THE TRUE MEANING OF WISDOM

The true meaning of wisdom

This story dates back to the time when Kauravas and Pandavas (figures from the Mahabharata) went to a Gurukul (an ancient school system of India) for education.

There was an atmosphere of keen competition among the students. Each one wanted to be the best in all the subjects that were taught in the ashram, and wished for their teacher, Guru Dronacharya to praise them.

They all studied hard and the teacher was happy with his pupils.

One day, in the middle of summer, Guru Dronacharya had to visit another town for some work. He expected to be away for one week. He called all his students and told them that he would not be around for a few days, and asked them to study a few lessons while he was away.

The next week passed by quickly. On returning, he called the students to the classroom. All the students were looking very happy and entered the classroom with happy faces.

After the class, the Guru asked the boys to tell him what and how much they had studied while he had been away.

Each prince came forward and explained how hard he had worked. One had studied three lessons, another four; some had studied five and so on. The guru made them stand one by one, and wrote down what they had accomplished. At last, it was Yudhishthira’s turn. The teacher looked at him expectantly, as he was the most sincere student in the class.

However, Yudhisthira did not speak out loudly and confidently like the rest had done. His voice was low and he seemed to find it difficult to say anything.

“Tell me, Yudhishthira,” the teacher said encouragingly, "What did you do while I was away? I am sure you finished all the lessons and did some extra work too.”

Yudhishthira answered in a low voice, "I studied, understood and learnt only one sentence, sir.”

Dronacharya was stunned. He could hardly believe his ears. "Just one sentence?” he asked.

“Yes Sir. I could master only one sentence in this short time,” Yudhishthira repeated.

What had happened to Yudhishthira? Why had he spent the whole week learning just one sentence? Yudhishthira was older than all the other pupils and he ought to have worked the hardest. Guru Dronacharya had expected him to serve as an example to the others.

But here was the boy shamelessly declaring that one week was not enough to complete the task set by the teacher! Guru Dronacharya was puzzled.

He didn’t like scolding his pupils. He was never unfair or unreasonable. The children also liked him. They always obeyed him. But now they had worried frowns on their foreheads. Everyone expected the teacher to be very angry with Yudhishthira. They knew that he would have to scold Yudhishthira for his laziness. The children were whispering to each other now. “Will he punish Yudhishthira? How will he punish him? What will he ask him to do? Will he excuse him?"

"After all, this is the first time that he hasn’t done his work,” they said. The guru looked sternly at Yudhishthira. “Aren’t you ashamed of yourself?” he roared. “Everyone in this class is younger than you. They have worked hard and completed the work set by me and you..!" He stopped midway and wiped his face. His hair were standing on end. His face was shining with perspiration. He was trembling with fury.

Yudhishthira’s face remained quiet and tranquil. "Sir, I couldn’t help it. I could finish only this much.” The teacher lost his patience at this.

But Yudhishthira remained calm and tranquil. “I am sorry to have disappointed you, Sir”, he said, "I could study only this much.” Now all the little princes in the class were very worried.

They thought, "First he doesn’t do his work and then he argues with the teacher. He will surely get into a lot of trouble." They expressed their concern to each other through their silent face expressions.

The teacher could not control himself any longer. He said angrily, "I am going to punish you for your disobedience. You are not only lazy, you are being rude and unrepentant too!” Again Yudhishthira said in a low voice, remaining calm and cool, "I am sorry to have disappointed you, Sir. I could only study this much.”

The whole class was surprised. They all liked Yudhishthira. They liked their teacher too. Why didn’t Yudhishthira apologize? The teacher would have forgiven him. He could do the work now and they would help him too. Everyone would be happy once again.

Yudhishthira was being scolded badly. But, the more the teacher scolded him, the more he remained calm and tried to put across his point calmly. It suddenly occurred to the teacher that something was not right. Perhaps, Yudhishthira had done something very unusual! How was he so calm even when he was being scolded? “What is this sentence that you have learnt?” he asked.

Yudhishthira brought out his book and showed the sentence : "CONTROL YOUR ANGER!"

In one flash, the teacher and all the pupils understood what Yudhishthira had done. He had not just learnt the sentence. He had actually practised what he had learnt. It had taken him seven days to master his anger.

Guru Dronacharya's eyes filled with tears when he realized how wise Yudhishthira was. He embraced the boy and said, “My son, forgive me for having been unjust. Today you have taught me, how lessons should be studied! If everyone was like you, the world would be a heaven on earth."

