My Science School

Accurate measurements are made with the help of various measuring tools. Let's look at a few of them today

• Glucometer

A glucometer or glucose meter is a medical device that is used to determine the concentration of glucose in the blood. The device is available in user-friendly forms like small hand-held devices or paper strips. People with diabetes often keep this device with them at home to regularly monitor their blood glucose/sugar levels.

• Depth finder

Also called the echo sounder, this device is used on ships to determine the depth of water. The device uses reflected sound from the bottom of the water body to calculate the depth. It sends sound waves from the water surface and detects the reflected wave from the bottom (the echo). From the knowledge of the speed of sound in water and the time taken by the sound for the round trip, the distance travelled can be calculated and thus the depth.

The same device is used to detect underwater objects. Fishermen use it to detect the presence of big fish in the water.

• Speedometer

A speedometer measures the speed of a moving vehicle and displays the speed for easy reference while the vehicle is in movement. The device displays the current speed in kilometres per hour on the vehicle's instrument dashboard. These days all cars are factory fitted with common device, but in the early 1900s, it was an expensive option.

• Sound level meter

This device measures the intensity of noise/sound. The instrument is basically a microphone that picks up sound and converts it into an electrical signal which can be measured by a meter that is calibrated to read the sound level in decibels (a unit to measure sound intensity). If the decibel level of zero is the average threshold of hearing, then 120 decibels represents extremely loud sound that is painful to the human ear. Sound level meters are used frequently in some work places to provide sound information relating to prevention of deafness from excessive noise.

• Light meter (photography)

This device is used to measure the amount of light that is ideal for use in photography. It is an excellent tool for photographers because it can accurately determine how much exposure is required for a photograph. This information can help the photographer to decide the correct camera shutter speed for the best exposure in certain lighting situations.

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UPI saves people from Cash on Delivery hassle and running to an ATM

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi pushes for a digital India, many of us may have used Unified Payments Interface (UPI). But do you know what it is?

What is UPI?

UPI is a system that allows multiple bank accounts into a single mobile app, thus, merging several banking features, seamless fund routing, and merchant payments under one umbrella.

The UPI has made bank-to-bank money transfers simple and secure, enabling everything from purchasing vegetables from roadside vendors to sending money to friends and relatives.

UPI was launched by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) on April 11, 2016, by Raghuram G Rajan, then-Governor of RBI, at Mumbai.

Features

Some of the unique features of UPI is that it allows immediate money transfer through mobile phones round the clock 365 days.

Besides, it saves people from Cash on Delivery hassle, running to an ATM, or rendering exact amounts.

People can also pay multiple bills from a single mobile app via Utility Bill Payments, Over the Counter Payments, QR Code-(Scan and Pay) based payments.

As per the latest guideline issued by the NPCI, a person is allowed to use UPI to send a maximum of Rs 1 lakh per day. The restriction varies from bank to bank.

Besides, there is a cap on the total amount of UPI transfers that can be made in a day. Twenty transfers are permitted per day using UPI.

HOW TO REGISTER IN UPI ENABLED APPLICATION

Steps for Registration

User downloads the UPI application from the App Store/  Bank's website

User creates his/her profile by entering details such as virtual id (payment address), password, etc. User goes to "Add/Link/Manage Bank Account' option and links the bank and account number with the virtual id

Generating UPI - PIN

User selects the bank account from which he / she wants to initiate the transaction

Change UPI PIN

User receives OTP from the Issuer bank on his / her registered mobile number

User now enters last 6 digits of Debit card number and expiry date

User enters OTP and enters his/her preferred numeric UPI PIN (UPI PIN that he/she would like to set) and clicks on Submit After clicking submit, customer gets notification (successful or decline) User enters his / her old UPI PIN and preferred new UPI PIN (UPI PIN that he/she would like to set) and clicks on Submit After clicking submit, customer gets notification (successful or failure)

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When the Perseverance rover successfully landed on Mars in February 2021, it marked the beginning of its tasks, which included looking for signs of past Martian microbial life, cache rock, and soil samples for future return to Earth. While the rover is still at it, it has provided for another first already. Based on data provided by Perseverance, scientists have made the first-ever audio recording of an extraterrestrial whirlwind.

Not always on

The Perseverance rover is equipped with what is the first working microphone on the Martian surface. This microphone, however, is not on continuously. Far from it, in reality. This microphone records for about three minutes every couple of days.

This is partly the reason why it has taken this long to get the whirlwind recording, despite the fact that the rover landed in the Jezero where there's been evidence of nearly 100 dust devils, or tiny tornadoes of dust and grit, since Perseverance landed.

