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take
a Trip
to hell
valley
Find out how Japanese macaques
battle sub-zero temperatures p32
R.N.I.MAHENG/2010/35422
contents A Times of India publication
TAKE
A TRIP
TO HELL
ANDREW NEWEY , Geoffrey Malins and John McDowell, esa/Andy Potts, Anup Shah and Fiona Rogers, yann hubert/flpa, illustrator: gluekit
Cover story
32 Northern Exposure
Anup Shah and Fiona Rodgers photograph Japanese
VALLEY
Find out how Japanese macaques
battle sub-zero temperatures p32
Macaques in Japan’s foreboding Hell Valley
features
24 Who Is The Greatest Genius?
Eminent scientists from across the globe nominate
their selection for history’s greatest mind
2 October 2014
24
58 38
12
81 Games Review
We review the biggest title in competitive
gaming, DOTA 2, and bring you nuggets of
gaming news from across the industry
82 Puzzle Pit
A veritable buffet of brain teasers guaranteed
to test your mind
88
86 Gadgets
Browse through a varied collection of some of
the coolest gadgets on the market
90 In Focus
By taming the Yangtze River and pioneering
irrigation, Yu the Great changed the course
of human history
66
from the editor
Take a trip to Hell Valley. This
issue carries a few testaments experts this issue
of tough times, visual journeys
into the worlds of nature and Will Gater is a prominent astronomy journalist
history when they have been and author. His articles have appeared in
Focus, New Scientist, and Astronomy Now.
at their demanding best. Don’t
Gater has a degree in astrophysics and is
be fooled by the cute pink also a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society. In this
faces of the Japanese macaques, issue, he analyses what Rosetta spacecraft’s arrival at its
it takes much more than hot destination means for space exploration. See page 38
geysers to keep these primates
thriving in extraordinarily Helen Pilcher is a former stem cell biologist
extreme temperatures. Read and see on page 32. My and holds a PhD in Neuroscience. She is
favourite and a must see is another photo essay, 10 currently a freelance science journalist,
Photographs That Made History, put together specialising in writing about biology,
with inputs from historians across the globe. These medicine, zoology, and unusual science stories. In this
issue, she examines the unbelievable science that our
are moments frozen for posterity that have come to
movies are full of. See page 46
define our past.
As always, this edition is packed with knowledge. Helen Czerski is a science presenter for BBC
and oceanographer working at the University
Find out about the how the structure of the DNA
College in London. In this issue, she rounds
was decoded and the special senses of some animals. up the fantastic abilities that animals posses
And for you young movie buffs, just in case nobody and how they use them. See page 66
has told you about the impossibility of half the stuff
your action hero does, please read The Science of Hannah Kent is the winner of multiple fiction
Blockbusters (page 46). writing awards, including 2014 Indie Awards
Debut Fiction Of The Year. She is the
Enjoy. co-founder and publisher of the literary
journal, Kill Your Darlings. In this issue, she takes us
back to Reykjavik, Iceland in the year 1828. See page78
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&
Your Questions Answered
Alastair Gunn Alastair is a radio presenter of Click on the BBC World Service. wwm.co.in We’re sorry, but we cannot
astronomer at Jodrell Bank Centre reply to questions individually.
for Astrophysics at the University of Luis Villazon
Manchester, UK. Luis has a BSc in computing and an MSc
in zoology from Oxford. His works include
Robert Matthews Robert is a writer How Cows Reach The Ground.
Why do humans show Why do some
people sweat more
affection by kissing? than others?
It’s not just humans that enjoy a In primates though, kissing
smooch; lots of animals have courtship might also be a behaviour that Receptors in the skin detect changes in
behaviours involving the mouth. has transferred from maternal the external temperature and pass this to
Pigeons touch beaks, cats and dogs feeding. We depend for our first the hypothalamus region of the brain,
nuzzle each other, male fruit flies lick meals on our ability to suckle, which can make the body sweat in
the females. At the most basic level, and the positive feedback response. An overweight person is better
kissing is just a way of tasting and mechanisms that evolved to insulated and has a smaller surface area to
touching a potential mate, as part of encourage infants to do this last volume ratio. Their core temperature
the process of assessing suitability. into adulthood. Kissing triggers will be higher for a given external
lots of hormone changes, temperature, simply because it’s
including raising oxytocin levels harder for them to dump excess
– the hormone that creates a metabolic heat, and they will
Even pigeons
sense of attachment. sweat more as a result. Fit
do it - well,
they touch Kissing is virtually universal people also sweat more than
beaks in all human cultures, so it’s normal. This is because
possible that it is instinctive. LV their bodies have
become conditioned
to start sweating
sooner in
response to
exercise, for
optimum cooling. LV
,000 ,
traditional hats enable them to
te c uild a
Separa ational proje by 2019.
rn r
the inte fusion reacto energy
nuclear is to generate the
t
The aim same way tha October 2014 7
in the d o e s
Sun
Q&A
If one of these
critters gets you One of Nature’s
don’t look to Friends great spectacles:
for medical advice the rings of Saturn
easily with cognitive behavioural BBC Knowledge sincerely apologises social situations such as public
therapy or hypnotherapy. for this image if you’re arachnophobic speaking (glossophobia), of snakes
More damaging to people’s lives is (ophidiophobia), of heights (acrophobia),
agoraphobia. The name literally means and of germs and dirt (mysophobia). SB
fear of the market place (from the Greek
8 October 2014
Q&A
Kids are merely
trying to avoid a
painful toxic death
when they refuse Why do children
to eat broccoli
dislike vegetables?
Our evolutionary ancestors lived with lots of
toxic plants and we evolved a gene that
makes the toxins in these plants taste bitter
to discourage us from eating them. Children
probably evolved a stronger aversion to bitter
tastes because they haven’t yet learned
which plants are dangerous. We learn which
plants are safe and lose half of our taste Even the empty space in this vacuum
receptors by the time we are 20, making chamber has a temperature
vegetables taste less bitter. LV
What temperature is
a vacuum?
Do animals have a sixth sense of The temperature of a substance is a
when disasters are about to strike? measure of the kinetic energy of its
constituents. So, for example, nitrogen
The idea that animals can predict reported that elephants could detect at room temperature consists of
impending natural disasters dates the stomping of others over 48km (30 molecules whizzing around with typical
back thousands of years, and miles) away, which may also allow speeds of over 1,800km/h. Yet in
anecdotes persist to this day. them to detect tremors ahead of the principle at least, a vacuum is utterly
Following the Indian Ocean main quake. Earthquakes also devoid of constituents, making this
earthquake and tsunami that struck release electromagnetic pulses and definition of temperature problematic.
on Boxing Day 2004, reports emerged positive ions which may be In practice, however, genuinely perfect
of elephants, buffalo and other detectable by animals. To get to the vacuums don’t exist. Quantum theory
animals running to higher ground bottom of the mystery, the space implies that even apparently ‘empty’
before disaster struck. More recently, agencies of Germany and Russia are space is seething with energy, as a
the respected Journal of Zoology collaborating on Project Icarus, consequence of the uncertainty
reported an exodus of toads from a which will tag around 1,000 birds and principle. The ‘hardest’ vacuum we
pond in L’Aquila, Italy, just before the bats and monitor them from space. know of in real-life – that is, the closest
town was struck by an earthquake in The aim is to find out if unusual to a perfect vacuum – is space, yet even
2009. The idea that animals can behavior is more common before this contains an average of around one
detect such events ahead of time has seismic events – a sign that animals particle per cubic metre, plus radiation
some credibility. In 1997, researchers have an ability to detect coming left behind from the Big Bang. After 14
at the University of California disaster. RM billion years, this radiation now has an
energy corresponding to a temperature
of around 3°C above absolute zero
Alamy X2, science photo library
STATS
VITAL
km
16,p4date9d5diameter Inof the
There were recent reports of bison fleeing the Yellowstone National Park, possibly because they could
sense an impending supervolcano about to erupt. At the time of writing, Yellowstone was still in existence
Is the u reat Red Spot. km
sG ,038
Jupiter’ measured 41 rinking
1800s it said to be sh
It’s ar
across. 933km per ye
by
Q&A
how it works
10 October 2014
Q&A
Can external sounds QuicKFIRE
influence your dreams?
