Longest serving woman in space

SUNITA WILLIAMS 

Sunita Lyn "Suni" Williams, born on September 19, 1965, in Euclid, Ohio, is a distinguished American astronaut and retired U.S. Navy officer. She holds the record for the most spacewalks by a woman, with nine totaling 62 hours and 6 minutes. 

Educational and Naval Background: Williams graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1987 with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Science. She later earned a Master of Science in Engineering Management from the Florida Institute of Technology in 1995. Her naval career includes roles as a helicopter pilot and test pilot, accumulating over 3,000 flight hours in more than 30 aircraft types. 

NASA Career and Space Missions: Selected by NASA in 1998, Williams has participated in several significant missions:

● Expeditions 14/15 (2006-2007): She launched aboard STS-116 and spent approximately six months aboard the International Space Station (ISS), setting a then-record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman.

● Expeditions 32/33 (2012): Williams served as a flight engineer and later as commander of the ISS, further cementing her status in space exploration. 

● Recent Mission and Extended Stay: In June 2024, Williams and fellow astronaut Barry "Butch" Wilmore embarked on a mission aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, initially planned as an eight-day test flight. However, due to technical issues with the spacecraft's propulsion system, their return was delayed, resulting in an unexpected nine-month stay aboard the ISS. They continued their duties during this period, contributing to various scientific experiments and station maintenance tasks. 

The astronauts returned to Earth on March 18, 2025, aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, landing safely off the coast of Florida. Upon return, they have begun a 45-day rehabilitation program to readjust to Earth's gravity, addressing challenges such as muscle atrophy and balance issues common after prolonged space missions. 

Personal Background: Williams is of Indian and Slovenian descent, with her father hailing from Gujarat, India. She is married to Michael J. Williams, a federal police officer. Throughout her career, Williams has been an advocate for STEM education and has inspired many through her dedication to space exploration. 

Her recent mission highlights the unpredictability of space travel and the resilience required of astronauts. Williams' experiences continue to contribute valuable insights into long-duration spaceflight and its effects on the human body.

Amplify Goodness; Forsake Badness

EACH GIVES WHAT HE HAS 

The Berlin Wall, separating East and West Germany, was built on 13 August, 1961. It was historically dismantled on November 9, 1989.

Back in the days when Germany was divided, this huge wall separated East and West Berlin. People on both sides faced not only physical barriers, but also hatred and revenge. One day, in a provocative act, some East Berliners took a truck load of garbage, and dumped it on the West Berlin side of the wall.

Yet, rather than retaliating in a similar way, the West Berliners responded with an astounding display of humanitarian consideration. They took truckloads of canned food, bread, milk, and other provisions, and neatly stacked these on the East Berlin side. Atop the stacks, a simple but deep-impacting message was written: “Each gives what he has”.

The above story reminds us that hate and revenge have never been able to solve anything. Instead, they spiral down into an everlasting abyss of despair and anger. It is said that we can only give what we have. Just as an apple tree gives apples, and a berry tree yields berries, our actions and reactions stem from our essence. The apples and berries come from the essence of their trees. And the essence of each tree is different.

Life is full of good and bad things. In times of crisis, put in your best efforts, and react with intelligence, prudence, and composure. Furthermore, amidst the trials in life, always try to amplify the goodness within you.

Great River

MAHANADI 

One of the most important rivers of east-central India is the Mahanadi, which drains an area of about 1,32,100sq km and has a total length of 900 km. The Mahanadi, whose name translates to ‘Great River’, flows through the states of Chhattisgarh and Odisha before ending its journey in the Bay of Bengal. The 26-km-long Hirakud Dam – the world’s longest earthen dam and one of the first major multipurpose river valley projects started after India’s independence – stands across this river.

