Hence there are no accurate devices to measure the speed of bird flight.

Here are the generally

accepted figures on the speed of flight of birds. The crow usually flies at 20 to 30 Mph, herons at 35-40
mph, swifts at 170 mph and so on.

What is a “Hi-Jack”?

To steal or rob or seize a moving vehicle by force or threat of force is called “Hi-Jack” Note it relates to a
moving vehicle only sky jack is a specific term for Hi-Jacking an air-liner. The motive is to obtain money
or political objectives.

What is Engineering plastic?

While the name ‘plastic’ may appear simple, what may be an ‘engineering plastic? It must be capable of
being machined much like metals. To describe it more precisely, it can be shaped into a mechanically
functional structural component. The part must be able to withstand mechanical stress, impact, flexure,
vibration, friction, temperature extremes and hostile environments.

Plastics which replace metals have the advantage of lightness, self lubrication, transparency and
corrosion resistance. Metals being a non renewable source are becoming increasingly costly. Plastics
consume less energy during formation and can profitably be recycled.

What is HDI?

It means Human Development Index. The HD takes into account three factors education life expectancy
and purchasing power parity (as against a simple but deficient system of looking at per capita dollar
incomes). Among 174 countries studied India has the Low Human Development Index of 134. Sri Lanka
having 97 and Canada ranking number one.

How can parrots talk?

People are amazed to hear parrots talk. No one can yet explain how these birds are able to imitate
human speech so well. There voice mechanism and hearing work more slowly than those of other birds.
Probably the sounds made by human beings, resemble the sounds naturally made by parrots, so it is
easy for them to imitate them. Do you know that parrots are more intelligent than other birds.

How do frogs croak?

Female frogs make certain sounds when they are injured, the familiar singing or croaking we hear is
limited to the male. His throaty song is to attract the female.

This is the way a frog makes that croaking sound. He inhales, closes his nostrils and mouth, and forces
the air back and forth between the mouth and lungs. The sound is produced when the air passes over
the vocal cords and causes them to vibrate.

Did you know that the frog uses its eyes in swallowing food? Frogs are useful to man became they are
insect eaters and help keep the insect population down.

Do Dogs dream?

Scientists will tell you that dogs do not dream. The mental makeup and senses of animals have revolved
in ways different from ours. The intelligence and personality of animals are not a “miniature” of the
human model. We cannot know what thoughts animals have. When the dog is asleep he makes little
noises and moves or twitches his legs as though chasing something. That is all, it is not a dream.

Why do watches have jewels?

A watch is useful to us if it is accurate and does not constantly break down. There are various wheels
that constantly move in watch. These wheels rest or pivots. and the constant motion creates friction. To
withstand this friction the points rest on tiny pieces of precious stones such as ruby, sapphire or garnet.
These are the jewels of a watch. The more jewels the less likely is friction and the watch is more
accurate. These much anical watches will remain, though electronic and quartz watches are gaining
popularity.

Can a Thermometer be made with out mercury?

Yes, it can be made, A thermometer is simple an instrument that measures heat Mercury is easily seen
and expands evenly. Hence it is commonly used in thermometers. Alcohol boils at high temperature
(1700 C) hence used in thermometers for extremely low temperature. Bi-metal thermometers are widely
used in recording thermometers.

How an aeroplane stays up in the air?

The weight of an aeroplane is more that that of the air it displaces. It needs some force to hold it up
against gravity. This force is called the Lift. The wings are shaped in such a way. So that when the plane
moves forward, air flows over and under the wings, the air flowing under the wings pushes up the plane
and the air over the wings causes a suction. Both acting upwards the total force is called the Lift which
overcomes gravity. The forward motion of the aeroplane is effected by the screw action of the
propellers or by the jet of smoke ejected on the rear (Newton’e third law).

Why crushed stone is used in railway tracks?

