My Science School

Way back in August 1977, scientists received a strange radio signal from deep space. Known as the 'Wow!' signal, it lasted over a minute. Long thought to be a sign of extraterrestrial life, in 2017 it was said that the signal was most likely generated by a passing comet. However, it does not have a clear explanation till now.

Paris and team recently took an opportunity to survey the region of the sky around Sagittarius once again, using a 10-meter radio telescope, when Comet 266P/Christensen was again passing through this region. They determined that the signal of 266P/Christensen (and three other comets) matched the Wow! signal.

The original signal from 1977 was stronger than the signal these astronomers observed from Comet 266P/Christensen. Paris and his team explain this by the fact that radio telescope they used (10 meters) was smaller than the Big Ear Radio Telescope, whose sensitivity is equivalent to a 52.5-meter radio dish. Moreover, because comets lose mass as they pass into the inner solar system, Comet 266P/Christensen would have been more massive 40 years ago.

Paris admits it is not certain that the Wow! signal was generated by Comet 266/P Christensen; however, his team concludes that the 1977 Wow! signal was a natural phenomenon generated by a comet.

Credit : Earth Sky 

Picture Credit : Google

Great Bear Lake is located in the Northwest Territories. With a surface area of 31,328 km2, Great Bear Lake is the largest lake located entirely inside Canadian borders. It is also the fourth largest in North America and the eighth largest in the world. Water flows out of the lake into the Great Bear River, then into the Mackenzie River. Other rivers connected to the lake include the Dease, Camsell and Johnny Hoe. Great Bear Lake is made up of five separate arms, each with their own names: Dease, McTavish, McVicar, Keith and Smith.

The Dease Arm lies north of the Arctic Circle allowing for 24-hour daylight in summer. Great Bear Lake straddles the boundary between the Canadian Shield and the Interior Platform, as well as the northern boreal forest and tundra (see also Geological Regions; Forest Regions). The northeast shores of the lake feature sharp cliffs, numerous islands and fjord-like bays. By contrast, the southwest shores of the lake are flatter, with rich stands of spruce and large swaths of muskeg. The main elevation on this side of the lake is created by the Scented Grass Hills and Grizzly Bear Mountain.

The rivers surrounding Great Bear Lake drain nutrient-poor lands, which, combined with a small watershed, colder temperatures and considerable depth (at its deepest point, Great Bear Lake reaches 452 metres), mean the lake supports relatively few plant and fish species. Of Canada’s large lakes, Great Bear Lake has the fewest number of different fish species (only 16). Because the fish do not migrate much within the lake, its five arms are home to unique populations.

Credit : The Canadian Encyclopedia 

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Canada, the second-largest country on Earth after Russia, has the most number of natural lakes in the world. There are over 31,700 big lakes in Canada, making its surface area covered by lakes more than any other country in the world.

Canada features black-blue lakes, numerous rivers, majestic western mountains, rolling central plains, and forested eastern valleys. The Canadian Shield, a hilly region of lakes and swamps, stretches across northern Canada and has some of the oldest rocks on Earth.

Canada's far north lies in the frozen grip of the Arctic, where ice, snow, and glaciers dominate the landscape. Few trees grow here, and farming is not practical. Native Canadians, called First Nations people, live in this region by hunting and fishing.

Canada's remote north and extensive forests are home to wildlife, from bears, wolves, beavers, deer, mountain lions, and bighorn sheep to smaller animals like raccoons, otters, and rabbits. The country's lakes and rivers, which contain about 20 percent of all fresh water on Earth, are full of fish such as trout and salmon.

Canada's prairies in the south are home to bison and pronghorn antelope. Farther north are Canada's sprawling evergreen forests, which have lots of wildlife, including moose and black bears. Even farther north is the cold, bare tundra, where herds of caribou and musk ox live.

Canadians work hard to protect the native wildlife. Canada has 41 national parks and three marine conservation areas. Nevertheless, species like wolves, lynx, and Atlantic fish have been overhunted and overfished.

