Category Science & Technology

What is a lie-detector?

A lie-detector test does not conclusively prove that the person is being untruthful and as such the results of this test are not treated as evidence in Indian courts.

It is a device often used during criminal investigations for questioning suspects. But how does it work?

A lie-detector or polygraph is a device that monitors a person’s involuntary physiological reactions when he or she is questioned about a certain event. The instrument tries to find out if the person is trying to conceal something. It is often used during criminal investigations for questioning suspects. A lie-detector is essentially a combination of a variety of medical devices that monitor changes occurring in the body during questioning. The examiner looks for important reflex actions of the body when the person is subjected to stress, by monitoring fluctuations in heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, etc.

Based on these indications, the examiner can at best interpret if the person is being deceptive. But a lie-detector test does not conclusively prove that the person is being untruthful and as such the results of this test are not admissible in Indian courts.

Picture Credit : Google 

How does Google Maps work?

You might have used or seen your parents use Google Maps while travelling around the city. Have you ever wondered how it works? Find out…

Google Maps has revolutionised travel like never before. Travellers can chalk out their itineraries and find addresses at the dick of a button with the help of this free map service. You can virtually view the street your cousin lives on in the U.S. without even moving an inch from your seat!

Google bases its maps on information taken from a selection of databases. But the most crucial data is provided by the satellite images of cities, which is captured and converted into small image files. The data is then verified with a vast database of map references like longitude and latitude co-ordinates, addresses and postal codes.

When you type an address in the search field, Google sends the query to its global servers and searches for the closest location match. The search results in the corresponding map of the location being displayed on screen, When you ask for directions from Location A to B. Google sorts out the information in its map servers, which store millions of potential route combinations to find the fastest route between the two locations. This kind of system which deals with information related to location is called Geographical Geographical Information System (GIS).

Google Maps first started as a software application developed by the Danish-born Rasmussen brothers Lars and Jens for a company that was later acquired by Google.

Picture Credit : Google 

What is Metaverse?

The latest buzzword in internet circles is ‘Metaverse’! It is making headlines, especially with Facebook even rebranding itself as Meta! It is expected to create a major impact in the digital world.

What is Metaverse?

Put simply, the metaverse is a 3D (three-dimensional) version of the internet. It can be considered a place parallel to the physical world, where you spend your digital life. In the metaverse, you and others in it will have an avatar. You will interact with each other through avatars. It is a shared virtual space, which is interactive and has an immersive experience.

Let’s look at some examples. You may have used the metaverse in some form or the other while playing video games. A basic form of the metaverse has been adopted in the online shooter game Fortnite, where gamers have their own personal avatars to engage with the avatars of other players.

In the stimulation video game Second Life, users experience virtual reality in which their avatars can do everything they can in real life, including eating, sleeping, shopping, etc.

The term ‘metaverse’, first cropped up in the science fiction novel “Snow Crash” by Neal Stephenson in 1992. In the book, the author referred to the metaverse as an all-encompassing digital world that exists parallel to the real world.

Tools needed

You will need a VR (Virtual Reality) headset, a controller and a powerful laptop to enter the metaverse. You will also need digital currency to live in the metaverse.

Future impact

The metaverse will make gaming more realistic and increase the user’s immersive experience. Travelling around the world without leaving your room will become possible. Healthcare and education are expected to gain the most from the metaverse. The metaverse has the potential to radically transform the digital and global economy.

Currently, there is no single metaverse but there are many. All of them are, however, still under development.

Picture Credit : Google 

Where is world’s Largest Solar Tree?

The largest solar tree in the world has been installed at the CSIR-CMERI Centre of Excellence for Farm Machinery in Ludhiana, Punjab.

A solar power tree is a device that is shaped like a tree with its steel branches holding the solar photovoltaic panels.

Just like a natural tree, the steel branches of the solar tree are arranged in such a fashion that every solar panel is properly exposed to the Sun. Moreover, the panels can be mechanically tilted east or west to derive maximum benefit of the Sun’s position. The height of the tree is about 9-10 metres. One tree can produce about 5kW of power.

One of the main hurdles in installing solar power plants is the lack of availability of large spaces. Often, farmers are reluctant to sacrifice their cultivable land for solar power production. But a solar tree with its vertically arranged branches, occupies only four sqft of area, leaving almost the entire land free for cultivation. The energy generated can be used to run pumps, e-tractors and tillers as a green alternative to diesel.

