Pakistan Travel & Culture

The Benefits Of Unique Science Fair Projects

August 30, 2010 – 2:05 am

Everyone has seen the tired old science fair project, such as the volcano or the styrofoam solar system, which have been favorites of many parents for what feels like generations. These projects are relatively simple and easy from the parent’s point of view, but they are incredibly bad choices for the children involved. Why?

These are the kind of projects that are so well-known that even the students know what is going to happen. And when that happens, the students are not learning anything, and their performance suffers during the presentation portion of science fairs because of it. Science fair judges have gotten bored with these types of projects, and that’s a big problem for students who endeavor to win prizes in their science fair. In the end, this kind of project is only really good for the parents, and surprisingly, these kinds of projects are not even particularly cheap!

What you need to find is a unique science fair project, or at least something that beats those tired old projects. Not only will this help your child learn more, it can give them a much better chance of winning the science fair. Often, these competitions can include a scholarship or a nice cash prize, and even those that do not can often lead to a science scholarship later on down the line. That’s a nice benefit, and aside from the grades, the knowledge, and the experience your child is getting with their participation, it gives you a great reason to try and do something unique.

So what kind of unique science fair projects are there? The internet seems like a decent first option, but given the prevalence of use, you can guarantee that large science fairs include a duplicate project, especially if you took your idea from a popular science fair blog or website. Even in a small science fair, or an in-class science fair, you have to guess that there are more than a few people who are visiting the same websites that you are, including the judges and the teachers who are grading your students. Duplicate projects mean trouble for the judges and the teachers, as it negates the true benefit of science fairs: having an exploratory experience. They want you to come up with something unique, on your own. In addition, you have to think about what kind of experience your child is having. A science fair is a chance for them to express their own creativity and interests, and plucking an easy or cheap project off of a website isn’t helping them out any.

You can try visiting the library for books, or looking at news sites as well, but these sources often provide out-of-date, boring, or incredibly difficult projects.

Have the child come up with something of their own, or if that doesn’t work, then have them add their own input into some aspect of an interesting and more unique science fair project. You can take some help from the internet, especially from the “members only” sites on the internet that have really solid projects, and books or suggestions with more unique ideas, but make sure to add something to them!

If your child needs help with their science fair project and you lack computer skills or scientific knowledge, don’t be afraid to look for help. Many of those members only sites will offer helpful downloads like ready-made charts and spreadsheets for your child’s use. You can also get help from online tutors, who are usually science majors in college who can help you out with some simple advice.

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Floods also ravage cultural heritage – Dawn

August 29, 2010 – 5:53 pm

History’s worst flood has spared nothing that has come in its way. From Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and GilgitBaltistan all along to Sindh sweeping across southern Punjab the surging force of the waters has destroyed vast tracts of habitation, farmlands, public infrastructure and even the centuries’ old remains of our civilization -monuments, museums, libraries, archaeological sites, cemeteries and shrines.

In Gilgit-Baltistan floodwaters inundated many villages in Diamer, Ghizer, Skardu, Ghanche and Gilgit districts. However, the hardest hit district was Diamer. Almost all valleys in Diamer, particularly Khanbarry, Darel, Tangir, Thor, Thak, and Gais Bala were devastated by floods and landslides. Lightning struck Gais Bala village killing 45 people. Floodwaters swept away not only people and cattle, but also bridges, houses and historical monuments.

In Tangir, the most affected village was Pharuri where 15 people and many houses were swept away by the Tangir River. The raging waters of this river also swept away some historical monuments and submerged some others. Of these the carved wooden coffins of Bagyot, Khamikot and Pharuri are prominent. The floodwater also submerged the 200 years old wooden mosque of Pharuri village. Apart from the wooden mosques and carved coffins, ancient forts built on the banks of Tangir river were also damaged in the floods. The ancient fort of Dabas suffered badly.

The Shyok River, a major tributary of the mighty Indus, also damaged the historical Jamia Masjid Noor Bakhshia in Khaplu, Ghanche district.

The cultural heritage of Punial, Gupis, and Yasin was also affected. Inundation in Thui valley in Yasin swept away monuments particularly the rock carvings depicting stone circles. The small boulders depicting animals were numerous at the mouth of the Thui valley which were, unfortunately, washed away by the floodwater. There were 14 stone circles on the right bank of Thui River, of which some collapsed under the force of the water.

