News for kids, Facts for kids, November 2012 issue of kinooze.com

1. KINOOZE.COM
NEWS AND
FACTS FOR KIDS
CHANDA AGARWAL
SHWETA SINHA
TARA AGARWAL
NOVEMBER 2012

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Authors: Chanda Agarwal, Shweta Sinha and Tara Agarwal
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3. Contents
1 2012 7
1.1 November . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Now You Can See it, Now You Can’t! (2012-11-08 03:13) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Seven Natural Wonders of the World (2012-11-01 14:34) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Who was Charlie Chaplin? (2012-11-03 02:37) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Record Breaking Plantation Drive in Leh (2012-11-01 16:33) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
The Rubbing Tool (2012-11-04 15:49) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
UFO spotted in Ladakh (2012-11-03 02:35) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
The Escape of The Turtles! (2012-11-03 15:54) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Three Fingered Frog (2012-11-03 15:54) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
US Gearing up for Elections (2012-11-05 17:25) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Plastic Indian Flags Might be Banned (2012-11-10 03:53) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Sunita Williams Spacewalks Again (2012-11-04 15:48) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Discovery or Invention? (2012-11-10 03:12) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Why is Plastic Harmful for Environment? (2012-11-07 04:32) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Wooden Cars And Paper Planes (2012-11-05 17:28) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Spade-Toothed Beaked Whale Exists (2012-11-09 06:21) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Barack Obama Re-elected as the US President (2012-11-07 06:06) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
First Sandy now Nor’easter hits NY (2012-11-08 04:48) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Precious Sunshine (2012-11-09 03:41) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Avast! Ye Pirate (2012-11-12 06:53) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
No Bursting Crackers After 10 p.m. (2012-11-12 04:13) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Spacecraft or Helicopters? (2012-11-15 05:18) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Manned Space Mission ’Made in China’ (2012-11-14 04:21) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Deepavali - The Festival of Lights (2012-11-13 05:26) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Chacha Nehru’s Birthday (2012-11-14 05:18) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Strange Socotra (2012-11-15 18:27) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
3

4. Rare Indian Diamond sold for Record Price (2012-11-15 18:22) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Israel attacks Gaza (2012-11-15 18:00) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Grow Taller in Space! (2012-11-18 16:54) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Change of Guard in China (2012-11-16 16:29) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Tomatoes trying to Catchup? (2012-11-16 16:27) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Cobras Rescued (2012-11-16 16:28) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Mysterious Stones (2012-11-20 16:41) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Free Floating Planet with No Sun (2012-11-17 18:29) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Do not be a Genie, Just be a Parent (2012-11-20 04:28) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Sunita Williams back from Space (2012-11-19 05:50) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
WaterSpout formation in Australia (2012-11-19 03:28) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Israel Hamas face off continues (2012-11-19 17:22) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Please Pass the Banana (2012-11-19 17:23) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Safety Plan for Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (2012-11-20 16:43) . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Israel to Put off Attacks Soon (2012-11-20 16:42) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Thousand Fruits On A Platter (2012-11-20 16:43) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Largest Spider in the World (2012-11-23 15:55) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Round and Round Around your Waist (2012-11-22 17:16) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Discovery of Stone age House in UK (2012-11-24 15:54) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Aesop’s Fables (2012-11-21 15:31) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Secret Passageways (2012-11-26 03:53) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Greenland losing Ice.. (2012-11-23 16:01) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
How Do We Learn? (2012-11-22 17:14) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Mount Tongariro erupts (2012-11-21 15:34) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
The Spirit Of ThanksGiving (2012-11-21 15:33) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Curiosity is Keeping a Big Secret (2012-11-21 15:34) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Who was Albert Einstein? (2012-11-23 16:00) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Israel Gaza agree to Ceasefire (2012-11-22 16:59) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Rhino Poached in Kazhiranga (2012-11-22 17:13) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
India-China Fight over Border Areas (2012-11-23 15:55) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
What Our Kids Want to Tell Us? (2012-11-25 16:05) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
House On The Road (2012-11-25 16:05) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
The Sun and The Sky (2012-11-26 16:48) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Dust Storm On Mars (2012-11-26 16:49) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Letter To Santa (2012-11-27 15:36) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
4

5. The Maple Syrup (2012-11-28 17:31) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Why is Equator Very Hot? (2012-11-27 15:53) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Phantom Islands (2012-11-28 17:30) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Buildings On Mars (2012-11-28 17:27) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Celebrating Guru Nanak’s Birthday (2012-11-27 16:43) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
More Forests in Brazil Now (2012-11-30 03:11) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Around the World Without Flying (2012-11-28 17:28) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
The Olympic Swimmer (2012-11-30 01:23) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Noah’s Ark (2012-11-30 01:20) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Huge Black Hole Found (2012-11-30 01:50) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
5

6. 6

7. Chapter 1
2012
1.1 November
Now You Can See it, Now You Can’t!
(2012-11-08 03:13)
Look at this picture of rocks and stones. Can
you spot a frog? With the body color that completely
matches the rocks, the frog stays hidden. This frog is
safe from its attackers as long as it does not move.
Can you find the owl in the above picture?
You can if you look very closely. The owl’s
body is so similar to the trunk of the tree that it
almost blends in the tree. A predator who is using
vision to hunt will almost miss the owl. This method
that allows animals, people or objects to stay hidden
and blend into their environment is called camouflage.
This allows prey to avoid predators, and for predators
to sneak up on prey.
7

8. This butterfly pretends to be a fierce owl when
in trouble. The owl eyes shape on its wings gives it a
chance to scare off the attacker.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC927k8BDL8
Hognose snakes that are usually found in USA
While some animals can stay still for a long
are entirely harmless. There is a misconception that
time, some can’t. The ones that keep moving all the
they are venomous because they have a broad head.
time have the ability to merge in the background
When threatened, the hognose snake tries to imitate
by changing their color. For example, this stone
a real cobra. When this trick fails it pretends to be
flounder Kareius bicoloratus, becomes spotted when
dead. Smart huh!
it is resting on the sand and becomes spotted when it
sits on the ocean floor.
Inspired by nature, humans also use camou-
flage but mostly for military purposes. The uniforms
of soldiers, warships, troop carriers, air crafts are also
designed to blend in the background.
Now imagine, if you had the power to camou-
flage, the power that you are around, but go
unnoticed, what would you do with it?
Animals with fur are often camouflaged by sea-
son. When the season changes these animals undergo
color changes. For example, the Arctic Fox’s coat
is brown in color, changes to white as the winter Seven Natural Wonders of the World
approaches. (2012-11-01 14:34)
Our Earth is full of marvels carved out by nature. Gi-
gantic mountains, breathtakingly beautiful waterfalls,
8

9. fiery volcanoes, mysterious forests and many more
beauties like that. But some stand out among the
rest. The top seven natural wonders of the world are:
Mount Everest - Mount Everest, which lies in
the Himalayas, is the Earth’s highest mountain.
Grand Canyon - Grand means large and Canyon
means big crack in the ground. Grand Canyon refers
to a place in Arizona, United States, where this
enormous crack formed in the ground because of the
Colorado river.
Aurora - Aurora is the natural display of Bright red,
green and blue lights in the sky. They are usually
associated with winter nights when it is the darkest.
Great Barrier Reef - Great Barrier Reef near
the coast in Queensland, Australia has 14000 different
plants and animals and is the biggest coral reef in the
World. A coral reef is an underwater structure made
up of corals.
9

