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Inculcating scientific curiosity in children
KOCHI: The concern that children have for nature and for the future of mankind could not go unnoticed at Shastra 2011, an inter-school Children's Science Congress that was held at Campion School, Edapally recently.
Their apprehensions about the looming energy crisis, global food shortage, air/water/sound pollution, adverse effects of climate change… all found mention in the over 100 research papers that were presented at the two-day congress.
A IXth standard student highlighted the potential of aeroponic cultivation to overcome the food crisis, while a XIth standard student spoke of how music therapy is an unconventional method to treat behavioural disorders.
The event was organised jointly by the Kerala Science and Technology Society and the Rotary Club of Cochin Lords, to motivate students to venture into scientific research and present their papers. “Such programmes provide them a platform to interact with their peers and also eminent scientists who come to interact with them. The papers that they presented were prepared on the basis of surveys,” said Prof. A.. Ramachandran, the programme's chairman.
Also presented were papers on the advantages of organic farming and the ill-effects of pesticides like endosulfan. The other topics included biotechnology, nanotechnology and non-conventional energy sources.
The event was inaugurated by S. Ananthanarayanan, Director of the Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory, Kochi.
A book containing the abstracts of the presentations made at the event too was released.
Among the many interesting topics presented were on ‘milk as a renewable source of energy', ‘the role of maths in computer technology', ‘climate change and sustainability of life', ‘is it possible to make objects invisible', ‘energy hierarchy of tomorrow, measuring speed of light with a microwave oven', ‘electricity from human energy, vaccination – caution better than complacence', ‘comparative study on the rate of growth of bean seeds in cow dung and urea', ‘application of rare earths in agriculture', ‘endosulfan – a humanicide rather than an insecticide', ‘sleep habits in different age groups/genders and their implication of memory', ‘study of e.coli bacteria in well water', ‘rooftop rainwater harvesting', and ‘harnessing energy from underwater currents in rivers'.
The response from the students showed that it is possible to promote curiosity and scientific temper among students if a favourable environment is created in schools, Prof. Ramachandran remarked.
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