Does every planet have
Yes. Many people have dreamed of a church bell an equator?
ringing or a fire engine’s siren, only to wake to The ‘equator’ of a planet is an
imaginary line on its surface,
the sound of their alarm. Sometimes dreams
equidistant from its poles. By
seem to build up gradually towards the final definition, any planet that rotates will
sound – walking miles to the church for therefore have poles and an equator.
example, or running through a blazing city Planets are formed by the
before the fire engine arrives. This may seem gravitational collapse of clouds of
impossible, or even paranormal, but it probably gas and dust around stars. Any initial
Kids: the ultimate rotation of this material will be
occurs as the brain tries to build a story from a in morning alarms greatly enhanced as the planet
lot of jumbled dream fragments as it wakes up. forms. In a turbulent Universe like
Dripping taps, distant voices, and traffic are ours, this means all planets will have
often claimed to affect dream content. a degree of rotation and hence
In recent experiments thousands of people equators. AG
have used an app that plays different
‘soundscapes’ when they are dreaming. Those
How would we
who listened to nature sounds were more likely keep time on Mars?
to report dreaming of greenery and flowers It’s a question that has already
while those who selected beach sounds were faced Earth-bound
more likely to dream of sunshine holidays. SB engineers monitoring
missions sent to
Mars. As a day on
the Red Planet lasts A day on Mars is
were shown photos of men with varying national cyber security. Most
blood being diverted from your brain to amounts of facial hair. When most of the governments base their defence
your stomach. The drowsiness is partly photos were of clean-shaven men the women plans on prevention, detection and
because your body activates a ‘rest and preferred the bearded ones, and vice versa. SB response. This is based partly on
digest’ mechanism (the opposite of the intelligence to spot threats from
criminal organisations or even hostile
‘fight or flight’ response) and partly
governments. Controversially, that
because high carbohydrate meals Bring back the involves harvesting terabytes of data
increase the levels of melatonin in the razor! We’re on web traffic and mobile phone
brain, which makes us feel sleepy. LV reaching ‘peak communications. GM
beard’ in Britain
nature | Snapshot
snapshot
ANDREW NEWEY
12 October 2014
What a buzz
A Sweet climb
When members of the Nepalese
Gurung tribe fancy a taste of
something sweet they have to get
it the hard way. Instead of simply
pottering to a supermarket to
pick up a jar of honey, these
men dangle 60m (200ft) in the
air, probing at the giant rounded
combs made by the world’s
largest honeybees, Apis laboriosa,
with bamboo poles. The bees
grow up to 3cm in length.
“In certain areas, this bee
would struggle to find big trees
with cavities, so it’s easier for
them to find a place where they
can nest underneath an overhang
of a cliff,” says BBC presenter
and insect expert Adam Hart.
The Gurung tribe brave these
mountain faces wearing very little
to protect themselves. But with
each hive containing up to 60kg,
the Gurung tribe deem the hunt
worth the risk. “We’re so used
to sugar being everywhere, but
historically this wasn’t the case
and people would go through
huge lengths to get hold of it,”
says Hart.
MARK MOFFETT/FLPA
nature | Snapshot
14 October 2014
Explosive altruism
Ant attack
As far as taking one for the team goes,
Borneo’s carpenter ants are up there
with the best of them. When attacked
by predators, such as the larger
worker ant pictured here, the bomb-
like bugs grab onto their assailants
and hit the self-destruct button,
spraying toxic yellow glue into the air.
“Ants have a mandibular gland
that is normally confined to the
head,” explains entomologist and BBC
presenter Adam Hart. “However, in
some species of carpenter ants the
gland is enormous and runs down
the length of the body. As a last-ditch
defence mechanism, the ant can
violently contract muscles that cause
its abdomen and the mandibular
glands to rupture. This sprays the
sticky, corrosive contents all over
its attacker.”
This defence mechanism is known
as ‘autothysis’ and is also seen in
some species of termite.
nature | Snapshot
Military mannequin
Sensory protection
This character is Porton Man, the
Ministry of Defence’s newest robot.
Taking its name from Porton Down,
the home of the Defence Science and
Technology Laboratory, it is used to
test the effectiveness of protective
military clothing.
“We have designed software that
enables the figure to run and walk at
different speeds and with different
styles of movement, such as a high-
stepping march,” says Jez Gibson-
Harris, director at i-bodi, the company
that built Porton Man. “The figure,
made out of carbon composites, can
simulate sitting, kneeling and sighting
a gun in a realistic manner. The head
is wirelessly controlled and can rotate
and tilt.”
After decking him out in state-of-
the-art protective clobber, Ministry
of Defence scientists then bombard
Porton Man with all manner of
chemical and biological weapons.
The 276 sensors – the metallic pits
all over his body – record exactly how
much damage makes it through the
protective gear.
PRESS ASSOCIATION
16 October 2014
update the latest
intelligence
Not so dumb
cavemen
Studies suggest that Neanderthals weren't
intellectually inferior to Homo Sapiens
I
f you thought Neanderthals evidence that Neanderthals
were simple-minded brutes probably herded bison,
that were driven to extinction mammoths and woolly
by the intellectually superior rhinoceroses to their deaths by
ancestors of modern humans, steering them off cliffs. This
it may be time to think again. implies that Neanderthals could
Neanderthals thrived in a large plan ahead and communicate
area of Europe and Asia between effectively as a group. Ochre – a
350,000 and 40,000 years ago, but kind of pigment that may have
died out after the arrival of been used for body painting – and
‘anatomically modern’ humans ornaments have also been found
from Africa. It has traditionally at Neanderthal sites, suggesting
been suggested that this was due they carried out complex cultural
to the newcomers’ more advanced rituals and used a symbolic
hunting and communication communication system.
skills, and ability to innovate and “Researchers were comparing
adapt. But a review of recent Neanderthals not to their
The Natural History Museum, London
What if he is right?
Woah there… that sounds Vacuum what? As the speed of light is
James like a bold claim? As photons – particles of used in cosmological
Franson It is. When, by international light – travel through space calculations, many
Professor of Physics agreement, the speed of there is a slight chance that measurements taken over
at the University of light in a vacuum was any given photon will split the last 30 years could
Maryland, USA determined in 1983 to be into an electron-positron be wrong. However,
299,792,458m/s, it was pair. These pairs exist Franson’s paper is yet to
largely assumed to be for a brief period before go through the peer
xxx
18
psychology SCIENCE
Neuroscience zoology
4.5
4.23
3.86
Average reported dice socre
3.8
Expected
result (3.5)
alamy, PETER LILEY
Research into
whether spiders
are fond of
Larks Owls pickled eggs is
Larks aren’t just at their best in the morning – they’re at their most honest, too still ongoing
xxx
October 2013 19
update the latest intelligence
Graphic science
Seeing research differently
Argentinosaurus
15m 97 million years old
Fossilised bones
Height
found at La Fle-
cha, Argentina
10m
20m tall
Roughly the height
of four giraffes
5m
0m
Discoveries don’t come much bigger than It is thought to be one of a new species of
this: palaeontologists in Argentina have titanosaur, a huge plant-eating dinosaur
found the remains of what is thought to that lived during the Cretaceous period.
be the largest creature ever to walk the The remains were first discovered by
Earth. Using the gigantic thighbones, a local farm worker in a desert near
or femurs, as a reference, scientists say La Flecha in Patagonia. The fossils
the animal was 40m long, 20m tall and were then excavated by a team from
weighed in at 77 tonnes, seven tonnes the Museum of Paleontology Egidio
heavier than the previous record holder Feruglio, which uncovered 150 bones A palaeontologist lies next to a femur
the Argentinosaurus. from seven animals. of the newly discovered titanosaur
20 October 2014
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/3542
2010
ENG/
.MAH
R.N.I
announcing
the hunt for
the smartest
Enter
students the definitive
all-India
across india school
quiz
WHO IS THE
W
hat defines a genius? Traditionally, it’s the ability to be
more original and skilled than anyone else, or the first to
glimpse new shores of knowledge. In science, flashes of
insight often go hand in hand with persistence and methodical
working practices. You could also give kudos to someone
who’s worked across multiple fields, or whose discoveries have
influenced the largest number of people. All these are arguments
made by the top scientists we’ve interviewed for this article.
This isn’t just a list of great scientists, though all the nominees
are unarguably great. Rather, it’s a celebration of individual
achievement. So vote for the greatest genius by logging onto
BBC Knowledge’s facebook page.
nominated by
What Kepler achieved was extraordinary. He was the person who made
sense of astronomy. He realised, following in the footsteps of Copernicus,
that the Sun is not the dead centre of the Universe and that the planets go
round in ellipses. He was a wonderful, weird character: incredibly short-
sighted and yet he gazed at the stars. He would get into fierce debates
with Galileo about tides and why they happen. Kepler quite correctly said
that it’s because of the Moon – he basically predicted gravity.
Kepler was very stubborn too. He worked for Tycho Brahe for a while,
who had been studying all this data about the Solar System but wouldn’t
let Kepler lay his hands on it. One of the stories goes that Kepler poisoned
him – certainly Brahe died under mysterious circumstances. Either way
Kepler managed to nick all his data, and use it for his own purposes. He Johannes
spent 16 years just creating model after model after model, until finally he
got into ellipses. For too long, circles obsessed him: circles were perfect,
circles were what his hero Copernicus had championed. It turned out
circles were wrong and it was the data that swung it. What stands out
Kepler
was Kepler’s willingness to just grind away at the mathematics. One 1571-1630
of the most important things about genius is persistence.
nominated by
Rosalind Franklin general consensus is that in her mind she knew what the structure
of DNA was before anyone else, but she wasn’t prepared to go out
there on a limb without knowing the evidence for sure. Perhaps
1920-1958 that’s something women suffer from even now: a lack of confidence
in their own convictions and their own findings. Perhaps if she did,
she might have aired her views earlier.
