. Science International Forum (SIF) Kuwait successfully completed second edition Sastra Prathibha Contest Science International Forum (SIF) Kuwait successfully conducted the second edition of Sastra Prathibha Science Contest on January 14th, 2016. Students from 17 Indian Schools attended this year’s exam. Scores of SIF volunteers supported by the school management and teachers successfully completed the process with a smooth and error free distribution of question papers and collection of answer sheets across Kuwait. Sastra Prathiha Contest has gained appreciation of being biggest and most prestigious science exam in Kuwait. The results of SPC contest is expected to be announced on February 28. The Award Distribution ceremony for Sastra Prathibha Contest and Kuwait Children's Science Congress 2015—the young scientist program will be conducted at the Annual Science Gala, scheduled to be held on the 31st March, 2016. SIF Kuwait takes the opportunity to thank Principals, teachers, students and volunteers who participated in the contest making it the biggest science movement in Kuwait. February, 2016
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Science International Forum (SIF) Kuwait successfully completed second edition Sastra
Prathibha Contest
Science International Forum (SIF) Kuwait successfully conducted the second edition of Sastra
Prathibha Science Contest on January 14th, 2016. Students from 17 Indian Schools attended this year’s
exam. Scores of SIF volunteers supported by the school management and teachers successfully completed
the process with a smooth and error free distribution of question papers and collection of answer sheets
across Kuwait.
Sastra Prathiha Contest has gained appreciation of being biggest and most prestigious science exam
in Kuwait. The results of SPC contest is expected to be announced on February 28. The Award Distribution
ceremony for Sastra Prathibha Contest and Kuwait Children's Science Congress 2015—the young scientist
program will be conducted at the Annual Science Gala, scheduled to be held on the 31st March, 2016.
SIF Kuwait takes the opportunity to thank Principals, teachers, students and volunteers who
participated in the contest making it the biggest science movement in Kuwait.
February, 2016
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Archeologists Find 16-Billion-Year-Old Dinosaur Fossils In Western India
A team of archeologists discovered a
16-billion-year-old dinosaur fossil in
Gujarat, Western India. They also found
more than 150 geological sites that might
pave way for the discovery of other ancient
relics soon. The team, consisting of German
archeologists and Indians, found the fossils
during a research activity in the Kaas Hills
nearby Kutch City. They conducted the
research for the last 25 years focusing on the possibility of finding ancient fossils.
"We are getting the fossils of dinosaurs from the time when dinosaurs lived in the coastal areas," DK Pandey,
an archeologist, said.
Dinosaurs roamed the Earth 100 million years ago and one of the largest ever unearthed was a
titanosaur in Patagonia, Argentina. The American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan, New York,
currently houses the ancient dinosaur fossil which is 122-foot long and weighs 140,000 pounds. The
researchers conducted a previous study on the metabolism of 21 dinosaur species by utilizing a formula based
on body mass. The data was revealed by the bulk of thigh bones and growth rates.
"This couldn't be found earlier. 15 years ago, we had collected fossils, then the ONGC (Oil and
Natural Gas Corporation) collected fossils of dinosaurs. And now again, we have discovered the fossils of the
dinosaurs," Pandey added.
India is home to a lot of geological sites. In the village of Raiyoli, a princess, Aaliya Sultana Babi is
doing everything in her power to protect and promote India's most significant fossil park. The Balasinor fossil
park is home to a lot of fossil relics of ancient dinosaurs. The princess protects the park to an extent that some
parts of it, are not shown to the public because of her fear that people might vandalize these ancient relics.
Some villagers even sold fossils on the roadside, just as they sell fruits or vegetables.
"A stolen fossil not only loses its scientific importance but also thwarts major related discoveries,
which is all the more reason governments should take it seriously," Dhananjay Mohabey, a top GSI palaeon-
tologist said. He studies dinosaur fossils from Balasinor and found the original fossil of the Sanajeh indicus.
Though the government placed barbed wire around the 72-acre reserve, villagers will still take their
cattle to the reserve for grazing. "I have to do what I can to protect the history of those who roamed around in
the land of my ancestors," Aaliya Sultana Babi said.
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Someone out there is looking after India!!!
