FOR SECURITY PURPOSE

If AI is so clever, why can't it solve a CAPTCHA?

CAPTCHAs (Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart) are special puzzles on the internet made to tell the difference between humans and computers. They’re meant to be tricky for machines but easy for people to solve.

Here’s why AI, which is like a very clever computer, sometimes has trouble with CAPTCHAs:

HARD TO SEE: CAPTCHAs often show wobbly letters, numbers or pictures that are hard to read. While AI is good at recognising normal images and text, CAPTCHAs are made to be confusing so that computers can’t easily figure them out.

ALWAYS CHANGING: As computers get better at solving certain CAPTCHAs, new and harder ones are created to stay ahead. This means that CAPTCHAs are always being made trickier to keep computers from solving them.

HOW AI THINKS: AI doesn’t ‘see’ things like humans do. It looks for patterns in what it’s  been taught. If a CAPTCHA breaks these patterns by being extra confusing, the AI might not be able to solve it.

KEEPING THINGS SAFE: The main job of CAPTCHAs is to stop robots (automated programs) from doing things like making fake accounts or sending lots of spam. Even though AI can sometimes solve CAPTCHAs, letting it do that would ruin the whole point of using them for security.

So, even though AI is very clever, CAPTCHAs are designed to be tricky on purpose, so computers can’t easily get past them. That said, AI is getting better and better at this. In fact, a 2023 study showed that most AI can solve CAPTCHA with a 96% accuracy – while humans’ accuracy ranges from 50-86%!

ANCIENT WORLD

What are hieroglyphs?

This strange-sounding word actually describes a form of picture writing used by the ancient Egyptians. 

The Egyptians used about 1000 pictures or hieroglyphs to express their thoughts. Each hieroglyph stood for an object, sound or idea. The hieroglyphs were written on paper called papyrus, made of reeds. Gradually, people stopped using hieroglyphs and in time, everyone forgot what the pictures meant. Then, in 1799, a stone called the Rosetta Stone was found, which had writing in three languages, including the hieroglyphic language.

A Frenchman named Jean Francois Champollion was able to translate the hieroglyphs and now scholars of the ancient Egyptian civilisation can read hieroglyphs. If you want, you can learn it too when you grow up!

DO YOU KNOW

Reason for side holes in sneakers 

The side holes, also known as "ventilation holes" or "perforations", in sneakers serve several important purposes. Firstly, they enhance breathability by allowing air to circulate inside the shoe, which helps keep the feet cool and comfortable, especially during physical activities. The whole also aid in moisture management, allowing sweat and moisture to escape from the shoe, reducing the chances of discomfort and odours.

Secondly, the side holes contribute to the overall design and aesthetics of the sneakers, adding a distinctive style element. Some sneaker designs utilise the side holes as part of their branding or visual appeal.

Overall, the side holes in sneakers play a significant role in providing better ventilation, comfort and performance, making them more suitable for active and everyday wear.

STORY OF MATCH BOX

Rediscovering fire with a little stick

From striking stones against each other to lighting a matchstick, humans have come a long way when it comes to igniting fire. The first matchstick was invented accidentally by John Walker, an English chemist. Walker was stunned when a chemical coating stick burst into flames after contact with his stone fireplace. After this, he created a first prototype of the modern matchstick. Initially named ‘friction lights’, it became a trend in the market. However, Walker did not patent his invention. Samuel Jones launched matchsticks and called them ‘Lucifers’. They burst into unpredictable flames, emitting a peculiar smell. The tips of these matches contained a coating of antimony sulphide, potassium chlorate, starch and gum. These sticks could be ignited when stroked between folded sandpaper. The credit for creating noiseless matchsticks goes to Janos Irinyi, a student, in 1835. He replaced potassium chlorate with lead dioxide. This resulted in the sticks burning evenly throughout. Eventually, the safety matches we see today were invented by Swedish inventor and professor Gustaf Erik Pasch in 1844. After a decade, John Edvard Lundstrom improvised on the design. 

Ever wondered how a matchstick lights up with a single spark? The head of the match consists of antimony trisulfide, which acts as the fuel. Potassium chlorate aids in the fuel burning, leading to ignition of the matchstick. Whereas ammonium phosphate plays the other role, preventing the matchstick from emitting too much smoke after being extinguished. When you light a match, the flame travels downwards. This is due to the wax present on the matchstick. Glue holds all this together. The dye makes the matchstick look more presentable! Powdered glass is present on the striking surface, for friction, whereas red phosphorus ignites the flame. When you strike the match against the powdered glass, it creates friction, which leads to heat, and this converts red phosphorus to white phosphorus. White phosphorus is extremely volatile, and reacts with oxygen in the air. This results in the matchstick igniting. The flame that you see in the matchstick is due to heat which ignites the potassium chlorate. Potassium chlorate is an oxidiser, aiding in burning of the fuel by supplying more oxygen. This oxygen in turn mixes with antimony trisulfide, ensuring that the flame lasts longer. Paraffin wax is coated along the matchstick, ensuring that the flame travels all down the match, across the wooden stick. After the matchstick is extinguished, a familiar burnt scent is released. This occurs as the antimony oxidises and sulphur oxides form. The smoke that emanates is from tiny unburnt particles, from the incomplete combustion process. Usually, these particles are very minute, but when grouped together, they form smoke. A little amount of water vapour is also present. 

Matchboxes were perfected over time by Lundstrom and his younger brother Carl. Boxes were created as per the size and use of the matchsticks. Until 1830, the matchsticks were known as Lucifer matches. However, cigarette lighters were invented in 1816, much before matches were invented. Today, around the world, about half a trillion matches are used each year.

ROTATION PERIOD OF THE SUN

Does the sun rotate?

