Needlework or sewing is a great hobby. It is not only calming but also increases your power of concentration.
How well versed are you with sewing? Yes, you are aware of a needle and thread, of a sewing machine, knitting needles…What else? Here’s a fun game to test your knowledge. Give it a go and find out how familiar you are with needlework.
You would have often used a fork to pick up food from your plate but do know how it became part of our table settings?
The world’s population can be approximately divided into three equal parts based on what they eat their food with: hands, chopsticks, or the fork. In India, despite a long history of colonisation, only the spoon has become a regular table feature. The fork is still used mostly to pick cut fruit!
Though emblematic of European culture, the fork originated in West Asia, as archaeological digs from this region and Egypt show. Today, the fork is used to pierce and carry food to the mouth. But, in the beginning, it was used to serve and to hold cut food.
It is believed that the fork was first used around 1000 CE to eat pasta in Venice, Italy. According to a rather funny legend, the English monarch Henry III discovered the fork while on a trip to Venice. He found it practical to use given the fashionable ruffled collars he wore.
Despite encounters with pasta and impractical collars, the fork was a straight, sharp and lowly two-pronged serving utensil and cutting assistant until the 17-18th centuries when the eating fork evolved. The number of prongs increased to three and then four and the ends were softened to avoid injuries to the tongue. The overall form was also curved to make it easier to pick up foods like meat and to place morsels in the bend like a spoon. The fork, thus, became a stylish and efficient substitute for the spoon and the fingers for non-liquid foods.
As the fork became popular, royalty from European countries began to carry this implement as part of their cutlery when they travelled or even when they went out for dinner. The implements would be engraved with their coat of arms. As time passed, it became the host’s responsibility to provide the cutlery, which would be engraved with his exclusive mark.
Slowly, highly specialised forks also came into being such as to eat fish, snails, oysters, crabs and other foods. This also led to the development of elaborate table protocols to serve and to eat. Table settings too differed. The French would place the fork with the prongs facing down, while the English had it facing up.
The Industrial revolution and European colonisation of other countries also led to changes not just in the shape but also the materials used in manufacturing forks. Beginning with iron teeth, forks progressed to precious metals such as gold and silver (especially for royalty), before being silver coated and finally being made of stainless steel. Today, plastic forks have found their way onto our tables in large numbers, thereby adding their bit to the pollution of land and water resources. May be it is time we began to carry our own engraved cutlery again.
Now that you know how the fork landed on our tables, try this activity below. Can you match the fork type to the image? Drag and drop the names into the boxes.
Images: Getty Images/iStockPhoto, Picryl, Freepik and Satheesh Vellinezhi
In 1772, Jacob Roggveen, a Dutch navigator, landed on a remote island in the Pacific Ocean. What did he find there?
A little more than 250 years ago, a Dutch navigator Admiral Jacob Roggeveen became the first European to set foot on a remote island in the Pacific Ocean, at the southernmost point of the Polynesian Triangle in Oceania. Since April 5, 1772, was Easter Sunday, he named the island Paasch Eyland (Easter Island in Dutch). Located around 3,800 km off the coast of Chile, the island was formed by three volcanoes (now extinct) rising from the sea floor.
The island is known for the massive statues or moai that were created by the indigenous Rapa Nui people. They are believed to have reached the island around 1200 CE from other Polynesian islands. According to oral tradition, Chief Hotu Matu’a led his people from Cook Islands over to this island to settle. Over time, crops like banana, sweet potato, gourds, sugarcane, taro and yams were cultivated. After the arrival of the Europeans, animals such as sheep, horses, cattle and pigs were introduced.
The most famous feature of the island are the gigantic statues, which stand on stone platforms known as ahu. While some statues are finished, others end at the top of the thighs. A few are shown kneeling with their hands on the stomach. While a few face the sea, a majority are situated facing inwards, as if to protect the inhabitants. Each moai is carved from a single block of stone. The faces have long noses and ears. Some statues have a cylinder-like object on the head, which is carved from volcanic rock. These seem to have been carved elsewhere and add to the statue after it was erected. The largest moai was around 32 ft tall. Most of the others are between 10 to 20ft tall.
Fun facts
The moai are popularly referred to as Easter Island Heads because, when discovered, many were buried up to the shoulders.
The majority of the statues are carved from tuff, a form of volcanic ash. Other materials include red scoria, trachyte, and basalt.
Easter Island is also called Te Pito O Te Henua which means the world’s navel.
It is one of the world’s remotest and least inhabited islands.
Every year, in February, the island celebrates the Tapati Rapa Nui festival with activities such as wood carving and music. The islanders play on eight-string flat ukuleles, which are unique.
‘Re’do, ‘mis’fit, ‘non’violence, eat’able’, truth’ful’… do you know what this list of words is all about? Read on.
How much do you know about various kinds of sports? Find out with this crossword.
This crossword is all about sports and sportspeople. Can you use the images and text to fill the grid?
Be up to date on the latest news from around the country.
The most important news is that the country is gearing up to face a fresh election. However, besides the humdrum of party politics, there is so much more happening. Go ahead, read about it and get a head start on what’s happening in India. Click on the plus signs on the map to read.
Kakabhushundi allows himself to be caught by Rama but what happens next startles him and shows him the wonders of the Earth.
After learning about Sir C.V. Raman, Kakabhushundi used the portal to time travel to Ayodhya when Rama was a child. His favourite pastime was to swoop in and grab some food that Rama had spilt. Seeing this, Rama would try to catch him but Kakabhushundi would always escape.
