Contents Inside
QUIZ
1. Which satellite was successfully placed into orbit by ISRO’s GSLV-F17 mission launched from Sriharikota on 4 September 2026?
a) NVS-02
b) NISAR
c) EOS-05
d) EOS-N1
2. At SEMICON India 2026, IIT Hyderabad signed a two-year MoU with which company for semiconductor research, training and industrial applications?
a) Tata Electronics
b) Kaynes Semicon
c) Micron India
d) Foxconn India
3. What was the significance of the FDA’s September 2026 approval of Zanvastro (zilganersen)?
a) It became the first gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy
b) It became the first approved treatment for Alexander disease
c) It became the first vaccine against Ebola
d) It became the first treatment for Sanfilippo syndrome
4. What did NASA’s Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes discover when their observations were combined in September 2026?
a) 27 previously unknown trans-Neptunian objects
b) 27 new exoplanets orbiting red dwarfs
c) 27 previously unknown moons of Neptune
d) 27 primordial black holes beyond the Milky Way
5. According to the climate data reported in September 2026, August 2026 tied which month/year as the warmest month on record?
a) July 2023
b) August 2023
c) July 2024
d) August 2025
Answers
- c)
- b)
- b)
- a)
- a)
PUZZLE
The Three-Switch Mystery
You are outside a closed laboratory room. Outside the room are three switches. Inside the room is one scientific instrument with a light indicator.
Only one switch controls the instrument.
You may turn the switches on or off as many times as you like, but you may enter the laboratory only once.
How can you determine which switch controls the instrument?
🔍 Solution Scan — QR Section
Answer:
Turn Switch 1 ON and leave it on for a few minutes. Then turn it OFF and immediately turn Switch 2 ON. Leave Switch 3 OFF.
Now enter the laboratory:
- If the indicator is ON, Switch 2 controls it.
- If the indicator is OFF but the instrument is warm, Switch 1 controls it.
- If the indicator is OFF and the instrument is cold, Switch 3 controls it.
Science behind the solution: The puzzle uses not only the visible state of the instrument but also thermal energy. Switch 1 leaves a heat signature even after being switched off.
CHALLENGE
Build a Simple Weather Station
Objective: Explore how scientists collect data about weather.
Challenge:
Using simple household materials, make a basic weather station. Create a rain gauge from a transparent bottle and a wind indicator from a strip of paper or ribbon. Record rainfall and wind direction for several days.
Extra Challenge:
Compare your observations with your local weather forecast. Which predictions matched your measurements? Which differed? Record your findings and think about why accurate weather forecasting requires instruments, satellites and computer models.
This challenge connects particularly well with September’s developments in Doppler weather radar, monsoon behaviour and extreme weather monitoring.
