Citation: Physicist’s gadget lets you hear the sound of a perfect golf swing (2008, September 2) retrieved 18 August 2019 from https://phys.org/news/2008-09-physicist-gadget-golf.html Golf is a game of intense concentration. Golfers receive advice on the precise stance, grip, wrist angle, shoulder angle, head angle, and other details to improve their swings. But a new golf gadget developed by a Yale physics professor takes a different approach to golf training. Rather than focusing on the mechanics, the device lets players literally “tune in” to the sound of their swings. The Physics of a golf swing Explore further Professor Bob Grober´s invention, called System-1, instantly converts the velocity of a golf swing into sound, allowing the player to hear their swing in progress. The device consists of two components. A long, thin electronics piece slides into the shaft of almost any club, which includes sensors and a microprocessor to measure the swing´s velocity. The data is then wirelessly transmitted to a receiver that can be tucked into a golfer´s pocket, which converts the data to sound and sends it to a headset. A golf swing can be programmed to sound like one of about 120 instruments, such as piano, piccolo, viola, or synthesized rock organ. The faster the club moves, the higher the pitch and volume. Grober hopes that the device will help people better understand the tempo, timing, and rhythm of their swings in an intuitive way.”Getting people to change mechanical things, which are habits, is a very difficult thing, it could take months or maybe years,” Grober said in a video at Courant.com. “But when you turn all of that into something that people can hear, people are very good at adjusting sound, people are very sensitive to sound. And you can get people to change habits, mechanical things that they do, on the timescale of 5, 10, 15 minutes. Once you let them hear what it sounds like and show them how easy it is to do, that changes things in a dramatic way.”Grober founded a company called Sonic Golf to market System-1. So far, he has sold seven of the devices at $1,000 each. Among his customers is Vijay Singh, a Masters and two-time PGA Championship winner, who bought one in June and uses it daily. Other customers include PGA Champion Rich Beem, tour veteran Fred Funk and CBS Sports commentator Peter Kostas.Grober plans to produce another 100 units by mid-September and batches of 1,000 by January. He also hopes to reduce the price to around $400, and will try to appeal to professionals as well as hobbyists. The device might also be useful for physical therapy applications.He says that there are lots of golf gadgets on the market that promise to improve your game. However, most of them don´t work. He also noted that other golf devices exist that use sound to improve technique, such as the popular David Leadbetter Swing Setter, but hopes that his invention will offer something new.But he says developing the technology was the easy part. Developing a successful business is more challenging. He has contracts with local suppliers in Connecticut to produce the shaft insert and the electronics, and he´s currently looking for a company to package the product.As Yale´s Frederick Phineas Rose Professor of Applied Physics, Grober studies excitons, biexcitons and electron-hole plasma in narrow quantum wells. He says that golf is just a hobby that got out of control. A former intercollegiate player at Vanderbilt, he now has a handicap between zero and two. Although he teaches an introductory course at Yale called “Physics of the Game of Golf,” most of Grober´s academic work is unrelated to the Sonic Golf technology.More information: www.sonicgolf.comvia: www.courant.com Physics Professor Bob Grober plans to produce 100 System-1 devices by mid-September and batches of 1,000 by January. He hopes to reduce the price to around $400, and will try to appeal to professionals as well as hobbyists. This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.
The highly reactive hydroxyl radicals typically appear in fractions of a second prior to combining with volatile organic chemicals and other gases which act as a cleanser for the atmosphere. Scientists found unusually high levels and surge in hydroxyl radical levels, but without an accompanying increase in ozone levels around noon time. The scientific team found hydroxyl radicals levels some three to five times more than would be expected in current models of atmospheric chemistry. Altogether, for some inexplicable reason or known source of hydroxyl produced an astounding 28 parts per billion each hour concentration of the chemical.The net effect is that a not yet discovered process has occurred in the Pearl River Delta that is producing an extremely high level of hydroxyl radicals. The next step of the research is to test samples of the air from the Pearl River region to see if light-stimulated reactions produce similar high readings of hydroxyl radicals under lab conditions. Thus far, the scientists are impressed with their unusual findings, but are only able to speculate on the source coming from a combination of anthropogenic sources, biogenic sources and gases found in the air surrounding the delta.Source: Amplified Trace Gas Removal in the Troposhere; www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/1164566 Chemists find important contributor to smog Credit: Wikipedia A team of atmospheric scientists have published their field study findings about unusual chemical reactions taking place in the Pearl River Delta in China during 2006. The Julich Research Center’s Institute for Tropospheric Chemistry in Germany and institutes in China and the USA participated in round the clock samplings of various atmospheric constituents in the Pearl River region located about 60 kilometers from Guangzhou noted for its high population and a repository for air borne pollutants wafting in from nearby industrial cities combined with volatile organic substances produced by local vegetation and trees. Explore further Citation: China Pearl River Delta Creating Large Amounts of Hydroxyl Radicals (2009, June 6) retrieved 18 August 2019 from https://phys.org/news/2009-06-china-pearl-river-delta-large.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.