Dr Ravi Chopra is the Director of People's Science
Institute, Dehra Doon and a Managing Trustee of Himalaya
Foundation, New Delhi. The Institute, a non-profit public
interest research and development organization, is known for
its innovative work in the areas of water resources
management, environmental quality monitoring and disaster
mitigation and response. At PSI, Dr Chopra and his
colleagues have pioneered creative approaches to put science
and technology in the service of India’s poorest people. A key element in their approach is to build the
capacities of the poor to plan their own development, implement projects and then manage the assets created.
As a researcher, Ravi Chopra has focused on the interactions between technology and society and,
environment and development. He first received national recognition when he helped produce the first
citizens' report on the State of India's Environment in 1982. This report was critically acclaimed as "a unique
effort anywhere in the world". His recent analysis of India's water requirements in the 21st century has also
attracted attention. It specifies the nature of India's water crises and sustainable methods for resolving them. In
recognition of this work, Dr Chopra was made a member of the Working Group on Perspective Planning,
National Commission for Integrated Water Resources Development in the 21st Century, Government of India.
Ravi Chopra has worked for nearly four decades in the field of development and has helped establish
several pioneering organizations. The issues addressed by them include involving youth in India’s
development, using science and technology for empowering the poor, protection of democratic and human
rights, rehabilitating survivors of natural and human-made disasters and creative education of children,
including the mentally handicapped.
Dr Chopra has been a member of several committees of the Ministries of Rural Development and Wa-
ter Resources, Government of India and the Planning Commission. He is a consultant to various national and
international agencies and is a popular speaker on the lecture circuit in India and abroad. He has authored or
co-authored 14 books and special reports. He has published more than 20 papers. In 2007 the International
Service Society, Lansing, Michigan (USA) bestowed its Lifetime Achievement Award on him. Earlier in
1997 Indians for Collective Action in California had honoured him for his work on water resources develop-
ment and community service. Born on April 14, 1947 Dr Chopra got his technical education in Metallurgical
& Materials Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology (Bombay) and Stevens Institute of Technology,
New Jersey. He is married to Jo McGowan, an activist in her own right. They have three wonderful children.
They live in Dehra Doon in a house that has a 40 kiloliters roof rainwater harvesting tank.
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NCSC REPORT
The 23rd National Children's Science Congress [NCSC] organized by Department of Science
&Technology (DST), Government of India held was held at Chandigarh University, Mohali From
27 December to 31 December
We had embarked on our journey to Chandigarh on the night of 25th December 2015. The delegation
from Kuwait included two students from ICSK (Jeremiah Mathew and Vaishnav Anil Kumar), Kuwait
delegation coordinator Mr. Gangadhar Shirsath (principal
of Indian Community School Khaitan) and our team guide
Mrs.Saji Baiju (H.O.D of Science department, Indian
Learners Own Academy). Officials from SIF Kuwait were
present at the airport to wish us the best for the
competition. At 1:30 pm IST, we landed in Chandigarh
where we were greeted by the NCSC officials. The
Middle East coordinator accompanied us to Chandigarh
University. After the registration procedures we were
taken to the international hostel.
On the 27th of December there was a formal inauguration ceremony organized by the NCSC. There
was a march past by the participating teams followed by speech by dignitaries, highlighting the significance
of the NCSC. Rules and regulations governing the NCSC project presentation were announced for the benefit
of the participants. We also had the pleasure of witnessing the exhibits of the weapons, vehicles and
technology used by the Indian Army. In the evening there was a Face to Face interaction with prominent
scientists from India. This meeting was a golden opportunity for the students to interact with the scientists
directly. There was also cultural programs arranged for the participants students to showcase their talents. On
the 28th of December the teams were gearing up to present their projects. An eight minute PowerPoint
presentation highlighting our project titled’ The Art of Mulching’ was presented by the team leader from
ILOA Kuwait, in front of three eminent judges who interrogated for a duration of two minutes. Most of the
questions posed by the scientists were quite interesting and helped to widen the quest for science. After the
presentation of the project, there was an
interactive session where the students once
again got a chance to meet the prominent
scientists. We got an opportunity to meet
prominent scientists like Dr.Vinod
Kumar, Professor Arvind and Dr. B P Singh.
