BBC Knowledge 2017 02

WHAT WILL WE LEARN FROM THE JUNO MISSION?

WHY DO ASTRONAUTS LOVE

10 December 2016

OA

&

science writer. His latest book is Christian is a psychology and neuro-Dr Christian JarrettGreat Myths^

Dr Alastair GunnOf The Brain^.

Alastair is an astronomer at the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics at the University of Manchester.

Robert is a physicist and science writer. He’s visiting professor in science at Prof Robert Matthews

Aston University.Dr Peter J Bentley

Peter is a computer scientist and author who is based at University College London. His latest book is Digitized.

Luis is a freelance science and tech writer with a BSc in computing and an MSc in Luis Villazon

zoology from Oxford University.

Mark is a senior lecturer at the University of Hull, where he teaches chemistry Dr Mark Lorch

Dr Elizabeth Pearsonand science.

Elizabeth is Sky At Night Magazine’s news editor and has a PhD in extragalactic astrophysics.

Colin is a science writer and astrophysicist. His most recent book is Colin StuartPhysics In

Dr Stuart Clark100 Numbers.

Stuart is an astronomy writer with a PhD in astrophysics. His latest book is Unknown Universe.The

who went to the International Space Station Shannon is a scientist and NASA astronaut Shannon Walker

in 2010.

EXPERT PANEL

ILLUSTRATION: ANDY POTTS

HOW SAFE IS

YOUR PLANE?

NOAH KALINA

While passengers getTHE FREEZERIN to enjoy the comfort of air

temperatures as low as -55°C during cruise conditions. Here, one of the latest engines is being pushed to its limits at a General Electric testing facility in Winnipeg, Canada. It’s being blasted with icy water from hundreds of nozzles conditioning, the engines have to be able to cope with

at sub-zero temperatures to check that it will maintain power in cold environments. Temperature tests are important to the airlines because they want to make sure that their planes can operate in as many

environments as possible. Each time they have to ground an aircraft because of bad weather, they lose money.

Neil Ashtonundergo to ensure flying remains one of the So many of us take to the skies so often. looks at the rigorous tests that planes^

safest modes of transport

HOW

SAFE

IS YOUR

PLANE?

Aanxious or fearful of f lying. Is this fear justified?US statistics taken from between 2000 and 2009 show IRaeroplanes have made it easier for us to explore the world, nearly one in three of us claims to be travel is more popular than ever. Although

that car drivers or passengers suffer 7.3 deaths per billion

miles. In contrast, air travel comes in at just 0.07 deaths per billion passenger miles. Of course, statistics can’t cure someone’s fear of f lying, but they do prove that it’s one of the safest ways to get from A to B. This safety is

thanks to the testing that every single part of the aircraft has to go through before it’s allowed to undertake its first f light.

80 December 2016

LETTERS

Jumping!

My favourite question

in the latest issue of

BBC Knowledge was

“How high could you

jump on other planet

bodies?”. It was

shocking how low you can jump!

The lowest was Jupiter (only 20m)

and it was crazy how high you can

jump on Phobos – 847m high!

This issue also taught me about

many new moons like Phobos,

Ceres, Io, Europa and Titan.

It was amazing!

MADHAV TANEJA, 9, The Somaiya School,

Ghatkopar, Mumbai

Outta space!

BBC Knowledge is

a nice educational

initiative for children.

It contains lots of

informative features

on space, science,

the environment, etc. It keeps us

updated with its current affairs

section. It attracts us with its

interesting quiz, games and riddles.

I truly loved the Information about

space in the December issue, which

answered many of my questions.

I also loved the games section.

To me, this magazine is a big hit.

BBC Knowledge is proof that there

is no better resource for education

than books and magazines. I am

eagerly awaiting the next issue of

this magazine.

ROHINI V NAIR, 12, St Therese Convent

High School, Dombivali,Thane

Great for history!

In the December

2016 issue of BBC

Knowledge, the article

I liked the most was

on the Gupta Age by

Himanshu Prabha Ray.

Historians indeed have had divided

opinions on whether the Gupta

Empire marked India’s golden age.

