SCIENCE AND SOCIETY

  POKHRAN II AND THE AFTERMATH    Nikunja BIhari Sahu             The second nuclear test conducted by India on 11th May, 1998 in the Pokhran range of the Army in the deserts of Rajasthan  stunned the world with its scientific supremacy and  technological prowess. The series of five tests achieved their desired yields with  minimal radioactive leaks and gave India the capability to build both  fission and thermonuclear weapons with yields up to 200 kilotons sufficient to deter the enemy . This has several implications: Firstly, India entered the world's elite nuclear club as the sixth country after the USA, Russia, China, Britain and France    establishing itself as a formidable power in nuclear  technology.  Secondly, the explosion came as an upshot   of a well established scientific culture of research base with a legacy founded by Bhaba and Sarabhai. Fourthly, and most importantly, India demonstrated the perfection of its scientists and engineers in achieving mastery over

                                                      ଚାଇନାର ଚନ୍ଦ୍ର ଅଭିଯାନ ନିକୁଞ୍ଜ ବିହାରୀ ସାହୁ      ଆମର ପଡୋଶୀ ଦେଶ ଚାଇନା ଗତ ମଇ 3 ତାରିଖରେ ଚନ୍ଦ୍ର ଅଭିମୁଖେ ଏକ ଅଭିଯାନ ପ୍ରେରଣ କରିଛି I ଏହା    ଚନ୍ଦ୍ରର ଦୂରତମ ପାର୍ଶ୍ୱରେ ଅବତରଣ ପୂର୍ବକ ଚନ୍ଦ୍ରପୃଷ୍ଠରୁ କିଛି ମାଟି ସଂଗ୍ରହ କରି ପୃଥିବୀକୁ ଫେରାଇ ଆଣିବାର ଆଶା ରଖିଛି I  ଏହି ଅଭିଯାନର ନାମ ଚେଙ୍ଗ ' ଇ 6 I ଏହି ଅଭିଯାନକୁ ହୈନାନ୍ ଦ୍ବୀପର ୱେଞ୍ଚାଙ୍ଗ୍ ଅନ୍ତରୀକ୍ଷ କେନ୍ଦ୍ରରୁ ଲାଙ୍ଗ ମାର୍ଚ୍ଚ 5 ରକେଟ ଜରିଆରେ ଉତକ୍ଷେପଣ କରା ଯାଇଛି I ଏହି ଅଭିଯାନ ସଫଳ ହେଲେ ଚାଇନା , ଆମେରିକା , ରୁଷିଆ ଓ ଭାରତକୁ ପଛରେ ପକାଇ ଚନ୍ଦ୍ରର ଦୂରତମ ପାର୍ଶ୍ୱରେ ଅବତରଣ କରି ପୃଥିବୀକୁ ନମୁନା ଫେରାଇ ଆଣିବାରେ   ବିଶ୍ୱର ପ୍ରଥମ ରାଷ୍ଟ୍ର ରୂପେ ପରିଗଣିତ ହେବ I ଚାଇନାର ଏହି ଅଭିଯାନ    53 ଦିନ କାଳ କାର୍ଯ୍ୟ କରି ଆଗାମୀ ଜୁନ୍ 23 ତାରିଖରେ ପୃଥିବୀ ପ୍ରତ୍ୟାବର୍ତ୍ତନ କରିବ I ଚାଇନା ଆଗାମୀ 2030 ମସିହା ସୁଦ୍ଧା ଚନ୍ଦ୍ରକୁ ମଣିଷ ପଠାଇଚନ୍ଦ୍ରର ଦକ୍ଷିଣ ମେରୁଠାରେ ଏକ ସ୍ଥାୟୀ ଘାଟୀ ନିର୍ମାଣ କରିବାର ଯୋଜନା ରଖିଛି I ଚାଇନାର ଏହି ଚଳିତ ଅଭିଯାନ ସେହି   ମହତ୍ୱାକାଂକ୍ଷୀ ଲକ୍ଷ୍ୟର ଏକ ଅଂଶବିଶେଷ ବୋଲି ଜଣା ପଡିଛି I             ଏପର୍ଯ୍ୟନ୍ତ ଦୁନିଆଁର ସମସ୍ତ 10 ଟି ଚନ୍ଦ୍ର ଅଭିଯାନ   ଚନ୍ଦ୍ରର ନିକଟତମ ପାର୍ଶ୍ଵକୁ ଲକ

      MAKE YOUR OWN ROCKET MODEL Nikuja Bihari Sahu       Introduction          A rocket is a  vehicle  that uses a jet propulsion  mechanism to  accelerate  without using the surrounding  air . A  rocket engine  produces Thrust by  reaction to exhaust gases expelled at high speeds from its nozzles. Rocket engines work entirely from a propellant  carried within the vehicle; therefore a rocket, unlike an airplane, can fly in the  vacuum  of space. Rockets, in addition to their fuel tanks, also have Oxidiser tanks to burn their fuels.  Rockets work more efficiently in a vacuum and incur a loss of Thrust due to the opposing pressure of the atmosphere. Multistage rockets  are capable of attaining the E scape velocity  from Earth and, therefore, can achieve unlimited maximum altitude. Compared with  air-breathing engines , rockets are lightweight, powerful and capable of generating large  accelerations .  Here, we will delve into four kinds of rockets in a graded understanding, s

  HOT SUMMER DAYS ARE BACK                                                                                                                 Nikunja Bihari Sahu     The summer in our childhood village days in Odisha used to be pleasant and memorable.  The cool refreshing southerly breezes of the evening, the cuckoo’s melodious song in the meadows, cricket’s melancholy tunes reverberating the quiet afternoon hours, the fragrance of mango buds swept away by the winds and people enjoying playing cards under moon-lit sky till late night - all revive the sweet memories of the ancient village life. These are now missing with scortchy and harsh summers making outdoor life unbearable. This year, at the onset of the Summer month of Baisakh, temperature soared to over 40 degrees Celsius in most parts of the state promising a painful summer ahead. Last year also, extreme and prolonged heat wave conditions swept across the whole world starting from Japan in the east to the USA and Canada in the west