My Science School

Shared between two countries

The Sundarbans is spread across West Bengal, India, and Khulna Division, Bangladesh. Covering an estimated10,00,000 hectares, about 64 per cent of the entire mangrove area of the forest is said to be in Bangladesh, with the remaining 36 per cent in India. The Sundarbans is listed as 'Sundarbans National Park, as a World Heritage Site from India, and as The Sundarbans World Heritage Site from Bangladesh.

The largest Mangrove forest

The Sundarbans is home to the largest mangrove forest in the world, and is also the only mangrove forest to be inhabited by the tiger. Nearly 78 species of mangroves have been recorded at the Sundarbans, making it one of the richest mangrove forests, as well as one among the most biologically productive of all natural ecosystems.

The largest population of tigers

Apart from being the only mangrove forest inhabited by the tiger, the Sundarbans is also home to the largest number of Bengal Tigers in the world A part of the Sundarbans is designated as the Sundarbans Tiger Reserve to protect the species. The tigers here have adapted to the environment and have become amphibious, swimming long stretches in search of food.

A unique tidal system

The Sundarbans experiences a unique tidal phenomenon, witnessing high and low tides several times within a day. During the high tides, you can witness the water levels rising by six to ten feet. And during low tides, you can see huge areas of flat mud lands.

There is a great natural depression called "Swatch of No Ground in the Sundarbans area. This depression leads to a sudden change in the depth of the water from 20 m to 500 m.

What's in a name?

Did you know the Sundarbans got its name from the Sundari tree? It is a special kind of mangrove tree found in this area. It has aerial roots (roots which are above the ground) to help with respiration. This is especially useful for the tree during the rainy season when the entire mangrove area is waterlogged.

 

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Studies and media reports suggest that for centuries children were dressed in white till they were a few years old. And gradually, in the early 20th Century, gender-based colours in clothing came about. Interestingly, pink was for boys, and blue for girls. This changed after World War II when men returning from war were expected to get back to work, and women, to return from work and stay at home to look after kids. One of the reports says women shed their factory blues" and embraced the "pink apron". It is also said that the segregation that pink is for one gender and blue for another is a marketing tactic that came about in the U.S. after World War II, so parents couldn't hand down the older kid's clothes to the younger one. Slowly, the colour association spread to other aspects such as toys and furniture for kids, and was used even to segregate adults based on gender. What is now more or less a global phenomenon is basically a conditioning over several decades. This forces individuals to follow the majority rather than their own heart out of fear of being ridiculed or left out. And initially, why was pink chosen for boys, and blue, for girls? Apparently, to show that boys are strong, and girls are dainty. But does it reflect reality? Well, that's a story for another day!

Toys matter

Every toy, game or sport has the ability to teach the player something. Studies have shown that construction block play can help with spatial (relating to space) awareness, Maths, problem-solving, etc. Playing with dolls can increase empathy, social and nurturing skills, processing of information, language skills, and such. By playing a group sport, you can learn teamwork and sharing, while playing by yourself, you can develop creative ways of keeping yourself occupied. These are just a few examples. Boardgames, DIY kits, toys and sports offer a lot of benefits such as improving motor skills, hand-eye coordination, promoting generosity, physical fitness, mental agility, time management independence, planning, diplomacy, sympathy, self-esteem, confidence, etc. So who needs to develop all these skills? Everyone!

 

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The Manipur brow-antlered deer (Racervus eldii eldii) is locally known as sangai. It is a sub-species of the Eld's deer found in Asia. Though Eld's deer are found in other parts of the world too, sangai is found only in Manipur listed as endangered in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, its habitat in Manipur is the Keibul Lamjao National park Covering an area of about 40 sq. km. the Park is located on one end of the Loktak Lake The animals have adapted themselves to a life on floating meadows - called phumdis in the Lake. Interestingly, sangai is also called the dancing deer because of the way it delicately hops between the phumdis. Not surprisingly, it is the State animal of Manipur.

Sangai facts

• A medium-sized animal, the brow-antlered deer gets its name from its antlers that seemingly emerge from its eyebrows. The mammal has a small tail, and a dark reddish brown coat in winter, the coat gets lighter in summer.


• The deer's habitat varies from scrubland and grassland to dry forests and marshland, depending on the country they're found in. In India, however, these animals inhabit the regions in and around the Loktak Lake.


• When there's flooding, apparently, the deer population leaves the phumdis and moves to the hillocks nearby


• The un-submerged area of the Park has tall grasses and shrubs, some of which are food for sangai.