A railway track consist of a series of sleepers resting on crushed stone (ballast) and the sleepers carrying
the steel rails. When a train passes over the rails, especially when it crosses the rail joints, vibration of
the rails take place. An system possessing mass and elasticity is capable of vibration. Energy in a
vibrating system is either dissipated into heat or radiated away. The path of the waves of vibration
should be broken to reduce their effect on the sub grade. The ballast have discontinuous joints which
help to break the waves. When the waves are broken excessive heat is developed and render the sharp
edges of the crushed stone rounded-that is why they are periodically removed and fresh ballast
inserted. Hence the stone ballast serves as a damper in the oscillatory system. Do you know the
removed stone cannot be used for concrete works?

Can man predict earthquakes?

Man cannot I he can only measure the intensity of an Earth quake after it has occurred. But certain
animals have sensors to predict earthquakes a few minutes before the catastrophe. Snakes crawl in the
open, easing them selves out of tunnels; lizards scrawl upwards on the walls; cockroaches and rates
scurry across from nests and dogs bark out wailing sounds. Geophysical researchers are studying the
strange animal behaviour, since they alone give a reliable clue to quakes.

What is Infrastructure?
It literally means the basic installation, communication and transport facilities etc. of a country or an
industry When we talk of infrastructure of an industry we mean (1) Energy its generation, transmission
and distribution and its impact on environment (2) Transportation (3) Water supply (4) Communication
use of the latest telecom facility (5) Housing for staff etc and (6) Financing – Investment by public and
private financial sources etc.

What is a Radio Telescope?

When we look at stars and planets through a telescope, we see light waves that they send out. Light is a
form of radiation. But stars send out other forms of radiation besides light. Part of the radiation from
stars is sent out as radio waves. Some of these wave can be detected by radio receivers here on earth.
These radio receivers are called radio telescopes. The R T has an antenna and a radio receiver. Radio
telescope help astronomers learn facts about the universe that could not be learned in any other way
we now have.

What do you mean by a Solar Baby?

This is a four-wheeled solar-assisted, electric powered light transport vehicle packed with energy-saving
and environmentally friendly features. Actually it is a small car for four persons designed in Britain to
meet the transportation needs of developing countries. It will pick up to 70kph. This is quite suitable for
our country, otherwise in the later half of the next century when there is depletion of fuel oil, we will
have to resort to our old bullock carts.

What are radio waves?

A radio wave might be called a disturbance that moves out into space. When electrons move back and
forth rapidly, we have a radio wave. Heat and light also travel through space in the form of waves. The
difference is that radio waves have a much longer wave length than either heat or light waves-longer
wave –length means of lesser frequency. We have mechanical vibrations and acoustic waves (sonic and
supersonic) ; these are not electromagnetic radio waves heat and light are electromagnetic. In the order
of increasing frequency the electromagnetic waves are radio waves, Infrared rays, visible light rays,
ultraviolet rays, X-rays, Gamma rays and cosmic rays.

How often do snakes shed their skin?

There are over 2000 different kinds of snakes. But all snakes, young and old, shed their skins. The skin of
a snake is scaly; these scales help snakes to crawl, since they have no legs. When the scales wear out,
the snakes shed out the skins and they are turned inside out. Snakes shed their skins several times a
year depending upon the wear.

How hot is the Sun?

Scientists believe the temperature on the surface of the Sun is 600 0C. You know that molten iron has got
a temperature of 14300C. Now you can understand the intensity of the temperature of the Sun’s surface.
And as for the interior of the sun, astronomers estimate it may be as hot as 20 million 0C. This is just a
guess, since we know almost nothing about the interior of the sun.

How did the civil service originate?

When you think about the Government, you usually have in mind the politicians who sit in the
parliament and some of whom are heads of departments otherwise called ministers. But behind these
statesmen is an army of men and women without whose support the whole administrative structure of
the country would grind to a halt. This administrative structure is known as the Civil Service in ancient
times soldiers did this work, especially when kings ruled. When elected people started ruling, the
necessity of the civil service arose. When it actually started no one knows!