October 2014 25
History | Greatest genius
nominated by
For me, Aryabhatta, the famous Indian mathematician and astronomer who
wrote his first monumental classic on mathematics, Aryabhatiyam,
incorporating among other complex subjects, spherical trigonometry,
quadratic equations, and sine tables at an age of 23 years. His explanations
of sine tables (sine, cosine, versine and inverse sine) are considered the
forerunner of modern trigonometry. He was correct up to 4 places of
decimals in assigning values to sine and versine from 00 to 900 . In times
when computing systems were not evolved, he could comprehend the value
of π, again correct up to 4 decimal places and the circumference of earth to
Aryabhatta
99.80% accuracy. Many mathematicians give credit of knowledge of zero to
Aryabhatta as it is considered implicit in his place value system as a 476-550
placeholder for powers of ten.
He also hypothesised, contrary to existing views then that the earth rotates
on its axis daily and that solar and lunar eclipses were caused by shadows
cast by sun and moon on the earth. He calculated positions of the planets in
terms of distance from the earth and calculated the sidereal rotational value
of earth correct up to seconds (23:56:4.1 as against modern value of
23:56:4.091). His calculation of the length of the sidereal year was correct up
to 3 min and 20 seconds over a length of full one year. Such accuracy and
insight, independent of time and space, can only come from a real genius.
wikipedia, thinkstock, julia nottingham, getty
nominated by
Riemann
numbers has had a massive impact on the digital world.
Riemann created a new way of being able to talk about
geometry and numbers. His staggering breadth of work and
26 October 2014
greatest genius | history
Leonardo
da Vinci
1452-1519
nominated by
Da vinci was a mathematician, engineer, botanist, cartographer, and He tells us a lot about what it means to be a scientist. The idea that
much more, so it’s hard to single out one achievement. He was we have both artists and scientists is actually a fairly recent one. It’s
remarkable really. This is a guy who had no formal schooling. His trade only in the last couple of hundred years that we’ve made the distinction.
was a painter and he learnt what he did through deduction. Kids in school effectively have to chose between doing arts and science
Da Vinci’s studies in anatomy started with his desire to create subjects and cast themselves as one or the other, when actually doing
realistic figures and therefore wanting to know how the body was science well is a deeply creative endeavour, one that requires you
constructed. A lot of what he discovered in that process is consistent to observe and document the world in the same way that a good
with what we know today. When I look at his drawings they could easily artist would.
have been lifted from text books that I regularly refer to. This was in the I nominate him as my favourite genius not just because he excels in
1400s, so I think to dismiss him as an artist who just dabbled in science so many different spheres, but because he shows us what science is
would be a misstatement. really all about.
October 2014 27
History | Greatest genius
nominated by
Charles Darwin
wonderful works. He explained how coral atolls are formed,
published a huge tome on barnacles and wrote on the expression
of emotions in man and animals, and on carnivorous plants. My
particular favourite is his book – his little treatise he calls it – on
British orchids, Fertilisation Of Orchids. 1809-1882
Albert Einstein
nominated by
28 October 2014
Marie
Sklodowska
Curie
nominated by
nominated by
There are only four people who have won two Nobel Prizes and Marie
Curie was the first of them. She won a Nobel Prize in physics in 1903
for her work on radiation, and then one in chemistry in 1911 for the
discovery of the elements radium and polonium.
She did a lot of groundbreaking research looking into radiation and
James
into the fundamental nature of atoms. During the early 19th Century,
our knowledge of the atom was relatively limited. Her work was really
probing into exactly what matter consists of and getting a better
Lovelock understanding of the elements, and of the atom itself. And she made
all of her breakthroughs by slogging away in a lab. I think her genius
can be seen not only in her experiments and the physical doing of
1919-
getty X3, alamy
things, but also in her choices of exactly what to study. She had an
amazing insight to see where new science might be.
It’s also worth nothing that there weren’t many women doing
science at that time and I think the fact that she was doing work of
such a high standard as a woman in that era is impressive in itself.
October 2014 29
INSPIRING YOUNG MINDS THROUGH KNOWLEDGE OLYMPIADS
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• Landline No: 0124-4951200 • Mobile: 09312680855, 09312680857
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portfolio
32 October 2014
Portfolio | Nature
Warm together
This family of macaques was
photographed huddling together
on a particularly cold morning,
when the temperature was well
below freezing. Higher-ranking
families tend to stay in large
huddles for longer periods than
lower-ranking ones.
Nature | Portfolio
Barber talk
These adult macaques are
engaged in intensive
grooming. We saw very
few insects or debris being
removed from their fur, so it
seems likely that the
monkeys were working to
improve social bonding
rather than their hygiene.
Social Grooming
While her infant son swims
in the water – he is too short
for his feet to touch the floor
– a high-ranking female is
groomed by a female
relative in a thermal pool.
Since grooming strengthens
relationships (see above), it
comes as no surprise that
females who are
matrilineally related groom
each other more often than
unrelated individuals.
34 October 2014
“I am not
feeling cold”
This baby macaque has
just emerged from a
thermal pool. Though the
monkey’s fur is matted
and wet, it does not feel
cold. Its body retains heat
much better than humans
because its thick fur
means that it possesses
fewer sweat glands.
Close encounters
This family is huddling
together early in the morning.
A macaque pair usually
huddles tummy to tummy,
wriggling to get close so that
the fur on their stomachs
touches to trap the heat.
Portfolio | Nature
A mother’s touch
Bottom Females give birth
every other year – the baby is
usually born sometime
between midnight and dawn.
Pregnancy lasts about 180
days, and each female has,
on average, 10 babies during
her life. The species’
maximum life expectancy is
about 25–30 years.
October 2014 37
esa/Andy Potts
October 2014 39
s
ome 69km (43 miles) above the
Atlantic Ocean, things were
going very wrong for the
Ariane 5 rocket. Minutes previously,
it had thundered smoothly off the
pad in French Guiana carrying a
cargo of satellites. Now, though, its
engine nozzle had failed and it was
straying from its planned trajectory
dramatically. Less than eight minutes
after lift-off, the rocket self-
destructed, showering the sea below
with debris.
The malfunction would prove
costly in a multitude of ways, but for
the team working on the European
Space Agency’s Rosetta mission, it
marked the beginning of an
especially worrying period. The
same type of rocket was due to
propel their spacecraft skyward,
towards an historic rendezvous with
the comet 46P/Wirtanen, in January
2003 – less than four weeks later.
As launch day approached, it
became clear that the fallout from
the earlier Ariane 5 failure would see
Rosetta lose its one shot at reaching
the icy visitor. “Rosetta was
Rosetta launched onboard
effectively put in a shed, and no-one
an Ariane 5 rocket in 2004
knew what was going to be done,”
rocket meant that the mission missed taking its first long-distance images of to seven hours.
this launch opportunity. Churyumov-Gerasimenko.
Space exploration | Science
In August 2014,
Rosetta will finally
arrive at Churyumov- On 13 August 2015,
Gerasimenko. The Churyumov-
spacecraft will enter Gerasimenko will reach
orbit around the perihelion – that is,
comet and mimic its the point in its orbit
trajectory as it moves when it is closest to Rosetta’s mission is funded to last until
further into the inner the Sun. Scientists will December 2015. However, the team is
Solar System. November 2014 will see the historic event that be watching intently already exploring ways in which the
Rosetta scientists have been waiting years for: to see how the comet mission could be extended beyond this
the Philae lander will attempt to make a soft behaves here. point, when the craft’s fuel and power
landing on the comet’s nucleus. supplies will be dwindling.
October 2014 41
a snapshot, you don’t see much of an
evolution,” says Taylor. “With
Rosetta we’re going to get in within
one metre per second relative speed
with the comet for over a year.”
That will allow the scientists to
watch as the warmth of the Sun
causes the comet to vent thousands
of kilograms of dust and gas he says.
“We’ll be able to see regions of
Going boldly…
Rosetta’s most nail-biting moment,
though, will come this November,
when the spacecraft will send a small
lander, called Philae, to the frozen
surface of Churyumov-
Gerasimenko. Its instruments and
cameras should provide scientists
with an unprecedented view of a
cometary nucleus – the ice and rock
‘body’ of the comet. “As it touches
the surface, a little thruster will push
it down on the top,” says Taylor. “As
that occurs, ice screws from each of
the three feet will punch down into
the surface and then two harpoons
will fire down.”
Once it’s securely on the comet, If you’re going to spend 10
Philae will start to collect and
analyse samples as well as send back years and a billion Euros to
high-resolution pictures of its get to a comet, you’d best
esa/Andy Potts
surroundings. It’ll also work with make sure you’re carrying the
Rosetta to examine the three-
right equipment to study it
dimensional interior structure of
Churyumov-Gerasimenko using properly when you get there…
radio waves.