Likewise, the cultural heritage including cemeteries, ancient mounds, forts, mosques, tombs, shrines and Hindu temples came under floodwaters when breaches in Tori and Begari dykes occurred. Flood waters from these two breaches inundated large swathes of northern Sindh’s Kashmore, Jacobabad, and Shikarpur, QamberShahdadkot and Larkana dis tricts forcing millions of people to abandon their homes and seek safety under open skies.

About 300 archaeological sites and historical monuments are submerged under floodwaters. The condition of the beautiful Jamali tombs in Shahdadkot tehsil, is the worst. There are five tombs which are noted for folk tale paintings of Sasui-Punhun, Suhni-Mehar, Nuri-Jam Tamachi, Umar-Marvi, Moomal Rano, Sorath-Rai Dyach etc. Unfortunately, all the Jamali tombs are completely under floodwater.

The Chandia tombs in Shahadadkot and Gebi Dero in Qamber are also badly affected. In Jacobabad, numer ous monuments including Kot Jungo Mosque and the fort, Jamia mosque Ghospur, Hindu temple of Ghospur, Alam Khan Mosque, the tomb of Dad Muhammad Khan, Gul Muhammad mosque, the tomb of Shahal Khan, Nabi Baksh mosque, etc are all submerged. The affected monuments in Shikarpur district are also numerous.

The flood water is now heading towards Dadu district where the monuments of Kalhora period particularly the tombs of Mian Nasir Muhammad Kalhoro, Jamali tombs at Phulji and, at Murid Dero, Talpur tombs at Drigh Bala, Lund tombs at Pat Suleiman and Araro, Leghari tombs at Tor, Rustamani village, Haji Khan, Murid Dero and Jalab Dero are under serious threat.

It is feared that when the floodwater will recede, most of the tombs and mosques may cave in because the water has weakened the foundations of many monuments. Crops will grow back and houses and hutments swept away by the waters will also come up, roads will be rebuilt, but the loss of ancient cultural heritage is irreparable.

The writer is Staff Anthropologist at Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE). He may be contacted at: zulfi04@hotmail.com or re.isb@dawn.com

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Simple and symbolic Parsi Temple in Karachi

August 29, 2010 – 5:27 pm

Written by By Peerzada Salman for DAWN.

MAKE no mistake! No single group of people contributed more to the development and refinement of pre-1947 Karachi than the Parsi community. Be it Jamshed Nusserwanji or Kawasji Hormasji Katrak, be it Jehangir Kothari or Edulji Dinshaw, their unstinted generosity, their passion for making the city architecturally meaningful and their zeal for building worthwhile institutions and infrastructures resulted in turning Karachi into an exemplary town.

Jamshed Nusserwanji was the man behind the first ‘planned’ residential area for the middle class segment of society known as Jamshed Quarters; Kawasji Hormosji Katrak helped establish the to-date scenic Katrak Parsi Colony; and Jahangir Kothari gifted a sizeable piece of land to help the municipality build a promenade… these are only a few examples. The metropolis owes a great deal to all of them.

Sadly, in the first decade of the 21st century, Karachi is not a patch upon what its builders made it look like in the 18th and 19th centuries. You only wish if you could turn back the clock.

The Parsi community’s pure attitude to life and treating its munificence with care reflects in every facet of its existence. It’s no surprise that when oneand-a-half-century ago a place of worship for Parsis was constructed, the people who were responsible for it made sure that it remained sacred, unharmed and kept brimming with compassion. To date the H. J. Behrana Parsi Dar-eMeher (fire temple) looks as divinely beautiful as it may have come across at the time of its inception. And this is despite the fact that it stands in an area whose painfully noticeable contemporary traits are patchy roads, smoke-emitting, horn-honking public transport buses and uncouth vendors. Yes, the allusion is to the overly-crowded Saddar region.

Dar-e-Meher looks out over Daudpota Road which was formerly known as Frere Street. Dadi Banaji is the manager of Dar-e-Meher. He has devoted all his life to serving the holy place. He doesn’t think too much of the din and disturbance that unruly traffic outside causes, and keeps working hard to maintain the building clean as a whistle. Cleanliness, for him, is a virtue. So is tenderness for a site where people come to offer prayers.

