Vol. 04 Issue 03March 2015 44 pages, `75Ages: 10+

Founded by the house of Amar Chitra Katha and Tinkle

PLAY WITH SCIENCE!

WARNING! Brainwave products will make you intelligent. They make science fun, and learning easy. If school textbooks frustrate and

confuse you, Brainwave products are exactly what you need to rekindle your love for science. I find it the best product available in the education space! - Dr. Nikhil Gunari, Inventor and Science Entrepreneur based in Canada

Toy BoxTerrific Tangrams

Time Glidersp35Season 2 Episode 3

History MakerHappy Birthday Alby

Lesson Plan Inside

Comics, stories, do-it-yourself activities, contests and more

Pyramid Power

StaffRoom

p43

Story of LightGoa Illuminates

p06

p08

p32

\00

www.bwmag.in/meet-the-smarties

Beyond the skies, trouble brews. Danger awaits us, all humans!Sneaking and lurking in the dark, Someones plotting to tear humanity apart.

1 2 3 Go! The Smartys move fast.Before the villains act, our friends arrive to thwart the attack!

MEET THE SMARTYSMEET THE SMARTYS

Skree! is mysterious, a bearded Toda lady.

Up her sleeves, she has tricks aplenty!

Young Arby was sucked into Dr. Dodos time-machine, Maths is his game,Grow up to be Aryabhata, yes, he will fine!

Dr. Dodo, dear friends, is the only Dodo alive. The wise elderly scientist, his ideas savemany a life!

Also sucked in time, young Alby is none other than

Albert Einstein.Change the history of science, he will soon!

Mr. X is the antagonist.Top IQ of the world is his! The Smartys and he don't see eye to eye.Is he good? Is he bad? You analyse.

Earth, wind, water and fire combine to make

Bhoo, an enigma. She is a superhero -

every villain's dilemma.

Now that you know them, see their wonders. A new episode begins, Earth is saved from plunder.

The Smartys rarely punch down opponents they are peace lovers. The official BW mascots use not only brawn, but also brains!

The battle's won, let's meet them now, They are real heroes - take a bow!

02 March 2015

Copyright 2015, Amar Chitra Katha Private Limited. All rights reserved.

Vol. 04 | Issue 03 | March 2015

Cover artwork by Pooja Prabhakaran

No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the express consent of Amar Chitra Katha Private Limited (ACK). Any reproduction, modification, distribution, transmission, republication, display or exploitation in any way of the content(s), in whole or in part, of this magazine is strictly prohibited. ACK makes no warranties or guarantees, express or implied, written or oral, as to the contents of the magazine, the information, materials or opinions, included in this magazine. In no event shall ACK be liable for damages of any kind arising as a consequence of using or following any method or formula as mentioned in the magazine, including but not limited to direct, indirect, incidental, punitive and consequential damages.

Brainwave is Printed and Published by Vijay Sampath on behalf of Amar Chitra Katha Private Limited Printed at Indigo Press (India) Pvt. Ltd., Plot No. 1, C/716, Opp. Dadoji Konddeo Cross Road, Byculla (E), Mumbai 400027 Published at Sumer Plaza, 2nd Floor, Marol Maroshi Road, Marol, Andheri (East), Mumbai 400059.

Art & Design LeadRia Rajan

Design & Illustrations Nafisa Crishna & Pooja Prabhakaran

Dear Readers,

Pyramids are mysterious, aren't they? In this issue, we uncover some of their scientific secrets (pg. 26). Great civilizations built these awesome structures to symbolise the knowledge they held dearly. Accompany us to one of the ancient pyramids and watch as we uncover some ancient secrets (p11).

Besides explorers (pg. 30), this structure is also interesting to scientists. The pyramid is one of natures favourite shapes - many molecules are pyramid - shaped (pg. 16), so are prisms. Ecologists arrange animals and plants in different kinds of pyramids (pg. 40) to make sense of links between them.

Also, join us in wishing Alby a very Happy Birthday! Did you know that Albert Einstein was born in the month of March in 1879? Find out what happened after that on page 6.

Aashima Dograaashima.dogra@ack-media.com

EditorAashima Dogra

Assistant EditorNandita Jayaraj

Resident GeeksMahak KatyalMukunth Vasudevan

Advisory BoardDr. Amol Dighe, Professor of Physics, Tata Institute of Fundamental ResearchArvind Gupta, Scientific Toymaker ExtraordinaireAS Manekar, Dy Director General, National Council of Science MuseumsDr. Balaji Sampath, Science Director, Ahaguru.comDr. Bernardo Pagnoncelli, Assistant Professor, Universidad Adolfo IbaezDr. Chandrakant Shukre, Astrophysicist, Raman Research InstituteDr. Geetha Narayanan, Director, Srishti School of Art Design and TechnologyHari Parameswaran, Scientist & EducatorDr. Jyoti Vora, Biochem HoD, Ruia CollegeMaya Menon, Director, Teacher FoundationDr. Nikhil Gunari, CEO, Syletta Inc.Dr. Pratima Rao, Scientific Project Manager, ILSI EuropeDr. Richard Zare, Marguerite Blake Wilbur Professor in Natural Science, Stanford UniversityDr. Rohit Kumar, Computer Scientist, Raytheon BBN TechnologiesSiddharth Rao, Scientist, Adavi Trust

Credits: Ankit, Avinash & EllieAbbas, Rajesh Pathak & MithunEric D'souza & teamIndia Book House & teamJayanthi V & teamJanak F, Yogesh G & teamK.K. Arun & teamLalit S & teamMayur S & teamNarayan M, Sagar S & teamNeeti Saxena & teamSandeep S, Heta D & team

Subscriptions: brainwave@ack-media.com

Consumer Complaints:+91-22-6629 6999customerservice@ack-media.com

Ad-sales, Business Queries & Customer Service Escalations:sasikanth.c@ack-media.com

Sr. VP OperationsSandeep Padoshi

Sr. VP Sales & MarketingPrakash Batna

03March 2015

04

CONTENTS

ACTIVITIES

KUKULCAN'SDESCENT

COVER STORY

COMICS

11

Vol. 04 | Issue 03 | March 2015

In which we celebrate Albys birthday, unveil the mystery of the Pyramids,

make molecules with dough, visit the Smartket, make Tangrams and much

more.

