My Science School

The word 'helicopter is adapted from the French word helicoptere, coined by Gustave Ponton d'Amecourt, a French inventor who demonstrated a small steam-powered model in 1861. It originates from the Greek helix for "helix, spiral, whirl, convolution" and pteron for "wing". English language nicknames for helicopter include chopper, copter, helo, heli and whirlybird.

The idea of taking off vertically, making the transition to horizontal flight to the destination, and landing vertically has been for centuries the dream of inventors. It is the most logical form of flight, dispensing as it does with large landing fields located far from city centres and the inevitable intervening modes of travel—automobile, subway, bus—that flight in conventional aircraft usually requires. But vertical flight is also the most demanding challenge in flying, requiring more sophistication in structure, power, and control than conventional fixed-wing aircraft. These difficulties, solved over time by determined engineers and inventors, made the progress of vertical flight seem slow compared to that of conventional flight, for the first useful helicopters did not appear until the early 1940s.

There are now a vast number of helicopter types available on the market, ranging from small two-person private helicopters through large passenger-carrying types to work vehicles capable of carrying huge loads to remote places. All of them respond to the basic principles of flight, but, because of the unique nature of the helicopter’s rotor and control systems, the techniques for flying them differ. There are other types of vertical-lift aircraft, whose controls and techniques are often a blend of the conventional aircraft and the helicopter. They form a small part of the total picture of flight but are of growing importance.

Credit : Britannica 

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Before the 1600s, a giraffe was known as a Camelopard, deriving from the ancient Greek for camel and leopard, referring to its camel-like shape and leopard-like colouring. The word 'giraffe' has its earliest-known origins in the Arabic word zarafah meaning "fast-walker. The modern English form developed around 1600 from the French word girafe.

In 46 BC, Julius Caesar had celebrated his triumphs in Egypt by returning to Rome with a vast menagerie, the star attraction of which was a giraffe, the first ever seen in Europe. The Romans did not know what to make of such an animal and named it the "cameleopard", for it seemed to them to embody characteristics of both the camel and leopard. Caesar had the animal torn to shreds by lions in the arena, probably to emphasize his power by the disposal of such a rare creature in a casual manner. Lorenzo had read of the success of the spectacle of Caesar's giraffe and saw a way to cement his reputation in Florence by emulating it. He also realised that he could gain further political influence by passing the animal on and promised to send it to Anne of France, after its sojourn in Florence.

Whether the giraffe was provided by Qaitbay is uncertain as there is no record of its procurement, but it seems likely: he is known to have had giraffes in his menagerie; he appealed for Lorenzo for help against the Ottomans around the time of the giraffe's arrival in Florence and Lorenzo did intercede on his behalf shortly afterwards.

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The Bakhshali manuscript contains the oldest-known incidence of the number zero, preceding the current-oldest (an inscription on a temple wall in Gwalior etched in the 9 century) by several centuries. The manuscript is a collection of 70 Sanskrit-covered birch bark leaves exploring the field of mathematics. It was first discovered near the village of Bakshali (present-day Pakistan) in 1881, and has been housed at the University of Oxford's Bodleian Library since 1902. Carbon dating of the text shows the date of origin as between 224 AD and 383 AD instead of the commonly-assumed 801-900 AD. There are hundreds of zeros throughout the manuscript, all of which are denoted using a simple dot.

The scholars argue that the work written on the leaves of the Bakhshali manuscript is a unified treatise on arithmetic that must have been written at the time of the latest of the manuscript's leaves, not the earliest. The treatise shows no signs of being a jumble of fragments from different periods. Both the handwriting and the topic being discussed are continuous across the boundary of the first two dated leaves. It looks very much as if the scribe, who may have lived at the end of the eighth century, wrote out his treatise on a group of leaves that had been manufactured at very different times.

But of greater significance for the history of mathematics is the authors' evidence showing that the Bakhshali treatise does indeed know the "true" zero, and contains calculations like long multiplication that would have necessitated using zero as an arithmetical number. Furthermore, the treatise even contains a statement saying, "having added one to zero...," thus proving that the early Sanskrit author was thinking about zero in a numerical way.

The zero in the Bakhshali treatise is younger, but more important than Oxford claimed.

Credit : Science Daily 

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The word 'candidate' comes from the Latin word candidus meaning 'bright white. Ancient Romans running for our office wore a distinctive toga called the toga candida as they walked about the Forum seeking votes. The toga was chalked white to make the candidates stand out and was supposed to suggest the wearer's virtue and honesty. A person who wore the bright white toga was called a candidatus.

