Articles - Page 16 of 540 - Young World Club

Prahasta’s first challenge

Stormy winds, turbulence and bird hits… Meghnath and his brothers have to face multiple tough situations as they take off in Prahasta’s vimanas.

Story so far: Meghnath and his brothers have learned about various wing shapes from their grand-uncle Prahasta and are sitting in their vimanas, waiting to hear the whistle that will signal the start of their contest.

Prahasta: For the next eight hours, Sukracharya will control all five elements in the flying area. You know how he is when it comes to assessments. So be prepared for anything in terms of the weather.

Illustration: Sahil Upalekar

The boys look at each other confidently. Meghnath hugs his younger brother, Akshayakumara, and takes the pilot’s seat in the cockpit, with Trishira as his co-pilot. In the other vimana, Atikaya is having a discussion with his team.

Atikaya: Even though Meghnath is strong, he will underplay his strengths today. We are basically fighting Akshayakuamara and Trishira. We need to play to our strengths. I will take care of the aircraft’s movements and speed. Narantaka, you keep an eye on the human area (that is the ground level and upto 12km). Above that, Devantaka, it is your responsibility. In case of any conflict, I will take the final call.

Devantaka and Narantaka agree. Devantaka sits in the pilot’s seat with Narantaka as his co-pilot. Prahasta orders the engines to be started and begins a countdown. As he counts, the bright weather suddenly becomes windy and the sound of thunder is heard. It begins to rain. Only Meghnath is not surprised at the mysterious weather change. Worried for his brothers in the other vimana, he wonders if he should ask the clouds to be gentle with them.

Akshayakumara: They are our competition.

Meghnath decides to leave it to Prahasta. As their grand-uncle gives the command to launch…

Atikaya: Devantaka, keep it at high wing so that we can lift off quickly. Once we reach the 3km mark, shift to mid wing.

Devantaka presses high wing and the vimana lifts off but the speed is less.

Akshayakumara: Meghnath, keep it at low wing. Let’s hover with the ground effect (gaining the air cushion effect due to airflow below the wing and less clearance to the ground. Once we gain speed, we can lift off.

Atikaya’s vimana has risen very fast but not covered much in terms of distance. Akshayakumara’s craft has covered more distance without gaining height.

Atikaya: Narantaka, shift to mid wing.

Narantaka obeys but speed doesn’t cross 340m/s (subsonic or slower the speed of sound)

Atikaya: Make it straight wing swept back, which cannot go supersonic.

Devantaka follows his order and the craft begins to cruise at high speed and crosses the other vimana.

Akshayakumara: Meghnath, increase our speed slowly – straight wing to swept back to delta to reach hypersonic speed (more than five times the speed of sound)

Meghnath smiles and obeys.

Prahasta claps and the wind becomes turbulent, hitting the vimanas from all directions. Both planes begin to lose balance.

Atikaya (shouts): Dihedral…

Akshayakumara: Meghnath, what should we do now?

Meghnath: Dihedral for balance; then make it high straight wing for lateral stability.

Though Atikaya’s vimana is flying faster with a certain level of stability it seems half balanced. Akshayakumara’s vimana suddenly dropped speed from delta to high straight wing. But both crafts manage to stabilise during the turbulence. Prahasta claps and normal wind conditions are restored.

Then, he claps again and a huge flock of birds appears, blocking the light from the sun and flying towards the vimanas. Before the boys can react, the birds hit the wings of the aircrafts. Atikaya stares blankly at them.

Devantata (shouts): Lift up! Majority of the birds cannot fly above the 12km height.

Akshayakumara: Meghnath, turn back and raise the speed. Trishira, keep an eye on me.

He jumps out holding on to a rope. Standing on top of a wing, he fights the birds with a sword. As Trishira – with his three heads allowing him a 360-degree vision – relays his movements, Meghnath carefully balances the plane, trying to avoid bird hits.

When Prahasta claps once more, the birds disappear. Atikaya’s plane has not suffered much damage but Akshayakumara’s vimana has been badly hit.

Prahasta: Take a five-minute break before the next level.

Meghnath jumps out, takes his tool kit and starts to fix the damaged body while Akshayakumara and Trishira look on sadly.

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.

Now that you have read about this, here is something you can do. Follow the steps in the slider below to make your own Tapered swept-back wing plane.

Names anew

What is the old name of Sri Lanka? Which country used to be known as Siam? Try this activity now.

Several countries around the world have had some name changes over time. This happens for various reasons. Sometimes they change names to reflect their independence, or other times due to new leaders, or even because of cultural shifts.

Activity for you! On the left are the old names, and on the right the new. Let’s see how many you can match.

