Meaning: This noun refers to one who prepares and sells compounds for medicinal purposes.
Origin: In use since the mid-14th Century, its origin goes back to the Old French word apotecaire, in turn, from Late Latin apothecarius, meaning “storekeeper”. This is from Latin apotheca, meaning “storehouse”, from Greek the word apotheke, literally “a place where things are put away”.
Usage: They fell ill and sought the assistance of the local apothecary.
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Meaning: A noun, sepulchre refers to a place of burial or tomb
Origin: The use of the word traces back to the beginning of the 13th century. The Anglo-French word was originally spelled sepulcre and has its roots in Latin.
Usage: Among the many discoveries made at the site, the archaeologists also found unique artefacts in the sepulchre of the kings.
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“One of the reasons I started writing Life of Pi is, I was struck how in the 2000s there could still be gods around. After all the triumphs of science and technology, how could people still believe in gods… Hence, I wrote Life of Pi, to try to understand that phenomenon called faith, where you believe despite having no proof. So Life of Pi was just defending the act of love that is the more positive manifestation of religion.” ….. Yann Martel..
Canadian author Yann Martel’s Life of Pi is a fantasy adventure novel that explores how faith can help one cope with tragedy. Lolita Chakrabarti’s stage adaptation of this Booker Prize-winning novel is said to open on Broadway next year. Let’s revisit this story and see what makes it a modern classic.
About the Author
Yann Martel was born in Salamanca, Spain on June 25, 1963, to Canadian parents. Growing up, his family moved a lot and lived in various countries such as Spain, Costa Rica, France, Mexico, and the U.S. Martel completed his secondary education in Canada at Trinity College School in Port Hope, Ontario, and went on to study at Trent University and Concordia. University, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy.
Although he has written and published many books, including The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios and Other Stories (1993) and Self (1996), he is best known for his Booker Prize-winning novel Life of Pi. It was directed and produced by Ang Lee for the big screen in 2012 and won four academy awards. Best Director and Best Visual Effects in 2013.
It was recently revealed that a stage version of Martel’s fantasy adventure novel is under way to grace the Broadway stage next year, beginning preview performances in March 2023, at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre ahead of opening night on March 30, 2023.
Life of Pi
Life of Pi is a curious mix of zoology and theology that explores the matters of the soul. The author says that the idea for the novel dawned on him while he was backpacking in India in 1997.
Life of Pi is the story of a multi-religious Indian teenager called Piscine Molitor Patel (which he shortens to Pi Patel), who was born and raised in Pondicherry, in a family that owns and operates a zoo. This novel narrates Pi’s recollection of the 227 days he was shipwrecked with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker in the Pacific Ocean.
What makes it a modern classic?
The meaning of Pi
Pi’s name serves a dual-purpose in the book. For our protagonist it is a symbol of home – a safe haven that shields one from the unchartered territory that is the outside world. But at the same time, the mathematical value of Pi is an irrational number, which no one can completely decipher. It also stands in as a metaphor for life in general which is a blend of the rational (such as science and reason) and the (such as our faiths and beliefs).
“In that illusive irrational number with which scientists try to understand the truth of the universe, I found refuge.” – Pi says in the book about the mathematical symbol.
A novel of questions
This book is full of spiritual references, poetic visual imagery, and questions no one seems to have definite answers for even though they are an inseparable part of the human experience. Questions about faith and the relativity of truth are at the core of Pi’s story.
Even though Life of Pi starts off as a story that “will make you believe in God”, it challenges the idea of blind faith. It is a testament to the fact that faith that is rooted in love is never threatened by doubt sprouted by seemingly insurmountable challenges one faces while riding the wave of life. Pi’s journey endorses that religion is a personalised spiritual extension of oneself that is flexible,ever-evolving, and seasoned with one’s experiences in the world.
This is further clarified by this statement Pi makes in the book “Doubt is useful, it keeps faith a living thing. After all, you cannot know the strength of your faith until it is tested.”
The power of storytelling
The value of compelling storytelling is engrained in Pi’s story from the very beginning of the novel with the author’s note that makes it seem as if we are about to read an actual interview documented by the writer, blurring the line between fact and fiction.
Pi is an excellent storyteller who defines fiction as “selective transformation of reality” that allows one to bring forth the essence of an experience to communicate a deeper meaning. He uses story telling as a means of survival while presenting his account of the sea voyage to the Japanese officials who visit him in the hospital. They expect to hear the factual account of how the ship sank but are presented a fantastical tale with animals. When the novel’s end discloses a transcript from the same interrogation revealing an alternate version of Pi’s account where the animals are replaced by other human survivors, it reiterates how our protagonist is using storytelling as a means to make sense of and deal with the trauma of the horrible things he witnessed and partook in to survive on that lifeboat.
