Are you wearing the right pair of shoes for the sport of your choice? Click here to find out…
Cleats, boots, skates, high-tops, sneakers…different sports require different kinds of shoes. Each type of shoe is designed to support the movement or action involved in a particular sport.
Basketball shoes, for example, have special soles that act as shock absorbers and provide ankle stability for a sport that involves lot of running and jumping.
Here are five different types of shoes. Can you identify the sport? (Look for clues in their design)
Cover image: clappstar/Flickr
Women have been breaking the glass ceiling for centuries. Learn about a few of them with this challenging puzzle!
The theme for Women’s Day 2021 is #Break the Bias. Here are a few women from history who did exactly that.
Rosa Parks: By refusing to give up her seat in the bus to White passengers, she is remembered as an icon of the American Civil Rights movement.
Frida Kahlo: An artist known for her unique works that celebrate Mexican culture and tackle gender and body-positivity themes.
Mary Wollstonecraft: A passionate advocate of social equality for women. Her 1792 work, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, is still considered a classic for outlining the principles of feminism.
Coco Chanel: One of fashion’s biggest icons, she broke tradition by dressing like a man and by creating casual, chic and practical clothes for women at a time when corsets and heavy dresses were fashionable.
Savitribai Phule: A pioneer of the feminist movement in India, she set up one of the first modern school of girls in India.
Jane Goodall: A legendary scientist and conservationist, whose study of chimpanzees in the 1960s challenged established scientific theories, and also opened doors for women in science and conservation.
Amelia Earhart: In 1937, she became the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She was also one of the first to promote commercial air travel.
Ada Lovelace: A 19th-century Mathematician credited as being the first computer programmer, she wrote a programme for Charles Babbage’s prototype of a digital computer.
(Illustration: Sonal Goyal)
Here a few countries whose names have changed. Can you match the old with the new?
Land divisions, wars, changes in government, independence, or simply to facilitate pronunciation abroad, some countries have decided to change their name. In some cases, they did it many years ago and we know these countries by their current name.
<>Play this game to see if you can match the country’s current name with the old one!
We feature here a few girls who have decided to make a change. Though some of them may be fictional characters, the message they all send out is to be brave and stand up for yourself and what you believe in.
This International Women’s Day, let us draw inspiration from the silver screen and literature to see what we can do to make the world a better place. As we celebrate the cultural, political and socio-economic achievements of women, take a look at characters from books and movies that promote the idea.
International Women’s Day is around the corner. How can you celebrate? Here are some ideas…
A fun crossword for this Women’s Day.
Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8, every year. How much do you know about some amazing women, who have carved a niche for themselves, world over? Well, try your hand at this crossword to explore more…
School has just started and you need to be on your A-game to make sure you don’t fall sick.
School is where you learn and grow cognitively, develop social skills, and become independent individuals. Since you spend a lot of time in classrooms, you need to be extra careful especially since most of you have gone back after almost two years.
Now that you know how to stay healthy, play this game and stay active.
How much do you know about some of the world’s oldest universities?
Since time immemorial, there have been universities that have churned out bright young minds. A look at some of the oldest of them from across the world.
Al-Azhar University
Founded in the 10th century, it is Egypt’s oldest degree-granting university, and the second oldest in the world. Its library is deemed second in importance only to the Egyptian National Library and Archives.
The Autonomous University of Santo Domingo
While its foundation can be traced back to a Dominican seminary established in 1518, it was elevated to university status by the Papal Bull In Apostolatus Culmine, issued by Pope Paul III on October 28, 1538. It had four faculties – Law, Theology, the Arts and Medicine.
University of Santo Tomas
The oldest university in Asia, it was founded in the 17th century, by Spanish friar Miguel de Benavides, third Archbishop of Manila. It is one of the world’s largest Catholic universities. It offers programmes in over 180 undergraduate and graduate specialisations.
University of Bologna
Founded in the 11th century, it has never been out of operations. Bettisia Gozzadini, the first woman to earn a university degree and teach at a university, and Laura Bassi, the first woman to earn both a doctorate in Science and a salaried position as a university professor, both studied here.
The University of Sydney
Founded in the 19th century, The University of Sydney is considered to be Australia’s first university. It was established through the passage of the University of Sydney Act 1850 (NSW). The main campus has been ranked in the top 10 of the world’s most beautiful universities by the British Daily Telegraph.
Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico
It was founded in 1551 by a royal decree signed by Charles I of Spain, and is deemed the first university officially founded in North America. It was organised by five faculties — Law, Theology, Fees, the Arts, and Medicine. After the Mexican War of Independence, it was renamed University of Mexico.
Based on what you have read, arrange them in the order of oldest to newest universities.
Here are four fantastic stories from STEM. Read on to find out more.
Until the 20th century, women and girls were not encouraged to enter the world of STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics). Things are still not ideal in 2022, but there is certainly no shortage of women doing super interesting work in STEM! Let’s meet four of them.
Part #18: Hanuman and Nala meet a wingless warrior who teaches them the science of flying…
Hanuman and Nala are playing with the model planes that they have built.
Hanuman: Aren’t birds are the most gifted creatures in the world?
Nala: Why do you say that?
Hanuman: Because they can fly. For all other creatures, flying is a dream…
Nala: You can also fly, Hanuman.
Hanuman: Not really. If not for my father Vayu, the God of Wind, even I would be only dreaming about flying.
Nala: You are right, but knowledge can make our dreams come true.
Hanuman: Like your father Viswakarma, who built the flying machine?
Nala: Yes. Today, I am going to introduce you to someone special…
Hanuman: Who is it?
Nala: A gifted creature who could reach great heights in flight. He is also the one who made a sacrifice to save a loved one.
Hanuman: Is he a bird?
Nala: Yes, a bird. Come with me, I will show you.
Nala takes Hanuman to the top of a mountain. Far away, they can see a big eagle teaching combat to smaller eagles.
Hanuman: Is it Jatayu*?
(*In the Ramayana, Jatayu is the eagle who tries to stop Ravana from kidnapping Sita but is killed.)
Nala: No. Someone better than Jatayu.
Hanuman takes a closer look and notices something…
Hanuman: Nala, where are his wings?
Nala: This is Sampati. His missing wings are a symbol of his love for his brother Jatayu. Ask him about it yourself…
(Illustration: Sahil Upalekar)
Hanuman and Nala go up to meet Sampati.
Nala: Hello, Sampati! Meet my friend, Hanuman.
Sampati: Hello, Nala! (Turning to Hanuman) So, this is the boy who stunned the Earth with his skill; by flying so close to the sun.
Hanuman: That was no skill, just a foolish act.
They all laugh. But Hanuman keeps looking at Sampati’s wingless body.
Sampati: Hanuman, I understand that you are curious about my missing wings. I will tell you about it after I finish training these young eagles in air combat.
Hanuman (eagerly): Can I watch?
Sampati: Of course! I am now teaching them the basics of Akasha Dhanurveda or mid-air archery fight.
Sampati turns towards his students…
Sampati: Students, our wings are not just mechanisms to help us fly. They are powerful tools. As you learn how to use them, you can even carry mountains. Now, who can tell me how our wings work when we fly?
Baby eagle: A bird’s wing is flat underneath and curved on top. This makes air pass faster above the wing than under it. This difference in airspeed creates air pressure under the wing, which lifts us up.
(See the video for a detailed explanation of a bird flies)
Sampati: You are right! What happens here is pure science. It’s like how we walk, and how fishes swim. We walk over solid matter and fly using gaseous matter. Fishes move in liquid matter. This effect in modern physics will be known as “Newton’s third law”.
Hanuman: Wow! It is as if rockets and aeroplanes also “swim” in the air.
Sampati: When the wings are raised, it is called “Upstroke”. When the wings push down, it is called “Downstroke”.
Hanuman: Sounds like the terms swimmers use.
Sampati: Everything in Nature follows similar principles of Science, and hence the similarities in terms.
Sampati dismisses his students and takes Hanuman and Nala to his palace.
Sampati: Welcome to Aruna’s Rajabhavanam.
Hanuman: Aruna? I have seen him.
Sampati: I know. You saw him when you were about to swallow Surya, the sun god, right? My father told me…
Hanuman: So, your father is the charioteer of Surya’s seven horses? Why seven?
Sampati: It is representative of the seven colours that make up the sun’s light. In modern science, it is called VIBGYOR. I will tell you about that soon.
Hanuman: Wow! I would love to hear about it. But please tell me what happened to your wings.
Sampati: The incident that made me realise the power of love? Come on in…
To be continued.
The author is the founder and CEO of Vaayusastra Aerospace, an IIT-Madras incubated ed-tech start-up that offers Air Science workshops for children between five and 14 years.
