Is Media taking us a ride on story about Child Prodigy Hannan?

Many of you may have read the news about a child prodigy Hannan.

You may be aware of this ?fake news that came in Indian express. Every fact put in the article is fake. I checked to see the facts, using simple google search . Name of the mentor if you search (Hind Rathan award winner Dr Somya Vishwanathan – she is a medical doctor not a physicist and that too in the US ). Same with other things mentioned. The physics journal that is mentioned in the below article does not exist. The contest mentioned is only for American Citizens. So you can also please verify the facts yourself.

Here is the article
http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=14-yr-old+girl+going+places+with+astrophysics&artid=xmAZxXfxV0Q=&SectionID=vBlkz7JCFvA=&MainSectionID=vBlkz7JCFvA=&SEO=Madhavan+Nair,+Barack+Obama,+NASA&SectionName=EL7znOtxBM3qzgMyXZKtxw==

Some facts

1 . There is nothing called American Institute of theoretical physics or American Journal of theoritical physics (The news says that she is publishing her works in that journal).

2. There is no sign of any reputed Science Journals or Magazines published about her theory yet (Do a simple google search, all you can find is the replicas of the news came in Indian express and nothing else like a Scientific paper or anything like that).

3. I couldn’t find any proof of appreciation by APJ Abdul Kalam, Brak Obama or any other members of any Scientific Community.

4. Siemens Westinghouse Science and Technology competition is only Open to United State nationals.

5. She is said to have presented papers and took lectures in various scientific communities, meetings and Institutes. Is there any video lecture or anything related to any of these. This is an information era – why couldn’t I find anything in the Internet.

6.  There is no information about a Nasa Space School available even in the official Nasa For-Students Site (checkout : http://bit.ly/AZrFX).

7. She is saying in one news that we don’t have enough facilities to learn her subjects in India, checkout Indian Institute of Astrophysics (http://www.iiap.res.in/) and Indian Institute of Sciences (http://bit.ly/FRzaY).

8. Above all read the two news and one can find contradictions in the statements, that itself verifies the unautheticity of the news and how ignorant our media persons are.

9. And why Honorable APJ Abdul Kalam recommended her to NASA while we have ISRO here.

10. The Hind Ratan award winner who is her guide is a Medical Doctor (Google search and find out )

Yesterday it has resurfaced in Mathrubhoomi
http://www.mathrubhumi.com/story.php?id=55076

 I also heard it came in Vanitha too. I would advise caution among all readers and try to expose this through your blogs and by word of mouth to friends etc.

Please also call up the school authorities mentioned and ask facts like what this girl actually did and if there is any reference to the actual scientific article in any paper.

Some years back there was another fake news in India and it was exposed months later I think. It even came in BBC
Here is the link to that
  http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/south_asia/4283733.stm
  http://www.plex86.org/computer_2/Fake-Astronaut-Scams-All-of-India.html
  http://www.rediff.com/news/2005/feb/26nasa.htm
It was only exposed quite late. So again dont get taken for a ride

Requesting you all to do your own research and expose this in your blogs etc . Many common people can also be made aware of how media can take us for a ride. Please write to the editors of the news papers too.

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