Threats

In the mid-20th Century, sangai was on the brink of extinction. However, a few individuals were spotted, and thanks to conservation efforts, their numbers today are said to be over a 100, at least. While this is a comforting story, the mammal continues to face several challenges. Foremost is the water pollution in the region. As the water in the Lake gets more and more polluted, the quality and thickness of the phumdis are affected. When phumdis get thinner it becomes difficult for the sangai deer to move from one place to another. In fact, it is said that the total area of the phumdis has been decreasing over the decades. A recent study has said that agriculture practices and newer human settlements in the region too are a threat to phumdis. According to media reports as recent as 2020, "unchecked growth of two perennial aquatic weeds - water hyacinth and para grass in the famous fresh water lake of Loktak in Moirang in Manipur is posing a major threat to sangai The increasing abundance of these weeds has reduced space for indigenous plants the sangai feeds on. For a subspecies already plagued by limited space and numbers, the possibility of in-breeding, and infection due to livestock, such challenges make them even more vulnerable. This could drive them toward extinction all over again, undoing decades of conservation effort.

 

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Do you love stories of talking animals, singing portraits and chatty kettles? If yes, then you are a fan of anthropomorphism.

A literary device, anthropomorphism (pronounced anthro-polt-more-fizz um) is used by authors to attribute human traits to animals or inanimate objects. This is done to make non-human characters more relatable and entertaining to readers and viewers. You may have seen this in stories and films that depict animals who can talk behave and feel emotions just like us. Children's classics such as "Dr. Dolittle", "Charlotte's Web", "The Tale of Peter Rabbit", and "Chronicles of Namia: The Lion. The Witch, and the Wardrobe all feature anthropomorphic characters.

While animals are commonly shown as anthropomorphised creatures, this technique is also used to bring inanimate objects to life by assigning them human-like qualities. Disney-Pixar films often use anthropomorphism - bringing clownfish and toy space-rangers to life as the beloved Nemo in Finding Nemo" and Buzz Lightyear in "Toy Story".

The term ‘anthropomorphism’ was coined by the Greek Philosopher Xenophanes after observing the physical similarities between people and their Gods.

Anthropomorphism vs. Personification

It is easy to confuse anthropomorphism with another similar literary device called personification. But the two are starkly different. Personification is a figure of speech in which a thing, an animal or an abstract notion is ascribed human qualities. For instance, the sentence, "Nature unleashed its fury through thunderstorms," is an example of personification, because nature can't be "furious" as it cannot feel human emotions. However, saying that nature can feel anger and fury emphasises the harshness of the storm. On the other hand in anthropomorphism, the non-human objects literally behave like human beings.

POPULAR EXAMPLES

• "The Beauty and the Beast": The fairytale as well as its Disney adaptation is packed with anthropomorphic furniture such as clocks and wardrobes that sing, dance and talk.


• Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland": Humans and anthropomorphic characters such as walking rabbits, smiling cats and even talking playing cards exist together in this fantastical story.


• J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter series: The magical world of Harry Potter is full of anthropomorphic characters. For instance, the talking and sometimes singing portraits hung inside the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The centaurs of the Forbidden Forest, who are half human, half-horse and skilled at Divination, are other examples of anthropomorphism.


•  "The Secret Life of Pets" film franchise: Wonder what your pets – cats, dogs, or even rabbits - are up to when you leave the house? 'The Secret Life of Pets" films show pets as socialising, watching telenovelas, raiding the fridge and even rocking out to heavy metal music when humans are not around.


• Richard Adams' Watership Down: In his debut novel. "Watership Down" (1972), Adams featured rabbits that could talk in their own distinctive language (Lapine).


• "Doctor Dolittle": Hugh Lofting's series of children's books portray a doctor who can talk to animals in their own languages. The books were adapted into highly successful films, starring Eddie Murphy as the main character.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Giving hurricanes human names is also a form of anthropomorphism. It is done because a human name is simpler and easier to comprehend than a scientific name, and makes us more receptive to information.


• In religion and mythology, anthropomorphism is the perception of a divine being in human form, or the recognition of human qualities in these beings. Greek deities such as Zeus and Apollo are often depicted in human form exhibiting human qualities such as beauty, greed, hatred, jealousy, and uncontrollable anger.


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Many of us may have heard of or even seen or touched the touch-me-not plant also called the sensitive plant. The moment we touch it the plant quickly folds its leaves inward. It unfolds the leaves when it feels safe enough. The plants have different types of cells that help them fold in response to external stimuli (such as touch, heat light etc.), and unfold.

