POEMS, ARTICLES AND QUOTES BY THE STUDENTS
Here is a video of Aryan Raj reciting the poem.
Agritech Startups
When we hear the word 'farmer', the first thing that comes to our mind is an image of person who of thin, lean, shabbily dressed man with a tiring face. It’s time to change our perception. They contribute significantly to the economy of our nation and are one of the supporting pillars of the financial growth. It is a fundamental necessity to carry modern development to the methods of agriculture. Low productivity, volatile energy prices, environmental concerns, interference and exploitation by mediators who are commission agents, over-dependence on monsoons, illiteracy. The list of concerns continues endlessly.
Innovation in terms of technology and modern techniques are major instruments in the field of social and economic development, especially, eco-friendly innovation stimulates not only agricultural production, but also an efficient use of natural resources. As a result of changing economic, political, and ecological conditions in the world, innovations enable and contribute hugely to unprocessed raw materials within a chain, and turn it into processing, packaging, storage, delivery, and distribution of food after production and food safety.
Smart farming and precision agriculture play a crucial part in sustainable agriculture using big data and new technologies such as drone imagery, Artificial Intelligence, automation, and Internet of things (IOT) blockchain technology, urban agriculture, vertical farming, genetic editing, and smartphone apps to harvest as much matter and products as possible while consuming less energy and inputs such as fertilizers, phytosanitary products, water etcetera. Green Revolution was the stepping-stone for agriculture development. But we should not be stand only on this step. We should build a higher tower with the innovation for the economy. These are known as Agritech Startup initiatives in modern jargon.
There are mobile applications that provide latest agricultural information about trends, equipment, technologies and methods being used, help identify pests and diseases, provide real-time data about weather, early warnings about storms, local markets offering best prices, seeds, fertilizers etc. In agriculture our farmers should use the sophisticated technologies such as robots, temperature and moisture sensors, ariel images and GPS technology. For all these there should be professional training centers that are free of cost. When the field gets lucrative and can be chosen as a career with stability, more youngsters will come forward without hesitation and choose it as a life-long profession and feel proud doing so.
It is high-time that we rewrite the future of our farming fraternity and turn it into a much-desired career option. Farming in India is not just an occupation of the illiterate, it is a culture of our great Nation that has transcended generations. We need to return to our roots, literally, and help build a strong agricultural surplus nation in times to come.
- Adithya Sanjay Poduval
8M
Autonomous Vehicles of the Future
Do you know what autonomous vehicles are? Autonomous vehicles are the future smart vehicles anticipated to be driver-less, efficient and crash avoiding ideal urban vehicle of the future. To reach this goal, manufacturers have started working in this area to realize the potential and solve the challenges currently in this area to reach the expected outcome. This is the transition of conventional vehicles into autonomous vehicles by adopting and implementing different upcoming technologies.
Autonomous vehicles will become more widespread in the future and will develop in phases. The technology behind autonomous vehicles is developing every day and most equipment manufacturers are currently building these vehicles. The most immediate change will be autonomous-related features in consumer vehicles, i.e., lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, etc., which were previously only available in luxury cars. Commercial vehicles and public transportation systems like buses will be among the first to fully adopt autonomous vehicles due to the relatively lower complexity involved in launching the product. Automotive and technology companies realize how transformative self-driving cars will be, and they are racing to capture that market. Some companies are working toward a driverless vehicle that will be owned by consumers. This means that the vehicle needs to be able to go anywhere, just like any car on the market today can go anywhere. Probably there will be some places, maybe highways, where the vehicle will be able to drive itself, and other places, maybe rural roads, where a human need to drive. Autonomous vehicles could become widespread, but not dominant. Autonomous vehicles might not completely replace human drivers in the future.
An analogy consists of companies such as Uber that have had a huge impact on many people's lives, even though they have come nowhere near completely replacing car ownership. We will see a similar scenario with self-driving cars. Many people will see their lives transformed, but human drivers will still remain on the roads for a long time. Autonomous car safety and reliability will continue to increase with technology advancements. Public infrastructure will start to evolve to support autonomous cars. Smart Mobility will become a reality as cities get 'smarter' and as cars become autonomous.
