Etcetera

How Things Work

Solar-powered Aircraft
Last fortnight, a solarpowered aircraft, Solar Impulse, completed a pioneering 24-hour nonstop flight and landed safely at an airbase near Berne, the Swiss capital. Yes, an aircraft powered by solar energy flew through the night! This was the first time a manned, solarpowered plane, had done this.

Here’s how it happened: Vital stats Weighing 1,600 kg, the plane can clock an average flying speed of 70 km per hour — about the scorching speed of an accelerating moped. With the wingspan of an Airbus A340, decked with 12,000 solar cells, the plane is a flying machine designed for one purpose — saving energy as it flies.

The design When the sun is up, each square metre of the aircraft’s exposed surface receives the equivalent of 1.3 horsepower of light power. Powered by four10-horsepower electric motors, each as powerful as the ones that took the Wright Brothers airborne a century ago, Solar Impulse has a custom-designed carbon fibre structure, propulsion chain, and flight instrumentation that save energy. Next step: a non-stop flight around the world in 2013-14.

Just Wondering

Vedanta's Varsity Blues
It is supposed to be mining giant Vedanta Group's contribution to Indian education. Modelled on the lines of global universities like Harvard and Oxford, the proposed Vedanta University, when completed, would be spread over 6,000 acres with 100,000 students from across the world. Vedanta plans to invest Rs 15,000 crore in the varsity, which would come up along the Puri-Konark highway in Orissa, where, incidentally, several of the company's controversial projects are located. The first phase of the university was supposed to come up in mid-2011.

However, nothing much has happened on the ground, thanks to stiff opposition from the locals, and the political sensitivity over Vedanta's projects in the state. For example, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF) granted the environment and coastal regulation zone clearances for the project in April 2010.

However, a month later, the ministry stayed the approvals stating that it had information about "irregularities, illegal, unethical and unlawful deeds" of the Anil Agarwal Foundation, which is spearheading the project. The Orissa government has come under fire for acquiring land for the project in an inordinate hurry. Looks like this is one university where classes will begin late.

Quirky

Bird Wind Power
At a recent venture capital conference in Mumbai, heads of agribusinesses were shooting the breeze on innovative ways to make their businesses greener, and earn carbon credits. And, the ideas came rolling in. One ingenious bright spark involved feeding poultry birds with pills which would stop them from, hold your breath, passing wind.

That would reduce methane emissions (which formed a major part of bird and human gaseous releases) and, in turn, earn carbon credits. Sounds like a whole lot of gas? Not exactly. A lot of effort has gone to save the world from the evils of flatulence.

Scientists from New Zealand developed a vaccine in 2008 which prevents sheep from passing gas. Why such extreme measures? Forty-five million sheep and 10 million cattle in New Zealand accounted for almost 90 per cent of that country's methane emissions. Enough to raise a stink.

Snoot Corner

Belgian Chocolate
Belgian chocolate has been famous since the 18th century, but really came into its own around a hundred years ago when a chocolatier, Jean Neuhaus II, created the 'praline' at his store in Brussels. It's different from most mass produced chocolates.

Belgian chocolatiers get their couverture in specially heated tanker trucks, which allows the buttery chocolate to retain more of its flavour, and chocolate makers to make their famous gourmet pralines.

While you can buy all the famous brands such as Godiva, Leonidas, Neuhaus and Nirvana at major outlets, they can set you back a fair amount. But, if you really consider yourself a 'chocolate devotee', you should go on a pilgrimage to the 150-year-old Neuhaus store at the Galeries St. Hubert in Brussels.