Lesson Summary "Having one application and one goal at a time, will take us somewhere through an optimum utilisation of our inner resources."

BRANCH OF SCIENCE, PHYSICS

 Physics

Physics is the science of matter and its motion. It is an interesting science that deals with concepts like force, mass, energy, and charge. Its goal is to understand the natural world by finding quantitative physical laws for everything from the atoms to the planets, solar systems, and galaxies that occupy the cosmos. Physics is one of the oldest academic disciplines and due to its study of astronomy it may be the oldest of all. The basic laws in physics are universal. Many of the technological inventions that we now see are the result of discoveries in physics. Physics today is such a vast field that many subfields are almost separate sciences.

The early Greeks established the first quantitative physical laws like the Archimedes principle of levers and the buoyancy of bodies in the water. However, they were just bits and pieces of knowledge of physics because they were not organised experiments and documents. Physics started progressing properly only in the 17th century when scientists like Galileo and later Issac Newton helped pioneer the use of mathematics as a fundamental tool in physics. This led to rapid advances in describing the motion of heavenly bodies, the laws of gravity, and the three laws of motion. Later, the laws of electricity, magnetism, and electromechanical waves were developed in the 1800s by Faraday and Maxwell. And soon many others contributed to our understanding of optics and thermodynamics.

Modern physics is said to have started around the turn of the 20th century, with the discovery of X-rays by Roentgen, radioactivity by Becquerel, quantum hypothesis by Planck, relativity theory by Einstein, and atomic theory by Bohr. Quantum mechanics by Heisenberg and Schrödinger in the early 1900s also gave scientists a better understanding of chemistry and solid-state physics, which led to new materials and better electronic and optical components. Nuclear and elementary particle physics have now become important fields, and particle physics is now the basis for astrophysics and cosmology. Advances in electromagnetism have led to the widespread use of electrically driven devices like televisions, computers, home appliances, etc. Advances in thermodynamics have led to the development of motorized transport. Advances in mechanics led to the development of calculus, quantum chemistry, and the use of instruments like the electron microscope in microbiology.

Physics and Mathematics - Physics is closely related to mathematics as it provides the logical structure in which physical laws may be formulated and quantified. Many physics definitions, models, and theories are expressed using mathematical symbols and formulas.

The main difference between physics and mathematics is that physics is primarily concerned with descriptions of the material world, whereas mathematics is focused on abstract logical patterns that may extend beyond the real world. Since physics concentrates on the material world, it always tests its theories through the process known as observation or experimentation. However, without mathematics the physics of the modern world is impossible.

Now let us look at the wide array of subdivisions or branches of physics where one can make a lifelong career in each of them.

Acoustics – This is the study of sound and sound waves.

Astronomy – This is the study of space.

Astrophysics – This is the study of the physical properties of objects in space.

Atomic Physics – This studies atom, specifically the electron properties of the atom.

Biophysics – This is the study of physics in living systems.

Chemical Physics – This is the study of physics in chemical systems.

Computational Physics – This is the application of numerical methods to solve physical problems for which a quantitative theory already exists.

Cosmology – This is the study of the universe, including its origins and evolution.

Cryophysics and Cryogenics – This is the study of physical properties in low temperatures far below the freezing point of water.

Electromagnetism – This is the study of electrical and magnetic fields.

Electronics – This is the study of the flow of electrons in a circuit.

Crystallography – This is the study of crystals and crystalline structures.

Fluid Dynamics and Fluid Mechanics – This is the study of the physical properties of fluids, which comprises both liquids and gases.

Geophysics – This is the study of the physical properties of the Earth.

Laser Physics – This is the study of the physical properties of lasers.

High Energy Physics – This is the study of physics in extremely high energy systems, generally within particle physics.

Molecular Physics – This is the study of the physical properties of molecules.

Mechanics – This is the study of the motion of bodies in a frame of reference.

Nanotechnology – This is the science of building circuits and machines from single molecules and atoms.

Nuclear Physics – This is the study of the physical properties of the atomic nucleus.

Optics and Light Physics – This studies the physical properties of light.

Quantum Mechanics and Quantum Physics – This is the study of science where the smallest discrete values, or quanta, of matter and energy.

Relativity – This is the study of systems displaying the properties of Einstein's theory of relativity, which generally involves moving at speeds very close to the speed of light.

Thermodynamics – This is the study of heat.

30 JANUARY

 Martyrs' Day

Martyrs' Day, also known as Shaheed Diwas, is observed on January 30th every year in India to pay homage to the freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives for the nation's independence.