Australian and U.S. researchers studying the movement of ostriches have discovered the giant flightless birds can store double the elastic energy per step in their tendons than humans can. This considerably reduces the effort needed by the muscles, and enables the ostrich (and perhaps also the emu) to run twice as fast as humans while requiring only half the energy. China hatches 150 African ostriches Human and ostrich hind-limb postures during mid-stance of running: (a,b) sagittal plane; (c,d) frontal plane. Image: [i]Journal of the Royal Society Interface[/i], doi:10.1098/rsif.2010.0466 Citation: Ostriches run fast because of ‘springy’ tendons (2010, October 29) retrieved 18 August 2019 from https://phys.org/news/2010-10-ostriches-fast-springy-tendons.html Leader of the study, Assistant Professor Jonas Rubenson of the School of Sports Science, Exercise and Health at the University of Western Australia, said the aim of the research was to find out what mechanical adaptations were made by species able to run fast and efficiently. He said that while lions and cheetahs can outrun the ostrich on short sprints, they use a great deal of energy, and other species such as ostriches, antelopes and horses, can run fast over long distances.Two hypotheses had been proposed to explain how some animals are able to run economically: the first was that they used a particularly efficient mechanical action in their limbs, and the second was the animals were able to store more elastic energy in their joints than sprinters.To test these hypotheses the researchers fitted reflective markers to the joints of five humans and five tame ostriches to enable them to carry out a detailed analysis of their gait and movements as they ran on a custom-built running track 50 meters long. They also measured the forces applied to the ground during running. They selected the ostrich rather than the lighter Australian emu because the ostrich and humans have a similar mass, and because the ostrich is the fastest bird on the land.The results demonstrated that both humans and ostriches need the almost exactly the same amount of mechanical work to swing their limbs during running, and the major difference was in the storage and release of energy by the tendons. They calculated the release of this elastic energy generated 83% more work in the ostrich than in the human, which meant the ostrich uses less metabolic energy and is less fatigued.The findings of the research, described in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface, may enable engineers to design better prosthetic limbs by focusing on elastic propulsion. They could also help robot researchers to design more agile robots. The results could also provide some insight into the evolution of bipedalism. More information: Adaptations for economical bipedal running: the effect of limb structure on three-dimensional joint mechanics, Journal of the Royal Society Interface, Published online before print October 28, 2010, doi:10.1098/rsif.2010.0466 © 2010 PhysOrg.com This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. Explore further
Credit: Rethink Robotics The company offers Baxter with two kinds of grippers to choose from. Electric parallel grippers enable Baxter to pick up objects of varying sizes. Vacuum cup grippers are meant for hard-to-grasp objects, such as smooth, nonporous or relatively flat items.While Baxter is not the ideal choice for tasks that require an extremely strong or fast industrial robot, Baxter is smart enough to adapt to changes. The robot uses vision to locate and grasp objects, and can be programmed to perform a new task just by holding its arms and moving them to the desired position. The robot can continue to work even after missing a pick-up or dropping a part. It can visually detect parts and adapt to variations in part placement and conveyor speed. If Baxter drops an object, it knows to get another before trying to finish the task. What is not at all mindless about Baxter is its design in that, for an industrial robot, Baxter enjoys an incredible lightness of non-being. Baxter has thick, round arms, but they are not heavy. The arm moves in a fluid motion. “When you hold the cuff, the robot goes into gravity-compensation,” said Rodney Brooks, the company founder, “zero-force mode,” as if the arm is floating. Credit: Rethink Robotics Baxter signs British flu vaccine deal Explore further Citation: Your next assembly lines may have Baxter robot doing pick-up (w/ Video) (2012, September 18) retrieved 18 August 2019 from https://phys.org/news/2012-09-lines-baxter-pick-up-video.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. More information: www.heartlandrobotics.com/inde … php/products/baxter/ Another differentiator is that, while Baxter is smart, it does not require a high learning curve. One of the argued barriers to industrial adoption of robots has been training requirements to operate industrial robots. The disadvantage has been in the thought of requiring employees to train in programming and in interacting with new robotic equipment, eating up time and financial output. Rethink’s team claims Baxter units can be retasked in a matter of minutes. “No custom application code is required to get it started. So no costly software or manufacturing engineers are required to program it,” according to the company. Baxter is taught via a graphical user interface and through direct manipulation of its robot arms. Nontechnical, hourly workers can train and retrain