As the world braces for another climate summit in November this year, the Subsidiary Bodies meeting in Bonn, Germany, brought together negotiators, scientists, policymakers, and civil society actors to tackle the complex, behind-the-scenes work that shapes the outcome of the Conference of the Parties (COP) summit. Held annually in Bonn, this mid-year gathering sets the … Read more
After the Egyptian pharaoh Hatshepsut died around 1458 BC, many statues of her were destroyed. Archaeologists believed that they were targeted in an act of revenge by Thutmose III, her successor. Yet the condition of the statues recovered in the vicinity of her mortuary temple varies and many survive with their faces virtually intact. Now … Read more
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla poses for a photo with a stunning panoramic view of Earth in the background, in the 7-window Cupola Module of International Space Station (ISS). | Photo Credit: ISRO Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, currently aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Axiom-4 mission, had a telephonic conversation … Read more
(1) Nipah virus cases recorded in Kerala Kerala recorded two cases of the Nipah virus in Malappuram district as of Friday last week (July 4, 2025). The State sees a resurgence in the virus on a seasonal basis every year for the past couple years. India has recorded seven outbreaks of the virus since 2001. … Read more
(This article is part of the Gender Agenda newsletter. To get the newsletter in your inbox every Sunday, subscribe here.) In India, we hold a place of reverence for those who study STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, maths). These drive people upwards, through social and financial hierarchies, sometimes enabling people to break through caste. We all … Read more
The greenhouse effect was discovered more than 150 years ago and the first scientific paper linking carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere with climate change was published in 1896. But it wasn’t until the 1950s that scientists could definitively detect the effect of human activities on the earth’s atmosphere. In 1956, United States scientist Charles … Read more
The ocean has always spoken — in waves, in currents, in silent rhythms beneath its vast surface. For centuries, sailors, scientists, and philosophers have tried to understand its patterns, often relying on observation and instinct. Today, a new listener has emerged: the computer. Armed with data from satellites, ocean sensors, and remote platforms, computers are … Read more
In India, we hold a place of reverence for those who study STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, maths). These drive people upwards, through social and financial hierarchies, sometimes enabling people to break through caste. We all know about the STEM gender gap: “Women [in South Asia] are severely underrepresented in the STEM workforce and only … Read more
Fabric coated with old skin oil becomes its own chemical plant. | Photo Credit: Daeva Miles/Unsplash Our daily habits, like how often we shower or change our clothes, depend on our environs and sometimes also on our energy levels. But obviously how dirty we are also affects our immediate environment. Atoms and molecules in the … Read more
A fearful mother On the morning of July 4, 1885, Joseph Meister, a nine-year-old boy from Alsace, France, was bitten by a dog. Not once or twice, but for a total of 14 times. The boy was bitten in his hands, legs, and thighs, and some of the wounds were so deep that Meister had … Read more
Before true cells existed on the earth, organic molecules floated freely in water. The first cell membrane created a compartment so that useful molecules like RNA and proteins could stay close enough to interact with each other, leading to more complex biological functions. However, an important question remains: how did the first protocells on early … Read more
After a day off, astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and others from the Axiom-4 mission on Saturday (July 5, 2025) studied how bones react to microgravity conditions, an experiment that could lead to better treatment of osteoporosis on Earth. FIle | Photo Credit: ANI After a day off, astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and others from the Axiom-4 mission … Read more
The research team had analysed over 8,000 genes from 50 whole genomes across primate species to understand how brain size co-evolved with diet and to identify the specific genes that may have helped make it happen. | Photo Credit: Graphics: SUBYENDHU GANGULY Our ancestors’ shift to higher-quality diets, especially with use of fire and consumption … Read more
The posterior parietal cortex, which helps process information received via one’s senses, is located in the parietal lobe at the top rear of the head | Image used for representational purpose only | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto A new study in young adults has found that stimulating the brain with safe electric currents may help … Read more
