Current Affairs Quiz - April, 2019

Notes:
The scientists at University of Edinburgh have discovered a new state of physical matter – which allows atoms to exist as both solid and liquid at the same time. Until now, atoms in physical matter were understood to exist typically in one of three states — solid, liquid or gas. An international team of physicists have found that some elements can take on the properties of both solid and liquid states, when subjected to extreme conditions. They used Artificial Intelligence (AI) to simulate what would happen if potassium was subject to huge pressure — between about 200,000 and 400,000 times atmospheric pressure — and heat — between 400 to 800 Kelvin (260 to 980 degrees Fahrenheit). The study found that under these conditions potassium atoms entered what is known as a chain-melted state, where one of the two lattices — the “guest” part — dissolved into liquid, while the “host” part remained solid. They found that more than half a dozen other elements, including sodium and bismuth, were able to reach the state if they were put into the right environments.

Notes:
Mahendra Singh Dhoni has become the first-ever captain to register 100 wins in Indian Premier League (IPL) history after Chennai Super Kings (CSK) defeated Rajasthan Royals by 4 wickets at the Sawai Man Singh stadium in Jaipur on 11th April 2019. MS Dhoni is the most experienced captain in the Indian Premier League. He has led Chennai Super Kings in 152 matches. In 2016, Dhoni led Rising Pune Supergiant in 14 matches. Overall, MS Dhoni has played 182 matches in the IPL and scored 4172 runs at an average of 41.30 with 21 fifties (19 for CSK and 2 for RPS) and 121 dismissals as wicketkeeper.

Notes:
The world’s foremost Artificial Intelligence (AI) Summit will be held at the Dubai World Trade Centre in UAE from April 30 to 1st May, 2019. The aim of the inaugural ‘AI Everything (AIE)’ is to empower global dialogue on the future of government, business and society. The two-day event will bring together world leaders to define the underlying pillars of governance, business and society – augmenting the world’s happiness. It will be hosted by the UAE National Programme for Artificial Intelligence, with the support of International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and in strategic partnership with Smart Dubai. The AIE will unravel real-world use cases across industries, and forge collaborations and partnerships, hosting over 130 influential speakers.

Notes:
International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket for Good CC has partnered with UNICEF to organise #OneDayforChildren campaign at the Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019. Former England batsman and #OneDay4Children ambassador Nasser Hussain along with all-rounder Chris Woakes launched the tournament-wide campaign focused on bringing the world of cricket together as one team to help build a better world for every child. There will be #OneDay4Children activity throughout all 48 matches of the event, peaking with a day of celebration during the England v India game on 30 June at Edgbaston. The money raised will support UNICEF’s work in cricket playing nations to help children learn to play and be healthy. The tournament will run from 30 May to 14 July. The semi-finals will be played at Old Trafford in Manchester and Edgbaston in Birmingham on 9 and 11 July respectively, while Lord’s will host the final on 14 July. The 10 teams in the tournament will play against each other in a single-league format, with the top four sides after 45 matches to qualify for the two semi-finals.

Notes:
Nepal has successfully launched its first satellite NepaliSat-1 into space from Virginia in the United States. The satellite was developed by the Nepalese scientists. NepaliSat-1 is a low orbit satellite which will be in the 400-km distance from the Earth’s surface. It will be stationed at the International Space Station (ISS) for a month and then it will be sent to orbit the earth. The satellite will take photographs on a regular basis to gather geographical information of the country. It weighs 1.3 kilograms, making it a small satellite with limited capability. The Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) initiated the launch of the country’s own satellite under the BIRDS project of the Japanese Kyushu Institute of Technology. The BIRDS project has been designed in association with the United Nations (UN) and aims at helping countries launch their first satellite.

Notes:
The World Liver Day (WLD) is observed every year on 19th of April to build awareness and understanding how important liver is for our body. The liver is a complex and one of the biggest organs in the body and plays a very important role. Survival without a liver is impossible. All the food that you ingest goes through your liver. The liver plays an important role in the digestion of the food you eat. The organ is located in the upper right part of the abdomen separated from chest cavity by the diaphragm. It measures about 100grams in weight and 15 cm in length. The organ is responsible for the synthesis of various proteins, coagulation factors, cholesterol, triglycerides and bile including glycogenesis. It is also responsible for detoxifications of drugs, alcohol and control of infections.

Notes:
India and France will conduct their largest ever naval exercise ‘Varuna-2019’ off Goa coast and Karwar with an objective of expanding their strategic partnership in the Indian Ocean region (IOR). The exercise will be conducted early May 2019 and will witness the participation of aircraft carriers, destroyers, submarines and fighters. India will deploy its aircraft carrier – INS Vikramaditya with its MiG-29K fighters and French side would be represented by its aircraft carrier FNS Charles de Gaulle with its Rafale-M naval jets.

Notes:
Two Indian Navy warships – the stealth guided missile destroyer INS Kolkata and tanker INS Shakti – will participate in the International Fleet Review (IFR) as part of 70TH Anniversary celebrations of PLA (Navy) at Qingdao, China on 23 April, 2019. IFR is a parade of naval ships, aircraft and submarines, and is organised by nations to promote goodwill, strengthen cooperation and showcase their organisational capabilities. IFR also serves as an ideal platform for world’s navies to showcase their prowess and indigenous ship designing and ship building capabilities in a global/ international arena.

Notes:
The Chhyoiphel Kundeling Monastery has recently inaugurated by a Buddhist scholar Shyalpa Tenzing Rinpoche at Lisankhu village in Sindhupalchok district in Nepal. The Monastery has been reconstructed with Government of India (GoI) grant of 18.9 million Nepalese rupees. Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of India Dr. Ajay Kumar was also present on the occasion. In addition to reconstructing the monastery, the project also included building additional infrastructure such as residences, kitchen, sanitation facilities and compound wall. The Chhyoiphel Kundeling Monastery was established in 1946 with the active initiation and contribution of Lisankhu villagers. It has been carrying out various socio-cultural activities like teaching Buddhism,Thangka painting, wood carving and sculpting etc. Apart from being an important heritage building, the monastery is also an integral part of social and cultural life of people in the area.

Notes:
Jerrie Cobb (88), NASA’s first female astronaut candidate, has passed away in Florida on March 18, 2019. In 1961, Cobb became the first woman to pass astronaut testing. Altogether, 13 women passed the arduous physical testing and became known as the Mercury 13. But NASA already had its Mercury 7 astronauts, all test pilots and men. None of the Mercury 13 ever reached space, despite Cobb’s testimony in 1962 before a Congressional panel. She wrote in her 1997 autobiography “Jerrie Cobb, Solo Pilot’, “My country, my culture, was not ready to allow a woman to fly in space”. Cobb also served for decades as a humanitarian aid pilot in the Amazon jungle.