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Antarctic sea ice matters

"One of the largest seasonal cycles on Earth happens in the ocean around Antarctica. During autumn and winter the surface of the ocean freezes as sea ice advances northwards, and then in the spring the ice melts as the sunlight returns. However, of late, the area of this sea ice has been shrinking dramatically. And this is of grave concern. But then, Antarctica is so far away. So, does the size of the sea ice surrounding the continent really matter to us? Oh yes, it does. Here's why.

Since the 1970s, we've had satellite records to measure Antarctic sea ice cover. "At the winter maximum, sea ice covers an area more than twice the size of Australia (roughly 20 million square kilometres), and during summer it retreats to cover less than a fifth of that area (about 3 million square km). But then, the record for 2022 showed that the summer minimum was not even 2 million square km. In 2023, this has been a worrying 1.7 million square km.

When the yearly freezing happens, the cold salty water is pushed down into very deep parts of the ocean. The water then flows towards the northern direction. "About 40 per cent of the global ocean can be traced back to the Antarctic coastline." When waters between the surface and the deeper regions are exchanged so, heat and carbon dioxide are trapped in ocean depths. Not just that Nutrients from the deep reach the surface, and since the water moves northwards, these nutrients help support ocean life across the world.

So, when sea ice cover decreases, this exchange suffers, affecting ocean life. Also, without adequate sea ice cover, oceans tend to absorb more heat from the sun, which can lead to increased ocean warming. This can prevent the expansive formation of sea ice during winter, and the deadly cycle would continue. Again, warmer oceans negatively affect the growth of certain marine creatures. This can impact the lives of organisms that consume or are consumed by these creatures, which can have a bearing on marine and terrestrial life the world over.

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What is GST?

Earlier, there were multiple taxes levied both at the central and the State level which often confused the taxpayers.

India's gross GST revenues was the highest-ever in April at ?1,87,035 crore. It is 12% higher than the same month last year, which was the previous highest tax tally of ?1.67 lakh crore.

Let us know more about GST that simplified our tax regime.

Origin

The concept of GST was introduced in the Budget speech on February 28, 2006. Though initially it was proposed that GST would be introduced on April 1, 2010, GST was introduced on July 1, 2017, under the 'one nation, one tax initiative. Its aim was to bring different types of taxes under a single-tax system.

To implement GST, Constitutional (122nd Amendment) Bill was passed by Rajya Sabha on August 3, 2016. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Cabinet approved setting up of GST Council on September 12, 2016. The 49th GST Council meeting took place on February 18, 2023 in New Delhi.

What is GST?

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) is levied on the supply of goods and services, which is paid by the consumer. It is imposed in the State where the goods and services are consumed and not where they are manufactured.

However, some goods and services are exempted from GST and are subjected to a State's existing taxes such as the Value Added Tax (VAT), which is paid at every stage of value addition in the supply chain. These levies are paid at each stage of the production process by the consumer.

As the GST is a destination-based tax there are various types of GST-CGST (levied by the Centre), SGST (levied by the State), UTGST (by the Union Territory), and IGST (levied for the interstate supply of goods by the Centre).

Benefits

Earlier, there were multiple taxes levied both at the central and the state level which often confused the taxpayers. The introduction of GST has eased the manufacturer's job of compiling different taxes into one. Besides, it has brought India at par with the global market by following a universally accepted tax regime. With the implementation of IGST, the manufacturers no longer have to pay CST (Central Sales Tax) and other taxes.

Difference between GSTN and GSTIN

GSTN (Goods and Services Tax Network) is a platform that manages the IT system of the GST portal. It is used by the government to track financial transactions and other tax informations. Meanwhile, GSTIN is a 15-digit tax registration number that is provided to manufacturers, traders, stockists, wholesalers, and retailers.

FORMAT OF GSTIN

*First two digits of GSTIN is the State code

*The next 10 digits denote the PAN or Permanent Account Number of business entity/proprietor

* The 13th digit is based on the number of registrations done by the business entity within a State

*14th digit is "Z" by default

* The last digit is the check code, which can be a number or a letter.

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What is ZSI?

The Zoological Survey of India is responsible for exploring, surveying and monitoring the faunal diversity of different States and protected areas in the country.

