THE PAPERLESS PRESS
August 16, 2020
The Weekly Digest #6
Issue #6
TOP STORIES
“Hey Ceres”: A guide to Extraterrestrial life, and spare planets.
By:Abhimanyu Rao
For years, we have looked into the night sky, staring into the distance, wondering if there is someone there,who-unbeknownst to you-is doing the same. We have located multiple ‘exoplanets’- planets outside the Solar System- that are habitable.These include; Kepler-452b, Kepler-1649c, TOI-700d, the Galilean moon Europa, and of course, dwarf planet Ceres. Now, to figure out what makes these planets habitable, we need to call a good friend of ours, namely, Mr. Robert Southey AKA the author of ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’. They are all in the ‘Goldilocks zone’(except for Europa, which is outside the zone, but still has liquid water), the area in any solar system far enough from the star for it to be tolerable, and for liquid water to be present.. If it was too close to the star, it would be “too hot”(Sounds Familiar?), if it was too far from the star, it would be “too cold”(SOUNDS Familiar??), at the right distance from the star, it is “just right”(SOUNDS FAMILIAR? HUH??).
Sorry about that, I got slightly carried away. Anyway, the discovery of water on Ceres adds yet another planet on the list named ‘Are we really alone out there?’. The more we see possibilities of life, the more we wonder if one day, we will have ‘Kepler-1649-ian’ pen pals! Now what else can these discoveries mean? It’s great to have ET heal your wounds and make your bicycle fly, but can finding life supporting planets mean anything else? The truth is… YES! While the black hole of the earth uninhabitability is decreasing its pull (read Agastya’s article, below the cover story).
If we one day cross the event horizon, if The Earth can no longer sustain us, we need a backup plan, we need an uninhabited, yet life-supporting planet for us to set up shop, so that we may continue to survive, just a little longer. Surely any life on another planet would hate the thought of us humans inhabiting their planet, given our track record of ruining our own planet.I know that there is no place like home, and humans must try hard to maintain what we can of our own planet, and not assume that more, possibly habitable planets means that planets are disposable, because they are not, and they are the most important entities in the universe. After all, what use is a roof over our heads, if we don't have a floor to stand on...
Cover Story:
Happy to be Indian!
By Mihir Rao
Happy Independence day to all of our readers! Independence day, the day we received our independence, has now not just become a milestone to celebrate our freedom, it is a day to commemorate the people who have contributed to our rich history and our amazing future!
When we had just achieved our independence, we hadn’t taken technology hands on!
Our country at that time, was still struggling with surviving without someone else to rule us, but it was all worth it for Our, the Indians’, freedom! Our country has the major potential for success! At that time in 1947, people were still reeling from the event that was Independence day, but we did not give up! Leading to my next point:
Our country could not have come this far without the quality we possess that sets us apart from everybody else. Determination. Sure, other countries may have one or two prodigies, but it is our determination that makes us succeed.
With this determination, We fought off the oppressive rule of the Britishers. With this determination, we organized protests for an equal country, and freedom for all. With this determination, freedom fighters like Gandhiji and Bhagat Singh emerged, and fought for our country. With this determination, the 1.4 BILLION of us have become a global superpower!
But this determination has not just helped us become a free and independent country, it has made us a global superpower, us dominating the technology industry with even the CEO of Google, being a proud Indian!
Since 1947, because of our determination to succeed, and our desire to win, we have achieved incredible feats, even sending our technology to Mars in the first try! We have gone to Mars and the moon (Cartosat-3), because we were always aiming for the best.
With many countries not encouraging multiple ethnicities, or even simply enforcing it, India is known for its diversity and the variety of people of different races and colours all living in one country!
We are a diverse nation and it’s not as if there are no problems with our country. But I am confident that we can overcome these. I know that we are a generation of young citizens who don’t believe in discrimination - we believe in strength in diversity, and we will grow up with this belief. No matter who or what we believe in, which cricket team we favour, what we like, we are all happy to be Indian!
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It took a pandemic to save wildlife
By Agastya Rao
While us humans are stuck at home, animals are living happier lives. IUCN reported that more than 32,000 species are at a risk of going extinct. Nature decided to use its “Help me, Obi Wan Kenobi - you are my only hope” card, and it paid off. The pandemic finally gave nature a fighting chance. Humans were scared and never left their homes, nature thrived! Bye-Bye poaching. Without any humans to disturb them, animals have been roaming free and have been living carefree lives.
Animals living in nature reserves have been living quiet and undisturbed lives. Humans don’t come and disturb them. Animals are slowly reclaiming their land and are moving closer to cities. According to
Save The Rhino, rhino poaching numbers in Africa were down by 175, as compared to the 769 rhinos poached in 2017.
In addition to this, pollution levels have dramatically dropped. People have stopped using cars or commuting anywhere. After all- Clean Air, Is Green air? With the drop in pollution levels, birds have been able to migrate safely. Nature has decided to fight back and reclaimed land. Good luck to birdwatchers who will now be able to see many new species of migratory birds.
The lockdown shall be a wake-up call to the world. Animals have lives too - they feel things, they have emotions, they have families.To all the poachers out there- imagine what would happen if a rhino decided it needed more space, imagine if humans were animals and animals were humans. Killing an animal is equal to killing a human being.