p.32 Terrific Tangrams

p.22 Cut & Fold - Giza Pyramid

p.35 Time Gliders

p.18 Mohan Marvell

p.06 History Maker - Alby

p.16 Dough & Raisin Molecules

Web-only: The Instant Fan

March 2015

Win a prize! 05

Web Only - DIY Pot Fridgep.25 Ask Us Why - Time Travel

p.08 The Story of Light, Goa

p.28 Fan Fiction - A Dinosaur Encounter

p.14 Lesser Known Pyramids

p.34 Solutions, Winners & Letters

Web-only: Robots Explore Pyramids

p.26 Machines That Built Giza

p.40 Ecological Pyramids

p.24

p.29p.44

p.20

Science Quiz

Student BoardPuzzle Book

Food Pyramid - Smartket

MORE CONTESTS

PYRAMIDPOWER

READERCONTRIBUTION

p.10 Toon Talk

p.30 The Great Triangular Escapade

FUN FACTS

BW REPORTS

Web-only: The Dancing Northern Lights

p.24 Treasure Hunt

March 2015

06

HISTORYMAKER

March 2015

07March 2015

08

Festival Illuminates Goa

THE STORY OF LIGHT

In January, Panjim, the capital of Goa, lit up with all kinds of lights.

The Story of Light festival that called itself a magical learning playground brought together scientists and artists from fourteen countries to celebrate everything we know about light today.

Many installations that used light wowed the festival goers. The artists and scientists were on-hand to help us play with the installations and understand the science behind each one.

One main aspect of light that makes it so much fun to play with is: it is energy. Since it is a type of energy that we can see and detect directly,

playing with light always leads to stunning visuals.

You can do many things with light; the outcome depends on how you manipulate this energy and on what surface.

One of the scientists speaking at the five-day festival said: "Light has been very helpful to humans, especially in our recent technological progress. The new sciences of optics* and photonics* will very soon bring a huge wave of advancement to our daily life."

The festival was part of UNs* recognition of 2015 as the International Year of Light and Light Technologies.n

Light helps us inwPrinting

wRadio communication that guides airplaneswSending signals from remote controlswFinding planets outside our solar system

wHeating food in microwave ovens

Light is not matter, hence it is not

made up of atoms.

Nothing can travel faster than light

in vacuum.

* UN: United Nations is an international organisation that helps maintain cooperation between all countries.

by Aashima Dogra

March 2015

09

Some of our favourite moments from the festival:

Elemental Poets: An artist wrapped up in blinky lights played the violin as poetry on The Big Bang decorated the planetarium screen.

* Optics: The science of light* Photonics: Study of the technical applications of light

Pict

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by

Aash

ima,

Mit

wa

& T

inka

Light and String: This installation, with its thousand neon strings connecting one part of the room to another, made the invisible connections visible. The internet, the brain and matter in the cosmos are all proofs that everything is connected.

Rainbow Hut: On Miramar beach, close to the waves, a thatched hut stood silently listening to the Sun. A dozen angled mirrors placed outside the hut projected a dozen rainbow flames inside the hut.

Coloured Shadows: Brainwave's Design Lead Ria Rajan plays with the installation Many Colours. Light from three differently coloured bulbs mixed on the wall. The resulting three-coloured shadows changed colours as she moved her hands around.

Light Painting: During night time, a long

exposure camera painted beautiful

pictures as participants moved light

around in many ways.

Biggest Cyanotype Ever? Participants lie on a large sheet coated with chemicals. Cyanotyping is a simple photographic/printing process where the exposure to sunlight prints the coated surface. They attempted to break a world record of the biggest cyanotype ever.

Infrared Radiation (IR): Human eyes can't see IR but phone cameras can. Participants watched the IR emitted from a remote control. Try this at home.

March 2015

10

TOON TALK

The honeycomb is a perfect example of geometry in action.

It is made of hexagonal cells made of wax.

Why it is shaped so is highly debated amongst scientists. It is probably because this shape makes the best use of the space

inside the beehive.

The electric eel can generate strong electric currents to shock, maim or kill

its victims.

It is able to produce a shock of 500 volts, which, in humans, can cause very serious

burns and even death. Now that is a shocker!

What are the other geometric shapes that nature prefers? Send in your answers to brainwave@ack-media.com to win a cool prize.

Artwork: Alicia Souza

March 2015

11

Kukulcan's descentCOVER STORY

Twice a year, on autumn and spring equinoxes, a snake creeps slowly down the great pyramid of Kukulcan. Bhoo and team investigate...

by Meera Guthi and Aashima Dogra

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March 2015

Tick Tock! "Its March 20th! screeched the Smart clock. Bhoo immediately floated into the room. Wake up boys. Its spring equinox! Huh? grumbled Arby and Alby, rubbing their eyes sleepily. Its the day the Sun shines directly on the equator, making the day and night exactly 12 hours long each. This happens twice a year, once on March 20th and then again in autumn on September 22nd, Bhoo explained. So what, Bhoo? queried Alby, grumpily. Boys, were going to Mexico! Its a tradition Ive followed for the last five hundred years. Minutes later, in Brainwave lab, they strapped themselves in the time machine, tinkered with the controls and tumbled through the time tunnel. The three Smartys found themselves at the foot of the majestic El Castillo, a step pyramid twenty four meters high, with a temple on the top, in the

ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza. Arby began exploring. Four sides, 91 steps on each side. This makes 364 steps, he murmured, jotting in his notebook. And the temple on the top makes it 365, added a deep voice. One step for each day of the year! deduced Arby, as he turned around looking for the source of the voice. An elderly Mayan man stood proudly behind them. Welcome, my friends! I am Ah Kinchil. It is wonderful to see you again, Bhoo. You did not forget the day! Thank you for having us. This time I brought my little friends to watch the miracle of Kukulkan, said Bhoo introducing the younger Smartys. I welcome you all to see the magnificent descent of Kukulkan, our serpent God, said Ah Kinchil with pride in his eyes. But first, a grand feast awaits you.

Artwork: Jeenal Patel

12 March 2015

13

Ah Kinchil was a Mayan high priest. Bhoo had met him during one of her earlier visits while unsuccessfully attempting to prevent the fall of the Mayan kingdom. The Mayans had persisted on expanding their kingdom, which forced them to deforest the landsTM. The fall of the great Mayan civilization soon followed.