Jahangir Nausherwan Sidhwa is a priest at Dar-eMeher and has been a regular here for no less than six decades. He’s seen the city change in front of him like a slow cutting of scenes in a movie. He says: “There was a time when these roads outside were empty. Trams used to run and people commuted by them. There was a railway track here. But then things changed and today heavy traffic and ear-splitting noise have turned things topsy-turvy.” Banaji’s son, 31-year-old Danishwar Dadi Banaji also works at Dar-e-Meher. He is an ebullient young chap who knows how to strike up a conversation. He says: “In 1948 there were 7,000 Parsis in Karachi. But then for various reasons people started moving abroad. Today the number has lessened and there are hardly 1,500 Parsis in the city. We try our best to keep our place of worship clean. At the start of Nauroz (Aug 9), devotees fill the hall on the first floor.” Dar-e-Meher has an eclectic façade and if you look at it carefully you’ll notice that it has many Zoroastrian symbolic figures on it. “There’s the Farohar on top, there are animal figures and even the pillars signify something sacred,” says Danishwar Dadi Banaji.

Architecturally speaking, all this goes well with the interior of the structure.

Gujarati and English languages are used in the commemorative plaque on the ground floor. It reads (in English), “Seth Heerjibhoy Jamshedji Behrana had estab lished in the year 1218 YZ (1848 AD) an Atash Adaran in Karachi.This Dar-e-Meher was very old and, therefore, after the death of the Seth, according to his will, his widow Bai Meherbai built this new Dar-eMeher and handed over the same along with several other properties for its upkeep to five trustees. On this day the Atash Adaran Shah was again consecrated and was enthroned in this new building for the use of the Parsi Community… Shanshahi 9th Roj Adar, 8th Mah Ava, 1244 YZ and Kadmi 9th Roj Adar, 9th Mah Adar, 1244 YZ, 27th April, 1875 AD.” The first floor has a huge hall on whose walls pictures of distinguished Parsi personalities of Karachi have been put up, including those of Jamshed Nusserwanji Mehta, Khan Sahib Hormusji Khurshedji Mama, Seth Khurshedji Shapurji Soparivala and Edulji Dinshaw. It’s like visiting a galaxy of luminous stars.

Architect Arif Hasan says: “The columns that you see on Dar-e-Meher’s ground floor appear to have been copied or inspired by the Persepolis columns. The parapets on the roof have symbols that are taken from ancient Persian architecture. On the whole it’s a simple and nice building with some symbolic elements.”In life symbols perhaps hold more importance than plainto-understand expressions. To be grateful is a symbolic ges ture as well as an obvious demonstration to someone who’s done you good. And Karachi is eternally grateful to its Parsi community.

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SOS to Unesco as rain endangers ancient Buddhist sites

August 29, 2010 – 4:32 pm

TAXILA, Aug 28: The recent rains have caused severe damage to scores of priceless stucco sculptures of the Buddhist period (4–5th century AD) at Taxila valley’s Mohra Moradu Stupa and Monastery which could have been saved had the archaeology department taken necessary steps to protect them.
This site is among the three most important of Taxila’s 18 Buddhist remains containing a rich collection of stucco sculptures and figures of Buddha which were still intact in the cellars of the monastery before the torrential rains.

The Mohra Moradu Monastery is located in a small valley between the ancient city of Sirkap and Jaulian, the site of the famous Buddhist University.

The site was savaged by treasurehunters who split apart the main stupa in the hope of finding gold inside. However the lower portion of the stupa buried under the ground remained protected as the vandals could not reach there and was found in good condition when the site was excavated by John Marshall in early 20th century. The stupa is famous for the many bas-reliefs of Buddha that adorn its base. The monastic cells around the stupa though badly crumbled yielded a treasure of stone stupas.

The settlement had been restored briefly before it was abandoned, after the invasion of the White Huns at the end of the fifth century. Unesco put this site on its list of the world cultural heritage sites in 1980. But the officials of Federal Department of Archaeology and museums, the custodians of the cultural heritage of the country, neglected the maintenance of the protective sheds which are all in a poor state and have exposed the sculptures and images to the ravages of the current monsoon rains.