There was also a show put up by a comedian
called Pratap Singh Foujdhar to entertain the
students. The day came to end with the
cultural programmes which was entertaining.
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The most awaited results for the presentations were announced on the 29th of December 2015. It was a
great moment for many participating schools and for the young scientists. We had a lot of exposure in this
science project presentation though we were not selected for the second round. We also had a rare
experience to interact with the meteorologists through
video conferencing. It was productive session as we
were able to clarify our doubts regarding the subject
climate and weather. We had face to face meeting with
scientists and as well as a musical treat presented by a
well-known singer Mr. Gajender Phogat.
On the 30th of December, to create an aware-
ness of climate change among the public, a walkathon
was organized by NCSC involving the young scientists
in this noble cause. Also the students were taken to
sight-seeing places of tourists interests like the Gurudwara and the Virasat-e- khalsa museum. The day ended
with the another cultural event which was quite impressive. On the 31st of December we were highly elated
as our project was awarded an “A” grade. The five days spent in Chandigarh were the most fruitful days
exposing us to the world of science. It gave us more insight to the scientific world enabling us to further
widen our knowledge.
This project presentation was possible only because of the
wonderful team I worked with, the guidance of my team guide, the
expertise of Dr. Narayan Bhat and the encouragement received from
our respected principal, and the wishes of our beloved parents. I would
also like to extend my gratitude to SIF Kuwait for giving our team this
opportunity to present our project in the 23rd National Children’s
Science Congress.
This project presentation has kindled in me the interests in
science and I’m sure I will be able share the knowledge I have gained
through NCSC to many more students like me.
By
Aman B Nair
VIII-B
ILOA- Junior Team
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PSLV-C31 successfully launched IRNSS-1E
PSLV-C31 successfully launched IRNSS-1E, the fifth satellite of the Indian Regional Navigation
Satellite System, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), SHAR, Sriharikota. PSLV-C31 for the
eleventh time, used ‘XL’ version of PSLV. IRNSS-1E with a lift-off mass of 1425 kg carried navigation
payload and ranging payload, according to an ISRO
release.
Some 19 minutes after it lifted off from Sec-
ond Launch Pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre
here at 9.31 am, the XL version of the PSLV rocket
placed the 1,425 kg satellite (ground mass) into the
precise orbit in a text-book launch, which is also the
first launch for ISRO this year. "PSLV C-31 rocket
has successfully launched IRNSS-IE satellite in or-
bit," ISRO chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar said.
The configuration of IRNSS-1E is similar to
that of IRNSS-1A, 1B, 1C and 1D launched by
PSLV-C22, PSLV-C24, PSLV-C26 and PSLV-C27
in July 2013, April 2014, October 2014 and March
2015 respectively. The ranging payload of IRNSS-1E consists of a C-band transponder which facilitates
accurate determination of the range of the satellite. IRNSS-1E also carries Corner Cube Retro Reflectors for
laser ranging. In addition to the deployment of the constellation of seven satellites in space, the ground
segment comprising 13 Indian Range and Integrity Monitoring Stations, a IRNSS Network Timing Centre, a
ISRO Navigation Centre and a Space Control Facility would also be established.
An independent regional navigation satellite system, developed by India, IRNSS is designed to
provide accurate position information service to users in India as well as the regional extending upto 1,500 km
from its boundary. The system is expected to provide a position
accuracy of better than 20 metre in the primary service area.
IRNSS would have seven satellites in space and the ground seg-
ment.
Hello Kiddies, Here is your Answers!!!
1. Helium
2. 0
3. 7
4. False - They are omnivores
5. Spiders
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Ayurveda, 5,000-year-old natural healing system has its origins in Vedic culture of India.
Ayurveda is a 5,000-year-old system of natural healing
that has its origins in the Vedic culture of India.
Although suppressed during years of foreign
occupation, Ayurveda has been enjoying a major
resurgence in both its native land and throughout the
world. Tibetan medicine and Traditional Chinese
Medicine both have their roots in Ayurveda. Early
Greek medicine also embraced many concepts
originally described in the classical ayurvedic medical
texts dating back thousands of years.