10. not five or ten. It’s because ancient Greek associated
number seven with perfection!
Parícutin Volcano - is a volcano at the top of
the conical hill made out of a volcano in the Mexican
state of Michoacan. We know when it was formed
and that makes this volcano special. It started as
a small fissure in the cornfield of a Mexican farmer. Who was Charlie Chaplin? (2012-11-03 02:37)
For three weeks, there were strange noises that came
out from the ground and then finally ash and stones
erupted out. It kept on erupting for nine years before
finally settling down in 1952.
Entertainer Charlie Chaplin was probably the most
well-known actor of the early 20th century. Although
Victoria Falls - Victoria Falls in Africa is the his childhood was very difficult and sad, he made
largest waterfall on Earth. It is on Zambezi river the best comedian of his times. His silence was fun-
between Zambia and Zimbabwe. nier than the words. His costume that consisted of
baggy pants, bamboo cane, bowler hat, and over-sized
shoes became world famous. This sweet little man was
adored by everyone. Even the dictator, Adolf Hitler
copied his moustache style so that people would like
him as well as Chaplin.
Charlie Chaplin was born in London in 1889. He
traveled to the United States when he was a teenager,
and there he met a director who started his career in
comedy. Chaplin was not only an actor he was also
a director and a composer. He was the first actor to
appear on Time magazine on July 6, 1925.
Four years after his death, Ukrainian astronomer, a
Harbor of Rio de Janerio - Rio de Janeiro Har- big fan of Chaplin, Lyudmila Karachkina named an
bor is also known as River of January and as one of asteroid after him. Ms. Karachkina named the aster-
the most beautiful natural harbors. It is said, “God oid 3623 Chaplin.
made the world in six days and on the seventh, he
concentrated on Rio.” Look at this beautiful clip from his film, surely it
will bring a smile to your face.
You might be wondering why only seven...why
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VK0g-LnyC-4
10

11. Record Breaking Plantation Drive in Leh The Rubbing Tool (2012-11-04 15:49)
(2012-11-01 16:33)
”You make way too many mistakes while writing. If it
were not for the eraser your notebook would be filled
only with criss crosses”, Myra told Ken.
Ken smirked and said, ” If I had a time machine, I
would go back in time to thank the person who in-
vented the eraser. But who should I thank because I
On October 29, there was a massive plantation drive do not even know the person who invented it”.
in the beautiful city of Leh tucked in Himalayas and
once capital of Ladakh. ”Hey! wouldn’t it be interesting to find out who in-
vented the eraser, to know how he came up with the
idea and how erasers actually erase out things.”, Myra
said inquisitively.
Ken thought that this was the first smart thing Myra
said since morning and agreed that this would be re-
ally interesting to find out.
That afternoon both of them went to the library to
scout for the answers. Soon they found all their an-
swers in ”The Great Book of Inventions”. The person
that they were looking for was an Englishman named
Edward Naime, who accidentally invented the eraser.
Before the rubber eraser was discovered people used
white bread to erase the pencil marks. Eww!. One
day while working Naime accidentally picked up a
chunk of rubber instead of bread to erase. He noticed
9,814 volunteers planted 99,103 saplings in Ladakhi that the rubber erased much better than the bread.
willow within one hour. Earlier the record of planting Soon enough Naime started selling erasers. But there
66,000 trees was set in Philippines in January last was one problem. Rubber like bread would go bad
year. over a period of time. They were perishable. Much
later a person called Charles Goodyear, invented the
process of vulcanization (for converting rubber into
more durable materials) that made rubber stable and
made it a household name.
11

12. staying in the sky for three to five hours before disap-
So its the rubber in the erasers that clears pencil pearing.
marks. It is super simple. Rubber erasers are made These objects might not be alien but they are definitely
up of very tiny particles that are extremely sticky. unidentified.
And the pencil marks you see on the paper are ac-
tually tiny graphite particles. So when the eraser is
rubbed over pencil marks the graphite particles stick The Escape of The Turtles!
up to the eraser particles and leave the paper surface (2012-11-03 15:54)
!!
Ken got up from his chair and said smilingly,” If I had
the time machine now I would know exactly whom to
thank for inventing the rubbing tool.”
Did you know?
Erasers have evolved over years from being just a
plain chunk to being colorful, designed and shaped
like animals or like toys or cartoons, and many other
delightful shapes. Enjoy watching this video of beau-
tiful Japanese erasers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xWcq9KdhNA
Around 580 Indian Mud Turtles were being stolen
from Vizag district, AP and taken to West Bengal
and the Northeast, where turtle meat is considered a
delicacy.
Luckily they escaped as the truck overturned.
UFO spotted in Ladakh (2012-11-03 02:35)
The turtles were later released in lakes in the Kam-
balakonda Wildlife Sanctuary.
Three Fingered Frog (2012-11-03 15:54)
Units of the Indian Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border
Police Force (ITBP) have reported Unidentified Fly-
ing Objects (UFOS) in the Ladakh region of Jammu
and Kashmir.
The ITBP started spotting them in August and till
October reported 100 sightings of yellowish spheres The tiny, three-fingered frog, Brachycephalus tridacty-
lifting off from the horizon on the Chinese side and lus, was found in a rainforest reserve in southern
12

13. Brazil. Plastic Indian Flags Might be Banned
(2012-11-10 03:53)
This frog was discovered in Feburary 14, 2007 by
biologist Michel Garey.
But it was not until June this year that the discovery
of this new species – Brachycephalus tridactylus – was
officially established.
Wonder where this frog lost its fourth finger?
Indian government wants to ban the use of large num-
ber of plastic Indian flags used at national, cultural
and sporting events.
US Gearing up for Elections
(2012-11-05 17:25) Plastic is harmful to the environment as it takes years
to degrade during which time harmful residues seep
into the ground.
Instead goverment is suggesting the use of bio-
degradable paper for making flags for these events.
Very environment friendly thought indeed!!
Sunita Williams Spacewalks Again
(2012-11-04 15:48)
United States general elections will be held on Tues-
day, November 6th, 2012.
Current President and Democratic Party member
Barack Obama is contesting for a second term of pres-
idency against Republican Party Presidential Candi-
date Mitt Romney.
Indian-American Nasa astronaut Sunita Williams re-
Latest polls reveal that the race among the two pres- cently completed her seventh spacewalk. Any time
idential candidates will be very close. Both of them an astronaut gets out of a vehicle while in space, it
are equally likely to win the elections. is called a spacewalk. A spacewalk is also called an
13