Individuals who wish to be received into the membership of the Catholic Church who have been baptized in another mainstream Christian denomination are known as candidates and their reception into the Catholic Church is done through a profession of faith, followed by the reception of Holy Communion and Confirmation. In contrast, those persons who have never received the sacrament of baptism are canonically considered non-Christians and if they are preparing to become a member of the Catholic Church, they are known as catechumens.

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When spaghetti meets money

Italian Americans have a tradition of seasoning their spaghetti with the most unusual condiment. The oldest woman in the family stirs the tomato gravy and spaghetti along with a healthy dose of dollar bills contributed by different members of the family! Those who have earned well or received a nice raise are expected to sprinkle high denomination bills generously so that the luck spreads to others when the spaghetti gets served with the money! Three guesses for the toast... "You have to eat money to make money!"

God loves spicy salsa

In rural Mexico, farmers carry out an old Aztec tradition to please their god of harvest, XocotlHuetzi. The ancient Aztecs strongly believed that the god of harvest was fond of spice. What better way to show love and respect to the god of harvest than to dig a hole in the fields and fill it up with some nice, spicy salsa? If the crops failed even after that, the farmers deduce that it's because the salsa was too spicy or probably not spicy enough.

Sweet revenge

Do you wish to teach someone who's been particularly rude or obnoxious a lesson? Eastern Europeans have just the right thing to do. Take the oldest, sweatiest sneaker or shoe, fill it up with honey and leave it at their doorstep! The symbolism of replacing the stinky nature with some sweetness is assumed to be enough to fill the person with remorse. The person is supposed to use that honey to bake a cake and leave it by the windowsill as a sign of forgiveness!

Give your wish some wings

In Japan, there is a beautiful tradition wherein children write down their wishes on lanterns and let them float up into the night sky. Desires are also carved on yams or radishes and planted in the ground to teach an important lesson about not forgetting one's roots and the importance of humility.

It's confetti time

In Argentina, when you have loads of old documents and paper at home, New Year's Day is the time to make creative use of them. People get busy shredding the paper into thin strips to use as confetti for throwing from their windows.

Onion meteorology

In Romania, there is an interesting tradition on New Year, also called St Vasile's Day. Farmers like to predict how the year's climate conditions would be with the help of onions! You heard that right. Twelve onions are chosen, peeled and salted. Then the experts observe the level of salty liquid left behind and the skins of onions to make predictions for the year ahead.

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The chess-playing automaton

Much before computers were programmed to play chess, there was the "Turk" - an automaton dressed as a Turkish man seated in front of a box filled with complicated gears and wires. The Turk was able to act as a "thinking machine" and play chess with any human opponent and even won many times. This was no minor hoax - it was taken to several countries and fascinated many people. What was its secret? An expert chess player hidden, not inside the Turk, but in a compartment in the box, controlling the pieces using special devices!

A well-hidden secret

Charles Redheffer made a claim in 1813 that sent chills of delight down the spines of physics buffs. He claimed that he'd invented a perpetual motion machine and at the outset it did seem utterly convincing. However, Robert, a mechanical engineer, noticed something fishy - the machine wobbled and appeared unsteady. When he put on his detective cap, he found something quite interesting - a man turning a crank that operated the machine hidden in an upstairs room!

A giant in the backyard

In 1869, two years after the plan hatched in the mind of George Hull and $3,000 later, the petrified remains of a large, gigantic man about 10 feet tall was excavated. Thousands of people flocked to view it. Much later, it was revealed that the statue was made from a gypsum block and treated with acids to give it an old, corroded look. By the time, people realized that they were being fooled by a "big" trick, the hoaxer had made well over $20,000 (a tidy sum at that time)!

Stirring up trouble

In 1749, a few British noblemen as well as a duke and an earl wondered to what extent people could be fooled. Not being ones to merely contemplate, they went about booking a theatre and announced that the audience would be able to visualize a man jumping into a quart bottle. Despite sounding incredulous, it created great interest across London and the theatre was booked full. However, the audience did not take it lightly when they heard that the show wasn't going to happen, and ended up tearing down the theatre!

Fossils? Uh, wait!