From time to time, we come across news about researchers of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) discovering new species of fauna. But do you know what ZSI is and what its functions are? Let's find out.

A premier organisation in the field of zoological research and conservation, the Zoological Survey of India was established in July 1916. In fact, it began as the zoological section of the Indian Museum in Calcutta in 1875. Headquartered in Kolkata, its main objective is to conduct research and surveys on the fauna of the country and document the rich animal diversity found in different States and protected areas in the subcontinent.

It is the ZSI which is responsible for the classification, categorisation, and description of new animal species, and maintaining a database of all species found across the country. It makes a periodic review of the status of the threatened and endemic species and comes up with conservation strategies for the endangered ones.

The ZSI carries out surveys in different ecosystems, including forests, wetlands, mangroves, backwaters, and coastal areas with the aim of documenting the distribution and abundance of different animal species. These surveys are crucial as they not only promote understanding of the status of the varied species but also help identify areas where conservation efforts are required.

The apex organisation for zoological studies has taxonomists and researchers who identify new animal species, group them into categories, and provide descriptions about them. Every year, the ZSI consolidates information about new fauna in the country and publishes it under the title "Animal Discoveries". It has also published pictorial handbooks and guides to generate interest in people like us to understand and appreciate the fauna of the country.

Did you know that the ZSI also publishes the Red Data Book on Indian Animals? This book contains a record of all the endangered species of animals endemic to the subcontinent. It was first published in 1983.

The ZSI comes under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change. It has 16 regional centres spread across the country and over 300 scientists. Dhriti Banerjee is currently the Director of the Zoological Survey of India. In 2021, she became the first woman to take charge as director of the ZSI in its over 100-year history.

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A keyboard in your forearm?

Researchers have come up with a touch-responsive fabric armband that can pave the way for flexible keyboards and wearable sketchpads

Wearables refer to wearable technology – a segment that continues to see path-breaking innovation on a consistent basis. The next such advance in wearables could literally force you to roll up your sleeves as researchers have developed a fabric armband that is a touch pad in reality.

Problems with hydrogel

While computer trackpads and electronic signature-capture devices can now be found everywhere, these aren't widely used in wearables as yet. Even though there have been suggestions to make flexible touch-responsive panels using clear, electrically conductive hydrogels, it hasn't happened yet. This is mainly due to the sticky nature of these substances, which not only makes them hard to write on, but also irritating to the skin.

A group of researchers looked to solve this issue and decided to incorporate a similar hydrogel into a more comfortable fabric sleeve. For this, they sandwiched the pressure-sensitive hydrogel between layers of knit silk. Their results were published in ACS Nano in May.

In order to make the fabric electrically conductive, the top layer was coated in graphene nanosheets. By attaching the sensing panel to electrodes and a data collection system, a pressure-responsive pad with real-time, rapid sensing was produced. This meant that when a finger slid over it, numbers and letters could be written.

Interprets inputs correctly

The device was incorporated into an arm-length silk sleeve with a touch responsive area on the forearm. A user was able to control the direction of blocks in a computer game and sketch colourful cartoons in a computer drawing program using the armband in experiments. The three-layer, touch-responsive material can thus interpret user inputs and convert it into suitable outputs on a computer.

The success has led the researchers to believe that their proof-of-concept wearable touch panel can inspire the next generation of sketchpads and keyboards. With an armband converting a person's forearm into a flexible keyboard or wearable sketchpads, the way we play games, sketch cartoons, or even sign documents could well change in the future.

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When vaccination was born

When vaccination was born

On May 14, 1796, Englishman Edward Jenner tested vaccination on a human subject. Building on conventional wisdom, Jenner introduced vaccination against smallpox, a disease that has now been eradicated.

You probably already know this story. Yes, you read that right. When the world was gripped by the COVID-19 pandemic, the race to find a vaccine dominated news across the globe. And among the countless vaccination related stories, the story of Englishman Edward Jenner also found mention on occasions. But considering that we have collectively forgotten a lot of good that we learnt during the height of the pandemic, you wouldn't be judged if you have forgotten Jenner’s story too.

Born in Berkeley, Gloucestershire on May 17, 1749, Jenner was the eighth of nine children born to the vicar of Berkeley, the Reverend Stephen Jenner, and his wife Sarah. He was apprenticed to a local surgeon at the age of 14 and then trained in London. Returning to Berkeley in 1772, he spent much of his career as a doctor in his native town.