More than a mere system of treating illness, Ayurveda is a science of life (Ayur = life,Veda = science
or knowledge). It offers a body of wisdom designed to help people stay vital while realizing their full human
potential. Providing guidelines on ideal daily and seasonal routines, diet, behavior and the proper use of our
senses, Ayurveda reminds us that health is the balanced and dynamic integration between our environment,
body, mind, and spirit. Recognizing that human beings are part of nature, Ayurveda describes three funda-
mental energies that govern our inner and outer environments: movement, transformation, and structure.
Known in Sanskrit as Vata (Wind), Pitta (Fire), and Kapha (Earth), these primary forces are responsible for
the characteristics of our mind and body. Each of us has a unique proportion of these three forces that shapes
our nature. If Vata is dominant in our system, we tend to be thin, light, enthusiastic, energetic, and changea-
ble. If Pitta predominates in our nature, we tend to be intense, intelligent, and goal-oriented and we have a
strong appetite for life. When Kapha prevails, we tend to be easy-going, methodical, and nurturing. Although
each of us has all three forces, most people have one or two elements that predominate.
For each element, there is a balanced and imbalance expression. When Vata is balanced, a person is
lively and creative, but when there is too much movement in the system, a person tends to experience anxiety,
insomnia, dry skin, constipation, and difficulty focusing. When Pitta is functioning in a balanced manner, a
person is warm, friendly, disciplined, a good leader, and a good speaker. When Pitta is out of balance, a per-
son tends to be compulsive and irritable and may suffer from indigestion or an inflammatory condition. When
Kapha is balanced, a person is sweet, supportive, and stable but when Kapha is out of balance, a person may
experience sluggishness, weight gain, and sinus congestion.
An important goal of Ayurveda is to identify a person’s ideal state of balance, determine where they
are out of balance, and offer interventions using diet, herbs, aromatherapy, massage treatments, music, and
meditation to re-establish balance.
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Indian-led scientists' team discover why comet appears black
A study by an international team from Europe and the US led by an Indian planetary scientist has
resolved one of the mysteries that baffled astronomers. Astronomical studies have shown that several small
bodies - Centaurs and Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs) - in the outer solar system are having surfaces that are
extremely dark but the origin of this colour had remained unclear. Centaurs estimated to number around
44,000 are minor planets with diameters larger than one kilometer. And TNOs are similar objects at a distance
farther than Neptune, the most distant planet in the solar system.
Now, in a report published in the International Journal of Astrobiology, Chaitanya Giri, who led the
research from the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Germany, and co-workers claim to have
found why these objects appear dark. They say they have obtained experimental evidence that the darkness of
these objects is due to presence on their surfaces of highly 'carbonized' organic material analogous to 'Titan
tholin' -- a substance first synthesized in the
late 1970s in the laboratory of Carl Sagan
and another Indian scientist Bishun Khare
at Cornell University to simulate the
atmosphere of Saturn's moon 'Titan'.
"We investigated the chemical
structure and composition of 'Titan tholin'
using multiple analytical techniques such as
laser desorption, mass spectrometry, Raman
spectroscopy and field-emission scanning
electron microscopy," Giri told IANS in an
email. "The investigation led to the
discovery of novel graphitic structural components within the larger macromolecular structure of Titan
tholin," he said. "Like the dark appearance of coal, our research indicates that the graphite within the Titan
tholin-like material on Centaurs and TNOs contributes to their extreme darkness." According to Giri, since
Centaurs and TNOs are progenitors of comets, "the darkness of comet's surface can also be attributed to
similar material." For instance comet "67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko", which was visited by Europe's Rosetta
space mission in 2014, "was extremely dark," said Giri, who was a co-investigator in the mission. Giri, who is
currently with Japan's Earth Life Science Institute at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, says the findings of
this research will have far-reaching implications. "For astronomers and planetary scientists, the prospect of
complex organic material present on several objects in our Solar System is striking," he said. Astronomers
might further use "Titan tholin" Cont’d…
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Why beaching of whales still baffles science
More than 100 short-finned pilot whales were stranded
along a 15-km stretch of Manapad beach south of the port city of
Thoothukudi (Tuticorin) in Tamil Nadu this week, and at least 60
died. How did the giant creatures show up in these shallow
waters? How do
whales find
their way
around the
oceans — and
why do they get
beached?