Credit : Natural Geographic 

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The capital of Sierra Leone is Freetown, which was founded 1787. Freetown has been the capital since 1961. Sierra Leone is bordered on the north and east by Guinea, on the south by Liberia, and on the west by the Atlantic Ocean.

The country can be divided into four distinct physical regions: the coastal swamp, the Sierra Leone Peninsula, the interior plains, and the interior plateau and mountain region. The coastal swamp region extends along the Atlantic for about 200 miles (320 km). It is a flat, low-lying, and frequently flooded plain that is between 5 and 25 miles (8 and 40 km) wide and is composed mainly of sands and clays. Its numerous creeks and estuaries contain mangrove swamps. Sandbars, generally separated by silting lagoons, sometimes form the actual coast. The Sierra Leone Peninsula, which is the site of Freetown, is a region of thickly wooded mountains that run parallel to the sea for about 25 miles (40 km). The Peninsula Mountains rise from the coastal swamps and reach some 2,900 feet (880 metres) at Picket Hill.

Inland from the coastal plain is the interior plains region. In the north it comprises featureless seasonal swamps known as “Bolilands” (boli being a Temne word for those lands that are flooded in the rainy season and dry and hard in the dry season and on which only grass can grow). In the south the plains comprise rolling wooded country where isolated hills rise abruptly to more than 1,000 feet (300 metres). The interior contains a variety of landforms ranging from savanna-covered low plains to rocky scarp and hill country. The interior plateau and mountain region, encompassing roughly the eastern half of the country, is composed mainly of granite with a thick laterite (iron-bearing) crust; to the west it is bounded by a narrow outcrop of mineral-bearing metamorphic rocks known as the Kambui Schists. Rising above the plateau are a number of mountain masses; in the northeast the Loma Mountains are crowned by Mount Loma Mansa (Mount Bintimani) at 6,391 feet (1,948 metres), and the Tingi Mountains rise to 6,080 feet (1,853 metres) at Sankanbiriwa Peak. Numerous narrow inland valley swamps associated with the river systems occur in this region.

Credit :  Britannica 

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Sierra Leone in West Africa is the roundest country in the world. Famous for its sandy beaches, the country is rich in diamonds and other minerals. Its original Portuguese name Serra Lyoa means "Lion Mountains, referring to the hills surrounding one of the largest natural harbours in the world.

The Bulom people were thought to have been the earliest inhabitants of Sierra Leone, followed by the Mende and Temne peoples in the 15th century and thereafter the Fulani. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to explore the land and gave Sierra Leone its name, which means ?lion mountains.? Freetown, on the coast, was ceded to English settlers in 1787 as a home for blacks discharged from the British armed forces and also for runaway slaves who had found asylum in London. In 1808 the coastal area became a British colony, and in 1896 a British protectorate was proclaimed over the hinterland.

Sierra Leone became an independent nation on April 27, 1961. A military coup overthrew the civilian government in 1967, which was in turn replaced by civilian rule a year later. The country declared itself a republic on April 19, 1971.

A coup attempt early in 1971 led to then prime minister Siaka Stevens calling in troops from neighboring Guinea's army, which remained for two years. Stevens turned the government into a one-party state under the aegis of the All People's Congress Party in April 1978. In 1992 rebel soldiers overthrew Stevens's successor, Joseph Momoh, calling for a return to a multiparty system. In 1996, another military coup ousted the country's military leader and president. Nevertheless, a multiparty presidential election proceeded in 1996, and People's Party candidate Ahmad Tejan Kabbah won with 59.4% of the vote, becoming Sierra Leone's first democratically elected president.

Credit : Info Please 

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Blue whales are the largest animals ever to live on our planet. They feed almost exclusively on krill, straining huge volumes of ocean water through their baleen plates (which hang from the roof of the mouth and work like a sieve). Some of the biggest individuals may eat up to 6 tons of krill a day.