While they were relishing the Mayan feast, Ah Kinchil gave them more food for thought. This year is special. When Kulkulkan descends from the heavens, we will please him with human sacrifice and pray for the rains that will end the drought. Like us, gods need nourishment too, you see? Bhoo nodded and looked across at the shocked gaping faces of Alby and Arby. When they were finally alone, Alby erupted. Human sacrifice? Bhoo, where have you brought us? Lets leave now, Arby protested. The Mayans are great people, in touch with the powers of nature. The time that we come from can learn a lot from them. Sadly, they are also very superstitious, Bhoo explained.

More importantly, they are my good friends. So lets just calm down and be civilised guests while we are here. Ok? Just then, Ah Kinchil entered the room and gave them the sign to rise. Arby checked his watch; it was few minutes past three noon.

They walked to the northern face of the El Castillo and watched the serpents slow descent from the top of the pyramid to the base, where the serpent god Kukulcans head had been carved out. The crowd cheered. The serpent god is crawling down from the temple! marvelled Ah Kinchil, evidently having a mystical moment. It was quite an experience, but the Smartys knew it was no serpent. As they watched, it was clear that the Sun casted a series of triangular shadows on the giant steps of the pyramid, as it set.

Just before the ceremony of human sacrifice began, Bhoo dragged them back to the time machine. It was something they couldn't stomach. When they were back at the lab, Bhoo tried to put them at ease. Good way to spend the equinox, wasnt it? Whats the big deal about these days anyway? questioned a thoughtful Alby. Bhoo explained: Like the summer and winter solstices, equinoxes mark the change of the seasons, which in turn helps in planning for crops and harvests. I see, said Arby, So El Castillo is just a cleverly constructed calendar! Yes, but thats not what Ah Kinchil would say, said Bhoo with a knowing smile.n

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March 2015

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AWESOMESTRUCTURES

Giza isnt the only place with mysterious pyramids.

Have you heard of the one in Kazakhstan? Or maybe youd be interested in seeing

Germanys time pyramid.

by Aditya D MallyaLesser Known Pyramids

The hill that isntIts not entirely clear who built this pyramid, though it is known that it was built as a temple 2000 years ago. In the 16th century, the Aztecs buried the pyramid under mud to hide it from Spanish invaders. Even today, it looks like a hill from afar.

Crowd controlIn 1984, it was found that the entrance to Pariss Louvre Museum was strained by the large crowd visiting the famous building every day. The museum is hugely popular with tourists, mainly because of the famous Mona Lisa painting. The President of France commissioned a fancy glass pyramid entrance to impress thousands of visitors.

One for all Completed in 2006, this is a meeting place for religious leaders. It is multi-coloured and symbolises the joining of many religions.

Louvre Pyramid, Paris, France The Great Pyramid, Cholula, Mexico

An ancient mistake? A short distance away from its famous cousins in Giza, the Bent Pyramid was built almost 3000 years ago by the ancient king Sneferu. It is bent because the architect made the walls too steep, and corrected his mistake half-way through!n

The Bent Pyramid, Dahshur, Egypt

A long way to goConstruction of the Time Pyramid began in 1993 to celebrate the 1200th anniversary of the town of Wemding in Germany. One block will be laid every 10 years for another 1200 years until the pyramid is complete in 3183!

Time Pyramid, Wemding, Germany

The Palace of Peace and Reconciliation, Astana, Kazakhstan

Find three other pyramids apart from those covered in this

issue.

Send in your answers to brainwave@ack-media.com

The most unique answer wins an exciting prize.

March 2015

11

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15March 2015

DO ITYOURSELF

Twists & Turns with Dough atoms!By Yumna Hari Singh

Any molecule, right from your DNA to water, has a specific geometric shape. Sometimes spiral, sometimes bent, and sometimes even pyramidal

When you smash a diamond all the way down, until its so small that if you smash it any further, it will no longer be carbon that last piece is called an atom. Of course, this is not practically possible because atoms are so small that special microscopes are needed to even see them. There are many different types of atoms. Each type is called an element. The full list of all the elements discovered or synthesised in the world so far is put down in the Periodic Table of Elements. Everything in the world is made up of atoms, even you. When these atoms bond together, they form molecules.

These atoms may be bonded in a straight line or they may be bent in various shapes and geometries. This arrangement can affect its colour, magnetism, biological activity, state of matter, polarity and reactivity.

You will need: Some dough used to make

chapattis or tortillas Raisins Toothpicks Protractor to measure angles

Steps:1. Make some dough balls, the size of marbles.2. Leave them out overnight so that they become hard.3. Break the toothpicks in half for easy use.

Heres an easy way to create some quick molecular models using common household material.

4. Replicate the following molecular geometries by using the dough ball as the central atom and the raisins as the rest. You can also use coloured balls of clay.

March 201516

Shape : LinearHow to build : Link two raisins and a dough ball in a straight line (i.e. 180o).Example : Carbon dioxide (CO2)

Shape : Trigonal PlanarHow to build : Keep the dough ball in the center and attach three raisins to it (each angle is about 120o). This looks sort of like a ceiling fan.Example : Boron Trifluoride (BF3)

Shape : BentHow to build : Attach two raisins to the dough ball, at an obtuse (i.e. >90o) angle.Example : Water (H2O)

Shape : Trigonal PyramidalHow to build : Attach three raisins to the dough ball, each at an angle of around 107, so the dough ball rests above the raisins, making a pyramid.Example : Ammonia (NH3)

Shape : OctahedralHow to build : Equally space out six raisins from the dough ball at 90 angle. It should look like the dough ball has been pierced by three toothpicks going straight through it on three sides.Example : Sulphur Hexaflouride (SF6)

Shape : TetrahedralHow to build : The dough ball is the central atom. One raisin points upward and the other three are equally spaced out on the bottom.Example : Methane (CH4)

Send pictures of your molecular models to brainwave@ack-media.com You can use other materials like clay and gems, if you like.

Best pictures win exciting prizes.March 2015 17

An epidemic had struck NEO DELHI. Thousands suffered from high fever, and hospitals were filling beyond capacity. Hover-ambulances were too few and too busy to cope with growing demand.

An epidemic occurs when new cases of a certain disease substantially exceed what is expected.

Dr Mohan Marvell: The Super Scientist had been in his lab for days now, trying to come up with a cure.