In 1725, Adam Beringer, dean of a university in Germany was terribly excited. The discovery involved several limestone pieces with carvings of different animals and inscriptions. So convinced was Adam that they were fossils that he even went on to write a book detailing his findings! It turned out, though, that it was two of his university colleagues who'd planted them where Adam often hunted for fossils! When they tried to point out that it could be fake, Adam not only got furious, but took them to court. Talk about a clever deception! Later, these pieces began to be called "lying stones".

A fancy mechanical duck

When Jacques de Vaucanson announced that his invention a mechanical duck about the size of the real bird and made of gold-plated copper - was capable of eating, drinking and excreting like a real duck, it created quite a stir. The inventor even claimed that the duck's interior had a chemical laboratory capable of breaking down and excreting food. But it turned out that the pellets that came out of the duck were preloaded breadcrumb bits dyed green!

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Edible shoes

For those who passionately love shoes and chocolates, nothing can be more delightful than edible shoes! High heeled shoes or formal men's shoes - the choice is wide. Top confectionaries take special orders to make the perfect pair of delicious footwear. You might want to eat it quickly to resist the temptation to try it on!

Ugly furniture

The story is that people with poor taste in furniture and virtually no carpentry skills got together to start a furniture company. It should worry people right away, but it turns out that Ugly Furnitures was doing pretty decent business for some time. A few furniture pieces look like they've been made by hammering together pieces of wood while blindfolded! With the tagline 'Always Expensive', one cannot help but admire their tenacity.

Bakery inspired toiletry

If you're a die-hard fan of cookies and cream buns and pastries, this might interest you. Did you know that you can be reminded of your favourite things while taking a shower or brushing your teeth? A company based in Arizona has come up with a range of scrubs, soaps and toothpastes that look and smell like your favourite baked delights. As an added bonus, they're made with organic, food-grade ingredients, but just resist the temptation to bite right in.

Foliage forever

Have you always wanted preserved autumn leaves from England but don't have a relative who can give it to you for free? Then you might want to pay $20 plus shipping for three preserved leaves. That's right, only three. The company, Ship Foliage, claims that it received 135 orders just 2 days after it opened business. If you're wondering if it's worth the money, you might like to know that the leaves are preserved and dried carefully to last intact for years.

Fragrant frames

Today, it's not only possible to capture your special moment as a photo and frame it, but also add some fragrance to it. Research shows that nostalgia and scent are deeply connected, so every time you go near that picture frame, you'll be reminded of that fantastic day you graduated... or probably the day when you bought the scented picture frame. With the advances in technology, one day, you might be able to get one with the scent of jalebis or kheer for an even enhanced special effect.

Airplane scrap to furniture

Not everyone can own an aeroplane in the backyard, but there's hope. Now you'll be able to buy furniture pieces that were once a part of an airplane. Unlike Ugly Furnitures, Fallen Furniture is not only grammatically correct but also safe and classy enough to test on your guests. The furniture has a futuristic look that will make you feel glad that airplane scrap material got a second life.

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The scent of good ol' books

At last, people have realized how to replicate the divine scent of old books and capture its essence in perfumed candles. Are you inviting a book lover over for dinner? Wondering what would be a great way to get started? Simply light the candle, and much like a bee attracted to nectar, you'll find your book lover floating towards the candle in joy and wonder.

Exactly where you left...

Is there anyone out there who thinks a bookmark isn't quite enough? Why go for a mere page marker when you can have a sentence marker. This quirky rubber band marker comes with an adjustable pointing finger that shows you exactly where you stopped reading. This revolutionary invention will help you save those precious few seconds rereading the page.

Lose yourself in an audiobook

These are the days of e-readers and audiobooks, and tech savvy bookworms have already moved on to them. So it's only fair that gifts aimed at those who love books should be in sync with the changing times. With a sleep mask and/or headphones, you can get lost in a book like never before!

Reading never ends!

Well, why should you put away reading when you go to bed? Just switch the bed light on and read a story to lull yourself to sleep a story printed on the pillows and duvet cover. Now if only there was technology that could print an entire book on the duvet...

Your scratch bucket list of books

Everybody hears about "Must read 100 Books" and dozens of such lists. People read these lists and forget about them. What's one way to motivate a bookworm to make sure to pursue all the books on the list? Get a read list scratch off poster! It's double the fun the surprise element of scratching with a coin to discover what book it's going to be next and the delight of picking it up from the library or buying it.

Books and a comfy seat

Finally, an armchair that understands a bookworm's needs! Imagine having a seat with shelves on either sides and underneath. That's what's called a bookworm's heaven. With all your favourite books stacked conveniently so close by, it's time to settle down and complete all the books on your bucket list, one after another.

