MATERIALS THAT PROTECT OUR BODY

Fabrics 

The need to protect the body from heat and cold using fabrics has existed as long as humans have. Over time, this fabric has evolved from animal skin, to cloth made from plant fibres and most recently, to synthetic fibres. 

Clothing is among humankind's most basic needs. In the late Stone Age, that is roughly around 1,00,000 years ago, humans wore clothes made from animal skin and used bones and antlers as pins to hold garments together. They also used vegetation to cover themselves such that their bodies were protected from cold, heat and rain.

The first evidence of woven textiles dates back to around 6,000 BC, when this kind of fabric was used to wrap dead bodies in Anatolia, Turkey. Historians have found traces of linen in Ancient Egypt around 5,000 BC. Two millenia later in 3,000 BC, domesticated animals like sheep were used as a source of cloth fibre. Throughout the Indus Valley Civilisation, fabrics made of cotton were used in India. In 2,600 BC, a Chinese princess discovered silk, which then came to India via the Silk Route. 

During the Middle Ages, simple clothing was favoured by the majority of people, while finer materials such as silks and linens were available only to royalty and the rich. 

The ancient methods of manufacturing textile didn't change significantly until the Industrial Revolution, when the speed and capacity of production increased phenomenally. It was during this time that the production of synthetic fabrics began. The first synthetic material was invented by Sir Joseph Swan in the early 1880s. He presented his research in 1885 during the International Inventions Exhibition and noted that synthetic materials could overcome many of the limitations of natural fibres. Rayon, also known as artificial silk, was the first manufactured fibre and was produced in 1910. Nylon came into the market by 1939 as one of the first synthetic materials created from petrochemicals. Polyester was discovered in 1953 and quickly became the most commonly used man-made fibre in the USA. Synthetic fibres are more durable than most natural fibres. They are stretchable, waterproof and stain resistant. 

Microfibre or ultrasuede was invented only 20 years ago in Japan and it is the thinnest man-made fibre ever made. It is 100 times thinner than a strand of human hair. 

Fibres are of two kinds - natural fibres, which include animal fibres, and man-made fibres, which are synthetic fibres. 

Natural fibres are derived from various sources - animals, plants and minerals. Plant fibres are sourced from the seeds, leaves, fruits, stalks and even the trunks of trees and plants. For many years, there have been four main natural fibres ruling the industry - flax, cotton, wool and silk. Natural fibres are also used to make paper and felt. 

Flax is considered to be the oldest natural textile fibre used. In ancient times, people used flax fibres by separating them into strands and then plaiting or weaving them into simple fabrics. These fabrics were then coloured with dyes extracted from plants. Flax linen was also used as burial shrouds for Egyptian pharaohs.

Cotton and wool came into existence around 3,000 BC. Cotton fibre is sourced from the Gossypium plant, also known as the cotton plant. 

Bamboo was also a major source of fibre and was used to make clothes, shoes and hats. 

Silk, wool, fur, cashmere and catgut are examples of animal fibres that are drawn from animal hair, feathers, silk or even the produce of animals. Animal fibres are obtained from animals like goats, sheep, rabbits, camels and even dogs. Animal fibres are obtained by methods that include combing, plucking, shearing etc.

FEBRUARY 10

World Pulses Day

Our parents insist that we should have healthy and nutritious food. To stay strong, we need proteins which are essential nutrients to living beings.

Edible seeds of pod-bearing plants are called pulses. Pulses exist in various shapes, colours and sizes. These include lentils (dals), pigeon peas, red kidney beans, chickpeas and horse gram.

Pulses are a rich source of proteins, especially for those on a meat-free diet. They also contain essential nutrients such as vitamins and minerals making them important and healthy super foods. They contain fibre as well. 

Why is the World Pulses Day celebrated?

An African country, named Burkina Faso, proposed the observance of World Pulses Day to the United Nations. Accordingly, the World Pulses Day was designated by the UN General Assembly in 2018 and it is observed every year on 10 February. 

Many countries have recognised the potentials of pulses and that it could contribute to the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development of the Population of the world. 

Where are pulses grown?

Pulses are a staple food in many nations including India, Ethiopia, Nigeria, China and Turkey, to name some. India is the largest producer and consumer of pulses in the world. Madhya Pradesh is India’s largest pulse-producing state and therefore, called the ‘Pulse Bowl of India'.

What is the benefit of growing pulses?

Pulse crops need less water and are therefore better for the environment. They are cheap, easy to store and nutritious. The nitrogen fixing qualities of leguminous plants also help to improve the quality of the soil.

