Good morning, Chennai!
☁️ Today’s weather: Mostly cloudy with some light rain possible later in the day.
🧐 Did you know? Chennai is reportedly the only metro in India where every single street bears a name. It’s a practice that has been followed from the days of the East India Company, where a street or road would be named after its earliest or most influential resident.
🚄 A Chennai-Bengaluru hyperloop?
A team from IIT Madras are working on a hyperloop rail model to cut travel times.
What’s it about? What if you could travel from Chennai to Bengaluru in about 30 minutes? That could become a reality thanks to a team from IIT Madras and their hyperloop model that won praise from Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. They’re now closer to testing their first prototype.
- According to members of the Avishkar Hyperloop team, the distance of 350 km between the two cities could be covered in 30 minutes in a passenger pod travelling inside a tube in a partial vacuum at speeds of 1,000-1,800 kmph.
- A hyperloop model enables speeds double that of an aeroplane and faster than a bullet train. The team has been granted several patents and will test their first prototype, a 400-metre-long tube, next February.
Achievements and accolades: The team was among the top three at the 2023 European Hyperloop Week. It was also the only non-European team nominated in several categories at the event in July.
🚍 Upgrading MTC termini
Several bus termini across the city will soon have passenger information displays.
What’s it about? At bus stops and termini in several spots, the Metropolitan Transport Authority (MTC) will install passenger information displays to show arrival and departure times.
- These displays will be installed at 71 bus termini and 532 bus stops as part of the Chennai Intelligent Transport System (CITS) funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
- The display, with real-time information, will help passengers who aren’t comfortable using the Chennai Bus app, which has already been downloaded by over 4 lakh people.
More plans: Other JICA-funded projects for the MTC include automatic vehicle location tracking systems, a depot management system, vehicle dispatch, attendance management, and a dedicated app for all MTC staff.
🎨 Showcasing artists from Kerala
An upcoming exhibition will showcase women artists from Kerala who formed a group during the pandemic.
What’s it about? The exhibition, titled, Beyond Being Women, will feature the works of 28 artists from Kerala who are part of the Women Visual Artists Collective.
- The idea was born from a conversation between artists Sajitha R. Shankhar and Deborah Thiagarajan. The show will act as a bridge between women artists and their cultural backgrounds.
- The artists chosen are born between 1950 and 1985. Each one signifies a contribution to a unique art language exploring the complexities of women in the art realm.
What’s next? This is just the first edition. Subsequent editions will feature artists born between 1985 and 2000 to showcase the artistic evolution and contributions of younger generations.
Details: Beyond Being Women will open on October 2 at Moplah House in DakshinaChitra.
👨💻 FedEx courier calls scam
The Greater Chennai Police has issued a warning about an online scam involving FedEx courier calls.
What’s it about? According to the Chennai Police, the scam involves people impersonating FedEx employees and tricking people into sharing their personal details.
- They tell people about a parcel containing illegal products being sent to them. Later, they’re contacted by a person claiming to be a police officer and are asked to get on a Skype call for further investigation.
- They send forged documents from the CBI and RBI with arrest warrants. The target is told that their Aadhaar is being used for money laundering and is asked to provide their bank details.
What should the public do? The Chennai Police has advised citizens to contact the 1930 Cyber Crime Helpline number or register complaints at www.cybercrime.gov.in.
✨ Things to do…
Here are some fun and interesting things to do in the city over the weekend!
- Mom’s on the Mic is a comedy open mic to share stories about parenting this Sunday.
- Vintage Vibes is the ultimate fest exclusively for senior citizens this Saturday.
- The Terry Fox Run will see all proceeds go toward cancer research this Sunday.
- Ani X Con will immerse you in the world of anime and pop culture this Saturday.
- Chennai Freelancers meet up brings together people from business backgrounds to network this Saturday.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll Results:
- I have acted in a play in school or college: 45.5%
- I haven’t acted in a play in school or college: 54.5% 🏆
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
Which is the best area in the city to reside in?
Suchi: “Anna Nagar East”
That’s it for today. Have a great weekend!