Baxter right on the line.As for safety, the designers gave Baxter sensors to detect people within contact distance and trigger the robot to slow to safe operation speeds. If Baxter’s power supply were cut, its arms would relax slowly. Employees would have time to move out of the way. Baxter is based on the vision of roboticist. Rodney Brooks, company founder of Rethink Robotics, which started in 2008. Baxter’s first shipments will start next month. Credit: Rethink Robotics © 2012 Phys.org (Phys.org)—Rethink Robotics is introducing Baxter to the manufacturing sector with a note: Baxter can ignite a revolution in breaking down costs and safety barriers holding back automation in American manufacturing. The Boston-based company says the $22,000 (list price) robot is a fraction of the cost of traditional industrial robots “with zero integration required.” Baxter has been expressly designed to work on assembly lines to perform menial tasks. Baxter has two arms, each with seven degrees of freedom, and a reach similar to that of a human, to take over the mindless menial tasks. It can load, unload, sort, pack, unpack, snap-fit, grind and polish.
Citation: Researchers discover ultrathin lipid coating covering snakeskin (2015, December 9) retrieved 18 August 2019 from https://phys.org/news/2015-12-ultrathin-lipid-coating-snakeskin.html More information: Evidence of a molecular boundary lubricant at snakeskin surfaces, Journal of the Royal Society Interface, Published 9 December 2015.DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2015.0817 , http://rsif.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/12/113/20150817AbstractDuring slithering locomotion the ventral scales at a snake’s belly are in direct mechanical interaction with the environment, while the dorsal scales provide optical camouflage and thermoregulation. Recent work has demonstrated that compared to dorsal scales, ventral scales provide improved lubrication and wear protection. While biomechanic adaption of snake motion is of growing interest in the fields of material science and robotics, the mechanism for how ventral scales influence the friction between the snake and substrate, at the molecular level, is unknown. In this study, we characterize the outermost surface of snake scales using sum frequency generation (SFG) spectra and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) images collected from recently shed California kingsnake (Lampropeltis californiae) epidermis. SFG’s nonlinear optical selection rules provide information about the outermost surface of materials; NEXAFS takes advantage of the shallow escape depth of the electrons to probe the molecular structure of surfaces. Our analysis of the data revealed the existence of a previously unknown lipid coating on both the ventral and dorsal scales. Additionally, the molecular structure of this lipid coating closely aligns to the biological function: lipids on ventral scales form a highly ordered layer which provides both lubrication and wear protection at the snake’s ventral surface. Journal information: Journal of the Royal Society Interface This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. Snakes move around by slithering—as their bodies undulate against a surface below their bellies, friction is applied that pushes the snake forward, but the molecular mechanism by which this occurs has never been fully understood. To learn more, the researchers obtained samples of the shedded skins of several California kingsnakes and studied them using sum frequency generation spectra and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure imagery, which essentially involved firing lasers at the skin and then measuring how the light was reflected and scattered.The scanning revealed an extremely thin lipid layer, just nanometers thick, coating the scales that covered both the top and bottom parts of the snake, though there were differences between the lipid layer on the two body parts. The lipids on the belly were made of ordered pairs that provide a very slick surface, one that also offered, the researchers believe, some degree of protection to the scales—sliding across surfaces would otherwise cause the scales to wear away. A lipid outer layer would help explain why snakes are able to slither so effortlessly across a multitude of surfaces, the team notes.The reason that the lipid coating has not been noticed before by people handling the non-venomous snake, is because the lipid does not come off, it adheres to the snake body, providing a constant slick surface. The researchers suggest that because the kind of snake they studied was common, they believe the lipid coating likely exists on the scales of other snakes as well, though it likely comes in different forms suited to the environment in which the snake lives. They also believe their findings might help researchers working to make robots that simulate snakes, or those looking to create next generation paints or lubricants. New snake species with pitch black eyes from the Andes highlights hidden diversity Credit: Western Pacific Tropical Research Center Explore further © 2015 Phys.org (Phys.org)—A combined team of researchers from the U.S. and Germany has discovered a very thin layer of fat covering the scales of a single species of snake. In their paper published in Journal of the Royal Society Interface, the team describes how they studied the snakeskin and their views on what benefits the snake gets from the fatty outer scale layer.
