Become an Interpreter

To become a good interpreter, you will need strong verbal communication and listening skills, and cultural sensitivity. Read on …

To become an interpreter you will need to be fluent in at least two languages. Learn all about it from this image slider.

Our splendid Solar System

Let’s explore our fascinating Solar System! Try out this interactive widget, with facts, videos and more…

Did you know that the hottest planet in the solar system is not Mercury, which is closest to the Sun, but Venus? Venus has a very thick atmosphere that traps heat from the Sun. Temperatures in Venus, which are at an average of 462 degrees Celsius, are enough to melt lead! Mind-blowing, isn’t it? Discover more such fascinating facts about our solar system.

Scroll right to read more, and don’t forget to complete the tasks!

Inventor, entrepreneur, humanitarian

Find out more about the man who invented dynamite and also established the Nobel Prizes

Alfred Nobel, who invented of some of the most powerful destructive explosives, bequeathed his fortune to award “those who have conferred the greatest benefit to Mankind.” Read on to know more about the founder of the Nobel Prizes.

Pic credit: Wikimedia Commons, Pixabay

Of law and justice

A lawyer or parliamentarian in the making? Then solve these clues and fill the answers in the grid.

Many of our laws and rules are made in the Parliament and State Legislative Assemblies. Members of these bodies are elected by the people. This crossword is about terms associated with elections and the legal processes. How many can you find?

Balance the sides

Here are a few number puzzles to exercise your grey cells.

A linear equation is an equation for a straight line. There are many ways of writing linear equations, but they usually have constants (like “2” or “c”) and must have simple variables (like “x” or “y”). Now that you know this, why not try solving a few puzzles?

Scale the peak!

Cut, fold, and paste – it’s that simple to make this mountain goat that can help scale your creativity.

Scale the peak!
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Be a good SPORT

ICC T20 World Cup is the most entertaining form of cricket. It takes place after every two years. We list down five facts about T20 world cup you thought you knew but actually, you didn’t. Take a pick to see if you are right!





What’s the time in space?

Part #15: Meghnath learns about multiple theories that explain the concept of time in space and is a step closer to learning about the most powerful technologies.

Meghnath finds the city of Tripura, on planet Sukra (Venus), very exciting. He meets many scholars who live in diverse and rough climatic conditions. They’re also known by the name ‘Asuras’.

Sukracharya: What is eating your head, Meghnath?

Meghnath: Guru, I recently met my Uncle Kubendra. He was telling me about all the rishis (sages) and ethereal beings he has met.

Sukracharya: What about them?

Meghnath: He told me that they live for hundreds and even thousands of years. And that they never age! How is that possible? Don’t they ever get old?

Sukracharya: They do get old but at a much much slower rate than normal beings.

Meghnath: How??

Sukracharya: Let me explain the phenomenon with an anecdote that took place a really long time ago during the Satya Yuga.

Meghnath: We live in the Treta Yuga, the second of the four Yugas (Ages or eras). The Satya Yuga lasted for 17,28,000 years. Currently, we live in the end of Treta Yuga which is around 12,96,000 years long. So this story took place over 30 lakh years ago?!

Sukracharya: Even before that! The four Ages keep occurring in a cycle. They call it the Pulsating theory in modern science. According to this theory, the universe keeps expanding up to certain point then contracts, and then expands. This process keeps repeating in a cycle.

Meghnath: Woah! But this sounds different from the Big Bang theory in which I learnt that the universe as we know it started with a single dense point that inflated and stretched. In fact, experts say that the universe still continues to expand.

Sukracharya: Both theories are different, but there is a connection too. I will tell you about it another time, but now let’s come back to our story… In one of the Satya Yuga cycles, there lived a king called Kakudumi, who ruled a kingdom called Kusasthali. It is considered to be one of the seven sacred countries that have secret gates to access Lord Brahma.

Meghanath: Why is it hard to access the Gods in this Yuga?

Sukracharya: The answer to this question and your first question about the ethereal being not ageing are quite close. At present, it takes time to access them because they are too far and too fast.

Meghnath: But I asked you how they live for so long without ageing and you are telling me that they are too far and too fast. This all very confusing! Can you please explain?

Sukracharya: It’s called time dilation. Let me give you a simple example: Run 100 steps, and then come back and tell me how much time it took you to do that.

Meghnath runs as told and comes back.

Meghnath: It took me two minutes, guru.

Sukracharya: Now take this horse and cover the same distance.

Meghanth rides the horse and returns.

Meghnath: It took me 30 seconds.


(Illustration: Sahil Upalekar)

Sukracharya: From a layman’s perspective, the faster you move, the more time you can save. From the perspective of quantum physics, it means the rate at which time passes actually slows down the more you’re moving. Many experiments have been done to prove that; for example, light from a moving source has a lower frequency.

Meghnath: So time slows down for those who travel fast. So these ethereal being keeps traveling at very high speeds such that time is almost frozen for them. Am I right?

Sukracharya: Exactly. In the future, a scientist named Albert Einstein will come up with these concepts explaining whatever I have just told you.

Meghnath: Can anything travel faster than light?

Sukracharya: Till now nothing has been discovered, but I believe it’s possible and probably known to the higher beings.

Meghnath: Wow! There is so much to discover and learn! But you are yet to tell me the story of King Kakudumi.

Sukracharya: Go have a short break and come back. I will tell you the story and also about the shortcuts to reach the Gods from whom you can learn more.

Meghnath: That is awesome!

Meghanth runs. Sukracharya smiles, knowing that whatever he is going to teach Meghnath will help him to learn the secret being the most powerful technologies.

The author is the founder and CEO of Vaayusastra Aerospace, an IIT-Madras incubated ed-tech startup that offers Air Science workshops for children between five and 14 years.

 

Quiz time!

Based on your reading of the article, can you answer these questions?