Kakabhushundi: He is the god I worship, no matter which universe or timeline I go to. Yet, he struggles to catch me. I wonder why.
Kakabhushundi flew off to see Sage Lomasa and clear his doubt.
Kakabhushundi: You know about the game I play with Rama. I feel bad seeing his sad face when he cannot catch me.
Illustration: Sahil Upalekar
Sage Lomasa (smiles): He may be a god but Rama is a human incarnation. It is part of a child’s play. I don’t know what he will do to you if you stop escaping.
Kakabhushundi: But I want to surrender and not escape. I want to see him smile.
Sage Lomasa: Go ahead and see what happens. I am sure Rama will show you something you have never seen. The new version of your play should be interesting.
Kakabhushundi went back to Ayodhya, where Rama was eating malpuas. This time, when Rama tried to catch him, Kakabhushundi didn’t fly away. When Rama caught him, he put the crow into his mouth. A shocked Kakabhushundi travelled down Rama’s throat and caught a glimpse of something wondrous. Just then, he felt himself being pulled upwards and was given another vision. Kausalya, who had pulled him out, threw him out of the window. Kakabhushundi saw Rama smiling, as he flew away to Sage Lomasa’s hermitage.
Sage Lomasa: So, within a few seconds, you were swallowed and saved.
Kakabhushundi: A few seconds? It felt like a few hours.
Sage Lomasa: That means you travelled like a photon of light. The faster you travel, everything around you will look frozen in time.
Kakabhushundi: Exactly. But, in the darkness, I saw various layers of the Earth: below and above. Can you explain this to me?
Sage Lomasa: Let’s first look at the layers of the Earth: Crust, Mantle, Lithosphere, Asthenosphere, Mesosphere, Outer Core, Inner Core. The Crust is the outermost layer varying in thickness from 5km to 70km. This is where humans live.
Next comes the Mantle, which lies at a depth of almost 3000km. The upper part of the Mantle and the Crust together form the Lithosphere, which is divided into tectonic plates. Just below this is the Asthenosphere. This is a denser and weaker layer, which lies between 100 km and 410 km below the Earth’s surface. Here, the temperature and internal pressure is so high that the rocks begin to melt and are in a semi-molten form. The mesosphere, which comes next, is found at a depth of between 410 km and 660km. The extreme temperature and pressure in this zone causes minerals to change forms. So the Asthenosphere and the Mesosphere lie between the Crust and the Mantle.
After the Mantle comes the Outer Core, which begins at a depth of 2,890 km and goes on until 5,150km. The temperature ranges from 4,400-5,000°C and metals like iron and nickel are found in liquid form. This layer creates the magnetic field and protects the Earth from the Sun’s solar winds. Finally we come to the Inner Core, which is almost as hot as the Sun’s surface at above 5,000°C. But the pressure is so high that it is completely solid.
Kakabhushundi: But I also saw other layers above the Earth. What are those?
Sage Lomasa: Those are atmospheric layers: Thermosphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere, and Exosphere. The first begins from the Earth’s surface and it holds all the air required for life forms. Here, the temperature decreases as you go higher. This is where weather patterns are formed. Later, when humans invent flying machines, they will also fly in this layer.
Next comes the Stratosphere, which houses the ozone layer that protects the Earth from ultraviolet radiation. So the higher you go in the stratosphere, the temperature becomes warmer because of the radiation. The third layer is the Mesosphere.
Kakabhushundi: Didn’t you mention Mesosphere under the Earth as well?
Sage Lomasa: Yes, that is different from the atmospheric Mesosphere. Here, the higher you go, the colder it gets. The topmost part has an average temperature of minus 85°Celsius. This is also the area where meteors are burnt up as they enter the atmosphere. Next comes the Thermosphere. The bottom part is called the ionosphere. With the atoms and molecules here being ionised due to ultraviolet and solar radiation, it reflects and modifies radio waves. This will play an important role in the future as the humans will use it for communication and navigation. At the top lies the Exosphere. Particles from here escape into space. When humans begin to send up satellites, those will orbit in this layer.
Kakabhushundi: May be I should have continued my journey inside Rama.
Sage Lomasa: Actually, the human body could be a reflection of the universe itself. I will explain all this later.
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.
Now that you have read all about the layers above and below the Earth, here is an activity for you. Arrange the layers of the Earth and the atmosphere in the correct order by dragging and dropping the images in the correct position.
A fun quiz to help you find out your knowledge of Geography. Get started now.
Do you know that Romania was not a part of the Soviet Union, or that the world’s smallest country is the Vatican or that the largest non-continental island in the world is Greenland? Test your knowledge of geography with this set of questions.
Physical and mental fitness are both of utmost importance. Here is a quick workout for your brain.
Walking on a treadmill can be a lot of fun! It’s like walking or running, but you get to stay in one place. You can adjust the speed to make it feel like you’re walking through different places, like a jungle or a city. Plus, it’s a great way to stay healthy and strong!
Now here’s an activity for you to exercise your grey cells. The flower below is formed from the word ‘TREADMILL’. Use its letters to find as many words as possible that are 4 or more letters long. The central letter must be included in each word. Enter letters by clicking on them, or by typing them in. You can use each of the given letters only once. Special points for finding a pangram – that is, a word that uses all the letters.
What are your plans for April? Use this planner to figure out what to do in the next month.