Blue whales are found in all oceans except the Arctic Ocean. There are five currently recognized subspecies of blue whales.

The number of blue whales today is only a small fraction of what it was before modern commercial whaling significantly reduced their numbers during the early 1900s, but populations are increasing globally. The primary threats blue whales currently face are vessel strikes and entanglements in fishing gear.

Blue whales sometimes swim in small groups but are more often found alone or in pairs. They generally spend summers feeding in polar waters and undertake lengthy migrations towards the equatorial waters as winter arrives.

Blue whales typically swim at about 5 miles an hour while they are feeding and traveling, but can accelerate to more than 20 miles an hour for short bursts. They are among the loudest animals on the planet, emitting a series of pulses, groans, and moans, and it is thought that in the right oceanographic conditions, sounds emitted by blue whales can be heard by other whales up to 1,000 miles away. Scientists think they use these vocalizations to communicate and—along with their excellent hearing—perhaps to sonar-navigate the dark ocean depths.

The primary diet of blue whales is krill—tiny shrimp-like animals, but fish and copepods (tiny crustaceans) may occasionally be part of the blue whale’s diet. When blue whales hunt for food, they filter feed by swimming toward large schools of krill with their mouth open and closing their mouths around the krill while inflating their throat pleats. Once closed, blue whales then push the trapped water out of their mouth with their tongue and use their baleen plates to keep the krill trapped inside.

Credit : NOAA Fisheries 

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Blue whales are the largest animals ever to have lived on Earth. They can grow to a length of 30 metres and weigh 173 tonnes. Also among the loudest animals on the planet, the blue whale can make a range of sounds to communicate with others of the species hundred miles away and to navigate.

Now, scientists have determined how much energy species of different sizes invest to capture their prey and which of these species reap the greatest rewards for their efforts. To do so, they gathered data from hundreds of feeding whales.

The results demonstrated that the availability of their prey limits that body size in all whales, but only filter-feeding whales have evolved a feeding strategy that helps them to achieve the largest body sizes to have ever evolved on Earth.

Scientists obtained the data for their study after seeking and tagging whales, porpoises, and dolphins of various sizes—from 5-foot-long harbor porpoises to gigantic blue whales. They also tracked animals’ underwater activities using multi-sensor tags, which were temporarily affixed on animals’ backs via suction cups, reaching from their boats with long poles to stick.

Credit :  Tech Explorist 

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Yes, birds see things in slow motion. This is because they can process info so quickly that time seems to pass slowly to them. The smaller they are and the faster their metabolic rate, the slower time passes. They can see at twice the speed of humans. This, it is said, is needed to avoid larger, slower predators.

The scientists who ran the new study gathered data from previous experiments on the rate at which visual information is processed in 34 vertebrates, including lizards, birds, fish and mammals. The scientists hypothesized that the ability to detect incoming sights at a high rate would be advantageous for animals that must perform the equivalent of bullet dodging—responding to visual stimuli very quickly to catch elusive prey or escape predators, for instance. These animals tend to be lighter and have faster metabolisms. The data bore out the hypothesis: species that perceived time at the finest resolutions tended to be smaller and have faster metabolisms.

These findings show that differences in how a mouse and an elephant sense time are not arbitrary but rather are finely tuned by interactions with their surroundings. A link between time perception, body structure and physiology suggests that different nervous systems have developed to balance pressures from the natural environment with energy conservation. Rapid perception might be essential for a hawk but would waste a whale's precious energy. As for Fido, a year really does seem longer to him than it does to you, but probably not by a factor of seven. Dogs can take in visual information at least 25 percent faster than humans—just enough to make a television show look like a series of flickering images.

Credit : Scientific American

Picture Credit : Google

The Goliath birdeater tarantula from South America is the largest spider in the world. Weighing up to 170 gm, its legs can reach up to one foot. Hunting at night, its diet mainly comprises earthworms, insects and frogs.