Book lender's kit

Often, you'll encounter bookworms who have trouble lending books from their personal collection to others for fear of never getting them back. It would help to get a personal library kit to stamp a borrowing date and return date just like a library does. Maybe it will push borrowers to return books more promptly.

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Mount Vesuvius and the first pizzeria

What does Mount Vesuvius have to do with pizzas, other than they're both from Italy? Up until the early 19th century, pizzas were sold by street vendors, baked on wood-fire ovens. And then opened Antica Pizzeria Port' Alba in 1830 considered to be the first pizzeria in the world. The pizzas were baked in ovens lined with lava rocks from Mount Vesuvius. What's hotter is the payment system back then, called pizza a otto, that allowed customers to pay up to eight days after enjoying a pizza. Three cheers to Port' Alba that exists to this day!

Pizza...served on pizz

Vinnie's Pizzeria is surely winr hearts with what they have on offer on their menu. Seriously, who wouldn't want to enjoy a slice of pizza topped with mini slices of pizza. But that's not the only thing they're famous for. They're famous for coming up with a delightful packing solution for pizzas. Why give pizzas in cardboard boxes that can't be gobbled up? The solution - a box made of pizza that you can eat after you finish the pizza inside!

Pizzas with a technological edge

Having trouble choosing one pizza from among a bunch of delicious ones? You're not alone! A Swedish company has decided to take up the matter to set things right. And thus comes about the "subconscious menu". The technology scans people's eye movements while they look at toppings, offering one from thousands of different combinations. Let's save time clicking or speaking and pray that this technology is whole-heartedly embraced by all pizzerias.

A $2000 extravaganza

The world is obsessed with super-expensive food items, and the pizza hasn't been spared the extravagant décor and the accompanying price tag. Industry Kitchen is a restaurant in New York's posh financial district. Rush and order this precious $2000 pizza if you like these toppings: truffle, French foie gras, English Stilton cheese, caviar, and 24-carat gold leaves! Enjoy a pizza that's worth about $50 a bite!

The humble origin of Pizza Margherita

Pizzeria di Pietro e Basta Cosi (the name is quite a mouthful) in Naples, Italy is credited with being the birthplace of modern pizza. Until that time, pizza was food for the poor, hurriedly assembled together from leftover ingredients on a piece of flatbread. For Queen Margherita who had travelled to Italy, a special pizza was put together using mozzarella, tomatoes and basil, representing the colors of the Italian flag. Apparently, that was the first time it was made with mozzarella and the first time it was enjoyed by a queen. That pizza was the lucky charm - today Pizza Margherita is popular just about everywhere.

Fresh robot pizza

Zume Pizza, founded in 2015, decided that they needed more than human hands shaping and topping the pizza. So, the company invested in robotic devices to lovingly squirt out tomato sauce, spread it with precision onto the pizza base, and place it in the hot ovens, For those among us who care about beauty and perfection in their slices, this seems to be the deal. For the rest of us, pizza is pizza!

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The poinsettia or 'Christmas flower' derives its name from Joel Poinsett, the first U.S. Minister to Mexico and an amateur botanist. He discovered the shrub (Euphorbia pulcherrima) growing by the side of the road in Taxco, Mexico in December 1828 and sent cuttings back to his plantation in South Carolina.

The poinsettia's main attraction is not its flowers (the yellow clustered buds in the centre), but its leaves (the coloured parts) that are actually bracts or 'modified leaves'. In the wild, the poinsettia can reach heights of 12 feet with leaves measuring 6-8 inches across. Pulcherrima is Latin for 'very beautiful'.

Poinsettias are not toxic, contrary to popular belief. They produce a milky sap that, like other Euphorbia plants, can cause you (or your pets) a stomach ache or irritate your skin if exposed to or consumed in excessive quantities, but they’re harmless otherwise.

Poinsettias are available in more than 100 different sizes and colors, ranging from red to yellow to multi-colored to speckled. These plants have more than 100 varieties.

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Robotic bugs rule!

The manufacturers of Hexbug really knew how to make the coolest robotic critters. From the basic Hexbugs that would randomly move around on the floor to nifty spiders and larvae that exhibit creepy crawly motion, they know exactly what kids expect. Imagine placing a sound and light sensitive Hexbug crab in the kitchen and letting it flit across the floor quickly immediately after Mum switches the light on! The simple design and high parental annoyance factor is what makes it a coveted toy the world over.