What makes whales special?
Think of a hippo. Add a tail fin, flippers and the ability to
stay under water for much, much longer. Take away those molars
and the ability to live on land. If that’s difficult to imagine, it’s
possibly because their ancestors parted ways some 50 million
years ago. Whales are fully aquatic marine mammals. They live in
water, but must surface to breathe through blowholes on their
heads. That is why they can’t sleep like other mammals must.
Studies on captive whales show they let only one side of their
brain sleep at a time, while the other works to keep the animal
swimming and surfacing for air.
The other challenge is to deliver babies under water.
Whales give birth with the foetus positioned for tail-first delivery,
so it does not drown. Suckling the baby is to jet-spray it. Like
dolphins, whales are remarkably intelligent, and live cultural
lives. They play, learn, teach, cooperate, grieve, and are known
for complex vocalisation. The Cultural Lives of Whales and Dol-
phins, by Hal Whitehead and Luke Rendell, offers a fascinating
account. While some whales have baleen, a filter-feeder system
that traps large quantities of plankton and other small prey, others
Cont’d…
to study the surfaces of exoplanets (that
are planets beyond our solar system)
and planetary scientists could probe into
the role of tholin-like material in
shaping up organic-rich atmosphere and
geology of several solar system objects.
"Chemists could further explore
the exotic conformations in which
ultra-complex organics exist in the
universe and biologists would further
probe whether such organics play any
role in origin of life on Earth," he
added. Giri noted that in the past few
years, interest in the small Solar System
bodies had been on an ascent. "Besides
Europe's Rosetta mission, NASA's
Dawn mission to dwarf planet Ceres
and the New Horizons mission to dwarf
planet Pluto all have given us glimpses
to our yet unexplored and enormously
diverse Solar System."
Giri said the "Titan tholin" for his study
was synthesized at the NASA Ames
Research Center while chemical
investigations were carried out at the
Max Planck Institute for Solar System
Research, NASA Goddard Space Flight
Center, and at the Universities of
Maryland (US), Nice (France) and
Goettingen (Germany).
News courtesy – +zeenews.india.com
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have teeth. Generally, baleen whales are bigger and slower than toothed whales.
How do whales move?
Toothed whales use echolocation, like bats. They
throw sound waves through the water — and when the
waves hit a prey, vessel or barrier, the whales’ brains
process the echo to determine the location, size, shape and
texture of the object.
Baleen whales migrate over huge distances with-
out deviating off-course for more than a single degree.
Researchers from the University of Canterbury who tracked 16 humpback whales over a length of time
concluded no established models of directional orientation — magnetic or solar — could explain their
extreme navigational precision.
So, what then gets whales beached?
Nobody knows for sure, even though whale stranding is neither an uncommon nor a recent
phenomenon. While dead individuals would naturally wash up ashore, mass beaching has baffled humans
since at least 300 BC. “It is not known why they sometimes run aground on the seashore,” noted Aristotle. “It
is asserted that this happens when the fancy takes them and without any apparent reason.” Centuries later, the
Romans thought stranding was a whale’s punishment for offending Neptune, the god of the seas.Okay,
So what is it that we do know?
Toothed, rather than Baleen whales, are usually
stranded. Whales living in large social groups — such as
the pilot whales that beached in Tuticorin — are more
susceptible. An entire pod can follow a disoriented
leader into shallow waters and beach themselves.
Following prey-rich currents might draw whales towards
land, or they might end up panicking at the presence of a
mega predator such as a killer whale. Gently-sloping shorelines can deceive whales dependent on
echolocation for navigation, scientists say. There’s also climate change or unnatural weather phenomena. In
one recorded event, after a strong El Niño in 1982-83, a resident population of short-finned pilot whales
apparently disappeared from areas along southern California. population of short-finned pilot whales
apparently disappeared from areas along southern California.
Okay, So what is it that we do know?
