Radha was amazed to receive several science questions from school students after the publication of the blog. While all the questions kids ask are very interesting, some of them are exceptionally thought provoking and exciting. Some selected questions and Radha's response will be published on the blog, frequently.
1. Why can't we feel gravity? asks Nandana Thulaseedharan a10th standard student from
G.H. S Kanichukulangara, Kerala.
Dear Nandana, that is a very good question. Let us imagine, how would it be without gravity for a moment. You will not feel a pull from the earth, and so, you will not be bound to it. Your feet won't stay attached to earth as it does now. You will essentially float!. Water will no longer remain inside the bucket, a mango would not fall onto your head even if you sit under the tree and so on... But you know from everyday experience that water would stay in the bucket if the bucket doesn't have a hole on it, mango can fall on your head if you sit under the tree etc. So, gravitational force is real. But why do we not feel it ? In fact, we are feeling it! Just that we can not differentiate that force because we have been feeling it from the day 1 of our lives. That means, since our body is adapted to live in gravity, we don't realize it every day. I will give you some simple experiments to feel gravity for yourself. First one is simple you can do it right away. 1. Jump high up in the air and close your eyes while you land. Who pulled you down? There you go!, you can feel it. 2. If you go to the international space station for a summer break, and come back to earth, you can feel gravity for sure. Because you have been feeling a different force in space, and suddenly when you enter earth, you will start feeling the gravity as usual and your body can feel the difference. Stay curious and smart, With love,
Radha didi
2. Why mosquitoes use human blood for their reproduction? asks Jinzjose Xavier from Thykkattussery, Cherthala.
Hello Jinz,
I am very intrigued by your question. Just like you, I also get irritated by mosquitoes humming around me, at night, when I try to sleep. The immediate question that comes to mind is, why can't they feed on the rice and rasam we make at home? In fact, they are not keen on hurting us, but poor mosquitoes can't produce good quality eggs without some proteins and nutrients. Human blood is rich in proteins. Therefore, mosquitoes land on human bodies and suck blood in order to get these proteins. Mosquitoes also feed on juices of grass, nectars etc. That means that's probably their breakfast, lunch and dinner! Blood is their protein shake. Just like we drink protein shake to stay healthy, they drink it to lay healthy eggs! And slightly different from us, only female mosquitoes drink this protein shake.
Stay curious and smart, With love,
Radha didi
3. "I am made of Diya molecules" comments six year old Diya Dileep, a second standard student at Infant Jesus School, Varappuzha after hearing the 'story of small things' from her mother.
Dear Diya,
I loved your comment. I am happy you read and understood the essence the story. Let me tell you a little more about what you are made of. You are made of so many different types of molecules. Not just one! Can you quickly list what are the various things present in our body? Water, blood cells, skin, protein, fat etc. right? That means, all our body is made of water molecules, several protein molecules, several other molecules containing elements such as iron, sodium, calcium and so on. So we all are a complex mixture of several types of molecules. Not just a single type. You will learn a lot more about molecules in our body in higher classes. Stay curious and smart. And keep asking more and more questions.
With love,
Radha didi
4. Why stars look like they shine ? asks Kiran Das K, a 10th standard student at SCUGVHSS Pattanakkad.
Hello Kiran,
As a kid, I also asked this question to myself. Stars produce light energy because they are so hot. The heat is produced inside stars such as the sun, through nuclear fusion. This is the process where two very light nuclei fuse together to liberate a lot of energy. Due to this energy the stars get heated up, and it glows like a fireball. As you might have noticed that these stars look as if they are twinkling. That means stars look like a decorative lamp, that goes on and off continuously. But in reality, stars are not going on and off. They shine with the same intensity throughout. Because the light from a star has to travel a lot of distance to reach earth, it undergoes refraction while travelling through various levels of the atmosphere. Due to this constant bending of light due to refraction, the stars appear like they are twinkling.
Stay smart and curious,
Lovingly yours,
Radha didi
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