42 October 2014
Space exploration | Science
Science | Space exploration
monitoring these bodies,” he says. “They from the leftovers of that process we had
were originally seen as something that the comets, hurled out into deep freeze
signal] and be able to build up a
was a sign of foreboding, of something beyond the outskirts of the Solar System,
reasonably accurate picture of what
bad happening.” as well as the asteroid belt.”
Taylor likens the task of unravelling a
the nucleus looks like.”
comet’s history to that of forensic experts Taylor is confident the lander will
at a crime scene. “You pick up dust in a make it down to Churyumov-
forensic scene to get clues as to what Gerasimenko. “It is very risky,” he
was going on and who was there,” he admits. “But then if it was easy, we’d
says. “In the same way we’ll gather dust, have done it already.”
chemicals and isotopes from the comet’s
coma to work out where it came from,
Will Gater is an astronomy
how it got to where it is today and also
journalist and author.
what was going on at that time.”
44 October 2014
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Octobe
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Science | Blockbuster movie science
blockb
illustrator tim mcdonagh
46 October 2014
usters
Can you be hit by a
bullet and keep on
fighting, or escape from
a sinking car? Helen
Pilcher ponders the
implausible action in
big-budget movies
October 2014 47
Science | Blockbuster movie science
SURVIVE nearby
EXPLOSIONs
the Scene of injury is increased. “If you’re close
A bomb explodes nearby. enough to the blast, you’re one of the
The hero must f lee the things that’s thrown,” says Michelle
blast uncharred and unharmed. Hoffman of Biodynamics
Engineering, a US company that
studies the physics behind accidents.
The Science No one, except the most extreme
Powerful explosives of terrorists, plans to be near a bomb
generate a sphere of compressed, when it blows, so for the most part,
rapidly expanding gas travelling survival comes down to good
faster than the speed of sound. fortune – the size and type of the
Although this blast wave lasts just a bomb and your distance from it.
few milliseconds, it can cause ‘hidden’ America’s Federal Emergency
injuries whose effects may not Management Agency offers
become apparent for several days, guidelines on safe evacuation
including brain trauma and ‘blast distances for bombs. To avoid injury
lung,’ a potentially fatal from a suicide bomber wearing 9kg
haemorrhaging of the lungs. (20lb) of TNT, stand at least 415m
Immediately after comes a back. Or a mile back from a van
hurricane force blast wind of packed with 13,607kg (30,000lb) of
negative pressure that can raze the same.
buildings, shatter glass, and throw
debris large distances. Flying debris
can eviscerate, amputate and Is it plausible?
disintegrate body parts, smash bones, Get real. Stand too
cause deep penetrating wounds and close and no-one is
kill. The heat from the explosion can going to walk away from an
cause burns and if the bomb is laced explosion unharmed. Not even
with nails or other shrapnel, the risk Iron Man.
48 October 2014
Blockbuster movie science | Science
being shot
slower, pointier bullets can pass Parris Ward from Biodynamics
straight through a body, and Engineering, which simulates
because skin and tissue are wound ballistics for legal cases.
elastic, the cavity created may “I’ve also had cases where
close up. There doesn’t have to people didn’t realise they’d
be huge, immediate blood loss, been shot in the leg because the
the Scene ballistics. Travelling at speeds and a person may be able to bullet didn’t hit a bone or an
The villain is shot of well over 250 metres per keep going, especially if fuelled artery.”
several times, but second, bullets are pumped by methamphetamine, adrenalin
just keeps on going, with kinetic energy, much of or the like.
Terminator’ style. which is then rudely transferred Whether or not you fall or Is it
to the unlucky target. The f lee also depends on where you plausible?
injury inf licted is related to are hit. A shot to the spine or Provided your vital
The Science this kinetic energy, which in head will stop you in your organs don’t take a hit and the
The scientific study turn is related to the bullet’s tracks. But if the bullets miss bullet is on the dainty side, you
of what bullets do size and velocity. High-speed, vital organs, you may be able to may be able to keep going, but
to bodies is called wound high-calibre bullets are likely keep going, for a while at least. not for long. If the bullet
to f loor a man, as are bullets “I’ve had cases where people doesn’t f loor you, blood loss
designed to expand on impact, have been shot through a major eventually will.
October 2014 49
Science | Blockbuster movie science
be thrown
Giesbrecht, who reconstructs if you get out fast… or are in
underwater escapes from cars James Bond’s Lotus Esprit.
in outdoor gravel pits. In
reality, you have about a
minute to get out alive –
the time it takes for the
through glass
water to seep in and stop
the electric windows the Scene glass, used in skylights,
from working. A hero is hurled skyscrapers and storefronts, is
Giesbrecht’s advice: through a window. incredibly strong. “You can
take your They have a smashing time, but jump up and down on it, or hit
don’t get hurt. it with a huge metal ball and it
still doesn’t break,” says
materials scientist Mark
the Science Miodownik from University
In the movies, College London. If it does
breakable windows yield it creates a hole, but the
are made from sugary stunt rest of the glass doesn’t shatter.
glass. But in the real world,
there are many types of glass
and your injuries will depend is it
on which you have the plausible?
misfortune to meet. Plate glass, The safest way to
commonly used in buildings, exit a window, undoubtedly, is
illustrator tim mcdonagh
50 October 2014
Blockbuster movie science | Science
fall from
a building
the Scene
A hero falls spectacularly
from a building –
and survives.
the Science
“It’s not the fall that kills
you, but the sudden stop at the end,”
says Michelle Hoffman who analyses
falls at Biodynamics Engineering in
Phoenix, Arizona. In the movies, falls
are commonly slowed by trees, power
lines, roofs, and the like. “Awnings are
good,” says Hoffman. “Multiple
awnings are really good.” Dividing one
big fall into multiple smaller ones slows
your descent, reducing the force
of impact and increasing the odds
of survival.
For the same reason, what you land
on is also important – you come to a
stop more quickly on concrete than you
do on bark chips. A few years
ago in Melbourne, Australia, a young
woman attempting suicide by
jumping from a freeway bridge
survived by accidentally landing on
the back of a truck carrying fruit in
cardboard boxes.
How you hit the ground also
inf luences whether or not you
survive. Land head first from
any height and you’re dead.
Land on your back, spreadeagled,
and by spreading your weight over
the largest area possible, you might
just live to see another day.
is it plausible?
Plausible but unlikely.
‘Survival’ is, after all,
relative. “If you fell from a 10-storey
building into a 6ft-deep snowbank
and landed on your back with your
arms out, there’s a pretty good chance
you could survive,” says Hoffman.
“But that doesn’t mean you can hop up
and run around.” Brain injury, skull
fractures, broken bones and chest
trauma are common.
October 2014 51
use a car door as
a bullet shield
the Scene rif le bullets travelling at up to 850
Besieged by gunfire, a metres per second. “Police officers
cop saves his bacon by do get shot through car doors,”
sheltering behind a car door. says Fleenor. Fear not, though.
If you’ve upwards of $6,000 to
spend, IAC can reinforce your
the Science car doors with ballistic steel and
The average car door lightweight, laminated fibres,
offers virtually no enabling them to shrug off most
protection from gunshot wounds. high-speed, non-armour-
“A handgun bullet can go in one piercing shells.
car door and out the other,” says
ballistics expert Tom Fleenor
from US company International is it
Armoring Corporation (IAC). plausible?
American police cars with their Not unless you happen
Kevlar-reinforced doors might to own a bona fide armoured
offer protection from handgun vehicle, or have pimped your ride
fire, but not from high-powered into a mobile panic room.
Jump from one The Scene bigger the force and the more
illustrator tim mcdonagh
train to another
roof of a fast-moving Remove the threat of
train being chased by a baddie. decapitation by bridges,
They must a) not fall off, b) run electrocution by overhead
away and c) leap across carriages power lines and serious injury
looking cool. by precipitous falls, and the
scenario is not so different
from being in a wind tunnel.
the Science “You can just about stand
As a train moves in winds of 60mph,” says
forward, the air forced over its David Marshall, manager of
roof creates a resistive force Southampton University’s
opposing any would-be train wind tunnel. “But you’d
surfer. The faster the train, the struggle to walk and you
Blockbuster movie science | Science
slice through
steel with a blade
the Scene the steel it’s cutting.” So it’s best
A samurai cuts to make your sword relatively
effortlessly through thick, and coat it with tungsten
steel using nothing but muscle carbide: with a melting point of
power and a sword. 2,870°C, this will stop the blade
from melting. Or just hope the
steel you’re slicing is as wimpy as
the Science a tin can. “If steel is thin enough,
Who needs you can cut it with scissors,” says
adamantium, the Miodownik.
indestructible metal used by
Wolverine that can cut through
anything? In industry, carbide- is it plausible?
tipped steel rotary blades are used Machines can do it,
to cut steel. “A steel sword could but we humans lack
do the same thing in principle,” the muscle power to wield a
says materials scientist Mark sword fast enough to cut through
Miodownik. “But it would need thick steel – unless you’re a
a high enough velocity to melt mutant freak, that is.
certainly can’t run. And if you sideways jolt to the carriage is In 2012, a 24-year-old
tried to jump, the wind would likely to physically tip you over Moldovan man got off lightly
pull you backwards.” the edge. when he was arrested for
In India, the Bhopal Shatabdi surfing a Russian Sapsan
Helen Pilcher is a science
Express trains reaches speeds of train wearing nothing but writer and comedian.
around 160km/h, engineering is it purple pants, but many others
works permitting, while plausible? have died.
elsewhere, magnetic levitation Indian trains are
or ‘maglev’ trains notch up top more likely to run on time
velocities of over 480km/h than you are to run along the
(300mph). Attempt the same roof of a speeding train and not
thing on one of these moving get seriously injured or killed.
at full pelt and it’s not going to But that doesn’t stop some
end well. Added to that, any adrenalin junkies from illegally
imperfection on the line or hitching train roof rides.