The Mahanadi rises from the wild mountainous region of Bastar, about 40 km southeast of Raipur. As several mountain streams combine to form the river, its exact origin is difficult to pinpoint, but the closest source is tracked to a point 6 km from Pharsiya village near Sihawa town in the Dhamtari district of Chhattisgarh. For the first 100 km of its course, the Mahanadi trickles down as a small stream, with a valley width of only 500–600m, flowing northward past Raipur. On reaching the town of Sheorinarayan, it receives its first big tributary, the Shivnath. For the rest of its voyage the river flows eastward. It is joined by two more tributaries – the Jonkand Hasdeo – before entering Odisha near Sambalpur. By this time it has covered about half of its total length. About 10 km from Sambalpur, the Mahanadi is dammed by the Hirakud Dam, a composite structure of earth, concrete, and masonry spanning two hills, the Laxmidungri and Chandilidungri, and forming Asia’s largest artificial lake. 

Before the construction of the dam, the Mahanadi was notorious for its devastating floods that earned it the name of ‘Sorrow of Orissa’. However, the dam has reduced this problem to a great extent, with a network of canals, barrages and checkdams keeping the river well in control. As the river continues on its course, it is joined by several lesser streams including the Ib, Ong, and Tel. Skirting the boundaries of the Boudh district, it forces its way through a series of rapids between peaks and ledges till it arrives at Dholpur,Odisha. The rapids end here, and the river continues on its path to the Eastern Ghats, coursing its way through the 64-km-long Satkosia Gorge. It then joins the Odisha plains near Naraj, 14 km south of Cuttack, where it pours down between two hills that are a mile apart. Here, a barrage has been built to control the river’s flow into Cuttack.

Just before entering Cuttack, the river produces a distributary (the opposite of a tributary: a stream flowing away from a river) known as the Kathjori. The Kathjori splits up into numerous streams after entering the Puri district, and all of them flow into the Bay of Bengal. TheMahanadi itself flows eastward through the Cuttack district and enters the Bay of Bengal through multiple channels at False Point near Paradeep in Kendrapara district. 

The Mahanadi contributes much of the resources and facilitates for industrial development from east-central India to the east coast. The water potential of Mahanadi makes it the second largest in India after Godavari. Considered as the lifeline of east-central India, the Mahanadi River justifies its name given as the ‘Great (maha) River (nadi).

Do you know 

● The specific shape of the course of the Mahanadi River is geographically termed the ‘Horseshoe’ shape.

● Chilka Lake in Orissa gets over 60% of its inland flow from the Mahanadi River. It is a famous wetland site and a favourite visiting place for migratory birds.

Story of devotion and sacrifice

LEGEND OF DHARMAPADA

The Sun Temple of Konark has several fascinating legends associated with its construction and origin. One of the most popular stories is tied to the devotion and sacrifice of a young boy named Dharmapada.

According to the legend, King Narasimhadeva I commissioned the construction of the Sun Temple, and 1,200 artisans worked on it for 12 years. Despite their dedicated efforts, they struggled to install the crowning stone (kalasha) on the top of the temple, which was crucial for its completion.

The king had declared that if the temple was not completed within the stipulated time, all the artisans would be executed. As the deadline approached, the artisans became increasingly anxious. At that time, a 12-year-old boy named Dharmapada, the son of the chief architect Bishu Maharana, arrived at the site.

Though Bishu Maharana had left his home when his wife was pregnant, Dharmapada had grown up hearing about his father's work on the magnificent temple. When he learned of the artisans' plight, he examined the construction and ingeniously suggested a solution. Following his guidance, the crowning stone was finally placed, completing the temple.

However, the artisans feared that if the king learned a mere boy had succeeded where they had failed, they would still face punishment. To protect his father's reputation and save the artisans, Dharmapada made the ultimate sacrifice—he leapt into the waters of the Chandrabhaga River from the top of the temple.

The legend portrays Dharmapada as a symbol of wisdom, sacrifice, and dedication. Even today, his story resonates with the people of Odisha, adding a mystical aura to the majestic Sun Temple.

Power of words

A MAN AND THE BLIND BOY 

A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said, "I am blind. Please help."

There were only a few coins in the hat. 

A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took this sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by could see the new words.

Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon, the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. 

The boy recognised his footsteps and asked, "Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?" 

The man said, "I only wrote the truth. I wrote only what you had written, but in a different way."

What he had written was, "Today is a beautiful day, and I cannot see it."

Do you think the first sign and the second sign were saying the same thing? Of course, both signs told people that the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told the people they were so lucky that they were not blind. Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective?

Moral of the story: 

Be thankful for what you have. Be creative. Be innovative. Think differently and positively. 