The Goliath bird-eating tarantula lives in the rainforest regions of northern South America, including Venezuela, northern Brazil, Guyana, French Guiana and Suriname. It lives in the deep rainforest, in silk-lined burrows and under rocks and roots.

If they need to defend themselves, they rub hairs together to create a hissing noise loud enough to be heard 15 feet away. They can also let their hairs loose and fling them at attackers. The goliath bird-eating spider may also rear up on its hind legs to show its large fangs as a further defense strategy. If they need to defend themselves, they rub hairs together to create a hissing noise loud enough to be heard 15 feet away. They can also let their hairs loose and fling them at attackers. The goliath bird-eating spider may also rear up on its hind legs to show its large fangs as a further defense strategy.

After their maturation molt, males develop a "finger" on the underside of the first set of front legs that is used to hook and lock the female's fangs and to steady themselves while they mate. After mating, males die within a few months.

The female must have recently molted in order to reproduce, or acquired sperm will be lost during the molt. Once mated, the female makes a web in which she lays 50 to 200 eggs that become fertilized as they pass out of her body. The female then wrap the eggs into a ball, and, unlike other species of tarantula, the female carries the egg sac with her. Egg sacs are almost the size of a tennis ball and contain around 70 spiderlings.

In order to grow, they must go through several molts. Molting is the process by which the tarantula sheds its old exoskeleton and emerges in a new, larger one. Spiderlings can be expected to molt five or six times in their first year. They take around two to three years to reach maturity.

Credit : Smithonian National Zoo

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The recent volcanic eruption in the region was hundreds of times more powerful than the Hiroshima atomic bomb, says NASA

• Tonga's eruption unleashed explosive forces equivalent to up to 30 million tonnes of TNT - hundreds of times more than Hiroshima's atomic bomb, NASA says.
• As a comparison, the U.S. atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in August 1945 was estimated to be about 15 kilotons (15,000 tonnes) of TNT.
• Mount St. Helens exploded in 1980 with 24 megatons and Krakatoa burst in 1883 with 200 megatons of energy.
• Before the eruption, the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcanic island was two separate islands joined by new land formed in 2015.
• Nasa says the eruption was so powerful all the new land is gone, along with "large chunks" of the two older islands.
• Tonga says more than four fifths of the population has been affected by the tsunami and falling ash. Three people were confirmed killed in the tsunami last month.

Picture Credit : Google

How did you start creating African dolls?

When I was five years old, I fell and cracked my knee bone. Later I was diagnosed with a brittle bone disease, wherein my bones are fragile and prone to fractures. Since I became very weak, I had to stop schooling and shift to homeschooling. I started feeling isolated and deserted. I couldn't get the kind of education that my friends had. I locked myself up inside my house in fear of creating any more damage to my body. My mental health went downhill. Observing all this, my brother got me a computer and introduced me to origami and craftwork. He taught me how to look up videos on the Internet, and also bought me a few art supplies to practise. I began creating and selling paper wall hangings, and as I was progressing. I stumbled upon videos about African dolls. In the beginning, I didn't put much effort into it and was doing it as a hobby. I-placed a few dolls I made around the house and was appreciated by a lot of people. So I gave around 10 dolls to a book expo to see if people would buy them, and to my surprise, the dolls were sold out in the first two days! This boosted my enthusiasm.

When did you get your big break?

One of my neighbours I wanted to decorate her house with African dolls. But she wanted them to be in pairs. She also kindled this idea in me, which was to sell duo dolls. This idea attracted a lot more buyers. And when all this was happening, I started getting the support of mass media. Then I started getting orders from around the country. This eventually led me to start my own business, QueenBee.

How did the idea of creating decorations from newspapers come into being?

Primarily, the newspaper is something you get everywhere at a very low price. In the beginning, I was unaware of the products being used to make craftwork as shown in the videos. Once I started making art with newspapers as a hobby, it eventually became a part of my identity.

You mentioned that you weren't able to get the kind of schooling the rest of your friends did. How were you motivated?

