New Delhi: Months after Narendra Modi government’s cow agency unveiled a cow dung ‘chip’, claiming that it reduced harmful radiation emitted from mobile phones, to widespread outrage by the scientific community, the Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog (RKA) has come up with ‘scientific evidence’ to back the claim.
According to a test report, accessed by ThePrint, the cow dung ‘chips’ led to a 60 per cent reduction in radiation. The samples of the chips, which were prepared under the guidance of RKA Chairman Dr. Vallabhbhai Kathiria, were analysed by the Department of Physics in Saurashtra University, Gujarat.
“The samples of different thickness were tested using the Geiger Muller (GM) counter. The Instrument used for this experiment was the Nucleonix GM Counting system GC601A. The radioactive source used for this experiment was Caesium (Cs137) at the applied voltage 450 V constant,” the report, which was originally published in October, read.
A Geiger Muller counter is a radiation detection and measuring instrument.
According to the test report, the experiment was carried out under a controlled condition and without any substance between the radioactive source and detector.
“After that, the samples of cow dung of different thickness were kept one by one between the source and the detector and the counts in the detectors were observed primarily,” it noted.
The counts per 100 seconds were in the range of 325 and 361, according to the report, depending on the thickness of cow dung. Without any cow dung chip, the radiation reading was 798 counts per 100 seconds.
“The data is found from the primary observation; further parameters are still under evaluation. The detailed experiment can be designed on the basis of this preliminary study,” the report added.
No controls have been mentioned in the report. Furthermore, according to the report, the thinnest cow dung chip blocks more radioactivity than the thickest one.
Also read: Govt’s cow panel drops chapters calling Jersey cows ‘lazy’, linking slaughter with earthquake
‘Positive research on cow products’
In October 2020, Kathiria had unveiled a cow dung ‘chip’ and noted that it would reduce the radiation from mobile phones.
Several scientists and science educators had then asked for scientific evidence to back his claims.
“The test concludes that cow dung can absorb upto 60 per cent of radiation. Research on the benefits of Panchgavya-based products should be conducted with positive attitude for next generation,” Kathiria told ThePrint.
“I can see that Indian cows have a strong potential. With positive research we can conclude some good results and create positive impacts. I am convinced that through Cow Science also we can get ways to save future life on the earth in today’s climate change disasters and Covid 19 like pandemics in future,” he added.
The commission has also written to district education officers of all states asking them to advise the principal of all schools to encourage students’ enrolment for the first-ever cow science promotion exam.
The All India Online Kamdhenu Gau-Vigyan Prachar-Prasar Examination is scheduled to be held on 25 February and is for students of all ages — from primary to university-level — as well as for all citizens.
The questions will be based on cow culture, cow preservation, cow-based products, and the economic, scientific, environmental, cultural and spiritual relevance of indigenous cow. All the participants will be given certificates and the toppers will receive prizes.
Also read: Cow is a constant cool in Indian politics. But BJP’s mix of faith and science troubling
Please file a patent on this before the Americans do!
This might be a good nomination for the Ig Nobel prize.
Don’t understand why people are so negative about Cow dung products especially The radiation Chip, no harm trying using it, if we can buy mob phones worth lakhs, why can’t we but this chip costing few rs and try if it helps in saving us from the radiation, also it is a small step in improving the condition of our Holy Gau mata ?????Jai Gau mata Jai gopala,
The Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog (RKA), a cutting-edge research institution that exemplifies modern India sports the usual sarkari website (kamdhenu.gov.in) with the customary pictures of BJP dignitaries smiling for the cameras and the usual bullshit – pun intended. I am pretty sure that the world at large must be admiring India’s prowess in such original research. Dr. Vallabhbhai Kathiria and Saurashtra University of Gujarat have certainly put India on the fasttrack to overtake the Chinese ! After all, why the bloody hell should the GOI waste money on useless things like quantum computing, virology, aerospace and so forth when the trillion dollar economy can be attained with cowdung chips ?
Hats off to you Dr. Vallabhbhai Kathiria, the Einstein of cowdung !
PS: Dr Kathiria: Perhaps the fruits of your pioneering research and your findings can be made available to the Tsjernobyl plant in Ukraine such that cowding chips can be used to halt the radiation leaking there…
I guess, this pathbreaking discovery will propel India to becoming a multi-trillion dollar economy !
Just a lame attempt to get more funds for cowsheds. Move on.
This government has given more respect and opportunities to scientists/tech community than any other government in the past save ABV’s one.
Percussionist:
“.. This government has given more respect and opportunities to scientists/tech community than any other government in the past ..”
Are you neither sane nor sober ? Suggest you get back to your shaka and play with your lathi instead of debating in fora where you are entirely out of your depth.
This experiment is a classic example of what happens if you decide the conclusions first and start designing a ‘study’ to reach that predetermined conclusion. The loopholes in this study will be pretty obvious to any real researcher. But for the benefit of future researchers (students), let us highlight the major flaws.
1. The researchers have used cow dung as substance “X” (as described above). But there is no other substance to compare (what researchers call as control). What would happen if we make partitions of the same size and shape but use donkey dung / camel dung instead of cow dung? What would happen if we use wet soil instead? What happens if we use wood / plastic? Without these comparisons, the data only points to the fact that introducing some solid partition in the path reduces the count in GM counter, which is hardly a surprise.
2. The experiments with radioactive sources are statistical by nature. If you take multiple readings with identical setup, the counts will be within similar range but need not be identical. The standard deviations of these observations will depend on exact setup of the experiment. Thus, any experiment with radioactive source and GM counter is never done with single reading of each setup. We always take multiple readings (at least 3 but more preferred), and take average. Given this, the reported variation in the counts for different partitions may or may not be statistically meaningful. We already see one hint towards this in the reported data. All counts are in the range of (343 p/m 28) per 100 seconds, but there is no meaningful pattern amongst them as you vary thickness.
3. GM counter, by its nature, is sensitive to all kinds of ionizing radiation (including high energy photons such as x-ray and gamma-ray). But that doesn’t mean it will be useful in measuring very low energy photons such as radio waves, which are used in mobile communication. Thus, it is unclear how this experiment validates the original claim by RKA that cow dung chip reduces ‘radiation’ in mobile phone.
4. It is worth pointing out again (we did so at that time as well), if this cow dung chip really blocked the ‘mobile radiation’, then your mobile phone will not receive any transmission from the mobile tower and it won’t be able to transmit anything back. Thus, wrapped in such radiation shield, it will be as good as dead paperweight.
It is not surprising that politically motivated RKA is pushing such pseudoscience, but it is sad to see that Physics teachers from a state university are willing to indulge them. Either they are themselves ignorant about flaws in their study or they are willingly peddling such false narrative for petty favours. Frankly, I don’t know, what is worse. I pity the students of such teachers.
Anything pseudoscientific is not testable. This being a scientific claim, it is testable by other scientists. It can be easily falsified if somebody has the time and inclination to do it.
Studies are being designed in such a way as to reach pre-determined conclusions. Unfortunately common man cannot see through all this.
What a shit show. If the government can’t cut off its ties with unscientific cow worshipping entities, it will seriously erode the confidence of sensible educated middle class society members.
Nuclear radiation is nothing like hone radiation
Ok. Please also test chips made of dog shit, human shit and various other shit. Let us know which one performs better.