Beat the price hike
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History | History of science
Blood transfusions
E
arly attempts to transfuse blood into facilitate battlefield transfusions, while it
humans often proved fatal because of was an American physician, Oswald Hope
an immune response that destroys red Robertson, who created the first blood bank
blood cells. In 1901, Karl Landsteiner of in France during the war.
Austria discovered that humans had different These transfusions required blood
blood groups and in 1907, the Czech Jan collection and typing, storage and accurate
Janský identified four distinct groups. matching of blood type from donor to
The first transfusion of stored blood was patient. Doing this helped forge new
performed in 1914 by Belgian physician links between civil servants and the Blood transfusions
became common
Albert Hustin. British surgeon Geoffrey medical profession that would prove during the last two
Keynes would later devise a portable essential for later developments such as years of the war
machine to preserve blood which would the National Health Service.
56 / FOCUS / AUGUST
SUM M ER2014
2014
XXXXXX
Aviation
Early aeroplanes were handicapped by the
weight of their engines, which had steel
radiators and water for cooling. In 1908,
French engineers invented the rotary
engine, which had spinning, air-cooled
cylinders. Aircraft engines in 1914
produced a measly 50hp, but the output
was soon greatly improved by British,
French and German engine manufacturers
competing for aerial supremacy.
For example, the Rolls-Royce Eagle
and Falcon were the first in a famous
line of engines.The Mark VII had 375hp,
powering the Vimy heavy bomber that
John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown
flew across the Atlantic in June 1919.
Better wings were also developed to
exploit the power of these new engines.
At the Institute for Theoretical Physics
at the University of Göttingen, Ludwig
Prandtl did pioneering work on aerofoils,
drag and the lift properties of wings.
Using a wind tunnel, Prandtl pioneered
the science of aerodynamics and created
the ‘thick wing’ that gave fighter planes
the ability to climb at much steeper angles
without stalling.
Better aircraft needed better control
systems and navigation. Early ground-
to-air signalling used flags and lamps. But
in 1916, technicians in San Diego sent
a radio message 225km (140 miles), and
then messages between planes. By 1917, In 1919, Alcock and Brown made the first non-stop
the US Army had two-way radios on its transatlantic flight in a World War I Vimy bomber
fighter planes in France.
Sanitary towels
science and society x4, science photo library
Public health had improved greatly during the 19th Century, and World
War I witnessed further improvements with the development of the sanitary
towel. Where women had traditionally used washable underwear or rags,
French nurses on the frontline were the first to employ the newly invented
cellulose material that was used for wartime bandages. British and American
nurses soon adopted the same practice, as did many women in uniform. In
1920, US company Kimberly-Clark began to produce ‘cellucotton’ sanitary
towels commercially under the brand name Kotex (cotton plus texture).
October 2014 57
photographs
10
that made history
To mark the 175th anniversary of the
daguerreotype process – a precursor of modern
photography – we asked 10 leading historians to
select what they consider to be some of the
most important photographs of all time.
Interviews by Charlotte Hodgman
October 2014 59
History | 10 photographs that made history
A lone protest in
Tiananmen Square
Beijing, 5 June 1989
60 October 2014
Photographer: Alexander Gardner The dead of Antietam
Nr Sharpsburg, Maryland, 19 September 1862
October 2014 61
The nightmare
of Hiroshima
Enola Gay, 6 August 1945
44
10 photographs that made history | history
October 2014 63
History | 10 photographs that made history
Photographer: unknown
October 2014 65
nature | zoology
ANIMAL
SUPERSENSES
There are animals with keener hearing and sharper eyes
than us, but as Helen Czerski reveals, some creatures
have different sensory systems altogether
bbc, thinkstock x3, robert harding, getty
66 October 2014
dolphin
hearing
a master of acoustics
The mammalian ear is a 3Hz. The toothed whales went
sensory marvel. Our ears the other way, using high-
funnel sound down to the inner frequency echolocation to hunt.
ear, the cochlea, into a fluid- It’s thought that some dolphins
filled tube lined with hairs. can hear up to 280kHz. So this
Different parts of the tube technique for hearing works
vibrate in response to different over at least 17 octaves, a
frequencies, and so as a sound huge range, although no single
travels down the tube, the fluid animal can hear all of it.
vibrates in specific places But in spite of having very
along its length. The tiny hairs sensitive hearing, whales and
are moved by the vibrating dolphins don’t have external
fluid, and they send nerve ears. There’s no need, because
signals to the brain. sound travels from water into
Evolution has shown just the dolphin’s body quite easily.
how much the ear is capable Sound travelling through air
of. About 50 million years ago, will just bounce off your body,
there was a land mammal so land mammals need an
called a pakicetid. The external ear to help steer the
descendants of this animal sound inside. Instead of being
moved into the ocean, and funnelled down a small hole
split into two groups: baleen on the side of the dolphin’s
whales, like the blue and fin head, most of the sound
whales, and toothed whales, passes directly into the lower
like orca, dolphins and sperm jaw and along the bone to
whales. The baleen whales reach the ear. Their whole
evolved to use very deep jaw is doing the listening.
sounds to communicate, and So for a dolphin, there’s no
their cochlea is adapted to equivalent of sticking your
hear frequencies as low as fingers in your ears!
68 October 2014
zoology | nature
How we compare
When it comes to hearing, humans
are pretty impressive. We can hear
about 10 octaves, from around
20Hz to 20kHz. We can also detect
a huge range of loudness without
damaging our ears. The faintest
sounds that we can hear move our
eardrum a million times less than
the loudest sounds we can hear. Of
all our senses, hearing is probably
the one we are best equipped
for, and the one we notice the least.
Ear
How we compare
We live in an environment buzzing with
electric fields of one sort or another, In experiments
but even if we could sense them, most The position of the platypuses were
of the time there would be nothing platypus’s electro-sensors able to detect an
to detect. That’s because we live can be seen here as solid red object set at 2Hz
in air, which is a poor conductor of areas on the right and left of from roughly 30cm
electricity. If we did have this sense, the beak; its touch receptors away. The range of
we’d rarely be able to notice it. The are shown as open rings. It’s the beak is shown
closest we come to electro-sensing is thought the animal may have here in red
being able to feel our hairs stand up on 100,000 individual sensors
end if there’s a balloon charged with
static electricity nearby.
zoology | nature
Shark Scale
October 2014 71
The catfish is able to enjoy
the taste of its dinner long
before it actually eats it
72 October 2014
zoology | nature
Cape of Good Hope and finally Africa. In his second Promoting the Discovery of the Interior Parts of Africa
voyage (1772) he circumnavigated the course to search for the source of the Niger River. After
around Antarctica and discovered several islands learning Arabic in Cambridge University, he left for
chains in the Pacific Ocean. His third and final Cairo and adopted the name of Sheikh Ibrahim Ibn
voyage in 1776 was when he headed east of the Abdallah. It was on the trip to Nazareth, when he
Indian Ocean, where he navigated a route between overhead locals talk about ruins near the tomb of
the North and South of New Zealand islands, called Aaron, Moses’s brother. Under the guise of wanting to
Cook Strait and sailed to North America. sacrifice a goat, Burckhardt hired a local guide to the
ruins, which he identified as the rose-city of Petra in
1812. Afraid of being unmasked as an infidel and
74 October 2014 killed, he sacrificed his goat and resumed his journey
to Cairo. While he discovered the lost city of Petra, he
never did find the source of the Niger River.
