3 effective ways to develop a scientific mind in children!

Posted on Author Asmita

Science has always been a realm in which less theory and more application are the only way to go. Scientific study or pursuit demands a prerequisite of a scientific mind which can only be developed through careful observation of phenomena and their effective application in daily, mundane life. Personality traits of children like deduction, analysis, quick wit and inquisitiveness do prove to be effective aids but the concrete development of a scientific mind in children is a gradual process and not an inherent skill. Here are three easy ways in which children can endeavor toward developing a scientific mind. 

Nature
  • Observing Nature and Natural Phenomena 

Scientific approach and analytical thinking stem from deep and focused observation of nature. Nature is the repository of all sciences and everything that surrounds us is a product of science in some way or other. Children should be greatly encouraged to observe nature in all its glory and greenery, with its extensive biodiversity. Natural phenomena like the rains, storms, cyclones and various seasons normally fascinate and be wilder to children. Such curiosity should be channelised in the correct direction by visually appealing imagery and explanation that would excite their young minds. 

  • Asking Questions and Seeking Answers

Children should be encouraged to ask as many questions as they like until and unless their query is quenched. This is what broadens the thinking outlook and diverted the horizons of thought. The simple act of asking questions and seeking their rightful answers has led to several successful discoveries, both planned and chance ones. Children are often forced to suppress their enquiry in the fear of judgements or self-doubt. A scientific environment must be designed for them where it is necessary to be conveyed to them that their open curiosity and creativity is always welcome and that they should keep asking and seeking and expressing however dumb or stupid or nonsensical their question may seem to them. 

  • Training And Stimulating Their Senses 

Children are inherently perceptive in nature and keenly observant, but to develop a scientific mind all the five senses should integrate simultaneously to gauge a problem. Stimulation can be done in various ways including visual stimulation using colourful and graphic art and pictures, informative documentaries and three dimensional models. Auditory stimulation is also done through experimentation with stress on natural sounds and how they are formed and why do we hear them the way we do. Science is what one perceives.

3 Exciting Science Experiments That Will Amaze You!

Posted on Author Asmita

Science as a subject has always been associated with a wide variety of practical experiments as its core matter and content. Keen observation and effective application of the learnt inferences are the two central focuses of science enthusiasts everywhere. Here are a few super easy-to-perform and exciting science experiments that will surely leave you marveling.

LEMON
  • The Acid-Base Neutralization Experiment 

Chemistry and its various topics and equations can get on the nerves of students across all age groups. To make it interesting and fun, one of the most popular experiments is that of feeling the fizz. The prerequisites are a bowl, some like juice and baking soda. At first, baking soda is emptied onto the bowl. Then a small quantity of lime juice is squeezed over it. Almost immediately there’s the sound of fizz along with the appearance of bubbles. This is due to the neutralisation reaction that would’ve taken place due to the combination of the basic baking soda and acidic lime juice. The fizzing sound and effervescence are due to the evolution of carbon dioxide gas. 

  • The Reflection of Light on Paper Experiment 

Science and its quirks are never-ending and these fascinating experiments prove this fact time and again. The reflection of light on the paper experiment aims to practically demonstrate a key concept of physics, that is the reflection of light. The prerequisites of this experiment are a small mirror or magnifying glass, a piece of paper and a fairly sunlit room or balcony. In this experiment, the mirror is held close to the piece of paper and tilted at an angle to the source of light which is the window from where the light is entering, in this case. The set-up is such that the light rays coming from outside get reflected in the glass and then get concentrated in a small area on the piece of paper. If carried out properly and with patience, after some time the small area on the paper starts to feel extremely heated on touching. When continued vigorously, the portion can also show signs of charring. This incredible experiment singly explains two properties, one that of the bending property of light and also that heat energy is dissipated in the process. 

  • The Inverted Glass Experiment 

This amazing experiment explains the concepts of gravity and atmospheric pressure. The requirements are a glass filled with water and a thick piece of paper. In the experiment, the glass is filled with water and is gently covered by a thick piece of paper or cardboard and then it is inverted over the sink. The water and the paper remain in place.

Biology As A Constant Hobby

Posted on Author Vandita Shukla

What All One Can Learn Lifelong From Biology As A Hobby

 enjoy your biology class, like nature, animals, or plants, have an interest in medicine, or simply feel lots of curiosity about living things?

If so, you may be thinking about focusing on or majoring in biology. But you may also have some questions about biology as a career. Would you spend all your time in a lab, or marching through tropical jungles? Would you be able to make a living, and would your work help others and make a difference in the world? the answers depend a lot on exactly what you choose to do with your biology expertise! A biology background can be the gateway to many different careers, including various areas of research (such as biomedicine and ecology) as well as many non-research careers, such as teaching, science communication, and public policy. seeing examples of careers in biology and getting a sense of just how many different things you can do with this fascinating subject!

Pattern Of Nature

Biology Being The Key To Many Doors:

  • Doctor, nurse, physician’s assistant, genetic counselor
  • Conservation ecologist, environmental advocate
  • Laboratory or field researcher at a university or institute
  • Science writer (freelance, or as part of a company or non-profit)
  • Drug development researcher, biomedical device engineer
  • Food scientist or agricultural expert
  • Teacher, professor, outreach coordinator
  • Science policy advisor to the government or elected officials

That’s just a small sampling of the many possibilities!

Learning And Building Relationship With Nature.

How To Take Your Interest Further In The Subject:

Whatever job it is that interests you, it’s likely that there are some people in your community or nearby areas who are working in a similar role.