The day is also the death anniversary of the nation's 'Bapu', Mahatma Gandhi.

It was on this day in 1948 that Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated in the compound of Birla House in New Delhi by Nathuram Godse.

Gandhi, who was born on October 2, 

1869, was one of the most influential leaders of India and played a significant role in the independence of the country. He led major movements against British rule through a non-violent approach. 

His philosophy was based on the principles

of non-violence, the fight for truth

(satyagraha), and political and individual

freedom (Swaraj).

EXCLUSION CULTURE

They bring the nine chairs for ten children, and they tell the children that the winner is the one who gets the chair and whoever remains without a chair is out of the game.

Then they reduce the number of chairs each time and a child comes out every time until one child remains and he is declared the winner.

The child learns the culture of “Myself, myself, and in order to succeed, I must remove others.”

And in Japanese kindergartens, they play the game of chairs too.

They also come with nine chairs for ten kids with a difference!

There they tell the children that you have no more chairs. If one of you remains without a chair, everyone loses.

All the children try to hug each other so that all ten children can sit on nine chairs.

And then they reduce the number of chairs successively with the rule remaining that they must make sure that no one remains without a chair or else they will all lose.

The child learns culture:

“I cannot succeed without the help of others to succeed!”

From exclusion to inclusion.

Isn’t that simply awesome?

We should all change over to this beautiful version of Musical chairs.

WORLD SURYA NAMASKAR DAY

 

Surya Namaskar day is a day to express gratitude to the sun and is observed on Rathsaptami i.e. seventh day (saptami) in the bright half (shukla paksha) of the Hindu month ‘Magha’.

It is customary to perform Surya Puja (worship of sun) on this day.

Haldi-kunku, which starts on the occasion of Makar Sankranti, ends on this day.

Both religious and scientific reasons are given for celebrating Rathsaptami. It is also called Arogya Saptami.

Sun God is known as the most brilliant, powerful, intelligent and omniscient. He is the creator and controller of the world.

To seek His blessings, after sunrise in the morning, Surya Namaskar is performed in an open space on empty stomach, in controlled breathing, with proper postures and chanting shlokas.

This improves our physical health and sharpens memory. This exercise not only gives you a great workout but also gives you spiritual, mental and physical strength.

This ritual is also called Surya upasana.

The mantras of Surya namaskar are

related to the chakras in the body.

GREAT MATHEMATICIAN AND ASTRONOMER

 Aryabhatta

Aryabhatta was the first major mathematician and astronomer from the classical age of India.

His works include Aryabhatiya and the Arya-Siddhanta.

His most famous work was compiled when he was just 23 years old.

‘Ayrabhatiya’ covers several branches of mathematics such as Algebra, Arithmetic, Plane and Spherical Trigonometry.

His principal focus was mathematics; he went into extraordinary insight about arithmetic and geometric movements like 2, 4, 6, and 8 or 2, 10, 50, and 250.

He formulated a brilliant technique for finding the lengths of chords of circles with half chords as opposed to the full chord strategy utilised by the Greeks.

He came up with an approximation of pi.

He was the first mathematician to give what later came to be known as the tables of sine, cosine and converse sine to four decimal spots, which brought forth trigonometry.

Aryabhatta has named the initial 10 decimal places and derived the methods for extracting square roots, summing arithmetic series and solving indeterminate equations of the type ax – by = c.

Aryabhatta worked on the place value

system and discovered zero for the first

time, making use of letters to indicate

numbers and pointing out qualities.

He stated correctly the number of days in a year to be 365, alongside the seven-day week and about an intercalary month embedded into a year to make the calendar adjust to the seasons.

He discovered the position of nine planets and expressed that these likewise rotated around the sun.

He also provided the circumference and measurement of the Earth and the radius of the Earth and the radius of 9 planets.

Aryabhatta challenged many superstitious theories. Aryabhatta also gave a theory on eclipse; he said it wasn’t because of Rahu, but because of shadows cast by the earth and moon.

Aryabhatta pronounced that the moon has no light of its own. It is visible because it mirrors the light of the sun.

He concluded that the earth is round. He also stated that it rotates on its own axis, which is why we have days and night.

Another discipline Aryabhatta explored was astronomy; he concentrated on a few geometric and trigonometric parts of the celestial sphere that are still used to study stars.

In his old age, Aryabhatta composed another treatise, ‘Aryabhatta-Siddhanta’.  It’s a booklet for every day astronomical calculations as well as a guide to examine auspicious times for performing rituals. To this very day, astronomical data provided in this text is used for preparing Panchangs (Hindu calendars).

