My Science School

Well, wait, can you smell in space? It is a vacuum, right? The space is empty. And if you were out in space, you cannot risk taking off your helmet and try smelling the cosmos. Our noses wouldn't work in a vacuum and doing so can lead to a casualty. But we do know what the space smells like. It is metallic.

Astronauts who have been abroad on the ISS have said that they experienced a metallic aroma on the surface of their spacesuits. They can't smell outer space when they are floating in it. But once the astronauts were back in their space station and removed their helmets, they always said that there was a metallic aroma. Their suit, helmet, gloves, and tools would get permeated with this distinct smell.

Most astronauts have defined the smell as that of burning metal, gunpowder, ozone, seared steak and so on. The smell of outer space is important because it can tell us a lot about the chemical composition of our galaxy. There have been many theories concerning the distinct smell. Let's learn more about the smell.

Probable explanations

One of the explanations for the smell of space is the chemical reaction (oxidation) that occurs in the spacecraft during re-pressurisation. Oxidation happens when the atomic oxygen (single atoms) clinging onto the spacesuit of the astronaut combines with the O2 in the cabin during re-pressurisation and make ozone (O3).

The other explanation is even more intriguing. It says that the smell is that of dying stars! A lot of energy gets released when a star dies. As a result of this process. Many pungent compounds such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are created and these float around in the universe. The PAHS when combined with air within the spacecraft may be responsible for the unique smell.

NASA's perfume

Did you know that NASA tried to recreate the smell of space? This happened in 2008 when the space agency contacted chemist Steve Pearce to recreate the smell. It took him four years to come up with the smell. It was used for astronaut training purposes and to get the astronauts accustomed to the smell of space beforehand. Later, a perfume was released in the public domain by the chemist's company using the formula. The perfume christened "Eau de Space" mimicked the smell of space.

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There is no need to feel jittery with a cool heated and systematic approach you can crack them with confidence. Here are a few tips

There is no better time than now to start studying! Don't put off for even an hour later what you can do now. Do not cry about the time you've wasted till now-accept that it can't be brought back. But make the most of what is Left

Schedule your day

To make the best of your time, you must start with a good timetable. Your timetable should have a little time for leisure and enough rest too.

Set day-to-day goals

Not even the best brains can cram the whole syllabus a day before the examination. What is needed is consistent effort, regular practice and thorough revisions. Nobody knows better than you how much you can really do in a day-set your goals accordingly. For example, if you can comfortably do just two lessons a day, don't force yourself to do one more it won't register well. 'Start small and you can gradually increase your quota.

Prepare a plan of action. Identify subject units which you have mastered and therefore may require only one reading.

Estimate how many hours you need to devote to the subjects that you have not mastered. Out of the hours available to you in a day, decide how many hours you can allot for each of the 3 or 4 subjects you intend to study in a day.

*While reading your notes, underline important points and jot them down for quick references.

Do not choose to study only one subject throughout the day. It will be monotonous and you may lose concentration. A 2-hour study of Algebra could be followed by a 1-hour study of English.

Take a break

Don't blame yourself if you can't concentrate for more than 45 minutes. But be sincere in those 45 minutes-you should not cheat or let your mind wander. You'll see that you will be able to concentrate better and for longer periods. In between take breaks-take a quick walk around the neighbourhood, listen to music or play with your pet.

Sit quietly with eyes closed and watch your breathing. This simple technique helps you to relax.

High-scoring food chart

*Two helpings of oranges or lemonade (lemon juice) to take care of your Vitamin C requirements. Whole grains, eggs and vegetables.

*For in-between snacks, try yoghurt, dry fruits, poha, chivda, fruit salads, khakras, peanuts and channa. Have an early dinner and a glass of milk later if you are studying into the night. Eat right to be bright!

A very important but much neglected part of examination preparations is your diet. Most children tend to ignore this aspect and think that eating is a waste of time. The other extreme eats far too much to avoid going to their study table but believe it or not. correct eating has a direct impact on your preparation and thus, on your results. The well-fed brain functions and retains information much better. Food high in fiber content plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, and lots of milk keep you energised and alert. Chocolates, chips and other high-sugar, high-fat foods tend to make you feel sluggish. Spicy food too can induce a feeling of lethargy.

Memory tips

Some units may have to be memorised. Do not try to memorise a long passage in one sitting, Break it into three or more small units it is easier to memorise in small bits. Reserve the last hour of study before going to bed, for a new unit which you may have understood but still don't feel confident about and when you get up in the morning, repeat the same subject and unit.

If you have enough time, try to write down the answers without looking at the book or notes. Studying old papers and trying to solve a few within the stipulated time helps tremendously not just in improving your technique but also in building up your confidence.

Do not test your memory on the eve of the examination. Many students have a habit of trying to recall some passages, just to make sure that they have not forgotten what they have memorised. And when they fail to recall something, it makes them more nervous. Therefore, you may avoid testing your memory just before the exam. Have confidence that you will recall the answer when you read the question paper.

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The Japanese call it 'Sakura Matsuri' It is a festival held in spring every year all over Japan and also in a number of other countries. It celebrates the blooming of the cherry trees and is a time for locals to have a picnic or hanami and enjoy the pleasant weather outdoors. There are blossom-viewing parties held both in the cities and the countryside.