Invite others towards good with wisdom. Live life with no excuses and love life with no regrets. When life gives you a hundred reasons to cry, show life that you have one thousand reasons to smile. Face your past without regrets. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear. Keep the faith and drop the fear. 

Great men say, life has to be an incessant process of repair and reconstruction, of discarding evil and developing goodness. 

In the journey of life, if you want to travel without fear, you must have the ticket of a good conscience. 

The most beautiful thing is to see a person smiling. And even more beautiful is knowing that you are the reason behind it.

The oldest giant tortoise

JONATHAN 

Jonathan is a Seychelles giant tortoise who lives on the tiny island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean. Born around 1832, he’s 192 years old! The world’s oldest living land animal, this gentle giant has a huge domed shell that is almost 1.2 m in length, strong, elephant-like legs and a long neck that helps him reach tasty leaves.

Today, Jonathan lives on the grounds of Plantation House, where the Governor of St Helena lives. He has a special vet who checks on him regularly, and his caretakers make sure he gets his favorite foods—fresh fruits and vegetables. Despite being nearly 200 years old, he still enjoys exploring his garden and meeting visitors from around the world!

Time-Traveling Tortoise! Jonathan has seen it all—watching our world change from horse-drawn carriages to self-driving cars. That’s Jonathan’s incredible story!

Jonathan was born around 1832. Back then, there were no cars, no phones, and definitely no video games! People rode horses, wrote letters by candlelight, and had never even dreamed of television. 

When he was middleaged, Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone (1876). People could talk to someone far away for the first time!

As Jonathan munched on grass in his home on St Helena Island, scientists discovered X-rays (1895), which let doctors see inside our bodies like magic.

By the time he was 100 years old, the first airplanes were soaring through the skies.

When he was about 125, penicillin was discovered (1928), a medicine that would save millions of lives.

From Earth to Space: Jonathan saw the launch of Sputnik (1957), Earth’s first artificial satellite. He was there when Neil Armstrong took his famous first steps on the Moon (1969). He’s lived to see robots exploring Mars and telescopes discovering thousands of planets around other stars! 

In Jonathan’s later years, he’s witnessed some mindblowing changes:

* Birth of the internet (1990s)

* Phones becoming tiny computers that we carry in our pockets.

* The rise of robots and artificial intelligence.

A Living Legend: While the world around him has changed dramatically, Jonathan keeps living his peaceful life on the island of St Helena. He’s like a bridge between the past and present—a remarkable animal who has seen more history than any human alive today! 

Long Live Jonathan!

Picture within a picture

DROSTE EFFECT 

Take a close look at this picture. The woman is holding a tray with a cup of hot chocolate and a packet of cocoa, which shows her own picture holding the same items! This creates a ‘picture within a picture’ effect.

In 1904, a newly launched cocoa tin gained a lot of attention. It featured a nurse holding a tray with the same cocoa tin and a cup of hot chocolate. If you looked closely or used a magnifying glass, the “second” picture on the tin also showed the same image. This repeating picture fascinated consumers, and the cocoa tin, made by Droste, a Dutch chocolate manufacturer, became an instant hit. This technique of repeating images within smaller insets is now known as the Droste effect.

The Droste effect is a visual form of recursion. Recursion is when something repeats itself over and over again. It is a concept used in a variety of disciplines, ranging from mathematics and computer science to art.

The Droste effect was earlier known as mise en abyme, French for ‘placed in the abyss’. It meant an infinite reproduction of an image, as when one stands between two mirrors. Renowned Dutch graphic artist M C Escher used it in many of his works, such as Print Gallery and Drawing Hands.

At one time, the Droste effect was popular in product packaging. Even today, it can be seen in some products. The Laughing Cow cheese brand for instance, has a picture of a cow wearing earrings. When seen closely, the earrings are images of the package, each with the picture of the cow!

Did the Droste effect inspire the creation of the Matryoshka doll? Not really. The Matryoshka doll developed independently in 19th-century Russia. It consists of a set of wooden dolls nesting one inside the other, with each smaller doll resembling the larger one. The Droste effect is more of a visual design concept while the Matryoshka doll is a physical object.