Photographs of the Denisova 2 lower second molar in (A) occlusal, (B) mesial, (C) buccal, (D) lingual, (E) distal, and (F) apical views. Scientists estimate the molar found in the Denisova Cave in Siberia is older than previously studied Denisovan fossils. Credit: Slon et al. Sci. Adv. 2017; 3: e1700186 Explore further The Denisovans are believed to be extinct relatives of Neanderthal. The newly identified fossil brings to just four the number of Denisovan fossils that have been found and identified—one finger and three teeth. Because of the location of Denisova cave, which is located in Siberia, researchers believe the hominins lived in eastern parts of Eurasia, whereas Neanderthal are believed to have lived in western Eurasia.The Denisovans first came to light back in 2010 when a team of researchers studying a finger bone found in Denisova cave managed to extract a small bit of DNA. Analysis of the sample showed that it was not Neanderthal as had been suspected but was instead from a different early hominn. They called it Denisova after the cave in which it was found. An even closer look at the DNA samples conducted later on showed that the Denisovans split away from Neanderthals during the time frame 470,000 to 190,00 years ago. Subsequent digging in the cave led to the discovery of two teeth that were also identified as Denisovan. The newly identified fourth fossil is believed to have come from a girl approximately 10 to 12 years old. Photographs of the Denisova 2 lower second molar in (A) occlusal, (B) mesial, (C) buccal, (D) lingual, (E) distal, and (F) apical views. The scale for all panels is 2.5 millimeters. The area sampled for ancient DNA analyses is marked by a gray circle in panel C. Credit: Slon et al. Sci. Adv. 2017; 3: e1700186 Phylogenetic tree relating the Denisova 2 mitochondrial DNA with other Denisovan mitochondrial DNA sequences. The mitochondrial DNA from Sima de los Huesos was used as an outgroup. The schematic representations of the specimens are drawn to scale, shown in the lower right corner. Credit: Slon et al. Sci. Adv. 2017; 3: e1700186 DNA analysis of Denisovan molars offers more clues about ancient human relative Citation: A fourth Denisovan fossil has been identified (2017, July 10) retrieved 18 August 2019 from https://phys.org/news/2017-07-fourth-denisovan-fossil.html More information: Viviane Slon et al. A fourth Denisovan individual, Science Advances (2017). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1700186AbstractThe presence of Neandertals in Europe and Western Eurasia before the arrival of anatomically modern humans is well supported by archaeological and paleontological data. In contrast, fossil evidence for Denisovans, a sister group of Neandertals recently identified on the basis of DNA sequences, is limited to three specimens, all of which originate from Denisova Cave in the Altai Mountains (Siberia, Russia). We report the retrieval of DNA from a deciduous lower second molar (Denisova 2), discovered in a deep stratigraphic layer in Denisova Cave, and show that this tooth comes from a female Denisovan individual. On the basis of the number of “missing substitutions” in the mitochondrial DNA determined from the specimen, we find that Denisova 2 is substantially older than two of the other Denisovans, reinforcing the view that Denisovans were likely to have been present in the vicinity of Denisova Cave over an extended time period. We show that the level of nuclear DNA sequence diversity found among Denisovans is within the lower range of that of present-day human populations. © 2017 Phys.org (Phys.org)—A team of researchers with members from Russia, Germany, Canada and Italy studying a tooth found in Denisova cave back in 1984 has found that it belonged to a young Denisovan girl and that it was a baby tooth. In their paper published on the open access site Science Advances, the team also notes that DNA evidence suggests the girl lived approximately 20,000 years before other Denisovans living in the same cave who also left behind fossils that have been found and identified. This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. The researchers suggest the tooth fossil might be even older than initial study has suggested—it was found in a layer in the cave where other material has been dated as far back as 227,000 years ago. The mutation rate of the DNA, on the other hand, suggests the child likely lived sometime between 20,000 and 40,000 years earlier than the Denisovans that left behind the other fossils that have been found. The researchers also note that the DNA of the newly identified fossil and that of the others are a very close match, suggesting (because of the time difference) they were all likely from a small group with limited opportunities for breeding with others. Journal information: Science Advances
