Dr. Ajay Sood, prior to being appointed as India’s third Principal Scientific Advisor in 2022, was one of India’s foremost physicists at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. He explains to The Hindu where India is positioned in the domains of artificial intelligence and quantum computers and why the world is on the cusp of … Read more
Working dogs take a day to adjust to the change in routine caused by Daylight Savings Time (DST), whereas pet dogs and their owners seem to be unaffected. To investigate how DST impacts domestic dogs, researchers used motion-sensitive watches to monitor the activity patterns of 25 working sled dogs, 29 pet dogs, and their human … Read more
In a new study in the journal Evolution, researchers compared the feathers and bodies of different species of flightless birds and their closest relatives who can still fly. They were able to determine which features change first when birds evolve to be flightless, versus which traits take more time for evolution to alter. All of the … Read more
The Environment Ministry study could locate only three Indus river dolphins. FIle Earlier this week, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change released the findings of a population study of dolphins found in Indian rivers, putting their numbers at 6,327. These playful creatures with their torpedo-like bodies generate excitement whenever they are spotted. People … Read more
The 100-day intensified TB elimination campaign was launched on December 7, 2024 across 455 intervention districts in 33 States and Union Territories to screen and test for TB among people belonging to the vulnerable or high-risk group — diabetics, smokers, alcoholics, people living with HIV, those with TB in the past, geriatric population, house-hold contacts of TB patients. Besides screening people … Read more
Larsen & Toubro said it is betting on aerospace. File | Photo Credit: Reuters The conglomerate Larsen & Toubro (L&T) said it is betting on aerospace as a potential growth engine, including launch vehicle and satellite manufacturing, as the country cuts reliance on imports and boosts private participation. L&T, considered a bellwether for India’s infrastructure … Read more
Watch: SpaceX Starship explodes in space, again raining debris over Caribbean SpaceX’s massive Starship spacecraft exploded in space on Thursday minutes after lifting off from Texas, causing the FAA to halt air traffic in parts of Florida, in the second straight failure this year for Elon Musk’s Mars rocket programme. Several videos on social media … Read more
Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the first telephone in 1876. Can’t imagine a day without your phone? You have Alexander Graham Bell to thank for that. He invented the first telephone on March 7, 1876 nearly 150 years ago. To honour his contributions to science and technology, March 7 is celebrated as Alexander Graham … Read more
It is common knowledge that the first known use of ballistics in warfare globally was by Tipu Sultan. However, what many might not know is that the Yelahanka Air Force station, where recently the prestigious air show was conducted with much pomp and glory attracting crowds in lakhs, is located not very far from one … Read more
Starship reached nearly 90 miles (150 kilometers) in altitude before trouble struck and before four mock satellites could be deployed [File] | Photo Credit: REUTERS Nearly two months after an explosion sent flaming debris raining down on the Turks and Caicos, SpaceX launched another mammoth Starship rocket on Thursday, but lost contact minutes into the … Read more
The failure of the eighth Starship test, seen here from the ground, comes just over a month after the seventh also ended in an explosive failure. | Photo Credit: Reuters SpaceX’s massive Starship spacecraft exploded in space on Thursday minutes after lifting off from Texas, causing the FAA to halt air traffic in parts of … Read more
The second moon landing by Intuitive Machines appears to have suffered the same fate as its first try last year, with data indicating the Athena lander ended on its side on the lunar surface after problems with its laser rangefinders, the U.S. company said on Thursday. The 4.7-metre-tall and six-legged Athena lander, carrying 11 payloads … Read more
Though there is much conversation about women being the pillars of economic growth in India, the Union and State governments are not backing really this promise. | Photo Credit: ANI The Union and State governments regularly talk about their commitment to women’s empowerment. One of the four pillars of a Viksit Bharat 2047 is mahila … Read more
In one of his first acts in his second term as president of the United States, Donald Trump fired several hundred employees of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The move triggered a lot of discussion in the climate community and beyond about how it will hurt critical weather and climate services. The … Read more