Plastics have revolutionised modern living with their convenience and affordability, but this same ubiquity is spawning an invisible, long-term health crisis. Beyond choking oceans and clogging landfills, plastics are now infiltrating our bodies through microplastic particles and a cocktail of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). The evidence is clear and deeply concerning: these substances are interfering with … Read more
An analogue pressure gauge. | Photo Credit: Langspeed (CC BY-SA) A: A barometer is a device to measure pressure. From the 17th to the 19th centuries, most designs had the same working principle: air pressure pushed down on an open column of fluid, which was allowed to move into a second column with a closed … Read more
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla interacts with students via ham radio at a session organised in Thiruvananthapuram. Photo: Special Arrangement Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who is aboard the International Space Station (ISS) had a brief interaction with students who had gathered at the U.R. Rao Satellite Centre (URSC) here on Friday. He interacted with the student … Read more
Police convicted for recent custodial deaths in India: zero | Data Point Ajith Kumar, a security guard, died last Saturday while in police custody in Sivaganga district | Video Credit: Sambavi Parthasarathy, Thamodharan B Ajith Kumar, a security guard, died last Saturday while in police custody in Sivaganga district in Tamil Nadu. Kumar’s death is … Read more
If we tried the same thing, the result would be… well, shocking. So what makes birds different? Let’s understand how electricity works. Electricity flows through metal wires, just like water flows through pipes. It moves from a place with high voltage (electric pressure) to a place with low voltage. For electricity to flow, it needs … Read more
Ever imagined seeing a golf ball on the surface of the moon in an image taken from the earth? This is now possible with the Vera C. Rubin Observatory (VRO), the world’s latest astronomy facility, located on one of the peaks of mountain Cerro Pachòn in northern Chile. Jointly funded by the U.S. National Science … Read more
Fil photo shows reflections of astronaut Neil Armstrong, the U.S. flag, the lunar module and a television camera in the face mask of astronaut Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin when his picture was made by Armstrong as they walked across the surface of the moon, July 20, 1969. | Photo Credit: Neil Armstrong/NASA via AP (This article … Read more
Data shows that Tamil Nadu has a long history of police brutality “Even a murderer would not have caused this much injury to a person”, observed the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday during the hearing of a batch of Public Interest Litigation petitions over the custodial death of Ajith Kumar, a … Read more
Young men cool off in a step well amid scorching weather on a hot summer day in Rajasthan | Photo Credit: – Over the last 10 years, traditionally cooler cities such as Bengaluru and Mumbai have been experiencing more days with above-average temperatures than Delhi, as India grapples with increasingly severe heatwaves. A comparison of … Read more
Researchers have sequenced the first whole ancient Egyptian genome from an individual who lived 4,500 to 4,800 years ago — the oldest DNA sample from Egypt to date. The body belongs to an adult male who died more than 4,500 years ago during Egypt’s Old Kingdom. The individual was “genetically male (XY sex chromosomes), consistent … Read more
India’s Shubhanshu Shukla with three other astronauts and the International Space Station crew after the Axiom-4 mission’s SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docked to the ISS, as part of the mission. Photo: X/@SpaceX via PTI The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has said that the Axiom-4 (Ax-04) mission which Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is part of will … Read more
Representational photo | PM Modi’s participation in the BRICS summit is one of the key events to look for during the tour. | Photo Credit: ANI Starting Wednesday, July 2, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a five-nation tour across two continents, covering Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, Brazil, and Namibia. With a wide … Read more
A vertical gas flaring furnace is seen in Ughelli, Delta State, Nigeria September 16, 2020. An $88 million satellite backed by billionaire Jeff Bezos that detected oil and gas industry emissions of the powerful greenhouse gas methane has been lost in space. | Photo Credit: Reuters An $88 million satellite backed by billionaire Jeff Bezos … Read more
In most business environments, telephone calls are typically handled by a receptionist or directed to specific extensions using an internal intercom system. The technology enabling this seamless communication, both within and outside the organisation, is called EPABX. This system allows users to answer, transfer or forward calls as needed. It facilitates internal communication between different … Read more
Human remains found in the northern grave (top) and in the southern grave (bottom) at the Neolithic site in Fujia, China. | Photo Credit: Ning, et al. (2025) Evidence from two Neolithic cemeteries on China’s eastern coast, reported recently by researchers at Peking University in Beijing in Nature, showed that some communities were organised in … Read more
