The Surreal Snow
Thousands of tourists visit the mountains every year, not only to explore the scenic beauty that high altitudes have to offer but also to experience snowfall. Just like rain and hailstones, snow too falls from the sky; but unlike the former, snow is more appealing to people mostly because of the element of fun associated with it, be it through the social activities of building a snow man, having a snowball fight, sliding down the hill on a sled, etc. Even more fasc
Creatures in The Underwater World: The Mariana Snailfish
The underwater world is just as mesmerizing and insanely beautiful as the world above it. We all love spending our vacations on beaches or on cruises discovering scenic routes. Sea diving is now gaining popularity amongst adventurous people due to the allure of discovering the hidden depths of the sea. But, have you ever wondered how deep the seas and oceans can be and how creatures survive in the deepest part of the ocean- right at its bed- where it is extremely dark an
The Hanging Homes
One rainy day, after the storm calmed down and the sky was clear, I went on the terrace to enjoy the weather. An exquisite nest hanging on the branch of a tree in our neighborhood caught my eye. On another branch of the tree were its owners perching and chirping as if they were making their presence known, guarding their valuable home from predators. The nest was tear-shaped with an entrance at the bottom carefully weaved with twigs and grass strands. To my surprise the
Shaheen: The King of the Skies
The Shaheen falcon ( Falco peregrinus peregrinator ) belongs to the family Falconidae . It is a subspecies of the Peregrine falcon ( Falco peregrinus ) which is known to hunt down its prey at a whopping speed of over 320 km/h (approximately 200 mph). Mainly found in the Indian subcontinent, the Shaheen falcon is also known as the black Shaheen or Indian peregrine falcon. To catch its prey, it flies high then dives down at a very high speed- a characteristic feature that
A Tale of the Kachumbar Salad by Saba Irshad Ansari
Cold nights and warm afternoons, sprouting trees and the sweet scent of blooming flowers, animals returning from their hiatus and the euphony of chirping birds, all of this marks the setting in of the spring. It seems as if the earth has dressed itself up in a thick verdure blanket to exhibit its joie de vivre to celebrate the arrival of the spring season and to mark the end of the grey winter days. This is a sight that is cherished by all, especially by those who have b
Pondering on the Importance of Oxygen during the Pandemic
Pondering on the Importance of Oxygen during the Pandemic Out of the many things that we take for granted in our lives is free atmospheric oxygen- a colorless, tasteless, and odorless “chemical element that constitutes 21 percent of the Earth’s atmosphere, that is capable of combining with all elements except some noble gases, that is active in physiological processes of almost all known organisms, and that is involved especially in combustion.” [i] The atomic nu