14. EVA meaning extravehicular activity. has a tiny hole ;)
She ventured out along with Japanese astronaut Aki- Invention on the other hand means to make or create
hiko Hoshide for about six hours to fix an ammonia something new that never existed before. For example,
leak in the International Space Station’s cooling sys-
’Insulin’ a medicine for people whose pancreas don’t
tem. function properly was invented by Frederick Banting.
Airplanes were invented by the Wright Brothers and
Sunita already holds the record for a female astro- the ’the father of computing’, Charles Babbage in-
naut spacewalking. It is over 44 hours during six vented computers.
previous excursions. It was third spacewalk for Aki-
hiko Hoshide. While inventions usually are extremely helpful and
contribute to the society, a discovery may or may not
Did you Know? always be very helpful.
The first person to go on a spacewalk was Alexei
Leonov. He was from Russia. The first spacewalk was Now here is a little trivia for you.
on March 18, 1965. It was 10 minutes long.
Was zero discovered or invented?
Discovery or Invention? (2012-11-10 03:12) Keep thinking and let us know !!
-
Why is Plastic Harmful for Environment?
(2012-11-07 04:32)
Imagine if no one had discovered dinosaur fossils we
would not have known that these majestic creatures
existed. If Issac Newton would not have discovered
the law of gravity, we would still be clueless about why
things fall downwards and don’t fly back up. Think if
cars, planes and computers were not invented. With-
out these incredible discoveries and marvelous inven-
tions, the world we live in would be a totally different
place, right? Wait a minute... Are discoveries any dif-
ferent from inventions ? Yes, they are very different.
Discovery means finding out something new which
exists, but was earlier unknown. For example, people
discovered gold in the gold rush in 19th and early 20th You must have observed that grocery shops these days
centuries. The gold had always been there, but people do not use plastic bags. They hand out all your things
just found out about it one day. Discovery could be as in either paper bags or cloth bags. So what happened
small as you discovering one morning that your sock to the plastic bags that we used? There is a reason
14

15. plastic is slowly disappearing. In fact, it is a conscious Imagine a world without metal. Cars would be made
effort by everyone as plastic is very harmful for our of stone. Or maybe of wood like a bullock cart! Would
environment. Of course, now you would want to know we have aeroplanes then? Stone would be too heavy
why. to fly, and wood might break!
Whenever we throw something like paper, food peels,
leaves etc there are small tiny creatures in nature –
the bacteria – who eat these things up or turn them
into useful products that nature loves. These things
are called Biodegradable’.
Non-Biodegradable things, on the other hand, like
glass, steel and plastic – can not be turned into useful,
nature friendly products. The bacteria just can’t eat
them up or break them up.
Plastic is harmful because it is Non-Biodegradable’.
When thrown on land it makes the soil less fertile.
When thrown in water it chokes our ponds, rivers and
oceans and harms the sea life. If animals eat plastic,
it gets stuck in their tummy and makes them sick. Sounds strange, right? But did you know that a world
Why? because the bacteria in their stomach cannot without metal did exist? A very long time ago people
break the plastic up into smaller pieces. only had clay, wood and stone to make stuff. They
had not discovered metal yet. That time is called the
Factories that make plastic have to make tons of them “Stone-age”, as most things like hunting spears were
every day because people ask for plastic bags – in made of stone.
shopping malls, grocery stores, everywhere. We can
help these factories by giving back the unused plastic
bags in our house – this is called “Recycling”. Recy-
cling helps factories make fresh plastic by using the
old ones. We can also help by using cloth bags for
shopping instead of plastic bags. Imagine if all of us
stop asking for plastic bags the factories will have no
reason to make them – they can then start making
beautiful cloth bags.
Wooden Cars And Paper Planes
(2012-11-05 17:28)
Then someone found a metal called copper and mixed
it with another metal called tin to make bronze. Peo-
ple were overjoyed as metal was easier to use than
stone. Spears became sharper and cooking pots lighter.
This era is known as the “Bronze-age”.
15

16. Spade-Toothed Beaked Whale Exists
(2012-11-09 06:21)
Soon after, someone smarter discovered iron. They
began using fire to remove iron from rock. Iron ore or
raw iron was more easily available than copper and tin. The spade-toothed whale is a very little known be-
We just didn’t know how to melt it out earlier. Iron cause it is the rarest species of beaked whales. It was
was magic metal. It was much stronger and harder unknown until a partial jaw was found on Pitt Island
than bronze. It made people’s lives simpler. Improved in New Zealand in 1872 by a geologist named James
tools for digging and farming became common. Now Hector.
we could build large bridges and sturdy houses. Sev-
eral forts were constructed for safety. In December 2010, a female and a baby whale were
found stranded on Opape Beach,New Zealand. They
If you have ever visited a fort, you may remember died soon and were at first thought to be Gray’s
long pipelike weapons propped on its walls. These beaked whales. Later DNA analysis revealed that
cannons were used to shoot heavy iron balls on the they were spade-toothed whale. They provided the
enemy. Without iron, even the cannon would not ex- first ever complete specimen of spade-toothed whale.
ist. You must have guessed by now what this era is
called – the “Iron-age”! This species of whale inhabit Pacific Islands Region
and have never been seen alive. It rarely gets washed
Even today iron is everywhere. It is the main in- ashore. So far we know nothing about their popula-
gredient of steel, a metal used in cars, aeroplanes, tion or behaviour.
houses and machines. Walk into your kitchen, you’ll
find several cooking pots made of steel. Peek into
dad’s toolbox- the hammer, pliers and screwdrivers
are all iron and steel. Look around - what else can Barack Obama Re-elected as the US Presi-
you see that is made of steel? dent (2012-11-07 06:06)
16

17. Precious Sunshine (2012-11-09 03:41)
Barack Obama has been re-elected by the people of
United States of America to be the 45th president of
their country. He gets a second term which means
another four years to serve the office. He had a very
tough challenge from Republican Mitt Romney.
Obama thanked all the voters online by tweeting from
his official account ”This happened because of you.
Thank you. Four more years.”
In 2008, Barack Obama then an Illinois Senator from
the Democratic Party, went to become the first African
American president in the history of United States.
Congratulations Mr. president!
Sunshine shines Sunshine shines
Oh! look the dark cloud whines
Its rays are falling bright yellow
Making me so calm so mellow..
First Sandy now Nor’easter hits NY I am sure you all know that sun’s rays are super for
(2012-11-08 04:48) us. But have you ever wondered why they are so cher-
ished?
Sunshine helps us in many ways. When it falls on
our body, it acts like medicine and destroys certain
fungi and bacteria that live on our skin. The sun rays
also make our white blood cells healthy and active.
White blood cells in our body primarily fight germs
and prevent us from falling sick. So you see sunshine
actually strengthens our body’s army - our immune
system.
Of all the vital vitamins that our body needs, sun’s
rays are the only source of vitamin D, which is very,
useful for our bones.
Our nervous system that send messages to our brain
about what we feel, hear, smell, taste and also about
New York and New Jersey residents have been warned how we move around. This system gets all charged
to evacuate their homes as a new storm hits the area. up from the sunlight. No wonder most us feel happier
on bright and sunny days than dark and cloudy ones.
The storm moving towards NY area has already
brought some snow. So far around 1200 flights have So while, you must remember to hog five or ten min-
been cancelled and there will be more power cuts. utes of sunshine every day, do not be too greedy. Ex-
Although the storm is not as strong as Sandy the cess sun bathing might not be a good idea as it can
authorities are still very cautious. give you an itchy patchy sun burn!!
17