Toothed, rather than Baleen whales, are usually stranded. Whales living in large social groups- such as the
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pilot whales that beached in Tuticorin — are more susceptible. An entire pod can follow a disoriented leader
into shallow waters and beach themselves. Following prey-rich currents might draw whales towards land, or
they might end up panicking at the presence of a mega predator such as a killer whale. Gently-sloping
shorelines can deceive whales dependent on echolocation for navigation, scientists say. There’s also climate
change or unnatural weather phenomena.
What about the impact of SONAR?
Active SONAR (sound navigation and ranging) - low frequency sound released under water to detect marine
vehicles- is the human version of the same technology that whales use to find their way. The immense
pressure of manmade SONAR waves can cause internal bleeding in the ear and brain tissues, killing or
disorienting whales. Some scientists also argue that whales may interpret SONAR as an approaching predator,
triggering panic and subsequent beaching. Interestingly, the last mass whale stranding in Tuticorin occurred
not long after the 1971 war that might have necessitated intense and prolonged scanning of these waters.
Sources at Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) said “the SONAR aspect was probably not
covered” in the studies that followed that 1973 stranding of 147 whales.
What about the whales this week?
These were short-finned pilot whales, inhabitants of deep, warm waters in the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic
Oceans, and yet known for frequent stranding. Their pods of up to 50 animals form ranks that can stretch over
a kilometre. This may explain how dozens of animals beach themselves across several kilometres, but it is not
clear why they approach shallow waters in the first place.
In India, the first recorded beaching of short-finned pilot
whales was in 1852 near Kolkata.
Is the Tuticorin shoreline to blame?
It is difficult to say. Repeated beaching in one area may
suggest a flat slope or currents unique to the shoreline.
Dutch scientist Dudok van Heel found in 1962 that gently
sloping beaches would not supply a coherent reflection to
sonar. In the late 1990s, researchers from the University of
Western Australia concluded that a gently sloping beach — like the one off Ocean Beach town in Western
Australia, where the depth rolled from zero to 20 m over 3 km out at sea — posed major problems for
echo-navigation. The Manapad beach is even flatter—from zero to 5-17 m over 3 km. “The Adam’s Bridge
area is shallow and the slope is flat. But we cannot comment at this stage if that is a factor behind whale
stranding. We need further studies,” Dr P P Manoj Kumar, scientist-in-charge at CMFRI’s Tuticorin centre,
said.
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Bright lights of IIT Madras devise wonder water filter
The domestic version of the purifier will cost about Rs
500 and the replacement cartridge will cost about Rs 120 ru-
pees a year. At a time when a bottle of clean water can cost
you anything from Rs 20 to Rs 50 depending on the brand,
Indian scientists have developed a technology that can supply
water free from bacteria, virus and even heavy metals just for
five paisa per litre.
Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) have developed a nanomaterial-
based water purifier that can provide water meeting international norms of water quality and that too at af-
fordable price. The technique has been described in a paper published in international scientific journal the
Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences
(PNAS) on Monday. The domestic version of the
purifier will cost about Rs 500 and the replacement
cartridge will cost about Rs 120 rupees a year. "If
everything goes well, the filter could be useful in
achieving the UN millennium development goal of
doubling the number of people with sustainable ac-
cess to safe drinking water by 2015", Thalappil Pra-
deep of Department of Chemistry at IITM, who led
the team of researchers, said.
In a two-stage purification process, the purifier first removes microbial contaminants and then other
contaminants such as arsenic and lead. Microbes are killed by a very tiny concentration of silver ions, at 50
parts per billion, released from silver nanoparticles. Chemical contamination such as arsenic, lead, iron and
others are removed by a range of nanomaterials which selectively remove each of them, researchers ex-
plained. The water thus purified has been found to be safe as silver released in the process is far below the ac-
ceptable norm 100 parts per billion of silver in water. Silver ions are known to kill bacteria and viruses. How-
ever, they could not be used so far because the energetic surface of nanoparticles get coated with contami-
nants present in natural water. The IIT team lead by Pradeep created new composite structures in which silver
nanoparticles are trapped in composite cages made of clay like materials. Pradeep had discovered in 2003 that
pesticides in water can be broken with silver nanoparticles. He has used this technique along with new materi-
als called biopolymers for development of the new water filter.