  • Consider emailing some of those people, introducing yourself, and asking if you could chat with them to learn more about their job. (This is called an informational interview).
  • You can even ask if they’d be willing to let let you do a job shadow, where you follow them around for a short period, such as a day or a week, to see what their job is actually like “on the ground.”

Make sure to be very polite when you contact someone for an informational interview or job shadow, and understand that some people may not have the time or ability to help you out. If you keep trying, though, you’ll likely find someone who can share their experiences (and may even become a mentor!).

Look for opportunities to get your toes wet in your chosen area.

 Getting this kind of experience is valuable for two reasons

: 1) it will help you learn skills and make professional connections, and

2) it will help you figure out if the career is actually something you enjoy and would want to do in the future.

Journey Of A Biologist

BIOLOGY: DIY

Do-it-yourself biology is a rather recent phenomenon and can be described as the pursuit of biology outside of scientific institutions by amateurs, students, “hobbyists”. As the “do-it-yourself” movement usually associated to home improvement, the idea is here also to build and create things oneself without the direct help of specialists.  Even though modern scientific challenges like synthetic biology are much discussed, the practice of DIY synthetic biology is very modest at this time. Instead, when doing wetlab work, DIY practitioners tend to focus on getting basic molecular biology protocols to work in their own settings. It is clear that individuals in the community do want to do more complex wetlab work, demonstrated by the presence of “Synthetic Biology crash courses” in DIYbio labs like Genspace or Biocurious. DIY biology practitioners are currently foremost working towards creating and tinkering with scientific hardware, software and experimental protocols. And it is by creatively designing and redesigning equipment and protocols that DIY biology can foster new scientific practices 

Biology Counted As A DIY

From Basic Math To Vedic Math

Posted on Author Vandita Shukla

Focus Of Vedic Math:

Vedic Mathematics is a collection of ancient tricks and techniques to execute arithmetic operations quickly and more efficiently. Vedic Math comes from the Vedas, more specifically the Atharva Veda. It was revived by Indian mathematician Jagadguru Shri Bharati Krishna Tirthaji between 1911 and 1918. He then published this work in a book called Vedic Mathematics in 1965. It comprises 16 sutras (formulae) and 13 sub sutras. Vedic Math is an ancient technique that simplifies multiplication, divisibility, complex numbers, squaring, cubing, square roots, cube roots, recurring decimals, and auxiliary fractions.

Introduction Of Veda’s and Sutra’s

Why One Should Know Vedic Math?

  • *Makes elementary calculation 10-15 times faster
  • *Helps in accurate guessing
  • *Useful for all classes
  • *Reduces burden (need to learn tables up to 9 only)
  • *A magical tool to reduce finger counting and rough work
  • *Increases concentration
  • *Helps in reducing silly mistakes
  • Vedic maths provides answers in one line, as opposed to the several steps of traditional mathematics. There are six Vedanganas. The Jyotish Shastra is one of the six. Vedic Math forms part of this Jyotish Shastra. Vedic maths consists of 3 segments or ‘skandas’ (branches). The beauty of Vedic Math lies in its simplicity; all calculations can be done on pen and paper. The approach to solve problems stimulates and sharpens the mind, memory, and focus. It improves creativity and promotes innovation.
The Most Honest Calculation

Vedic Math In Modern times

The portrayal of distinct brain zones engaged in highly active activity dealing with mathematics is at the heart of a growing neuroscientific knowledge of the mathematical functioning of human brains As a result, the presence of mind and the capture of thoughts while presenting the problem are just as important as the solution to the problem.

Vedic mathematics aids in mental computations that are both faster and more accurate. This combines 16 Sutras and 13 up Sutras. Mental calculations are beneficial to answer any complex equation in addition, division, multiplication, algebra, trigonometry, square, square root, cube, and cube root. And this is an ever-changing epoch in the human history.

Easy answers to the Difficult Learning

Adventurous Hobbies: Travelling As A Hobby

Posted on Author Asmita

If you’ve always loved to explore, and being in one place is not your thing, you have the potential of becoming an ideal traveler. Traveling as a hobby is not just for spending your leisure time, or seeing new places. For some people, it’s a way of life. It’s way more beneficial for us than we realize. 

Want to experience traveling as a hobby? This is your cue to do it. We’re here with a bunch of reasons why traveling can be an incredible hobby for everyone. 

  • Gaining Knowledge 

Traveling to a new place is like reading a new book. Exploring unknown places is like unfolding the pages of the book. You can gain so much knowledge when you travel. You wouldn’t just learn about the history of buildings and monuments, but you would also learn about the people and their culture. Some traveling jobs are associated with the same. You’re simply supposed to learn about a place and its people and share your experience. It’s a therapeutic process for those to love traveling. 

  • Making Connections 

When you travel, you tend to meet new people at every nook and corner, especially if you’re a solo traveler. You would get the opportunity to interact with new people, and talk about similar interests, or simply about the place. In this way, several beautiful bonds are formed. You should always make an effort to converse with different people when you’re out to explore places. 

  • Overcoming Fears 

Traveling helps us to overcome our limitations and break free from them. More often than not, we end up doing things while we’re traveling that we wouldn’t otherwise do. In this way, we develop new skills and also say goodbye to deep insecurities and fears. Thus, traveling as a hobby is one of the best ways to discover yourself and your true potential. You’d surprise yourself in ways you can’t imagine. 

Conclusion

Not all of us are travel junkies, but we surely have places that we want to visit on our bucket list. It’s time that you embrace your inner traveler and get ready to embark on the journey of your lifetime. 

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