What is the purpose behind The World Pulses Day?

This yearly event honours pulses as a staple food across the world. It also raises awareness about their role in ensuring food security. In short, the world’s growing population could be fed more sustainably with pulses.

What delicious dishes can be prepared with pulses?

Many yummy dishes can be prepared with pulses.Here are a few popular ones : Dal makhani, dal tadka, dahi bhalla from North India. Idli, dosa, vada and sambar to mention a few from South India. Besan ke gate ki subzi, puran poli, sweet and spicy tuvar dal from Western India and litti chokha and cholar dal from the Eastern part of India. Cod and colourful beans ‘en papillote from Netherlands, anwagashi from Japan and bandeja paisa from Columbia.

ENERGY FROM TIDES

Tidal energy

 

Our planet has two types of energy - renewable and non-renewable. We have to begin to explore renewable energy sources as we will eventually run out of non-renewable sources such as fossil fuels. In recent years, tidal energy that is powered by ocean tides has emerged as a forerunner of renewable energy. 

Tides are the rise and fall of ocean waters. Tides are caused by moon's gravitational pull - as the Earth spins, the ocean water closest to the moon gets pulled towards the moon until it spins away; this action can be used to help generate electricity. 

History: People had harnessed tides and used them for many centuries. The oldest excavated tide mill dates to 619; it was found in a monastery in Northern Ireland. This mill was most likely used for grinding grain. Tide mills eventually gained popularity during the Middle Ages. During those times, a tide mill would have a storage pond, which would fill up as the tide came in; and as the tide went out, the water rotated a water wheel. Eventually, tidal power was used to generate electricity, with the first instance being seen in France on the Rance River in 1966.

The Process: Tidal power can be converted into energy in two ways - tidal turbines and tidal barrages. Tidal turbines look like windmills, but their blades are smaller and stronger to deal with the tide. Water currents turn the blades of the turbines, which are attached to a shaft. So when the blades turn, the shaft also turns. This turning motion activates a generator, which in turn generates electricity. 

Tidal barrages are similar to dams and are constructed close to a bay or an estuary. As the tide enters the barrage, the tide flows through the dam into an estuary or a bay. When the tide subsides, the barrage's gates close and trap the water. The gates then open and the water hits turbines to produce energy. 

Applications: Tidal energy has several applications, some more modern than others. Tidal energy can be used for grain mills. Sometimes countries construct tidal energy stations to help save coastlines from damage as the stations act as barriers to the force of the water current. However, the most critical application is the generation of electricity in a renewable way, without producing greenhouse gases. According to estimates by the Indian government, the country has the potential to produce 8,000 MW of tidal energy. This includes about 7,000 MW in the Gulf of Cambay in Gujarat, 1,200 MW in the Gulf of Kutch and 100 MW in the Gangetic delta in the Sundarbans region of West Bengal. 

Advantages: Since tidal energy stations are installed on coastlines, they leave the land area open to be explored for other uses. More importantly, when the process of energy generation takes place, there are no greenhouse gases produced. In addition to this, tidal energy is a renewable resource, which means we will never run out of ocean water. The development of tides is a well understood cycle. This makes it easier to develop tidal energy systems with the correct dimensions. This further means that it is easier to predict how much energy will be generated and when it will be generated. 

Disadvantages: Tidal energy stations have high construction costs, making them initially challenging to install. While they do not impact the environment, they affect the area's aquatic life, such as fishes and other small critters, as they die when they come in contact with the blades or when they get trapped in tidal barrages. Tidal power depends on tidal surges, which mainly occur twice a day; the rest of the time, the system is rendered useless. 

SET AN EXAMPLE FOR OTHERS

Dare to be different 

Being different means thinking and doing things in a different way and keeping away from what others are thinking and doing. Being different does not mean you are wrong. It means being you. It means you stand out to explore new ground. At the same time, it does not make you less interesting or less valued as a person. It makes you accomplish your goals by following a different way that the others are not following. That is your own unique way and it defines you. It makes you who you are and keeps you living in your own way, defining your terms with your values.

It is to set an example to show others that there are alternate ways to accomplish things. Being different may be a bit difficult and hard. However, it is not bad. Diversity offers different prospects by expanding ways to boost productivity and success. Every human being behaves differently in different circumstances and we are all unique in our personality. While we cannot change our past, we can very well control how to react to it. Sometimes this uniqueness makes us beautiful. 