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C.S. Lewis gained acclaim as a children’s author for his classic series The Chronicles of Narnia. He also gained acclaim for his popular apologetics, including such works as Mere Christianity and The Screwtape Letters. What is more, he gained acclaim as a science fiction writer for his Ransom Trilogy.
Narnia is a land of adventure and magic. Here animals talk and one’s imagination knows no bounds. There is a talking lion, there is a wardrobe that hies you away to the land of Narnia where adventures are waiting to begin.
The story chronicles the adventures of the four children, Lucy, Peter, Susan and Edmund, when they enter Narnia through an old wardrobe. There they join forces with the lion Aslan in the fight with the wicked White Witch. The Narnia books have sold over 100 million copies till date.
Lewis was born on November 29, 1898 in Belfast, Ireland. He wrote around 40 books, reaching out to a vast section of readers including children and adults.. Lewis was also an academic. He taught English Literature at Oxford University until 1954.
Childhood
Lewis grew up in a household that gave importance to reading and education. Did you know that Lewis was more like a prodigy? He started reading at the age of three and by the age of five, he started writing stories.
The stories revolved around a fantasy land filled with “dressed animals”. This collection of early stories was published as “Boxen: The Imaginary World of the Young C.S. Lewis (1985)”.
Early years
Lewis served in France with the Somerset Light Infantry in World War I. He later started his studies at Oxford. He became a tutor at Magdalen College, Oxford, and later a professor at the University of Cambridge.
Lewis as a writer “Out of the Silent Planet’ (1938), was his first work of fiction that garnered attention. This was followed by “Perelandra” (1943) and ‘That Hideous Strength” (1945) which were both successful. These three novels form a science-fiction trilogy that revolves around the journeys of an English linguist named Elwin Ransom. “The Allegory of Love: A Study in Medieval Tradition” (1936) was Lewis’ first scholarly work.
The enduring appeal of Narnia
It all started in 1950, when “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” was published. Soon it was followed by a series of six stories that came to be called “The Chronicles of Narnia”, a children’s fantasy book series. The books were then adapted for the big and the small screens. With the series, its author C.S. Lewis became one of the well-loved children’s book authors.
During World War II, four 5 siblings are sent to a safe place to protect themselves from the And at this country house, in the backdrop of all the carnage of the war, they find a magic door, a door to an adventure land- Narnia. One day, Lucy, the youngest of the siblings finds a wardrobe that takes her to the land of talking animals, dwarves, giants and so on. Once she returns from Narnia, she takes her siblings to the adventure land, the place which is at war. Aslan, the talking lion, is gathering an army to fight the evil White Witch who has cursed Narnia with eternal winter. The cousins join the army and fight the war and win, eventually good triumphs over evil. For the children, the wardrobe and Narnia are their escape from the real world, but they triumph in the war they get embroiled in at Narnia. The juxtaposition of the real war with that of the war in the fantasy world of Narnia explores the themes of existence, life and its meaning.
In 1956, Lewis married Joy Davidman Gresham. Six months after their marriage, his wife was diagnosed with advanced cancer. Although her cancer went into a period of remission, the disease returned and she died in 1960. Lewis channelled all his grief into his book “A Grief Observed”, published in 1961. The 1993 biographical drama “Shadowlands” fictionalised their relationship
In 1963 Lewis wrote his last book “Letters to Malcolm.” He died at the age of 64 in 1963.
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Weeds are fast growers, sturdy and hard to get rid of Although some are known to be toxic, they have multiple uses. Let’s look at a few of them this week.
Unwanted nuisance
A weed is a plant which is generally considered to be an unwanted nuisance, particularly in farms, gardens, etc. Weeds grow and spread very fast are very hardy and difficult to get rid of, and can survive in the most adverse conditions.
There are many commonly known weeds, such as the dandelion, goldenrod, ragweed, bulrush, arrowhead, milkweed, Indian goose grass, dodder, amaranth, etc. Many of these are well known by other Indian names in history, folklore and literature.
Since weeds are very fast growers and sturdy survivors, they draw nutrition away from crop plants. Further, seeds of weeds have the ability to remain dormant in the soil for very long, growing back with the next crop or the rains. Dodder or ‘amarbel’ as known in India, for example, is a vicious weed: it spreads relentlessly, showing an uncanny ability to attach itself onto the crop plant towards which it grows. What is more, dodder has an eerie sense of preference for certain plants over others. It prefers tomatoes, for example, over wheat, and propels itself towards such plants.
Apart from interfering with the crop, many weeds are also seen to be harmful or poisonous. The giant milkweed or ‘arka’ as it is known in India, with faint white or purple flowers, is known to be toxic to the eyes.
‘Datura’ with the elongated white flowers is known to be toxic, and has been used across cultures as a poison.
‘Parthenium’ is a plant with thin stems and small white button-like flowers, of the Asteraceae family (like the flower aster). Parthenium is known to be toxic to both humans and animals.
