The ubiquitous ‘e’ Most of us in the English-speaking world know that ‘e’ is the most used letter of the English language. If you do not believe me, try writing a sentence without the letter ‘e’ in it. You will succeed, but the difficulty you will face will prove my…
View More E for Elegance
Lock-down as a trigger The lock-down and quarantined existence over the last few months has given us opportunities to re-evaluate our habits and life choices. I have been continuously reflecting and introspecting. I have re-evaluated many things – my daily routine, my work schedule, my eating habits, my socialising activities,…
View More It is time to think ‘alternative’
As we continue to be under lock-down, I believe it is even more essential to engage ourselves and our families in healthy pursuits. This is necessary so that we are in the right frame of mind to forge ahead into our altered lives once the lock-down gradually recedes. Children especially…
View More Exploring complex concepts through simple activities
I continue here from my previous articles. If you haven’t read them yet, please do so here in Part 1 and Part 2. The power of periodicity: There is a day every month that the Indians offer their prayers to their ancestors or the departed which is on the New…
View More My journey with Astronomy – Part 3
I continue here from my previous article. If you haven’t read that yet, please do. The science behind ಮಕರ ಸಂಕ್ರಾಂತಿ (Makara Sankranti): Indian traditions follow two approaches to the calendar – the sun-based ಸೌರಮಾನ (sauramaana) approach and the moon-based ಚಾಂದ್ರಮಾನ (chaandramaana) approach. The time measured using each approach is based…
View More My journey with Astronomy – Part 2
“ಸೋರುತಿಹುದು ಮನೆಯ ಮಾಳಿಗಿ, ಅಜ್ಞಾನದಿಂದ… ಸೋರುತಿಹುದು ಮನೆಯ ಮಾಳಿಗಿ!” ಸಂತ ಶಿಶುನಾಳ ಶರೀಫ This is a Kannada folk song written by Santa Shishunala Sharifa in the mid 19th century when India experienced an epidemic of Bubonic plague. In the song, he advises people to be sensible about the disease. He shares insights on…
View More Throwing Scientific Temper out of the window
Tickling the brain: I recently read this book – What if the Earth stopped spinning and 24 other mysteries by Roopa Pai. I am currently reading Imperial Earth by Arthur C Clarke. Both these books have evoked a fresh sense of intrigue in me. My curiosity is heightened beyond its…
View More Nurturing curiosity through questions
Preparation for the much-awaited event: We were pretty excited about the eclipse viewing event plans. As expected, the morning of 26 Dec 2019 was misty and cloudy. The eagerness to witness the annular solar eclipse was so high that I was willing to take a chance. The idea was to…
View More Glimpse of the Eclipse – a Meaningful Learning Experience – Part 2
Annular Solar Eclipse: On 26 December 2019, the people of Bengaluru are in for a celestial treat – the annular solar eclipse. This is the eclipse of the sun. It happens when the moon while travelling around the earth, gets aligned between the sun and the earth. Shadow of the…
View More Glimpse of the Eclipse – a Meaningful Learning Experience – Part 1
“If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.” Isaac Newton Introduction: Over the last 490 days, I have been creating an interesting daily knowledge titbit called “Standing on the shoulders of giants”. The title is inspired by the words of Sir Isaac…
View More Magnificently Empirical – Making Meaningful Measurements