How did Movies start?

Movies are short for “motion picture”. The movie has taken place over many years. Thanks to the work
of many people. The roll film was invented in 1880. Then cameras were invented which photographed a
series of separate photographs of an action on a strip of film and then showed them back at the same
rate of speed, thus reproducing the action. In fact these were “movies”. The first film was “The Great
train Robbery” and as produced in laboratories of Thomas Edison in 1903. The first motion picture
theatre was opened in the U.S. in 1905, in Pittsburgh. Films began to be made in Holly-wood only from
1913.

When did horse racing begin?

Races between horses were run in very ancient times in Egypt, Baby-lonia and Syria, say around 800 B.C.
Then modern horse racing began in England in the late 17 th century. First horses were brought from
Arabia, Turkey and Persia. Horse racing is known as the “sport of kings”, since the rich alone can own
such costly horses.

What is the Indian National Award for poets?

It is called the Joshua Award recently instituted by the Joshua Foundation in memory of late poet
Gurram Joshua who enriched Telugu poetry with his lyrics of universal humanism. O.N.V. Kurup a poet
of Kerala will be getting the first award on September 28 th.

What are the uses of drum – sticks (Murungai Kai)?

We know it as a vegetable used in Sambar. But it may be of interest to note that research by water Aid,
a London – based international organisation, has shown that the crushed dry seeds of drumstick are a
viable natural coagulant for removing the suspended impurities from river waters, and in many African
countries, Water Aid has helped the construction of protected water supply system using these seeds. It
has also been established that the natural oil content in it, when isolated in laboratories, could be an
ideal base for perfumes. Detailed research on the extraction of the oil is now on in the western
countries.

When was oil first used as fuel?

Crude oil is called petroleum. Petroleum lies deep underground. The oil as reached by drilling below the
earth’s surface. George Bisseli, a New York lawyer, was the first man who thought of drilling for oil. He
sent a sample of Pennsylvania crude oil to a scientist at Yale university, Benjamin Siliman. Siliman
reported that Petroleum yielded many useful products. Bisseli hired a man named Edwin Drake to drill
the first oil well near Titusville, Pennsylvania. On August 27, 1859 they struck oil and made history.

Why is the Number 13 considered unlucky?

The idea that number 13 is unlucky is a superstition. Generally superstition provides us a very good
recreation. There is no single accepted explanation for the origin of the superstition about 13. One
explanation is, Jesus Christ had 12 disciples, he sat for the ‘last supper’ with his disciples and said ‘verily I
say unto you, that one of you shall betray me’. Since there were 13 persons including Jesus Christ,
Christians believe Christ was betrayed and later crucified, another strange thing about 13 is that this
number was regarded as lucky by the ancient Chinese and Egyptians.

When did man first start to shave?

Men should let their beards grow or shave them off as a matter of religious custom or just fashion. We
don’t know exactly who the first men were who shaved their beards. The ancient Egyptians did shave
their faces for religious reason. But the ancient Jews and Greek wore beards, then Alexander the Great
introduced the custom of shaving to the Greeks, this is just to protect his soldiers from being grabbed by
the enemies in combat. Then the Roman Catholic Church in Italy first insisted on having beards and then
on clean shaving. This custom of shaving was introduced into England by the Saxons.

Why is the White House White?

The white House in Washington was not always white nor was it always called the White House. It was
designed and built by an Irish-born architect James Hoban. The site was selected by George Washington
who laid the corner stone in 1792. Originally it was called president’s House, President’s Mansion or
President’s palace. During the war of 1812, British troops invaded Washington and burned the structure
on August 24, 1814. Only a Shell was left standing. The house was originally built of grey sandstone. The
building was restored under Hoban’s direction in 1817. To cover up the smoke stains, the grey
sandstone walls were painted white. So the building came to be called the White House. However only
in 1902 Theodore Roosevelt adopted “The White House” as the official name of the residence of the
president of the U.S.A.

