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Money changers

Twenty years ago, 11 European countries decided to do away with their currencies and instead use just one – the Euro. Now, see if you can match the money and the country.

On January 1, 1999, 11 European nations began using a new single currency — the Euro, for electronic financial and business transactions. Participating countries included — Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal and Spain.
Can you match the currency with the country that used them?

Beautiful bones

The human skeleton is the internal framework of the body. How well do you know your bones?

The human skeleton performs six major functions – support, movement, protection, production of blood cells, storage of minerals, and endocrine regulation. Try this true or false quiz to see how much you know.





He changed our world: Sir Issac Newton

How much do you know about the man who made us aware of gravity? Read on to learn more about Sir Issac Newton.

He wasn’t expected to live beyond the first day of his birth — he was born premature. Yet, he lived to 84, and etched his name in history. Sir Isaac Newton was an English mathematician, physicist, astronomer, theologian, and author who is widely recognised as one of the most influential scientists of all time, and a key figure in the scientific revolution.


Childhood

Newton was born in Woolsthorpe, England on January 4, 1643. His father, a farmer, died three months before his birth. His mother remarried when Newton was three, and left young Isaac in the care of his grandparents.


His mother tried to take him out of school so he could help on the farm, but he had no interest in becoming a farmer and was soon back at school. He grew up mostly alone. For the remainder of his life, he preferred to work and live alone.

Important discoveries

Reflecting telescope – This type of telescope uses mirrors to reflect light and form an image. Nearly all of the major telescopes used in astronomy today are reflecting telescopes

Some of the most important and famous ones include:


Gravity – Newton is probably most famous for discovering gravity. Outlined in the Principia, his theory about gravity helped explain the movements of the planets and the Sun. This theory is known today as Newton’s law of universal gravitation.

Laws of Motion – There are three fundamental laws of physics that laid the foundation for classical mechanics.

Calculus – Newton invented a whole new type of mathematics which he called “fluxions.” Today, it is referred to as calculus, and is used in advanced engineering and science.

Here’s more about the genius. Check out these fun facts and see how much you know about him by answering ‘true’ or ‘false’




Birds of a feather

January 5, is celebrated as National Bird Day in the U.S. It is an extension of the Holiday Season, and is about the well-being of our feathered friends.

In the U.S., the holiday season begins in late November and ends in early January. At this time, almost everyone is bound to be aware of the Christmas traditions, the tree, the carols, the pudding, and the cake. But very few would be familiar with another tradition peculiar to the U.S. — the Christmas Bird Count.

To the many people who celebrate this day, “Bird Adoption” is a particularly important activity. This is in addition to the regular bird-related pursuits such as bird watching, discussions as to why birds should be protected, school activities, and so on.

Take a look at this slideshow to get to know more about birds.

Life on the island

Curaçao, a Dutch Caribbean island, is known for its beaches, tucked into coves, and its expansive coral reefs rich with marine life. Take a tour…

Located in the south Caribbean Sea and about 45 miles from Venezuela, Curaçao is last of the ABC islands along with Aruba and Bonaire. It falls to the north of the South American continent.

Curaçao is mostly dry and flat, but the varied landforms make it an interesting island to visit. January to September is relatively dry in Curaçao. The monsoon season is from October to December, with irregular rainy spells, generally at night. The island receives an annual rainfall of about 22 inches.

Click on the hotspots to find out more about the different regions.

Culture

In 1499, voyagers from Spain arrived in Curaçao. Then, in 1634, the Dutch seized control. Since then, Curaçao has been under the influence of the Dutch, though the British did gain possession of it for a short while. It has been a part of the Netherlands Antilles since 1954. With the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles in 2010, Curaçao gained control to run its own country within the Kingdom of Netherlands. Dutch is the official language, but people also speak English, Spanish and Papiamento, a creole language.

The Dutch influence is evident in the capital city of Willemstad, which houses 18th century villas. No wonder this city is a UNESCO world heritage site. Curaçao has some interesting museums, of which Curaçao Maritime Museum encompasses 500 years’ worth of naval history. The African musical influence is apparent in the popularity of the tumba drum.