Adorable sopranos

Coming in a variety of shapes, designs, and colours, sing-a-ma-jigs are popular even today. These singing toys pour out a melody when squeezed in the paws or tummy. These toys are designed to raise a kid's spirit, as they sing in a unique voice with the mouth open, even revealing a set of teeth! As is true with most toys, the more the merrier! A bunch of sing-a ma-jigs in singing mode can spell delight to kids and headaches to adults!

Anabelle's sister

Called the cricket doll, it's neither one that resembles the insect nor has anything to do with the most popular sport in this country. This was a sitting doll super famous in the '80s in the USA. With a voice like the famous child actress Shirley Temple, this toy was capable of doing quite a few things kids would love cracking jokes, singing, conversing, and complimenting. However, it also did something that neither kids nor adults would particularly enjoy... its eyes constantly scanned the room in the creepiest way possible!

Mr Stretch-All You-Can!

A company decided to combine two things most kids loved into one toy superheroes and stretching/ pulling. Voila! Stretch Armstrong was born! This bendy, flexible toy allowed kids to twist it into any shape they wished thanks to his latex outer body and mushy corn syrup insides. As you might guess, what's his strength is also his weakness. A hot car was his enemy leave him there for a few hours, and he ended up a sorry mess.

Erwin the Little Patient

This German plush doll is designed to delight every kid who's interested in becoming a doctor and learning about anatomy, albeit a cute and less gross version. Erwin comes with a zipped torso that features small and large intestines, kidneys, spleen, liver, lungs, and, ummm, a heart-shaped heart. All the organs are attached to each other with red Velcro strips completely unlike the real body, but hey, who wants to faint over a scientifically-accurate model!

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The Japanese word emoji literally means ‘picture character’ (e translates as 'picture' and moji as 'character' in Japanese). Originating on Japanese mobile phones in 1997, emoji became increasingly popular worldwide after 2010 when they were added to several mobile operating systems. They are now considered to be a large part of popular culture. In 2015, Oxford Dictionaries named the Face with Tears of Joy emoji as the 'Word of the Year'.

Other Japanese carriers quickly followed Docomo’s lead and developed their own versions of the pictographs, and since then, emoji have exploded ??. In 2007, the Unicode Consortium, a Silicon Valley nonprofit that standardizes software and code across platforms, began to standardized emoji as well so they would appear more or less the same across the internet, regardless of what type of phone, mobile network, computer, or website emoji were accessed from. Emoji became a staple in the U.S. when an emoji keyboard was added to Apple iPhones by 2011.

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Become a budding journalist

The board game's name Man Bites Dog is intriguing and stands true to the motive of the game. In true media style, it's all about coming up with the catchiest headlines using random cards you draw from a set. It sounds like it would be good fun with points for creativity, but it turns out that luck is probably all that matters. At least, even if you're losing, you can still laugh at awkward headlines like 'Angry Dog Runs Off With Urologist' or 'Brave Family Attacks Devoted Cop'.

Much ado about nothing?

When you see the name Morron Terror, don't expect some Jumanji style action and panic. A character made of cardboard, Freddy, needs to be dressed up. The twist in the game is that you need to listen to an audio cassette and follow the instructions carefully to dress Freddy in the correct combination. The player who does it correctly wins. And that's it. The only terror, as far as this game is concerned, is that it might bore you to death after two minutes!

Non-athletic tennis

Are you fond of tennis but think it would be great to play it while slouching on a couch? There's a game exclusively for such enthusiasts. Roll the dice to decide what kind of move you get to make - a short lob, a passing shot, etc., on a net-free board. Why actually physically try these manoeuvres when you can close your eyes and imagine yourself on a Wimbledon court playing classy shots! The game ends when someone wins or falls asleep.

Farmville on a board

Not keen on a game that will make you sweat in anxiety and pace? Then Squatter is just for you. The first player to collect a total of 6000 sheep wins the game. The perils you encounter on the board are aplenty. Here's one a poisonous plant consumed by the stud ram could cause your sheep population to plummet steeply. Enjoy this Australian game of sheep-herding as it proceeds in its leisurely pace of buying and selling sheep.

Fun can be hard work

What stands out about this game is its insistence on participation of both genders. Roll the dice and pick a card from the landing square. Then, you do the stunt mentioned on the card to earn points for yourself and your partner. The purpose of a board game seems to be to settle down in a cosy spot and roll dice. However, this game is intent on making you run around accomplishing tedious tasks like opening and shutting all the doors in the house before a sand timer runs out, or embarrassing (and possibly unsanitary) ones like kissing a door knob four times!

