What is the metaverse? 2 media and information experts explain
Sci-fi novelist Neal Stephenson coined the term in his 1992 novel “Snow Crash”
Viruses are both the villains and heroes of life as we know it
There is mounting evidence that the viruses that infect plants and animals are also a major source of genetic innovation in these organisms
Lucy in the sky: Things to know about NASA mission to Jupiter’s Trojans
NASA’s Lucy mission is going where no one else has before. It aims to look back into the origins of the solar system through Trojans
Fossil footprints prove humans populated the Americas thousands of years earlier than we thought
Until now, scientists believed humans only travelled south into the Americas when this ice barrier began to melt, at the earliest, 16,500 years ago
Twitter’s design stokes hostility and controversy. Here’s why, and how it might change
Twitter needs to reconsider the algorithms and metrics (such as likes and retweets) that enable the company to profit from co-ordinated …
Tokyo Olympics: Sports science the ‘ultimate winner’
Sports and sports science have been complementing each other for the last three decades when technology was given top priority to maintain …
Evolution and Science-fiction: Marriage of facts and fantasy
It is nearly impossible to consume a work of science-fiction that concerns itself with evolution without acknowledging Darwin’s role
Science and Engineering Research Board awards national post-doctoral fellowships to 301 researchers
These fellowships supports young budding researchers to establish themselves as independent scientists
How did continents form? Giant meteorite impacts could be responsible, says study
Understanding the formation and evolution of continents is important as it is the key to reserves of metals such as lithium, tin and nickel
Researchers develop antimicrobial coating from agricultural waste
The researchers used lignin, a complex, woody biopolymer that is left over as stubble post-harvest
Boom boom boom — like a heartbeat: Scientists pick up mysterious fast radio bursts
Properties of the signal suggest that the source lives in a very turbulent environment inside its galaxy
Stockholm+50: Is science for just solutions
If science-policy interfaces are to deliver just and effective solutions to climate change, they must involve indigenous peoples and local communities
Scientists image mysterious rock zone 3,000 km beneath Earth’s surface
They found that the speed of earthquake waves travelling through the base of the structure could be 40 per cent slower than the surrounding regions
Developing economies risk exclusion as ‘age of AI’ dawns
Artificial intelligence is set to be a multi-trillion dollar industry by 2030, but developing economies risk falling behind unless changes are …
Warning: This planet is protected by video surveillance
Spying from space has lifted the veil over the battlefield, diffusing the fog of war and lessening the utility of aggression
New research suggests modern humans lived in Europe 10,000 years earlier than previously thought, in Neanderthal territories
It isn’t a stretch to assume that people in the Mediterranean had access to boat technologies 54,000 years ago and used them to explore …
Venus might have microbial life in its atmosphere, study shows
Phosphine gas, made up of hydrogen and phosphorus, hass been found in the planet’s clouds, a marker for the existence of microbes that can …
Your phone and your brain - what we know so far
The evidence indicates that there’s still a lot of uncertainty about the long-term impacts of digital device use on cognition
Can DNA tests find our soulmate? We study sex and sexuality — and think the idea is ridiculous
There is no compelling evidence as to whether or not DNA matching can support a more fulfilling love life
Europe is recruiting astronauts: Here is what it takes to become one
Recruiting new astronauts is the first step into this new era of human space exploration. Many people may have dreamed of becoming an astronaut …
5 twinkling galaxies help us uncover the mystery of the Milky Way’s missing matter
But about half of matter in our galaxy is too dark to be detected. It takes the form of cold, dark clumps of gas, in which lies Milky Way’s&…
Our expertise and observations complemented those from Europe: Gopakumar Achamveedu
Down To Earth speaks to Gopakumar Achamveedu from Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, who is part of the international team of …
Disaster, opulence and the merciless ocean: Why the Titanic disaster continues to enthral
Titanic movies and exhibitions are popular because audiences enjoy the voyeurism of gazing at the ship’s beautiful furnishings, the …
Udhampur gets earthquake observatory
New seismological observatory will help further strengthen the region’s earthquake monitoring
Look back at the decade: The virtual world
The WikiLeaks exposé showed us the significance of the internet in today’s interconnected world