Ramana Gove

  In continuation of parts I & II: With the technological development of ICBMs (Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles) the catastrophic consequences can be spread over continents and wipe away entire countries ! These are designed for delivering nuclear weapons.They have a minimum range of about 5000 km.Some ICBMs have a range of more than 12000 km.A single such missile can carry more than one nuclear warhead and each one can strike a different target. Focus on protection : In the event of an explosion, steps for protection and survival are: to get behind a barrier * to get into the inner part of a building ( thick concrete offers good protection )- underground if possible* to stay near the centre    of the building in a room with thick walls *to stay inside for 24 hours  depending upon the   instructions of the authorities such as when to evacuate, how far and how long to stay etc. ***Three things in one’s hand that can offer protection from radiation ar...

In continuation of Part-I   O n 6 th Aug 1945 Hiroshima in Japan was destroyed by one atomic bomb and a couple of days later,Nagasaki was destroyed by another one.The two bombs killed about 2 lakh people.Some of them died instantaneously while others  within a few months. Another 2 lakh people who survived, suffered severely from the long lasting effects of radiation exposure and had physical and mental agony too ! Over 2000 nuclear weapons have been used in nuclear tests so far above and below the ground.Such tests cause long lasting damage to the environment and public health too.   There are nine countries possessing nuclear weapons and are:the US, the UK,Russia,France, China,Israel, India,Pakistan and North Korea. There are now about 14,000 nuclear weapons.These are enough to end life on the planet. As per SIPRI [ Stockholm International Peace Research Institute ],the total number of nuclear warheads with different nations as of January 2020 is: USA (5800) Russia (637...

  It is time we are aware of the potential lethality of nuclear radiations at a time we hear day in and day out, attempts to deescalate tensions among nations and global efforts to prevent a nuclear war ! As far as electromagnetic radiations such as gamma rays and X rays are concerned, apart from their incredible benefits in various fields such as industry, medicine, agriculture and research, there is a great amount of risk also associated with them if there are safety lapses.The quality of consequences in the event of an accident in a thermal power plant and that in a nuclear power plant would vastly differ ! Needless to speak of the effects with the use of nuclear weapons ! Radiation is a source of danger if levels are beyond permissible limits !The hazards due to radiation vary from minor short lived problems like nausea, diarrhoea to long term irreparable damages such as still birth, impairment of fertility, cancer or even instant death etc, besides genetic damages which can sp...

Man has always been fascinated by the glittering stars and the boundless dimensions of the universe.The need for a safer habitable planet for mankind led him to focus the attention on the red planet Mars, slightly larger than half the size of the earth with about 1/3 of gravity of that of the earth.It is the fourth planet from the sun and second closest planet to the Earth. The average distance between the two planets is 140 million miles (225 million km). If a space craft probe travelling at 58000 kmph travels in straight line to Mars, it can reach it in an average 162 days. Mars takes longer than Earth to complete one trip round the sun.But it rotates about its axis at almost the same speed as that of Earth.Thus one year on Mars is equal to 687 Earth days and one day on Mars is just 40 minutes longer than on Earth.Studies have helped to assess that the planet was once a place for ecosystems.It is still believed to be an incubator for microbial life.The conditions such as its so...

The lockdown has highlighted the importance of social interaction. Man is a social animal ! He is basically instinctive, intuitive and interactive too ! All through the life, he struggles, sweats for the welfare of the near and dear and after passing through a busy phase of working tenure, there comes a day when he has to retire or rest either by intention or by compulsion.Realisation dawns and he understands the interchange of roles from that of a care taker to that of a care receiver.As age advances, the elderly may behave differently. They may go on diving into their past with a repetitive narration, or   ask or remind certain things again and again, partly because of     loss of memory or partly because of experience of the losses from forgetfulness.They may complain of lack of sleep or strength, or taste of food, some times indeed genuine and   some times psychological.A patient suggestion than a harsh silencing in general does well though a bit of harsh...

Teaching is one of the noblest professions ! A teacher shapes our personalities, thought processes, outlook towards the environs around us and leaves an indelible impression on our minds becoming an unforgettable guide ! The way they make us learn, try to inculcate interest in the subject, behave in the class, the rapport they establish with us are all an integral part of our lives ! A teacher should invariably make the students feel at ease with themselves.For that, he or she may have to be humorous and humble, gentle and galvanising, patient and perseverant too ! Too much of discipline or too little is equally dangerous, distracting destructing too.It may even kill the appetite for learning and once that is lost, any amount of scholarliness of the teacher may go in vain. A teacher should allow the student to ask doubts and try to clarify them to the extent of need.In case it is not possible to satisfy the student with an appropriate answer, he should do some ground work later...

We know that the Sun is a rich source of energy the mankind is blessed with ! One component of this energy is the ultra violet radiation called UV light. This is made up of three components; UVA, UVB and UVC. More than 95% of UV radiation that reaches earth is UVA, while the other two are absorbed in the ozone layer. The  UVC   of shorter wavelength (200-280nm) and hence of higher energy has been known for years to have a great role as a disinfectant. UVC is said to have been  successful in inactivating H1N1 influenza and other coronaviruses  such as (SARS-CoV) and (MERS-CoV).A study published is said to claim that UVC can also inactivate SARS-CoV-2. At a wavelength of 254 nm UVC is believed to cause lesions in DNA and RNA and an enough exposure damages them such that they can not replicate.This effectively inactivates or kills a microorganism or virus. Thrust on research must be on with an optimism till an effective breakthrough is seen in...