US Department of Energy announces breakthrough in nuclear fusion, sets path to clean energy source
The Department of Energy expects the private sector to enter the arena and provide the necessary support
Rare microbial predators with voracious appetite form a new branch in ‘tree of life’: Study
Learning more about these undiscovered branches of life can help shed more light on the foundations of the living world and how evolution works
Cutting-edge tech at low cost behind India’s first private rocket
Down To Earth catches up with Pawan Kr Chandana, co-founder of Skyroot Aerospace, whose Vikram-S became the first privately made rocket to …
NASA crashed a spacecraft into an asteroid — photos show the last moments of the successful DART mission
Double Asteroid Redirection Test is meant to test one potential approach that could prevent an asteroid from colliding with Earth.
‘Humans won’t go extinct; but they are at a crucial point’
Down to Earth spoke with Nathan H Lents, professor of biology at John Jay College, the City University of New York about the past, present and …
Slowdown of continental plates linked to volcanic eruptions triggered mass extinctions: Study
In the future, there is a possibility that continental plates may slow down, potentially triggering volcanic activities, according to …
Astronomers find extremely aged remnant of galaxies that influence universe’s evolution
A team of Indian astronomers from Pune claimed the remnants belonged to galaxies formed 260 million years ago, a record in itself
AI helps scientists keep up in COVID-19 mutation race
Artificial intelligence can help predict mutations in COVID-19. Some have achieved a perfect strike rate.
Oceans Great Dying 2.0: Mass extinction haunts oceans
Scientists warn an imminent mass annihilation of marine species similar to one 250 million years ago that wiped out most lives in oceans
Ape-men of Flores: Gregory Forth talks about academia’s bias against testimonies of local people
Forth has concluded that a latter-day Homo floresiensis or another hominin, appears to be the best explanation for the Lio ape-man, and says he …
Hunting galaxies far, far away — here’s how anyone can explore the universe
In just our observable universe we estimate there are over 2 trillion galaxies!
IIT-Madras researchers develop new technique to help avoid sudden power shutdowns
The new technique works by making it easier to monitor levels of pollution deposits in power transmission networks
Cross-continent social networking may have existed 400,000 years ago, fire use patterns suggest
The various groups of hominins were tolerant towards one another and exchanged ideas much like modern humans
Scientists identify genes to improve fertiliser nitrogen use efficiency in rice
Every year, urea worth Rs 50,000 crore is lost from Indian farms, with rice and wheat accounting for about two-thirds of it
Carl Sagan, the animal rights visionary
He was talking about global warming and humane treatment of animals before they became fashionable
How do you weigh a dinosaur? There are two ways, and it turns out they’re both right
An animal’s body mass is a fundamental property of its biology. It dictates what an animal can eat, how far and fast it can move, and how …
Broken cable damages Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico
The Arecibo Observatory is one of the largest radio telescopes in the world. It features prominently in the last part of the 1995 movie GoldenEye
CSIR lab to organise nationwide summer research training programme
The programme’s objective is to ameliorate the stagnancy created in the national academic scenario due to the COVID-19 pandemic
Prehistoric human footprints reveal a rare snapshot of ancient human group behaviour
Centuries ago, a group of 20 prehistoric modern humans walked through a volcanic mudflow, still active in Tanzania. This is what a footprint trail&…
COVID-19: Your genes could determine whether SARS-CoV-2 puts you in hospital
Results of an analysis suggested there were differences in people’s DNA that could influence their ability to respond to a SARS-CoV-2 infection
Meet Perseverance, NASA's new Mars rover
‘Perseverance’ will land on Mars’ Jerezo crater a little after 3.40 pm EST on February 18, 2021
Solar storms can hamper whales' navigation, cause them to strand: Study
Radio frequency noise created by solar outburst affects whales’ senses and prevents them from navigating, according to the research
Botswana is humanity’s ancestral home, claims major study – well, actually …
Mitochondrial DNA comes almost only ever from mothers, so the story of its inheritance is much simpler than the histories of other genes
Chemistry Nobel for development of lithium-ion batteries
John B Goodenough, M Stanley Whittingham and Akira Yoshino are recipients of the prize for 2019
Japan’s space probe first to capture material beneath asteroid surface
Hayabusa2 made its first touchdown on Ryugu — a kilometre-wide asteriod, with a relatively dark surface and almost zero gravity — in …