 |
|
| SCIENCE TRIBUNE | Thursday, November 23, 2000, Chandigarh, India |
|
Virtual fashion designing Science Quiz |
|
|
Where are the aliens? SOME Hollywood actors and the Startrek crew might be routinely encountering aliens of different shapes and sizes but in reality the success rate has been zero. Perhaps this can be one of the reasons of increasing numbers of science fiction films on “aliens and their first contact” with earth (a good way to satisfy
ourselves untill we actually meet them)! After all, the idea of getting in contact with a “remote planet inhabited by aliens “itself generates so much enthusiasm and craze, that many persons have devoted their whole life doing study and research — a hunt for alien intelligence. Are we alone? The answer to this question was provided by the famous equation given by Sir Frank Drake, one of the most celebrated astronomers in the world, in 1961 (when there had been already hundreds of reports about UFO sightings). According to the equation, the number of communicative civilisations within a galaxy came out something between 100 million and 10,000 million! And then....search for extraterrestrial intelligence started very seriously. Frank Drake set up the project “Ozma” at the National Radio Astronomy observatory, West Virginia. It was to scan the starts for radio signals of wavelength 21cm, which seemed to be best possible channel to be selected by any alien civilisation for interstellar communication. These waves are neither absorbed by clouds of interstellar gas, nor bounced off by earth’s atmosphere. Moreover radiation of this wavelength is emitted by hydrogen of interstellar space and tells us about distribution of hydrogen in space. Therefore it is likely to be the most suitable channel. But till date no ETI signal has been received. Radio signals have been sent to most eligible stars from our side too! Even the space probes such as pioneer and Voyager after completing their main task of studying the planets continue to serve their last purpose forever....since they carry with them our message to aliens in the form of an engraved plaque and a long playing record. According to Frank Drake, to transmit one radio
pulse i.e. one ‘bit’ of information across 1000 light years of distance — costs less than five cents. But one could well imagine if the same amount of information were to be sent physically using a space probe...It could cost millions. The search for aliens is going on...some even expect to find them on earth one day! Yes the extensive research is being done to find ways to communicate with animals like dolphins, killer whales, chimpanzees etc because aliens may be intelligent like them but may lack dexterous hands with which to make gadgets like radio telescopes! For the science fiction writers, every place in the universe is equally good to hold life forms — (existing with respect to the local conditions of that place) — such as planets, asteroids, moons, clouds of gas floating in space, stars and even neutron stars! But on the other hand every possibility of the alien biochemistry, alien lifestyles, alien behavior and appearances has been thoroughly discussed by scientists and astronomers. As the subject was more deeply studied by more and more scholars around the world the whole “faith and philosophy” about “aliens and their first contact” began to shake! Computer studies on colonisation procedures revealed that a space faring civilisation, situated at the centre of galaxy, if it had the technology to built “space arks” (the huge space shops on which thousands of generations live and die — as on earth — while the starship slowly advances to its destination) would proceed at an average speed of 0.91 light years per century and allowing for a great many 1000 years stops for colonising new planets — the whole galaxy would be colonised in less than six million years — a mere blink of an eye compared with the age of galaxy. The study also revealed that even if aliens send crowless, self replicating probes with the same speed as our rockets would give, they would average 10,000 years to move from star to star — even at this snail’s pace it would still take 300 million years to explore the whole galaxy. So if ETI exists, where is it? It should be here on earth, already! Why have no alien probes arrived? This is in relation with the “UFO mania” but 97% of UFO cases are said to be totally fake and 3% remain unexplained. Some person suggests that ET are definitely there but they may not be interested in colonisation of other planets (which represents warlike societies of an immature kind) and they may be living happily with their stable population and resources. However then, the message is clear for the immature mankind that galaxy not yet colonised by others is open to us. But after that historical long awaited “first contact” with aliens, if we remain unsuccessful in getting along with aliens and establish peaceful relationships, which we unfortunately could not do within ourselves, then it would be better if we may never meet them. |
|