After many tests, he concluded that it was a viral airborne pathogen a microorganism such as a virus, bacterium or fungus that causes disease in its host that had infected Neo Delhis citizens.

To combat this pathogen, Mohan Marvell would have to create an antigen a substance that evokes the production of one or more antibodies.

PULP SCIENCE

by Sunando CMohan MarvelL saves Neo Delhi

March 201518

GET WELL SOON, NEO DELHI!

An antibody is a large Y-shaped protein produced by a type of white blood cell called a plasma cell. The production of antibodies is the main function of the immune system. Antigens enable antibodies to identify and destroy foreign objects such as bacteria and viruses.

Finally, a cure developed! Mohan Marvell flew high above Neo Delhi. He pumped out large quantities of this formula into the air to reach the maximum number of people through atmospheric dispersion!*

END

* Atmospheric dispersion: The process of distributing particles over the atmosphere. March 2015 19

LIFESCIENCE

Remember, this is not just any market. Its a Smartket. Dont even try getting what you dont need

by Nandita Jayaraj

Going to the Smartket

Whoa! exclaimed Alby at the magnificent structure before him.

Dr. Dodo, however, looked unfazed. Jeez, boys. Its just grocery shopping. Not Disney World!

Remember, this is not just a market. Its a Smartket. Dont even try getting what you dont need added Dr. Dodo, bidding them farewell.

The Smartket was a huge pyramid-shaped building.This was Albys and Arbys first time shopping there, and they were amazed.

Hey, Dr. Dodo hasnt given us a check list! You know what that means? asked Alby, with mischief in his eyes. Im going to buy hundred bars of chocolate!The two wasted no time and ran into the building.

LEVEL 1

Hello. I am Nutrina, your shopping guide. You are now on floor 1, said a robotic voice at the entrance.

Huh? All I see are tanks of water, said a confused Arby, looking around the extremely vast room.

Thats because water is the most important part of your diet, said Nutrina.

Artwork: Jeenal Patel

March 201520

Water makes up more than half of your body weight No blood No oxygen! Complete system failure

body loseS water as pee, poop and sweat

*

Arby and Alby asked Nutrina to set aside a tank of water for Brainwave Lab and took the elevator to the next level.

LEVEL 2

Level 2 was made entirely of glass. Sunlight streamed through and shone on the plants and trees that grew all around the room.

Look! Fruits and vegetables all around! shouted Arby.

Bananas - potassium and full of fibreSprouts - vitamins and minerals, no fat

Imagine all the yummy fresh salads we can make, said Alby as they climbed to the next level, along with trolleys full of fruits and veggies.

LEVEL 3

This floor was about the same size and was populated by heaps of grain, loaves of bread and pastas.

* Carbs are made of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen

Processed carbs not healthy

LEVEL 4

Armed with packets of bread, pastas and rice, the two moved on to level 4.

As soon as the elevator door opened, they were greeted by a whiff of a fishy smell.

This floor is packed with protein, said Nutrina, pointing to the rows of fish, meat and pulses.

This floor was much smaller than the ones below it. Alby and Arby realised they were nearing the top of the Smartket pyramid.

* Proteins - good for muscle and boneExtra protein damages liver

The boys quickly took all they needed and rushed out of the refrigerated floor.

LEVEL 5

The last level was a tiny room. And it was filled with cakes and pastries, and chips and burgers. Arby noticed a sign in front of them -

these foods can be addictive. Increase chances of heart disease.

Make you overweight.As long as you eat enough from our lower levels, a little bit of Level 5 wont give you any trouble.

Do you still want hundred bars of chocolate, Alby?

No way! he replied. Ill settle for five.n

Artwork: Jeenal Patel

Draw out a Food Pyramid based on what you ate in one entire day. Dont cheat to make it perfect. Send us a picture of your drawing to brainwave@ack-media.com

Most honest pyramids win exciting prizes.

March 2015 21

Art

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k by

Par

vati

Pil

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Com

pile

d by

Aas

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ogra

Treasure Hunt!You must be aware of the grind by now.

The Treasure Hunt leads you to the theme of the next issue. Take your magnifying glass out and become the adventurer. Follow the words or phrases marked in purple and tagged with TH in this issue and use them

as your clues.

Look closer and you will find enough clues to get you cracking. What are you still waiting for? Get started

and finish fast, to better your chances of a win!

The top entry will win a special pack of cool ACKs and Tinkles. Email your answers to

brainwave@ack-media.com with Treasure Hunt as the subject.

.........

Sci-Q Time

Finished reading the magazine? Answer this quiz to win a mystery gift worth Rs. 500!

Email your answers as soon as possible to brainwave@ack-media.com

On what days do equinoxes occur in a year?

1. Name the first pyramid that was ever built. When was it built?

2. Give two examples of molecules which have Trigonal Pyramidal and Tetrahedral geometry

3. How does your body react when a foreign particle enters it?

4. Who is the father of Trigonometry?

March 201524

ASK US WHY

Answered by Dr. Amol Dighe, Professor of Physics at

TIFR, Mumbai

Have a burning science question? Email it to brainwave@ack-media.com with 'Ask Us Why' as the subject. We will find real scientists to answer it for you. Best questions win exciting prizes and get answered in a future issue.

Q: Is time time travel possible???" asks Utkarsh Shinde

All of us, of course, time-travel forwards at the rate of one second per second.The Theory of Relativity* tells us that it is also possible to time-travel forward at different rates. For example, time dilation*, a consequence of the Theory of Relativity (for particles that move almost with the speed of light) or the fact that time slows down in the presence of strong gravitational field, are real, verified facts. Thus, continuous forward time-travel is perfectly OK. (By continuous, I mean there should be no gaps in the accounting of time.)

What is problematic is travelling backwards in time, and this is what usually is meant by `time-travel' in popular movies and books. This is not allowed by laws of physics as we know them now, since these laws have causality built into them.

Causality means that the cause happens before the effect, and not vice versa. For example, a glass breaks after it falls down, it does not fall down after it breaks; the falling comes first. Thus, causality is tightly woven into the arrow of time that points in only one direction. All our millions of observations everyday agree with this. There has not been a single

violation.

Does this mean backward time-travel is 'impossible'? Well, a single verified instance of backward time travel will force us to change our theories, but that looks extremely extremely unlikely.

