In a whitewashed country
We begin the new year with this piece on the ‘modern’ and 'traditional' from the Anil Agarwal reader (Vol.2)
Bankruptcy of ideas and innovation: What India’s recent science & tech indicators show
Indians have shown little innovation over the decades. They are content to copy successful ideas from elsewhere or …
Study peeks into thermal mechanisms of droplet type cooling for microchips
Low-temperature gradient of water droplets generate hydrothermal waves in the nanoscale range, shows Indian research
Scientific researchers must maintain integrity
These soldiers of science must understand that they may not have taken the Hippocratic Oath to serve patients, but their research determines the …
Biggest hunt for highly intelligent aliens yields no results
The search was conducted as part of the Breakthrough Listen Initiative which kicked off in 2015
Engineering this fungi may produce eco-friendly alternative to synthetic dyes
Lab-cultured Rhodosporidium toruloides produces 86 grams indigoidine per litre
New laser-based technique to replace pressure’s 400-year-old measuring standard
The fixed-length optical cavity sensor is 100 times faster, mercury-free and has a higher resolution — compared to standard mercury manometres
What is the summer solstice? An astronomer explains
It brings the longest day and shortest night of the year for the 88 per cent of Earth’s people who live in the Northern Hemisphere
Human brains distinctively attuned to musical tones: Study
Certain brain regions in humans show stronger preference for sounds with pitch than macaque monkey brains
Scientists vote to recognise Anthropocene as Earth’s new epoch
The move signals the end of the Holocene epoch, which began 12,000 to 11,600 years ago
Lotus-inspired biodegradable water repellent material developed
A water-repelling, biodegradable material inspired by lotus leaves has been developed by a joint team of researchers from India, Switzerland and …
A mango database developed for plant breeders
Kerala Agricultural University scientists have developed a database that lists 40 mango varieties based on features like the type of flower, seed,…
Theoretical physicist E C G Sudarshan passes away
A professor at the University of Texas, he was nominated for Nobel Prize several times. If found true, his theory of particles travelling faster …
The emerging science of nanoflowers
Nanoflowers can find applications in optoelectronics devices or sensors, catalysis and solar cells and also have great potential for possible …
The Chinese patent juggernaut
China has toppled Japan from No 2 spot and is set to become the leader in global patent filings, specially in future technologies
Why using AI tools like ChatGPT in my MBA innovation course is expected and not cheating
We need the various manuals of style to update their rules to include work generated by an AI
Death: How long are we conscious for and does life really flash before our eyes?
A recent research speculated about life ’flashing’ past moments before death; how sound might it be?
The horse bit and bridle kicked off ancient empires — a new giant dataset tracks the societal factors that drove military technology
Around 1000 BC, nomadic herders in the steppes north of the Black Sea invented the bit and bridle
The ghost of Christmas yet to come: how an AI ‘SantaNet’ might end up destroying the world
Scientists identified a series of behaviours by the AI general intelligence system which, though well-intentioned, could have adverse impacts on …
TIFR Swarnajayanti fellow to study plasticity for better design of materials
Plasticity enables a solid to undergo permanent deformation without rupture under the action of external forces
Three-body problem needs real, and not artificial solution
The equation that has confounded mathematicians for over 300 years needs an elegant and beautiful solution, not something where the end is there …
Eliud Kipchoge's sub-2hr marathon: It all comes down to 15 extraordinary seconds
Kipchoge must put one foot in front of the other, at the frighteningly fast average pace of 2m 52s per km
A new technique to protect copper from corrosion
IIT (BHU) researchers used a technique called ‘floating film transfer method’ to obtain ultrathin films of an organic material, …
What determines height of mountains?
Height of the mountains stops increasing after crossing a threshold, influenced by erosion of the areas between mountains, finds the study
The dark side of 'racial science'
Angela Saini exposes how some scientists even today use race to define intelligence, behaviour, predisposition to diseases and even creativity