India’s first satellite was named after him.

There is also an Indian research centre is

called ‘Aryabhatta Research Institute Of

Observational Sciences’ in Nainital.

DEMOCRACY

What is democracy?

Democracy is a form of government in which it is the people who decide who will rule them. Democracy came into existence in ancient Greece, in the city state of Athens, during 6^th century BC.

In fact the very word is of Greek origin

and it means ‘rule by the people’.

  

In a democracy, each individual adult in a

country, city or specific area, can vote

for a candidate who will represent him in

the government. This means that power is

not concentrated in the hands of one

person, or a group of people, but is

shared equally by all the members of the

society. The idea of democracy is based

on the belief that everyone should enjoy

the same rights and freedom, in short,

that all men and women are born equal.

BIRTH DAY OF LORD GANESH

Ganesh Jayanti

Once, Bhagwan Shiva was away and Parvati Mata went for a bath in the river. 

She took a little turmeric paste from Her body and started to mould a human baby boy from it and gave Him life. 

She clearly instructed the boy to keep a guard and not allow anyone inside.

Meanwhile, Bhagwan Shiva returned and wanted to go to His beloved Parvati Devi.

The Boy refused admission to Bhagwan Shiva. Bhagwan Shiva became furious and He threw His trident towards the boy, decapitating Him.

When Parvati Mata returned, She was very sad to see Her dear son lying lifeless. Bhagwan Shiva tried to console Parvati Devi but was not successful. 

Bhagwan Shiva then sent His army to fetch the head of anyone they meet. 

The army men first saw the dying elephant. 

They fetched that head and came back to Bhagwan Shiva. Bhagwan Shiva attached the head on the boy’s body and brought Him back to life.

 Parvati Mata was very happy but was also worried that Her son would be mocked by all the Gods. 

Bhagwan Shiva sensed Her sadness and to allay Her fear, He invoked all the Gods and asked them to bless their son. 

All the Gods showered their blessings and boons upon Shri Ganesha.

SPACE NEWS

Get ready for the celestial event:  Green Comet

The rare green comet that last came to Earth about 50,000 years ago has returned to the skies of Earth. C/2022 E3 (ZTF) can be seen with the naked eye if the conditions in the sky are just right. The comet will reach its highest magnitude as it gets closest to the planet in its orbit.

The comet, recently went close to the Sun, completing its over 50,000-year-long orbit. The last time it came this close to Earth, modern humans were yet to be fully evolved and Neanderthals roamed the planet. The comet has already amazed stargazers and astrophotographers with its unique greenish tinge and long tail.

What is Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF)?

Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) was first discovered in March last year by the wide-field survey camera at the Zwicky Transient Facility when it was already inside the orbit of Jupiter. While it was initially believed to be an asteroid, it began developing a tail as the Sun's influence began vapourising the ice. At the time of its discovery, it was shining with a magnitude of 17.3.

Comets consist mostly of ice coated with dark organic material. They are referred to as dirty snowballs and may yield important clues about the formation of our solar system. NASA said that Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is now sweeping through stars near the northern boundary of the constellation Bootes. It is outward bound but still growing brighter.

Is the green comet visible?

Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is now visible in several parts of the world, thanks to its close approach and the rise in magnitude. The comet no longer requires a telescope for viewing and can be seen with the naked eye in countries like Spain with little light pollution and clear skies.

According to NASA, Comet ZTF will make its closest approach on February 2, coming to within about 2.4 light-minutes of our planet. "Its faint ion tail has been buffeted by recent solar activity. This visitor from the distant Oort cloud rounded the Sun on January 12," NASA said in a statement.

 Will it be visible in India?

The comet will be visible in the skies above India in several parts of the country, including in Ladakh, and eastern India. The Indian Astronomical Observatory in Hanle had captured the comet while it was in transit. Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) was photographed by astronomers using the Himalayan Chandra Telescope, which is operated by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bengaluru.

At its closest, Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) will be just 42 million kilometers away from Earth. The next time it comes this close to Earth, our entire species might have fully evolved into something else or maybe even become interplanetary settled in colonies on Mars and the Moon.

The comet is estimated to come closest to Earth around February 2.

NASA has said the comet could be visible with telescopes and binoculars, and might even be visible to the naked eye under a clear night sky.

24 JANUARY

 National Girl Child Day

National Girl Child Day is celebrated on 24 January in India to spread awareness about the rights of girls, to highlight the inequalities that they face in their lives and also to promote the importance of education, health and nutrition.