Science fiction is full of backward time-travel. Good sci-fi ensures that there is no logical contradiction: nothing that will change the future is disturbed. While I love these, what all of them miss is that if something from future were to land suddenly, the Law of Conservation of Energy* would be violated. And we have not seen this yet.

The only way to get around this will be saying that all the backward time-travel has been hidden by some strange coincidence. And that is not a good excuse. You might as well have an invisible unicorn in your house.

So, backward time travel is the stuff of science fiction; impossible according to all our observations and laws of physics so far. But suppose laws of physics have missed something? That's speculation till we observe a single verified incident.n

"continuous forward time-travel is perfectly OK"

* Time dilation: Difference of elapsed time between two events for observers moving relative to each other.* Law of Conservation of Energy: Energy can't be created or destroyed, only changed from one form to another.* Theory of Relativity: Laws of physics are the same for all non-accelerating observers. March 2015 25

THE BASICSCompiled by Nandita Jayaraj Artwork by Jeenal Patel

March 201526

Look around you and find out five objects that work on the principles of simple machines. Send in your list to brainwave@ack-media.com to win exciting gifts.

March 2015 27

FANFICTION

Written by Soumya K, Class 7, New Delhi

A Dinosaur Encounter

I am always mesmerized by dinosaurs, their grand size, and the fact that they actually existed on Earth. How I wish to travel to the past just to see them!

For now, I make do with pouring over my collection of books on dinos. On one of these dino-obsessed days, I realised it was almost midnight when I finally put the book down.

THUMP! came a thunderous noise.

Wondering if I was going crazy, I stood up and looked around.

THUMP! It was louder this time.

Whos there? I called out. No one responded.

I gathered all my courage and rushed to my parents room. My heart sunk when I realised they were missing.

Whoosh!

I ducked down as a strange looking bird flew over my head. Wait a minuteI knew...I had

seen this creature before. It was a Pterosaur!

Before I could comprehend what was happening, I saw a huge dinosaur moving towards me.

He was coming closer.

Then something totally unexpected happened. The huge dinosaur began talking to the pterosaur, and in English! Even more bizarre was the fact that his voice resembled my moms voice.

I was perplexed. Was my mother inside the dinosaur? Or had she converted into one?

Mom... I called out, tentatively.

Get up! the dinosaur screamed back. It was then that I opened my eyes and saw my mom standing over me.

It was all a dream. How disappointing! But wait, where did that huge paw engraved on my wall come from?

"What's happening!" I wondered.n

Ever find the real world just not exciting enough? Invent your own universe with time machines, clones, nuclear reactors or whatever you want, and email your original sci-fi story in 200 words to brainwave@ack-media.com (with 'Fan Fiction' as the subject of your email). The best ones will be published in upcoming Brainwave issues and win fun prizes!

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March 201528

2015 - 2016

Write fifty words on why you love Brainwave.

In hundred words, explain why you want to be on the Student Board.

Send us pictures of yourself with your collection of Brainwave Magazines or Posters.Include Age, Address, School name, Email and Phone Number

BW Student Board will work with the Editorial team on each issue. They will be invited to BW offices to be part of backstage action and be the first to test BW's Virtual Lab, Apps and Boardgames.

They get free access to all products, Certificates and a honorarium of 2500 Rupees.

Applications Open! The Perks

The August issue will carry an official announcement with the selected member's names and photos.

March 2015 29

REALLIFE

I ts hard enough drawing triangles on paper in geometry class, but imagine tracing them across the length of India. And as a result, figuring out the height of Mount Everest for the first time! That was exactly what the Great Trigonometrical Survey of India accomplished in the first half of the 19th century.

It all began when British surveyor, William Lambton, proposed a scientific project to study the shape of the planet. Back then, it was known that Earth was more curved at the equator than at the poles, but no one really knew by how much. It was thought that measuring the distance covered by one degree of latitude* at various places, would give a better idea of the Earths shape. This project soon turned into the Great Trigonometrical Survey meant to find the exact latitude and longitude* of places in India and the distances between them.

The idea was simple enough. Say you know the distance from place A to place B. If you can measure the angles from A and B to another place C, then trigonometry* will let

you find the exact distances from A and B to C. This method is called triangulation. The newly calculated distance can become the base of the next triangle, and so on, letting you build a chain of triangles.

And so the Great Trigonometrical Survey kicked off from Madras in 1802 its latitude and longitude had been plotted through astronomical observations.

The first distance the team measured was a 12km stretch from St. Thomas Mount to Perumbakkam Hill. A 100-foot long chain was used as the measuring instrument. The group even carried

thermometers to account for the effect of temperature on the chains length. It was critical for the baseline to be accurate or any further calculations would be off the mark.

Starting from this 12km baseline, Lambton and his team proceeded to construct triangles across southern India, connecting the coasts on the east and west. Eventually, the survey planned to cover the length of India, from Kanyakumari to the Himalayas.

While the method used was simple in theory, in practice, there were complications. Apart from needing

by Srinath Perur

What trigonometry has to do with measuring the Mount Everest...

Artw

ork: Anuranjini Singh

GreatTheTriangular

Escapade

* Latitude: Imaginary lines for reference, extending around Earth parallel to the equator. Each point in the line has its specific number.* Longitude: Just like latitudes, except these are perpendicular to the equator. They measure how north or south a place is, on the globe.

March 201530

to be precise in their calculations, the surveyors also had to take into account Earths curved shape. This meant doing some complex calculations. (Remember, calculators and computers hadnt been invented then.)

To measure angles, the team used an instrument called a theodolite. The half-ton (about 450kg!) device had to be lugged to the top of houses, hills or towers, so that a bigger view could be had. The theodolite alone required a dozen men to carry it. Once, as the theodolite was being hoisted up the gopuram of the Thanjavur temple, it crashed and got damaged.

The survey team resembled an army at times, with horses, elephants, camels and hundreds of men. They often had to trek through jungles, encountering snakes, scorpions and tigers. Sometimes kings would not give permission to the surveyors and had to be pleaded with. In some areas, the local people felt insulted because they appeared upside-

down when seen through the theodolite!

Kilometres of measurements had to be repeated when errors were discovered. When visibility was poor, surveys were carried out at night using powerful lanterns. Many men died along the way, from malaria and other illnesses. Lambton himself died in Maharashtra in 1823 and his assistant George Everest took over.