A large number of these precious figures are now crumbling and may turn to dust if their decay is not stopped by necessary restorative work.

Mohammed Afzal, the caretaker of the monastery, said the weather beaten sheds built decades ago have developed holes and cracks through which water flows into the cellars and damages the ancient pieces of art. The sheds are not in a repairable condition and need to be replaced entirely. He said he had informed the higher au thorities about the condition of the sheds.There was seepage in the walls of the cellars which was highly dangerous for the sculpted antiques.The cell walls could collapse any time. One source at the Taxila office told this correspondent that higher officials were aware of the alarming situation at the site. He said last year a huge amount was spent on building a wall, iron grill and guard room under the Taxila to Swat Preservation and Restoration Project but no preservation work was undertaken as it was lengthy, technical work which did not yield any ‘profit’ for the authorities, whereas new constructions were lucrative for the managers.

When contacted, Deputy Director of Federal Department of Archaeology and Museums Bahadur Khan had the usual explanations for the neglect and damage to the antiques. He said due to financial problems the department was unable to undertake the expensive preservation and restoration work.

About the rain damage to sculptures at Mohra Maradu stupa, he said the matter had been reported to Ministry of Culture for provision of funds to save the stucco sculptures from further destruction. He said an SOS call had been made to Unesco and other donor agencies of Japan, Korea, France, Italy and Buddhist countries to help save these sites as the country in its present crisis could not do this job alone.

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Pakistani floods a proof of Climate Change From satelite images

August 25, 2010 – 6:59 pm

A series of satellite photographs conveys the epic scale of the floods sweeping through Pakistan, leaving millions homeless and the world aghast at an extreme weather disaster that experts consider the new normal.

Above at left is the central Pakistan city of Hyderabad on July 31. At right is the city on August 19, as floodwater swelled the Indus River. In coming days the water will reach the coast, joining tidal waters and inundating the floodplain. An estimated four million people are already homeless, and millions more at risk of disease. Agriculture is disrupted and a society thrown into disarray.

As University of Michigan atmospheric scientist Ricky Rood wrote on the Weather Underground blog, “What is happening in Pakistan cannot be described in a single word – like disaster or catastrophe. We are watching a combination of climate, weather, population, societal capacity, and geopolitics whose scope and ramifications are far beyond a “historic flood.”

The water has flowed south from northwestern Pakistan, where seasonal monsoon rains lasted for a month without stopping. Monsoons are normal, but the duration and intensity was bizarre. Climate scientists often describe such weather aberrations as fitting a pattern predicted by global warming — indeed, Indian subcontinent monsoons have been getting more extreme for a half-century — but don’t assign blame for specific events. In Pakistan, however, some scientists have no trouble placing blame.

“There’s no doubt that clearly the climate change is contributing, a major contributing factor,” World Climate Research Program director Ghassem Asrar told Climatewire.

While discussing a possible link between Pakistan’s floods and Russia’s heat wave, National Center for Atmospheric Research explained why the monsoons were so bad. The Indian Ocean’s surface waters have warmed by two degrees Fahrenheit since the late 1970s. That heats up the air, allowing it to hold more moisture, ultimately sending about eight percent more water vapor into monsoon systems over land. That extra eight percent stirs up the storms, causing them to pull in even more water.

“Global warming isn’t reponsible for the 85 percent” of the monsoon rain that is normal, said Trenberth. It’s responsible for the 15 extra percent — “and it’s that extra bit of water that causes devastation.”

Below are maps of the floods as overlaid onto the western, southern and eastern United States. After the jump are more before-and-after photographs of the flooding.

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Unique Science Projects

August 25, 2010 – 2:06 am

Everyone who has ever been to a science fair has seen the boring old science display like the baking sodaeruption or the paper universe, which have existed as favorites of some adults for what feels like generations. These styles of experiments are very simple and easy for the parents, however they are incredibly poor choices for the kids who must participate. What do they have to learn from them?

