hindu Puranas' (Hindu scriptures) that tells the story of the legendary Emperor Bharata, the first conqueror of the entire Indian subcontinent and the Republic of India.  

Bharata is believed to be the founder of the famous Bharata dynasty. Therefore, after his conquer of the Indian land where he and his descendants dwelt, it started to be known as 'Bharatavarsa,' where varsa meant 'land' or 'continent'.

 

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