Why should we be different and what are the benefits that we are going to get by being different? Acknowledge what makes you different and that becomes your uniqueness. Your uniqueness is your gift. Celebrate it, because being different is a remarkable gift. Always be confident that your uniqueness is your asset and it makes you special and valuable. By being different you live a life that is true to yourself and that inspires others to lead a fulfilling and meaningful life. Being different makes you strong and you become a source of connection and belongingness. 

It makes you authentic. It boosts your creativity, making you innovative in your approach. By thinking unconventionally, experimental solutions can be achieved to solve problems in various fields of your life, including personal matters. Uniqueness in your approach gives you self-confidence, which inspires others, and they may approach you to get solutions for their problems. It may ignite confidence in others and encourage them to accomplish their goals. 

However, while we have advantages in being different, we cannot rule out the disadvantages also. 

Sometimes being different makes you less confident and you may get worried about what others might say or think of you. You find that nobody understands you. It may land you in an embarrassing situation. But all said and done, let us not compromise our uniqueness. Let us do things in our own way differently from others to set an example. If we study the lives and achievements of many successful people we will realise that they did not care for what the others said and trod on the path they thought was best for them for their courage to be different. 

When we take the road less travelled, we arrive at a new destination which nobody has arrived at yet. Extraordinary people do not do things extraordinarily, rather they do things differently. Let us change our perception and rethink the way we do things. Christopher Morley, an American journalist and essayist says,

"Read everyday something that no one else is reading. 

Think everyday something that no one else is thinking."

To keep our uniqueness we require courage, self-confidence and steadfastness. People may mock at our actions and may avoid our presence. But remember, being different is like a diamond among the pebbles. 

It is not something to aspire, but it is something that will inspire others. It gives us our identify and speaks about us whenever we go. Trying to be like everyone is exhausting but trying to be you is also empowering. Sometimes being different makes one feel like being alone or isolated. But actually it makes one the happiest. At times one feels it like a burden, but that is what makes one great. Let us remember the words of Albert Einstein:

"The one who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. Those who walk alone are likely to find themselves in places no one has even seen before."

Let us show our uniqueness since it looks beautiful. 

THE DEVIL'S GOLD

Sulphur 

Has there ever been a chemical element more menacing than Sulphur? This shape-shifting substance can spark an explosion, brew a poison gas and concoct smells so horrible they send any nose fleeing. Yet without Sulphur there is no life. 

Represented by letter S in the periodic table, Sulphur is a non-metallic solid that is one of the few elements to occur in nature in pure form. It is the tenth most abundant element in the universe and about three percent of the earth's mass is made up of Sulphur (the equivalent of two times the size of our moon).

Sulphur is also the third most abundant element in the human body. It builds and repairs DNA and protects cells from damage. It helps the body break down, absorb and use food. Sulphur even provides strength and hydration to skin, tendons and ligaments. 

Sulphur or Sulfur? Both spellings of the word are correct. Sulfur is the American spelling and Sulphur, the British. 

Historically Sulphur has been known as "brimstone" or burning stone. As a solid and gas, Sulphur appears yellow. And when it burns it is with a blue flame. 

Some of the worst smells in the world can be traced back to Sulphur, even though Sulphur itself is odourless. It is when it gets together with other elements to form a compound, that things get pungent! Hydrogen sulphide is responsible for the distinct odour that is rotten egg. It is also the gas that is released when your food is digesting, causing those smelly burps! Mercaptans (composed of carbon, hydrogen and sulphur) give skunks their defensive stink. 

Sulphur also acts as a source of energy. Deep within dark Sulphur spring caves, bacteria draw energy from Sulphur compounds to make their own food. The walls of the caves are coated with slimy mats of bacteria scientists call 'snotties". These unusual stalactites drip sulphuric acid strong enough to burn skin or eat through clothing. 

Sulphur atoms are strongly attracted to other Sulphur atoms and when heated they form long chains that provide a plasticity that has been invaluable to industry. In the 19th century, Charles Goodyear added Sulphur to rubber tree sap to create a firm material he used to make the first tyres. The process was called "vulcanization" after Vulcan, the Roman God of fire. 

Sulphur's power has also been harnessed for more destructive means. It has been used to make gunpowder, pesticides and acids. It has also inadvertently led to such creations as "acid rain" caused by Sulphur dioxide in the atmosphere. 

On the island of Java, Sulphur miners rise their lives for the "devil's gold". They descend into the bowels of an inactive volcano to chip chunks of Sulphur off stalactites, taking great care to avoid toxic yellow gases and electric blue flames. 

