DO YOU KNOW

 What are crop circles?

Crop circles are circular designs made in fields by flattening the standing crops. The crops in the circles have their stems bent down to make the patterns. In some circles, the stems are bent very near the ground; in others, they are bent higher up in the middle of the stem. The stems are never broken, just gently folded down. At the time crop circles began to be talked about in the media in the 1970s in England, the crop circles were just that —circular in design — but in later years, the designs assumed complicated geometric shapes and could no longer be called circles. They appeared overnight and were reported from all over the world, from Canada to South America and Japan. Nobody could figure out how the circles were being formed or who or what was creating them. There were suggestions that they were made by aliens but scientists pooh-poohed that idea. They said, and continue to maintain that there has to be a natural explanation for them. In 1991, two Englishmen Doug Bower and Dave Chorley claimed that they had made all the circles reported in England until 1987 as a prank. They demonstrated how it could be done with simple tools like a loop of wire, rope and a wooden plank. However, crop circles continue to intrigue people, especially as the first crop circle observations in England date back to 1678. Most crop circle researchers say that while there is no denying that a great majority of the crop designs are man made, there are a few that just can’t be explained. 

USE OF SILVER LEAF

 Is the silvery covering on sweetmeats safe to eat?

The silvery coating is called vark, varakh or chandi-ka-vark or simply silver leaf. It is made by pounding thin strips of pure silver into ultra-thin fineness. Edible but tasteless, some say the custom of adding silver leaf to food is a carry- over of the practice of using silver in Ayurvedic medicine. But nowadays it is used more for decorative purposes and perhaps to increase the shelf life of the sweets.

Vark is perfectly safe to eat--- if it is not adulterated. Though the laws of the land do not allow it,sweetmeat manufacturers sometimes use vark that is made of impure silver, or worse, use vark that is made from aluminum. This can cause food poisoning or intestinal problems. 

A UNIQUE LANDSCAPE IN WESTERN INDIA

The Rann of Kutch

The Rann of Kutch, in western India, is a unique landscape in the Indian subcontinent; with a coastal line on one side and a desert on the other, it can be called neither land nor sea. 

The Rann is a vast expanse of salt-encrusted terrain, covering more than 15,000 sq km, in the state of Gujarat, along the border with Pakistan. It is divided into the Great Rann and Little Rann, each of which offers its own distinctive viewing experience. While the Great Rann is famous for its spectacular landscapes, the Little Rann is a hub of salt farming. 

Despite the inhospitable conditions including the scanty vegetation and the extreme climate of the desert (with temperatures rising to 49 degrees in summer and falling below freezing point in winter), this ecoregion is of critical importance in wildlife conservation as it harbours several animal and bird species that are on the endangered list.

The Rann of Kutch was originally an extension of the Arabian Sea that was closed up by centuries of silting. It was a navigable lake in the time of Alexander the Great, but has subsequently become a seasonal marshy salt desert. During monsoons, the marsh fills up with water and the wetland extends from the Gulf of Kutch on the west to the Gulf of Cambay on the east. In the summers, the water dries to create a bed of white salty land.

The Rann of Kutch is the only place in the world where you can find the wild ass (Equus Hermione khur), a near-threatened species that once roamed over western India, southern Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran. But today it is confined to the Wild Ass Wildlife Sanctuary spread out over 4954 sq km in the Little Rann of Kutch. A sandy-coloured or reddish-brown animal with an erect, dark mane and a white underside, the wild ass, know as khur in Gujarati, is one of the fastest Indian animals, with a speed of 70 to 80 km, and can outrun a jeep. 

Other animals native to the region include the caracal, the desert cat, the striped hyena, the chinkara, the nilgai, and the blackbuck. Further, the seasonal salt marshes are home to more than 200 bird species, including the threatened lesser florican, houbara bustard and Dalmatian pelican. 

During the wet season, the marshes become pink with flamingos. This area is the home for the largest flamingo breeding colony in the world. Millions of these tall, pink birds fly here each year to nest and raise their young.

STORY TIME

Krishna, the mischievous child 

Krishna loved butter and would frequently steal milk and butter from other people’s homes, and the women would come to mother Yashoda to complain about her son's misbehaviour. 

One day, the older children, including his brother Balarama, ran out to eat the fruits of a tree growing in the courtyard. Krishna adored those fruits, so he followed them despite the fact that no one had invited him. He was warned that he was too small to climb trees. He persisted in following them, so they assigned him the task of collecting the falling fruits. "Now, keep in mind, don't eat a single one," they warned, knowing his appetite. "All you have to do is gather the fruits, and we'll come and fairly distribute them."

But Krishna secretly ate the muddy fruits. His friends went and informed Yashoda. When Krishna returned home, Yashoda grabbed him by the ears chastised him for putting dirt in his mouth. Krishna immediately responded that he had a fight with his friends in the morning and that in order to exchange revenge, they were all lying and that Yashoda should not believe them. He claimed she was being unjust because she trusted them instead of her son.

Yashoda was all too familiar with her son. Yashoda started scolding Krishna. She said," if you haven't already done so, open your mouth. I'll find out for myself." Krishna obeyed by opening his mouth. But when Yashoda looked into his mouth, she was astounded. In his small mouth, she saw the entire universe: mountain ranges, deep oceans, solar systems, moon and other celestial objects. Yashoda was taken aback and began to wonder if she was dreaming or seeing something extraordinary!

DO YOU KNOW

Why aeroplanes ✈️  are usually white?

We differentiate between aeroplanes belonging to different airlines with the help of their distinct logos and decorations. But the base colour of the plane is almost white. 

Painting the aeroplane white is most practical and economical. White is a standard colour that is easily available. The more the layers of paint, the more expensive it gets. It also adds to the overall weight of the plane and subsequently adds to the fuel bill. Another point in its favour is that white does not fade as quickly due to exposure to elements as do darker colours. 