By the time Everest retired in 1843, the survey had triangulated 2400km from south to north, from Kanyakumari to Nepal. The triangulation had been extraordinarily accurate, off by less than an inch per mile.

Everests successor, Andrew Waugh, took the survey into the Himalayas. Till then, it was thought that the Andes in South America was the highest mountain range in the world. The survey established that this title went to the Himalayas instead.

In 1856, Waugh found the height

of a mountain, known as Peak XV, to be 29,002ft. He named it after his predecessor. Waughs chain measurements and handwritten calculations were not all that far off. Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world, is now measured at 29,029ft. n

* Trigonometry: The branch of mathematics involving lengths and angles of triangles and relationships between them.

That's right! The Mount Everest is named after the Surveyor-General of British India.

What are five other applications of triangulation?

Research and find out. Send your list to

brainwave@ack-media.com Best answers win exciting

prizes.

March 2015 31

32

a

j

c

i

g

b

e

fh

d

The tangram is an ancient Chinese game that became massively fashionable in Europe and America between the early 19th and 20th centuries. Its popularity has since consumed the rest of the world too. The tangram consists of a set of seven flat pieces that can be moved

around to form thousands of interesting shapes. In this months Toybox, we teach you how to make and play with your own set.

rhomboid

isosceles right-angled

trianglesquare

You will need: an 8x8 inch square of thick card paper, a pair of scissors, a ruler, a pencil, and a protractor to check if your angles are correct.

1. Draw a line from point a to point b.2. Draw a line from the centre of line a-j (point c) to the centre of line j-b (point d).3. Draw a line from point e to the centre of line c-d (point f). This line will also cut through line a-b and create a new point that we

If the four corners of your square card paper are points a, e, j and b (refer to diagram below):

will call g.4. Draw a line from point c to the centre of line a-g (point i).5. Finally, draw a line from point f to the centre of line g-b (point h).

Now use your scissors to cut along the lines you have drawn.

Mod

el: Ap

arn

a K

apu

r

TOY BOX TERRIFIC

TANGRAMS

March 2015

19

x

x

y

x/2

x/2

y/2

45

45

90

135

90+45= 135

x/2

90

45

You now have yourself seven pieces of the tangram puzzle. If you like, you can laminate each of these pieces to make them last longer.

See if you can recreate the shapes given below using your tangram. (Remember, you must use all seven pieces, and you may only place them side by side: they cannot overlap.) Have fun! n

Five of the seven pieces in the tangram are isosceles right triangles (can you spot them?). That means two sides are equal, and one angle is 90. The side opposite the right angle the longest side of the isosceles right triangle is called its hypotenuse.

The remaining two sides of these triangles are of equal length.

The ancient Greek mathematician Pythagoras first wrote about how the lengths of the sides of a right-angled triangle work together. If, for example, a is the length of the hypotenuse, and the other two sides are b and c in length, then: a x a = (b x b) + (c x c). Remember, in an isosceles right triangle, sides b and c are of same length.

In the tangram diagram on the left, if the length of the hypotenuse (side x) were 64cm, how would you use the formula to calculate the length of side y? (Hint: You will end up with an irrational number - a number with a fraction or a decimal point in it - because isosceles right triangles can never have sides with integer values like 1, 2, 3, etc..)

The perfect square that can be made from the seven pieces of a tangram shows how precise and beautiful the relationships between basic geometric shapes can be.

A tan man riding a

tan horse

NUMBER THEORY

33March 2015

sOLUTIONSAND WINNERS

Hi BrainwaveI am Vitthal Rao, a student studying currently in class 6th. It has been about one and a half years since I started reading Brainwave. I felt like giving a small suggestion to your team - why not publish an e-mag! This would certainly help as it would save paper. Also, children can read it on the go. As the use of internet broadband is growing in towns and villages, it is a very useful way to publish magazines. On the other hand, your team can keep publishing the hard copy of the magazine as it is a totally different experience, right? Hope it will help.Srinivas Vitthal Rao

Dear Srinivas,You read our mind! We are working on exactly that. We are brewing ideas for a Brainwave Digital Magazine where the toons can move about and bounce all over the pages. You could watch videos and play games inside the magazine. That will be so cool! We will continue to have the print version too, of course. Exciting times ahead!Team Brainwave

Hello Sir,My burning question is - why does it happen that the Moon seems to follow us when we walk at night? Also, I want to suggest to you that you should include famous scientists' short biographies and their inspirational quotes with every issue of Brainwave. By the way, Brainwave is the best magazine I have ever read! It inspires little minds to explore and feel the real importance of science in their everyday routine.Thank you.Sarthak Srivastava, Bal Bahavan Public School

Dear Sarthak,More than half of us here at Brainwave are ladies, so you can simply address us as Dear Brainwave. About the insistent Moon: it is so far away that the relative angle between you and the Moon remains the same when you walk away. If you walked really fast to really far distances, things would be different. Thanks for the compliment and suggestion, we are so happy you like it. You will soon see famous scientists talking in Brainwave. Keep reading.Team Brainwave

Letters from Readers

Puzzle Book Solution (January 2015)

Past: Clay Pot, Hieroglyphics

Present: Pressure Cooker, Cell Phone, Sneaker, Tablet, Air Plane, 3D Printer

Future: Hover shoes, Rolled Up TV, Teleportation

Here are the winners of the contests in the January 2015 issue. Congratulations! We are sending you some gifts to celebrate.

Sci-Q: Tanmay GuptaGolden Gizmo: Roshini Kalliath, 12 years, MumbaiToon Talk: Ritvik Upadhyay, BengaluruTreasure Hunt: Pragun Padukoli, Class 4, BengaluruPuzzle Book: Basavesh, 9 years, Bidar, KarnatakaFan Fiction: Soumya K, Class 7, Delhi Ask Us Why: G Sumita, 10 years, Hyderabad

March 201534

Visual confirmed, sir.

After a total energy collapse in New York, the Time Gliders are staying to help the remaining inhabitants. But now there is a new threat from gangsters and looters...

Seal the entrance

downstairs. The raiders are back!

We may need your help.

Ross, we know youre all in there!

You know that sharing is caring!

This time you're hopelessly outnumbered and outgunned. I give you ten minutes to bring us

our dues, or well come in blasting our way through.