Shades of joy

These floral beauties are waiting to be happy. Colour them up! Download your own colouring sheet now.

Statescan – July 10, 2024

Time for a news update. Get a quick look at what’s happening in India with this interactive map.

What’s happening across the states? Let’s take a quick look.

President Droupadi Murmu urges people to take proactive measures at their level to protect nature. An army convoy was ambushed in Kathua, Jammu. In Assam, the Kaziranga National Park was flooded and 131 wild animals died, while 97 were rescued.

Click on the hotspots for more.

Multiplication mystery

Multiplication is the magic that turns small numbers into big ones! Read on for some tips and try your hand at an activity.

Often, when it comes to Maths, we tend to get bogged down by numbers. But there are some ways in which you can manage them. Here are some tips to help you figure out the mysteries of multiplication.

Memorise Basic Facts: Know the multiplication tables (1-12) by heart. This speeds up calculations.

Break Down Numbers: Use the distributive property to break down larger numbers into manageable parts. For example, to multiply 12 by 15, break it into (10+2) × 15.

Apply Patterns: Recognise patterns in multiplication. For example, multiplying by 10 always adds a zero.

Use Visual Aids: Draw arrays or use grid paper to visualise the problem.

Double and Halve Method: For even numbers, halve one number and double the other to make calculations simpler.

Check Your Work: Always review your answers to catch any mistakes.

Now that you’ve learnt all this, here’s a practice session curated just for you!

In matters of health

Here is a crossword made up of terms related to health, disease and treatment. Use the picture and word clues to fill the grid.

Staying healthy is extremely important. Problems like fatigue and reduced immunity make the body susceptible to a host of diseases. Here is a crossword that’s all about health. How fast can you solve it?

Palace of paradise

Do you recognise this UNESCO World Heritage Site in Spain which is an iconic example of Islamic architecture?

Located in the city of Granada, in the Spanish province of Andalusia, is a magnificent palace and fortress. Alhambra (‘the red one’ in Arabic) gets its name from the colour of its walls, which were made of rammed earth. The iron oxide in the local clay gave the building its reddish hue.

This iconic example of Islamic architecture was begun in 1238 by Muhammad I Ibn al-Ahmar, the first Nasrid emir and founder of the Emirate of Granada. But its distinctive look came during the 14th century under the rule of Yusuf I and Muhammad V. Sabika hill, on which the fortress is located, had been the site of earlier buildings going back to the Roman times.

Strategically built

During the time of the Nasrid rulers, Alhambra was a city by itself strategically located above Granada. Apart from the mosque, it also contained public baths, houses, workshops for artisans, and palaces. It was known for a water supply system that was ahead of its time. In a feat of hydraulic engineering, water was brought upto the city from a river below. Water is a major feature across Alhambra. Buildings have channels that use flowing water to bring down temperatures, courtyards are decorated with fountains and pools, and brought to life the orchards and gardens of Generalife, the summer palace of the sultans.

Of the palaces, the most famous are the Mexuar, the Comares, the Court of the Lions and the Partal Palace. The Alcazaba fortress lies in the westernmost corner.

After the fall of the Nasrid dynasty, Andalusia reverted to the Spanish rule. King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain made Alhambra the centre of their royal court. In fact, it was from this court that Christopher Columbus received the support of the Spanish crown for his expedition to find the Indies. Soon after, the site fell into disuse and was discovered after the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte. Rediscovered by travellers in the 19th century, it became the object of much study and restoration and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.

Fun facts

The Alhambra has been the source of inspiration for authors ranging from Washington Irving to Salman Rushdie.

The tiles that adorn Alhambra contain nearly all of the 17 mathematically possible wallpaper groups.

The 1921 film El Dorado was the first to be filmed in the palaces of Alhambra. The Court of Lions was featured in the 2016 film Assassin’s Creed.

Alhambra is also the name given to a main belt asteroid discovered in 1986.

Set the stage

We’ve all heard of drama and theatre but did you know that there are different kinds of theatrical productions?

Into the past

Museums are treasure troves of knowledge waiting to be explored. Have you visited one?

Museums are places that preserve and showcase stories of the past. They house artifacts, artwork, and stories from different eras, offering a glimpse into the lives and cultures of people from the past. Through carefully curated exhibits, museums help us understand where we come from and how our world has evolved.

Have you ever been to a museum? The below game has icons representing things you might find when you visit one. Can you place them in the grid correctly?

How to play:

A Picdoku is just like a Sudoku, but with pictures instead of numbers. Fill up the grid in such a way that each item appears only once in every row, column and 2*3 grid.