Vignana Harate-Dr.K.N.Ganeshaiah

Students report the activities of Vignana harate, an innovative pregramme to kindle scientific temper in common man. 

29-04-2023, Saturday
Multimedia hall, National college
 
INTRODUCTION
Today, we had a different, unique and innovative session conducted by Dr. Ganeshaiah sir and Shubhankar sir.
Dr. Ganeshaiah sir is a senior scientist of INSA (Indian National Science Academy ) since 1997.
He has achieved many things by publishing – 200 scientist papers and 14 scientist papers in meetings
·                  11 books
·                  25 literatures
·                  38 book chapters
·                  11 CD’s
·                  13 articles
He is also a part of the agriculture university.
The session was started by a beautiful sentence by Mary curie -"Nothing in life is to be feared; it is only to be understood." "I am one of those who think like Nobel, that humanity will draw more good than evil from new discoveries” 
 
Infact, this beautiful portrait is done by Shubhankar sir who is an artist
WHAT IS NEEDED IN SCIENCE
1.                Common sense
2.                Curiosity / persuasion
3.                Madness / love for working 
4.                Leave the lab and go out
5.                Be a goat and not a sheep
6.                Try to do science in every walk of life
 
Different real stories of a people were explained for proving all these above sentences.
COMMON SENSE
·                  One day in a hotel, Ganeshaiah sir observed a boy and girl fighting among for a reason of coke and fanta.
·                  While fighting, a boy pours one spoon of his coke in her fanta and even she does the same.
·                  Then, she says Ganeshaiah sir that there is more coke in fanta.
·                  The question is, is that true?
·                  Here, we got to use the common sense, for easily understanding, sir has taken example of students of national college and GAS college and imagining of the students mixing the same way as in the story.
·                  The conclusion in this story is that ‘ the science is completely based on common sense’ .
CURIOSITY / PERSUASION
Guddani
·                  It is used in kolar district
·                  It has a myth that says it consists of ghosts
·                  It is used to preserve seeds
·                  The guddani is supposed to be held behind the back to prevent the ghost from eye contact
·                  But after use it is supposed to be thrown into water for preventing ghosts entering you
·                  But the actual reason is to prevent insects from laying eggs in seeds
·                  And the reason for the guddani to be behind the back is because the fungus grown on the dead insect brings diseases.
·                  His daughter, not believing this tried to find a scientific reason of this guddani working basically like pesticides.
·                  This story says the importance of having curiosity.
 
MADNESS / LOVE FOR WORKING ( Love science more than anything)
Chimps
·                  Jane Goodall lives in Zimbabwe with chimpanzees 
·                  One day a girl wanted to learn about chimps so she went to Jane
·                  But Jane gave her a book and a pencil 
·                  For few days she didn't understand what to do, then Jane told her to live with chimps
·                  She observed that a chimp got up at 4 AM and went to eat a specific leaf (Aspelia species). 
·                  She went and told Jane so, Jane told her that she got her PhD.
·                  She researched about the leaves from the tribal people and got to know that they learned to eat the leaf to cure cold worm and stomachache by chimps.
·                  We also learnt about other animals as to how they treat themselves .
·                  dog they eat the grass and have a nosia immediately so that there stomach is reliefed from germs .
LEAVE THE LAB AND GO OUT
·                  Here, we had a example of one of the student whose name is Gaanapriya who was a Msc student
·                  she wanted to have a project on DNA (genetics) But she did not know what she wanted to do exactly.
·                  So sir took along her to Mysore for a project where, while going to the place they went on the way kokrebellur where she started observing the birds where they were carrying twigs.
·                  So she started thinking about it and started researching about it as to why it is carrying?
·                  Out with the results she got to know that 65 birds out of 128 they carried these populinia twigs and those birds change their bed everyday to get rid of miths and these were a good antibiotic to it.
·                  She even got some question from a boy that ‘ how do you think it is because the plant has antibiotic, there might be more of these plants available near by?’ 
·                  Then, when she tested, she had a proof also.
BE A GOAT AND NOT A SHEEP
·                  The above story itself explain this sentence, as Ms. Gaanapriya was trying to do what everyone was doing researching about DNA. This characteristic is of a sheep which goes in way of every other sheeps and eat what other sheeps eat and not what it wants to eat.
·                  But then, she got into a different path finding about the birds habits. Ofcourse! Even this research is also under the science.
TRY TO DO SCIENCE IN EVERY WALK OF LIFE
·                  You can observe in all the above stories, people finding different things to observe in a normal life, there are many things that we can research about. Even the simple things make a science.
·                  We even had a story of a girl who found a idea by sitting in a commode.
·                  People think everything is already found by great scientists like Isaac newton, albert Einstein etc.
·                  There are many things that we can discover, if we really want to.




THANK YOU.
 
Report by:
Varsha. S 
Tarashree
Samhitha
Tejas

Robotics Session- Day 3

 Students continued the Robotics session after yesterday's visit. here is the report of day 5.

The 5th day of 52nd annual summer camp was on 28th of April 2023. Today we continued our journey through the field of robotics and electronics. We were guided by the teachers from the national college .