When in the sky, white reflects most of the sunlight, thereby keeping the body of the aeroplane cool. White increases the visibility of the plane, whether it is in the sky or on land, night or day. In the event of a plane crash, the wreckage is better visible in water. On the ground, effects of corrosion, cracks, leaking oil, etc. reveal themselves more easily on white. 

Nevertheless, some airlines do boast colourful planes--- in 2014, Air New Zealand painted its Boeing 787 Dreamliner fully black with a white fern on its tail to celebrate the success of its national rugby team, the All-Blacks.

MEET THE DAREDEVIL ROCK CLIMBERS THAT LIVE LIFE ON THE EDGE

Ibex

Balancing a tiny ledge just big enough for all four hooves, it may look like the ibex is destined for a long and fatal fall. However, these mountain goats are equipped to navigate seemingly impossible slopes, and very rarely slip or lose their footing. 

Living in the mountainous regions of Europe, northern Asia and northern Africa, they can effortlessly leap up crumbling rock faces, gripping on to tiny footholds with their specially adapted hooves, and then run back down with just as much ease. This special skill is particularly useful for escaping predators, as very few creatures can follow their daring lead, but there are other benefits to living the high life too.

 Alpine ibex in northern Italy have been spotted scaling the near-vertical Cingno Dam to lick the rocks at the very top. The rocks contain salt, which provide the goats with essential minerals such as calcium that are lacking from their vegetarian diet. However, to get to them they have to endure a perilous ascent, climbing more than 30 metres with only tiny cracks and ledges to cling onto. 

This impressive climbing ability is mainly practiced by females and their young, as the larger body mass and cumbersome horns of the males make balancing on narrow ledges difficult.

Hooves made for climbing: Ibex hooves are well-adapted for climbing steep slopes, with two pincer-like toes on each foot. The top of each toe is made from hard keratin, the same material our fingernails are made from, making them incredibly strong, while the underside is soft and rubbery - this textured surface creates friction to provide extra grip. The hooves also spread when under load, distributing weight evenly.

The two toes of each hoof can move independently from each other, helping to compensate for uneven terrain and allowing the ibex to cling on to any protrusions in the rock.

Ibex anatomy 

How are mountain goats so well adapted to climbing sheer rock? 

Strong legs: Ibex can jump over 1.8 metres from a standing start, helping them leap from ledge to ledge.

Horns: Females are the best climbers, as their shorter horns do not get in their way on near vertical slopes.

Hooves: Two-toed hooves with soft undersides help them to grip onto the mountainside. 

Muscular shoulders: Strong shoulder muscles help ibex pull themselves up steep inclines with ease.

Stocky body: Their short height gives them a low centre of gravity, enabling them to balance on small ledges.

Dewclaws: These extra hooves found on the backside of the legs prevent slipping down a slope.

Did you know?

Ibex can balance on ledges no wider than a tight rope. 

Male ibex live in separate herds to females and their young, and only meet during the breeding season.

EMOTIONS AND CULTURAL SYMBOLISM

 Colours: In India and across the globe 

Red with anger, green with envy, white with fear.... these are just some of the ways we associate colours with our emotions. But every colour does have cultural symbolism attached to it and it is different in different parts of the world. 

Let us take a colourful tour of the globe to see what these colours mean to us Indians and other cultures of the world. 

White: in India is said to repel light and colours and is therefore kept away from all kinds of celebrations, and it categorically stands for mourning. In North America and Europe, white has been seen throughout the pop culture to symbolise purity, brides,weddings and peace. 

Red: In India, red symbolises fire and purity, like Goddess Durga, which is why it is a central motif of matrimony in Indian weddings. In North America or Europe, however, it stands for love, passion, excitement and danger. In South Africa, red is famously seen as a colour of mourning, often used as the theme in case of a death or loss.

Pink: in India, as in many parts of North America and Europe, symbolises feminine, young girlish charm and nurturing presence. In Korea, pink is a solid symbol of trust and is associated with security and nurture. 

Green: in India and a large portion of South-East Asia symbolises nature, harvests and new beginnings. It, therefore, reflects happiness and God himself. In countries like the USA, however pop culture has given the colour green a somewhat different image, with it being the colour of money and jealousy.

Yellow: As in most of the eastern world, yellow is a colour of honour --- sacred and imperial; it represents masculine power and wisdom. And it is also a colour of commerce  --- it represents a merchant.  These same colours however speak of cowardice and weakness in European countries. Also, in the western world, it represents caution. In Egypt, on the other hand, this colour is one of mourning and sadness. 

Blue: In India, blue is associated with Lord Krishna and represents riches and virtue. Still, more recently, it has also been taken to convey a sense of patriotism and community due to the colour of the Indian cricket team’s uniform. However, on the other side of the globe, blue is the colour of ill health, depression and sadness. 

Brown is a colour of mourning and is seen as a manifestation of sadness, and its drab nature makes it a colour of dull despair. In the west, though, it is a colour of the Earth, health and stability. It represents comfort and dependability; it also is a colour of appetite and thus has had immense success in food packaging and advertising in countries like the USA.

Purple: In India, purple or violet is a comforting colour. It is associated with reincarnation. In Japan, as it is in the majority of the western world, purple is a colour of privilege, wealth and prosperity. It symbolises fame, high-ranking positions of authority and royalty. 

Black: In India, black is a symbol of barrenness, death and lack of energy; black has been used in India throughout the ages to ward-off evil as it is seen as an agent of evil. In Japan, the story is different. Black is the colour of the night, the colour of mystery, representing it as both a threat and a temptation. In Africa, on the other hand, it is seen as a symbol of experience and wisdom.