-John Sabu Abraham
8M
Biomimicry
Something that every kid knows after their keen observation of studying science is that it is fun. People get inspired by what the curiosity leads them to. The life is opened towards a gigantic door of opportunities. Many of these curious ones have been world renowned scientists and inventors. Some of them have been interested in biomimicry. Well, if you ask me what Biomimicry in scientific words is, it is the technological-oriented approach of nature’s lessons. It means that biomimicry is how humankind understands how nature survives by its own and give its ability to solve our problems. For e.g.- giving airplanes and submarines a streamlined shape, which is adapted from birds to reduce drag. This is the main idea of Biomimicry. It helps in solving various problems by mimicking what nature does. The term “biomimicry” was coined by American biophysicist and inventor Otto Schmitt. This was during the 1950s. After few years she inspired many scientists and inventors by authoring a book about it. Their mission is to teach the world to innovate, learn, and be inspired by nature. One of the most interesting invention of biomimicry is self-healing materials which is related to nature by us humans, as we can help ourselves from scratches. These materials can repair itself from damages. This invention is used in modern cars and mobile phones often, as it repairs the scratches and marks on it by itself. Thus, biomimicry is a remarkably interesting one as we can connect it with our own daily problems. So, the future will be brighter where students like us bring nothing but excellence to ourselves. I would like to end this with a quote.
"Creativity leads to thinking, thinking leads to knowledge, knowledge makes you great.”
-Emmanuel Dominic
8P
Tears - A Hooking Question, Indeed!
This question has always hooked me up since I started researching more about tears of the human eye. Well, the basic question is why do we cry? And I did not have the answer to that until yesterday…
When we cry, our body releases endorphins and oxytocin. These natural chemical messengers help relieve emotional distress along with physical pain. In other words, crying is a self-soothing behavior. But that is not it, in addition to crying being a self-soothing behavior, it has a huge dictionary of science hanging out from it. Tears are produced by the lacrimal glands located just above the outer corner of each eye and are drained into the tiny openings in the eyelids called the puncta. Crying is a big part of expressing human emotions. But another interesting fact I came to know about is that there are three types of tears. There are basal, reflex and psycho-emotional tears. Let us begin with the one our eyes constantly produce, yes, I am talking about the basal tear. Basal tears help to keep the cornea, the transparent front of our eye nourished very well, so that your eyes do not dry out. Next comes the reflex tears; they wash away harmful substances and particles and are released in much larger quantities. It is in-fact the reflex tears we shed while we cut onions. Last comes the emotional tears; they are released in moments of intense feeling like joy, sorrow etc. to stabilize our mood as they contain stress hormone and natural painkillers that helps us feel better.
To conclude, it was a big relief discovering more about these little tears, and far more than that…happiness. And to end this article with a fun-fact, I shed tears of joy when I discovered the science behind tears, which are psycho-emotional tears, as we read!
-Shikhar Suresh Nair
7N
Roles Of Science In The Pandemic
Once again Science has come to the rescue of humankind. In this war against the pandemic the first line of defense is Science and the scientific community.
In the year 1918 the Spanish flu infected over 500 million people worldwide and killed an estimated 20 million to 50 million victims (about twice the population of Texas). It was first observed in Europe and some parts of Asia. At the time of Spanish flu there were no effective drugs or vaccines. The people had to wear masks just like the covid-19 precautions. The first wave of the 1918 pandemic occurred in the spring and was mild. The sick, who experienced such typical flu symptoms as chills, fever, and fatigue, usually recovered after several days, and the number of reported deaths was low.
However, a second, highly contagious wave of influenza appeared again in the fall of that same year. Victims died within hours or days of developing symptoms, their skin turning blue and their lungs filling with fluid that caused them to suffocate. It is unknown exactly where the strain of influenza that caused the pandemic came from.
