Kid News This Week: India’s new controversial Ram temple, food fumes upcycled with Swedish innovation, Amazon’s ancient city discovery, UK’s foul-mouthed parrots
In world news for kids (and adults!) this week… India sees the grand opening of the new Ram Temple in Ayodhya, but not everyone is happy – we dive deep to explain why. Also, a major discovery is found hidden beneath the Amazon rainforest – not just remains of the Upano people, but – thanks to laser technology – it’s discovered they were a vast and sophisticated civilization. And did you have any idea how dirty fast-food fumes can be, never mind posh cooking in big, fancy kitchens too? Well, some clever scientists in Sweden have an innovative solution – the Lepido device – for upcycling food fumes. And in Britain a zoo tries – again – to stop foul-mouthed parrots from creating a naughty pandemonium!
EPISODE-172
LEELA: This week… India’s new controversial temple, fast food fumes are upcycled, Amazon’s ancient city discovery and Britain’s foul-mouthed parrots.
OPENING STING – LEELA: “Hey, hey, hey. Listen up. New, new, newsy – Newsy Pooloozi!”
THEME MUSIC
LEELA: Hello and welcome to Newsy Pooloozi – the news pool for curious kids.
MAMA: And adults like it too!
LEELA: Oh, yes, they do. I have it in good authority it’s the main news source for a whole BUNCH of adults!
So, I’m your host Leela Sivasankar Prickitt and, as ever, I’m joined by my sidekick and mother…
MAMA: Otherwise called Lyndee Prickitt.
LEELA: And this is your one-stop-shop for the most important AND wacky news happening around the world.
This week…
Laser technology uncovers something ancient and sophisticated underneath the Amazon Forest.
Swedish scientists are find out how to upcycle those sticky, smokey fumes coming out of cheap fast-food joints and swanky kitchens around the world.
We’ll also have a special report from right here in India where a newly built temple has caused controversy and delight.
And to top it all off, foul-mouthed parrots undergo NEW rehabilitation treatment to stop insulting visitors.
Alrighty then, let’s dive on in. First up, it’s the…
BIG NEWS STORY STING – VARIOUS VOICES: “The big news story of the week!”
MAMA: So, There was a huge event that took place in India last week.
LEELA: Republic Day? January 26th – the day India adopted its constitution and became a nation, or should I say, a republic?
MAMA: No. While that is always interesting to see the parade on TV that happens in New Delhi, near parliament, I’m talking about that HUGE news story that happened in India earlier last week.
LEELA: Oh, The opening of the new temple built on what’s considered to be the birthplace of Lord Ram… in the city of Ayodhya.
MAMA: That’s the one. And, sadly, it’s not without controversy, is it?
LEELA: Oh, no. Kinda feels like everything in India is controversial!
MAMA: Well, when you’ve been colonized for so long, it takes a loooong time for those wounds to heal and for a country to develop confidence in what it is, never mind what it WAS.
LEELA: OK, then.
MAMA: Anyway, I’m happy to say we have a special report from our correspondent, Krisha Bang, to help unravel this kinda complicated story.
LEELA: Well, then, over to you, Krisha.
KRISHA: Thanks, Leela!
So, Hinduism has many gods and goddesses associated with it.
And one of the most important is Lord Rama, who’s adventurous life was written in one of the oldest epics on Earth, The Ramayana.
Well, Lord Ram is said to have been born in the city of Ayodhya in northern India.
So, you can imagine it’s a big deal.
Hindus believe there was a temple built on the spot, naturally.
And even archaeological surveys back this up.
But – it’s not so simple.
You see India was invaded a lot.
And in the 1500s, the Mughal Emperor Babur built a mosque, called the Babri Masjid, on the same spot.
Since then, there’s been doubt, debates and fights about whose religious building could rightfully stand on that land.
And things got really ugly in 1992, when a Hindu mob demolished – as in tore down – the mosque.
Not surprisingly, that sparked VIOLENCE between Hindus and Muslims all over the country.
Ten years later the dispute was fought out in court.
And some 17 years later, in 2019, the Supreme Court ordered the land to be handed over to a trust to… build the Ram Temple.
Five acres of nearby land was given AS COMPENSATION for the rebuilding of A GRAND Masjid too.
Well, the Ram Mandir that’s the Hindi word for temple has been rebuilt – for a cool $217 million dollars and last week it was open with a lot of fan.
And last week it was opened with a LOT of fanfare.
SFX FROM THE OPENING OF THE RAM MANDIR
We’re talking loads of priests, musicians and the Prime Minister of India himself – followed by some half a million devotees.
While most Indians have welcomed the temple, some are worried this will turn India into a “Hindu religious state.”
But I’m hoping – since Hinduism is really view on life that means to live and let live – that we’ll just get on with that.
In Mumbai, India, I’m Krisha Bang, reporting for Newsy Pooloozi!!
