Ardaseer Cursetjee: A Celebrated Engineer!

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February 23, 2023

Ardaseer Cursetjee was a pioneering engineer who made a lasting impact on the world with his innovative spirit and dedication. He was an Indian Parsi who achieved great things in the face of adversity and whose influence is still felt to this day. This article will explore the life and work of this celebrated engineer.

Celebrating a Legendary Engineer

Ardaseer Cursetjee was born in 1808 in Bombay (Currently Mumbai), India. He received his early training in engineering from the East India Company and quickly rose in prominence. He worked on the construction of a steam ferry in 1832, and a short time later, he went on to build the first steam vessel in India, the ‘Robert Henderson’. He was also responsible for supervising the construction of the first steamship in the region, the ‘Diana’.

Cursetjee’s accomplishments in the field of engineering earned him a place in the prestigious ‘Institution of Civil Engineers’ in London, becoming the first Indian to be admitted. He was also a skilled mathematician, and in 1849, he published a classic work, ‘Treatise on Marine Surveying’. This book was used as a reference material in the Royal Navy and was even translated into French.

Cursetjee was also a talented architect and was responsible for the design of several notable structures in Bombay. His most famous design was the iconic St. Thomas Cathedral, a magnificent example of Gothic architecture which still stands today.

Ardaseer Cursetjee: An Inspiration

Cursetjee’s life and work remain an inspiration to engineers the world over. He rose to the top in the face of adversity, becoming the first Indian engineer to be admitted to the Institution of Civil Engineering in London, and a celebrated architect and mathematician. He was an innovator and a pioneer whose influence and contributions to the field of engineering still resonate today.

Cursetjee’s story is also a testament to the power of determination and hard work. Despite the numerous obstacles he faced in his life, his unwavering dedication saw him achieve great things. He was a beacon of hope for aspiring engineers and a source of pride for the Indian Parsi community.

Cursetjee also had a strong sense of social justice and was an advocate for workers’ rights. In 1847, he wrote a letter to the Governor of Bombay, in which he argued for improved working conditions and wages for labourers in the engineering sector. This letter shows that he was a man of great morals and dedication, who strove to make the world a better place.

Ardaseer Cursetjee was a true pioneer and an inspiration to engineers around the world. His story serves as a reminder that great accomplishments are possible when you have the determination and dedication to succeed. His legacy lives on in the numerous structures he designed and the works of engineering he inspired. We can all learn from his example and strive to do our part in making the world a better place.

Ola to build the world’s largest electric vehicle hub in India

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The Scientuit

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February 20, 2023

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Ola to build the world's largest electric vehicle hub in India

Ola Electric Mobility Pvt. of India proposes to invest 76.1 billion rupees ($920 million) in building what it claims will be the world’s largest electric car hub in order to localize the supply chain for cleaner transportation.

The 2,000-acre (809-hectare) center in Tamil Nadu, would be used to manufacture electric two-wheelers, automobiles, and battery cells, as well as house vendor and supplier parks, Ola said in a statement Friday. According to the company, the Indian business would commence mass production of cells from the hub later this year.

While localizing essential aspects of the EV supply chain, such as batteries, will make EVs more inexpensive, India only has a fraction of the raw materials required to meet domestic demand for lithium-ion batteries, which is expected to expand 100-fold by 2030, according to Crisil. A $2.3 billion government program to encourage advanced battery cell development will also benefit billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Ltd. and bullion refiner Rajesh Exports Ltd., in addition to Ola.

Creating a dependable supply chain could aid Ola in resolving production challenges with electric vehicles. 1,441 electric scooters were recalled by the Bengaluru-based company after one of the bikes in the batch caught fire. The delivery of Ola scooters was initially delayed due to India’s reliance on imported parts, the supply of which was affected by a global chip shortage.

Ola debuted its first lithium-ion cell last year, built in its battery innovation lab in Bengaluru with a $500 million investment, the startup said in a statement. Ola plans to focus on building a local supply chain for materials and components such as motors, rare-earth magnets, semiconductors, lithium processing, and electrode manufacture from minerals such as graphite and nickel over the next decade.

Twitter will now charge for two-factor authentication through SMS

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The Scientuit

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February 20, 2023

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Twitter will now charge for two-factor authentication through SMS

Twitter has made a significant update to its platform that may not be well embraced by all. Twitter has stopped two-factor authentication (2FA) by SMS for free users and made it a part of the Twitter Blue subscription.

Non-Blue Twitter users will no longer be able to enable 2FA through SMS. For those who are unfamiliar, 2FA allows you to log in using a code or security key in addition to your password, thereby adding an extra layer of security. This is now a paid feature that joins the other Twitter Blue features, such as the ‘prestigious’ blue tick.

It has been discovered that 2FA through text message or SMS is being used for harmful purposes, prompting the decision to avoid such occurrences in the future. Twitter provides an explanation regarding the change. Yet, no evidence has been produced to back up this assertion.

Facebook and Instagram to Charge $12 per month for blue checks

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The Scientuit

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February 20, 2023

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On Sunday, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in an Instagram update that a “Meta Verified” account will provide users a verified badge, improved visibility on the platforms, prioritised customer service, and more. Meta is piloting premium Instagram and Facebook verification for $11.99 per month on the web and $14.99 per month on mobile.

To become Meta Verified, you must achieve minimum activity requirements, be at least 18 years old, and provide a government ID that matches the name and photo you have on Facebook or Instagram.

This functionality will be available in Australia and New Zealand this week, and will be available in more countries soon.