Cowpox doesn't kill

During his time as a medical student, Jenner observed that milkmaids who had contracted a disease called cowpox, which caused blistering on cow's udders, did not catch smallpox. While cowpox led to few ill symptoms among these women, smallpox caused severe skin eruptions and high fevers among humans. Believed to have existed for thousands of years, smallpox was one of the most devastating diseases known to humanity and killed millions through the centuries.

Jenner decided to put the conventional wisdom into practice and devised an experiment. On May 14, 1796, Jenner took fluid from a cowpox blister on milkmaid Sarah Nelmes. He inserted the pus taken into an incision on eight-year-old James Phipps' arm.

The eight-year-old experimental subject fell mildly ill with cowpox a few days later, but was well again a week later. While this helped Jenner learn that cowpox could pass from person to person as well as cow to person, his next step was to find out if the experiment would protect Phipps from smallpox.

Ethical debate

Starting on July 1, Jenner repeatedly inoculated Phipps with smallpox matter. While ethicists now debate if such an experiment would be possible today, it was possible in Jenner’s time. And to his relief, the boy, who had been inoculated with cowpox, was now immune to smallpox, just as he had anticipated.

Having succeeded at what he set out to do, Jenner submitted a paper describing his experiment to the Royal Society in 1797. His revolutionary ideas weren't immediately accepted and he was asked for further proof.

Not one to be daunted, Jenner experimented with several others and in every case he was unable to infect them with smallpox if he had vaccinated them, or if they had contracted cowpox earlier naturally. He published all his research in 1798 in a book entitled "An Inquiry into the Causes and Effects of the Variolae Vaccinae; a Disease Discovered in some of the Western Counties of England, Particularly Gloucestershire, and Known by the Name of The Cow Pox". It was Jenner who coined the word "vaccine" from the Latin vacca for cow.

Efficacy wins over people

Jenner was still ridiculed, especially by clergymen, who saw his method of inoculating someone with material from a diseased animal as ungodly and even repulsive. The advantages of vaccination and the protection it offered against smallpox eventually trumped the naysayers, and vaccination slowly caught on.

Having become famous, Jenner was able to spend more time researching and offering developments in his vaccine. He carried out research in certain other areas of medicine as well. He died on January 26, 1823.

Jenner's model was adopted by scientists in the centuries that followed, helping them develop vaccines to numerous deadly diseases. As for smallpox, it was declared eradicated in 1980 by the World Health Organisation following a global vaccination programme. The disease that led to the birth of vaccination is also the only infectious disease to achieve this distinction.

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Which day is celebrated on 22 May?

The International Day for Biological Diversity that falls on May 22 is a call for us to celebrate the variety of life around us. Through this annual event, the United Nations also seeks to draw our attention to the need for conserving all these life forms and safeguarding our environment as a whole

May 22 every year     

The United Nations Convention of Biological Diversity came into effect on December 29 1993, and the U.N. initially designated it The International Day for Biological Diversity. However, in 2000, it was changed to May 22 to coincide with the date of the adoption of the text of the Convention. The change was also partly because in several nations. December 29 is part of the holiday season, making it difficult for related activities to be held. Though the dates changed, the aim of the day has not "to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues".

The theme this year

For more than two decades, each year has had a theme. This years is "From Agreement to Action: Build Back Biodiversity". It is tied to the 2022 United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP15). Among others, the two-week-long conference held in Montreal, Canada led to a landmark international agreement for protecting 30% of land and oceans by 2030 and the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). "The GBF aims to address biodiversity loss, restore ecosystems and protect indigenous rights." The theme encourages all those involved from governments to individuals to get started on the actions as agreed, or if the action has begun already, to publicise and hightlight them so it can inspire and guide others.

What is biodiversity?

Observe the small parcel of open land in your street corner. What do you see? Different types of plants, trees, flowers, fruits, birds, bees, butterflies, spiders, garden lizards, dragonflies, and plenty more? This variety of living creatures found in any place-from a small stream to vast expanses of deserts and oceans – is called biodiversity. Every organism, small or large or invisible to our eye, has a role to play in our ecosystems, and the loss of even one species can cause problems to that ecosystem and the creatures inhabiting it. Which is why biodiversity is very crucial for the planet and even us humans.

