The balloon
vendor was a folk hero – a few decades
ago, in every festival, be it Theppam or village festivals – balloons were great
attraction. A small cart with a cylinder
– the man would fill the balloon with helium gas – we would be thrilled to see
the balloon hit the ceiling. In the
movie Vedi – Vivek would hide a few balloons inside his clothes, inflate them
to show himself as muscular man !!
When the
battle for TRPs goes to crazy levels, the ideas to win it get mad with each
passing minute. Beyond the craze for US elections, Bihar is gearing up for the
electoral fight of the year and India Today is not planning to be left behind
in its bid to attract viewers. So much so that one Aaj Tak anchor actually
stimulated landing in a hot gas balloon.
Chief
minister Trivendra Singh Rawat will inaugurate the day-long hot air balloon
festival that will be organised by the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Development
Board (UTDB) in collaboration with The Times Of India in Mussoorie on this
Sunday (November 8). This free-for-all hot air balloon festival is a part of
the celebration of the State Foundation Day (November 9). Tourism department
officials have confirmed that the hot air balloon festival will be organised at
George Everest Estate, Hathi Paon, in Mussoorie from 10 am to 5 pm on Sunday. People
can win two free hot air balloon rides by participating in the contests that
will be held on the occasion.
Michael Faraday FRS [1791
– 1867] was an English scientist who
contributed to the study of electromagnetism and electrochemistry. His main
discoveries include the principles underlying electromagnetic induction,
diamagnetism and electrolysis. Although
Faraday received little formal education, he was one of the most influential
scientists in history. It was by his
research on the magnetic field around a conductor carrying a direct current
that Faraday established the basis for the concept of the electromagnetic field
in physics. He discovered the principles
of electromagnetic induction and diamagnetism, and the laws of electrolysis. As a chemist, Faraday discovered benzene,
investigated the clathrate hydrate of chlorine, invented an early form of the
Bunsen burner and the system of oxidation numbers, and popularised terminology
such as "anode", "cathode", "electrode" and
"ion". Faraday ultimately became the first and foremost Fullerian
Professor of Chemistry at the Royal Institution, a lifetime position. Faraday
was an excellent experimentalist who conveyed his ideas in clear and simple
language; his mathematical abilities, however, did not extend as far as
trigonometry and were limited to the simplest algebra.
Albert Einstein kept a
picture of Faraday on his study wall, alongside pictures of Isaac Newton and
James Clerk Maxwell. Physicist Ernest Rutherford stated, "When we consider
the magnitude and extent of his discoveries and their influence on the progress
of science and of industry, there is no honour too great to pay to the memory
of Faraday, one of the greatest scientific discoverers of all time."
A balloon is
a flexible bag that can be inflated with a gas, such as helium, hydrogen,
nitrous oxide, oxygen, and air. For special tasks, balloons can be filled with
smoke, liquid water, granular media (e.g. sand, flour or rice), or light
sources. Modern day balloons are made from materials such as rubber, latex,
polychloroprene, or a nylon fabric, and can come in many different colors. Some
early balloons were made of dried animal bladders, such as the pig bladder.
Some balloons are used for decorative purposes or entertaining purposes, while
others are used for practical purposes such as meteorology, medical treatment,
military defense, or transportation. A balloon's properties, including its low
density and low cost, have led to a wide range of applications.
The rubber
balloon was invented by Michael Faraday in 1824, during experiments with
various gases. He invented them for use in the lab.
In India, we see gigantic
balloons for advertisements and at times used by Political parties. Aviation professionals flying over Los
Angeles International Airport have in the past few weeks reported at least two
sightings of jetpack-strapped fliers. Planes probably aren't enough for these
people. In 1982, Larry Walters, a 33-year-old
military veteran decided to use 45 helium-filled balloons to float his way from
Los Angeles to the Mojave Desert in a lawn chair. As he drifted over LAX at
16,000 ft or so on June 2, pilots flying into the airport reported the unusual
sight. His 45-minute flight ended safely.
Interesting !
With regards – S.
Sampathkumar
9th Nov. 2020.
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