Chasing the ‘Ring of Fire’ in the sky from sea cruise
Chasing the ‘Ring of Fire’ in the sky from sea cruise
The Aquamarine is no ordinary vessel. It is India’s first eclipse cruise, which will sail to Male in the Maldives on January 13 to chase the ‘Ring of Fire’, or the millennium’s longest annular solar eclipse. The eclipse will be seen for the longest time in the Indian Ocean nation on January 15.
A science communication organisation SPACE (Science Popularisation Association of Communicators and Educators) has tied up with Louis Cruises India to run the luxury vessel from Kochi to Maldives carrying eclipse chasers looking to see the ‘Ring of Fire’ when the Sun’s disc will be covered by the Moon.
The cruise will start at 3 p.m. on January 13 and reach Male at 5 p.m. on January 14. People interested in getting on board the cruise will have to shell out something between Rs.17,000 to Rs.50,000 for the four-day three-night trip.
Four astronomers along with three telescopes, besides a number of binoculars with solar filters will be on hand aboard the vessel to facilitate eclipse viewing. (more…)
‘India needs an efficient regulator for nanotechnology’
‘India needs an efficient regulator for nanotechnology’
Thiruvananthapuram India should have an efficient regulatory body and well defined protocols for dealing with the deployment of nanotechnology, handling, movement and approval of nano products. There should be an adequate database
on toxicity, said Dr Shantikumar Nair, head of the Kerala-based Amrita Centre for Nanosciences.
Speaking at an exclusive session on nanotechnology and education of the 97th Indian Science Congress on Wednesday, he said : “Nano technology is being deployed world over in various sectors like healthcare, food, agriculture, engineering, energy, textiles. India needs to make progress by deploying nanotechnology. Hence we need to set up an efficient regulatory system not only for ensuring safety but also for building up public confidence.”
When asked whether the existing regulator for transgenic products – Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) – was capable to deal with the situation, he said : “We need to set up a different regulatory body.” (more…)