Scientifically known as Mimosa pudica, the touch-me-not plant spends a lot of energy not during this folding unfolding act. It loses a chance to photosynthesise too. And yet it continues to do this because scientists believe this behavior could have evolves as a response to guard itself against predators, especially herbivores. Closed or closing leaves are assumed to have several benefits. They could make it tougher for animals to detach the leaves from the stems the animals could be fooled into believing the plant is dying or dead and is of no use and the sudden closure of the leaves could shake off insects or even startle herbivores into moving away from the plant while all these are interesting by themselves, something even more fascinating came about in a 2014 study.

A group of researchers decided to study if plants could be “trained” to change their behaviour, and used touch-me-nots for the study. From a height of about 15 cm. test plants in pots were dropped onto foam. This was repeated, and after a point, the plants no longer folded their leaves, perhaps since they did not sense any harm. Intriguingly, even a month after this experiment, the plants remembered to not fold their leaves when the experiment was taken up again Scientists concluded that plants could "learn", a trait usually attributed to animals. And this learning could mean that by not folding their leaves the touch-me-nots could save energy.

 

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Earlier this month, a glacier broke off at Joshimath in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, causing an avalanche in Raini village in Tapovan area. The avalanche (a rapid snowslide) was soon followed by flash floods due to a massive rise in water levels in the Dhauliganga river, which buried houses and people along its banks. The devastating flood damaged two hydropower projects, bridges, trapped workers in underground tunnels and killed at least 36 people (at the time of going to press).

A team of scientists at the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology investigating the incident suggested that the collapse of a hanging glacier triggered the deluge. This hanging glacier was adjacent to Raunthi glacier, which originates from a remote and inaccessible peak called Mrigudhani (6.063m above sea level). The glacier was hanging on a slope, held up by a mass of rock.

Scientists say that this portion could have weakened over a period of time due to freezing and melting and would have broken off hurtling down the steep mountain slope and falling into a narrow stream. As the water level increased in the stream, it burst. The rushing water breached the dam below and caused massive floods downstream, they explained. But what is a hanging glacier? Let's find out

What are glaciers?

Glaciers are slow-moving ice masses formed over many years of accumulation of snow - the snow that escaped melting and sublimation over the years. Glaciers flow due to stress from their own weight. They erode rocks on their way and form crevasses.

Glaciers store water in the form of ice during the colder seasons and release it during warmer seasons by way of melting. This serves as a water source for humans, animals and vegetation. There are some 10,000 glaciers in the Himalayas, and Uttarakhand alone has up to 1,495 glaciers.

What are hanging glaciers?

Not all glaciers reach the ocean or a valley floor. Some terminate halfway to the main glacier surface, most often at a diff. The sudden avalanches caused by hanging glaciers often put the area beneath them at risk.

Scientists attributed climate change to the weakening of the hanging glacier that caused the flood in Uttarakhand Rapid temperature changes lead to freezing and thawing of ice, and thereby glacial fractures over time. When temperatures rise, glaciers lose ice faster than they accumulate. This ice melt can lead to the retreat of glaciers and affect the entire ecosystem. Many glaciers around the world are receding due to the warming climate.

 

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Days after his inauguration U.S. President Joe Biden withdrew a Trump-era rule rescinding employment authorisation for H4 visa holders, who are spouses of those having H-1B work visas. But what are these visas? Let's see

What is H-1B?

H-18 is a nonimmigrant work visa (an official permit). Non-immigrant visas are issued to foreign nationals wanting to enter the U.S. on a temporary basis either for study, medical treatment, temporary work, or other similar reasons. The H-1B visa allows American companies to temporarily employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or practical expertise. Tech companies in the U.S. depend on this visa to hire thousands of employees each year from countries such as India and China. Most of the H-18 visa holders in the U.S. are Indian IT professionals. To qualify for the visa category, the prospective H-18 employee is expected to hold a U.S. equivalent four year Bachelors or higher degree.

Stay in the U.S

An H-1B visa holder can stay in the U.S. for three years, which can be extended to six years, after which he/she may need to reapply. Laws limit the number of H-18B visas issued each year. The H-1B visa applicant is sponsored by the hiring company. Suppose an H-1B worker quits his job or is laid off, he can try to find a new job within 60 days or apply for a change of visa status or go back to his home country.

H-4 visa

An H-4 visa is issued by the USCIS (US Citizenship and Immigration Services) to the spouse and children (aged under 21) of H-1B visa holders. H4 visa holders can go to school, open a bank account, obtain a drivers license and even a social security number. The spouses of H-1B holders can also work, if they are issued an Employment Authorisation Document (EAD).

