A schematic representation of mutational signatures associated with blue light. | Photo Credit: PLoS Genet 21(5): e1011692 Researchers from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Thiruvananthapuram, have found that blue light can greatly increase the number of genetic mutations in yeast. Since yeast is a popular model organism in biology, the findings suggest … Read more
A mother holds up a mosquito net treated with insecticide in Amhara region, Ethiopia, October 2017. | Photo Credit: Public domain Researchers reported in Nature on May 22 that they had identified compounds that could target the deadly malaria-causing parasite Plasmodium falciparum during its developmental stages in Anopheles mosquitoes, potentially enhancing efforts to control malaria … Read more
Our brain depends on a finely tuned network of neurons, signals, and protective barriers to function seamlessly. This intricate setup underpins every thought, memory, and movement we make. But as we age, or under certain conditions, this system can break down. Neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) slowly damage neurons and … Read more
File image of an Asiatic Lioness with her two Seven-month-old cubs at Sakkarbaugh Safari breeding centre in Junagadh | Photo Credit: The Hindu The story so far: The Gujarat Forest Department this week released results from the 16th Lion Population Estimation, popularly referred to as the ‘lion census.’ This was the first such census since … Read more
There are some inventions and discoveries that have an instant impact, changing our ways immediately and having a marked effect quickly. There are others that take time to make their presence felt so as to say, time during which we humans figure out the actual usefulness and put it to action in a better way. … Read more
The far side of the moon (shown) is more cratered than the near side. | Photo Credit: NASA The earth’s moon is tidally locked: one side always faces the earth and the other side always faces away. So when scientists got their first look of the moon’s far side, they were surprised to find it … Read more
Image for representation only | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStock For several weeks, research scholars spanning a range of Central and State universities and scientific disciplines across India, have been pleading with the Department of Science and Technology (DST) for their research stipends. The forum for their complaints are primarily X and LinkedIn, and their prime … Read more
Daily quiz: On Nuclear science In 1954, the Obninsk Nuclear Power Plant, a Soviet facility became the world’s first nuclear power plant to generate electricity for a power grid (about 5 MW). START THE QUIZ 1 / 5 | The ___ and the _________ methods are both used to generate supercriticality in a process known … Read more
Tête de Moine cheese. | Photo Credit: Tête de Moine AOP, Fromage de Bellelay (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!) The Tête de Moine cheese from the Bellelay region of Switzerland is iconic because of the … Read more
Army soldiers take position as they patrol along border fence at India-Pakistan Line of Control (LoC) on the forward post of Gowhalan, Uri. Except in Gujarat, exports from most western border districts of India were already minimal and stagnating, and reductions in poverty levels were significantly slower. Recent India-Pakistan tensions and cross-border shelling along the … Read more
In 2020, 58-year-old Viswanathan, recovering from a stroke, sought physiotherapy from an Ayurvedic practitioner, hoping to regain mobility. However, this treatment caused wounds on his leg. As a diabetic with an already weakened immune system this marked the beginning of his battle with antimicrobial resistance (AMR). After a year of battling infections, he was given … Read more
M.R. Srinivasan being laid to rest at the Wellington crematorium in Coonoor on Tuesday with full state honours. | Photo Credit: SATHYAMOORTHY M The mortal remains of eminent nuclear scientist and former Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission M.R. Srinivasan were laid to rest with full state honours at the Wellington crematorium in Coonoor on … Read more
CART-T cell therapy, these cells are engineered to recognise and target the specific cancer cell, thus using the immune system to fight the disease. Photograph used for representational purposes only | Photo Credit: File Photo An ICMR-funded trial led by CMC Vellore demonstrated that CAR-T therapy, which uses a patient’s own T cells to fight … Read more
Why some States are upset with the Centre over revenue sharing: Part 1 | Video Credit: The Hindu Almost every State — including those ruled by the BJP — is calling for a change in the current revenue-sharing formula with the Central government. To understand this growing demand, it’s crucial to first unpack how the … Read more
Trained only on historical data, Aurora was able to correctly forecast all hurricanes in 2023 more accurately than operational forecasting centres [File] | Photo Credit: REUTERS Microsoft has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) model that beats current forecasting methods in tracking air quality, weather patterns, and climate-addled tropical storms, according to findings published Wednesday. Dubbed … Read more
Tourists and commuters sail through Bosphorus on a ferry in Istanbul, Turkey, April 23, 2025 | Photo Credit: UMIT BEKTAS Following Turkiye and Azerbaijan’s support for Pakistan after India’s military confrontation in the wake of the Pahalgam massacre, many online travel platforms reported a sharp spike in cancellations of tour bookings to these countries. Many … Read more