David Livingstone - Explored Africa
David Livingstone, in his role as a medical missionary to Africa, explored
and mapped many of the regions of the continent. His first expedition
was across the Kalahari Desert towards the north, where he sighted the
Upper Zambesi River (1849). To discover routes for commercial avenues,
he mapped the region providing westerners with a detailed map of the
central and southern region of Africa. Continuing on the path of the river, in
1855, he came across a waterfall, which locals called Mosi-oa-Tunya – the
Smoke that Thunders, which he renamed Victoria Falls in honour of Queen
Victoria. A year later, he reached the mouth of Zambesi River on the Indian
Ocean, becoming the first European to travel from the west to the east coast
of southern Africa. After an interlude in Britain, he returned to Africa twice,
first to lead the failed Zambesi expedition (1858) to examine the natural
resources of the region and open the river. His final expedition landed him in
Zanzibar (1866) to find the source of the River Nile, whereupon he was
reported missing from his last port of call, Lake Tanganyika.
DNA
Before the discovery of the gene-carrying
molecule DNA, we had no idea of the
fundamental mechanics of life. How we
described its iconic double helix form is one of
the greatest scientific achievements
I
t’s the key to all life on Earth: a simple molecule Need to Know
known as DNA that sits in every cell of your body.
Nucleotide Phosphate groups, along with
It took several breakthroughs to realise its true The basic subunit of DNA. Each deoxyribose sugars, make up
form and understand the extent of its role in biology, nucleotide is made up of a base the ‘backbone’ of the long
triggering a scientific revolution. (the ‘letters’ of DNA: adenine, DNA molecule.
guanine, thymine or cytosine),
a sugar and a phosphate group. X-ray crystallography
The nucleotides form the two This is the study of the structure
The Key discovery parallel complementary chains of
DNA, with adenine matched to
of crystals by firing X-rays at
them.The X-rays bounce off the
It was a photo taken by biophysicist and crystallographer Rosalind thymine and guanine to cytosine. regular arrangements of atoms
Franklin that held the key to determining the make-up and structure in crystals, and the patterns they
of the DNA molecule Phosphate group make are captured on film. An
A phosphorous atom equation is then used to work
Rosalind Franklin’s key experiment represent the planes of symmetry surrounded by oxygen atoms. out the crystal’s structure.
– the results of which James in a helix viewed from the side;
Watson glimpsed – was a series of the ‘zig’ and the ‘zag’ of its turns.
painstaking X-ray crystallography There are 10 spots on each arm The famous ‘Photo
experiments with DNA samples of the cross before you reach 51’, taken via X-ray
containing different amounts the large black patch at the top, crystallography by
of water. The most famous which corresponds with 10 bases Rosalind Franklin, that
outcome of this is May 1952’s stacked one on top of the other in reveals DNA’s double
‘photo 51’ (see right), which each turn of the helix. The fourth helix structure
revealed key details about the blob from the centre is missing,
structure of DNA. which indicates that one strand
The more a feature is repeated of DNA is slightly offset against
within a structure, the more the the other.
film will be bombarded with Rosalind Franklin turned her
X-rays diffracted in the same way, attention to photo 51 in early
and the darker the corresponding 1953. Her notebooks suggest
patch in the image. The large dark that she had gleaned all its
patches at the top and bottom of key information and may,
the picture represent DNA’s bases, in time, have reached the
and the X-shaped blobs indicate a same conclusions as Watson
helix. The arms of the cross and Crick.
76 October 2014
How do we know | Science
cast of characters It took the efforts of these science greats to finally realise the structure of DNA
timeline A series of experiments, which started in the 19th Century, culminated in DNA’s structure being unravelled in 1953
1869 1912-14 1920 1952 1953
Phoebus Levene discovers Watson and Crick propose
Friedrich Miescher nucleotides – the Rosalind Franklin takes ‘Photo a model for the structure
discovers DNA in his combination of a sugar, 51’, a highly detailed image of the DNA molecule.
preparations of white base and phosphate group of the ‘B’ or hydrated form of They publish the structure
blood cells extracted – and suggests they form DNA. The photo is later seen in the scientific journal
from the pus in surgical short lengths of DNA called by James Watson (pictured) Nature and suggest that
bandages. He calls ‘tetranucleotides’. without her knowledge. the structure indicates
it ‘nuclein’. DNA’s function.
1937
Florence Bell arrives in
William Astbury’s lab and
takes the first X-ray images
William Henry Bragg and of DNA (pictured). Astbury
son William Lawrence Bragg makes an attempt at a
lay the foundations for the structure the following year.
field of X-ray crystallography
when they realise they
can infer the structure of
crystals from the patterns of Katherine Nightingale is a
scattered X-rays. science writer with a degree in
molecular biology.
History | ye olde travel guide
1828
holidays series, in which experts imagine
they’re writing a travel guide in the past,
Hannah Kent invites visitors to sample the
raw beauty of Iceland’s largest settlement
Y
ou can expect a warm welcome from Icelanders – you’ll need it if you are to
conquer the country’s famously harsh climate, not to mention its cramped
accommodation and putrefied shark flesh
supply of writing materials, candles in shops – fining those with defective plans. As well as the perishing cold, the
and food won’t go amiss. Remember, measures – and Icelanders pour in from wind can blow so violently as to make
also, to bring gifts for those who may the outer reaches of the country with travel near impossible.
accommodate or guide you. Books fish, salted mutton, tallow, wool, skins, Many parts of Iceland are home to
– rare and therefore treasured in this feathers and sulphur to trade for hooks live volcanoes, and earthquakes are
country – are a good idea. and line, cotton, and indigo. frequent. The eruption known as
Skaftáreldar occurred only 45 years
Costs and money ago, poisoning water and animals, and
wiping out a quarter of the population.
“Parts of Iceland
Bring a money pouch well stocked
with Danish rigsdaler to buy anything Should you see smoke on the horizon,
from the merchants in Reykjavik: all prepare for a swift departure.
are Danish (the country is currently
under Danish rule) and notorious
are home to live Other annoyances include the absence
of doctors, an almost total lack of fresh
swindlers of Icelanders, who suffer
under their monopoly on trading. volcanoes, and fruit, damp lodgings and unavoidable
bed bugs. Smallpox, leprosy, and
Should you wish to purchase items
from the native countrymen, liquor, earthquakes tuberculosis are also rife.
October 2014 79
edu talk
Dr Saini, Principal of Delhi Public School, R. K. Puram speaks to Moshita Prajapati on the need to
strike a balance between theoretical and practical learning in India
What is the motto of Delhi Public School it with the West, parents there want an overall
R. K. Puram and how is it inculcated into educational, social, and physical development
everyday learning? for their child. And this becomes evident when
Our school motto is Service Before Self and you see their CV. Apart from good grades, the
through this principle, we provide an education students have interest in a wide range of extra-
to our students, which fosters development of curricular activities that they have taken part
their mind intellectually, inculcates the desired in. So you see the focus in schools abroad is on
social skills, and educates them on values of studies along with extra-curricular activities.
good health. This is achieved through good However in our country, the focus is only on
teaching skills and promoting a happy teaching marks. Now, from a practical point of view, just
learning environment. having a good mark sheet is not good enough.
Yes, you need those marks for admissions into
How would you describe the DPS culture? universities here, but for an overall development
Every school has a different culture, different a lot more is needed. What parents don’t realise
perspective, and a different system of is that you have to give weightage
educating their students. At DPS, we to other aspects of education and
consider parents as the most important learning in your child’s life because
stakeholders because the child belongs ‘I have noticed that I firmly believe that true education is
to them and they dream of a happy and
the educational system to think intensively and critically. It is
secure future for their child. In India, intelligence of the mind and integrity
they invest everything for their child’s abroad is more focused of character.
education. They play a very significant on practical learning than
role in laying and building a strong
foundation of a beautiful relationship
theory learning.’ As DPS has branches worldwide,
could you offer insights into how
between the student and the school. the Indian educational system
And we as the management of the differs from other countries?
school try to synchronise the energy During many of my international
and synergy between the parents and trips as part of my work, I have
the school by promoting unity within diversity, subjects they appeared for! This is a record of a noticed that the educational system abroad
ensuring solidarity of relationships through kind. Our students have secured admissions to is more focused on practical learning than
transparency and accountability. reputed universities abroad and in IITs and IIMs theoretical learning. They give equal importance
in the country. They have also won scholarships to both these forms of learning, while here in
What sets DPS apart from other schools? or have been granted financial aid to a tune of India; we give 70% importance to theory and
To provide an overall educational development `57 crores and `50 lakhs. In sports too, many the remaining 30% to practical learning. In
to the students, we have noted and marked former alumni have won awards and recognition countries abroad, they are providing them with
down five essential principles to success, which from the Government of India and excelled in opportunities to see a problem first hand and
we have to follow to reach our desired goals various international sporting events. Jemima derive logical solutions to the problem, thereby
and destination. They are Passion, Perfection, Khan, a young student of ours, who has a developing their mental faculties with practical
Performance, Patience, and Position. These passion for music, has won numerous musical skills. Here, our students are not given the
are an intrinsic part of our DPS culture and we awards and scholarships. She was invited to opportunities to solve a problem practically,
give equal weightage to the students as per perform at the Commonwealth Youth Orchestra so they don’t develop the skill. So if an instance
their ability and capability. My students are 2014 at Glasgow. comes, where our students interact with their
encouraged and supported to not only focus foreign counterparts, they hear of anecdotes
on academics but also focus on other walks How do you perceive the mind set of Indian where they are sharing stories of their practical
of life such as sports, music, etc and grow parents when it comes to education? work, which leads to our students developing
up as holistic personalities who can take up Every parent wishes for good academic record an inferiority complex. So whilst their students
multifaceted roles in life. This year, 118 students and high percentage for their child. But there is are better at performing in life, ours are only
from class XII scored 100 % marks in the a problem regarding this in India. If you compare good in academics.
