Young Scientists Exhibit New Inventions

From a new gadget to thwart terror to experimental bringing up of a plant in water for long without soil, several innovative ideas were exhibited by children participating in the Children's Science Congress, one of the major events of the 96th edition of the Indian Science Congress held at NEHU in Shillong.

Topan Kumar Samal, a student of Kendriya Vidyalaya, CRPF, Bhubaneswar, made a model of a 'logical' Close Circuit Camera Television (CCTV) fitted with a killing weapon to identify and gun down terrorists from a control room.

He came up with the idea after he saw TV footage of the Mumbai terror attack at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus where terrorists went on a rampage killing many innocents even as security personnel laid down their lives confronting the terrorists.

''I was thinking how causalities relating to security personnel could be reduced and then came up with the model, where security personnel need not go into the conflict zone but make the best use of available technology,'' he said.

The young scientist made a model of his innovation saying that security agencies need not physically venture into a conflict zone but personnel at the control room could gun down any terrorist after proper identification.

Bharati Singh, of BBL Public School, was fascinated by a history lesson where she learnt that soldiers during World War II applied mosses to their wounds when they were injured to stop infection.

''We did some experimentation on mosses and finally extracted a protein that could prevent multiplication of viruses and were thrilled with the result. We finally applied for patent of our discovery in December,'' she said.

Philawan Shisha Thabah, a student of Meghalaya's Laitumkhrah Presbyterian Higher Secondary School, Shillong, exhibited her invention of 'nutrient film technique'. The nutrient film technique is a method of growing crops in a nutritional rich solution without the use of soil.

The basic idea is to grow plants in a thin film of nutrient which allows the root of the plants to have constant contact with the nutrient and the air layer above at the same time.

The nutrient rich solution is continuously pumped to nurture the plants and any excess is recycled back to a nutrient reservoir.

Another child scientist Sumen K Marak, of St Thomas Higher Secondary School, Mendipathar, East Garo Hills, exhibited organic non-toxic pesticides invented by her which can be used without any side effects to the crops and plants.

According to her, the indigenous, home-made organic pesticides could be promoted among farmers in a large way in the Northeast.

Ms Marak developed chilli, neem, garlic and tobacco based solution to be used as non-toxic pesticides for the growth of these produces.

Dheeraj Kumar, a student of SKD academy, Lucknow, concerned with the waste of energy because street lights are never put off during the day, has evolved a system that will turn off the lights the moment the sun rises.

The system, which prompts the streetlights to automatically turn off and on with the sunrise and sunset, has already been put into use in his locality, claimed Kumar, adding the country's endeavour to save energy will get a fillip if the system is put into use.

Source: UNI