Society has been conditioned to look down upon those who have less knowledge. And since I couldn't get proper schooling in the beginning, I feared society might go hard on me. But my mother and my aunts were very particular that I get proper education. I received a lot of advice to attain great heights in education. This stimulated a spark in me, and that is when I started motivating myself to push harder and study more.

Do you get any negative criticism for your work?

If there are people who support you a lot, then there are always a few people who are going to try to bring you down. People don't normally understand that I had a different childhood compared to most others. There are a few people who tell me to focus on more productive activities. Then there are a few people who jokingly ask me if what I do pays me money in five-digits. One thing I learnt is that in life, we should master the art of identifying and eliminating negative and destructive criticism. It will give us peace and help us move forward in our journey.

What are your plans for the future?

My goal is to make people buy my dolls just like how they buy Barbie, bobblehead dolls, etc. I want to make sustainable fashion the new trend in our society.

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Spanning an area of more than 23 sq.km., the Fifa Nature Reserve is located in the southwestern part of Jordan. The wetland lies in the Jordan Rift Valley and is fed by several water sources from natural springs to seasonal floods. The lowest point in the Reserve stands at 420 mt below sea level, making it the "world's lowest wetland of international importance", according to the Ramsar Convention. Established in 2011, the Reserve's location in the Rift Valley makes it a significant spot supporting many species of wintering and breeding birds that migrate between Europe and Africa. It is important as one of the few remaining natural breeding habitats of Dead Sea sparrow" and is known to host the largest population of the Nubian nightjar. It also hosts the endangered killifish, houbara bustard, and the spiny tailed lizard. The Reserve is marked by saline vegetation, one of the several vegetation types of the country. The region is said to be home to a total of 4% of the country's plant species and 8% of animal species, including some that are endangered. Though the wetland is said to display semi-desert systems and high temperatures, the diverse flora and fauna seem to have adapted well to these seemingly difficult conditions.

Wildlife

The birds that can be seen in the Reserve are egrets, herons, bitterns, teals, mallards, garganeys, storks, pratincoles, snipes, redshanks, moorhens, stilts, plovers, lapwings, stints, sandpipers, ibises, grebes, falcons, finches, harriers. owls, shrikes, eagles, larks, doves, kestrels, warblers, sparrows, vultures, gulls, bulbuls, partridges, buzzards, gadwalls, terns, red knots, prinias, wheatears, rollers, bee-eaters, coursers, kingfishers, sunbirds, thrushes, nightjars, and bustards. Among the animals that one can spot in the area are lynx hyenas, deer, etc.

Lynx facts

• Found in the forests of North America, Europe, and Asia, the lynx belongs to the cat family.
• These carnivores can grow up to 40 inches long, but the sizes of the species vary depending on their geography. For instance, the Canadian lynx is smaller than its European cousins.
• These mammals have thick fur, and their paws are furry too, both of which help them survive harsh winters. Their sharp sense of hearing and vision help them spot their prey even a few hundred feet away!
• Though the lynx hunts small animals, deer, birds, squirrels, and mice, it feeds primarily on snowshoe hare. The change in the hare population, especially the decline, is believed to be affecting the cat population.
• These cats are said be hunted by humans sometimes for their fur. One of the species, the Iberian lynx is said to be the most endangered cat.

Houbara bustard facts

• Bustards are large, terrestrial birds, including some of the largest flying birds. They are listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
• The IUCN recognises two types of the houbara bustard - one in North Africa (Chlamydotis undulata) and the other in Asia (Chlamydotis macqueenii). At least 20,000 birds in each species exist today.
• Asian houbara bustards are found from northeast Asia and central Asia to the Middle East, and the Arabian Peninsula.
• The birds are faced with several threats - from habitat destruction to poaching and hunting.

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Otolaryngology is the oldest medical specialty in the United States. Otolaryngologists are physicians trained in the medical and surgical management and treatment of patients with diseases and disorders of the ear, nose, throat (ENT), and related structures of the head and neck. They are commonly referred to as ENT physicians.