The clownfish were popularised by the Disney film ‘Finding Nemo’. | Photo Credit: Getty Images In 2023-2024, the world suffered a devastating coral bleaching event during which 84% of the world’s reefs spanning 83 countries and territories were affected. Scientists have since linked the event to ocean warming and marine heatwaves — extended periods of … Read more
Cyclones are among the earth’s most powerful storms. Like forest fires and lightning strikes, they are natural — yet their effects are becoming more destructive thanks to climate change. In a new study published by researchers at ETH Zurich in Switzerland, the world’s cyclones can be expected to wreak more havoc in new ways if … Read more
The Persian long-tailed desert lizard specimen at the Zoological Survey of India’s museum in Kolkata. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT Scientists from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) have removed confusion over the Persian long-tailed desert lizard, 153 years after it was first described from Sindh in present-day Pakistan. This desert lizard, called Mesalina watsonana zoologically, … Read more
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis pays tribute to the mortal remains of astrophysicist Dr. Jayant Narlikar. Photo: @CMOMaharashtra on X via PTI People from all walks of life attended the last rites of eminent astrophysicist Dr. Jayant Narlikar in Pune as he was cremated with full state honours. The last rites were performed at the … Read more
It was around six years ago that ecologist Ayushi Jain arrived in Kasaragod, Kerala, in search of the Asian giant softshell turtle (a large freshwater turtle). She interacted with the community, took them into confidence and eventually spotted the turtle. She went on to document the critically endangered species, with the support of the people, … Read more
M.R. Srinivasan, former Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) passed away on May 20, 2025. Photo Credit: Special: Arrangement M.R. Srinivasan, the former Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy, passed away in Udhagamandalam on Tuesday (May 20, 2025). He was 95-years-old. Srinivasan joined the Department of Atomic … Read more
Mahesh Sankaran | Photo Credit: Special arrangement Professor of Ecology and Evolution at the National Centre for Biological Sciences, Dr. Mahesh Sankaran, explained the evolution, diversity and conservation challenges of the grassland ecosystem during his lecture The Untold Story of Grasses held recently at the Science Gallery Bengaluru. Mahesh’s research includes studying grasslands in Africa … Read more
Game-changer: In February 2012, amid intense protests, the government announced the constitution of an expert committee, which included M.R. Srinivasan, former Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, to go into the plant’s safety system. The photo shows Srinivasan handing over the report to Chief Minister Jayalalithaa. | Photo Credit: The Hindu Archives In September 2011, amid intense protests by activists … Read more
On April 23, 2018 the renowned astrophysicist Jayant V. Narlikar gave a lecture on ‘Searches for Life Outside the Earth’ at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre’s Space Physics Laboratory (SPL) in Thiruvananthapuram. He spoke about the possibility of life existing beyond the earth and the challenges in providing experimental evidence for it. On the occasion, … Read more
The Madras High Court received the highest number of women appointees | Photo Credit: PICHUMANI K Of the 17 appointees to the Madras High Court approved by the Supreme Court Collegium during the tenures of former Chief Justices of India D.Y. Chandrachud and Sanjiv Khanna, 15 (88.2%) belonged to the Backward Classes (BC), Other Backward Classes … Read more
The Olive Ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea), a vulnerable sea turtle species, made headlines earlier this year: a record-breaking seven lakh turtles had nested at Odisha’s Rushikulya beach alone in March. These turtles are renowned for their synchronised mass nesting events called arribada, a Spanish word that means “arrival”. For many people, the Rushikulya arribada signalled … Read more
Game-changer: In February 2012, amid intense protests, the government announced the constitution of an expert committee, which included M.R. Srinivasan, former Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, to go into the plant’s safety system. The photo shows Srinivasan handing over the report to Chief Minister Jayalalithaa. | Photo Credit: THE HINDU ARCHIVES In September 2011, amid intense protests by … Read more
Renowned astrophysicist Jayant Vishnu Narlikar | Photo Credit: Thulasi Kakkat Dr. Jayant Narlikar, one of India’s most distinguished astrophysicists who combined profound theoretical insight into cosmology with a lifelong commitment to science communication, passed away at his residence in Pune on Tuesday (May 20. 2025). He was 86. Describing what made Dr. Narlikar one of … Read more
M.R. Srinivasan, former Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) passed away on May 20, 2025. Photo Credit: Special: Arrangement M.R. Srinivasan, the former Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy, passed away in Udhagamandalam on Tuesday (May 20, 2025). He was 95-years-old. Srinivasan joined the Department of Atomic … Read more