All of us curiously and most  excitedly participated in today’s session . We learned about  an application-An application is a computer software package that performs a specific function directly for an end user or, in some cases, for another application .

After the introduction to applications we were briefed about it’s types -Mobile applications need to be installed from the app store, while web applications can be easily viewed from any browser and thus do not need to be installed.  After which all of got together collected a few examples for each of them .

Then we took step into the broad room pf operating systems .  -A computer program that organizes a number of other programs at the same time is known as operating system.

We all discussed about the android an its many versions -  The Android platform includes an operating system based upon the Linux kernel, a GUI, a web browser and end-user applications that can be downloaded. Android 13 is the 13th major release of Google's Android operating system, released for the public on August 15, 2022.

We found out today because of our mentors that we could build our own android app!.. We werethen guided through a step to step process of building a basic functional app using MIT builder-  To build the android app we can use an application called as MIT. In MIT application after logging in we can see different options on left side of the computer and on right we can use different tools to make an app. By choosing layouts we can make vertical or horizontal charts(like in whatsapp we have vertical scroll down option).By adding texts we can design the app.We have an option called as align, by it we can make the texts in right, centre or left. We can also change the colours and add different designs to the app. 

Did you know that the popular micro processer Arduno UNO can be programmed easily ? Even we were shocked when we were introduced to C++ -We  used  block  method to code the circuits in th e previous classes  but today we learnt  text coding where a  language called as C++ is used .Computer programmers write, modify, and test code and scripts that allow computer software and applications to function properly. Cheat codes means like the name suggests, a very small compact sheet containing all the idea is to condense as much info as possible in small space. for programming languages its generally a compilation of important syntax, neat tricks, data types, commonly used library functions   .

We didn’t stop after just learning about it , we continued and wrote a code which commanded the arduno  board to start blinking a few LED’s, and again sir gave a step to step description of the process -

First we should go to the application called as arduino UDI. Then we have to code,first we should setup pin numbers connecting to the arduino board . Then come to void loop we can code the program.  By this we are communicating to the arduino board.

 This was the end of another jaw dropping robotic class. 

-By members of group 3-  Maha AIshwarya.S , Jayanth , Kiran and Kaushal  

 

Visit to Wood Institute and Technology Centre and HMT Heritage Centre Museums

 

As a part of Summer School activities, students visit premier research institutes and museums in and around the city. This time, we visited two museums. Students report their observations here.

FIELD TRIP REPORT-TEAM 5

Recently, on 27th April 2023, we the participants of Bangalore Science Forum Summer School went on a field trip to two places, namely – Institute of Wood Science & Technology  and  Hindustan Machine Tools Museum to expand our knowledge on Botany and the history of Indian watches, Automobile parts and much more.

Thursday morning – There was a bus arranged for us and we boarded it at National College and left for the Institute of Wood Sciences & Technology (IWST) at around 9:15 a.m. Astonishingly, we arrived earlier than expected at around 9:45 a.m. We got down the bus and entered the institute.

Institute of Wood Science & Technology (IWST)

Soon after taking a group photo, we were escorted into the institute to the lecture hall. A renowned professor of Wood sciences, Shivam Dhubey was invited to give a speech. A lecture on how wood is processed, on how to extend the life of wood, on how to season and preserve the wood, on how to convert wood to charcoal, on how plywood is made, and on how to identify the type of wood. They would only use the wood from the trees grown by them and not from the forests which is a punishable offense. Lastly, he told us the contribution of IWST. IWST would receive wood samples from the police or the CBI for identifying the type of wood. This would be very useful to find out smuggled wood or any cheating in furniture businesses. Soon after the lecture, we were shown a documentary on IWST, on how it was founded, what was its aim, the courses offered, government recognition and much more. We were led to a warehouse after the documentary, where we were explained the working of different machines related to wood processing. First wood is cut from trees which are initially called logs. After removing the bark, the logs are cut into thick planks. These planks are kept in bundles of a specific arrangement in a container called The Kiln. The wood is air dried removing all the moisture. The wood is then cut to small pieces and put into a machine which converts it to fine dust. This dust is used to make various wood materials like pen stands and pots. Special chemicals can also be used to change the color of the wood. Then, we were given an interesting lecture about sandalwood. It belongs to the genus Sandalum. The true sandalwood is heavy, yellow, and fine-grained. Unlike many other aromatic woods, they retain fragrance for decades. The true sandalwood species is Sandalum album. It is a protected species and is in high demand. This has led to a spurt of spurious timbers in the market that apparently resemble Sandalwood. The fragrance of sandalwood originates in the middle hard wood and not the outer soft wood. Some of them are the West Indian sandalwood (Amyris balsamifera) and bastard sandalwood (Osyris tenuifolia) also learnt about an endangered species of tree called the Red Sanders. It is only grown in some parts of Andhra Pradesh an is forbidden to cut it. 