This was the first time that the rover’s microphone was on when one of these dust devils passed over the rovers. While there is definitely an element of luck, it wasn't entirely unexpected as it was only a matter of time before the microphone was on at the right time.

"The Martian” might not happen

Taken along with air pressure readings and time-lapse photography, the sound recording of the dust devil will help scientists understand Mars atmosphere and weather conditions better. The information gathered has already suggested that future astronauts on the Martian surface would not have to worry about gale-force winds blowing down antennas or habitats, as popularised by The Martian, the book and the movie of the same name.

In fact, there is reason to believe that the winds might have certain benefits. Scientists believe that the winds blowing grit off the solar panels of other rovers like Opportunity and Spirit might well be the reason why they lasted so much longer. Similarly, the lack of such winds and dust devils in the Elysium Planitia where the Insight mission landed could be a factor as to why that mission's operational period was planned to end in December 2022.

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Using artificially engineering materials, researchers achieve contactless manipulation.

Have you heard about ultrasound? As the name suggests, ultrasound corresponds to sound waves with frequencies that are higher than the upper limit of what humans can hear. While we can't hear it, we still put it to good use, albeit in different ways.

One of the most popular ways, and one that you might have heard of, is to use ultrasound for scans. Ultrasound scans are a procedure whereby high-frequency sound waves are bounced off objects (think organs or bones) to create an image of part of the inside of the body. Commonly used to monitor the health of unborn babies during pregnancy, ultrasound waves are also employed to diagnose medical conditions.

Hands-free movement Researchers from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities have now discovered a new method that uses ultrasound waves to move objects. The study was published in Nature Communications early in December.

Even though waves have been shown to move objects before, these objects were typically very small, in the order of millimetres to nanometres. What the researchers of this study were able to achieve was to move bigger objects using ultrasound, backed by the principles of metamaterial physics.

What are metamaterials?

Materials that are engineered artificially to interact with waves such as light and sound are referred to as metamaterials. The researchers placed a metamaterial pattern on the surface of an object, which could then be steered without touches using sound.

The researchers were not only able to move an object forward using this technique, but were also able to pull it back towards the source. Even though the study only serves as a demonstration of a concept, higher frequencies of waves and different materials and object sizes are expected to be tested in the future.

The need to move things is ever-present in many fields of science and engineering, especially robotics. By exploring ultrasound waves to move objects without physical contact, the researchers have provided a new mechanism of contactless manipulation that might prove to be important in the upcoming years.

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Bokashi composting provides an effective method of disposing kitchen waste. How is it done? Read on to find out.

Composting is the process of converting organic waste into fertilizer. Bokashi composting is one of the many techniques employed to achieve this.

Bokashi is Japanese for fermented organic matter. This fermenting process needs to be anaerobic, which means there should be no oxygen present during the fermentation.

Organic waste from the kitchen-leftover food, eggs, vegetable peels, even meat- is kept in an airtight container which has a tap at the bottom. A layer of waste is sprinkled with bokashi bran, a dry mixture containing beneficial microbes, and then covered with a plastic/steel plate. Another layer of waste is laid out over it, sprinkled and sealed. The same process is followed until the container is full.

Then the container's lid is closed and it is set aside for a few days for the fermentation to take place. The liquid released during fermentation is drained through the tap at the base.

Once the week is up, the contents of the container can be emptied in the garden. But the mixture shouldn't touch the roots of any plant yet. To become an effective fertilizer, the fermented matter needs to mix well with the soil for a couple of days..

Bokashi composting is popular because it takes up less space and provides an effective method of disposing kitchen waste. Also, during fermentation, the mulch in the container does not give out a bad odour.

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Destiny Lights is a kind of social network in which users can explore ideas and exchange messages. Express your thoughts, ideas and anything you want to vent in the form of 'lanterns'. You can also anonymously post lanterns. These lanterns fly around the world, and fellow users can catch them and read your message. You can read other lanterns and like, save or leave a comment on them. The author will be able to receive and reply to comments on his/her lantern. The more likes it gets, the faster your lantern flies around and reaches different locations. If a lantern reaches 370 cities, it is included in the Top 50 lanterns in the app. If lantern in a foreign language, it has a built-in translator, too. The app also lets you find a you see how many people have read your update across the world. Free for Android.

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The Foot Mouse by Califor Design is designed for people who are unable to use their hands due to disability or a neurological condition. Winner of the Red Dot Design Concept Award 2022, the Foot Mouse transfers control to the feet, allowing the user to navigate and click by resting a foot on it. The left and right keys are designed to be operated with the toes. The scrolling function is activated when the left and right buttons are simultaneously pressed, and deactivated when one of the left or right keys is released. "The concave design of the mouse's top surface is combined with human-machine engineering principles to ergonomically fit the complex curvature under the foot, ensuring a stable and comfortable user experience," says Califor Design. "Foot Mouse is designed to fit feet of any width and size and to provide anti-fatigue support for extended periods of use."