18. Anne never was a captain herself, but the pi-
rate crew of The Revenge’ respected her as one. She
joined the crew in 1719 after marrying their captain,
Avast! Ye Pirate (2012-11-12 06:53) Calico Rackham. Soon she became a feared pirate
herself. She led several daring sea-robberies off the
coast of Jamaica.
A year later, the crew is celebrating their lat-
est booty, pillaged from a Spanish merchant ship.
“Splice the Mainbrace!” they cheer, unaware of
their imminent arrest.
When their ship is attacked, only Anne and
Mary are awake to defend it. They fight bravely but
are outnumbered. The entire crew is captured.
“Aye Matey, ye ready?” Anne asks her friend
and crew-mate, Mary. Wrong deeds never pay, and the pirates are brought
to trial. Fitting punishment is given to all including
In reply, Anne sees Mary grasp her pirate cut- the women. Their buccaneering (buhk-uh-neer-ing)
lass. Anne herself is more than ready, brandishing days are finally over. Yet their stories have inspired
pistols in both hands. Her dagger is tucked safely in many adventure novels and movies like Pirates of the
her waistband. Caribbean’.
Want to Pirate-speak?
Anne approves Mary’s clothes. Like her, she is Avast – Stop
back in men’s khaki pants and a shirt. While Anne Pirate cutlass - A heavy curved sword
tucks her red hair in a tri-cornered hat, Mary is To splice the mainbrace – Have a drink (or several)
wearing a bandana. Hang the jib – To look ill-tempered
Shiver me timbers – I am so surprised
Then Anne notices Mary’s frown. She under- Deadlights – Yer eyes, lad!
stands why. The rest of the crew is hiding under the Booty – Goods seized
deck even at a time like this – out cold from their Hornswaggle – To cheat
merry-making! Jolly Roger - A black flag bearing white skull and
crossbones.
“Blimey Captain, arrgh!” she scorns her hus-
band, “Come up, you cowards, and fight like men.”
But neither the captain nor the crew ever joins them
in their fight with the Governor’s men.
Have you guessed who Anne Bonny and Mary
Read are? And what were they doing on a ship in
a stormy night like this? Why, they were two of the
most infamous pirates of all times. Women pirates,
really? After all didn’t the Pirate Code of Conduct’
strictly forbid the women on ships? Yes, women
pirates were rare. Still, a few like Anne, braved all
odds and proved themselves in this male-dominated
occupation.
18

19. No Bursting Crackers After 10 p.m.
(2012-11-12 04:13) At present the capsules use parachutes to land in
the ocean, they will be replaced by spinning blades to
enable soft and controlled landings on land.
A lot of testing needs to be done before it can be
deployed.
Manned Space Mission ’Made in China’
(2012-11-14 04:21)
In Bengaluru, Karnataka, police have banned the
bursting of crackers between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. dur-
ing Diwali.There can be no bursting of crackers around
the silent zones like hospitals.
Crackers not only cause noise pollution but their
smoke also pollutes the air and increases the air pol-
lution levels way above acceptable limits.
Police will patrol across the city and action will be China plans to launch its next manned space mission
taken against people who are found violating the ban. in June next year. It might carry three astronauts
to space. China also plans to develop a full orbiting
Hoping that not only Karnataka but people across space station by 2020 and is hopeful about a Chinese
the country burst crackers wisely. landing on moon one day.
Spacecraft or Helicopters? (2012-11-15 05:18) Like NASA in US, the space program of China is
controlled by the China National Space Administra-
tion (CNSA). China can not use the existing NASA
International Space Station as Beijing and Washing-
ton are not on very friendly terms.
Did you know?
• In 2003 Yang Liwei, aboard Shenzhou 5, became
the first chinese to go to space.This achievement
made China the third country to independently
send a person into space after US and Russia.
Soon the spacecrafts would be able to land like he- • In 2012 Shenzhou 9 carried China’s first female as-
licopters. NASA has developed a new rotor landing tronaut, Liu Yang and took part in the country’s
system that will enable the space capsules to do so. first manual space docking mission.
19

20. Deepavali - The Festival of Lights marched with him to Lanka.
(2012-11-13 05:26)
A battle ensued between Ram and Ravan. The war
went on for several days and ended when Ram killed
Ravan. Sita was finally reunited with her husband,
and they returned to Ayodhya.
The overjoyed people of Ayodhya celebrated the re-
turn of their prince Ram by illuminating their homes
with lights of earthen oil lamps. Today, people cel-
ebrate the day by putting up fancy lighting in their
homes, oil lamps and by bursting firecrackers.
How did you celebrate your Diwali?
Deepavali or Diwali is the dazzling festival of lights.
’Deep’ means ’light’ and ’avali’ means ’a row’. Hence
Deepavali means row of lights. It is the biggest festival Chacha Nehru’s Birthday (2012-11-14 05:18)
celebrated by Hindus across the world and especially
in India. The reason why Diwali is celebrated is men-
tioned in the great Hindu epic of Ramayana.
Long time ago there lived a prince named Ram who
was exiled from his kingdom Ayodhya for fourteen
long years. Ram set out to live in a jungle and was
joined by brother Lakshman and wife Sita in this ban-
ishment. They built a hut and were living peacefully
in the jungle. One day a Sita saw a beautiful golden
deer. She insisted on having the deer brought back
into the hut. Ram went away to get it and put Lak-
shman in-charge to guard Sita. When Ram did not
return after a long time, Sita ordered Lakshman to Today 14th November, is celebrated as the birth an-
go look out for him. Worried about her safety, Lak- niversary of Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru, the famous
shman drew ’lakhshman rekha’ - a protective magical freedom fighter and the first prime minister of free
line outside the hut and requested Sita not to overstep India.
it.
Mr Nehru, fondly called as Chacha Nehru, by all
As soon as Lakshman left, a Brahmin came to the the children had a special love for children. He firmly
hut asking for some food. Unaware of any danger, believed in the educational development of Indian chil-
Sita crossed over the line to hand out some food to dren. And that is why 14th November is celebrated
the Brahmin. The Brahmin was none other than as children’s day all over India.
Ravan, the king of Lanka. He kidnapped Sita and
brought her to Lanka against her wishes. Children’s Day is celebrated on 20th November in
the rest of the world, every year as declared by the
Ram and Lakshman were outraged when they found United Nations in 1954.
Sita missing and set out to bring her back. On the
way, they met several people including Hanuman and Happy children’s Day!
his monkey-faced tribe. They became his army and
20

21. Strange Socotra (2012-11-15 18:27) The islands have rare species of plants, reptiles
and land snails that are found no where else in the
world. Ever since the ancient time these islands have
interested the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans who
thrived on the natural treasures of Socotra. Aromatic
resins such as frankincense, medicinal aloe extract,
and the dark red sap of the dragon’s blood tree were
used for healing and as colors for painting. These
days Socotra holds the interest of researchers and
tourists for its diverse flora and fauna.
It is highly amusing to see how the plants have
evolved to survive the harsh dry conditions. A famous
example is the desert rose. It has a high thick trunk
with a leafy top. The trunk stores water, and takes
fascinating shapes to fix itself to the rocks. The
flowers are pink in color and are commonly referred
Where the strange plants and animals exist, a to as desert rose.
place 220 miles away from Yemen is called Socotra.
Socotra is a collection of four islands in the Indian
Ocean, near the Gulf of Aden. Millions of years
ago, when Earth had just one landmass, even then
this island stood apart on its own. Because of being
isolated for so long this island is truly unusual and
unique.
There may be many undiscovered species of in-
sects on Socotra. Because of the regular monsoon
winds in the area, many Socotran insects have evolved
little wings, which prevents them from being blown
out to sea. There are enormous centipedes that
21

