Cyber dystopia
Book>> The Filter Bubble, What the Internet is Hiding From You • by Eli Pariser • Penguin Books • US $25
Automatic warning
Posting humans to inhospitable sites in the Himalaya to monitor snow and wind patterns may soon be unnecessary
Ironing out pollution
A recently-developed cheap and environmentally-benign iron compound helps dispose of polluting nitrogen oxides
Rock-hard sandwiches
Thin film, no more than a few microns thick, can endow substances with hardness, magnetic, superconducting and optical properties
Endurance test for microorganisms
A technology for preserving food relies on creating a hostile environment for bacteria and fungi in whose presence food goes bad
The liquid heat trap
A giant pond at a dairy in Gujarat is the world's largest water storehouse of the sun's energy and heats about 80,000 litres of water everyday
The computer plays postman
India seems ready to cash in on electronic mail, a cheap and fast way of communication in which messages are exchanged through computer networks.
Switch on the window, please
Windows that change from clear to dark and back at the flick of a switch are set to make air-conditioning systems redundant in buildings, thereby …
Manipulating reality
The concept of Virtual Reality -- simulating the real world -- is adding a new dimension to entertainment and education.
The secret sex life of the sea urchin
With the unravelling of how fertilisation occurs in sea urchins, scientists may now better understand the reproduction process in higher mammals, …
Helping computers keep a tight hold on power
Scientists are trying to integrate a new type of circuits - called reversible circuits -- into computers to make them more energy efficient
New chip on the firmament
A microchip developed by a US firm will greatly increase the working speed of personal computers. But the chip's long-term success will depend on …
Why some bumble bees spend the night out
Bumble-bees infected with the larvae of parasitic flies stay the night out in the cold to hinder the development of the eggs
In search of gravitational waves
Two projects are under way to detect an elusive phenomenon that are thought to be produced by violent events in outer space
Wanderlust heats up the blood of some fish
Biologists have found that some fish evolved into warm-blooded creatures because their adventurous ancestors were exposed to large temperature …
Correcting the Leaning Tower's tilt
A Chinese architect claims he can stop the Leaning Tower of Pisa from tilting further, and even bring it back to the original angle of tilt.
Venus' volcanoes have lost their fire
Scientists in Arizona say the latest satellite images from Venus indicate very little volcanic activity has taken place on the planet after a …
Giving the art of mimicry a new meaning
In order to propagate its own species, a parasitic fungus attacks mustard plants and transforms their leaves, making them look like flowers of …
Moon keeps Earth's tilt in check
Scientists say the Moon exerts a moderating influence on variations in the Earth's obliquity or tilt and this has a direct effect on our climate.
Turning on the sexually fastidious female
Recent studies confirm the reason why the males of many species have unusual or elaborate physical features is to attract the opposite sex.
Infant death linked to child-rearing habits
The Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is more frequent among children in the West than in Asia. Researchers say a difference in child-care …
Penguins gauge sea resources for scientists
Scientists are relying on the emperor penguins to find out the state of sea resources in the inhospitable Antarctic region.
Computer screens edge books off the shelves
More and more libraries are incorporating computer networks in their effort to reach the entire world.
Is Cauvery a composite river?
Scientists think an upsurge of land may have brought two rivers together to form what is today the Cauvery.
Male flowers enhance pollination
Plants normally have only bisexual flowers. Some species, however, also produce male flowers to make the dispersal of pollen more efficient.