These basic experiments are the style of experiments that are so well-known that even the children understand what is going to occur before it does. When that occurs, then the children are not going to be learning much at all. Science fair judges have gotten bored with these types of presentations, and that is a tremendous problem for students and parents who endeavor to win prizes in their science fair competition. When it’s all said and done, this style of presentation is only really good for the parents who are helping out their kid, and it may come as a surprise to learn that these varieties of projects are not particularly cheap!

What you need to establish is a unique science fair experiment, or at least a project that beats those repetitive projects. In addition to helping your child achieve more, a better science fair project can give the child an increased chance of becoming the winner of the the competition. More often now than in previous years, these exhibitions provide a scholarship{{{, and even those competitions that do not provide one can certainly point to a science scholarship when your child is the appropriate age to enroll in a college. Those science fairs which do not typically from time to time lead to a science scholarship later on down the line. This can be a nice opportunity, and in addition to the high marks, the understanding, and the experience your child is receiving with their entry, it gives you, the parent, a great reason to try and do something special.

I’m sure that you’re asking yourself what type of original science experiments are recommended? The net seems like a excellent first alternative, but given the prevalence of use, one can be certain that state-wide science fairs will include a similar exhibit, especially if you found your idea from a well-known science fair blog. Even in a smaller science fair, or an in-class science fair, you would have to presume that there are one or two parents and students who are using the same sources which you have. Don’t forget to include the judges and teachers, either. They can spot a duplicate project a mile away. These duplicate projects are trouble from the teachers and judges, as this approach negates the whole purpose of science fairs: creating a scientific plan. The people who run these conventions are hoping for the participants to create something unique, on your own. In addition, you have to think about what kind of experience your child is going to have. A competition is their opportunity to show their own creativity, and plucking an easy or inexpensiveproject borrowed of an internet site isn’t helping them learn.

One can visit the library for books, or looking at downloadable ebooks as well. These sources are in general the best places for pre-made examples since there is more variety of choices, along with a smaller amount of people will have access to each one, minimizing the chances of seeing a duplicate project.

Have your child invent their own experiment, or if this plan does not work for them, have the child add their own unique twist to some small aspect of an interesting and more unique science project you have found in your research. You can borrow a little bit of ideas from the internet, especially from the “members only” websites that have very high quality experiments, and books or suggestions with more original ideas, but ensure to supplement them with an idea of your own!

If your child is in need of help with their science experiment ideas and you lack computer and spreadsheet knowledge or scientific knowledge, don’t be afraid to look an expert for help. A majority of those members only internet sites offer very helpful bonuses like ready-to-go charts, graphs and spreadsheets for your and your child’s use. You should get help from online tutors, who are usually going to be chemistry majors in college who can help you out with a little simple recommendations.

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Flood in Pakistan scientific facts and history

August 20, 2010 – 12:23 am

The Floods in the Indus valley are not new to this region the towering civilizations like Indus Civilization of Moen Jo Daro & Harrappa was probably also destroyed by similar floods. The reverine shells can still be found in all areas of south Pakistan prooving that the region had been flooded and flooded for a long time too.

Following article by BBC sheds some light on history and scientific reasons of the flood in Pakistan

Picture by Reuters shows gushing water in Swat Valley

The UN estimates that the humanitarian crisis is now larger than the combined effects of the three worst natural disasters to strike in the past decade which include the Asian tsunami and the major earthquakes that devastated Kashmir and Haiti

The headline figure of 1,700 killed masks the real scale of the disaster that has displaced 14 million people.

As I write, the southern city of Hyderabad, with a population of 1.5 million, stands on the brink of inundation as peak floodwaters surge downstream.

Scientists have described this catastrophe as a once-in-a-century flood. But could climate change mean that floods of this magnitude, or even bigger, become a more regular occurrence?

The “Great Mother” Sindu

The Indus is one of the world’s great rivers.  It si also known as mother and bloodline of Pakistan.

From its headwaters in the Himalayas of Tibet, it flows north-west through India before turning sharply south across Pakistan. It finally discharges into the Arabian Sea, a journey of some 3,200km (2,000 miles).

Although some of its water comes from melting Himalayan glaciers, the vast majority is dumped by the summer monsoon.

As torrential rain sweeps in from the Indian Ocean, floods are triggered almost annually.