22. can reach a length of more than 20 centimeters and
can give a serious pinch. Ouch! Also, present are A 19th century rare Indian diamond ’Archduke Joseph
freshwater crabs, and large spiders that spin golden diamond’, named after its first owner Archduke Joseph
webs across wood land gaps. Harmless to humans, August of Austria, was sold at world record price of
but scary nonetheless!! Herpetologists believe that $ 21.5 million (about Rs. 118 crore) at an auction in
there are still some undiscovered species of reptiles Geneva. The auction for 76 carat diamond was con-
on the island. ducted by Christie, a very established auction house.
The diamond was possibly mined at Golconda or Kol-
lur mines near Hyderabad. Two other world famous
diamonds mined here are Koh-i-noor and Hope. Koh-
i-noor is among the British Crown Queen Jewels and
the Hope diamond is displayed in the Smithsonian
Institute in U.S.
However, the buyer of ’Archduke Joseph diamond’
remained anonymous.
Have a look at the gorgeous diamond:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Um-y22Emnnw
In diversity, this island is remarkably similar
to Galapagos island, but it is more densely populated
than Galapagos. More than 50,000 people live on
the main island of the archipelago. Fishing, animal
husbandry, and the cultivation of dates are the chief
occupations of the indigenous population.
Israel attacks Gaza (2012-11-15 18:00)
Sadly, the development and the modernization
of these islands is slowly destroying the cultural and
natural habitat of the place. Hopefully the traditional
aboriginal people of will somehow keep it as it is.
Rare Indian Diamond sold for Record Price
(2012-11-15 18:22)
Israel in Asia, on the eastern side of the Mediter-
ranean Sea, is the only Jewish country. Gaza Strip
is a stretch of land along the Mediterranean. The
main city in the Gaza Strip is called Gaza inhabited
by Arabs known as Palestinians. The strip is not part
of any recognized country. It is currently ruled by
Hamas - a Palestinian group.
22

23. vertebrae (or spine). Now this vertebrae is in the form
of a coiled spring.
The gravity on Earth pulls this spring downwards.
Have you ever tried pushing down on the spring with
your finger? The spring is compressed, but when the
force is released, the spring stretches out. The same
thing happens to the spine, it elongates by up to three
percent while humans travel in space. There is lesser
gravity pushing down on the vertebrae in space than
Earth, so they can stretch out - up to 3 inches. Keep-
ing this fact in mind astronaut suits are designed to
be longer.
(Mapcourtesy: Worldatlas.com)
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a dispute between
two groups of people with claims control over the same
area of land - The Gaza Strip.
Israel has attacked more than 200 targets in the Gaza
Strip to chase and kill Hamas leaders.
.
Grow Taller in Space! (2012-11-18 16:54)
A similar thing happens when your are sleeping at
night. All of us look taller while lying down because
the force of gravity is not pushing us down.
Hmm! So when someone asks for your height which
What? Really? This is a fact and not just an il- one should you tell? On Earth or the one in space.
lusion. Astronauts have been known to gain over 2 Think about it.
inches of height in space which returns back to nor-
mal once they are back to earth. You know why? All
because of zero gravity.
We all know that our height is determined by our
23

24. Change of Guard in China (2012-11-16 16:29)
Have you ever wondered why ketchup is called so.
Well it can be easily called tomato sauce by just ev-
Xi Jinping has become the new general-secretary of eryone. Then why ketchup?
China’s ruling Communist Party will now take charge
of the world’s number two economy for next ten years. The mystery of the name lies in the Chinese origin of
He is succeeding President Hu Jintao. the sauce. In the late 17th century, the Chinese mixed
pickled fish with spices and in their language (which
Xi Jinping has a few challenges to face as the Com- was mandarin) called it ke-chiap - meaning the brine
munist Party is facing slower economic growth and a of pickled fish. By the beginning of 18th century, this
public protest to end corruption. sauce made its way into the neighbouring countries
(present day Malaysia and Singapore). By now the
sauce was called kechap.
Tomatoes trying to Catchup? Soon enough this delicacy was discovered by British
(2012-11-16 16:27) explorers. Many versions of the sauce were made over
the century. And then the version with lots of toma-
toes stayed on. That word kechap also evolved over
the years into the English word ”ketchup”.
Today, H. J. Heinz Company, the largest distribu-
tor of ketchup in the world.
Ketchup!
Ha! See I made you smile :)
We are talking about the same red tomato sauce that
you lap up while eating fries or that gooey cheesy
pizza. A lot of people also call it ’catsup’. Did you know?
The study of how the words originated and also the
24

25. way in which their meanings have changed throughout Mysterious Stones (2012-11-20 16:41)
history is Etymology. Can you find some words with
interesting Etymology??
Here is one to start with - Vermicelli comes from
Latin word ’vermiculae’ meaning ’little worms’ since
the pasta resembles wriggly worms.
Cobras Rescued (2012-11-16 16:28)
(Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons)
Imagine you are walking on a lush green beautiful
country side, and abruptly you come across giant
stones arranged in concentric circles. Do you think
such a place exists?
There is such a place that is 90 miles from the
city of London in United Kingdom there lies a
pre-historic monument called ’Stonehenge’. Stone-
henge was built more than 3,000 years ago, any-
where between 3000 BC to 2000 BC. How do we
know that? Scientists have used various techniques
to find out how old the stones are. The monu-
ment has giant stones arranged in concentric circles.
You must be thinking that why would a cobra need to
be saved, after all they are the most poisonous snakes
in the world. But it is true.
Thai Customs officials have seized over 600 cobras
saving them from ending on dinner tables.
Snake meat is very popular in some south east asian
cultures like Vietnam, Thailand and China.
The driver has been charged with a violation of the
Wildlife Preservation and Protection Act. The seized
cobras are now under the care of the Department of
National Parks and Wildlife and Plant Conservation. The outermost circle of stones is almost 100 feet in
diameter. Large stones of the outer circle are made
25

26. of sandstone. Two standing stones have 10 feet long Free Floating Planet with No Sun
curved stone across the top called lintels. Inner semi- (2012-11-17 18:29)
circle is formed by even larger blocks of sandstone
and lintels. Within this inner circle, there are smaller
stones called bluestones that are also arranged in a
circle.
A stand alone stone called Heel stone stands some
distance away from the main structure. On the morn-
ing of the summer or winter solstice, seen standing
from the center of the structure, the sun rises directly
over the Heel Stone.
How were the stones dragged to the location in those
ancient times is a big mystery. Each stone was prob-
ably brought from over 200 miles away and weighs
about 25 tonnes. There were no carts invented by
then, so one wonders how.
Another mystery is why these massive stones were
arranged in such a peculiar manner. May be it served
as an astronomical calendar. Maybe it was an an- Scientists have now found a planet that is not re-
cient burial ground since archaeologists have discov- volving around the sun. Although the scientists were
ered bones buried at the site. Nobody knows for sure. hoping to find such a planet this is the first time such
a planet have been discovered.
Stonehenge will remain a mystery untill we have a
way to go back in time to see for ourselves as to what It was found by researchers working at the ESO’s
actually happened !! Very Large Telescope and the Canada-France-Hawaii
Telescope.
Watch a captivating video about how Stonehenge must
have been created
Do not be a Genie, Just be a Parent
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6oxmxPKoSE (2012-11-20 04:28)
Be mindful of the temptation of buying just anything
and everything for your kids that they desire. Many
a times our kids pester us for toys or stuff that their
friends have been flaunting. Sometimes immediately,
26