News courtesy – indiatoday.intoday.in
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Bird with amazing voice 'like Adele' discovered in India
A new species of forest thrush has been discovered in a
remote region of northeastern India, making it only the fourth
new bird discovered in the country since independence in
1947. The bird, called the Himalayan forest thrush Zoothera
salimalii, is similar in appearance to the raspy singing plain-
backed thrush Zoothera mollissima. But the Himalayan
thrush’s melodic song and its penchant to favor dense coniferous forests with good undergrowth suggested it
could be a new species.
“It was an exciting moment when the penny dropped, and we realized that the two different song types
from plain-backed thrushes that we first heard in northeast India in 2009, and which were associated with dif-
ferent habitats at different elevations, were given by
two different species,” said Per Alström, who is from
Uppsala University in Sweden and was part of the
team that discovered the bird. “At first we had no
idea how or whether they differed morphologically.
We were stunned to find that specimens in museums
for over 150 years from the same parts of the Hima-
layas could readily be divided into two groups based
on measurements and plumage,” Rasmussen said
The bird is relatively abundant and easy to spot. But because it was so similar to the plain-backed
thrush, it was largely treated as the same species. “To an ornithologist, the Himalayan forest thrush sounds
like Adele, while the alpine thrush sounds more like Rod Stewart,” said Wildlife Conservation Socie-
ty’s Shashank Dalvi, who was among an international team that described the discovery in a study for the
journal Avian Research. The bird’s scientific name honors the great Indian ornithologist Sálim Ali (1896–
1987), in recognition of his huge contributions to the development of Indian ornithology and wildlife conser-
vation. To confirm this was indeed a new species, the researchers turned to DNA analysis. They concluded
the two species of thrush were in fact different. The plain-backed thrush has now been re-named the alpine
thrush. Further analyses of plumage, structure, song, DNA and ecology from throughout the range of the plain
-backed thrush revealed that a third species was present in central China – the Sichuan forest thrush.
New bird species are rarely discovered nowadays. Since 2000, an average of five new species per year
have been discovered globally, most of which are from South America.
News courtesy – FoxNews.com
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India to build its heaviest rocket to carry 10-tonne satellites
Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro)
plans to build its heaviest rocket, which can carry
satellites weighing 10 tonnes into space. Current-
ly, the space agency’s geosynchronous satellite
launch vehicle (GSLV MK-2) can carry satellites
weighing only two tonnes. The proposed rocket
would be powered by a semi-cryogenic engine—
that runs on kerosene and liquid oxygen, which
the space agency is currently developing. Semi-
cryogenic engines are environment-friendly and
bring down the cost of launches.
“Once we have this engine, we will have different levels of launch vehicles possible. Currently, the
GSLV MK-3 uses the CE20 engine and once we put the semi cryogenic engine in such a combination, we will
have a much bigger rating, which will have a payload capability of 10 tonnes,” said S Somanath, project
director of the GSLV MK-3 at Isro. He, however, did not set a time-frame for the rocket development. Last
year, Isro tested a demonstrator of its heavier class of rocket, the GSLV MK-3, designed to carry four-tonne
class communication satellites into space. The CE20, which the rocket uses, is an indigenously developed
cryogenic engine. A full-fledged rocket with a communication satellite will be launched in 2017.
“One of the launch vehicles will look like the GSLV MK-3, but it will be much taller, almost 65m,
weighing 732.6 tonnes at lift-off and it is capable of putting a 10-tonne space plant in the communication
orbit,” said Somanath. ISRO currently sends its four-tonne communication satellites, used for satellite
broadcasting, on Arianespace rockets of the European Space Agency. Somanath said Isro would work on a
modular vehicle approach, using the same platform to extend the power of its rockets than build separate
rockets.
“We thought we will go in a modular way. It will be possible for nearly 6-tonne payload capability
and, if required, we will be able to change to our full 10-tonne launch vehicle with a little bit of addition,” he
said. Meanwhile, Isro will launch its fifth of the seventh regional navigation satellite on January 20. The
satellite will be part of India’s constellation of geo-positioning satellites that would help in disaster
management, mapping and navigation, said M Annadurai, director, ISRO.