They are useful too!
Many of these weeds have a multitude of uses across various cultures, including India.
A weed can be used as a prickly border to crop fields (the abundant shrub Lantana camara makes excellent fencing material), or as ropes to tie up bundles, make baskets, etc.
Any weed, when cut and left in the field, makes excellent compost or manure. Dandelion with the little yellow flowers, for example, helps crops grow better by breaking up the hard layer of soil known as ‘hardpan’ that forms in fields after too much cultivation.
Yet other weeds are useful as pest repellants. Ocimumcanum for example, is collected and added to grains during storage to reduce pests. Others such as Calotropis gigantea and Argemone mexicana are used to make antifeedant sprays just like neem leaves.
A number of weeds are also famous as ‘holy’ plants. The flowers of globe amaranth, the bluebell, or thumba with the little white flowers and others are offered to Gods. ‘Arka’ is used to make garlands for Lord Ganesha.
Many weeds also make excellent livestock feed. In Ayurveda, weeds are often used as medicine and food supplements. In olden times, the poor who could not afford nutritious food or milk would soak grass or ‘durva’ overnight in water, and give the water to their children the next day as a nutrition supplement. Cats and dogs are often seen munching on blades of grass on lawns when they have an upset stomach. Ganaki sopu of the tomato family is fodder to the cow and medicine for the humans.
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Scorpionfish
Scorpionfish, one of the most venomous fish in the world, are found across the world in warm waters. They are most common in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. They are also known as rockfish and stonefish as they commonly live among rocks. They are perch-like fish with large, spiny heads and strong, sometimes venomous. fin spines. While their spines protect them from predators, it is their colouring that helps them in hiding. They are carnivorous and generally sedentary. The fin spines, even ones without venom, can inflict deep, painful wounds. While some are dull in colour, others are brighter, often some shade of red. The largest members of the family grow about 39 inches long.
Walkingstick
Suddenly seeing a twig crawling down a tree trunk? It isn’t a twig but a walkingstick, also called stick insect. The stick-like trickster uses its appearance to save itself from enemies. They are commonly found in tropical and temperate (or mild) forests across the world. Though related to grasshoppers, crickets, and mantises, these crawlies are either brown, green, or black. They’re also the world’s longest insects. The largest one found was 22 inches long with its legs extended. They spend most of their time on trees, munching on leaves. When predators like birds approach, the bug tries to remain still to blend with the branches. However, if the predator manages to catch the bug by its legs, the insect can detach the leg and scuttle away. The leg will later regenerate, or grow back.
Camouflage
Also known as cryptic colouration, is a defence mechanism used by organisms to disguise their appearence, usually to blend/ in with their surroundings. This tactic is used to mask their location, identity and even movement. This helps the prey to protect themselves from predators.
Chameleon
Chameleons have the ability to change their colour and pattern. They are found in warm climates and in parts of the Middle East, southwestern Asia, and southern Europe, Madagascar nearly all of Africa, and parts of India and Sri Lanka. There are more than 200 species of chameleons, of which 76 are found on the island of Madagascar. Their diet consists of insects and plants, though some may eat rodents or small birds. They live in a range of habitats, including deserts, rainforests, and savannahs. The word chameleon comes from the Greek ‘khamai’ meaning on the ground, earth and leon’ meaning ‘lion’. probably because the head of some species resembles a lion’s mane. The distinctive features of these lizards are their telescopic eyes, grasping tail, colour-changing skin, and projectile tongue.
Great Potoo
The Great Potoo is a nocturnal bird of the American tropics. Its name is similar to its wailing cry, “po-TOO,” made by some species. Their patterns of grey, black, and brown plumage resemble tree bark. Their camouflage helps them to even sleep while perched out in the open during daylight During the day, the birds sleep, vertically perched and virtually indistinguishable from the dead branches they roost on They wake up at dusk with their huge, wide-open eyes capable of spotting moths and other flying insects in the dark. They are mainly solitary creatures and highly restricted nesters. Instead of building a nest, they choose a branch or stub with a crevice just enough to accommodate the single egg they lay.
Nightjar
Nightjar is a medium-sized bird that are mostly active at night feeding on flying insects. They have a protective colouring of grey, brown, or reddish brown. There are about 60 to 70 species of nightjars. They are found almost worldwide in temperate to tropical regions, except for New Zealand and some islands of Oceania. They do not make nests, instead deposit their eggs on the ground or on the leaf-covered floor of the woodland. Some of the species, mainly the North American nighthawks, have adapted to urban life and nest on flat gravel-covered rooftops. The nightjar’s soft plumage and variegated colouring help it blend in with its surroundings. Despite their skill at camouflage, some nightjar species are endangered.
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There’s proof we are increasingly losing species, and this is not good for us humans
What is mass extinction?