Is there no police left in the city?

Sadly, the police department was

overwhelmed by looting mobs after the energy and

comms breakdown.

But, I guess they have their hands full trying to establish law and order in

other areas.

Quasar...those are hostiles, and

they are indeed on their way to us. I will uplink my visor

imagery to your HUD to see what

I see.

The officers not killed by the mobs fled with the city councillors

hopefully to get help. Were waiting for the army.

GRAPHICNOVEL

by Cobus Prinsloo

Season 2 Episode 3

March 2015 35

You know theres not enough for

everybody. Make a plan like we did.

We did! Look, were utilizing an old, reliable energy source for transport

again - like in the old days. The only fuel it uses is grass and water.

Listen guys if you come back

tomorrow, therell be plenty for everyone.

Were expecting a

relief effort.

Holy...!

I wasnt born yesterday, fool! Whats with that Hubble space telescope in your eye,

anyway, old man?

Hmm ... now theres a cool babe

for a pirate.

...but Im not a... ...babe!!

Ive never been so insulted in my life...

But I didnt think

this would work anyway.

I may be cool. I may even be a pirate...

Teeheehee! Hahaha!

March 201536

What is that noise?

What the...?

You are hopelessly and utterly outgunned. Go back to where

you came from!

Soon...

I should have my gun back, Lerato!

Hold it, mister! A trigger-happy mouth indicates a trigger-

happy finger!

Quasar initiate protocol 911. You know

the situation.

Were coming in to

smoke you out of your nests

now!

Phew! Correction...shes a

hot babe!

Argh...I think she should have rather

shot you!

Deon, are you ok?

Three minutes and counting!

March 2015 37

This is your final warning: remove yourselves or be

removed.

Whatever you are, you

wont stand in our way.

We may just as well be shooting at

ourselves!

Now theres a spectacle you dont see everyday - a space craft chasing cowboys!

Well be back another day.

Lets get outta here!

Armor piercing ammo and grenade launchers... fire!

Its got some kind

of deflector capability!

Soon they realize that their own deflected ammo becomes a hazard.

Heres a warm

reception for you!

To be continued...March 201538

Place of Publication : Sumer Plaza,2nd Floor, Marol Maroshi Road,Marol, Andheri (East)Mumbai 400059

Periodicity of its Publication : Monthly

Printer & Publishers Name : Mr. Vijay SampathNationality : Indian(a) Whether a citizen of India? Yes(b) If a foreigner, country of origin : N.A.Address : 3rd Floor, Krishna House, Raghuvanshi Mills Compound, Lower Parel (West), Mumbai - 400013

Editor's Name : Ms. Aashima DograNationality : Indian(a) Whether a citizen of India? Yes(b) If a foreigner, country of origin : N.A.Address : No:828, 2nd floor, 10th 'A' main,HAL 1st stage, IndiranagarBangalore-560038

Date: March 1, 2015

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1. Future Consumer Enterprise Limited: Knowledge House, Shyam Nagar, Off. Jogeshwari Vikhroli Link Road, Jogeshwari (East), Mumbai 400060.

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I, Vijay Sampath, hereby declare that the particulars given above are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Signatureof publisher

Rule 8, Form IV of the Registration of Newspapers (Central) Rules, 1956 Statement about ownership and other particulars of Brainwave (English)

March 2015 39

PLANETNINJA

Let's try fitting all living things into Ecological Pyramids.

by Radha HS

Lets get ecological

But the number pyramid can have exceptions. For example, one large tree, which is a

producer, has thousands of insects feeding on it.

In a jungle, we can see a lot of plants, some plant-eating-animals like deer, rabbits, and fewer meat-eating-animals like tigers and wolves. Have you ever wondered why?

Plants, the producers, get their energy from sunlight. Plant-eating herbivores are the level-1 consumers. They have to gobble up many plants to get energy.

Meat-eating carnivores stand at the top of this food chain. These level-2 consumers eat approximately one deer a week.

Every feeding level is a trophic level and the whole structure is called an ecological pyramid. There are many ways to arrange these pyramids.

Artw

ork:

Kav

eri G

opal

akri

shna

n

We could try arranging the Pyramid putting in the number of organisms in each level. If we build the

pyramid based on the population of each trophic level - we get a number pyramid.

March 201540

?!

Suppose we dry the tree, weigh it, and use this weight to base our pyramid on, we get a biomass pyramid.

The biomass of a tree, a producer, would be more than the biomass of the insects, giving us a true

pyramid. But even a biomass pyramid has exceptions.

'YEs, we Can!' Food is consumed to get energy. Plants use a fraction of sunlight that reaches the earth, a part of that energy is also wasted on respiration.

Herbivores that eat plants, lose some more energy by way of waste and heat.

There is an energy loss at every trophic level. Pyramids which show energy flows between trophic levels, are energy pyramids. These hold good for the plants-deer-tiger, tree and the aquatic ecosystems too.

EXCEPTIONThink about an aquatic ecosystem.

Naturally, the biomass of the microscopic phytoplankton (producer

of the aquatic world) is less than the zooplankton (herbivore

of the aquatic world) and fish (carnivore of the aquatic world),

giving us an inverted pyramid.

Can we come up with a better representation

March 2015 41

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You get comics, stories, experiments and cool contests. There's a Treasure Hunt too! You can win many exciting prizes, and even be on our Student Board.

Note: Prices and payment options valid in India only. For international shipping / payment modes, subscribe online.

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Publisher, at its sole discretion, shall have the right to revise the offer or subscription price.

* All fields are mandatory for the subscription to be activated.March 201542

Staff Room

PART 1 -Physics classroom

Lesson Beginning Ask students to identify some simple

machines around them. Discuss with them how these machines

make work easier for us. Tell students that machines have been

used for work since ancient times.

Lesson Middle Distribute article The Basics on page 26

for class reading Introduce each simple machine that was

used to build the Giza Pyramid. Demonstrate pulleys and wheels to

show how the Pyramids could have been constructed faster if these simple machines had been invented then.

Lesson EndDivide the class into groups and task each group to make working models of each simple machine covered in The Basics article. Invite each group to take turns to present the mechanics behind their machines.

PART 2 Biology classroom

Lesson Beginning

Distribute Planet Ninja article on page 40 for class reading.