The pandemic has helped animals heal. Mother nature has shown us how powerful she can be. We had better not invite her wrath. We are just tenants on Earth. Always remember-Save the Earth, Save Animals- you will end up saving yourselves as well.
Photo Credit-
REUTERS
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HAPPINESS QUOTIENT FROM AROUND THE WORLD
A Nigerian boy’s viral video of ballet in the rain got him a scholarship to a dance school in New York.Even though resources are limited, he worked really hard. It really shows his talent and determination. His name is Madu and his dance school is called ‘Leap of Dance Academy’.
Satellites have found a new colony of Emperor Penguins on large patches of ice. This brings hope to the survival of the species. The WWF reported that Emperor penguins have had a population drop of 50% because of climate change. Now, they are literally standing on thin ice and may soon be pushed into extinction if measures are not taken to save them. Save our penguins🐧!
Nasa released photos of Mars taken by their Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Head here to see them, the photos are stunning!
Nasa has found saltwater below the surface of the dwarf planet Ceres. Read more about it on page 2- article by Abhimanyu Rao.
-Remember the group of young boys from Nigeria, who made a low budget trailer of Chris Hemsworth’s hit movie ‘Extraction’? The boys - Muiz Sanni (15), Malik Sanni (10) and Fawas Aina (13) - go by the name “Ikorodu Bois” and they were praised by Chris Hemsworth himself and Netflix gifted them fancy filming equipment; plus the producers of Extraction 2 invited them to the premiere of the movie. Feels good to read about genuine talent being recognized, doesn't it? .
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Did You Know?
By Mihir Rao
The country of Russia is working on a coronavirus vaccine, and the first round of vaccines has been given to doctors for testing… So far, the vaccines have proved to be effective against stopping the coronavirus! It’s a game of wait and watch, and much of the world is taking the news with a large pinch of salt.We at The Paperless Press- remain ever optimistic.
Entertainment quotient for the week:
A.Amazon Prime Video:
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
B.Disney+/Hotstar:
Once Upon A Time
C. Apple Tv+
Ghostwriter
D. Netflix
Malibu Junior Rescue
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Unsolved Mysteries- The Solway Spaceman
By Agastya Rao
Picnics. Everyone loves picnics- you can eat nice food and play all day. However, in 1964, Jim Templeton and his family had an... abnormal picnic, or so they say. Jim Templeton went for an outing with his wife and child. The day continued normally and they went back home. To Jim’s surprise, when he had the photos developed, he was asked who the other person in the pictures was. A man or an alien dressed in a white space suit with a helmet. Sounds freaky, doesn’t it? The news of the photo hit the news, and The Templetons became celebrities- for better or for worse.
Half the world believed it to be true, the other half claimed it was a hoax. Mr.Templeton claimed that two ‘Men In Black’ came to him, forced him to a car, and tried to make him confess that the photo was a hoax. They left him and drove away. Halfway around the world, a missile test was being conducted in South Australia, before it was aborted technicians claimed to see two men who looked exactly like the ones in Mr.Templeton’s photo. Coincidence? I think not...
Many people said that the photo was faked, some said that his daughter had psychic powers they were not aware of. However, the technology to use CGI or PhotoShop to edit the photo was not available. The hunt for truth about the Solway Spaceman continues even today.Who knows, maybe you will meet the spaceman in your next picnic?
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From The Literary World:
Looking for Books? See how we rank this week’s top book- By Abhimanyu Rao:
The Secret Series by Pseudonymous Bosch:
A thrilling five part series based around the adventures of Cassandra and Max-Ernest, and the quests of two rival societies for the all-powerful “The Secret”. The fight for the secret gets even more thrilling when one of the societies recruits the protagonists as agents. A battle that dates further than anyone can imagine, a symphony of smells, a cabbage face, a tuning fork that takes you to your ancestors, people who hear colours, and creepy ageless people in WHITE GLOVES. This consists of just the right amounts of mystery, information and humour to create one of the best series that the world will ever offer. Will appeal to fans of Lemony Snicket(U/A-Slightly Dark)11+
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The Cooking Corner-With Vaanya Bhandari
By Vaanya Bhandari, 13
Classic Chocolate Cake (or Cupcakes, if you prefer)
Have you ever grown tired of watching cooking shows, attempting to recreate the ‘bursts of flavour on a plate’ that they make, wishing it was easier? Well, look no further! We have the world's EASIEST chocolate cake, a few ingredients, and three simple steps for the best that Sinful chocolate has to offer…
Ingredients:
2 Cups Flour
1 ¾ cup sugar
¾ cup cocoa
1 ¼ cup milk
¾ cup oil
3 eggs
1 ¼ tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp baking powder
METHOD
Beat all the ingredients until you get a smooth batter.
Pour the batter into a cake tin or cupcake moulds.
Bake at 175 degrees Celsius, for 30 to 50 minutes (the cake takes longer than cupcakes).
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Visit these pages to see some of our other endeavours!
Visit A Dogs Daily Antics to laugh your heart out with crazy captioned dog photos!
Visit TheChinappaChanel to see some quirky but nice videos that will make you roll with laughter
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