What are Phone Cards?

In India we put coins for making calls from ‘Pay phones’ (Public-booths). In advanced Countries and in
the Middle East you can purchase phone cards, which are a convenient means of making calls from pay
phones without having to carry a whole lot of coins. The phones are hooked up to a central computer.
The cards come out with a mark as soon as the call is over. Underpaid cards are rejected and ejected.
Now it has become a hobby to collect used phone cards from telephone booths. Three children of an
NRI in Dubai have received recognition from the Guinness Book of world Records for the maximum
number of cards collected so far in the world. Phone cards are yet to become popular in India.

What is Eucalyptus?

The Eucalyptus is a native tree of Australia. It is also called the “gum tree”. Later it was introduced into
Europe, Algeria, Egypt, India and the Americas. It can grow upto 140m high. The tree grows in swampy
region, By drawing water out of mosquito infested swamps, it can actually help fight malaria. A straw
colored oil is squeezed out of its leaves. It smells like camphor oil. It provides man with a medicine.
Inhaling the Eucalyptus oil clears the nasal passage, it has an effect on the kidneys, depresses the
nervous system so that it slows up breathing and it has been used by surgeons as an antiseptic. Its wood
is used in building docks and ships, and also the interiors of houses.
Who deciphered the inscriptions on Ashoka’s Pillars?

Emperor Ashoka (3rd Century BC) in a bid to reach out to his people and inform them of his policies had
his proclamations inscribed on rocks and cliff faces all over his vast empire. In some places the
proclamations were written and displayed on tall stone pillars. Most of the inscription or known who
had set up the stone pillars and for what purpose. In the 14 th century Sultan Feroz Shah Tuglaq asked
scholars to decipher the inscriptions, but nobody could. In 1616 james coryat, an English man, concluded
that the pillars had been erected by Alexander the Great, to commemorate his victory over king porus.
But the inscription on the Delhi pillars was finally deciphered by James Prinsep in 1837. Phinsep was an
official of the Calcutta Mint and Secretary of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. He became interested in
inscriptions while cataloguing ancient coins sound in Punjab and Rajasthan. When he turned his
attention to the inscriptions on the pillars and rocks, deciphering the script become an obsession with
him. He drove himself so hard that soon after his success in the work his heath broke down and he
became mentally deranged. He was taken back to England but died, at the age of 40, without recovering
his sanity. But by unlocking the mystery of the script, Prinsep opened a new chapter in the history of
India. Till then people knew only the of Asoka the legends.

Who discovered Australia?

Discover means to know about (an existing thing) for the first time, Even in medieval times there were
stories about a large continent in the southern hemisphere, but no one had ever seen it. They called
this land “terra australis incognita” – in Latin terra means land, australis means southern, incognita
means the unknown i.e they called it “the unknown southern land” Java was a Dutch Colony and the
Dutch were the first to discover Australia while making journeys from Netherland to Java. They touched
only the western part an named it “New Holland” Then in 1642 Captain Abel Tasman from Holland
discovered the present Tasmania and Newzeland. In 1770 captain Cook of England discovered the east
coast and named it as New South Wales. Only in 1788 the first English colony was established in SYDNEY.

What is a detergent?

A detergent is a substance that makes things clean. Soap is really one kind of detergent, but when we
say soap, we usually mean a cleaning agent made directly from natural materials. By detergent we mean
a cleaning agent made of synthetic materials. Petroleum, fats, coaltar and other materials go into the
complex formulas of these detergents to. Produce suds (soap foams) in any kind of water hard or soft,
hot or cold. That is why they have become popular.

What is a Laser Beam?