National Girl Child Day was first initiated in 2008 by the Ministry of Women and Child Development. To mark the occasion this year, the Women and Child Development Department will celebrate National Girl Child Week from 24 to 30 January.

23 JANUARY, PARAKRAM DIWAS

 Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose

Early life of Subhash Chandra Bose

Subhash Chandra Bose was born to a Bengali family on January 23, 1897 in Cuttack. His parents were Janakinath Bose who was a well reputed advocate and Prabhavati Devi. He was the ninth child of a total of fourteen siblings.

Subhash Chandra Bose’s nationalistic temperament first came to light at the Presidency College, Calcutta where he studied briefly, when he was rusticated for assaulting Professor Oaten for his anti-India comments in his classroom to all his pupils. Bose later went on to top the matriculation examination of Calcutta province in 1911 and passed his B.A. in 1918 in philosophy from the Scottish Church College.

 

Political career

In 1923, he was elected President of the All India Youth Congress as well as Secretary of Bengal State Congress. He also worked as an editor for Deshbahdhu Das’s newspaper “Forward.” In a roundup of nationalists in 1925, Bose was arrested and sent to prison in Mandalay, where he contracted tuberculosis. After spending two years in prison, Bose was released and was appointed the General Secretary of the Congress party and worked closely with Jawaharlal Nehru for Independence.

During the mid-1930s Bose travelled in Europe, visiting Indian students and European politicians, including Mussolini. He observed party organization and saw communism and fascism in action. By 1938, he had become a leader of national stature and agreed to accept a nomination for Congress president. He stood for Swaraj (self-governance), as well as using force against the British but this however meant a confrontation with Gandhi, which also created a rift between him and Nehru.

 

Holwell Monument

On the outbreak of World War II, Subhash Chandra Bose advocated a campaign of mass civil disobedience to protest against Viceroy Lord Linlithgow’s decision to declare war on India’s behalf without consulting the Congress leadership. Bose organized mass protests in Calcutta calling for the ‘Holwell Monument,’ which then stood at the corner of Dalhousie Square, to be removed. Bose was thrown into jail, but was released following a seven-day hunger strike.

 

Escape from Kolkata

Bose’s house in Calcutta was kept under surveillance by the CID. With two court cases pending, he felt the British would not let him leave the country before the end of the war. Subhash Chandra Bose planned an escape with the help of his nephew sir K. Bose in a car, dressed as a Pathan sporting a long beard which he grew overnight. This car which he used to escape is displayed at his home in Calcutta.

 

Escape to Germany

Subhash Chandra Bose escaped to Germany, via Afghanistan and the Soviet Union. In Germany he founded the Indian Legion consisting of 3000 soldiers out of Indian prisoners of war who had fought for the British in North Africa prior to their capture by Axis forces. Its members swore the following allegiance to Hitler and Bose: “I swear by God this holy oath that I will obey the leader of the German race and state, Adolf Hitler, as the commander of the German armed forces in the fight for India, whose leader is Subhash Chandra Bose.”

Instead of being delighted, Subhash Chandra Bose was worried. An admirer of Russia, Bose was devastated when Hitler’s tanks rolled across the Soviet border. Matters worsened when the now-retreating German army would be in no position to offer him help in driving the British from India. So, in February 1943, Bose turned his back on his legionnaires and slipped secretly away aboard a submarine bound for Japan. Travelling onboard the German submarine U-180 around the Cape of Good Hope he reached Imperial Japan (via Japanese submarine I-29). This was the only civilian transfer between two submarines of two different Navies in World War II.

 

Formation of Indian National Army

The idea of a liberation army was revived with the arrival of Subhas Chandra Bose in the Far East in 1943. Bose took control of the Indian National Army (INA) and was able to reorganize the fledgling army and organize massive support among the expatriate Indian population in south-east Asia. At its height the INA consisted of some 85,000 regular troops, including a separate women’s unit headed by Capt. Lakshmi Swaminathan, which was seen as a first of its kind in Asia. The regiment’s name was Rani Jhansi.

Even when faced with military reverses,Subhash Chandra Bose was able to maintain support for the Azad Hind movement. The INA along with the Japanese fought in key battles against the British Army of India. Spoken as a part of a motivational speech for the Indian National Army at a rally of Indians in Burma on July 4, 1944, Bose’s most famous quote was “Give me blood, and I shall give you freedom!” In this, he urged the people of India to join him in his fight against the British Raj. In 1942, he earned the title 'Netaji', in Germany by the Indian soldiers of the Azad Hind Fauj.