Yes. The sun too rotates about its axis. But unlike the earth, which has a rotation period of one day, the sun has a differential rotation. That is, all parts of the sun do not have the same period of rotation. 

The period of rotation near its equator is 26.5 days, at sun spot zone (16 degrees north) it is 27.3 days, and at the pole it is 31.1 days. 

The sun’s enormous core temperature of 15 million degrees Kelvin leaves all its constituents in a high­-pressure gaseous state called a plasma. 

For the purpose of certain calculations, the top and the bottom ends of the visible sphere of the sun are designated as north and south poles respectively. 

Photographs are taken daily and the movements of the spots, filaments and plages are observed for various latitudes and longitudes for a long period of time. From this, the sidereal rotation is calculated.

The reason behind this phenomenon is still a puzzle to solar physicists. 

MUSEUM WITH LARGEST ONE-MAN COLLECTION

Salar Jung Museum

The Salar Jung Museum is a museum in Hyderabad having an exquisite collection of priceless art treasures. The unique feature of this museum is that it is the largest one-man collection of art objects and antiques on public display anywhere in the world. Its founder was Nawab Mir Yusuf Ali Khan Salar Jung III (1889 –1949), Prime Minister to the Nizam of Hyderabad.

Salar Jung III had a passion for antiques, and collected from all over the world rare manuscripts, sculptures, paintings, clocks and other items. It is believed that he spent half his income and his entire life in building his magnificent collection, which was housed in his palace, Diwan Deodi.

Salar Jung was a lifelong bachelor, and had no heirs. So, on his death, his collection was taken over by the Government of India. It was shifted to the present building in 1968. The treasures of the museum represent an amazing mix of antiquity and modernity. There are a mind-boggling range of items belonging to different civilizations and retrieved from nearly every nook and corner of the world.

The museum has separate sections devoted to Indian paintings, western art, clocks, textiles, glassware, jade, ivory, textiles and rare manuscripts. One of the most splendid exhibits is the Veiled Rebecca, a marble statue by Benzoni(1876), which is a startlingly lifelike representation of a woman draped in a wet veil.

ASSAM'S SON OF THE SOIL

Lachit Borphukan (1622 - 1672)

Lachit Borphukan was the commander-in-chief of the Royal Ahom Army. The Ahom dynasty ruled present-day Assam from 1228-1826.

Lachit was bestowed the title of Borphukan by the Ahom king, Chakradhwaj Singha (1663 - 1670), in recognition of his bravery, leadership skills and mastery of guerilla warfare. Known as Shivaji Maharaj of North East India, Lachit Borphukan is an icon of the Assamese nationalist movement. He was the mastermind behind the famous naval defeat of the Mughal army of Aurangzeb on the Brahmaputra river in 1671.

The conflicts between the Mughals and the Ahoms began in 1615 as the Mughals wanted to get total control over the areas in Brahmaputra valley. Lachit Borphukan grew up amidst a background of battles and war-like events. This instilled courage and patriotism in him. 

In 1661, Aurangzeb became the Mughal king. He was determined to gain control of the Ahom kingdom. Mir Jumla, the Viceroy of Bengal, was assigned this task. This Mughal invasion began in January 1662. He was able to capture Guwahati, but his army found it difficult to capture more territory due to the difficult terrain full of dense jungles, hills rivers and ground covered with monsoon water. The Ahom army cleverly used guerilla warfare tactics to defend the rest of their territory. Mir Jumla found it difficult to sustain the battle. The Ahoms too lost significant areas to the Mughals. Finally, both sides agreed to end the battle. The Treaty of Ghilajharighat was signed on January 23rd, 1663.

Guwahati was recaptured from the Mughals, in September-October 1667, by the Ahoms under the leadership of Lachit Borphukan. However, the Ahoms were very angry at the humiliating conditions laid down in the Treaty of Ghilajharighat. The Ahom king Chakradhwaj Singha, was determined to drive away the Mughals from their occupied areas of his Ahom kingdom. This whish came true during the Battle of Saraighat.

The Battle of Saraighat 1671 was a remarkable naval battle between the Mughals and Ahom soldiers, led by Lachit Borphukan. Although he was very ill, Lachit Borphukan bravely motivated his men to fight the battle. He succeeded in luring the Mughals into sending their naval fleet onto the Brahmaputra river water at Saraighat (Guwahati).

Lachit Borphukan made the smaller Ahom naval boats from a 'bridge' across the narrow portion of the Brahmaputra Saraighat. By using clever psychological warfare tactics and military intelligence, Lachit Borphukan exploited the weakness of the Mughal navy and defeated Aurangzeb's soldiers. Years later, the Mughals again occupied Guwahati. But in 1671, it was Lachit Borphukan who was the victor.

"Bora Masu, Bati Ghora" is the famous war cry attributed to Lachit Borphukan, the heroic commander of the Ahom army during the Battle of Saraighat. It means "Give me a hundred men, I will defeat a thousand enemies." While fighting the battle, in spite of being in immense pain, he told his soldiers, "You may turn around any time you choose, but despite my pain, I intend to fight to my death."

Today, the Lachit Borphukan gold medal is given to the best cadet in the National Defense Academy. This award was set up in 1999 to inspire the cadets to emulate Borphukan's heroism in the battlefield. Lachit Divas is celebrated on 24th November every year in Assam. 

A 35' high bronze statue of Lachit Borphukan, eight 18' statues of soldiers and two 32' long water cannons made of fibre-glass stand on a pedestial fixed to a pillar embedded 50m deep in the Brahmaputra river water on the river bed. It is 5m above the High Flood Level mark. The statue is a reminder that his valour on the battlefield will never be forgotten. For the ever-brave exemplary leader that Lachit Borphukan was, his kingdom always came first.