SCIENCE REPORTER

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Total visitors:1947 since 4-3-2011

ISSN: 0036-8512

VOLUME 49 NUMBER 3 MARCH 2011

CONTENTS

COVER STORY
Amazing World of Science Fiction Arvind Mishra	8
FEATURE ARTICLES Arthur C. Clarke: Father of Satellite Communication K. Smiles Mascarenhas	14
Is There Life Beyond Earth? N. Ramdas Iyer	19
Spectrum: A new kind of natural resource Paresh R. Vaidya	26
Vainu Bappu: Father of Modern Indian Astronomy M.S.S. Murthy	29
Herbal Manicure & Pedicure, Anyone? Shazia & M.B. Siddiqui	32
From Logic to Artificial Intelligence Nidhi Chopra	45
Fuel Cells: Hope for Future Energy M. Goswami & S. Sahoo	54
SCIENCE FICTION The Transformation Samiya Fatima	36
DEPARTMENTS
Reactions	6
Editorial	7
Spectrum	16
Point-Counterpoint	24
Reflections	39
Test your Knowledge	40
Humour	42
Puzzle Corner	50
Familiar Fossils	53
Fun Quiz	58
What’s New	60
Crossword	62

Science Reporter

Vol. 49, March 2011, pp 8-13

Amazing World of Science Fiction

Arvind Mishra

GRIFFIN, a scientist, believed that if a person’s refractive index was changed to exactly that of air and his body did not absorb or reflect light, then he would be invisible. Griffin successfully carried out this procedure on himself and became invisible. Unfortunately, he could not make himself visible again, and became mentally unstable as a result. Well, Griffin is not a real-life character, as you would have guessed by now. He is the hero of a famous science fiction novel published in 1897—The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells.

Science Reporter

Vol. 49, March 2011, pp 14-15

Arthur C. Clarke: Father of Satellite Communication

K. Smiles Mascarenhas

WHEN we see Wimbledon live, or the opening ceremony of the Olympics, via satellite, we seldom remember the person who first suggested that satellites could be used for communication purposes. Even when that person entered the Glorious Abode on 19 March 2008, few TV channels remembered him with gratitude. Even Science Fiction buffs who read his novels avidly must have failed to notice the demise of a great Scientific Prophet—Sir Arthur C. Clarke who predicted not only communication through Geo-stationary satellites, but also advances in computer technology.

Science Reporter

Vol. 49, March 2011, pp 19-23

Is There Life Beyond Earth?

N. Ramdas Iyer

THE Earth looks like a big, beautiful blue marble from space. Our home planet is certainly one of the most beautiful planets in the solar system, and it is also the only planet we know that supports life in any form. Other planets in our solar system may turn out to have life in some form, but, at best, it would probably be very tiny forms of life, such as microbes.

Science Reporter

Vol. 49, March 2011, pp 26-28

Spectrum: A New Kind of Natural Resource

Paresh R. Vaidya

THE word ‘natural resource’ brings to our minds environmental elements like water, land, minerals and petroleum products. One may stretch it to clean air. But no one so far even thought that an intangible and abstract entity called spectrum could be a natural resource. And that too with an adjective ‘scarce’, like any other resource.

Science Reporter

Vol. 49, March 2011, pp 29-31

Vainu Bappu: Father of Modern Indian Astronomy

M.S.S. Murthy

MOST children would have wondered at amazement at those little, diamond-like objects shining in the night sky. As they grow up only a few retain that sense of wonder and still fewer probe deeper into the mysteries that abound. This is the story of one such boy – M.K. Vainu Bappu – who went on to be fondly remembered as the “father of modern Indian astronomy”.

Science Reporter

Vol. 49, March 2011, pp 32-35

Herbal Manicure & Pedicure, Anyone?

Shazia & M.B. Siddiqui

A well-turned out appearance imbues you with a sense of confidence. One aspect that makes for an appealing personality is a manicured hand. A manicure involves trimming the nails, shaping the nails, pushing back the cuticle, or removing any type of hang nail you might have. This also helps your nails grow by pushing the skin that comes off the nail plate. Beautiful nails impart your hand with a character and, obviously, are good at look at.

Science Reporter

Vol. 49, March 2011, pp 45-47

From Logic to Artificial Intelligence

Nidhi Chopra

LOGIC is one of the major sub-topics of subjects like mathematics, computer science and physics. Any science student familiar with Boolean Algebra knows about gates (NOT, OR, AND) and rules or principles of this Algebra. Aristotle was the first one to talk about this notion of distinction between true and false. This was called syllogism.

Science Reporter

Vol. 49, March 2011, pp 54-57

Fuel Cells: Hope for Future Energy

M. Goswami & S. Sahoo

THE search for alternative fuels for a sustainable economy and conservation of the environment has brought fuel cell technology to the forefront. A fuel cell creates electric energy by converting a fuel into a negative charge on one terminal and a positive charge on the other terminal. It converts chemical energy of a fuel into electrical energy without the internal combustion steps of a heat engine.