The universe is normally believed to be tranquil; nevertheless, at times, the universe will surprise you in ways you can never have imagined. A black hole was discovered recently by some scientists who were amazed when they observed the hole wake up from its dormant state after sleeping for roughly 100 million years. The consequence…
Quote of the day by J. Robert Oppenheimer (Image source: Wikipedia) Some quotes don’t make things easier. Instead, they ask questions that stick with you long after you read them. J. Robert Oppenheimer said, “It is perfectly obvious that the whole world is going to hell.” The only way it might not happen is if…
Adhara Perez Sanchez, autistic girl finished primary school at 5, earned a master’s at 11. A young girl from Mexico is drawing global attention for an extraordinary academic journey that began almost as soon as it started. Adhara Perez Sanchez, diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at the age of three, rapidly progressed through the education…
A major development in sustainable architecture has enabled researchers to convert ordinary timber into an advanced thermal reservoir. In this case, lignin is removed from wood through chemical modification and phase change materials are added, giving rise to a new product that has been termed ‘solar battery,’ which stores solar energy collected by a building…
Thorns in different plant species have always been an interesting subject for botanists. Be it rose plants or cactus, they use thorns to protect themselves from herbivorous animals. It was long unknown to researchers about the genetic development of thorns in plants. This has been clarified recently through the discovery of how genetic mutations can…
Experiencing a Giant Sequoia is more than just an experience with nature; it’s an experience of sheer impossibility. Within the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, a veritable forest full of these ancient giants defies our understanding of biology and the scale of living organisms. Consider how truly large an organism must be to exceed the…
Quote of the day by Rosalind Franklin (Image source: Britannica) Some scientists stand out not only for their discoveries, but also for how clearly they saw responsibility and progress. One such person was Rosalind Franklin. She was famous for her groundbreaking work on DNA structure, and she also believed strongly that scientific work should have…
BENGALURU: In the race to find safer and cheaper alternatives to lithium-ion batteries, scientists in Bengaluru may have found a promising step forward, by fixing a problem that has long held aluminium batteries back.A research team led by Kavita Pandey of the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), a Department of Science and…
BENGALURU: When the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) and the Institute of Aerospace Medicine (IAM) wrapped up its high-altitude human behaviour simulation near Leh on April 9, much of the focus was on what it could reveal about crew psychology. Less visible was the role played by a Bengaluru-based firm that enabled the exercise on…
Forests seem sturdy and solid from the outside, but there might be something happening silently underneath. Some fungi can cause trees to decay internally and leave them weakened without showing any sign of it. Researchers are cautioning us that these seemingly insignificant beings could be pointing towards a more serious environmental problem, which is global…