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The lightning rod was invented by America's founding father Benjamin Franklin.

It protects buildings from lightning. It was invented by American scientist Benjamin Franklin who first proved that lightning and electricity were related, by conducting his fabled kite and key experiment.

The lightning rod is a pointed metal rod mounted on the roof of a building. It is electrically connected to the ground through a thick wire. When lightning strikes the building, the rod attracts the electric current and conducts it harmlessly to the ground through the wire. Thus, the lightning charge does not pass through the building where it could potentially start a fire or cause electrocution.

THE KITE EXPERIMENT

In the mid-18th Century, Benjamin Franklin flew a kite during a storm to see if a key attached to the string would draw an electrical charge. It did and this led to his invention of the lightning rod which protects tall buildings from lightning strikes.

DID YOU KNOW?

Some monuments in the ancient Sri Lankan capital of Anuradhapura bear some of the earliest examples of metal lightning conductors.

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The latest buzzword in internet circles is 'Metaverse'! It is making headlines, especially with Facebook even rebranding itself as Meta! It is expected to create a major impact in the digital world.

What is Metaverse?

Put simply, the metaverse is a 3D (three-dimensional) version of the internet. It can be considered a place parallel to the physical world, where you spend your digital life. In the metaverse, you and others in it will have an avatar. You will interact with each other through avatars. It is a shared virtual space, which is interactive and has an immersive experience.

Let's look at some examples. You may have used the metaverse in some form or the other while playing video games. A basic form of the metaverse has been adopted in the online shooter game Fortnite, where gamers have their own personal avatars to engage with the avatars of other players.

In the stimulation video game Second Life, users experience virtual reality in which their avatars can do everything they can in real life, including eating, sleeping, shopping, etc.

The term 'metaverse’, first cropped up in the science fiction novel "Snow Crash" by Neal Stephenson in 1992. In the book, the author referred to the metaverse as an all-encompassing digital world that exists parallel to the real world.

Tools needed

You will need a VR (Virtual Reality) headset, a controller and a powerful laptop to enter the metaverse. You will also need digital currency to live in the metaverse.

Future impact

The metaverse will make gaming more realistic and increase the user's immersive experience. Travelling around the world without leaving your room will become possible. Healthcare and education are expected to gain the most from the metaverse. The metaverse has the potential to radically transform the digital and global economy.

Currently, there is no single metaverse but there are many. All of them are, however, still under development.

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You might have heard about cryptocurrency? But do you know what it is, how it works or how it is mined? Read on to find out...

You are all familiar with currency in the form of notes and coins that are physical, meaning you can touch and feel them. There is, however, a kind of currency that you cannot see, touch or feel. It is called cryptocurrency.

What is Cryptocurrency?

A cryptocurrency is a type of digital money, the electronic form of real-world money. It has no form and exists only in the digital world. Digital payments like Google Pay, Internet banking, debit cards, etc. are necessarily linked to a bank account. In the case of cryptocurrencies, you do not need a bank- account. Digital currency allows people to send and receive payments anywhere directly to one another using an online system, without needing a bank or any centralised authority.

As a result, some countries don't allow cryptocurrency payments, while others ban cryptocurrency exchanges or control those who provide this service.

Types of cryptocurrencies

Just like the world has many different currencies such as the Euro, the US dollar and the Japanese yen there are different types of cryptocurrencies.

The most well-known cryptocurrency is Bitcoin, which has been around since 2009 and is the world's largest cryptocurrency. It is followed by Ethereum, Ripple, Bitcoin Cash, Cardano and Litecoin.

Who invented Bitcoin?

Bitcoin is considered the world's first cryptocurrency. However, there is a lot of mystery surrounding its origin.

In October 2008, a person or a group of persons using the name ‘Satoshi Nakamoto' released a paper describing a new form of electronic cash called bitcoin, The paper was released through a mailing list using cryptography, which is a method of checking and securing data using extremely difficult mathematical codes.

The identity of Satoshi Nakamoto remains a mystery. It is unknown whether it is one person or a group of people. It is popularly believed that the name is an acronym for some of the leading technology companies: Samsung, Toshiba, Nakamichi and Motorola (Sa-Toshi-Naka-Moto).

Blockchains

When a person transfers cryptocurrency funds, this transaction is recorded in a public ledger, called the blockchain.