Citation: Study investigates pressure-induced superconducting transition in electrides (2019, March 20) retrieved 18 August 2019 from https://phys.org/news/2019-03-pressure-induced-superconducting-transition-electrides.html Journal information: Physical Review Letters “Considering the wide potential applications of superconducting materials, the understanding of high-temperature superconductors is a key scientific challenge in condensed matter physics,” Aitor Bergara and Guochun Yang, two of the researchers who carried out the study, told Phys.org, via email. Electrides are ionic compounds in which most electrons reside at interstitial regions of the crystal and behave like anions. Due to their structural peculiarity, these compounds have interesting physical properties. For instance, the magnitude and distribution of their interstitial electrons can be effectively modulated, either by adjusting their chemical composition or external conditions, such as pressure. Overall, electrides are very poor superconductors. For example, the experimentally observed superconducting transition temperature of a canonical electride [Ca24Al28O64]4+ (4e-)4 is ~0.4 K. On the other hand, it is now well-known that, under high pressure, alkali metals can easily lose their outer orbital electrons and form electrides. “Interestingly, pressure-induced lithium (Li) electride is metallic,” Bergara and Yang said. “Additionally, phosphorus (P) presents a moderate electronegativity, so that they can trap some electrons in Li-rich Li-P compounds, while the remaining electrons may remain at interstitial regions. Thus, as we are predicting is this work, it would be possible to adjust the morphology of interstitial electrons by changing the ratio of Li and P and, therefore, obtain compounds with novel electronic properties. For example, according to our calculations, Li 6 P electride is predicted to have a superconducting transition temperature of 39.3 K, breaking the existing record among the electrides.”Predicting the atomic structure of materials from first principles (based only on their composition), is an extremely challenging task. It typically requires classifying a huge number of energy minima on a multidimensional energy surface lattice. In recent years, researchers have introduced several computation methods that can speed up this process, one of which is called CALYPSO. “In our study we have used the Calypso program developed by Yanming Ma and his colleagues at Jilin University, which implements a particle swarm optimization algorithm to determine the preferred crystal structures, just fixing the Li:P ratios and pressure as the only starting inputs,” Bergara and Yang explained. “Once the most stable structures are identified we have characterized their physical properties. For example, we have explored their superconducting properties within the McMillan-Allen-Dynes approximation.” In their study, Bergara, Yang and their colleagues reported that a pressure-induced stable Li6P electride can become a superconductor with a predicted superconducting transition temperature of 39.3K; the highest predicted so far in known electrides. They found that the compound’s interstitial electrons, with dumbbell-like connected electride states, play a dominant role in this superconducting transition. “Our prediction not only breaks the superconducting transition temperature record in the electrides, but also allows a better understanding of these materials,” Bergara and Yang said. According to the researchers’ predictions, other Li-rich phosphides, such as Li5P, Li11P2, Li15P2, and Li8P, could also be superconducting electrides, yet their Tc is expected to be lower. This recent study by Bergara, Yang and their colleagues could pave the way for further research exploring high-temperature superconductivity in similar binary compounds. “We believe that research into superconducting electrides has just begun,” Bergara and Yang said. “There is still a lot to be explored, for example, the analysis of the superconducting mechanism in novel electride compounds, especially under high pressure. As we have shown in this article, an effective way to design such superconducting materials is to explore metallic electride compounds formed between weak electronegative and strong electropositive elements.” New method yields higher transition temperature in superconducting materials The image on the left shows the atomic structure of the Li6P compound, and on the right the electronic charge density is plotted, where the electronic localization at the interstitials can be seen in red. Credit: Zhao et al. More information: Ziyuan Zhao et al. Predicted Pressure-Induced Superconducting Transition in Electride Li6P, Physical Review Letters (2019). