Which of these is not the name ??

 This question was asked on Koun Banega Karodpati program.

Question 

Which of these is not the name of the craters on planet Mercury  ??

1.  Vyasa

2.  Kalidas

3.  Somdev

4. Valmiki

Answer 

I was very surprised to know the Indian names for craters on planet Mercury   !!!

I have gathered some information .

It is the International Astronomical Union decision  !!!

It says   Every Crater on Mercury must be named after a famous artist, composer or writer who was famous for more than 50 years.

No astronaut or scientist  !!!

To make it truly international, they picked great contributors from every civilization.

So Indian names easily qualified   !!!

It's just about honouring human culture, not putting flags on a planet !!!

There are 9 craters on planet Mercury by Indian names.  They are  -----

1.  Verma

2.  Surdas

3.   Shergil

4.  Ashwagosha

5. Valmiki

6.  Thakur

7 .  Tansen

8.   Tyagaraja

9.  Kalidasa

According to this chart, all the famous Indian artists and writers are included  !!!

Whatever the options given in the question, vyasa and somdev names have not been kept to craters.

But Vyasa was the one who wrote Mahabharata.

They may keep this name in coming days  !!!

But Somdev is not the name of any Indian writer or artist !!!

So, correct answer     SOMDEV     !!!

Animals that never touch water ....

  Water is the basic necessity of sustaining life.  However some animals are strangely evolved to live entirely without drinking it  !!!

I have listed down some animals who don't drink water but manage to keep them hydrated.  I have given the source for survive 

Here are some of such animals   -------

1.  Kangaroo rats

          Source  :  Dry seeds and a nocturnal lifestyle 

2.  Fennec and Sand fox

           Source  :   Seek moisture from food

3.  Koalas  

            Source  :  Depend on Eucalyptus leaves for hydration 

4.  Harvester ants

        .   Source :   Depend on food and nest

5.   Thorny devil lizard 

             Source  :   Depend on dew and rain falling on skin 

Why in Martian sky, Sun appears shrunken compared to Earth ??

 Answer is simple !!!

Mars is farther from the Sun than Earth is ......

Its just perspective and distance   !!!

On Mars,

            Sun didn't shrink.....

            We just moved farther away from it   !!!!!

What does the Martian sky look like ??

                  

Sun      :    A smaller,  brighter disc.

                  Still very bright. But not as " big " as our Sun  !!!

Sky colour      :    Not blue !!!

                              Mars' atmosphere is super thin.

                              Only 1% as  dense as Eatth.

                              With less air to scatter blue light, sky looks butterscotch during the day !!!

                             Bluish near the sun set.

Light      :     Only 43% of sunlight reaches Mars vs Earth.

                       So it is noticeably dimmer, like a cloudy day on Earth   !!!

Why rice turns mushy ???

  Rice gets mushy because of starch  +   too much water  +  too much heat 

Here is what happens    ------

1.  Rice has starch inside 

2.  When we cook rice ,  rice soaks water and starch swells up.

3.  If we add too much water OR cook too long , the rice grains burst open.

4.  Now the starch comes out and makes everything sticky and soft meaning rice gets mushy  !!!

Basmati rice won't get mushy because it has less sticky starch !!!

Normal short rice gets mushy faster because it has more sticky starch  !!!

Which is the mamaal having densest fur ??

 This question was asked on Koun Banega Karodpati program.

Question 

Which creature has the densest fur of any mammal ??

1.  Grizzly Bear

2.  North American beaver 

3.  Polar bear

4.  Sea otters

Answer 

Sea utter has the densest fur of any mammal.  About 1,50,000 per sq cm.

Why so dense  ??

Unlike whales or seals, sea otters don't have BLUBBERS. 

They live in freezing Pacific water. This ultra dense fur traps air.

 Hence water never touches their skin.

It is their only way to stay warm  !!!

They have to groom for everyday to keep that air trapped.  If their fur gets dirty, they die of extreme cold  !!!