27. sometimes after a lot of nagging we eventually give Sunita Williams back from Space
in. But should we just keep on buying toys/things for (2012-11-19 05:50)
them that they do not really need? Well that is what
I did until recently. Soon I realized that even after
having designated one room as the toy room that had
cabinets, lofts and trolleys full of toys and just toys
- the toys were now beginning to conquer my whole
house.
One night after stepping on the squeaky duck, then
hurting my feet with car wheels and then finally nar-
rowly escaping a slip disc injury tripping over the
bouncy ball, I made a decision. I was so done. Some
of these toys had to go. It was either me or them. I
decided to update the kids about my decision, gently.
I asked for their help as they were to give away these
toys to less privileged children. Surprisingly my kids
were tremendously supportive - initially. But as the
toys flowed out of the cabinets, it turned out they
wanted to hold on to each and every one of them. The
more I reasoned with them the more they got upset.
Sunita Williams back from Space
I decided I was not going to give up. I was deter-
mined to downsize the clutter and this time without The Russian Soyuz capsule carrying astronaut trio
their permission. Soon enough I got rid of all the toys Sunita Williams, Yuri Malenchenko and Aki Hoshide
that my kids were not playing much with. Phew! And landed at 0726 IST in the town of Arkalyk in Kaza-
now I am thoroughly enjoying all the free space, and khstan, Russia.
my kids have begun to enjoy that too!
The crew undocked from International Space Station
Having fewer toys really does benefits kids. Here, yesterday ending Expedition 33. Expedition 34 at ISS
is how: begins under the command of Kevin For, with Evgeny
Tarelkin and Oleg Novitskiy until March.
• By you saying ’no’ for some things, you are giving The astronauts returned from 127-day journey in
your kids basic lessons about impulse control. It space, since their launch on July 15, this year from
gradually enforces in them the fact it is OK not the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
to own everything one desires.
Williams has so far spent a total of 322 days in space
• Children will give more attention to each toy and, during her two long-duration missions and also holds
therefore, value their toys more. the record for spacewalking time for female astro-
nauts.Commander Malenchenko has spent total of
• With fewer items to look after for, they will take 642 days in space and it was end of fifth spaceflight
care of their things better. for him. It was end of second space trip for Hoshide.
• Also, ’clean-up time’ with a limited number of Three cheers for the trio!!
toys is easy for kids. They get confused when too
many things are floating around. To see a video of Expedition 33 Landing, visit
www.nasa.gov
And for adults, of course living in a cleaner tidier
home is a big plus !!
27

28. WaterSpout formation in Australia
(2012-11-19 03:28) United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is
on way to Cairo,where he intends to “appeal person-
ally for ending the violence,” a statement from his
office said.
Leaders across the world, especially from Egypt and
Iran are making efforts so that peace shall prevail be-
tween both parties as soon as possible.
Hoping a ceasefire instead of crossfire soon.
Know more about why Israel attacked Gaza?
A huge waterspout has been caught on tape off the
coast of Batemans Bay in the Australian state of New
South Wales.
So far there has been no damage but some bad weather
is expected.
Check this out:
Please Pass the Banana (2012-11-19 17:23)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUaOOaTE2-
Fg
Israel Hamas face off continues
(2012-11-19 17:22)
Did you know that apes can ... what, ask for
a banana? No, apes cannot say “Please pass the
banana”! Though wouldn’t it be cool and funny if
they did? But what they can do is grasp a banana as
Continued Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip and we do, by bending the thumb to touch their fingers.
in return rockets fired at Israel by Gaza, is causing Have you seen any other animal do that?
heavy loss of life on both sides.
28

29. But most importantly, they have bigger brains
and are much more intelligent than monkeys.
In fact, they are so intelligent than some apes
have been taught to use the sign language. But that
is only in captivity. They do not learn this naturally
in the wild. In the wild, apes have been seen using
small tools. For instance, they use a stick to poke
into ant-hills. Then, when they pull it out, the stick
becomes a yummy lolly with insects clinging to it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaEDeRJKN0s
Apes, like monkeys, are very social and love
living in large groups. They sleep on trees too,
What’s more, they can even bend their big though mostly travel on land. Do you know what
toes to meet the other toes!! their favorite food is? Yes, right, it’s bananas and
other fruits. They like eating leaves and seeds too.
And do you know what else makes apes differ- Some apes also eat insects and small animals.
ent from other monkeys and more like us Humans?
For one, they are tailless. And, they can stand Do you know where you can find an ape? Yeah,
upright on two feet. the zoo, I know, I know; but where in the wild?
Well, apes love the warm and hot climate. So the
rainforests in South-east Asia and Africa are their
favorite habitats.
Then again, apes are of two types – the great
apes and lesser apes. Chimpanzees, Gorillas and
Orangutans are great apes while Gibbons are lesser
apes.
Can you guess which other animal some scien-
tists believe should be considered a great ape too? It
is us, “Humans”!!
29

30. Safety Plan for Kudankulam Nuclear Power Israel to Put off Attacks Soon
Project (2012-11-20 16:43) (2012-11-20 16:42)
Egypt’s constant mediation between Israel and Gaza
and presence of United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon in
Israel may bring out positive results at last.
Diplomatic efforts will reach a peak with U.S. Sec-
retary of State Hillary Clinton arrival in Israel. The
message of Clinton’s trip will be that it is in nobody’s
interest for there to be an increased military conflict
in Gaza.
Know more about why Israel attacked Gaza?
Thousand Fruits On A Platter
Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project(KNPP) is a nu-
(2012-11-20 16:43)
clear power station in Kudankulam in the Tirunelveli
district of Tamil Nadu. A nuclear power station is a
major source of power- both heat and electricity.
There were a lot of protests coming from the people
that live in the nearby vilages. But now the Supreme
Court on Tuesday made it clear to the government
that all safety measures for handling disaster must be
put in place at the Kudankulam power plant before
it starts working.
SC further directed the state that if the state of TN
does not submit the safety plans for surrounding 40
villages, an order will be passed to stop any operations
at the plant. How can that even be possible? Thousand fruits on
a platter. Yes it is if you dry them up and squeeze
them into tiny sizes. Now can you guess what we are
30