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.122.097002Yanchao Wang et al. Crystal structure prediction via particle-swarm optimization, Physical Review B (2010). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.82.094116 Explore further Researchers at Northeast Normal University, in China, and University of the Basque Country, in Spain, have recently carried out a study investigating the superconducting transition of electrides. The researchers observed that a pressure-induced stable Li6P, identified by first-principles swarm structure calculations, can become a superconductor with a considerably high superconducting transition temperature. This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. , Physical Review B © 2019 Science X Network
Kolkata: The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested two Bangladeshi nationals from near the Indo-Bangladesh border at Swarupnagar in North 24-Parganas on Wednesday night. Acting on specific information, a team of CID’s Barasat unit raided the area and arrested the duo. They are originally residents of Khulna. During interrogation, the investigators came to know that they were trying to go to Mumbai. The CID officials are yet to ascertain their real motive behind illegally intruding into the country. Also Read – Heavy rain hits traffic, flightsThe duo has been identified as Urmi Seikh and Nayeem Seikh. Both are teenagers. The investigating officials are also probing to know if the duo was a part of any international smuggling racket. They are looking into the possibilities of the duo being involved with any anti-national activities.After being interrogated, the two Bangladeshi nationals were arrested on charges of illegally intruding into the country. During the investigation, CID had been trying to know if the accused had any past record of entering into the country illegally from Bangladesh, or if they have any connection with the extremist groups operating from Bangladesh.
Kolkata: JSW Cement has inaugurated a railway siding to cater to the incoming and outgoing cargo of its 2.4 MTPA cement manufacturing unit at Salboni in West Bengal. The 6.5 km-long railway siding will connect the manufacturing unit to the main railway line between Godapiasal and Salboni, the company said in a statement today. “In cement business, logistics accounts for 30-35 per cent of the cement cost and to be cost effective, we are continuously working on various levers to reduce this cost. “This railway siding is a step in this direction. Access to markets in the east would be economically feasible,” JSW Cement managing director Parth Jindal said in the statement. The state-of-the-art manufacturing unit produces eco-friendly PSC cement for the eastern markets including West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar and northern Orissa.
Kolkata: After the assurance of the Chief Minister through an audio message that the state government has decided to increase the salary of para teachers across the state, state Education minister Partha Chatterjee on Monday announces doubling of salary.Chatterjee while addressing the state convention of para teachers at Netaji Indoor stadium said: ” The salary of para teachers at the primary level has been increased from Rs 5954 to Rs 10,000 and at the Higher Secondary level, it has been enhanced from Rs 8,186 to Rs 13,000. It will be effective from March 2018.” Also Read – Speeding Jaguar crashes into Merc, 2 B’deshi bystanders killedPresently, there are 46,000 para teachers across the state. The Education minister also announced a number of facilities for the para teachers. He informed that the reservation for the para teachers will be raised from 10 percent to 30 percent.Referring to the demands of allowing the para teachers to be a part of an institution’s managing committee and share the staff room along with regular teachers, the minister said: “We are aware of the problems that you face. We will sit and discuss about the matter,” Chatterjee maintained. He also sounded a word of caution to the para teachers and said the latter should not approach the court at the drop of a hat. “Problems are hardly sorted out in courts. If you have problem, it can be solved at the discussion table,” he added.The minister also assured that the para teachers will be able to work till the age of 60 and then will get retirement benefit of Rs 1 lakh. “We will also try our best to make them permanent,” he said. It may be mentioned that Banerjee in March had announced that the salary of the para teachers will be enhanced and so it has been made effective from March 2018.