The tree that is so revered is the Yoshino cherry tree or sakura that puts out exquisite pale pink blossoms. The cherry blossom is Japan's national flower. It is grown for its ornamental beauty and does not bear fruit.

Short but colourful life

To the Japanese, cherry blossom symbolises the ephemeral or transient quality of life. It features prominently in Japanese art, literature and folklore. At the picnics and parties, guests compose short poems or create brush paintings on the spot in celebration.

Cherry blossom festivals are a Occasion for street fairs, with stalls selling local craft and food. Visitors can also relish traditional theatre and dance performances.

The arrival of the cherry blossom is tracked closely with round-the-clock - news reports providing updates on exactly where and when the fabled flowers will appear. The blossoming begins in January in Okinawa and reaches Kyoto and Tokyo in April. It blooms last in Hokkaido in the northern reaches a few weeks later. The flower was used to whip up patriotic fervour during World War Il with the soldiers' sacrifice compared to the falling of the blossoms. Japanese pilots on suicide missions painted the cherry blossom on the side of their planes.

Blooming friendship

Japan has gifted thousands of cherry trees as a goodwill gesture to several countries. The cities which have nurtured these cherry orchards hold a cherry blossom festival every spring, just like in Japan. One such city is Washington D.C. which received 3,000 trees from Japan in 1912.

Every spring, the Tidal Basin along the Potomac River in Washington DC erupts in a shower of white and pink as thousands of cherry blossom trees bloom in all their glory.

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Don't we all love cliffhangers? It's the suspense element that keeps us hooked to a story.

The term is used to refer to a book of suspense or the suspense element in a story. In serialised stories, at the end of an episode. The protagonist is placed in a grave situation like hanging from a cliff, leaving the reader in anticipation. The idea is to sustain the reader's interest in the story and ensure that he reads the next episode.

The technique became popular in the 1900s when newspapers serialised stories. It was then adapted in television serials and soap operas.

However, diffhangers were used even earlier, in Victorian novels. Wilkie Collins, well-known for his novel "The Woman in White". used the technique very successfully, keeping the readers engrossed with elements of suspense.

What is pulp fiction?

Pulp fiction refers to sensational, racy serialised stories of crime and romance often printed on low-quality paper. The paper was made from cheap wood pulp.

In early 19th century England and USA books or magazines containing sensational serialised stories of crime and romance became very popular among working class men and women. The stories had lurid and colourful illustrations. Since they cost a penny in England and a dime in the US... they were referred to as 'penny dreadfuls and 'dime novels. The books were printed on paper made from very cheap wood pulp and haphazardly cut and bound. Each book had just 10 pages, but publishers came out with new issues every week. Though dismissed by educated readers as 'pulp fiction, film scriptwriters often found them an inspiration and many jumpstarted their writing careers by contributing stories to these books and magazines,

Penny dreadfuls and dime novels were succeeded by pulp magazines or pulps which were 128 pages long and cost 10 cents apiece. Those printed on better quality paper were called glossies or slicks and cost 25 cents each. Many respected authors wrote for the pulps. The stories had characters such as Doc Savage, Phantom Detective and The Shadow and were considered forerunners of the superhero comics such as Superman, Batman and Spiderman. (Content provided by Amrita Bharati).

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Al fiction is a constantly evolving genre that gives us a peek into the potential umides and downsides of intelligent machines whether it is books written by humans with robots and Al as central characters or stories composed entirely by machine learning algorithms. Al fiction never fails to captivate readers and stimulate discussions about what is in store for technology in the future. Artificial intelligence hum long barn a popular topic in soner fiction from haar

Asimov's humuncul mots in Robot to the sostient machines of the Matrix Al has beos & costant so of Jascination and spratation As Al trdonology p mie in fiction has been increasingly muted with author examining the potential upsides and dowmides of intelligent madunes.

One recent devettipment in Al fiction is the merger of novels written retimly by artial de The first Al generated novel 1 the Road caine at in 2018 hased on data gathered by namically exhand ca on a road trip from New York to New Orleans it was moted by an operimental 2016 sort story co-written by Al and sapanese researchers troulated as The Day a Computer Visite a Novel which nearly won a literary prize. In the same year, Sunspring, an Al-authored screenplay, was placed in the top 10 at a London sci-fi film festival. In the first year of the pandemic, we got Pharmako-Al, a genre-bender philosophical book co-written by an Al and K. Allado-McDowell, founder of Google's Artists and a machine intelligence programme, GPT-3. These experimental works of fiction represent an intriguing new avenue for Al fiction. With machine learning algorithms capable of generating coherent narratives and dialogue, it is possible that we may soon see a flood of novels, stories, and even movies written entirely by Al.

Science fiction (sci-fi) & Al

For generations, sci-fi has foreseen the pervasive influence of Al in our daily life. Its representation in mainstream media has played a pivotal role in shaping public opinions towards this technological advancement Films such as The Terminator and Ex Machina have helped to shape the cultural narrative around Al, with many people viewing intelligent machines as potential threats to human safety and autonomy. At the same time, this type of speculative fiction has also explored the more positive aspects of Al, from the helpful robots of Wall-E to the benevolent supercomputers of 2001: A Space Odyssey. As Al technology continues to evolve, it's likely that all the good, bad, and ugly visions of intelligent machines will continue to be explored in fiction.

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