Aswatha Biju studies the past with the help of the petrified remains of prehistoric animals and plants. At 12, she could well be India’s youngest palaeontologist. Find out more…
Aswatha Biju had a unique 11th birthday celebration last year. She spent the day collecting fossils at the Cauvery river-bed in Ariyalur, a district in Tamil Nadu (TN). It is an activity that is close to Aswatha’s heart, and she may be India’s youngest paleontologist.
Paleontology is the study of the preserved remains or impressions — known as fossils — of animals and plants that lived up to billions of years ago.
“By studying these fossils, we can learn about the environment, climate, soil composition and more of a particular region billions of years ago. It helps us understand where we came from,” explains Aswatha, a Std VII student at Sri Chaitanya School at Pallavaram, Chennai, TN.
Here’s how Aswatha’s passion for paleontology was ignited…
Aswatha has collected 74 fossil specimens so far. Her mini-museum at home consists of specimens ranging from gastropods, brachiopods, ammonites to bivalves, each, billions of years old.
Play this memory game to identify the different types of invertibrate fossil specimens:
Just like every other country, India too has a national animal. It is the tiger. Play this game and find out how much you know about other countries and their animals.
The national animal of a country is chosen as a unique symbol of that particular country. It is selected taking into consideration the ecology, tradition, culture, mythology and so on of that country. Strict laws protect these animals and it is illegal to hunt or harm them.
Take this quiz to see how many national animals you know. Click on the image to answer the question
From an adventurous trekking fox to big moments in two different kinds of World Cups in sports. Take a peek at what’s been going on…
What has been happening in the world around us? A lot, it seems. Catch up on the latest international news by clicking on the hotspots.
Board games are not just for entertainment. These games require the player to use strategy, skill as well as an element of chance. Why have they been tailored so? Read to find out
Board games such as Snakes and Ladders, Ludo, Chess and Monopoly have kept us busy through the years. The legends behind these games are equally fascinating. Where was Snakes and Ladders born? What is the origin of Chess? Have I piqued your interest? Then, read on.
It’s time for another quiz in the ‘Be a quiz master’ challenge series. Learn more, and try your hand at this interactive quiz.
In February this year, we threw open a challenge for our users — to become quiz masters and misses by creating their own quizzes. The responses were overwhelming.
Presenting the fourth quiz master in the series: Akhil Krishnan, IV, Hindu Public School, Hyderabad, Telangana. Take this quiz and see how much you know about the cosmos and space.
Are you a young scientist hoping to work your magic in the laboratories when you grow up? Solve this crossword to see if you know your basics of chemicals and elements.
300-plus scores are becoming quite common in ODI cricket now. But it still takes something to notch them up continuously. Read on to find out how Eoin Morgan’s England created a record streak of seven successive 300-plus scores…
When England scored 386 for six in their 106-run victory over Bangladesh in their World Cup fixture played on June 8, 2019 at Cardiff, they became the first team in the history of ODI cricket to notch up seven consecutive scores of 300 or more. Australia had held the record before that, with six successive 300-plus scores in 2007.
You can take a quick look at these seven matches, how the streak came to an end and the batting heroes for England on each occasion below…
Photos: AP, REUTERS
With World War I causing much loss and destruction, peace was on everybody’s mind. This resulted in the Treaty of Versailles being signed, 100 years ago on June 28, 1919.
Stories have brought to life legendary beings from myths and folklore. Play this memory game to check your paranormal quotient.
If you love to watch fantasy movies or read mythical tales, you would surely have come across some other-worldly creatures. Take the world of Harry Potter for example, it’s filled with creatures like goblins, dementors and hippogriffs or in the Percy Jackson series where there are creatures from Greek mythology and let’s not forget the dragons, heroes have faced in stories such as The Hobbit, How to Train Your Dragon and more.
Here’s a memory game for you. See how fast you can match the mythical beings. How well-versed are you with the supernatural?
Some buildings are built not to serve a purpose, but to give the architect’s imagination wings and spark a sense of curiosity among onlookers. Here are some buildings that are definitely not an illusion
Imagine if Alice, inspired by her experiences in Wonderland, designed buildings. What would they look like? Perhaps, not too different from the whimsical and imaginative buildings featured here.