Soon after the lecture, we were taken to a warehouse. There were masterpieces of wood cutting including baskets, chairs, dragonflies, antlers and much more. All of it was done by the students studying in the institute, which was truly marvelous. We were also allowed to see and use some tools used in wood cutting and shaping. Then, we were taken to the Wood Museum. There were so many wood masterpieces. They had recovered the wood from a tree which was around 780 years old. There were also displays of insects that feed on the wood of the trees, eventually destroying. They had also recovered the branches of a tree (Albizzia odoratissima) which was killed by the attack of a beetle (Xystrocera globosa). There were also wood samples from several endangered trees including the red sanders. There were seeds of almost every type of tree that exists on earth. They had recovered a tree (Delonix regia) with a hollow trunk. It depicts the extent of wood deterioration in trees. The wood of the tree was eaten by the combined activity of different fungi and termites over a considerable period of time. The tree was found standing on the roadside in Malleswaram, Bangalore for many decades. After the museum visit, we were taken to a nursery. There were several species of plants. We were given a lecture on how the plants were grown and also got a few seeds for ourselves. There was also a sandal plant that gave a tiny fruit called sandal fruit.               Finally, we ate our lunch, packed our bags, hopped onto the bus and left for HMT museum at around 1:45 p.m.

HMT Heritage Museum

After we reached the museum that is in Jalahalli we went near the cafeteria, put our bags down and we entered a video and audio hall where we saw a small video about the once most popular company ‘Hindustan Machine Tools’. Later we got into groups of 10 and started to explore the museum.

The HMT Museum is also known as Heritage Museum and Research Centre. It is dedicated to preserve the history and heritage of the Hindustan Machine Tools (HMT) company, which was once a leading manufacturer of machine tools and watches in India. The HMT Museum was established in 1953, with the aim of showcasing the evolution of technology and engineering in India, particularly in the context of HMT. We were shown how old vehicles, tractors and many other instruments were used in the olden times. The museum exhibits a large collection of artifacts, documents, photographs that showcase the history of HMT.

One of the highlights of the museum is the collection of vintage HMT watches, which includes rare and limited edition timepieces that were once produced by the company. The museum also has a display of various machine tools and equipment that were manufactured by HMT, such as tractors, milling machines, and grinders. After inspecting the museum and the collection part of the heritage site, we were given a tractor ride around the site along with some refreshments. After all of this, we boarded our bus and  headed straight back to National College.

Thank You.

Robotics Session-Day 2

This is what the students have learnt on day 3 of the camp and day 2 of robotics session 

Some symbols:

TYPES OF CIRCUITS:

 

Advantages of parallel combination over series combination are: (i) In parallel combination each appliance gets the full voltage. (ii) If one appliance is switched on, others are not affected.

Disadvantages of series circuits: (i)An open in any one device will also interrupt current flow to all remaining devices.(ii)A short in one device will cause an increase in current through all the devices.(iii)Changing the resistance value of one device will change the current, voltage, and power values of all remaining devices.

RGB is an LED chip that has the color red, green and blue; 3 colours in 1 chip. Using these, you can create a million different colours.

RGB LED controllers work on a much simpler principal. They change the power on each of the three channels (red, green and blue) to produce a specific colour mix. To create purple colour, for instance, the red and blue channels would be wound up, and the green channel should turn off completely.

There are four terminals in RGB,1 cathode(negative) and rest 3 anode(positive).

Resistors can be used to change or control power supply.

Breadboard

A breadboard is a simple device designed to let you create circuits without the need for soldering.

Many electronic devices is used to connect and positive terminate of battery is connected to positive terminal of breadboard and negative to negative.

 

ARDUINO UNO

                          

ADRUINO HAS COMPONENTS LIKE:

·       DIGITAL PINS-WHERE POSITIVE TERMINALS OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES ARE CONNECTED.(0-13)

·       GROUND PINS-WHERE NEGATIVE TERMINALS OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES ARE CONNECTED.

·       POWER PINS- TO SUPPLY POWER

*ARDUINO UNO CAN ONLY HOLD MAXIMUM OF 5V POWER SUPPLY

·       ANALOG PINS- TO INSERT SENSORS LIKE SOIL MOISTURE SENSOR, PIR SENSOR,TEMPERATURE SENSOR,SMOKE SENSOR,ETC

          PROGRAMMING WITH ARDUINO

A software can be used to visualise or practice like Tinkercad

·       CLICK ON OPTION CODE AFTER PERFORMING A CIRCUIT.

·       THE FORMAT OF PROGRAMMING CAN BE CHANGED IN THE EDIT MODE BY BLOCKS OR TEXT.

·       IN THE OPTION OUTPUT, ENTER THE DIGITAL PIN NUMBER WHERE THE ELECTRONIC DEVICE TERMINALS ARE INSERTED.

·       WE CAN SET TIME INTERVAL OR THE ORDER EHERE ELECTRONIC APPLIANCES WILL BE ON OR WORKING.

·       MAINLY THIS PROGRAMMING IS USED FOR LED LIGHTS. 

PRACTICALLY CIRCUITS CAN BE PERFORMED WITH MOTOR,BATTERY,WIRESBREADBOARD,SENSORS ,ETC.