In early April this year, newspapers and online websites were agog with the news that astronomers had obtained the first image of a black hole known to reside in a distant galaxy called M87. Why did this image cause such a stir?
Fig. 1. The image of a ‘black hole’ at the heart of galaxy M87.
This article presents a few simple activities, with handmade toys and optical illusions, that explore ways in which our brain and eyes work together to perceive the world.
The simple and everyday practice of curd formation involves concepts taught in biology (microbial fermentation), chemistry (conversion of milk lactose to lactic acid) and physics (coagulation of milk proteins with acid). Can we use this process to offer a hands-on introduction to what it means to think like a scientist?
Evolution is a difficult concept to grasp. The earliest explanation offered for our existence, usually by an elder in the family, is that ‘we were created by a higher power’. This explanation is often accompanied by descriptions of fantastical beasts and awe-inspiring natural phenomena that seem easier to explain as the whimsy of an all-powerful being.
‘Ma’am may I also do things which bhaiya and didis do?’ asked Diksha. Her teacher asked her with a gesture of pleasant surprise. ‘What things?’ ‘Chamiksha’, said Diksha. ‘Oh, why not! Go ahead,’ her teacher said joyfully. Diksha, then, very shyly asked, 'Then my video will also be sent?'. The teacher laughed at the charming expression of the child. She promised her that if she did the sameeksha (review) of a story, then, she would share her video in the teachers’ group.
Are certain individuals born to be teachers and can only those be truly competent? Or can people without such aspirations develop to become ‘great teachers’? Are there certain conditions, the presence of which foster such development?