A blockchain is a record of all transactions carried out by cryptocurrency holders. This blockchain technology joins groups of transactions (blocks) together over time (in a chain). Each time a transaction is made, it forms part of a new block that is added to the chain. So, the blockchain provides a record of every transaction. The blockchain system is very difficult to hack.

How does a cryptocurrency work?

The cryptocurrency payments system exists only as digital entries in an online database, which describes each specific transaction. A cryptocurrency wallet is needed to store cryptocurrencies. These wallets can be software that is a cloud-based service or is stored on a computer or mobile device. It is through these wallets that a person can store encryption keys that confirm his or her identity and link to his/her cryptocurrency. This is the only tangible proof of ownership of cryptocurrency.

Cryptocurrency users can buy cryptocurrencies from brokers, then store and spend them using cryptographic wallets.

Cryptocurrency mining

The units of cryptocurrency are created through a process called 'mining'. This involves using computer power to solve complicated mathematical problems that generate coins.

Cryptocurrency mining is very hard, costly and not always rewarding.

Did you know?

• The first bitcoin transaction was for buying a pizza. A man in Florida, USA. paid 10,000 bitcoins for two pizzas on 22 May 2020, making it the first commercial bitcoin transaction.
• There are over 9,500 cryptocurrencies in existence as of March, 2022.
• The total amount of bitcoins available is limited to 21 million. So, at some point, no more bitcoins can be mined.

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Get to know about wind trees and how they help harness energy.

French innovator Jérôme Michaud-Larivière designed the Wind Tree as a sustainable energy-harnessing device that would also enhance urban landscapes. A wind tree is a tree-shaped structure that harnesses wind energy using small trembling wind turbines called 'aeroleaves’ that look exactly like leaves on a tree.  The micro-turbines work well even when there is little wind. Just a gentle breeze as light as 7 kmph is sufficient. This is something a conventional windmill cannot do.

French innovator Jérôme Michaud-Larivière designed the Wind Tree as an elegant, sustainable energy-harnessing device that would enhance urban landscapes. The first Wind Tree was a 3-m-tall structure with 72 aeroleaves. It produced 3.1kW of power. ‘Wind Bush’ is a combination of aeroleaves and photovoltaic petals that harnesses both wind and solar energy.

 For the Indian market, Larivière has created ‘Lotus’, an affordable wind tree minus the solar petals.

Picture credit : Google 

The largest solar tree in the world has been installed at the CSIR-CMERI Centre of Excellence for Farm Machinery in Ludhiana, Punjab.

A solar power tree is a device that is shaped like a tree with its steel branches holding the solar photovoltaic panels.

Just like a natural tree, the steel branches of the solar tree are arranged in such a fashion that every solar panel is properly exposed to the Sun. Moreover, the panels can be mechanically tilted east or west to derive maximum benefit of the Sun's position. The height of the tree is about 9-10 metres. One tree can produce about 5kW of power.

One of the main hurdles in installing solar power plants is the lack of availability of large spaces. Often, farmers are reluctant to sacrifice their cultivable land for solar power production. But a solar tree with its vertically arranged branches, occupies only four sqft of area, leaving almost the entire land free for cultivation. The energy generated can be used to run pumps, e-tractors and tillers as a green alternative to diesel.

India's first solar power tree was produced by Central Mechanical Engineering and Research Institute (CMERI), at Durgapur. The largest solar tree in the world has been installed at the CSIR-CMERI Centre of Excellence for Farm Machinery in Ludhiana. Its total solar PV panel surface area is 309.83 m2. CMERI hopes to install many such solar trees along highways and farmlands.

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Ulta Chaata, a concave structure, collects rainwater in the monsoon and converts it into potable water. Find out how it's done.

Ulta Chaata, as the name suggests, resembles an inverted umbrella. It is a large concave structure that collects rainwater in the monsoon and converts it into potable water, while the solar panels fitted alongside the canopy, produce energy in the dry season.

The rainwater collected in the bowl of the Chaata, trickles down the stalk to reach a filtering unit of activated carbon where it is cleared of impurities. A duster of ten or more Ulta Chaatas is connected to a common device where the water undergoes further filtration to remove microorganisms, making it fit for drinking. A single unit can harvest as much as 100,000 litres of water every year.

The solar energy harnessed in the dry season is stored in the battery and is used not just to light up the Chaata, but also the premises. Unlike a typical rainwater harvesting unit, Ulta Chaata's attractive design lends itself well to the aesthetics of the surroundings, especially when lit up.

The device takes up to one sq. ft of area. Ulta Chaatas can be installed as sustainable workstations in open spaces. They can provide a green roof for reception areas, cafeterias, gazebos, car parks, bus stops and even railway stations.