Virtual fashion designing THE fashion business involves big money, big risk, and big ego. The basics of fashion design have not changed over years. The designer starts with a sketch and then illustrates the model. The assessment of the garment model is made according to the fitting, feeling and appearance. Fashion design industry, is dynamic to the extent, that it is prone to constant change, with the survival dependent on shifts in style and the sixth sense of the people. With the advent of powerful computers and sophisticated software packages, the traditional ways of fashion design have given way to computer simulated fashion design. Computer graphics and virtual reality are the backbone of fashion design. Production of clothing makes use of a two dimensional pattern whereas the design process involves three dimensions. A computer aided design (CAD) package has been developed that enables designers to manipulate 2-D patterns into 3-D styles. Virtual reality (VR) has been used to create virtual mannequins, both as runway models and as replicated consumers, which work with pattern and material cloth databases in a virtual studio. An important aspect of this is cloth modelling especially in motion. There is no guarantee that a garment, which looks exhilarating on the design paper or on a static mannequin, will look the same on a moving figure. This aspect holds true both for the real world and the virtual one. Virtual studio includes the multimedia database of materials, accessories, business forecasts and supplier listings. With the database, a physical model and image of a material and a pattern can be taken from its display. The basic constituents in the virtual reality model are important. VR design group does not use facial features and hair. Further, the mannequins must post like runway models to show off the garments in the best possible way. Real people come in varied variety of shapes and sizes. Research is being done to develop a correlation between body size and body shape. The data so obtained is essential to prepare a database of body types to be used by the virtual reality (VR) software. A digital camera captures the body shape. VR modelling has a tremendous potential. Professional models charge a heavy fee for fashion shows. In a virtual fashion show, mannequins can model fresh designs at a lower cost. The articulation of a movement is vital to a virtual fashion show. The algorithms for human like movement of digital models have already been developed. Runway models do not move like normal people. Some of the motions and gestures are exaggerated. Once the garments have been designed, they can be demonstrated to the world in an other virtual environment. Mannequins can be transported instantly into the showroom. The biggest challenge to the software programmers is to develop tools, which give results that are close to the natural users. Voice control is used to instruct the mannequins to pose, or the user to select clothes and chose fabrics. The biggest advantage of a VR environment is the ability to do things that are difficult to pursue in real life. In spite of using finite elements analysis and high level mathematical graphics to model clothing, the success rate of simulations in moving bodies needs further improvement. Fast Internet access acts as a catalyst to the success of virtual fashion. The day is not far when the VR will lead the fashion revolution of the masses |
|
Science Quiz 1. Name the three scientists who have been recently conferred with the Nobel Prize in Physics. For which main contributions have they been awarded this most prestigious prize of the world? 2. Spintronics, a new branch of electronics, has applications in development of robotics, fuel-handling systems, missile guidance, keyhole surgery, etc. Spintronic devices are smaller and more robust than those currently using silicon chips. Which property of an electron does this new branch remind you of? 3. With the help of this instrument a surgeon can actually see inside a joint like that of knee, shoulder elbow, ankle, etc. The inside picture of the joint is projected on a colour monitor and the doctor can perform surgery
through keyhole punctures made around the joint. Can you name this instrument? 4. Formaldehyde is an ingredient in many household cleaning agents and is also used in brown paper bags, waxed papers, facial tissues and paper towels. Which chemical elements are contained in formaldehyde? For which organs of human body is it a big irritant and can cause problems in them? 5. This species of insects have an exquisite sense of smell and are the most sensitive of all the insects in smelling the vapours which emanate from explosives. Thus these insects can be used to detect landmines buried inside the earth. Which are these insects? 6. A coffee house with facilities of electronic-mail and Internet access to its customers? Such coffee houses are quite common these days, especially in big cities. What is such a coffee house called? 7. If you observe pole star throughout the night, it remains stationary, whereas other stars appear to move in circular arcs around it. Can you state the reason? 8. Natural substances like diamond, garnet, emery, etc. and synthetic substances like silicon carbide, aluminium oxide, boron carbide, etc. belong to a category of substances used to grind objects to give them a desired shape, size, or finish. What general name is given to this category of substances? 9. What is the process called by which small quantities of impurities are added to a material like a semi-conductor or a superconductor to change its conductivity? 10. Scotch tape is so commonly used in our daily life. Who invented it and in which year? Answers 1. Russian Zhores I. Alferov and US Herbert Kroemer for developing semiconductor heterostructures, and US Jack S. Kilby for his contribution in the invention of the integrated circuit 2. Spin or angular momentum 3. Arthroscope 4. Carbon, oxygen and hydrogen; eyes, nose and throat 5. Honeybees 6. Cyber cafe 7. Pole star lies along the axis of rotation of the earth 8. Abrasives 9. Doping 10. American Richard Drew in 1930. |