In the present world we are facing a similar challenge in the form of Covid- 19 virus. While during Spanish flu there was no effective vaccine developed. With the advances in the field of science we are better equipped to develop vaccines through scientific technology.
Covid-19 has killed 2 million people destroying the economy and livelihood of people across the world. The scientific community has come together to face this challenge. Scientists of the world have come together sharing information and knowledge to develop vaccines to cure and save lives. Covid-19 started in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. Immediately the race to develop vaccines using science also started.
Some of the countries have successfully developed vaccines using different scientific methods. Pfizer vaccine used the mRNA technology where they teach our cells how to make a protein or even just a piece of a protein that triggers an immune response inside our body. The immune response, which produces antibodies, is what protects us from getting infected if the real virus enters our bodies. The Sinopharm vaccine developed by China uses weakened or inactivated germs which once injected produces antibodies.
In conclusion, I would like to say the base of the development of these vaccines to cure us from the pandemic is SCIENCE.
-Mohammed Rayyan Majid
7P
The Role of Science in the Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic took the world by surprise. It was one of the least expected things for 2020. While the world was in a state of panic during the incident, the scientists and researchers rushed to their labs to gain more information about this new virus.
The world had never seen this particular virus before and neither had this virus seen humans. In the first few months we encountered it, researchers have proceeded quickly to decipher the mysteries surrounding the virus in an attempt to find ways to stop its spread and create a cure for COVID-19.
It’s with the help of science we got to know the different ways of transmission of the virus and the prevention methods for it. During the pandemic, we have educated ourselves and discovered innovative solutions to limit the spread of this virus.
Many machines and medical tools were used to collect, transport and test the virus. Even robots have contributed in eradicating the virus. A robot patrolled along an avenue in Tunisia as a means of enforcing a nationwide lockdown. The robots were remotely operated and equipped with infrared and thermal imaging cameras, in addition to an alarm system. Humanoid robots were used at hospitals, malls and offices to inform people about the virus and remind them to follow the protocols.
Advanced technology was very useful in researching about COVID-19. It’s with the help of new discoveries we could find an adequate vaccine for the virus. New and different methods were implemented for finding the vaccine.
It wasn’t just the scientists and researchers who gained from using technology. Even the common people found it useful. Many used apps such as Zoom and Google Meet to talk to their friends and family. Online classes were introduced, and people started working from home.
Detecting of cases became easier with the help of online tracking. Rapid tests were taken for some people to check for infected people and the healthcare workers took quick steps to quarantine them and treat them properly.
Many researchers even used this time to research about human behavior and adaptation. People responded and adapted to the change quickly, and this helped in understanding how information should be spread to avoid mass panic next time.
With the help of many scientists and virologists around the world, we found a vaccine and mass-produced it for the entire world. Next time you think back to the year 2020, think of all the silent heroes who helped abate the virus, and most importantly, don’t forget to thank Science.
-Annjalin Maria
8D
IOT in Agriculture
Hi, I am Chris, a farmer in Victoria, Australia, and today, I am going to share how IoT has changed my life as a farmer and revolutionized agriculture. So, what is IoT? IoT stands for Internet of Things which is a system of interrelated computing devices, objects or living things with Unique Identifiers (UIDs) and embedded sensors that can measure and transmit data over an internet without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction. There are many uses of IoT in agriculture, e.g., a range of sensors can be used for measuring soil moisture, chemical application, level of dams, livestock health, and monitor fences, vehicles, and weather. Governments around the world are enforcing IoT in Agriculture especially in many African countries such as Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and Australia, specifically Victoria.