India’s first solar power tree was produced by Central Mechanical Engineering and Research Institute (CMERI), at Durgapur. The largest solar tree in the world has been installed at the CSIR-CMERI Centre of Excellence for Farm Machinery in Ludhiana. Its total solar PV panel surface area is 309.83 m2. CMERI hopes to install many such solar trees along highways and farmlands.

Picture Credit : Google 

What is the device of Ulta Chaata used for?

Ulta Chaata, a concave structure, collects rainwater in the monsoon and converts it into potable water. Find out how it’s done.

Ulta Chaata, as the name suggests, resembles an inverted umbrella. It is a large concave structure that collects rainwater in the monsoon and converts it into potable water, while the solar panels fitted alongside the canopy, produce energy in the dry season.

The rainwater collected in the bowl of the Chaata, trickles down the stalk to reach a filtering unit of activated carbon where it is cleared of impurities. A duster of ten or more Ulta Chaatas is connected to a common device where the water undergoes further filtration to remove microorganisms, making it fit for drinking. A single unit can harvest as much as 100,000 litres of water every year.

The solar energy harnessed in the dry season is stored in the battery and is used not just to light up the Chaata, but also the premises. Unlike a typical rainwater harvesting unit, Ulta Chaata’s attractive design lends itself well to the aesthetics of the surroundings, especially when lit up.

The device takes up to one sq. ft of area. Ulta Chaatas can be installed as sustainable workstations in open spaces. They can provide a green roof for reception areas, cafeterias, gazebos, car parks, bus stops and even railway stations.

Besides a number of corporates, Guntakal railway station in Andhra  Pradesh has installed six such structures on its premises.

Ulta Chaata is the brainchild of a Mumbai-based environmentally conscious couple Priya Vakil and Samit Choksy whose start-up ThinkPhi designs sustainable products.

Ulta Chaatas can be installed as sustainable workstations in open spaces. They can provide a green roof for reception areas, cafeterias, car parks, bus stops and even railway stations.

QUICK FACTS

  • A single unit of Ulta Chaata can harvest as much as 100,000. litres of water every year.
  •  Ulta Chaata’s attractive design lends itself to the aesthetics of the surroundings.
  • The solar panels fitted alongside the canopy produce energy in the dry season.

Picture Credit : Google 

What’s next in the smart ecosystem?

While many facets of life already have a smart counterpart, colour-changing fibres could be a gamechanger in the wearables market.

We live in a world of smart devices. It wasn’t always the case though. There’s been an eruption of sorts in the last couple of decades as there is an attempt to make every conceivable device now into a smart gadget.

It all started with the proliferation of smartphones. With each of us holding onto one of these almost all the time, it was a matter of time before the manufacturers wanted to put more smart gadgets in our control.

It was in such a climate that household appliances such as televisions, refrigerators, and even washing machines started becoming smarter. With smart bulbs, speakers, and devices to control the entire ecosystem, many facets of life now have a smart counterpart.

Colour-changing fibres

If you had ever wondered what could be next in the smart ecosystem, you might be surprised to know the answer. Researchers from the University of Luxembourg have come up with colour-changing fibres that could well pave the way for… you guessed it, smart clothes! Their results were published in Nature Materials in September 2022.

Up until now, clothing has mainly been about covering our body, protecting it from the environment, and maybe even flaunting our style. The future, however, could see clothing become part of the wearable technology bandwagon.

Remains mechanoresponsive

The researchers used Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Elastomer (CLCE), a structurally coloured polymer system that is capable of changing its colour by mechanical deformation. They then developed a simple, scalable method of creating colour-changing CLCE fibres that can be sewn into the fabric easily. The colour of fibres spanned the entire visible colour spectrum and showed excellent mechanochromic response- changing colour continuously and reversibly upon stretching or other mechanical movements.

The team were able to demonstrate the robustness of the CLCE fibres in garments by subjecting it to repeated stretching, machine washing, and abrasion. In addition to its ability to survive long-term use, the fact that it can be woven or sewn into elastic garments, and that it might not impair user comfort, implies that these can be used as smart textiles.

Apart from numerous applications in wearable technology, innovative fashion, and artistic applications, the researchers believe that it might be particularly useful in sports clothing and wearable robotics. It might even come in handy in non-wearable contexts too, in terms of strain sensing (think ropes incorporated with these fibres) and deformation detection. Becoming mainstream might be some distance in the future, by which time “dressing smart might take a whole new meaning.

Picture Credit : Google