Rendezvous with Big Foot

The game starts with a mistake right in the name -Big Foot: The Giant Suow Monster Game. Wasn't the snow monster called 'Yeti'? Anyway, the other problem is the deceptive box illustration showing an amicable Big Foot sitting with children. However, when you play the game, you clearly see that Bigfoot isn't the benevolent character he is made out to be on the box cover. You can load discs (some blanks and some footprints) into the plastic figurine of Big Foot which plays a major role in the game.

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The world's oldest emoji has been found in Turkey on a 3,700-year old pitcher. Discovered as part of a seven-year long excavation in the ancient Hittite city of Karkamis, today at the Turkish-Syrian border, the pitcher dates back to 1700 BC. Found in a burial chamber, the pitcher was used to hold a sweet, sherbet-like drink for the deceased to enjoy in the afterlife. The Hittites hailed from Anatolia and built an empire stretching from modern-day Greece, to Egypt, Turkey, and well into Syria.

During an excavation at an ancient city whose remains are in modern-day Turkey near the Syrian border, archaeologists found the ancient pitcher with three visible paint strokes on it - two dots for eyes and a curve for a smile.

The pitcher, which dates to about 1700 BC, was found in a burial site beneath a house in Karkemish, said Nikolo Marchetti, associate professor at the University of Bologna in Italy.

The pitcher was likely used to drink sherbet, a sweet beverage, Marchetti was quoted as saying by ‘Live Science’.

The archaeologists also found other vases and pots, as well as metal goods in the ancient city.

The name Karkemish translates to “Quay of (the god) Kamis,” a deity popular at that time in northern Syria.

The city was inhabited from the sixth millennium BC, until the late Middle Ages when it was abandoned, and populated by a string of different cultures, including the Hittites, Neo Assyrians and Romans, researchers said.

It was used once more in 1920 as a Turkish military outpost, they said.

Credit : Hindustan Times

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Where did they go?

It was the year 1872. The ship 'Mary Celeste' left New York for Italy with the captain, his family and an eight member crew. But the people in the ship were never seen again! They'd just vanished. The ship was found floating near the Strait of Gibraltar and when investigated, most surprisingly, all the ship's papers were missing except for the captain's log; the ship's navigation instruments had vanished and, of course, the people. It opened up a lot of mysterious possibilities UFOs abducting them and taking the ship's documents just in case, or maybe the crew found a way to the lost city of Atlantis?

The Scary Triangle

The Bermuda Triangle can be considered the granddaddy of unsolved mysteries. Even those who haven't heard about other mysteries are bound to know this one. It involves a pesky triangular region of the ocean between Bermuda, Miami and Puerto Rico where way too many planes and ships have disappeared into thin air... or maybe the murky ocean. Different explanations have been attributed to the disappearance from sensible physics to the more exciting concept of black holes, evil forces from the lost city of Atlantis and plotting aliens. This is the kind of mystery that is the life and breath of Hollywood!

The Mysterious Manuscript

The Voynich Manuscript has had researchers, coders and scientists baffled for years! Ever since this 240-page book was discovered in an Italian monastery in 1912, people have been trying hard to understand what the book is trying to say with its mysterious language, illustrations of exotic plants, stars and human figures. Some have gone as far as suggesting that Leonardo da Vinci created this as a boy! Recently though, a team has managed to decode a few words, though they've still got a long way to go.

Wow! What was that?

Back in 1977, the Big Ear radio signal was picking up some radio signals from a seemingly empty point in space. The signal was labelled as '6EQUJ5' (The telescope measures the radio signals on a scale of 0 to 10 and after 10 in alphabets). So this definitely looks like a deliberate message passed on to Earth and not surprisingly, the guy who found it circled it and wrote 'Wow!' which was how it got its name. The signal lasted for about 37 seconds! But what was it all about? Was it an alien in a spaceship playing a practical joke on us?

That weird hum

Many people, especially around quiet places in USA and Europe, have reported hearing a low-pitched humming sound that has been compared with the produced by an idling diesel engine. It was in Taos, New Mexico, where researchers tried to investigate what produced the sound called the 'Taos Hum Interestingly, microphones and other recording devices have not been able to capture the sound and apparently not everyone can hear it. Maybe it's just aliens sending out secret messages to select people?

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