Cuisine

The arid climate in Curaçao is the reason for cactii growing in large numbers. Hence, this plant has made its way to the Curaçao cuisine. It is used for making the soup — Kadushi (cactus), which is green in colour with a greasy texture. Another delicacy is guiambo (okra) soup, made of lady’s finger and seafood is an entrée dish.

If you happen to visit Curaçao during Christmas, be ready to be pampered with Ayaka — cornmeal dough with varied meats is wrapped in a plantain or banana leaf to resemble a gift. It is then boiled or steamed to bring out the flavour. Curaçao’s cuisine is incomplete without a mention of its national dish — red snapper with polenta (boiled cornmeal), fried plantain and salad.

Now, play this game to test your memory and learn more about this Carribean island:

Desert safari

Who said the desert is boring? There’s so much you could do. Join in on the fun with Juno and Ira on their desert safari.

Hello, old friend

The sequel to the 1964-classic “Mary Poppins”, the magical nanny, takes you on newer fantastical adventures and reminds the now older Banks children about the real joys of life.

“What brings you here after all this time?”

“Same thing that brought me the first time: I have come to look after the Banks children.”

Mary Poppins returns to No. 17, Cherry Tree Lane — 54 years after the magical nanny weaved magic in the lives of the Banks family in the 1964 classic, “Mary Poppins”! This time, she makes an appearance to help the Banks children, who are all grown up.

The movie, “Mary Poppins Returns” (which released in India in January 2019) set a new record as the longest gap between a live-action film and its sequel in history.

Plot 

The movie is set in 1935 London — 25 years after the events of the first film — amid the Great Depression. Michael Banks is now a father of three, still living in his father’s house, which may end up in the possession of the Fidelity Fiduciary Bank, if he does not pay his dues in a few days’ time. Just as he and his sister, Jane struggle to find a way to retain the house, Mary Poppins reappears to help them through the difficult time. But mainly to help them rediscover the joy and wonder that has been missing in their lives.

Meanwhile, the younger Banks children John, Annabel, and Georgie, have their own magical time just like their father and aunt did, with Mary Poppins — an underwater world that they disappear into from their bathtub; an animated landscape inside an old China bowl; a stage performance with an entourage of animals; and many more whimsical adventures.

All is well in the end, but it is time for Mary Poppins to leave and she does in her signature style — floating away with her umbrella, and one last look at the Banks family.

Walt’s trials

The story of how the first movie came about, in itself, has so much drama that it spawned an entire movie! It all started with Walt Disney’s promise to his daughters to turn their favourite book, Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers into a film. Would have seemed simple for a man who made blockbuster movies; yet it took him 20 years to do it!

After 20 years of pursing the author with letters and telephone calls, Travers finally agreed to meet him in 1961. And it took him and his team another two exhausting weeks trying to convince her to allow him to adapt the book into a movie. She did not approve of the characterisation of Mary Poppins, the songs, the use of animation, and making up words.

A compromise was arrived at and the movie finally released in 1964.

Then & now

Take a look at the characters and how they have changed from the older movie to the latest one.

Quiz Whizz – 23

Be a whiz kid; get cracking on this interactive quiz and see how many questions you can get right. Watch the video right away and start guessing the answers!

Play this interactive video quiz and test your general knowledge.

Unique New Year traditions

2019 is here! Ring in the New Year with some unique traditions like these that are observed around the world.

While world over, we follow one calendar, the way we ring in the New Year differs from culture to culture. Some have a religious significance, some have a cultural one, and a few have been made up just for fun!

Click on the hotspots to read about some unique New Year traditions from around the world.


Map is for representation only.

Seasonal changes

In temperate and sub polar regions, there are four calendar-based seasons — spring, summer, autumn or fall, and winter.

A season is a division of the year marked by changes in weather, ecology, and amount of daylight. It is the result of the Earth’s orbit around the Sun and the tilt of the Earth’s axial by the changes in the intensity of sunlight.

Take a look at these pictures and find out how they look in winter and summer. Slide the arrow to the right or left to see the contrast.