I am a history enthusiast, and I like

to research the subject. The facts in

the article about Gupta architecture,

literature, mathematics and

astronomy are fascinating. We come

to know a lot about an empire if we

know the coins used at the time,

since coins usually have the face

of the reigning emperor, and even

some orders issued by the king.

The literature of an empire shows

the taste of people in poems,

books and plays.

Another article I liked was “How

Safe Is Your Plane?”. I had never

even realised that planes had to

undergo such tests to be cleared

to fly.These tests prepare a plane

for every possible situation it may

have to deal with. I’ve always heard

the announcement about using life

jackets in case the plane has to land

on water, but I was never clear

about how it could land on water,

or what would happen if a bird

gets inside the plane’s engine.

This article was the answer to all of

my queries. The next time I sit in

a plane, I will definitely marvel

at the tests undertaken on each

part of the plane.

SIDDHARTH SHARMA, 13, Lokhandwala

Foundation School, Mumbai

My question, your answer!

I have always been

a big fan of BBC

Knowledge.

My favourite part

of this magazine is

the Q&A section.

There are so many questions in my

head and Google doesn’t always

give me the right answer! But BBC

Knowledge always helps. If you are

a science guy like me, you’re going

to love this section. I was really

amazed to know that life would be

possible on Mars soon and that

animals can sense human beings’

feelings and much more!

ADITYA ANAND, 12, St Gregorious High

School, Chembur, Mumbai

We know now!

As we have

always wanted

to know more

about the solar

system and

spacecraft, we

liked the article entitled “Where Are

All The Active Spacecraft In Our

Solar System?”. It was great finding

out which countries have spacecraft

out there and where these are

currently located. We also enjoyed

discovering more about the Hubble

Space Telescope, Lisa Pathfinder

and Kepler.

Thanks for all the information – we

can now share this with our friends

at school and in our neighbourhood.

SONIA AND TANIA ABREO, 14, Auxillium

Convent English High School, Wadala,

Mumbai

Volume 7 Issue 1 • December 2016 ` 125

R.N.I.MAHENG/2010/

Knowledgemagazineindia KnowledgeMagIND KnowledgeMagInd

beneath Jupiter’s surface?What will Juno unearth

Portfolio: Visions of the Future King of the Mountains

WHAT WOULD MARTIAN WATERTASTE LIKE?

HOW CLOSE CAN A BLACK HOLE? WE GET TO (^)
ASTRONAUTS LOVE WHY DO PRAWN
COCKTAIL?
ADAPT TO LIFE TIM PEAKE HOW WILL^
ON EARTH?
WHERE ARE ALL OUR SPACECRAFT?ACTIVE
DOES ZERO-G AFFECT ASTRONAUTS’
DREAMS?
The Golden Age of Indian History
SCIENCE • HISTORY • NATURE • FOR THE CURIOUS MIND
Q&
A
26-PAGE SPACE SPECIAL
THE LAST
GREAT ENIGMA
SOLAR SYSTEM
OF OUR ISSUE
TH
Thank you for the insights
The most intriguing world for us humans is outer
space. The mention of the words “space”, “universe”
and “solar system” invariably raises more questions
than answers. The children of today have come to
embrace this vast universe and are seeking answers.
The December 2016 issue of BBC Knowledge seeks
to answer a lot of the questions that are required to build up that extra
interest in the exploration of our solar system. Satellites, space
stations, reusable crafts for to and fro travel to space are bringing
about a revolution in communications, material design, medicines,
solar energy, weather prediction, etc, and it’s great that we have
a resource to keep us updated about these breakthroughs.
BBC Knowledge is a great reference for basic insights and I am
sure many children will get extremely motivated to evaluate space
as a career option. Three or four decades ago, we fantasised about
becoming pilots, but now children dream about becoming astronauts.
I would go to the extent of saying that, what BBC is to World News,
BBC Knowledge is to basic science, history and nature. I especially
like the Q&A section; it has answered so many questions that even
us adults wouldn’t have answers to.
DIVYESH THAKRAR, 58, Powai, Mumbai
6 February 2017