The background

Back in 2015, the Barack Obama presidency introduced an EAD rule, allowing qualified H4 spouses of H-18 visa holders to work in the US and contribute to the American economy. But the Republican Trump administration in 2017 announced that it would cancel H4 work permits as part of its anti immigration policy. It had proposed "Removing H4 Dependent Spouses from the Class of Aliens Eligible for Employment Authorisation". However, the process could not completed. During the 2020 presidential election campaign. Biden had promised to revoke the Trump administration's proposal With Biden withdrawing the proposal to end work permits for spouses of H-1B visa holders, over one lakh Indian nationals who had moved to the U.S. along with their spouses for work are expected to benefit.

 

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For many years, scientists believed that Jupiter's moon lo was geologically dead. This means it didn't have things such as earthquakes, newly forming mountains or volcanoes. However, it turns out the scientists were wrong about lo. In 1979, when NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft took close up pictures of lo, the pictures showed a massive plume erupting from lo's surface into space. That's when they realise that lo did not just have volcanoes, it had active volcanoes. And, lo was no longer considered geologically dead. When these pictures were taken it was the first time an erupting volcano was found anywhere other than Earth. So that leaves us wondering, do all the planets and their moons have active volcanoes? Let's take a look

Mercury: The planet once had active volcanoes, but not anymore. Scientists believe violent volcanic eruptions that shaped Mercury's surface, likely ended about 3.5 billion years ago.

Venus: Venus, on the other hand is covered with volcanoes. The hottest planet in our solar system has over 1,000 volcanoes, including some that might still be active, according to what scientists think.

Mars: Mars is home to Olympus Mons, the solar largest volcano in our system. It is also the mountain in our solar largest led our solar system Mars is filled with tall volcanic mountains, and while scientists haven't seen an eruption on Mars, they think there could be some in the future.

Jupiter: Scientists have found volcanoes and observed volcanic activity only on lo, Jupiter’s moon. Eruptions from lo's volcanoes are so massive that it can been seen by a spacecraft that is pretty far from lo.

Saturn: Saturn's moon Enceladus has cryovolcanoes. These volcanoes are similar to regular volcanoes, except they spew water and other gases like geysers.

Uranus: Since it is a gas planet, it does not have any volcanoes.

Neptune: While Neptune doesn't have volcanoes as it is a gas planet, its frozen moon, Triton, has cryovolcanoes that are active.

 

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When we mention the word "river", our minds first visualise a flowing water body. River water too, however, freezes, and it is, in fact, a common occurrence more than half (56% of all large rivers) of Earth's rivers freeze over every year.

While the process of freezing is straightforward in calm waters such as those in lakes or even an ice cube tray, the turbulence in moving water bodies such as rivers and even streams, makes it different and difficult as the water molecules try to crystallise. The freezing of river waters occurs in a number of ways and even give rise to distinct formations.

Anchor ice

Some sections of the river freeze from the bottom up. This type of ice, known as anchor ice, forms on the rocks underwater, even if the surface hasn't frozen. While a lot isn't known about how anchor ice forms, grows or even detaches, it is well established that it grows rapidly once it has started. As a result, the appearance and flow of a river can change even overnight!

Pancakes and circles

Ice pancakes and ice circles are distinct surface formations that appear when river water freezes. What sets them apart is the process in which they are formed.

Pancake ice is formed in three phases. At first, frazil ice, which consists of small, needle-like structures, begins to form in the supercooled water. Frazil ice can get packed together by wave action, and the resulting floating mass is known as slush ice. The third and final phase sees the formation of pancake ice, which consists of frazil and slush ice along with a raised rim.

Ice circles, meanwhile, form in slow-moving rivers and look like a giant circle of ice slowly rotating on water. A change in river speed in a section where there is a large amount of ice could lead the ice to rotate until it becomes circular. Alternatively, a huge chunk of ice that breaks away from an ice sheet can become an ice circle in the presence of necessary forces.

Anchor ice, ice pancakes, and ice circles are only a few ways in which the river water freezes. The freezing of river water occurs in complex ways and also leads to more obscure formations at times.

 

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We know that plants require sunlight, oxygen, water, and nutrients to grow. What about soil? Well, soil provides a hospitable place for a plant to anchor its root and serves as a source of water and nutrients needed for its growth. But if these two purposes are met by other means, plants would not need soil. That's the basic principle behind hydroponic farming. By offering higher yield and using fewer resources, hydroponic technology may be able to mitigate impending food shortages from climate related events such as flooding, drought and high temperatures, scientists say. But how?

What is hydroponic farming?

As discussed earlier, hydroponics is the technique of growing plants without soil. In traditional gardening and fanning, plants get their nutrients from soil and additives such as compost, manure, and fertilizers. In hydroponic farming, plants get them from nutrient-fortified water.