Their special skills include diagnosing and managing diseases of the sinuses, larynx (voice box), oral cavity, and upper pharynx (mouth and throat), as well as structures of the neck and face. Otolaryngologists diagnose, treat, and manage specialty-specific disorders as well as many primary care problems in both children and adults.

The Ears-Hearing loss affects one in ten North Americans. The unique domain of otolaryngologists is the treatment of ear disorders. They are trained in both the medical and surgical treatment of hearing, ear infections, balance disorders, ear noise (tinnitus), nerve pain, and facial and cranial nerve disorders. Otolaryngologists also manage congenital (birth) disorders of the outer and inner ear.

The Nose-About 35 million people develop chronic sinusitis each year, making it one of the most common health complaints in America. Care of the nasal cavity and sinuses is one of the primary skills of otolaryngologists. Management of the nasal area includes allergies and sense of smell. Breathing through, and the appearance of, the nose are also part of otolaryngologists' expertise.

The Throat-Communicating (speech and singing) and eating a meal all involve this vital area. Also specific to otolaryngologists is expertise in managing diseases of the larynx (voice box) and the upper aero-digestive tract or esophagus, including voice and swallowing disorders.

Credit : Ear, Nose, Throat Associates

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Oncologists are doctors who diagnose and treat cancer. They often act as the main healthcare provider for someone with cancer—designing treatment plans, offering supportive care, and sometimes coordinating treatment with other specialists. 

A person will usually see an oncologist if their primary care physician suspects that they have cancer.

A primary care physician may use MRI and CT scans as well as blood tests to confirm their diagnosis. If these tests reveal signs of cancer, they will recommend that the person visits an oncologist.

During the first appointment, the oncologist may perform a physical exam and order additional blood work, imaging tests, or biopsies. They use these tests to determine the type and stage of the cancer, which helps them identify a person’s best treatment options.

An oncologist may introduce the person to other specialists as part of the treatment team. They may also provide a general timeframe of treatment.

The exact type of treatment a person receives depends on the type and stage of the cancer. For instance, a person who has one or more tumors may see a surgical oncologist for a biopsy.

Oncologists treat early stage cancer and noninvasive tumors with surgery or radiation therapy. Advanced cancers that have already spread to different areas of the body may require chemotherapy and other systemic treatments.

Oncologists not only diagnose cancer, they can also administer treatments and closely monitor disease progression. For example, surgical oncologists can perform biopsies and remove cancerous tissue, while radiation oncologists can administer different forms of radiation therapy to destroy cancer cells and shrink tumors.

A person can expect to work with a medical oncologist throughout the course of their cancer treatment.

After a person finishes treatment, they will attend regular follow-up appointments with their medical oncologist. During these appointments, the medical oncologist may run tests to check for signs of any physical or emotional problems related to the person’s cancer treatment.

Credit : Medical News Today

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A pulmonologist is a physician who specializes in the respiratory system. From the windpipe to the lungs, if your complaint involves the lungs or any part of the respiratory system, a pulmonologist is the doc you want to solve the problem.

Pulmonology is a medical field of study within internal medicine. These doctors go through the same training as an internist. They receive their degree, complete an internal medicine residency, then several years as a fellow focused primarily on pulmonology and often includes critical care and sleep medicine. After that, they have to take and pass specialty exams, and only then are they able to take patients as a Board-Certified pulmonologist.

While the respiratory system is a specialty in itself, pulmonologists can specialize even further. Some of these doctors focus on certain diseases, like asthma, pulmonary fibrosis and COPD, while others treat unique demographics, like pediatric patients or geriatric patients.

Because many lung and heart conditions present similar symptoms, pulmonologists often work with cardiologists while diagnosing patients. You'll also see them frequently in hospital settings. Patients that need life support or manual ventilation in order to breathe will have a pulmonologist overseeing that element of their care.

Credit : American Lung Association

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