 

Possession of Andaman and Nicobar Islands

The INA’s first commitment was in the Japanese thrust towards Eastern Indian frontiers of Manipur. The INA and the Japanese also took possession of Andaman and Nicobar Islands in 1942 and a year later, the Provisional Government of the INA was established in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The islands were renamed Shaheed (Martyr) and Swaraj (Independence). On the Indian mainland, the Indian tricolour, modelled after the Indian National Congress, was raised for the first time in the town of Moirang, in Manipur.

It was the battle of Kohima and Imphal which had a significant impact on the Indian National Army. The Japanese could no longer fund their armies, and eventually surrendered. The INA were no match for the British troops, without the help of the Japanese, and therefore surrendered to the British as well.

 

Death of Subhas Chandra Bose

Mystery still surrounds the disappearance and eventual death of Subhash Chandra Bose though he is alleged to have died in a place crash in Taipei, Taiwan, on 18 August 1945 while en route to Tokyo. The Imperial Japanese Army Air Force Bomber he was travelling on had engine trouble and when it crashed Bose was badly burned, dying in a local hospital four hours later.

 Parakram Diwas

The 23rd of January is observed as

Parakram Diwas every year to inspire

people of the country, especially the

youth, to act with fortitude in the face

of adversity as Netaji did, and to infuse

in them a spirit of patriotic fervour.

AQUATIC LIFE

 Quirky Creatures Of The Ocean

Scientists say that life first began in the

oceans. Yet, so far, we have discovered

only 10% of the life in our oceans. Much

of it has the most bizarre, flummoxing

appearances and behaviours. Let's dive

into the oceans and explore some of these

quirky creatures.

Mudskippers

If you happen to be on a mudflat during low tide, you may come across some lively fish that leap, hop, somersault, walk on their fins and even balance on their tail. They are mudskippers, fish that can live outside water until the tide comes back in. Their bulging, globular eyes on top of their head make them look comical. What's more, they fill their jowls with water to keep from getting dehydrated, giving the impression of having their mouth full.

 

Puffer fish

In rocky tidal pools, you may come across puffer fish, which on feeling threatened, attempt at disguising themselves. They huff and puff and fill themselves with water, turning into cute-looking balls, maybe to make themselves look larger and 'fiercer' to other creatures. But the flipside is that in this globular avatar, they become too clumsy to be able to swim. Only when the water is pumped out can they move on. Most species of puffer fish are toxic so don't ever try to touch them.

 

Octopuses

Octopuses are masters at performing the disappearing act. They not only change their colours to blend with their background, but even change their shape and skin texture! What you think is a rock or a clump of algae or corals may turn out to be a very clever octopus!

 

Seahorses

Seahorses have the distinction of being the only ones amongst whom the papas give birth, not the mamas! Pssst, here is the secret-the mama shoves her eggs into her male partner's pouch as soon as she lays them! The papa dutifully looks after them until they finally hatch, when he jerks them out of his pouch.

 

Parrotfish

Swim up close to a coral reef and you may get to see the very attractive bluish-green parrotfish, which have a mouth that looks like a parrot's beak. They use it to bite off chunks of coral to get at the algae living inside the little polyps that make up the coral colony. A surprise awaits you when it's bedtime for them. That's when they secrete a blanket of slime all over themselves-not to feel cosy but to prevent their body odour from seeping out and attracting foraging moray eels!

 

Otters

If you happen to come across otters while you are out exploring the quirky creatures of the watery world, don't be surprised if you see them floating lazily on their back, holding onto their partner's hand to make sure the waves do not separate them while they are dozing. Their favourite foods are crabs and clams. They break open the hard shells of these creatures to get at the soft flesh within by placing them on their chest and smashing them with rocks! They have a collection of small rocks in pouches in their armpits!

 

Anglerfish

Have you heard of fish that fish for other fish in the deeper ocean realms? That's anglerfish for you! A spine on their head is modified into a kind of fishing rod, complete with a luminous tassel to act as bait. Small fish that get attracted by the shining tassel are gulped down in a trice!

 

Firefly Squid

In the deeper depths of the ocean, sunlight cannot penetrate. Here in the twilight zone, you come across fish giving off their own bioluminescent light. It's the firefly squid.

 

Deep Sea Gulpers

Further on, in the dark recesses of the

deep ocean depths, you may come across

these fish, which normally look like they

are just tails! But they can expand their

stomach to three times their size to gulp

down much larger fish when needed.