Many hydroponic gardens are sprouting across the world, where crops and vegetables are produced in large quantities. The method is also catching up in urban areas in India, where households meet some of their vegetable needs this way.

Soil-less cultivation of vegetables was known to humankind since the ancient times. However, the interest in the technology was renewed in the 19th and the 20th centuries, when scientists such as Julius Sachs and W.E. Gericke studied the method extensively. Among other inventions, scientists also optimised the nutrient solution that are added to water for hydroponic farming. They include macronutrients (needed in large amounts) such as carbon phosphorous, hydrogen. nitrogen, oxygen, sulphur, potassium, magnesium, and calcium, and micronutrients (needed in tiny amounts but essential) such as zinc, nickel, boron, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, boron, and chlorine.

How it works

There are various methods of hydroponic farming. The most common method is to place the plants in a plastic trough, with their roots dipped directly into nutrient-rich solutions. Alternatively, the roots can be supported by a medium such as rockwool or peat moss, which acts as a sterile substitute for soil. These plants are watered with nutrient solution.

Hydroponic farming can be done indoors, with specific systems to control and monitor the pH level of water (pH level is the measure of how acidic / basic water is), temperature and the amount of light the plants receive. Some of the factors considered are:

Oxygen: In traditional farming, roots can get the oxygen needed for respiration from pockets of air in the soil. In hydroponic setup, the container has to be oxygenated using tools such as an air pump (similar to the ones in fish tank).

Root base: If not dipped in water, plants require root support in the form of materials such as vermiculite, perlite, peat moss, coconut fibre, and rockwool.

Light and temperature: The grower will have to be aware of the kind of light and temperature each species of plant requires to grow optimally.

Advantages

Saves space

• Since soil is not involved in hydroponic fanning, there is no need to worry about land requirement. (This method is often adopted for vertical gardens.)


• Moreover, roots don't need spread because water and nutrients are delivered right to them. As a result hydroponic systems can grow more plants in the same amount of space as soil-based systems.

Faster growth

Since, hydroponically grown plants get their nutrients without much ado, they can divert more energy into the growth of leaves, stem, vegetables and fruits. This makes them grow faster. According to reports plants in hydroponic systems grow 30% to 50% faster than those grown in soil.

Anywhere, anytime

Hydroponics allows growers to produce food anywhere in the world, at any time of the year as climate and light can be controlled.

No pesticides

In a well-maintained, well-integrated indoor horticulture practice, the risks of pests is less, if not zero. Food grown this way are nutritionally superior.

Water conservation

Hydroponic systems use less water than traditional soil-based systems. This is because closed systems are not subject to the same rates of evaporation. Plus, the water used in hydroponic systems can be filtered, repopulated with nutrients, and fed back to plants. The same water can be used over and over again. According to reports, this method of faming reduces water dependence by as much as 90%.

Sustainable solution

The United Nations has estimated that the global human population will reach nearly 10 billion by 2050. In 2019, about 124 million people were estimated to have faced acute food shortages from climate related events such as flooding, irregular rains, drought, and high temperatures. With the rise in population and with farmers struggling to cope with demand, there is a global push for sustainable fanning. As hydroponics can help grow food in a controlled environment using less resources and offering healthier, higher yields, it is seen as a sustainable solution to food security.

Challenges

• Setting up a hydroponic farm can be extremely expensive. Consider the cost of containers, pumps, lights, nutrients, and automated systems.


• Since plants are grown in a controlled environment constant monitoring is required.


• The process of hydroponic farming depends on a range of equipment that requires proper expertise


• Air pump, lights, water pump, and the running of other appliances involve a high level of energy consumption.


• In theory, you can grow any plant hydroponically but some do better than others. While tomatoes, strawberries, lettuces, and herbs do particularly well, root vegetables don't take to hydroponics well. As hydroponic plants have much smaller root systems, they can't always support themselves very well. Heavy fruiting plants may need elaborate forms of support.

 

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Assam is one of the Eight Sister States of North A eastern India. Known for its rich culture and diverse population, the culture of Assam is a fusion of Indo-Burmese, Mongolian and Aryan influence. It is bounded to the north by the kingdom of Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh, to the east by Nagaland and Manipur, to the south by Mizoram and Tripura, and to the west by Bangladesh and the States of Meghalaya and West Bengal

The name Assam is derived from the word asama meaning "peerless" in the now extinct Ahom language. The neighbouring states of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Meghalaya were once part of Assam. The capital, formerly Shillong (now the capital of Meghalaya), was shifted to Dispur, a suburb of Guwahati, in 1972. The beautiful land, known as the land of red rivers and blue hills' is a little paradise with untouched natural landscapes worth traversing for its pristine beauty

Major tribes of Assam

Ahom or Tai-Ahom: They are the admixed descendants of the Tai people who reached the Brahmaputra Valley of Assam in 1228.