A laser is a very narrow beam of extremely intense light, used in communications, industrial processes
etc. The word is formed from the first letters of a long scientific word; Light Amplification by stimulated
Emission of Radiation. So a laser amplifies light. ;laser beam can burn tiny holes in steel Light from the
sun or from a lamp is a mixture of many wavelengths, but a laser beam has rays of the same wave
length. The rays of a laser beam travel exactly in the same direction does not spread out and grow weak.

What is the aspect Ratio of India’s National Flag?

The National Flag is a horizontal tri-colour of deep saffron (Kesari) at the top, white in the middle and
dark green at the bottom in equal proportion. The ratio of the length of the flag to its width (Aspect
Ratio) is 1.5. In the centre of white band is a wheel, in navy blue, which represents the charkha, and its
design is that of the wheel (Chakra) which appears on the abacus of the Sarnatn Lion Capital of Asoka.
Its diameter approximates the width of the white band. It has 24 spokes.

The design of the National Flag was adopted by the constituent assembly of India on 22 nd July, 1947. Its
use and display are regulated by a code.

Who invented traffic signals?

The credit goes to Julius Caesar. He was the first official on record to order a traffic control regulation
long before the age of the auto mobile. After the coming of the automobile traffic was controlled by foot
patrolman, then police constables. Only in 1920 automatic traffic lights were first used abroad akin to
those we are having in India now. Since the amount of traffic passing thro’ an intersection changes at
different times of the day, “traffic-actuated” control lights were introduced in 1927 in the USA. Such are
rare in India.

How did advertising come about?

Advertising is a way of informing people of something or a way of calling public attention to a product
for sale or even to bring one’s name before the public. Papyrus (a plant) sign boards were used for
advertising in Greece and Egypt around 1500 B. C. With the invention of printing, printed
advertisements appeared in England in 1477. The first newspaper advertisement appeared in London in
1625. Paid adverrtisements appeared in London in 1625. Paid advertisements in Newspaper appeared in
the USA in 1704 radio took it in 1920 and the TV after World War II.

When was tombstones first used?

The first tomstones were used by Bushmen and Primitive tribes in Africa. They belived that there were
evil spirits living in the bodies of dead people By placing heavy stones on the graves they hoped to
prevent these spirits from rising. Different people used different things for this purpose later. As
christianity spread, the marking (with cross) of graves became common.

What are India’s National Insignia?

They are : (1) The State Emblem, (2) The National Flag, (3) The National Antham, (4) The National Animal
(Tiger), (6) The National Flower (Lotus) and the National Bird (Peacock) Insignia means a distinguishing
mark of office.

Where was Rice First Grown?

It is not known for certain where rice was first grown by man, but rice probably briginated in Southern
India It is grown there for many thousand years. Rice spread from South India eastward to China more
than 5000 years ago and westward into Persia and Egypt. It went to the America’s only in the 17 th
century. In some countries of Asia, each person eats from 100 to 200 kgs of rice a year.

What is India’s State Emblem?

The State Emblem of India is an adatation from the sarnath Lion Capital of Asoka. The Government
adopted the emblem on 26 th January, 1950 the day when India became a Republic. In the original of
Sarnath Capital, there are four lions, standing back to back, mounted on an abacus with a frieze carrying
sculpture in high relief of an elephant, a galloping horse a bull and a lion separated by intervening
wheels (chakras) over a bell-shaped lotus. Carved out of a single block of polished sandstone, the Capital
is crowned by the wheel of the Law (Dharma Chakra).

In the State Emblem only three lions are visible the fourth being hidden from view. The wheel appears in
relief in the centre of the abacus with a bull on the right and a horse on the left and th eoutlines of the
other wheels on the extreme right and left. The bellshaped lotus has been omitted. The words,
satyameva Jayate from the Munaka Upanishad meaning. Truth alone triumphs are Inscribed below the
abacus in Devanagari script.

Where was Buddha Born?

