What are the fabulous four feel-good hormones and how do they influence your body and mind?
Exhilaration, euphoria, delight, joy… We’ve all felt a surge of positive feelings at some point or the other. Emotions like these can go a long way in influencing our overall well-being. Mental health and physical health go hand-in-hand, after all.
Did you know that there are four main hormones that our bodies release to orchestrate feel-good sensations? Scroll through the below slides to learn more about each of these happy hormones.
Journey into the world of musical instruments. Can you identify the instrument from the picture and the clue?
Tap the cymbals, shake the maracas… we’re creating a ruckus with music instruments. Now take a closer look and tell us what you see. Move the slider from right to left to reveal the answer.
3. I am a dazzling brass instrument with an elongated body and a flared bell. Who am I?
What are the secrets of infrasound that help elephants survive? Read on to find out.
Did you know that elephants have a secret language that allows them to communicate over vast distances? One fascinating aspect of elephants is their social structure, which revolves around a matriarchal system. Female elephants lead the herds, typically consisting of related females and their offspring.
The matriarch, often the oldest and most experienced female, plays a crucial role in guiding the herd, making important decisions, and passing down knowledge from one generation to the next. They exhibit remarkable intelligence and employ a variety of communication methods to interact with one another. Trumpets, rumbles, grunts, body languages such as ear and tail movements, and body posture are all part of their vocabulary.
However, one of the most intriguing aspects of elephant communication is their use of infrasound. Infrasound, which consists of low-frequency vocalisations, plays a critical role in elephant communication, particularly over long distances. When elephants sense imminent danger, they emit these low-frequency calls that can travel up to an astonishing 10km. By doing so, they effectively warn the rest of the family, enabling them to stay together and evade potential threats.
Male elephants, on the other hand, follow a different trajectory. As they reach maturity, young males leave the herd and embark on solitary or bachelor lives. They may form temporary associations with other males, engaging in social interactions and learning essential skills for their eventual role as breeding bulls. However, the majority of their adult lives are spent alone or in the company of other males until they are ready to compete for the opportunity to mate with females.
The use of infrasound by elephants not only sheds light on fascinating facts about these gentle giants but also serves as a reminder that in the natural world, every individual is an essential part of a greater whole. Survival is a collaborative effort, where unity and adaptability are crucial.
When faced with challenges, we can draw inspiration from elephants. They teach us that survival goes beyond mere physical prowess and involves adaptability, resilience, and unity. Just like the elephants, we too can navigate the trials of life by staying connected, working together, and embracing our collective strength. So, the next time you marvel at the grandeur of elephants, remember the secrets of their infrasound communication. It is a testament to their extraordinary abilities and a reminder of the power of unity in the face of adversity. Let us learn from elephants and strive to be not just the fittest, but the most adaptable, resilient, and united.
Communication: Their sound can travel long distances through various terrains, including dense forests and savannahs.
Detection: Specialised structures in their ears are sensitive to infrasound. These structures, known as the ossicles, are located in the middle ear and help amplify the low-frequency sounds. This adaptation allows elephants to detect infrasound signals produced by other elephants, even when they are beyond the range of human hearing.
Long-distance communication: They can convey information about their location, reproductive state, and potential threats to other elephants in the area.
Alarm calls: When elephants detect a predator or perceive a threat, they may emit low-frequency alarm calls that can travel several kilometres, alerting other members of their group to be cautious and ready to respond.
Emotional signals: They also use sound to express emotions among elephants. For example, during social interactions, such as mating rituals or aggressive encounters, elephants may produce infrasound vocalisations that convey their emotional states to other individuals.
Human applications: The study of elephant infrasound has also found practical applications in human activities. Researchers have used infrasound monitoring to track elephant movements and behaviour, as well as to detect illegal activities such as poaching or logging in protected areas where elephants reside.
Amboseli National Park in Kenya is home to over 1600 individual elephants that freely roam its diverse ecosystem. The park’s varied habitats, including cool wetlands and sunlit areas, provide fertile ground for the increasing population of Amboseli elephants. Moreover, Amboseli holds the world record for the longest elephant tusks and largest elephants.
Episode 41: Hanuman hears a story from Japan and sets off to explore the surface of the Moon remotely.
After listening to the story of Chandra and his 27 wives, Hanuman begins to wonder if there are any more stories that have a secret meaning.
Hanuman: Dad, the story about Chandra was very interesting. Are such stories told only in India?
Vaayu: Not at all. You will find them in every culture and country.
Hanuman: Really? Can you tell me more?
Vaayu: What do you see when you look at the Moon?
Hanuman: It is round and bright, with some dark patches.
Vaayu: When you look at the patches, can you make out any shape?
Hanuman: Hmmm, like some animal? A yazhi?
Vaayu: You see a yazhi but most people see a rabbit. In fact, people have created stories about how the rabbit got to the Moon. The Japanese version has a message.
Hanuman: Oh! Please tell me the story…
Illustration: Sahil Upalekar
Vaayu: The Japanese folktale is called ‘Tsuki no usagi’ or ‘The rabbit on the moon’. One day a poor man came to a forest and sat down under a tree. Seeing him look sad, three animals — a rabbit, a fox and a monkey — wanted to help him. The fox brought him fish from the stream, the monkey gave him fruits and nuts from the trees, but the poor old rabbit couldn’t find anything, except dry grass.
Hanuman: What did it do?