Karbis: They are one of the major ethnic communities in Assam and especially in the hill areas of Assam.

Bodo-Kacharis (also Kacharis or Bodos) are an anthropological and a linguistic group living predominantly in Assam, Tripura and Meghalaya.

Mising is an indigenous community inhabiting parts of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

Nyishi community is the largest ethnic group and they live in the Sonitpur and North Lakhimpur districts of Assam.

Rabha live mostly in Goalpara, Kamrup, Kokrajhar, Udalguri, and Baksa districts; and also in some places Bongaigaon, Chirang, Sonitpur, and Karbi Anglong districts.

Rajbongshi or Koch-Rajbongshi is an ethnic group inhabiting parts of Assam, Meghalaya, and northern West Bengal.

Tea-garden community composed of multi-ethnic groups of tea garden workers and their dependants in Assam. They are officially referred as "Tea tribes" by the Government of Assam. They are the descendants of indigenous people brought by the British colonial planters as labourers from the regions of present-day Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh into colonial Assam during 1860-90s in multiple phases for the purpose of being employed in the tea garden industry as labourers.

Customs and traditions

Customs and traditions play a significant role in society and the Assamese strictly adhere to the customs laid down by their forefathers, pertaining to their communities. These customs are beliefs that originated in the past and have been followed ever since, generation after generation Weddings, births, deaths and festivals in Assam include many customs that are supposed to be followed by all.

The people of Assam always believed in the joint family system and it is still prevalent among both tribal and non-tribal communities. Some of the tribes follow the matriarchal system, which asserts that the mother is the centre of the clan and that her property will be given to her daughters. If there are no daughters, it will be passed to the youngest daughter of her sister. The prevalent custom among the Dimasa-Kacharis is that the sons inherit the father's property while the daughters inherit the mother's property. The Assamese use bamboo to welcome guests because of their attachment to the bamboo culture.

Traditional dress

The Assamese adorn very simple dresses, mostly hand loomed. Women wear the motif-rich Mekhela Chador or Riha-Mekhela, while men wear the 'suria' or 'dhoti', and over it drape a chadar known as 'Seleng'. Gamosa is an indispensable part of almost all socio-religious ceremonies in Assam. It is derived from the Kamrupi word 'Gaamasa' (gaama + chadar) which was used to cover the Bhagavad Purana at the altar. It is a white rectangular piece of cloth with a red border on three sides and woven motifs on the fourth. Bihu dancers wrap it around the head, and it is still used to cover the altar at the prayer hall or the scriptures.

Jaapi: This is basically known as the sunshade of Assam. It is made of bamboo strips and dried palm leaves locally known as Tokow Pat. There are many types of Jaapi like the Halua Jaapi, Pitha Jaapi, Sorudoiya Jaapi, Bordoiya Jaapi, etc. Jaapis were also used as headwear in the olden days, mostly by the rich Folk music instrument and noble families. Farmers use Jaapi as umbrellas while working in the paddy fields.

Folk music

Assam is rich in folk music. From the time of the Kamarupa Kingdom followed by Ahom Dynasty, Assamese culture has been influenced by their rulers, except for the British rule which ended the Ahom Dynasty. The indigenous folk music has influenced the folk music of artistes like Bhupen Hazarika, Parvati Prasad Baruva, Jayanta Hazarika, Utpalendu Choudhury, Nirmalendu Choudhury and others. Classical Assamese music is divided into Borgeet and Ojapali which combines narrative singing with dancing. The music of Oja-pali has a raga system of clear traditional orientation.

Arts and craft

Traditional crafts like pottery and terracotta work, brass craft, jewellery-making, musical instruments making, cane and bamboo craft, silk and cotton weaving and woodcraft are a major source of employment for the people of Assam.

Weaving is the most ancient among these, and even now women take pride in working in the handloom industry. Gandhiji lauded the Assamese weavers as artistes who could weave dreams in their looms. Various ethno cultural groups make exclusive types of cotton garments with embroidery designs and colour combinations

Painting is another ancient form of art known since the time of Chinese traveller Xuanzang (7 century CE). Most of the manuscripts from the middle ages have excellent examples of traditional paintings. They were influenced by the concept and designs in the medieval works such as the Chitra Bhagavata. There is a Department of Fine Arts in Assam, which is a central government organization that focuses on the art and craft of north east India with particular reference to Assam.

