Questions

An Element is a pure substance of one type of atom. In chemistry, any material such as carbon, hydrogen, iron, or oxygen that cannot be broken down into more fundamental substances is nothing but an element.

Peggy Whitson on 24 April 2017 broke the record for most days spent in space (cumulatively) by a US astronaut. She broke the previous record set by Jeff Williams who had spent a total of 534 days in space.

– Whitson has been currently living and working aboard the International Space Station (ISS), for which she was launched in November 2016 using a Russian Soyuz capsule. At the time of her launch, she had already accumulated 377 total days in space.

– Her mission was recently extended for an additional three months. Now when she will return from ISS in September 2017, she would have accumulated more than 600 days in space.

The World Thalassaemia Day (WTD) is observed every year on May 8 to spread awareness about this deadly disease and the importance of blood donation and how it helps the millions of people suffering from Thalassemia worldwide. Thalassemia is genetic blood disorders characterised by reduction in the synthesis or absence of haemoglobin in the body. According to a WHO report, more than 90% patients with thalassaemia in western countries lead a normal life, whereas in India, roughly half of all patients die before reaching adulthood. Approx 3.9% of India’s population is a carrier for thalassemia. The 2017 theme ‘Together for Humanity’ highlights the need for unity and the efforts that are required to fight this fatal disease.