Factors causing biodiversity loss

  • invasive species
  • Pollution
  • Climate change
  • Habitat loss
  • Overexploitation of natural resources
  • Infrastructure development
  • Construction of dams
  • Natural disasters

How can we help?

• Choose a sustainable lifestyle by buying local products, using cloth bags, walking or bicycling, etc. • Set up terrace or community gardens and raise native fruits and vegetables

• Educate yourself about invasive species and work with local communities to eliminate such species.

 • Talk to local government bodies to improve the condition of nearby rivers, parks, etc.

• Get together a group of like-minded students to create biodiversity awareness in your neighbourhood.

• Interact with environmentalists in your area and find out how to build back biodiversity. Remember, it's not too late!

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Scientist make accurate measurements with the help of various measuring tools. Let’s look at a few of them today.

pH Meter

A pH meter is an electric device that measures the concentration of hydrogen ions (or pH) in a solution to determine whether it is acidic or alkaline. It was invented in 1934 by the American chemist Arnold O. Beckman to measure the sourness of lemons.

It consists of a glass electrode that is sensitive to pH and another reference electrode. The device reads the potential difference between the two electrodes to arrive at results that are displayed electronically in the form of a pH value. This knowledge is critical in chemical lab work and healthcare.

Stethoscope

A stethoscope is a diagnostic instrument commonly used by doctors to listen to sounds made inside the human body-in the lungs, heart and pulse points. The device has two ear buds that are connected by a flexible cord to a sensitive sound detector at the other end.

French physician Dr René Laennec first used a cylindrical roll of paper to listen to chest sounds instead of using his ear in the early 19th Century. Later he improved upon this to create the first stethoscope for medical use (‘Stethos' meaning 'chest’ in Greek).

Barometer

A barometer is an instrument that measures the pressure exerted by the weight of the air in the atmosphere.

As changes in atmospheric pressure are directly related to changes in weather, a barometer is a useful instrument at all weather stations.

The device can be also used to measure altitude since atmospheric pressure changes with altitude.

Breathalyser

It is an instrument used to estimate blood alcohol content (BAC) in one's breath. The instrument that is presently used by the police to discourage drinking and driving is a prototype developed by Robert Frank Borkenstein in 1954. The person exhales into a tube attached to the device which then reads the level of alcohol in the sample breath.

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What is a cryptex?

What has bestselling author Dan Brown got to do with it? Read on to find out.

The term cryptex was coined by author Dan Brown in his bestselling novel The Da Vinci Code. It is a combination of the words 'cryptology which is the science of secret writing' and 'codex which means 'manuscript of ancient text.

In the book, the cryptex is depicted as a portable vault in the form of a sealed stone cylinder having rotating discs of marble stacked on each other. Each disc has 26 letters of the alphabet carved on it. The discs have to be aligned to spell a five-letter password to unlock the cryptex, which contains a thin papyrus scroll carrying the secret message. The scroll is wrapped around a delicate glass vial containing vinegar. If someone tries to open the cryptex by force, the vial breaks and the vinegar dissolves the papyrus before it is read.

Although cryptexes originated in fiction, they have quickly become a part of the real world thanks to artists who hold a fascination for puzzles and ciphers. Nowadays, different kinds of cryptexes are made and sold, some of them even customised to suit the buyer's needs.

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What is the difference between a code and a cipher?

Codes and ciphers are different ways of encrypting a message to ensure secrecy and security. How do they work?

Codes and ciphers are both techniques used to transform messages into a seemingly illegible form so that only selected people can understand them. thereby ensuring secrecy and security

A cipher is a more basic form of encryption. It involves the rearrangement or substitution of the letters of the alphabet in the message. On the other hand, the code works on a higher level of encryption. It replaces entire words or phrases with secret words or numbers.

Consider a simple message: ‘The ship has left the port.’

Now, if each letter is replaced by a number, for example.

 A=1, B-2, C-3 and so on, the message will become

20-8-5  19-8-9-16  8-1-19  12-5-6-20  20-8-5  16-15-18-20. This is a cipher.

Now, if the ship' is replaced by the word Alpha' and the phrase 'has left the port’ by the number '1', then the code would be 'Alpha 1'.

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