Festivals

Assam is full of festivals, the most important being the Bihu. It is celebrated to mark the important points of a cultivator's life over a yearly cycle. It is a non-religious festival celebrated by all irrespective of caste and creed. Rongali or Bohag Bihu celebrated in mid-April with the coming of spring and the beginning of the sowing season. It is also known as Rangaali Bihu ('rang means 'merry-making').

Another important festival is the Kangaali Bihu ('kangaali' meaning 'poor') is celebrated in mid-October. It is called so because by this time the harvest is brought home. The Magh Bihu is celebrated in mid-January. There are community feasts and bonfires which take place during the festival days. Also known as the Bhogaali Bihu ('bhog' means 'enjoyment and feasting'). The first day of rongali bihu is called Goru Bihu when the cows are taken to the nearby ponds to be bathed. Ali-Ai-Ligang is the spring festival, and the name of the festival is made up of three terms -- 'Ali', root and seed, 'Ai' means fruit and 'Ligang, to sow.

Traditional dances

Ojapali, Devdasi, and Sattriya are the major dance styles of Assam. Oja, the lead dancer, narrates a mythological story along with the fusion of dance and acting. It is of three types – biyah-gowa that presents Mahabharata stories with the rhythmic use of feet, sukananni which celebrates the worship of snake goddess Manasa, and ramayani based on the Assamese version of Ramayana. Sattriya was developed by Sankardeva.

Devadasi-deva-nati or nati nas is a conventional temple dance that is performed by unmarried women who submitted their lives to the presiding deity. The dances of the Bodos are associated with the Kherai Puja festival where Bagurumba dance is the most popular. Other folk dances are incomplete without the Jhumur performed by the Adivasis which is a synchronized dance of boys and girls to the sound of drums and flute.

Cuisine

Assamese dishes are said to be less spicy than any other Indian dishes. Assamese are mostly non-vegetarian, and their staple diet is rice. Fish, chicken, duck and pork are also eaten and are popular. Fish curry is prepared as a sour dish called Machor tenga. Baked fish wrapped in leaves with white mustard paste is a popular delicacy. Dried fish is a traditional tribal cuisine. The variance of rice are produced and prepared like Cheera (flattened rice), akhoi (parched paddy grain), muri (puffed rice), pithguri (pound rice), sandoh guri (fried, pound rice), komal saul and bora saul. The presence of traditional "detoxifying' appetizers like Khar is prepared by burning the stem of the banana tree.

People who have a weakness for sweets won't be disheartened one bit as the Assamese dish is incomplete without sweets and one of its specialties called pitha is made from rice. Til pitha (moulded sticky rice cake with black sesame filling), ghila pitha (fried rice cakes), sunga pitha (rice cake baked inside whole bamboo pieces), narikolor laaru (sweet coconut balls) and kol pitha (banana pancakes) are some of the other delicacies of the Assamese cuisine.

Traditional jewellery

Assamese jewellery is usually handmade, and the designs depict flora and fauna. The people are fond of wearing beautiful and unique style of ornaments made of gold and silver and varieties of jewels. The traditional ones worn by men are called Biri, Magardana, Matamoni, Kundal and Lokaparo while those worn by the women are Keru, Karphul, Kharu, Aargathi, Nalak, Keyur and Nupur.

Major occupations

Agriculture is the main occupation of the people in Assam. It accounts for 63 per cent of the state's workforce. Most farmers are engaged in the cultivation of rice, which is the staple diet of the people. Other crops include pulses, jute, tea and fruit cultivation. Assam is well-known all over the world for its tea plantations and the tea gardens of Assam provide employment to nearly a million people. Assam's tea plantation forms 15 per cent of the world's tea output.

 

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Pets have always been special to us. A dog is great company, a cat is a precious little bundle, a parrot is a delight, an alligator is a... well, an interesting companion, a bear... probably is unusual! Let's look at the pets owned by famous personalities in history!

A very important horse

Roman emperor Caligula had a bad reputation for cruelty, but even he had a soft spot for his pet – a horse. So special was

his horse, named Incitatus, that it got to live in a marble shed, drink from a golden bucket, wear a jewelled collar and have gold flakes mixed with its oats! Caligula didn't stop there - he gave his pet a saddle with a red border. What's the big deal? It turns out that only the ministers of his court wore a robe with a red border, so Incitatus was promoted as a senior official!

An alligator in the White House

When President Quincy Adams was gifted an alligator by the French aristocrat Marquis de Lafayette, he took a quick decision regarding the reptile's living arrangements: it would live in a bathtub inside the East Room bathroom of the White House. Unsuspecting guests who entered the bathroom were in for a horrifying shock and fainting fits!

