VIRUS-FREE IN 15
An old refrigerator becomes a disinfection chamber
1 What do you usually do with an old refrigerator? Look up some websites for a good deal and sell it off, right? But two resourceful masterminds—Dr Arun M. Isloor, a professor and head of the chemistry department at the National Institute of Technology, Karnataka, and research scholar Syed Ibrahim—had a better idea.
Disinfecting personal-use objects like wallets, keys and mobile phones, or sensitive items such as food or currency notes, to prevent transmission of the coronavirus was not only a hassle, it also damaged items and left room for improper cleaning. Hoping to help ordinary folk keep up the safety measure, the scientist duo hatched an ingenious solution. They hooked up an old refrigerator with three ultraviolet (UV-C) lamps—a well-proven means of destroying surface contamination— turning the throwaway appliance into a low-cost, toxin-free, easy-to-assemble disinfection chamber.
Dubbed Zero-Cov, the creators claim that the chamber kills 99.9 per cent of microorganisms present on any object—even highly contaminated PPE kits or masks—in just 15 minutes.
User beware, though: UV-C is harmful upon direct exposure to the body, so don't even think about climbing in there to avoid taking a shower.
Source: NDTV
THE NO-PRESSURE COVID HACK
From cooker to sterilizer
2 YOU’D BE hard-pressed to find an Indian kitchen without a pressure cooker. But who knew it could sterilize vegetables too?
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
From the King's Table to Street Food: A Food History of Delhi
Pushpesh Pant, one of India’s pre-eminent food writers, is back with a comprehensive food history of the capital.
Who Wants Coffee?
It’s bitter—but beloved around the world
Prevent The Pain Of Shingles
You don't have to suffer, as long as you take two important steps
The Best And Worst Diets For Your Heart
Dozens of diets are touted as ‘best’, but it’s easy to lose track of the fact that healthy eating needs to be about overall wellness, not just weight loss.
ME & MY SHELF
Journalist Sopan Joshi has worked in a science and environment framework for nearly three decades. His book Mangifera indica: A Biography of the Mango (Aleph Book Company) synthesizes the sensory appeal of India's favourite fruit with its elaborate cultural roots and natural history. He writes in English and Hindi.
SWITCHED
In 1962, nurses at a small Canadian hospital sent home two women with the wrong babies. Then, 50 years later, their children discovered the shocking mistake.
ECHOES OF THE PAST
A VISIT TO THE ANCIENT BARABAR CAVES IN BIHAR REVEALS A SURPRISING CONNECTION TO A LITERARY CLASSIC
Fathers of the Bride
A young woman finds a unique way to honour the many men who helped her survive her childhood
Fiction's Foresight
British-Bangladeshi author Manzu Islam's works reveal startling parallels to recent political upheavals in Bangladesh, begging the question: Besides helping us make sense of our world, can stories also offer a glimpse into the future?
It Happens ONLY IN INDIA
The Divine Defence Picture this: A tractor in Rajasthan‘s Banswara district,a group of loan agents closing in to seize it and the defaulting farmer and his family standing by.