Articles - Page 6 of 537 - Young World Club

Which organ are you?

Your body contains several organs, each playing its part. Which organ’s role aligns with your personality? Find out now.

The five vital organs in the human body are the brain, heart, lungs, kidneys, and liver. A problem with any of these organs can quickly become life threatening. Other organs include the gallbladder, pancreas, and stomach. Organ systems, such as the nervous system, support these organs.

The brain is the body’s control centre. It forms the core of the central nervous system by creating, sending, and processing nerve impulses, thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, and more.

The heart is the most important organ of the circulatory system, which helps deliver blood to the body. It has four chambers. The two upper chambers are called atria, and the two lower chambers are called ventricles.

The lungs work with the heart to oxygenate blood. They do this by extracting oxygen from inhaled air and exhaling carbon dioxide released from the tissues.

The liver is the most important organ of the metabolic system, but it also plays a role in almost every other organ system. It helps convert nutrients into usable substances and filters blood coming from the digestive tract through a vein before it joins venous blood flow from other parts of the body. Oxygenated blood reaches the liver via an artery.

The kidneys are a pair of bean-shaped organs, each about the size of a fist. They are located on either side of the back, protected inside of the lower part of the rib cage. They help filter blood and remove waste from the body.

The stomach is located in the upper part of the abdomen. The digestive organs in the abdomen work together to absorb nutrients and move food through the digestion process. They include the stomach, gallbladder, liver, pancreas, intestines, and urinary system.

Now that you have read all about the organs of the body, take this for-fun-only quiz to see which one aligns with your personality.

Our protective bubble

Get ready to explore the invisible world around us. Can you find all the gases in the wordsearch?

The Earth’s atmosphere is a protective blanket of gases that surrounds our planet, making life possible. It consists of different layers, namely the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere and exosphere. From the breathable air in the troposphere to the ozone-rich stratosphere, these layers play a vital role in shielding us from harmful radiation, regulating temperature, and supporting life.

The atmosphere holds moisture, gases, and tiny particles. Nitrogen and oxygen are the most abundant gases, making up the air we breathe, while carbon dioxide and water vapour help regulate our climate. Trace gases like ozone protect us from the Sun’s harmful rays.

This grid contains the names of some of the vital gases in the atmosphere. Can you spot them all?

At the mounds of the kings

The most recent addition to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list from India are the maidams at Charaideo, Assam. But what are they?

Have you heard of the “pyramids of Assam”? This is the name given to the maidams of Charaideo, which were added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in July under the cultural property category. The maidams are burial mounds, under which lie the royalty and nobility of a dynasty that ruled Assam from the 13th to the early 19th centuries. Belonging to the Great Tai group, the Ahoms were largely responsible for bringing political, economic and cultural stability to the region.

While maidams are found in many districts of upper Assam, the ones at Charaideo contain the graves of the royals. Chau-lung-Siu-ka-pha, the first Ahom king, was buried at Charaideo and it became the custom to bury all royal family members here. Since the Ahoms ruled Assam for around 600 years, Charaideo became a sacred place.

A maidam is shaped like a hemisphere on the outside and the size depended on the status of the dead person. Most maidams have a vault where the remains were kept, an earthen mound to cover the chamber with a structure for annual offerings, and finally a boundary wall with a gateway in the west.

According to chronicles of the time, the kings were buried along with articles of daily use, ornaments, weapons and other items. There are also references to attendants being buried alive along with the dead royals. However, this practice was banned by Rudra Singha, who became king in 1696.

A special officer known as Changrunk Phukan was appointed to construct and maintain the royal maidams. There was also a group of guards, Maidamiya, who protected the mounds.

In the 18th century, the Ahoms came under the influence of Hinduism and began to cremate their dead. But the priests and the clans of royal bodyguards continue with the burial system.

Since they were known to hold the treasures of kings, the maidams were often plundered and looted. In 1840, an excavation conducted by the Asiatic Society of Bengal found silver and gold artefacts such as rings, earrings, plates and more. While the Charaideo maidams are protected, the others are at the mercy of elements and people.

Quick facts

The Ahoms belong to the Tai peoples, who are today found across south China and southeast Asia.

The word maidam originates from the Tai-Ahom Phrang Mai Dam. The first two words mean “to bury” and the last “spirits of the dead”.

Charaideo also originates from the Tai-Ahom Che Rai Doi or shining city on the hills.

Sukaphaa was the founder of the Ahom kingdom and established his capital at Charaideo.

The Bard’s best

How well do you know the works of William Shakespeare? In this quiz, we’ll have you finding the missing words in the titles.

William Shakespeare, often called the Bard of Avon, was a legendary playwright and poet from England. He lived over 400 years ago and wrote a great number of timeless plays and poems that are enjoyed even today.

Hamlet, Macbeth, Julius Caesar, Romeo and Juliet… the list goes on and on. Do you know the titles of some of his most well-known plays? This quiz has five such plays but there’s a word missing in each title. Can you guess it right?

Guardians of the rainforest

Today is World Orangutan Day. Learn more about one of the world’s most intelligent primates with this article.

Identified by its distinctive orange-red fur, the orangutan is now found only in the rainforests of southeast Asia. This article tells you more about the ape that is distantly related to humans

It’s a sporting affair

Put on your thinking caps and try your hand at this fun sports crossword. Get started now.

