Why do we have a special day for science? Find out here…
National Science Day was established in 1986 when the National Council for Science and Technology Communication asked the Government of India to declare February 28 as a day to promote science.
The aim was to popularise and celebrate achievements in the scientific field and also to showcase how science improves the life of common people.
The Valley of Flowers in Uttarakhand is known for its diverse range of flowering plants.
According to local folklore, the Sanjivani plant that Hanuman is said to have brought to cure Lord Rama during the battle in Lanka was found in the Valley of Flowers. Locals believe the plant still grows there. Yet another belief is that the area is the playground for fairies who appear when humans are not around.
Check out this presentation to know more about the famed Calley of Flowers.
if you lived in India a long time ago what game would you have played? Chess, polo or cards? Find the names of these ancient games in the grid.
Just as we like to play games, both outside on the field and indoors, the ancient people did too. Let’s take a look at some of the ancient games that could have been invented in India.
Chess, also known as Astapada, means 64 squares. However, in the old days, it used to be played with dice on a checkerboard, without black and white squares. Over the centuries the game evolved into what today is known as chess.
A square board with pockets in the four corners played with coins and a striker is a game called carrom. The only proof that it could have originated in India is that an ancient glass carrom board was found in Patiala, Punjab. Ludo is another game that is popular and has been handed down over the centuries.
Now find the names of the ancient games in this word search, using the pictorial and verbal clues given.
A scientifically curated crossword just for you
This National Science day play this crossword to see how tuned you are!
Is it a bird? Is it a missile? It’s the HAL Tejas super jet!
Spot the nine differences between the two Aliens
Two aliens are ready to welcome visitors. They may fool you by pretending to be the same, but nine differences set them apart, Spot them all
Here are 10 less-known facts about wetlands. Watch this video to know more
Check out these pictorial MCQs to get your grey cells working…
Time to up your GK quotient with this picture-based multiple choice quiz. Get, set, go!
How did seatbelts become an integral part of automobiles? Read on…
A recent high-profile accident has again highlighted the need to use seatbelts, especially by passengers seated in the rear seats. Did you know that the concept of buckling up for safety in some form or other is as old as humans themselves?
Ancient protection
In early hunter-gatherer societies, babies were wrapped in a fabric that was tied securely to the mother as she went about her daily chores. This was, perhaps, the first version of the seat belt. Another kind was seen among animal herder communities. The Mongols, who were famous for their horse-riding skills, would put children as young as three on horseback. They used customised saddles that had extra safety measures to ensure that the child was safe. The Tsatsang community, one of the last groups of reindeer herders left in the world, secure very young children to the saddle with clothes and rope to ensure they don’t fall off when the group moves camp.
Coming to the modern seatbelt, it is credited to English engineer George Cayley. In the late 1800s, he created seatbelts to help pilots inside gliders. In 1885, American Edward Claghorn took the first patent on seatbelts to keep tourists safe inside the taxis. While race car drivers took to seatbelts to protect themselves from serious injuries, American physicians began to urge automobile manufacturers to provide seatbelts in all cars in the 1930s.
Breakthrough moment
The breakthrough came in 1958. Gunnar Engallau, an engineer and Volvo’s president, suffered a personal tragedy when a relative died in a road accident partly because of the shortcomings in the belt design. Until then, seatbelts were two-point lap belts, strapped across the body, with the buckle placed over the abdomen. His loss pushed Engellau to find a better solution. He hired Swedish engineer Nils Bohlin who invented the three-point seatbelt that helped secure both the upper and lower body.
Volvo patented the designs but, valuing passenger safety over profits, made it available to all, encouraging mass adoption. The three-point safety belt has saved lives, prevented and reduced the severity of injuries and is perhaps the most important safety innovation in the history of the automobile.
Seatbelts are usually made of 100% woven polyester reinforced with strong threads for flexibility. The tensile strength (this means resistance to breaking under tension) is about 1400 to 2800 kg.
So, the next time you’re in a car, take a closer look at the seat belt and ensure you buckle up.
Fun fact
Are you wondering why aircraft seatbelts are different from those in cars? The former are designed to keep passengers in the seat during turbulence or collisions on the runway and not really for plane crashes.
Based on what you have read, see how many of these pictorial questions you can answer.
Time for a word game! Can you guess the word in under six tries?
This five-letter word is something that is quite useful if you want to achieve better results while working out. Can you find out what it is?