|
New products & discoveries Sky-high cleaning robot Developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Factory Operation and Automation IFF together with Dornier Technologies, the robot ensures that representative buildings keep their impressive shine. SIRISc can be used on many kinds of facade; it moves over the surface using vacuum suckers to maintain a grip, Fraunhofer Gesellschaft reports. Its locomotive kinematics enable it to traverse typical obstacles such as lintels, ventilation grids or sun-blinds, and to work even in high winds. Its automatic cleaning system Skywip cleans the facades extremely efficiently and without harm to the environment, using brushes and water. The process water is recovered, filtered and returned to the process cycle. The cleaned window panes are thus instantaneously dry, and no water runs or drips down the side of the building. Robot SIRIUSc can clean up to 120 square metres of facade surface every hour, at very low operating cost. Tea leaf plucking
machine Tea is a labour-intensive cash crop which requires harvesting at regular intervals. In Himachal Pradesh alone, 47 per cent of the tea gardens are lying abandoned because of acute shortage of labour for plucking leaves. Labour shortage, especially at peak plucking time, is a problem not only across India but also in tea-growing countries across the globe. An answer to the problem is mechanical harvesting with shear cutting of tea shoots without damaging the buds. It also helps maintain healthier tea bushes and improves the quality of leaf harvest. Other advantages are an improvement in photosynthetic efficiency of tea leaves, uniform application of agrochemicals, and reduction in disease infestation of tender young leaves. The new tea leaf plucking machine, jointly developed by the Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (IHBT) at Palampur in Himachal Pradesh and Central Mechanical
Engineering Research Institute (CMERI) in Durgapur, is cheaper than imported Japanese plucking machines that are currently being used by some big plantation owners. It has higher plucking efficiency, and a longer, self-sharpening cutting bar. By changing the cutting bar, it can also be used for skiffing operations that maintain tea plants
up to a certain maximum level, as well as for hedge cutting. Greenland ice cap
is melting A NASA high-tech aerial survey shows that more than 11 cubic miles of ice is disappearing from the Greenland ice sheet annually. “We see a significant trend (in loss of ice mass),” said Wiliam B. Krabill, lead author of the study that appeared in Science. “When we can go back after five years and see 10 metres of glacier gone, there is something happening.” Krabill said that the melting of Greenland ice and the calving of ice bergs from Greenland glaciers is responsible for about 7 per cent of the annual rise in global sea level. Turning liquid oil
into a solid It would make packaging and shipping much easier and cheaper, and would eliminate the problem of spillage and the resulting pollution. It might sound like a dream but this is precisely what researchers at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore have accomplished. Ram Rajasekaran and his student Jayanth Daniel in the biochemistry department have isolated a compound from the seeds of the Indian berry Garcinia indica (a plant known as kokum in India), and found that it can convert liquid oils into solids in minutes. The process is reversible, so that oil can easily be restored to liquid from, Rajasekaran told PTI. The new process induces solidification at room temperature without changing the chemical characteristics, says Rajasekaran. The solidification process involves adding extremely small amounts of the agent to the liquid and mixing it thoroughly, rather like making yoghurt from milk by adding bacterial culture, say the scientists. A litre of oil takes about five minutes to solidify. It becomes liquid again when the agent is removed. The discovery was prompted by the observation that the fatty oil produced by kokum seeds is solid, unlike oil from castor seeds which is a free-flowing liquid. The researchers investigated the way by which solid fat accumulates in kokum to find out whether its hardness is due to the chemical nature of the fat itself or to the presence of a specific agent in the fat. “This led us to isolate and characterise the solidifying agent,” says Rajasekaran. He adds that the agent can be synthesized in large quantities. |
 |
|