Gautama Buddha was born in Lumbini of the modern Nepal in C 621 B. C. He received enlightenment In
the Bodh Gaya (Bihar) and atttained Nirvana (C. 488 B.C) in Kusinagara (U.P.) Buddha’s father,
Suddhodhana is depicted as a mighty King living in great pomp, but it is only a legend. He was infact a
tribal chief of the Sakyas just like Nanda of the Gopas. A tribal chief depends on the support of a large
assembly of householders, who gathered regularly to discuss tribal politics in a meeting hall.

What was the Capital of the ancient Chera Kings?

You will be surprised to hear the Chera’s capital was Karur. In recent year, the recovery of innumerable
gold and copper coins of the Chera, Chola, Pandya periods, Interpretations of Tamil Brahmi inscriptions
by Dr. Iravatham Mahadevan, found on the Aranattarmalai, at Pugalur, on the banks of the Cauvery,
about 18km from karur. And the supporting evidence from the great sangam classics have all proved
beyong doubt that karur was the capital of the ancient Chera Kings.

Where were Cows frist used for Milk?

Cows were used milk long before any records were kept In Babylon, a 5000 year old temple wall has a
scene showing a cow being milked. First man milked the cow from behind and switched obver to the
sides especially the right side. Now people use milk from otherr animals that are native to their home
lands. Milk sugar (Lactose) and the major milk protien, casein are found only in milk.

What is a Comic Book?

It is a book with set of drawings telling a short story, often with words to show what the characters are
saying. It first appeared n 1892 in News Papers as Comic strips (just like the Sind Bhad) and came as a
book in 1911 in Chicago. Comic books are not all huourous stories. They can be varied as the subject
matter and the purpose behind them. They can be on adventure, biography, detective, history, humour,
religion, science fiction and so on.

What is a Nautical Mile?

To measure the speed of a ship knots were tied at equal distances along a rope which would float by
tying a log at the free end. The rope was let out as the ship sailed on. A sailor counted how many knots
passed through his hands in a certain time. This gave the speed of the ship Sailors used the word “Knots”
to mean the speed of a ship. To-day the knot has come to mean one nautical mile equals 6076.1 feet
(=1.15 mile or 1852 metres). To measure the speed of a ship to-day a spinning rope with metal rods is
used.
Who first wrote nursery Rhymes?

Nursery Rhyme is a simple poem for children. During the 16 th century in England adults sang ballads etc.
Mothers sang them to their infants, and so the songs were brought into the nursery. These are also
caleed Mother Goose Rhymes since women in villages are very good story tellers. No single perosn
wrote all the nursery rhymes. In Boston in 1719 one Thomas Fleet first published a book called “songs
for the Nursery”.

When was Coffee first brewed?

Coffee plants first grew in Kalfa, Ethiopia. This province of kalfa gave coffee its name. The East africans
took the coffee seeds In the 14 th cenutry Arabian merchants came to kaffa, took coffee seeds and
cultivated in Yemen. There the people began to brew coffee. Since Islam forbis wine, the people in the
middle east found coffee was a stimulating beverage that whould take the place of wine for them. That
is how coffee became popular. Coffee houses were opened in Cairo in 1511 and in western Europe in
1615.

Who is the first to get the Nobel Prize for physics?

It is Wilhem Conrad Roentgen. He got it in 1901 for the invention of the X-ray. While experimenting on
cathode ray tube, he arrived at the effects of X-Ray on November 8, 1895. This is an accidential
invention. He exposed the hand of his wife to the X-Rays . He got the bones of her wifes’s hand on the
photograph. This was the first X-Ray taken. This X-ray was used to locate a bullet in the body of a person
who was shot in the U.S.A. X-ray had its application in medicine, surgery, engineering and many other
fileds. Roentgen gifted away to his university the Nobel prize money and atlast died in abject poverty in
1923 at the age of 78. November 8, 1895 is the centenary year of the invention of the X-ray. Let us
remember and pay our tributes to this great scientist.