31. talking about? Dry fruits or commonly known as nuts Largest Spider in the World
taste terrific and are so good for you. Let us explore (2012-11-23 15:55)
here which nut provides what?
Have you ever heard that the shape of fruits and
vegetables gives a hint as to what it is good for?
Almonds - Isn’t it amusing that a nut that looks like
eyes is actually darned good for eyesight. Soaked al-
monds are very good for keeping your eyesight healthy
throughout your life.
Walnuts - No prizes for guessing that this nut can
do wonders for you brain. Packed with nutrients wal-
nuts keep you healthy and wise.
Cashew nuts - Okay this smiley nut, which is shaped,
as a smile keeps you happy. It has vitamins that will If you guessed Goliath Birdeater, you would be right!
keep your heart smiling too.
These huge, hairy spiders are the largest spiders by
Raisins - These tiny little drops of sugar are the most mass, and they belong to the tarantula family. Guess
nutritious of all the dry fruits. They are sugary and how powerful they are??
sweet and so much better than candies. They have
antioxidants that keep your blood remarkably clean. Goliath Birdeaters can grow upto a foot long with
one inch long fangs!! The tiny spiders in your house
Pistachio - A hard nut to crack! but packed with are not even an inch long!!
extreme goodness. This little green seed helps in
growth of good bacteria and, so it is commonly called Their long, pointy fangs contain poison. These spiders
”nut for the guts”. It keeps digestive system healthy hunt mostly in the night. Even with eight eyes, these
and boosts immunity. tarantulas have poor vision, so they hunt by sensing
the vibrations of the moving prey.
Dates - A date a day keeps the doctor away. Dates are
an excellent source of iron. One date daily is necessary Are you scared? Breathe a sigh of relief. Their bite is
for a balanced and healthy diet. harmless to humans, and you are too big for them to
swallow you. Although they have these tiny tarantula
I am nuts about nuts. Aren’t you? hair that might irritate you, there is nothing much
they can do to hurt you.
When threatened, they rub their abdomen with their
hind legs to release very fine bristle like hair that can
irritate your skin and mucous membranes. That will
make you itchy and wanting to cough. Take a look at
this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klHDzIIrsjY
The funny thing is that Goliath bird eater does not
normally eat birds. So why does it get that name? It
is because the explorers who named it, witnessed this
tarantula eating a hummingbird.
31

32. • Aaron Hibbs from Ohio spun the hula for the
Did you know? longest time - 74 hours and 54 minutes between
October 22-25,2009.
Giant Huntsman spider is the world’s largest spider
by leg-span. • Record for most hoops twirled in one go is 132
held by Paul ”Dizzy Hips” Blair on November 11,
2009.
Round and Round Around your Waist
(2012-11-22 17:16) • The largest hoop - 45.55 feet in circumference
was twirled by Asrita Furman of United States
in September 2005.
Happy Hooping!!
Discovery of Stone age House in UK
(2012-11-24 15:54)
No points for guessing! It is the plastic hoop that
you spin around your waist or at least try to. There
are some who can twirl it for hours, but if you are
one of them who can’t hold it long enough, watch this
video. After all everything is all about learning the
trick and practicing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25zg9itcfmM
Hula hoop is not a modern day invention. It has
been there since the 5th century. Ancient Greeks
made the hoop with dried up shrubs and stiff grasses.
It was used for recreation as well as exercising. Oh During a construction work near Edinburgh, UK re-
yes! shaking your body with the hoop sure burns a mains of an extremely old house have been found. The
lot of calories :) house has a large oval pit, and remains of more than
1,000 of old tools and arrowheads.
Until 19th century, the ring was just called ’hoop’.
Then some British soldiers travelling to Hawaiian Is- Big quantities of burnt hazelnut shells were also found
lands noticed that the body movements while perform- suggesting whoever lived there roasted the nuts for
ing traditional Hawaiian dance ’hula’ are extremely food.
similar to body movements when one spins the hoop.
Ever Since then ’hula’ has inseparably attached itself Archaeologists believe that the house could be more
to the ’hoop’ to become Hula Hoop!! than 10,000 years old possibly belonging to the
Mesolithic period.
Many world records are attached with hula hooping.
32

33. Aesop’s Fables (2012-11-21 15:31) known as Aesop’s Fables or the Aesopica.
Aesop’s fables from Greece and Jataka Tales and Pan-
chatantra from India have many stories in common.
The details sometimes differ widely. For instance, the
fable of ’The Wolf and the Crane’ is told in India as
a story of ’A Lion and another bird’.
Have you heard the fable of ”The crow and the pitcher”
where the thirsty crow gets the water level in the
pitcher up by filling it up with stones? This story
teaches us ”Necessity is the mother of invention”.
There is another one about “The tortoise and the
hare” where both the animals decide to get into a race. Therefore, some historians debate whether, in ancient
Contrary to the expectation of swift hare winning the times, the Greeks learned these fables from Indian
race, the unhurried tortoises wins. So it is said ” The storytellers or the other way round.
slow and steady always wins the race”. I must have
heard or read these a hundred times. Well it does not matter who wrote them first they
are wonderful stories!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggi2cE9oSh0
Secret Passageways (2012-11-26 03:53)
Most of the fables that we read today were actually
written sometime between 620 and 560 BC by a Greek
slave named Aesop. He wrote hundreds of fables while
he was in captivity. He keenly observed incidents
around him and weaved gripping tales around them.
In the end, he always added an intelligent advice.
Collection of fables written by Aesop is commonly
33

34. Greenland losing Ice.. (2012-11-23 16:01)
Long ago, when castles, mansions, alcazars, fortresses
and palaces existed, then within these also existed
secret passages. These secret passages were hidden
routes somewhere inside the building. Only a few
trusted people knew about these tunnels. These con-
cealed tunnels led to private rooms or to an exit far
away from the building. Anybody crawling through
them could enter or exit buildings without being seen.
Obviously then the question is why were they con-
structed at all? After all, we don’t have hidden routes
in our homes these days.
In the olden times, there was always a looming threat
of enemy attack. Hidden routes inside palaces pro-
vided the king and the royal family one of the ways
to hide or avoid the danger.
But that is not the only reason, there is more to
it.
Ancient Egyptians built rooms hidden deep beneath
the main passages inside the pyramids. These were
decoy rooms with few valuable items to trap the tomb
raiders. This way raiders could be caught before they
reached actual burial chamber. Smart, huh!
During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, priests practic-
ing Catholic traditions were punished. Many English
homes had small, cleverly hidden spaces constructed
to hide a Catholic priest during sudden raids by the
queen’s men. These hidden chambers were called
priest holes. Today, you can still find priest holes in
many of England’s historic homes.
In 2006, a tunnel was discovered running from Ti-
juana, Mexico to Otay Mesa, California. The tunnel
was used to smuggle goods and carry out illegal activ-
ities. Taking a cue from olden times, a modern day Glacier-covered Greenland has had an average net
tunnel gets built but only to used for evil activities... loss of 200 million tons of ice every year since 2003,
That’s sad. scientists who are studying the changing mass of the
island using satellite data have confirmed that.
Scientists use the rate of melting ice in Greenland
as the measure of rate of Global warming.
The really interesting part is that is that the ice is
shrinking at the edges but getting thicker in the mid-
dle.
34

35. How Do We Learn? (2012-11-22 17:14) learn and understand the world around us as we grow.
Asking question also comes naturally to kids as soon
as they are able to talk.
The vision: Your eyes are at work as long as
they are open. They are like camera clicking away
pictures of each and every thing that you see. Then
they send the information to your brain for processing
so the brain knows what’s going on outside of your
body.
Ohh! the smell: Your nose helps you breathe
and smell. It has Olfactory cells line the top of the
nasal cavity. These cells contain special receptors
that help you smell and distinguish a flower’s sweet
smell from a pig’s stink.
The sound of music: Do you wonder how your
ears do this amazing job of listening. Your ears
collect all the different sounds that you hear and send
them to the brain to process. Ears help you with one
more thing and it is not related to hearing - they help
to maintain your body’s balance. No wonder mama
has to yell, ”Clean you ears!!”, when you constantly
Do ignore her advice.
you remember the time when you were all babies?
Were you as smart then as you are now? Have Where is the flavor?: Ever tried sticking out
you wondered how have you learnt whatever you your tongue? Do you see those tiny bumps on your
have learnt? Tell me how would you answer all the tongue? Well lying under those are the taste buds or
questions asked below. the sensory organs that help you differentiate sweet
from sour and spicy from bitter.
Do you know the colors of the rainbow? See
it Touch me not: The skin contains general re-
ceptors. These receptors can detect touch, pain,
Do the flowers smell the same as pigs or differ- pressure, and temperature. You have them all over
ent? Smell them. your skin. Skin receptors generate an impulse when
activated, which is carried to the spinal cord and
Is the chirping of birds same as the roar of then to the brain.
Lion? Hear it.
Does a stone feel as soft as cotton? Touch
it.
Are carrots as delicious as Fries? Taste them.
You answered all of them correct. How? You
looked, you touched, you smelt, you ate, you listened
and you asked a thousand questions. Interesting thing is that all these senses report
to the brain. No prizes for guessing who the boss is?
We are all born with five senses that help us
35

