Friday, November 9, 2007

Science in Day-to-Day Life

Every day we face some problems. We try to know the causes of these problems. We learn by experiences and that is why I say experience is a Great teacher.
What I learnt from my experiences, how we can relate our forefather act with the science and how to relate each incidence with the scientific principle. This is what I am going to explain today.
Now days I see people enjoy candle light dinner. But why should not we eat when it is dark? My mother always says – "अंधारात जेवू नये''

Why? I will tell you ……


Before two years I went to a pilgrimage with family & some friends. We stayed for one night in one village. We were having our dinner and suddenly lights went off. My mother told all of us to stop eating till we light some candles. But some of us were so hungry. They didn’t listen to her and kept eating. As it was rainy seasons a frog jumped into the plate of my friend, she picked up the food. Luckily lights came on and what she saw was instead of eating vegetarian food she was going to eat non-veg live frog dish. I realized from this incidence why we should not we eat when it is dark.
Can you tell me, why our forefathers used to sprinkle water around the plate?
Now a days everybody has got marble flooring in the house and we keep our house dust free. But in olden days floor used to be a mixture of cow-dung and soil. So that floor always had layer of dust. To avoid this dust to enter in the food they used to sprinkle water around the plate.
Once I got hiccups. My friend said "आईने आठवण काढली असेल''

. Have some water and sugar or list some names whom you like most. Friends Do you think this can stop the hiccups? No.
Hiccups are caused due to the contraction of diaphragm. A membrane, which separates chest organs from stomach organs. When diaphragm relaxes hiccups stops.
I will tell you one exercise to stop hiccups hold your nostrils between two fingers, hold your breath and look up. Hiccups will stop in a few moments.
While teaching science in the class, children ask some questions which they face everyday. They are very eager to know the scientific reasons behind each incidence and evidence thereof. Here, being a science teacher, I encourage them to find out the reasons. In other words I would say, I try to in inculcate the value of scientific attitudes.
One day while I was teaching in the class a boy sneezed loudly suddenly other student said "सत्य आहे !''

I asked that student what "सत्य आहे ?''

Student answered, “My mother always says this when somebody sneezes. Teacher, is it correct that when we sneeze whatever we talk at that time comes true (satya)? I explained the students that sneezing is a natural phenomenon. We sneeze because of irritation of inner nasal membrane or due to some allergic reaction.
How allergic reaction occurs? Allergens (in the form of mold, dander, food or drugs) enter through eye, nose or mouth and cause the immune system to produce immunoglobulin E antibodies.
As air passes through the nose it is warmed, filtered, and moistened. When air having allergens passes over the nasal cavity allergens adhering to the mucus chemicals react to these particles and produce excess mucus. This irritates the nasal membrane and we sneeze.
Friends I request you to help cultivate habit of questioning. It will definitely increase your knowledge and also that of those around you.

When small kids always keep on questioning why we oldies shy away ?

Contributed by: Mrs. Reshma Shinde,

Asst Teacher, Secondary Section,

English Medium