Besides a number of corporates, Guntakal railway station in Andhra  Pradesh has installed six such structures on its premises.

Ulta Chaata is the brainchild of a Mumbai-based environmentally conscious couple Priya Vakil and Samit Choksy whose start-up ThinkPhi designs sustainable products.

Ulta Chaatas can be installed as sustainable workstations in open spaces. They can provide a green roof for reception areas, cafeterias, car parks, bus stops and even railway stations.

QUICK FACTS

• A single unit of Ulta Chaata can harvest as much as 100,000. litres of water every year.
•  Ulta Chaata's attractive design lends itself to the aesthetics of the surroundings.
• The solar panels fitted alongside the canopy produce energy in the dry season.

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While many facets of life already have a smart counterpart, colour-changing fibres could be a gamechanger in the wearables market.

We live in a world of smart devices. It wasn't always the case though. There's been an eruption of sorts in the last couple of decades as there is an attempt to make every conceivable device now into a smart gadget.

It all started with the proliferation of smartphones. With each of us holding onto one of these almost all the time, it was a matter of time before the manufacturers wanted to put more smart gadgets in our control.

It was in such a climate that household appliances such as televisions, refrigerators, and even washing machines started becoming smarter. With smart bulbs, speakers, and devices to control the entire ecosystem, many facets of life now have a smart counterpart.

Colour-changing fibres

 If you had ever wondered what could be next in the smart ecosystem, you might be surprised to know the answer. Researchers from the University of Luxembourg have come up with colour-changing fibres that could well pave the way for... you guessed it, smart clothes! Their results were published in Nature Materials in September 2022.

Up until now, clothing has mainly been about covering our body, protecting it from the environment, and maybe even flaunting our style. The future, however, could see clothing become part of the wearable technology bandwagon.

Remains mechanoresponsive

The researchers used Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Elastomer (CLCE), a structurally coloured polymer system that is capable of changing its colour by mechanical deformation. They then developed a simple, scalable method of creating colour-changing CLCE fibres that can be sewn into the fabric easily. The colour of fibres spanned the entire visible colour spectrum and showed excellent mechanochromic response- changing colour continuously and reversibly upon stretching or other mechanical movements.

The team were able to demonstrate the robustness of the CLCE fibres in garments by subjecting it to repeated stretching, machine washing, and abrasion. In addition to its ability to survive long-term use, the fact that it can be woven or sewn into elastic garments, and that it might not impair user comfort, implies that these can be used as smart textiles.

Apart from numerous applications in wearable technology, innovative fashion, and artistic applications, the researchers believe that it might be particularly useful in sports clothing and wearable robotics. It might even come in handy in non-wearable contexts too, in terms of strain sensing (think ropes incorporated with these fibres) and deformation detection. Becoming mainstream might be some distance in the future, by which time "dressing smart might take a whole new meaning.

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Aquaponics enables the healthy growth of both fish and plants with the help of microbes in an integrated circuit. How? Let’s find out.

Farming of vegetables in nutrient-rich solution instead of soil is the basis of hydroponics, while farming of fish is called aquaculture. When the two fields merge, we have a new system called aquaponics, which draws on the benefits of both hydroponics and aquaculture.

Aquaponics enables the healthy growth of both fish and plants with the help of microbes in an integrated circuit. The water containing the excreta of the fish from the aquaculture section is channelled into the hydroponic system.

The fish waste is converted into compost naturally by nitrifying bacteria, thus enriching the water in which the hydroponic plants grow. The plants in turn extract the nutrients from the water and the filtered water is fed back into the fish tanks, completing the aquaponic cycle. Aquaponics eliminates the disadvantages of aquaculture and hydroponics. In aquaculture, fish waste accumulates in the tanks, polluting the water. In aquaponics, the waste is composted by natural means and used for the plants. In hydroponics, the nutrition is supplied by chemicals dissolved in a solution, which has to be constantly monitored. In aquaponics, the plants receive natural fertilizer. The process thus provides for an organic, chemical-free mode of growing plants.

This method has its roots in ancient China. It is suitable for growing green leafy vegetables such as Chinese cabbage, lettuce, basil, spinach, watercress and cabbage. Other vegetables such as tomato, cucumber, sweet potato, cauliflower, broccoli and eggplant can also be grown. Freshwater fish like tilapia are commonly used in this system as they can tolerate crowding and changing water conditions.

DID YOU KNOW?

Aquaponics has its roots in ancient China. It is suitable for growing green leafy vegetables and others such as tomato, cucumber, sweet potato, broccoli and eggplant.

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