Children and science
Surprisingly children show exemplary scientific temper and spirit of inquiry, given a chance!
Here is a set of scientific musings of school children peppered with humor and creativity!
To explain nuclear reactions, one child said, “When they broke open molecules, they found they were only stuffed with atoms. But when they broke open atoms, they found them stuffed with explosions.”
Concerning astronomy, one child said, “Most books now say our sun is a star. But it still knows how to change back into a sun in the day-time.” And another said, “Some people can tell what time it is by looking at the sun. But I have never been able to make out the numbers.”
“Vacuums are nothings,” said a young physics student. “We only mention them to let them know we know they’re there.”
“Evaporation gets blamed for a lot of things people forget to put the top on,” one child observed.
“Rain is often known as soft water, oppositely known as hail,” reported a budding meteorologist. Another added, “Thunder is a rich source of loudness.”
Other children added these observations: “Isotherms and isobars are even more important than their names sound.” And, “It is so hot in some places that the people there have to live in other places.” And, “The wind is like the air, only pushier.”
These children have a way to go in their quest for more knowledge, but I applaud their efforts to learn more about the universe.
(The source of the aforesaid snippets has slipped out of my memory. I’ll be glad to acknowledge it if someone cares to point it out to me.)
It is time our parents and educationists imbibe a craving for pure science in the minds of children and provide a space for experimentation and error.
Ban corporal punishment!
And punish those rabid criminals who unleash violence on innocent school children! These sadists constitute a menace to any civilized society. Nothing can be more cruel than beating a helpless child which is defenseless in the face of such bloodthirsty maniacs. And to use such weapons like canes and bound volumes of unread books is nothing short of barbarism. The case of Ramu Abhinav, a 16-year-old boy in Chennai, India who committed suicide after being thrashed by his schoolmaster underlines a sadistic tendency among a class of people entrusted with the well being and welfare of children. If acts of teachers were to drive their students to death, it merely indicates a serious malaise in our society. It is unfortunate that many schools in India still have rules permitting corporal punishment. Well-meaning newspapers like the very popular The Hindu are running a campaign editorially against such cruel practices, but the basic mindset amongst the teachers and parents that the child is to be treated like a perennial delinquent must get transformed.
I reproduce the following lines from the leader of The Hindu which succinctly depicts the social effects of the child’s woe:
India’s education is handicapped in yet another way: an inadequate number of dedicated teachers. It is true that school-teachers continue to be ill-paid, and, obviously, the profession often attracts the mediocre or those who fail to find other jobs. Even those who are talented and are capable of moulding tomorrow’s India soon fall into a rut of poverty and disrespect. The rod comes in handy for them to deal with their own resentment and anger against a society that is callously indifferent to their interests and betterment. The weak and helpless student is thus reduced to a punching bag. Such bodily abuse can affect a boy or a girl for life. Research has revealed that corporal punishment is not merely ineffective, but also makes children defiant, rebellious and hostile. They can develop a warped personality; they can become spouse beaters, molesters, rapists. What is more, they begin to believe that might is right, and that violence is the answer to most problems.
Innocence!
- Why don’t the grown-ups allow children to enjoy their innocence?
- Why do folks urge children to behave like adults while they are busy being children!
- When will the parents stop assuming that they possess all the wisdom and children are mere delinquents who are to be constantly put on leash under threat of punishment?
- Why don’t you please allow the kids to enjoy
the irreversible bliss of childhood!
My kingdom for a kids’ Utopia!
The basic right!
The indifference and selfishness of adults rob the children of their basic right - the right to be children!
Please, for heaven’s sake, allow children to be themselves!
The greatest and most enduring gifts that the parents can offer to the children are love, wisdom and courage!
You have no right to harm infants!
A revealing story appeared in a newspaper today stating that the King of pop Michael Jackson has turned his back on his father Joseph when he was in deep financial distress and had to sell his house to settle his dues.
So did his sister Janet.
Why?
The children could not simply forgive their dad for the way they had been treated by him when they were young. The old man had been so hard on them, as the story goes, that the scars are too deep to heal by time.
Moral of the story:
Be nice to children as they grow up, so that they�ll be nice to you in turn when you are grown too old to help yourself!
And you as parents (and the teachers too) have no right to inflict corporal punishment on the children - physically or mentally. The children are merely born through you and you don�t own them as such.
They represent the future and you can�t afford to harm the future of the planet. Period.
A girl child is your best bet!
When the chips are down, you can bank on your lovely girl child, who will stand by your side through fair or foul weather. Learn to shower affection on her and to recognize her distinct personality.
Fondle her and treat her like a princess!
Remember:
“A son is is a son till he gets a wife,
But a daughter is a daughter all through her life!”
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About Me
I am S.K!
Ok, what's the big deal, you may ask! But you may miss a good deal if you do not dwell deep into this web site, specially hand-crafted for you. But what about me, the person? Wait, I am not good at making things up. If you stumble upon a good-sounding résumé, please pass it on to me!
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He who joyfully marches in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would suffice. -
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