Divide the class into groups and have timer based competition to solve Puzzle Book on back cover.

Lesson Middle Ask students to write down on a piece

of paper, the name of a animal character form their favourite book or movie. For example: Bagheera from Jungle Book

Fold the pieces of paper, jumble them up and distribute one to each student. Each of them now has to read out his/her animal out loud and identify it as a omnivore/carnivore/herbivore.

According to their answers arrange the class in several 'food chains'. Some of the students can be 'Producers'.

Lesson EndDiscuss the different kinds of ecological pyramids - number, biomass and energy. Which is best?

Teachers, parents or study groups can use the following lesson plan in the Physics and Biology classrooms. You will need at least one copy of this issue of Brainwave handy during the session. Introduce these to your students - Ecology and Simple Machines

By Mahak KatyalDesigned with expert advice from Brainwave Advisor, Ms. Maya Menon, Director of the Teacher Foundation.

This is our THIRD guide for TeAchers and parents. Welcome!

LeARNING OBJECTIVES

Geometry, Angles and Triangles in articles Real Life on Page 30 and Toybox on Page 32 Atoms Make Elements and Molecular Structure in DIY article on Page 16 Food Pyramid in article Life Science on Page 20

March 2015 43

Solve the ecological pyramid crossword by identifying the animals roaming around the page. Send in your answers to brainwave@ack-media.com to get a cool prize.

Puzzle BookBy Radha HS, Artwork - Kaveri Gopalakrishnan

Hint: Algae

Hint: Zooplankton

PRODUCER

HERBIVORE

CARNIVORE

Registered with Registrar of Newspapers under RNI No. MAHENG/2012/42382. Published on the 15th of every previous month.Postal Registration No. MCN/279/2015-2017. Posted at Patrika Channel Sorting Office, Mumbai 400 001. Posting date: 21st & 22nd of every previous month.

March 201544

WO 1March 2015

TOYBOX

To make the instant fan, you will need:

A pencil with an eraser at the base A knife or cutter A thumb pin An empty refill of a ballpoint pen A piece of chart paper (5x1.5 cm)

1. Using a knife, cut five or six notches into a pencil at regular distances from each other.

2. Fix the piece of chart paper on the eraser at the end of the pencil with a pin.

3. Now drag an empty refill along the pencil notches repeatedly.

What do you notice?

Method

The Instant FanArtw

ork: Adarsh Achari

by Arvind Gupta(www.arvindguptatoys.com)

How does this happen?

The exact mechanism that makes the paper flutter is pretty complex, and several researchers have tried to figure it out. Quite simply put, the fan rotates because of vibrations caused in the pencil.

The flap of paper at the end of the pencil starts to rotate like a fan! n

The Dancing Northern Lights

Natures very own light show plays out near the poles of the Earth. Every now and then, the night sky near the Arctic and the Antarctic regions erupts in a dazzling display of dancing lights in colours ranging from golden, green and blue to purple and red. Appearing splendid and eerie all at once, the scientific term for this natural light display is aurora a name put forth by a 17th century French scientist named Pierre Gassendi.

These lights are known as the Northern Lights or the Aurora Borealis around the North Pole, and can be seen across Greenland, Norway, Canada and Alaska. In the Southern Hemisphere, these lights are called the Aurora Australis or the Southern Lights and are visible in Antarctica, Australasia and South America.

Auroras form near the poles due to the concentration of the magnetic field in these parts. They can be seen during the night and up until dawn. Common around

the equinoxes, i.e. on March 20 and September 22, auroras occur when solar particles and atmospheric particles run into each other. Solar flares taking place on the surface of the Sun result in the forceful emission

Aurora MythsAuroras appear like abstract light paintings in the sky and people have interpreted them in many ways:

Natives of Scotland used auroras to predict weather. If the lights moved quickly, unsettling weather was expected. But if the lights moved slowly and gracefully, favourable weather was predicted.

For the Fox Indian tribes, the lights are a bad omen, but in parts of Canada and Siberia, the aurora is a good sign.

The science of auroras

of solar particles. These particles travel towards the Earth at a speed of millions of kilometres per hour. When they collide with particles in the Earths atmosphere, light is produced.

The magnetic and electric forces interact in shifting combinations, giving the impression of dancing lights, while the colour of the lights depends on the altitude at which the collision takes place. High sunspot activity is likely to create favourable conditions for auroras in the year 2011-12. Auroras are not exclusive to Earth alone and can be seen on other planets as well. n

N

S

Solar Particles Atmospheric Particles

Aurora

by Sujata C

HERE'SHOW

March 2015WO2

The insides of many ancient pyramids are still unexplored. If not for our robotic friends, these secrets may be lost forever.

by Sahana Shankar

Tomb Raider meets iRobot

explore the Great Pyramid of Giza. It used a robot with a pinhole camera and LED lights. It could drill through closed doors to help understand the pyramid design. It sent back images of the walls decorated with ancient art. It also helped us get a detailed layout of the architectural wonder and even figure out what construction materials were used.

In 2014, Mexican scientists used Tlaloc, a robot named after the Aztec rain god, to check the terrain underneath the Sun Temple. It had a camera on tracks and a mechanical arm to navigate through obstacles, and discovered images of undiscovered rooms. It helped discover an ancient civilization. Scientists are working on improving the designs of these robots with better lighting and lesser damage to the precious tunnels.

Hearing this, Dan got an idea. He brought out his remote-controlled car, fitted it with a torch light and tiny camera. Atta boy! said Vincent.n

CUTTINGEDGE

Vincent, an archaeologist, saw his son Dan crying in his tent. Dad, I lost my precious ring while hiking in the woods and its too dark to go looking for it now!

Vincent smiled. Is that it, Dan? Well, youve come to the right person. This is exactly what I do at work all day.

Seeing his son look puzzled, Vincent explained, "You know Dan, I often go into the dark recesses of history to find things left behind thousands of years ago."

How, dad?

"We use a robot fitted with a camera and a mechanical arm to explore the insides of a Pyramid and the tombs beneath. Though the tunnels inside most pyramids are narrow, these robots can make their way in.

The Djedi Project, in 2012, was one such mission to

Imag

e Cr

edit

: The

Dje

di T

eam

/Das

saul

t Sys

tm

es

Robot exploring the Queens Chamber and its mysterious shafts.

WO3March 2015