A multi-purpose plant
From providing cure for stomach ailments to being an antidote for poisoning , the Jatropha Curcas is priceless
Burning ice
Ice crystals, known as methane hydrates, found inside the seafloor, have tremendous energy potential. But humans are yet to tap them
A ray of solar hope
Solar plants have proved to be a great boon for villagers of Sunderbans who relied on kerosene wick-lamps
Back to basics
An air conditioning system that uses constant subterranean temperatures can become an ecofriendly alternative to conventional systems
Animal sacrifice
150 million animals are killed for research worldwide. Do humans really benefit?
We grew human tear glands in the lab, and now we’re making them cry
Around 5% of the adult population suffer from ‘dry eye’ syndrome because their tear glands don't function properly
COVID vaccines: How to make sense of reports on their effectiveness
Real-world trials come with some problems: The target of vaccination, what time it was rolled out and emerging variants
Binary blunders
The gender spectrum is a consequence of the complex interplay between culture and highly-nuanced and protean brain
Mimicking nature
Emerging technologies inspired by nature are reducing consumption, enhancing speed, sequestering carbon and much more
Push for open source software
Delhi has been awfully late in adopting open source software, but the policy is finally there
Chandrayaan-3 successfully launched, soft landing on Moon expected by late August
ISRO also aims to demonstrate the ability of the rover to move on the Moon and conduct a few experiments, including studying the seismicity & …
As ISRO gears up for Chandrayaan 3, here is a look at what India’s first trip to Moon achieved
It confirmed the presence of water on the Moon; the government and private agencies now hope to mine the water ice to produce air, drinking water,…
Bidding adieu to John Goodenough, the untiring inventor who co-created the modern lithium-ion battery
In 2019, Goodenough and two other scientists received the Nobel Prize for their work on lithium-ion batteries
India has lost its way on open access
New Delhi’s focus on striking a deal with the scientific publishing industry ignores the true spirit of open access and knowledge sharing
Artificial intelligence GPT-4 shows ‘sparks’ of common sense, human-like reasoning, finds Microsoft
Latest version of ChatGPT shows signs of artificial general intelligence; can solve novel and difficult tasks in various fields in a way …
Saturn gets crown back for most moons in solar system
Jupiter has once again ceded the title of “most known moons” to Saturn, after 62 new Saturnians moons were discovered, taking the grand total …
Should we bring back the dodo? De-extinction is a feel-good story, but these high-tech replacements aren’t really ‘resurrecting’ species
A section of scientists have argued that de-extinction will eventually help restore ecosystems. But others disagree
Bowels of the Earth: Meet the planet’s new layer, the innermost inner core
The idea that the Earth could hold a fifth layer was proposed in 2002; since then, researchers have been trying to get more data to learn about …
Scientists have started steering lightning with lasers — here’s how
Lightning kills thousands of people annually; only protection we have is lightning rods, which were invented 300 years ago
2022 too short, too far: DTE’s reportage on global scientific research
Down To Earth recaps the primary environment, health and developmental news from 2022
Not everything we call AI is actually ‘artificial intelligence’. Here’s what you need to know
AI, in the form of ChatGPT, reached desktops & phones of general public late last month
Carbon dots: A futuristic solution for sustainably managing aquatic environment?
The inexpensive nanomaterial is becoming more popular in applications like sensing and bioimaging
Union Budget 2022-23: Funds for science very low for India to make a mark, say experts
The importance that the government gives to science and technology is reflected in the budget, experts said
Genomic sequencing: Here’s how researchers identify omicron and other COVID-19 variants
When an organism replicates, it makes a copy of its entire genome to pass on to its offspring. Sometimes errors in the copying process can lead …
India International Science Festival, 2021, launched
The theme of IISF 2021 is ‘Celebrating Creativity in Science, Technology and Innovation for Prosperous India’