36. By using all these senses you have grown so Yesterday the volcano erupted again ejecting ash cloud
much and you will continue to grow and use them all at least 2km(1.25 miles) into the air. This latest erup-
your life. tion lasted for around five minutes.
Go start discovering new things. Volcanic ash fall Could affect the Waikato, Hawkes
Bay, Gisborne and Bay of Plenty areas.
The Spirit Of ThanksGiving
(2012-11-21 15:33)
Mount Tongariro erupts (2012-11-21 15:34)
I love thanksgiving dinner. Actually, I love
that special carrot cake mom makes every year. I wait
all year just for that. Only problem is, everybody
loves it. And when there are plenty cousins to share
with, I rarely get enough.
Mount Tongariro is in the Tongariro National Park, This time I wanted more. But mom wasn’t
North Island of New Zealand. just going to hand me more, right? And no one would
donate me their share either. So I had to devise a
Mt Tongariro which was dormant since 1897 ,erupted plan.
earlier this year in august for the first time in over a
century. I could make mom and dad happy, and maybe
they would reward me. That’s it! I would help them
with dinner preparations. I went turkey shopping
with dad and helped him with the light fixtures.
When I entered the kitchen, mom was measuring
flour for the cake.
“Can I help?” I smiled inwardly.
Mom probably raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
Soon I was whipping cream, breaking eggs and
grating carrots. By the time the oven tinged, I was
covered in cake goo.
“What’s up?” Neil confronted me.
36

37. “Here’s a cake mix, just follow instructions.”
I feigned innocence, “Just helping out.”
Thankfully the instructions were simple. For
“You hardly move out of your room, but today all my “helping-out” I deserved a gigantic piece now.
you even baked the cake!”
People started pouring in by five. The turkey
“I’m trying to get into Santa’s good books.” was carved, the yams were passed out, and the
mashed potatoes were scooped. As always I hung
“Seriously?” my kid brother narrowed his eyes. back in my corner, impatient for the party to end.
I wanted to say, “Mind your own business,” but then “Sheila, please serve the cake,” mom called out.
he walked out quietly.
Great, that was my chance! I carefully cut it
and stowed away the biggest piece. Then I began
“Neeiiil,” I was awakened by mom’s yell the serving the rest.
next morning. She was in the kitchen holding the
cake. “Mmmm&. Amazing, Emma!”
“I had to check,” Neil whimpered, “I was sure “Sheila baked it,” mommy gloated.
Sheila had spoiled it.”
Soon everyone was all praises. I became the
“Aahhhh!” it was my turn now. The cake was star of the evening. Everybody took helpings till the
ruined. That big scoop on the side, could we serve it plate was squeaky clean.
anymore?
I skipped back to the kitchen with a wide grin,
“What do I do now? I have no carrots. And when a small voice piped in.
all shops are closed&,” mom was panicking.
“Can I have more?” that was Neil.
I wanted to say, “Let’s eat it!” Instead, found
myself saying, “Let’s bake a regular cake, cut this one “I’m sorry&” mom began, but I cut in.
and layer it.”
“Actually mom, there is a little more,” I said,
“Great idea; go ahead, bake one.” handing over my share.
“Me& no, I can’t!” I did not even taste the cake that year. But
what I tasted was much more delicious – togetherness
37

38. of my family and the joy of sharing. The total spirit Who was Albert Einstein? (2012-11-23 16:00)
of thanksgiving!
Curiosity is Keeping a Big Secret
(2012-11-21 15:34) Albert Einstein was one of the most famous sci-
entists of the 20th century. Here, are a few
things about his life you might like to know.
So what is the big news from curiosity that the scien-
tists are keeping under wraps. Even though it is not
very clear what the news is, it is something phenome-
nal enough to go in the history books.
The mystery will be revealed shortly, though.
Grotzinger told Wired through e-mail that NASA He was born on 14th March, 1879 in Germany to
would hold a press conference about the results dur- a businessman father. His mother was particularly
ing the 2012 American Geophysical Union meeting in interested in music, so Einstein learned music from
San Francisco from Dec. 3 to 7. very early age. He played Beethoven’s sonatas and
Mozart’s melodies beautifully on violin.
The scientists want to thoroughly check the results
before revealing it to the public. When Einstein was around four, his father gave him a
magnetic compass. He tried hard to understand how
Let us see what the future brings. the needle worked in the closed case of the compass.
This was the first incident that showed Einstein’s in-
clination towards science and mathematics.
When Einstein was ten years old, an older friend and
38

39. a medical student introduced him to popular books Israel Gaza agree to Ceasefire
on science, mathematics and philosophical writings. (2012-11-22 16:59)
These included Immanuel Kant’s Critique of Pure Rea-
son, and Euclid’s Elements (which Einstein called the
”holy little geometry book”).
At the age of seventeen, he passed the high-school
exam with mostly good grades. He scored a top grade
of 6 in physics and mathematical subjects, on a scale
of 1-6. Though only seventeen, he enrolled in the
four-year mathematics and physics teaching diploma
program at a University in Zurich, Switzerland. Ein-
stein got Swiss citizenship at age 22.
Later in life, Einstein came up with theories about
light, matter, gravity, space, and time. He came up
with ”the world’s most famous equation” that is ” E
= mc2 ”. It means that energy and mass are different Israel and Gaza have finally agreed on a ceasefire
forms of the same thing. In 1921, he received the to end Israel-Palestinian conflict for now. Both sides
Nobel Prize in Physics ”for his services to theoretical are claiming victory.
physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of
the photoelectric effect.” In warring Germany, when Peace finally prevailed after a week of air attacks
Hitler came to power, he began imprison Jews. Ein- that left many people dead and injured.
stein who was also a jew had to leave Germany in
1933. Einstein went to the United States and lived UN council appreciated Egypt’s President Mohamed
there with the help of the Advanced Academic Re- Morsi for constantly mediating between the two sides.
search Center at Princeton in the country. Einstein
was granted American citizen in 1940. On 17 April
1955, Albert Einstein died at the age of 76. His brain Rhino Poached in Kazhiranga
was preserved by scientists because they wanted to (2012-11-22 17:13)
find a reason for his unmatched intellect. His brain
is remarkably different from most people and could
be related to his genius. References Albert Einstein
- Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Retrieved
from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert Einstein
One horned rhinos that are already an endangered
species are still being attacked.
As their horns have extremely good medicinal quali-
ties, poachers hunt them and then cut out the horn.
Yet again a rhino was killed and its horn removed
39