Vaayu: So, it built a fire with the dry grass and told the man, “I don’t have any food to offer you. But, since I any way have to die, you can eat me.” And it jumped into the fire.
Hanuman (shocked): What!
Vaayu: But the fire didn’t burn the rabbit. And the old man showed himself.
Hanuman: Who was he?
Vaayu: In the Japanese version, he is a god. In the Buddhist tales, he is Sakra, the ruler of the heavens. Pleased by the rabbit’s generosity, he grants it a boon. The rabbit replies, “I want to do something that will amaze the world. But now I am old. I don’t want anything.” The god says, “Dreams have no age limit. Never lose hope. Your love and generosity are bigger than the world. So, I will make sure the world sees you.” So, he puts the shape of the rabbit on the moon. The story is actually performed during the harvest season in Japan.
Hanuman: I love the story. Has this got to do with what the Moon is like? How do we actually know what it is like on the Moon?
Vaayu: Have you heard about Remote Sensing?
Hanuman: I have heard about remote control but what is remote sensing?
Vayu: There are two ways to research: one is in-situ and the other is remote sensing. For example, when you see a flower, how do you know what flower it is?
Hanuman: By seeing, touching, feeling or smelling it.
Vaayu: When you are “in the situation” and find out about something, it is called “in-situ”. When you see something remotely and can still tell what it is, it is called remote sensing.
Hanuman: I get it. The satellite pictures, TV channels and all are remote sensing.
Vaayu: Exactly. So to know more about the Moon, either you have to be like Neil Armstrong or Buzz Aldrin and go to the Moon and see what it’s like or you have to rely on satellites that go around the Moon and take images and send them back to Earth. India’s ISRO has sent up the Chandrayan satellite to find minerals on the Moon.
Hanuman: Will I be able to see the pictures that Chandrayan took?
Vaayu: Yes, of course. ISRO has made that data open source so that students and researchers have access to it. You can visit ISRO’s Indian Space Science Data Centre (ISSDC) and register to explore the moon. Use this link https://webapps.issdc.gov.in/CHBrowse/index.jsp
Hanuman runs to check out the Chandrayan pictures. He suddenly stops and comes back.
Hanuman: You told me the Japanese story? Does India have one too?
Vaayu: Yes, but we’ll keep that for later. First, you see the photos that Chandrayan sent back.
Curious, Hanuman runs to create his ID and to see the images of the Moon.
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 this story, here is an activity for you. This grid contains 10 words connected with the Moon. Can you find them all?
Check out this fun personality test to see which of these literary heroes you most resemble.
This is something fun for you to try out.
Here is a list of six characters from books you may or may not have read. Answer the questions by clicking on them and find out who you resemble.
Peter Pan is a character in the book by the same name. His one outstanding quality is that he never grows old. Matilda is an intelligent girl who lives with her parents and brother. She has a tough time because her family does not appreciate her. In the book Malgudi Days, you get to meet Swami, a boy who often finds himself in trouble. Hermione Granger made her appearance in the first book of the Harry Potter series and is one of the trio – Harry Potter and Ron Weasley being the other two. Timmi is a little girl with a wild imagination. She appears in the book Timmi in Tangles. And, finally we have Tintin, the intrepid reporter.>/p>
Once you have done this personality test, try to locate these books and read them.
Have you ever imagined a country without an airport? There are a few and this article tells you more about them.
There are several countries in the world that do not have airports. It’s worth noting that, although these countries don’t have their own airports, they can still be accessed by land or sea transportation, and neighbouring countries often provide the closest air travel options.
Can you guess the names of these countries using their flags and the clues given? Move the slider to unravel the answer.
1. This small landlocked country located between Spain and France does not have an airport. The nearest airports are in Spain and France.
2. This semi-constitutional monarchy in Europe does not have an airport either. The nearest international airports are in Switzerland and Austria.
3. This tiny sovereign city-state located on the French Riviera does not have its own airport, and the nearest airport is Nice Côte d’Azur Airport in France.
4. Situated in Italy, this is an enclave country within Italian territory. It does not have its own airport, and the nearest airport is Miramire in Italy.
5. The smallest independent state in the world does not have an airport either. The closest airport is in Rome, Italy.
June 23 is observed as Olympic Day to promote sports and sporting activity throughout the world.
International Olympic Day is celebrated on June 23 and this year, the theme is ‘Let’s Move’. This day calls athletes and sportspersons from all over the world to participate in various games and sports. The Olympics, which is held once in four years, is the world’s largest international multi-sport event when the world’s best sportspersons compete to win medals. The first modern Summer Olympic Games were held in 1896 in Athens, Greece. Since its foundation, International Olympic Day has widened its audience and has adapted to various local specificities. Check out the slider to know more about how it all started.
When it comes to cooking the perfect dish, precision is important. This quiz is all about common measurements used in recipes.
If you or your parents have ever followed a recipe to whip up a dish in the kitchen, you’ll notice that adding ingredients in the correct quantity is really important. A little too less or a little too much, and your dish might end up less than perfect.
Knowing some common units used for measuring ingredients can come in handy when you cook next time. That’s what this quiz is all about. Can you measure up to the challenge?
Can you find the word in this puzzle with the tip given? Go on, try it…
Here’s a simple tip. Today’s word is a geological formation. A term used to describe deep, narrow valleys with steep sides. Another clue is that they are usually formed by a river eroding the land over a long period of time.
Start the week with this quiz and get your grey cells working…
Time for the weekly quiz. Check out this range of questions covering six different topics.