In my hometown, Victoria, many farmers have invested in IoT to improve farming and agriculture. I have embedded IoT technology in my farm to support various agricultural activities. I use it to monitor fences to ensure that the livestock in my farm are safe. I use sensors to check if the moisture level of the soil is fine otherwise the sprinklers will be turned on to water the farm. Another interesting device in my farm is the smart agriculture sensors to monitor the state of crops. This gives me a good indication to decide how much pesticides are required and the quality and variety of fertilizers to be applied to get the best result. During COVID-19 pandemic, IoT was a great relief because I had very few helpers in my farm. So, you can see, IoT helps me to understand the status and requirements of my farm. Accordingly, I can take quick decisions to respond to problems and improve productivity.
IoT has helped to make the operations on my farm faster, easier, and more productive, thereby saving time and money. A big thanks to this amazing technology, IoT, that has made me a prosperous farmer.
-Rithwik Krishna
6N
What if there was no Gravity?
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have no gravity on earth? Would the world have been a better place? What would be the consequences if there was no gravity at all? If you are curious about these things, then rest assured that your questions would be answered soon enough by the end of this article.
First of all, what is a gravitational force? Gravitational force is the attraction of a body towards itself. Do not get confused with magnetic force as magnetic force mostly attract only metals. Now that you know what a gravitational force is, let us get back to our topic. If gravitational force were not present in the earth, definitely you would be able to move faster, but what you must realize is that gravity is widely related to everything around us. The Earth’s gravity is what keeps everything in it. If the earth were to lose its gravity, then our whole planet will explode as will be unable to hold itself together. Did you know the Earth orbits the Sun due to the gravitational force exerted by the Sun? Now imagine what would happen if the sun did not exert any gravitational force. The sun is what keeps the earth warm. If the earth moves completely out of the sun’s orbit, life will completely be erased as the earth will be frozen. These are just a few possibilities. If gravitational force wasn’t present the planets also have a chance of moving out of their orbits and crashing into one another.
So, you can see how gravitational force is related to almost life itself!
-Mebin .P. James
8P
Living Green walls - A solution for pollution
The Vertical garden in school is the best garden I have ever seen with so much of lush green veggies, juicy fruits, medicinal herbs, and the fragrance of attractive flowers. Whenever I enter our school garden it is like entering into a Botanical garden. It teaches us how to maintain a fresh and healthy environment, how to manage waste by reusing and recycling, how to conserve water and how to grow organic fruits and vegetables on our own.
Our Living Green walls has taught us a lesson that in the urban areas where there is more high-rise buildings and less land space for greenery, we can green up our cities and make our place happier, healthier, cleaner & greener. It is an eco-friendly way of changing boring walls into a visual feast for our eyes.
We learn to grow our own food using organic manure and in an organic way. We learn about modern methods of farming like Hydroponics- a way of growing plants without soil, Aquaponics where fish and plants are grown together. We can also sponsor a plant and the plant will be named after us and it is our responsibility to take care of the plant. We do have an Eco-committee who takes care of all our plants and helps us in selling the plants during open house day. This teaches us to work as a team and honed our entrepreneur skills.
When we play in our playground, we get fresh and clean air that makes our body and mind healthy. It takes us closer to nature and gives us a feeling of relaxation. We use old plastic bottles and cans to grow these plants. Kindergarten children learn about sowing the seeds and how plants grow from it and how it they harvested. Our garden is a must visit place where you can see juicy red strawberries, mulberries, Capsicum, fresh spinach, ladies finger, brinjals, tomatoes, cucumber, bitter gourd and a lot more. We do buy those delicious vegetables from our school and no market can sell anything better than that. Those colorful butterflies and the tweeting birds add more beauty to our garden. We love to click photos standing in between those mesmerizing flowers.
Vertical gardens are very important for sustainable development and for a better environment. We all have read from our books and have heard people saying that we must plant more trees, Follow the 3R’s, Eat organic food for a healthy living, Reduce the usage of plastic and so on, But here in Gems Our Own Indian School, we practice what we preach! Every day is an Earth day for us, and we all work for a sustainable future. Our garden is our pride!
"The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second-best time is now.”
-Rithvik Rajesh
7N
-Ron Rinu Thomas
6R
--Keshav Patel 6R
-Ron Rinu Thomas 6R