What’s a boundary? What is Canada’s national sport? Well, there’s so much to explore, when it comes to the world of sports. Try your hand at this crossword to learn more.

All in the wings

As Prahasta continues his tests, Meghnath uses observations from Nature to keep his plane flying. But who wins?

Story so far: After the first round of Prahasta’s test, Alshayakumara’s vimana is damaged and Meghnath is trying to make some repairs.

Akshayakumara: Will our plane fly properly?

Meghnath: To be honest, the body has taken several hits so the airflow won’t be smooth.

Trishira: Can we paste leather patches on them to make the airflow smooth?

Akshayakumara: It will help generate high speed low pressure on top and low speed high pressure on bottom (Bernoulli’s Effect). But we don’t have time for the coat to dry. Also what if the coat peels away? Let’s try it and put our trust in Meghnath’s piloting skills.

Trishira quickly begins to patch the scratches with leather coating. In the meantime, Atikaya is conferring with his brothers.

Atikaya: Grandfather said this round will be tougher. So we need to be more focused.

Narantaka: What about equipping the plane with some protection systems?

Illustration: Sahil Upalekar

The three also start working on their plane. By now, Prahasta is ready to start the next round. As he finishes the countdown, the two planes take off. Suddenly the temperature drops and the two planes are covered in snow and ice and begin to lose height and speed.

Atikeya: We need heat to melt the ice. Use the batteries and connect the anode and cathode points to the metal wire (nichrome) and touch the ice.

Though it works, Narantaka and Devantaka have to move the heated wire all over the aircraft body.

Meghnath: Akshayakumara, take over the cockpit.

Once he is free, Meghnath picks up a can and splashes a chemical on the aircraft body. Within seconds, the ice begins to melt.

Akshayakumara: Wow. What was that?

Meghnath: A mixture of propylene glycol and water to de-ice.

Suddenly the cold weather is replaced by turbulent winds, which create shock waves on both sides of the wing. With more drag, the wings begin to vibrate.

Atikaya: I think we have to slow down to stabilise and reduce vibration.

But the more he slows down, the heavier the vortices. The turbulence increases. Confused, Atikeya looks over at Meghnath, who has increased the aircraft’s speed to regain stability.

Atikaya: I am going to ask Meghnath for help.

Devantaka: Aren’t you breaking rules?

Atikaya: We are not enemies. He is just going to share knowledge to save our aircraft and us.

He connects with Meghnath over the in-flight radio wave communiation.

Atikaya: How did increasing speed overcome the turbulence?

Meghnath: The more time you spend with the shock waves or wind, the more the drag. So increase the speed to higher than Mach 1 (supersonic) and the disturbed airflow gets less time on the wings.

Thanking Meghnath, Atikaya increases the speed to supersonic, saving the plane from crashing.

Just then, Prahasta claps and Akshayakumara’s plane begins to lose the leather coverings leading to increased drag.

Prahasta: Final round. Race to reach the destination.

Though fuel levels are low in both planes, Atikaya’s plane is soaring towards the goal. But Akshayakumara’s is losing speed due to the uneven surface. Prahasta is watching intently.

Meghnath: The body is in bad shape. The engine is consuming more fuel because it is struggling to cope with the speed.

In the other plane, Atikeya switches off the engine, to Narantaka’s and Devantaka’s shock.

Atikaya: Calm down! Most aircrafts are aerodynamically built. If I switch off the engine, it becomes like a sail plane. We are going to glide to the destination with the help of gravity. Also our airplane body is not damaged. Let’s see how they are handle this.

In the other plane, Akshayakumara is in the cockpit while Meghnath is on the wing with the holding rope. Akshayakumara has seen Atikaya’s tactic.

Akshayakumara: Isn’t switching off the engine easier?

Meghnath: Yes but, with a heavily damaged structure, even gliding is dangerous. We may fall like a stone. Better to use the engine power and save fuel.

Now, at the edge of the wing, Meghnath uses a hammer to hit and fold the wing edge.

Trishira: Are you breaking the wing?

Meghnath: No, I am reducing the turbulence by reducing the wing edge area. Birds use this technique when they are tired by curling their wings. Later, in 1973, Richard T. Whitecomb will discover the Winglet technique. So, even though we are short of fuel, the air speed we generate may help us reach the destination.

Meghnath jumps back into the pilot seat and begins to increase the speed to finish the race in style.

Prahasta: Congratulations boys. Meghnath, the winglet was a great invention.

Meghnath: I only copied the birds. Everything is in Nature. We only need scientific observation.

Prahasta: Now let’s go to the palace and see your performance charts.

Now that you have read this story, here’s an activity for you. Make a sharp dihedral wing plane with winglets and send it flying.

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.

Postcard from…

Some of these postcards seem too strange to be true. Can you help us sort them out?

We’ve received a bunch of postcards but we’re confused if we’re being pranked. Can you tell us which of the below letters are telling the truth?

Melodies in the wind

Here is game featuring wind instruments. It’s just like a Sudoku but with pictures instead of numbers.

Wind instruments produce sound by the vibration of air. From the delicate flute to the powerful trumpet, they are played by blowing air through a mouthpiece, where the breath creates a resonant tone. Whether in a classical orchestra or a jazz ensemble, wind instruments bring life and depth to music.

Here’s a game for you. It’s called a Picdoku. The game features six wind instruments. 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 instrument appears only once in every row, column and 2*3 grid.