Too fond of dogs

Muhammad Mahabat Khan III, an Indian maharaja, loved dogs. Nothing strange because many people love dogs, right? But he loved them so much that he had nearly 800 dogs! Each dog had its own room, complete with a telephone (though how a dog would use it is not clear) and a personal attendant. Marriages between his dogs were grand affairs and he even invited the British viceroy at the time to attend one such event!

A wise friend from the sea

The French poet, Gérard de Nerval, rescued a lobster and adopted it as a pet, fondly naming it Thibault. He would take Thibault for a walk with an elegant blue ribbon as its leash. When people argued that it was crazy to have a lobster, Nerval calmly explained the pluses of having a crustacean as a pet: it was calm, serious, didn't bark and knew the secrets of the sea.

An artistic pet

Salvador Dali was famous for his unique moustache, his surreal paintings and his bizarre choice of pet - an ocelot. Babou went with him everywhere, proudly flashing its special studded collar. This included a journey on a luxury cruise and even a visit to a restaurant in Manhattan, much to the alarm of other diners.

No dogs allowed? How about a bear!

Lord Byron, the famous poet, was well-known for his eccentricities. When he enrolled in Trinity College in Cambridge, dogs were forbidden as pets on the campus. So Byron kept a tame bear instead! This flummoxed the college authorities, but Byron had a solid defence. For nowhere in the rulebook was it mentioned "no bears allowed", was it? Apparently, nobody could legally expel the bear and it stayed on while Byron studied there.

A pet-plus messenger

Much before the serial Game of Thrones made ravens cool, the 12th dynasty pharaoh, Amenemhat II, thought ravens were awesome and he had a pet raven he loved dearly. But this was a special raven that also served the pharaoh faithfully as a messenger. It was apparently the swiftest of messengers, well aware of where to deliver its messages and where to pause on its way back. So fond was he of his pet that Amenemhat II had a tomb built for his loyal raven.

 

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Icehotel, the world’s first ice hotel, has been melting and being rebuilt since 1990, and is one of the Seven Wonders of Sweden. Located in Jukkasjarvi village, the 64,600 sq foot hotel is rebuilt each year with snow and ice from the Torne River. The hotel exists from December until mid-April when it melts and returns to the river. It has around 100 rooms designed by artists from all over the world who vie annually for the opportunity to design one of the rooms. The hotel features chandeliers, furnishings, running fountains and statuary, all crafted of ice and snow. It hosts an ice chape, an ice restaurant, and a bar with glasses made of ice! The entire structure remains below freezing, around -5 degree C.

Given that climate control is one of the biggest challenges, steel pipes are drilled into the permafrost (at 16 feet below ground) to keep the building at 23 degrees (Fahrenheit)—the ideal temperature for the preservation of the hotel plus its ice and snow sculptures, according to Bergqvist. “That way, the building works like a thermos where it doesn’t let the cold air out nor the heat in,” he said. What’s more, approximately 7,320 square feet of solar-powered refrigerating plants will be used to keep the hotel cool during the summer months too.

 

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The world’s largest statue of a mosquito stands in Komarno. Located approx. 60km North of Winnipeg, Komarno, Manitoba is home to a large mosquito statue. Komarno is the Ukrainian word for mosquito, and the area is home to some of the largest mosquitoes in North America.

A statue of a mammoth mosquito could stand almost anywhere in Manitoba, home to a seemingly infinite number of the biting, buzzing insects. The village of Komarno just happened to think of the idea. Actually, the swampy region may have more of the bugs than anywhere. "You have to take a branch and when you walk, swing branches (and) knock them off your face, your back and your body because they'll just drive you absolutely crazy,' says Don Simcoe. This 1990 CBC-TV clip from The National explains that mosquitoes have been pesky already this summer, especially for cows.

 

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Myrmecology is the scientific study of ants and is a branch of entomology (the study of insects). There are more than 12,500 described species in the ant family that have been classified out of an estimated total of 22,000.  Ants are found everywhere in the world including areas that are temperate and tropical.  Most of the described and unknown species are located in the rainforests, however, due to the destruction of those forests, most of them will probably never be categorized.  The only land mass lacking ants are Antartica and a possibly a few remote or inhospitable islands.

Ants often are studied by engineers for biomimicry and by network engineers for more efficient networking. It is not known clearly how ants manage to avoid congestions and how they optimize their movements to move in most efficient ways without a central authority that would send out orders. There already have been many applications in structure design and networking that have been developed from studying ants, but the efficiency of human-created systems is still not close to the efficiency of ant colonies. Furthermore, there are efforts to use ant algorithms and the behavioral strategies of ants in modern management.

 

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