LEELA: Thanks a lot shading light on my complicated story Krisha.
MAMA: Yeah, thanks Krisha. Leela, what do you know about the word civilization?
LEELA: Hmm… I wanna to say it’s like an ecosystem of people like roads and politics that kind of help shape what we have today.
MAMA: Well close enough. A civilization is a society that’s developed a way of living in a community- with as you say language, a system of government and probably lots of infrastructure.
LEELA: Meaning the roads, water and other stuff everyone can use.
MAMA: Eactly. So, when I say rainforest – as in the world’s largest, Amazon Rainforest in South America – do you think of civilizations?
LEELA: Uh. No. I think of creepy crawlies, like snakes and poison dart frogs and gorillas and definitely not infrastructure.
MAMA: Quiet. Then you’re never gonna believe what a group of archaeologists –
LEELA: As in the people who uncover dinosaur bones and other ancient stuff.
MAMA: Yes. What they discovered in the Amazon Rainforest under part of the country of Ecuador.
LEELA: Go on…
MAMA: An ancient, sophisticated civilization, of course. In fact, a whole network of cities deep, which some are “America’s long-lost Rome.”
LEELA: What – under all that rain forest? There was a metroplex?!
MAMA: Long, long ago, in 500BC. Before it was covered in rainforest, yes.
LEELA: Wait – how do they know that?
MAMA: Well, that’s the really cool bit. This group of archeologists used some fancy new laser technology.
LEELA: What? I always thought laser lights were just used to keep cats jumping around after the beams!
MAMA: Yeah, way more than that. So, it’s called LIDAR, which stands for “light detecting and range,” which is a way of visualizing something buried deep or covered. LiDAR is also the tech used in self-driving cars. So, it’s used in archeology to map out details of former civilizations buried underneath a canopy of trees, for example.
LEELA: That’s so cool!
MAMA: Yep. See they already knew people they call Upano people, lived there. But what they didn´t know was how detailed their infrastructure was!
LEELA: How sophisticated their civilization was.
MAMA: Exactly! But with LiDAR they found what easily looks like roads, neighborhoods and gardens. They found thousands of rectangular platforms around 10-20 feet high that they think the Upano people-built homes on top of.
LEELA: That’s crazy! Who knew you could find out so much stuff with laser beams!
MAMA: I’m dying to make a LiDAR pun right here, but I’ll keep you know light.
LEELA: Huh? Oh. Good one…
MAMA: Oh, stop. You gonna make me start beaming with pride…
LEELA: Alright. One pun is enough, Mama.
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20240122-the-discovery-of-the-americas-long-lost-rome
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lidar]
WORLD WRAP STING – LEELA: “What’s that? I’ll tell you what. That’s the halftime bell! Which means… it’s time to hear what’s making news around the rest of the world. Hold on tight, it’s around the world in 80 seconds.”
MAMA: In the ongoing war between Israel and the militant group Hamas, more than half of the buildings in the Gaza Strip have been damaged or destroyed. Israel says this is because the terrorists are embedded within residential and community areas. According to the UN more than 80% of Gaza's population is displaced.
In science fiction news– I mean in tech news – Tesla owner Elon Musk says his other company, Neuralink, has successfully implanted a computer chip inside a human brain. The chip, which is designed to be recharged wirelessly, would mean people can control almost any device, from a phone to a computer, with their mind. Wild.
In sports news Las Vegas prepares to host the Super Bowl match between the San Francisco 49ers and the Detroit Lions on Sunday. And the players are gearing up too with the help of some furry friends. Silicon Valley’s Human Society brought its comforting canine team to help the 49ers soothe their pre-match nerves with the power of puppy love.
And speaking of adorable, way down under in New Zealand there was an unusual delay at Wellington’s airport as a pilot spotted a lost little blue baby penguin waddling along the runway. We’re happy to say the baby bird was rescued and taken to a nearby zoo.
[SOURCES: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68006607
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/01/30/business/elon-musk-brain-implant-neuralink-intl-hnk/index.html
https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/01/24/unlikely-visitor-holds-up-plane-on-wellington-airport-runway/
MAMA: So, in the last episode we talked about some cool, natural ways the earth can absorb carbon dioxide.
LEELA: Yep – to such an extent that it caused an ice age!
MAMA: Exactly. Opening up all sorts of possibilities for a way we could try to cool our warming planet.
LEELA: I do love a story about scientists working on cool innovations that might help reduce the effects of climate change.
MAMA: Well, there’s more!
LEELA: MORE carbon capturers?
MAMA: Well, actually, this week we’re not talking about cleaning the air, but making the most out of the energy we create and use day in and day out to make our modern life more comfortable.
SFX OF AIR CONDITIONING
LEELA: You mean like all the air conditioning we use to keep us cool in summer and warm in the winter.