A drill to search for ice. A 4G network test. Three rovers and a first-of-its-kind hopping drone. After becoming the first private firm to land on the Moon last year, Intuitive Machines is aiming for its second lunar touchdown on Thursday, carrying cutting-edge payloads to support future human missions. The Houston-based company is targeting no … Read more
Sci-Five | The Hindu Science Quiz: On National Parks 1 / 5 | How many national parks does India have? There are 106 existing national parks in India covering an area of 44,402 square kilometers. Next 2 / 5 | __________ is not allowed in Indian national parks. Jungle safari Cattle grazing Hiking Birding Cattle … Read more
Science is everywhere, even in the simplest things we do! Without realising it, we interact with brilliant scientific principles daily, often missing the invisible geniuses working behind the scenes. Let’s uncover the science hidden in plain sight! You wake up, check your phone, brush your teeth, and grab a cold drink from the fridge—just another … Read more
(This article forms a part of the Science for All newsletter that takes the jargon out of science and puts the fun in! Subscribe now!) Scientists may have unlocked a new milestone in cancer treatment. An individual who received CAR T-cell therapy has been in remission for 18 years without requiring any other treatments, researchers reported … Read more
BSNL’s once-flourishing landline business has bottomed out | Photo Credit: SOMASHEKARA GRN The Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) reported a quarterly net profit in FY25Q3, its first in over 17 years. While this is a significant moment for the beleaguered State-owned telecom company, there is still a long road to recovery. BSNL has achieved a … Read more
Imagine going about your day when a heavy metal object suddenly crashes in front of your house. You and your neighbours are shocked. You rush out to check what has happened and struggle to make sense of the sight: a misshapen piece of hot metal, blackened by fire and soot, with a cloud of dust … Read more
One of Africa’s giant beetles is just one step away from extinction. New research has found that one species of the enormous Goliath beetles has been almost wiped out by the west African cocoa industry and, to a lesser extent, by the international trade in dried insects. Luca Luiselli, a professor of biostatistics and ecology at the … Read more
For decades, scientists have been learning more about the diets of early hominins, particularly their reliance on plants. Yet we still don’t know when these ancestors of humans started eating meat. | Photo Credit: AFP For decades, scientists have been learning more about the diets of early hominins, particularly their reliance on plants. Yet we … Read more
Scientists have long suspected that gut bacteria may influence a person’s risk of developing multiple sclerosis. | Photo Credit: Steve Gschmeissner/Science Photo Library/Brand X Pictures via Getty Images Multiple sclerosis is a disease that results when the immune system mistakenly attacks the brain and spinal cord. It affects nearly one million people in the U.S. and over 2.8 … Read more
A young man killed in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE was likely overcome by a fast-moving cloud of gas at a temperature of more than 500°C in a process that transformed fragments of his brain into glass, according to new research. The man’s remains were discovered in 1961, and in 2020 researchers … Read more
Questions: 1. This element is included in the US’s list of critical minerals. It is prized for use in the control rods of nuclear reactors and for use in compounds that change their shape when magnetised (i.e. magnetostrictives), especially Terfenol-D. Name it. 2. _________ __________ come in two types and are useful to convert the … Read more
In this Feb 2025 photo provided by Colossal Biosciences a genetically edited mouse with long, thick, woolly hair at a lab in Dallas, Texas. | Photo Credit: AP Extinction is still forever, but scientists at the biotech company Colossal Biosciences are trying what they say is the next best thing to restoring ancient beasts — … Read more
From seed distribution to crop calendars, the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST) has an action plan to tackle the dry conditions it expects in Kashmir this summer. Kashmir has had a dry winter this year with the months of January and February recording a rainfall deficit of around 80%. Even though the … Read more
Kangaroos and cockatoos are synonymous with Australia and tigers and orangutans with Asia. Both these continents boast rich biodiversity that is also very unique. A simple yet popular way to understand these ‘separate greatnesses’ has taken the shape of the Wallace line. What is the Wallace line? In the late 19th century, the English naturalist … Read more
The latest exchanges between Tamil Nadu and the Centre over Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) funds have reignited the long-standing language debate. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has reaffirmed the State’s opposition to Hindi imposition and reiterated its commitment to the two-language policy. Meanwhile, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has dismissed allegations of Hindi imposition, … Read more