Humans have had long experience of Indus flood

Its floodplain was an early cradle of civilisation 9,000 years ago. Here people first gave up their nomadic ways to farm livestock and cultivate crops.

Today, the Indus Valley is home to 100 million people, who rely on it completely for drinking water and irrigation. To many, it is “the Great Mother”.

Yet, as the catastrophic floods of August 2010 demonstrate, the Indus is both friend and foe.

History lessons

Geologists are working round the clock to better understand the ancient flood history of the Indus River.

Such history lessons will help to better predict its erratic behaviour and “plan for our own uncertain future”, said Professor Peter Clift of Aberdeen University, an expert on the Indus River.

His team recently used makeshift “rigs” to drill down into the sands and mud of the Indus floodplain. By precisely dating layers of flood-deposited sand, they were able to work out past changes in river flow.

Their results were startling.

During a warm period 6,000 years ago, the Indus was a monster river, more powerful and more prone to flooding than today.

Then, 4,000 years ago, as the climate cooled, a large part of it simply dried up. Deserts appeared whether mighty torrents once flowed.

Professor Clift believes that this failure of the Indus may have triggered the collapse of the great Harappan civilisation.

The city ruins of Mohenjo-daro, a relict of this lost culture, date from the time when the rivers ran dry.

But what caused these thousand-year cycles of Indus drought and flood?

Moen Jo Dari craddle of Indus civilization one of the reason of its destruction was a messive flood in 1700 BC

Perfect storm

Professor Martin Gibling of Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada, a river expert who has worked in the region, thinks that changes in the strength of the monsoon caused by climate change may be to blame.

He explained: “Monsoon intensity is somewhat sensitive to the surface temperature of the Indian Ocean.

“During times of cooler climate, less moisture is picked up from the ocean, the monsoon weakens, and the Indus river flow is reduced.”

So, will global warming have the reverse effect, returning the Indus to the monster river of 6,000 years ago?

“That is the million-dollar question”, said Professor John Clague, from Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, Canada, an expert on the Asian monsoon.

“There is huge uncertainty… and this is a matter of heated debate amongst scientists at present.”

However, Professor Rajiv Sinha, from the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur, who has had first hand experience of the floods, takes a more strident position.

“What all the climate models predict is that the distribution of monsoon rains will become more uneven in the future,” he told BBC News.

“Total rainfall stays the same, but it comes in shorter more intense bursts.”

In August 2010, more than half of the normal monsoon rain fell in only one week. Typically it is spread over three months.

Professor Sinha remarked: “Rivers just can’t cope with all that water in such a short time. It was five times, maybe 10 times, more than normal.”

So, if the unusually intense 2010 monsoon is the shape of things to come – and that is uncertain – the future may hold more flood misery for the people of Pakistan.

‘When the levee breaks’

Climate change may not be the only cause of Pakistan’s woes. There is also a sense that the current floods have been exacerbated by the way the Indus has been managed.

In the UK, flood risk is reduced by building levees (embankments) along vulnerable part of rivers. These barriers prevent them from bursting their banks in extreme floods. It is a system that has served well for generations.

But Pakistan’s rivers are different.

UK rivers carry very little sand and mud. In contrast, the Indus is choked with sediment eroding off the Himalayas. Building levees causes the river channel to silt up.

This has the unexpected effect of making Pakistan’s rivers prone to even bigger floods when the levees eventually break.

“What we’ve done is apply a system from the West that just doesn’t work [in South Asia],” said Professor Sinha.

That problem has been made worst by deforestation. Trees protect the headwaters from erosion. But over the past half century, more sediment has been flushed down the rivers as forests have been cut.

However, Dr James Dalton, water management advisor to the IUCN, said that “building levees also brings huge benefits and is essential for managing agriculture, but such systems cannot cope well with extreme events.”

Unpredictable future

Our understanding of why the Indus Valley is prone to catastrophic floods is steadily improving.

However, this will be of no consolation for those displaced by the worst humanitarian crisis in a decade.

And it is likely to become increasingly difficult to predict the future flood patterns of the Indus. Climate change will probably mean that monsoon rains are increasingly erratic.

History tells us that the “Great Mother” is fickle. For the 100 million people who call the floodplain home, the future is uncertain.

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