80 October 2014
games review games preview
Dota 2 Cross to the Dark Side
F
rom the coin arcades of the 80s to the halfway line, and the approaches to both
present day LAN cafes, gamers have team’s bases are protected by fortifica-
always been drawn to competitive tions within their own half.
formats that pit them against their peers. Co-operating with team-mates is a
Over the years, competitive gaming has must, as all five Heroes need to work WWE 2K15’s international release date has
evolved into e-sports, and the biggest together to defend their base and push been confirmed as 31 October, 2014. This
title in this domain is Defense Of The towards the enemy’s. The game ends edition of the franchise promises players the
Ancients 2 (DOTA 2). only with the destruction of one team’s chance to relive epic feuds in WWE’s history
A Multiplayer Online Battle Arena Ancient, so it is not unheard of for a through its Showcase Mode, including the
(MOBA) game, DOTA 2 is the successor to team that is lagging behind in kills to controversial Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels
the highly popular Defense of the Ancients, win a game. story arc of 2002 – 2004.
which began as a fan-made mode for the From its original iteration as Defense
game Warcraft III. Developed by Valve, the of the Ancients to the DOTA 2 of today, it
premise is deceptively simple: two teams of has always been one of the most popular Killing is my business
five players square off against one another titles at gaming cafes and tournaments.
and attempt to destroy a relic, known as an In fact, it’s quite possible that DOTA 2 In an unlikely
Ancient, situated in the opponent’s fortress will bring e-sports the legitimacy its crossover, an
across the map. fans crave. The fourth edition of the official Assassins
worldwide DOTA 2 championships, The Creed/Monopoly
The game has been described as a
crossover is
combination of football and chess. Though International, just concluded and its final
available for fans
the map is always the same, the possibilities match was watched live by an audience of both franchises.
are endless. Players choose their characters of 10,000, with an online audience of 20 The popular video
from a roster of over a 100 Heroes, each million. No mention of The Interna- game transitions to being a board game, with
with their own unique set of abilities or tional 2014 would be complete without the traditional Monopoly pieces being replaced
spells. Players gain gold and experience by pointing to the prize pool of $10.93 by easily recognisable characters and
killing Non Playable Characters, known as million, with the winning team structures from the series.
Creeps, to buy items that augment their receiving $5 million. Not a bad return
skills and gain levels. The map is divided for playing videogames all day! - Compiled by Dushyant Shekhawat
in exciting
Solve & W e hampers
chocolat 550 from
worth `
puzzle pit
Questions and challenges guaranteed
to give your brain a workout
Crossword NO.23
Across
7 Amjad Ali Khan's forte (5)
8 Certifies, confirms or authenticates (9)
10 One who damages valuable things (6)
11 Told; gave knowledge of (8)
12 Michael _____ : ex-captain of the English
cricket team? (8)
13 Board-game - "loud" anagram (4)
15 Goddess of wealth and prosperity for us
Indians (7)
17 Sri Lanka, Malta, Ireland, et al.? (7)
20 Whisk, agitate (4)
22 2014 Wimbledon Champion (8)
25 Regal, kingly (8)
26 Become loved (6)
27 Competitor or team or horse expected to
win? (9)
28 Aspect or point of view (5)
Down
1 Jaipur is the capital of this state (9)
2 Virtue, excellence or kindness (8) Your Details
3 Units of angular measure (7) Name:
4 Hidden dangers, booby traps (8) Age:
5 Capital of Spain (6)
Address:
6 Victim of Hansen's disease? (5)
9 Conspire or scheme (4)
14 Praiseworthy (9)
16 Authorising delay of payment - "root army" PinCode:
anagram? (8) Tel: Mobile:
18 Evading or sidestepping or dodging (8) School/Institution/Occupation:
19 Teach (7)
21 Vibration; involuntary shaking (6)
Email:
23 Bovine animals (4)
24 Akbar's grandfather (5)
✂
How to enter for the country to country. Novices should note Announcing the winner of Solution of crossword NO. 22
crossword: Post your entries to BBC that the idea is to fill the white squares with Crossword No. 22
Knowledge Editorial, Crossword No.23 letters to make words determined by the
Worldwide Media, The Times of India sometimes cryptic clues to the right. The
Bldg, 4th floor, Dr Dadabhai Navroji Road, numbers after each clue tell you how many
123rf.comx2
Mumbai 400001 or email bbcknowledge@ letters are in the answer. All spellings are Ishaan Semwal, Ghaziabad
wwm.co.in by 10 October 2014. UK. Good luck! •
Entrants must supply their name, address Sanjay Andrew Rajaratnam, Chennai
and phone number. Terms and conditions: Only •
residents of India are eligible to participate.
How it’s done: The puzzle will be Employees of Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd. Gaurang Bhatla, New Delhi
familiar to crossword enthusiasts already, are not eligible to participate. The winners •
although the British style may be unusual will be selected in a lucky draw. The Sawri Madkaikar, Mumbai
as crossword grids vary in appearance from decision of the judges will be final.
zl e
Me n s a Puz
Q2
Q 1 Double
Barrell es next?
e d What com
What word ca
n be placed in
of the five w front
ords shown to
each case ano form in 4 9 25 49 121
ther word?
B O O K
L O A D
W O R K
W O R M Q3 Deduction
You are given a 9-letter word. Your job
M A T E is to break up this word into 9 separate
letters and place them on the dashes to
spell a 7-letter word, a 5-letter word,
and a 3-letter word.
You can use each letter only once.
il
Head and Ta the form ENCO U R A G E
Q5 a nswer in
so lv e t h e
to the next part of
the clue e second
Look at
___ D ___ ___ A T ___
d . T h nswer.
a c o m p o und w o r
r t o f t h e next a
of pa
the first ___ M ___ ___ G
answer is
In ___ U ___
___ (Dis similar)
Nothing __
st
utual intere
Basis of m
team
aintenance
Airplane m
ying team
Airplane fl
Q4 Chain word
Private clu
b sign s
Form a continuous pa
th of words from START
ngular thin
g FINISH by connectin to
Just the si g the word parts giv
Way
boxes. There are tw en in the
o parts to each word
A street sig
n
second part of one wo and the
rd is the first part of
You won’t necessarily the next.
need to visit every bo
achieve your aim. x to
Q6 scramb Start MEW LED GER
le SELF HELP
Solve the four an
agrams and move DER LAD UND
ONE
each square to fo one letter to MATE
rm four ordinary
Now arrange the words. MIS BAL HER US
letters marked LOT
an asterisk (*) to with FIT
form the answer BUS HEL HER RING
to the riddle or to
fill in the missing TER MINI MET
words as indicate RIC
d. LIKE Finish
BRIOT *
* *
STTNU * *
AELTDM *
*
ERUYHM * *
If your _______ isn’t
open, keep your ____ October 2014 83
— Sue Grafton (4,..,5 ______ shut too.
)
October 2014 84
Solutions: Q6 Scramble: Words: Orbit, stunt, malted,
rheumy. Answer: If your mind isn’t open,
Q1 Double Barrelled: Case. keep your mouth shut too. — Sue Grafton
123rf.comx3
s
guide her to fulfilling her ambitions.
memntor
School in Kolkata, has left an indelible
impression on fifth standard student Shinjini
Sarkar, who misses her old class teacher now
Me
that they aren’t in the same class anymore.
of my
123rf.com
nominating their favourite teachers for the contest.
a
Pinhole Camera Solargraphy kit
Kicking it old school style, the Pinhole Camera
celebrates photography in its simplest form. This DIY
piece consists of a film (not included), a box, and a
mixed
very small hole, which lets in light and makes your
exposure. Because there is no lens, the image will be
in focus at all distances, though it is preferable you
take pictures when the sun is at its brightest. Maybe
give your camera phone or digital camera a break
just for this. Price: `674 • www.kikkerland.com
bag iRing
Remember the scene from Minority Report, where Tom Cruise is
wearing gesture control gloves to gather intel on where the next
murder is going to take place? Well, here is a baby step towards
making gesture control devices part of mainstream technology. The
iRing consists of two rings – shaped like a triangle and rectangle
respectively, which when worn and moved in gestured controlled
recognised actions whilst in front of an iOS device’s camera, allows
the system to output music or MIDI control messages to
compatible apps. Take notes of the visible gestures the next time
you are invited to a musical performance directed by a musical
conductor. It might inspire you to compose your musical piece.