To be classified as a mass extinction, at least 75 % of all the species on Earth must go extinct within a short geological period of less than 2.8 million years. That timeframe seems long to us because modern humans have only existed for about 2,00,000 years so far.
Mass extinction is not new
Extinctions and speciations (species evolving over time) do not happen at uniform rates through time; instead, they tend to occur in large pulses interspersed by long periods of relative stability. These extinction pulses are what scientists refer to as mass extinction events. The Cambrian explosion was a burst of speciation some 540 million years ago. Since then, at least five mass extinction events have been identified in the fossil record (and probably scores of smaller ones). Arguably the most infamous of these was when a giant asteroid smashed into Earth about 66 million years ago in what is now the Gulf of Mexico. The collision vapourised species immediately within the blast zone. Species were killed off later by resultant climate change and volcanic activity too.
Are humans responsible for the current crisis?
Humans have been implicated in smaller extinction events going back to the late Pleistocene (around 50,000 years ago) to the early Holocene (around 12.000 years ago) when most of the megafauna, such as woolly mammoths, giant sloths. diprotodons, and cave bears, disappeared from nearly every continent over a few thousand years. Much later, the expansion of European colonists throughout the world from about the 14th Century precipitated an extinction cascade first on islands, and then to areas of continental mainland as the drive to exploit natural resources accelerated. Over the last 500 hundred years, there have been more than 700 documented extinctions of vertebrates and 600 plant species. These extinctions come nowhere near the 75 % threshold to include the modern era among the previous mass-extinction events. But those are just the extinctions humans have recorded. In fact. many species go extinct before they are even discovered- perhaps as many as 25 % of total extinctions are never noticed by humans. But it’s not the total number of extinctions we should focus on; rather, it’s the extinction rate. Even the most conservative estimates place the modern era well within the expected range to qualify as a mass extinction. If the current rate of extinction continues we could lose most species by 2200.
When species disappear
One may think that so long as the species that provide resources for modern societies survive, there’s no reason to consider extinction a problem. The evidence suggests otherwise. Species loss also erodes the services biodiversity provides us. These include reduced carbon removal from atmosphere (which climate change), reduced pollination and increased soil degradation that compromise our food production, poorer water and air quality, more frequent and intense flooding and fires, and poorer human health. Even human diseases such as HIV/ AIDS, Ebola, and COVID-19 are the result of our collective indifference to the integrity of natural ecosystems.
There’s still hope
We could potentially limit the damage if societies around the globe embraced certain fundamental, yet achievable, changes. We could abolish the goal of continuous economic growth, and force companies to restore the environment. We could limit undue corporate influence on political decision-making. Educating and empowering women would also help stem environmental destruction.
Did you know?
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Get to know about wind trees and how they help harness energy.
French innovator Jérôme Michaud-Larivière designed the Wind Tree as a sustainable energy-harnessing device that would also enhance urban landscapes. A wind tree is a tree-shaped structure that harnesses wind energy using small trembling wind turbines called ‘aeroleaves’ that look exactly like leaves on a tree. The micro-turbines work well even when there is little wind. Just a gentle breeze as light as 7 kmph is sufficient. This is something a conventional windmill cannot do.
French innovator Jérôme Michaud-Larivière designed the Wind Tree as an elegant, sustainable energy-harnessing device that would enhance urban landscapes. The first Wind Tree was a 3-m-tall structure with 72 aeroleaves. It produced 3.1kW of power. ‘Wind Bush’ is a combination of aeroleaves and photovoltaic petals that harnesses both wind and solar energy.
For the Indian market, Larivière has created ‘Lotus’, an affordable wind tree minus the solar petals.
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The largest solar tree in the world has been installed at the CSIR-CMERI Centre of Excellence for Farm Machinery in Ludhiana, Punjab.
A solar power tree is a device that is shaped like a tree with its steel branches holding the solar photovoltaic panels.
Just like a natural tree, the steel branches of the solar tree are arranged in such a fashion that every solar panel is properly exposed to the Sun. Moreover, the panels can be mechanically tilted east or west to derive maximum benefit of the Sun’s position. The height of the tree is about 9-10 metres. One tree can produce about 5kW of power.
One of the main hurdles in installing solar power plants is the lack of availability of large spaces. Often, farmers are reluctant to sacrifice their cultivable land for solar power production. But a solar tree with its vertically arranged branches, occupies only four sqft of area, leaving almost the entire land free for cultivation. The energy generated can be used to run pumps, e-tractors and tillers as a green alternative to diesel.
India’s first solar power tree was produced by Central Mechanical Engineering and Research Institute (CMERI), at Durgapur. The largest solar tree in the world has been installed at the CSIR-CMERI Centre of Excellence for Farm Machinery in Ludhiana. Its total solar PV panel surface area is 309.83 m2. CMERI hopes to install many such solar trees along highways and farmlands.
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