CRAB THAT DECORATES ITS BODY

The decorator crab

The decorator crab, as its name implies, is a species of crab that decorates its body. Its body teis covered with small, bristly hooks on which it hangs pieces of algae, sponges, coral polyps and anemones. The decoration provides it an excellent camouflage. The crab has to redecorate itself everytime it moults as the hooks get lost when the skin is shed. 

A species of decorator crab, Libinia dubia, covers itself with pieces of a poisonous brown algae that helps to deter predator fishes. This species does not adorn itself throughout life as other decorative crabs do. It stops as soon as its body grows too big to be eaten by predator fishes. 

The decorative crab is related to the hermit crab and is found in North America, from Alaska to Mexico. 

BIGGEST FESTIVAL OF LARGEST DEMOCRACY

 The 2024 Indian general election

The 2024 Indian general election has begun on April 19 and will continue until June 1, 2024. It will be the largest-ever election in the world, even bigger than the last general election of 2019. About 960 million eligible voters (out of a population of 1.4 billion) are expected to participate, which is more than the population of Europe. 

So, what iS a general election?

India is a democratic country run by an elected prime minister and other ministers. They are elected for a term of five years. After the term, elections are held to decide who should become the prime minister. These elections are called general elections. A general election is a huge event in India where people can vote to choose leaders who will make important decisions for the country. 

India follows a parliamentary form of government. This is different from a presidential form of government. In this form, people select members of parliament (MPs). These MPs in turn, decide who will become the prime minister. In the presidential form of government, people directly elect their president who runs the government. 

For the election, the country is divided into areas called constituencies or seats. India is divided into 543 constituencies. Each area votes for one person to represent them in Lok Sabha, the lower house of the parliament. Some seats are reserved for people from Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) to make sure everyone has a chance to be represented. When an election happens for all the seats, it is called a general election. When it occurs only for a few seats, it is called a by-election.

The first general election was held way back in 1951–52. It was the first time Indians could vote after independence. The politicians belonging to the Indian National Congress (INC) won in most constituencies, which is why its leader, Jawaharlal Nehru, became the first elected prime minister. Since then, India has seen 17 general elections and 14 prime ministers. 

The contenders: 

The main players in the election are political parties. Think of them as teams, each with their own ideas on how to run the country. Currently, in India, there are two major parties – the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the INC. There are also many smaller parties. Both BJP and INC have teamed up with these parties and formed alliances known as the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A), respectively. The BJP, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been in charge since 2014. People are curious to see if the BJP will continue their winning streak or if the INC will make a strong comeback. It’s really exciting to see what will happen next. 

Each party makes promises in a document called ‘manifesto’. They talk about how they will improve schools, hospitals and parks, and what they will do to make India a better place. BJP’s manifesto lies around a formula called ‘GYAN’ which focuses on four important groups – the poor (Garib), the youth (Yuva), farmers (Annadata) and women (Nari). They want to ensure that these groups have better lives with more opportunities. They will achieve this by building new schools, creating more jobs, helping farmers grow more crops, and making sure women can learn and work safely.

The Congress Party’s ‘manifesto’ involves a plan called ‘Nyay’, which means justice. They promise to take care of five important groups – the youth, women, farmers, workers and poor. They want to make sure these groups are happy and healthy.

Simultaneous State Assembly Elections: During the general election, four states – Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim – will also have their Legislative Assembly elections. 

How does Voting work?

Technology has changed elections a lot. We now have electronic voting machines (EVM) to vote instead of ballot papers. Voting is done at polling stations. People show their voter ID card and then secretly choose their favourite party on an EVM.

The entire election process is taken care of by an organisation called the Election Commission of India (ECI). The ECI is like the umpire who makes sure that elections are fair for everyone. They have a rule book called the Model Code of Conduct. This guides all political parties about what they can and cannot do during elections. For example, parties can ask people to vote but they cannot bribe them in cash or kind for votes. 

Who has Voting rights?

Any Indian citizen who is aged 18 or older has the right to vote. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from; if you are an adult, you can vote. Every vote is important because it’s a chance for the citizens to have a say in how India is run. 

India will now witness history in the making. Our voices matter, and our votes shape the destiny of our great nation. So, young citizens, pay attention to, discuss and learn about the democratic process. Because if you are 18 and above, you are the part of this incredible journey and if you below 18, you can be the messenger to spread awareness about this. You are the future of this country!