The Xiaomi 13 Pro Launch in India on February 26

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The Scientuit

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February 8, 2023

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It’s time for the company’s flagship device to arrive in India, and Xiaomi has now announced that the Xiaomi 13 Pro will do so on February 26. The phone, which debuted in China in December 2022 and replaces the Xiaomi 12 Pro, features the most recent Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, cameras backed by Leica, and many other features. Here are some specifics.

The Xiaomi 13 Pro will launch on February 26th at 9:30 p.m. It will also be a worldwide debut at GMT+ 5:30, just in time for MWC 2023. The event will be webcast live on Xiaomi’s official website as well as social media channels like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.

The Xiaomi 13 Pro is visually distinct from its predecessor, with a massive square camera hump on the rear. Parts of the structure are made of nano-biological ceramic. The display on the front is a 6.73-inch 2K display with a refresh rate of 120Hz, a peak brightness of 1900 nits, and HDR10+ support. Up to 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage are supported.

It has a 50MP primary camera with a 1-inch Sony IMX989 sensor, a 50MP telephoto lens, and a 5MP ultra-wide lens. Leica Native Dual Image Quality, Leica’s colour science, Leica filters, and more are among the Leica tidbits.

The Xiaomi 13 Pro is powered by a 4,820mAh battery that supports 120W fast charging as well as reverse charging. It runs Android 13-based MIUI 14 and includes dual stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos, NFC, and other features.

Given that Xiaomi usually only releases the Pro versions of its high-end phones in India, it remains to be seen if the standard Xiaomi 13 will make the cut. Pricing could be under Rs 70,000, but we’ll have to wait until the event to get a better idea. Keep an eye out for more details on the upcoming Xiaomi 13 Pro, which will compete with the likes of the recently released OnePlus 11, iQOO 11, and Samsung Galaxy S23 series.

Pluto enters Neptune’s orbit

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The Scientuit

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February 7, 2023

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07 February 1979 : On this day, Pluto enters Neptune’s orbit for the first time since the planets’ discovery.

Most planets’ orbits are essentially circular, whereas Pluto’s is more elliptical in shape. Pluto’s orbit is more eccentric than that of the other planets.

A circle’s eccentricity is equal to zero. However, Pluto’s eccentricity is 0.251, implying that its orbit crosses that of Neptune from February 7, 1979 to February 11, 1999, bringing that planet closer to the Sun.

Pluto was thought to be the ninth planet from the Sun when Clyde Tombaugh discovered it in 1930.

Pluto temporarily entered Neptune’s orbit on February 7, 1979, making it the eighth planet from the Sun.

Following the discovery of numerous objects of comparable size in the Kuiper belt, Pluto’s classification as a planet was called into question after 1992, and Pluto was excluded and reclassified as a dwarf planet.

On August 24, 2006, the International Astronomical Union General Assembly designated Pluto as a “Dwarf Planet” (IAU).

GSAT-31 was launched

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February 6, 2023

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Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Communication Satellite GSAT-31 Launch by Ariane-5 ESA

06 February 2019 : GSAT-31, a high-throughput communications satellite created by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), was launched on February 6, 2019 from Kourou Launch Base in French Guiana by launch vehicle Ariane-5 VA-247.

In order to replace some of the satellites that will soon expire, this Ku-band communication satellite was launched into geostationary orbit.

GSAT-31 will contribute to the delivery of DTH television services, connecting to VSATs for ATM, stock market, digital satellite news gathering (DSNG), and e-government applications. The satellite will also be utilised to carry large amounts of data for a variety of new communications applications. The satellite transmits two Ku-band beacon downlink signals to aid with terrestrial tracking.

GSAT-31 has about 15 years left on its mission after launch.

Ariane 5

The backbone of Europe’s autonomous access to space is the Ariane 5 rocket.

Currently, Ariane 5 ECA is the only configuration in use (Evolved Cryogenic, model A). It is capable of launching one, two, or three enormous satellites.

Image : Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) , The European Space Agency (ESA)

Sir C V Raman – Indian Physicist

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December 21, 2022

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Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman (C V Raman) was an Indian physicist who became world-known as a result of his discovery in 1928, as well as a Nobel Prize winner in 1930, of the phenomenon known to physicists as “The Raman Effect”—the scattering of light by molecules and atoms at the molecular and atomic levels, respectively. He is also credited with formulating what came to be known as the “Raman formula” for determining molecular frequencies in matter.

Raman studied at the Madras University under J C Bose (1894–1945), but left India in 1915 to study at the Cavendish Laboratory of Cambridge University, where Sir Joseph John Thomson (1856–1940) had established his famous magnetic resonance project against the background of World War I; it was there that he worked with British scientists including Sir Arthur Eddington (1882–1944). In 1919 he returned home to India only to find that two years earlier he had been awarded a Fellowship at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland

In 1918, Raman discovered the emission of light in gases and liquids. Using this discovery as a basis, he was able to establish the existence of a particular kind of radiation, now called Raman scattering, which is largely responsible for the development of lasers and mobile phones.

Raman demonstrated that different colours of light, when scattered off a crystal, can produce very different spectra. He developed the concept of laser in 1923 and invented an optical bench that found widespread use in spectroscopy and physics laboratories.

Raman discovered the phenomenon of infrared radiation, which he called “spontaneous emission.” His discovery became the basis for the modern theory of light. Much of Raman’s work rested on his discovery that solutions in which an element is dissolved are subject to vibrations of a type similar to those of a musical scale. He thus applied this principle to other phenomena and developed a system of spectroscopy in which light was analysed in terms of its wavelength and frequency. He also established the characteristics and effects evoked by various chemical substances when they pass through various chemicals such as methane and hydrogen sulphide.