Price: `1,633 • www.ikmultimedia.com
Knox Music Jet
Everyone knows that apart from showering, the
shower cubicle is the place for thinking and
singing. Leave the thinking aside and exercise
your vocal chords by installing the Knox Music
Jet. This Bluetooth enabled showerhead music/
phone speaker when linked to your mobile’s
music player, will bring music to ears as you
simultaneously clean them. Also, incoming calls
will be forwarded to your showerhead. One
charge lasts for 10 hours of music or a really
long phone conversation. The choice is yours.
Price: `2,697 • www.amazon.com
Perlexus Epic
Pocketstrings
The Pocketstrings is apt for beginners and
experts who want to practice their chords
anywhere and anytime without making too
loud a noise. This portable and durable
product when slid open reveals the neck of
the guitar with real strings and frets. Begin
Fujiflim Instax Instant
your practice and train yourself for chord smartphone printer
progressions and changes and pretty soon
you will have real calluses on your fingers. Isn’t a printed photo so much more fun to
Once you are done, slide the Pocketstrings see than a digital one? 16 seconds is all it
shut and place it back in your pocket. takes for the portable Fujifilm’s Instax
Price: `1,836 • www.pocketstrings.com Instant smartphone printer to print an
image you have just clicked from your
android or iOs smartphone or selected
one from your gallery. The printer is
compatible with an app downloaded from
either iTunes or Play Store. It requires two
CR2 lithium batteries and uses INSTAX
Mini Instant Film and prints approximately
100 prints per set. Say cheese!
Price: `12,199 • www.fujifilm.com
The Kaurava Empire Vol. 1 – Four: A Divergent Story The Wild Wisdom Quiz Book
Abhimanyu and the Conquest of Collection WWF - Penguins Book India, ` 199
the Chakravyuha Veronica Roth -
Author Jason Quinn and Illustrator Sachin HarperCollins Children’s Books, ` 1,102 Illustrated, full of trivia and mind-boggling facts,
Nagar - Campfire Graphic Novels, ` 250 and packed with 500 questions, this book is
An extension of the popular young adult series compiled from the Wild Wisdom Quiz held
A modern re-telling of the epic Mahabharata, the Divergent, author Veronica Roth brings out Four, every year by WWF. It is spilt into seven broad
novel chronicles the event leading upto battle which revolves around Tobias ‘Four’ Eaton, the chapters Plants, Fish, Arthropods and Annelids,
between two teenage warriors, Pandav Prince principal male character from the trilogy. Written Amphibians and Reptiles, Mammals, Birds and
Abhimanyu and Kaurava Prince Durmashana. As from his perspective, the series serves as a Potpourri, with questions at the beginning and
the Kaurava’s unleash the Chakravyuha upon the prequel to events covered in Divergent trilogy and snippets about the animal kingdom to complete
Pandavas at Kurukshetra, a fierce battle ensues chronicles Four’s life, his psychology and each chapter.
between Abhimanyu and Durmashana, as each character development, his choices (why he
strives on to win the war for their family. chose to join Dauntless) before he met Tris. Indian Mammals:
A Field Guide
The Bookman’s Tale: All Four Stars Vivek Menon - ` 850, Hachette India
A Novel of Obsession Tara Dairman - Putnam Publishing Group, ` 1,040
Charlie Lovett - Bloomsbury Publishing, ` 298 Did you know there are 400 species of mammals
Who doesn’t love food? More so if you love to in India? And in this comprehensive field-ready
Following the death of his wife, antique bookseller cook? Gladys Gatsby loves to cook, and not just and illustrated guide by India’s renowned wildlife
Peter Byerly relocates to the village of Hay-on- your average grilled cheese sandwich. No, she conservationist, Vivek Menon doesn’t miss single
Wye, where he opens his own bookshop, selling enjoys creating gourmet dishes! When she enters mammal information for any amateur or
and collecting antique books. He chances upon a an essay contest in her school, it accidently lands professional wildlife enthusiast. The
book from which tumbles out a picture of a young her a position as a restaurant critic at the New encyclopaedic book includes picture of different
Victorian woman, who bears a striking resemble York Daily Standard! She is overjoyed, but what mammals, how to identify them, distribution
to his dead wife Amanda. Piqued and confused, they don’t know is that she is all of 11 years old! maps, directions on where to observe the species
he starts on an incredible journey to discover the Read to find out how she manages to keep her and also folklore associated with them in different
origins of the picture. dream job whilst balancing school. regions of the country.
goodreads.com X2, penguinbooksindia.com, flipkart.com, bookmandi.com
123RF.com X2, Wikia.com X3, wikipedia x3, yolasite.com, campfire.co.in,
Question of
Fictional Characters the Month
We To Hate Literary character you identify with?
Dolores Umbridge
from Harry Potter series
The vilest of characters to come out from the Harry Potter series, Dolores
Umbridge is pure evil because she can and probably does actually exist in
real life. Abusing the power your position affords for personal gains,
discriminating against individuals/creatures who are different, letting a few
suffer for the betterment of the society, and being content with letting
your sycophants run the system with threats and intimidation does not
really make you reach the top of the popular list.
Miss Havisham from Great Expectations - By Kavya Chopra, age 10, from
Jilted by her lover on their wedding day, Miss Havisham is a scorned New Delhi
woman. Instead of getting over her lover, she directs her energy into
consciously conditioning her ward Estelle to eschew love, emotional
bonding, and attachment making her a cold and heartless woman.
Effectively ruining and complicating her budding and romantic
relationship with Pip.
Did H
The children from Willy Wonka and the e Say
Chocolate factory
Caulif That!
Veruca Salt is a spoiled and petulant English girl who demands the
lower ?
trained squirrel as a pet, Violet Beauregarde’s incessant gum chewing is
but ca is not
colleg bbage withhing
obnoxious and annoying, Mike Teevee is rude to his mother and just wants to play
video games and Agustus Gloop, a boy who loved to eat everything and anything in front
of his eyes without asking for permission first. No wonder Charlie Bucket was deemed
e edu
cation a
the only likeable one in this group.
- Ma
rk Tw
a
.
in
Reader’s Reviews
Recently I read The Alchemist which is Tangiers and further, paying heed to the
a simple and short parable written by omens and surmounting obstacles along
Paulo Coelho. The Alchemist is the story the way. Paulo Coelho’s story is an
of Santiago, a shepherd boy content to inspirational parable. It is an
wander through the Spanish fields and unforgettable story about the essential
towns with his flock until a recurring wisdom of listening to our hearts and,
dream about finding his treasure at the above all follow our dreams. This book
pyramids of Egypt rousts him from makes your heart smile and reminds you
complacency. In trying to understand his to always follow your dreams.
This book is
dream, Santiago encounters a wise old a must read.
man called Melchizedek, the King of
Salem, who sets the boy off to find the - By Mehul Gupta, age 13, from Modern
treasure. He crosses from Spain into Delhi Public School
in focus
Inventive and doggedly
dedicated; Yu the Great
was the first to discover how
to tame the raging floods
of the mighty Yangtze River
and assist agriculture,
catapulting mankind forward
Yu the Great on the march of progress
Legacy
Yu the Great was an ancient Chinese ruler
who engineered the first system of canals
known to man in order to contain the raging
floods of the China’s rivers, including the
Yangtze, the Wei River, and the Yellow River.
This triumph over nature paved the way for
early civilisations to exploit irrigation for the
purpose of agriculture, freeing humanity
from the uncertainties of existence as
foraging tribes.
Yu’s father, Gun, had earlier been tasked
to contain the floods that were triggered
by torrential rains, but his system of
damming and blocking the flow of water
proved to be ineffective. After Gun’s failure Yu’s greatest feat was coaxing the Yangtze River
and consequently his execution, Yu was through the Mount Longmen and into the sea
selected by the local ruler Shun to continue
his father’s work. Instead of following Gun’s
approach, Yu tried the method of digging
canals to divert the flow of water and Did you know
dredging the riverbeds. It took Yu 13 years • One of his greatest undertakings was cutting a way for the waters of the river to flow freely
to accomplish the task, but after years of through Mount Longmen, a geographical obstruction to its course.
hard labour, he succeeded in controlling
wikipediacommons x 2
the floodwaters. His work won him great • Yu ushered in the era of dynastic rule in China, by appointing his son Qi to succeed him as ruler
acclaim amongst the Chinese people, and and start the Xia Dynasty. Before him, rulers were selected by their predecessor on basis of
Shun selected Yu to be his successor to rule ability to rule, and not their parentage.
after him. Yu’s historical achievements won • The Yu Mausoleum, outside Shaoxing City, was built in his honour and was a place of
him a place in Chinese folklore, and he is pilgrimage and ceremony for the rulers of Imperial China.
regarded as one of the Three Sage Kings of • There are an estimated 600,000,000 acres of irrigated land worldwide today, all made possible
ancient China. by the efforts of Yu the Great.
90 October 2014
SCIENCE • HISTORY • NATURE • FOR THE CURIOUS MIND