MAMA: Yep, we spend a lot of energy doing things like that. And this…
SFX OF GREASE FRYING
LEELA: Ummmm, eating?
MAMA: Cooking, to be precise. Yes, believe it or not, now that the earth has sooooo many of us, keeping us fed takes a LOT of energy.
LEELA: Oh, yeah. And creates a lot of pollution in developing countries, like here in India, where so many people still cook on open fires.
SFX OF FIRE, FLAMES FLICKERING
MAMA: Well, not just old ways of cooking – which, you’re right, creates dirty air especially in large numbers, like we have now. But even modern, supposedly slick ways of cooking can be dirty. Especially fast food.
LEELA: Oh, no, not another reason to diss fast-food, Mama!
MAMA: I know. But there’s reason to be optimistic as scientists work hard to find new ways that could help us make use of stinky, smokey kitchen fumes.
LEELA: Wait. How are climate scientists making fast food better for the environment?
MAMA: Well, the food itself is not any healthier, let´s just get that straight.
LEELA: But still delicious!
MAMA: Ok, I’ll give you that! But you know it’s not only unhealthy to eat, but all that cooking and frying of fries, fish and chicken nuggets, never mind those fancy wood ovens for pizzas… Well, that’s not exactly great for…
LEELA: The air!
MAMA: Exactly. Enter… drumroll, please.
SFX OF DRUMROLL
MAMA: An invention from Swedish scientists that turns dirty food fumes into reusable energy.
LEELA: Wahoo!
MAMA: And not just that can save people thousands of dollars on heating bills!
LEELA: Now that takes upcycling to the next level!
MAMA: Here – have a look at Lepido’s website.
LEELA: Oh, I see… Ummm, to be honest, it just looks like a big metal box with a jumble of wires??
MAMA: Ha! Actually, it’s just a heat exchanger with an awesome new design.
LEELA: And a heat exchanger is what exactly…?
MAMA: In simple terms, a heat exchanger is a device that transfers heat from one liquid or gas to another.
LEELA: So, in this case – of food fumes, that would be gas?
MAMA: Right. Now, imagine a metal tube of boiling hot water. You stick that tube into a bucket of cold water, and soon, the bucket of water will become….
LEELA: Warm! That’s the heat exchange. Got it.
MAMA: Okay, Heat exchangers are used in air conditioning units, as well as in space heaters. Factories use them as do petroleum refineries and sewage treatment facilities.
LEELA: That’s gotta smell nice… So, it sounds like they’re everywhere? So, what’s the big deal? The new news?
MAMA: Well, they’re not everywhere. That not in places like restaurant kitchens or big laundromats, heat exchangers tend to get very dirty, very quickly.
LEELA: Oh, let me guess. All that grease and dust in the air?
MAMA: Yep. That heat and grease clogs the heat exchangers and prevents them from working correctly.
LEELA: Until now…?
MAMA: yes! Lepido is a heat exchanger that keeps the heat moving. In other words, their innovative design means the grease or bits of lint and dust don’t get stuck and energy can be transferred without dirty build up.
LEELA: Wait. Please don´t tell me Lepido pumps smelly French-fry air into the restaurant where people eat? That’s kind of gross.
MAMA: Don’t worry. The heat created by the cooking is just used to warm up the heating pipes that warm up the restaurant. Heat is transferred, not smell.
LEELA: Ah ha! Good to know! So, great job, Sweden! I think it’s time for some Swedish meatballs and fries to celebrate this great new innovation!
MAMA: Alright. Let’s do it. I mean, everything in moderation… Right!
[SOURCE: https://www.thermex.co.uk/news/blog/160-what-is-a-heat-exchanger#1.1
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/heat-exchanger
https://www.enjaysystems.com/our-product
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-65328579
https://en.reset.org/enjay-turning-greasy-restaurant-air-recycled-energy-06132019/
https://news.mit.edu/2023/mineral-produced-plate-tectonics-global-cooling-effect-1130
ODDBALL STING – VARIOUS VOICES: “Step right up, step right up… Have a go at the lucky dip machine… What’s it gonna be today, eh? An oddball, no doubt!”
LEELA: So, this is a top up of a story from, long ago. We’re talking Episode 16, back in October 2022.
MAMA: Wow – the middle of the COVID pandemic, you mean?
LEELA: Oh, yeah, I guess so.
MAMA: Back when you were just 7 and sounded so young and sweet…
LEELA: And not just me. But our South of England correspondent, Jackson Hosking too.
MAMA: Oh, great – this is a Jackson story.
LEELA: But you know who didn’t sound so great – depending on your definition of the word…
MAMA: Uhhh, who?
LEELA: Those naughty parrots in England?
MAMA: The pesky parrots?
LEELA: No, the swearing ones!
MAMA: Oh, wow them!
LEELA: Oh, yes… That bunch of African grey parrots who were repeating swear words at visitors in an English zoo! Can you image hearing a parrot say …
MAMA: Ooook, just a second there, missy. I think we don’t need to repeat the various colorful, and apparently very realistic sounding, words that this group of parrots are spewing.
LEELA: Yes… Well, suffice to say, back in 2020, when this story first came out, the group of five parrots were sequestered – as in separated – from the other parrots in the group as a way to get them to stop doing it.
MAMA: And, let me guess, it didn´t work?
LEELA: No, ma’am. Now there are actually eight swearing parrots.
MAMA: Oh my gosh, I think we need a top-up on this story.
LEELA: We are sure, do. Play the sting, Mama.
TOP-UP TIME STING – VARIOUS VOICES: “Go on give me a top up, please? It’s top-up time. Top-up time! Top-up time! Top-up time! Top-up time! Top-up time! Now? Yeah, now. It’s top-up time.”
LEELA: And here with the update on the naughty, swearing parrots is none other than Jackson Hosking! Over to you, Jack.
JACKSON: Thanks, Leela!
So, this story gives new meaning to the word “pandemonium.”
That’s a word usually used to describe noisy chaos – but as a loyal listener to Newsy Pooloozi would know – it also means a flock or group of parrots.
Well, like you said, in 2020 the Lincolnshire Wildlife Centre separated Billy, Tyson, Eric, Jade, and Elsie – also known as the “swearing parrots” – from the rest of the pandemonium to make sure they didn’t spread the words.
But that didn’t exactly go as planned.
So… Enter: Sheila, Captain and Eric yes, another Eric one.
These are three new parrots that were recently donated to the zoo.
And guess what?
They are even more foul mouthed than the original five!
You’re probably wondering HOW these parrots got such foul-mouths to begin with?
No, not naughty zookeepers. Please! They’re quite a dignified bunch.
But most of these parrots came from naughty homes, where their original keepers thought it was funny to teach a bird to say, ummm, shall I just say, bleeeeeep.
Or they mimicked an owner who accidentally swore, but then were greeted with such an uproar of laughter and attention they kept up that behavior.
SFX OF BIRD (OR PERSON?!) SAYING, “NAUGHTY PARROT”
So, now the plan is to move the group of eight into an enclosure WITH lots of other parrots.
The thinking is – the noises and sounds all those other parrots make will convert the swearing ones.
At least that’s what they HOPE will happen.
Zoo officials admit, it might go wrong, with those naughty eight converting the rest of the “normal” speaking parrots.
All sounds like pandemonium to me.
In the south of England, I’m Jackson Hosking, reporting for Newsy Pooloozi!
LEELA: Yeah, I wonder what the update on this story will be in a year… Keep us posted, Jackson!
MAMA: Yes, and we’ll keep those bleeps firmly in place!
FAB FACTS STING – LEELA: “And it’s time to wrap up the podcast with the top five fab facts heard today. Here goes…”
MAMA: FAB FACT NUMBER 1 –Lepido is a Swedish innovation that can upcycle sticky, smokey kitchen fumes into heat that can warm up a restaurant. What’s the name of the device that transfers heat from one liquid or gas to another?
Heat exchanger
LEELA: FAB FACT NUMBER 2 – A major new temple is built in India causing a mix of controversy and delight as it’s built on what used to be a mosque which was built on what’s thought to have been a temple on the birthplace of what God?
Lord Rama
MAMA: FAB FACT NUMBER 3 – New laser mapping technology called LiDAR reveals a sophisticated network of roads, neighborhoods and gardens from an ancient civilization, who were called what?
Upano
LEELA: FAB FACT NUMBER 4 – And what continent is the Amazon Rainforest in?
South America
MAMA: FAB FACT NUMBER 5 – The UK’s Lincolnshire Wildlife Centre is trying to rehabilitate 8 naughty parrots from using foul language. What is the word for a group or flock of parrots?
Pandemonium
And don’t forget, if you want to test yourself later on, then go to the Lucky Dip page of our website, newsypooloozi.com, that’s pool-o-o-z-i, and take this quiz online in your own time!
LEELA: And that almost brings us to the end of this episode of Newsy Pooloozi! But first…
MAMA: A big thank you to Julie Noce for helping write our stories this week, and to Krisha Bang – our latest intern who also wrote a couple stories.
LEELA: And, of course, thanks to our production assistant Jyoti Chauhan.
THEME MUSIC
LEELA: If you enjoyed this dip in the coolest pool of news and information then HIT that subscribe button on Apple Podcast, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Alexa or wherever you get your podcasts.
MAMA: While you’re at it… Give us a good rating. Or better still, leave us a review! Go on – we’ll read it out loud if you do…
LEELA: Alrighty then, see you next week in the happy, splashy giant Newsy Pooloozi!
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