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 …
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
Universal law
A mathematical relationship between planets in our solar system holds astoundingly true even for 3 distant planets orbiting a pulsar
Chink in the armour
Recent measurements show that protective ozone levels in the atmosphere touched a record low early this year
Groping for invisible matter
What we can see constitutes only about 10 per cent of the universe's mass. Where is the rest hidden?
Kamikaze microbes
And now genetically-altered microorganisms that self-destruct once they've fulfilled their mission
Cometary conundrum
Fresh data on the collision of shards of Shoemaker-Levy 9 with Jupiter last year has divided scientists on the size of the comet fragments
Timeless pursuits
A new interpretation of texts from a civilisation that flourished 1,000 years ago reveals its uncanny similarity with modern times
Super storage
A new technology is set to boost the storage capacity of CD s by 1,000 times
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
‘Ancient and Medieval maps were very inaccurate’
Briton Susan Gole is a collector and historian of maps, especially those of India. She has published various books on the subject. She is also …
Debased database
Statistical data has been used and abused for centuries by a range of people for a variety of reasons. Is there a way out?
Chimeras of afterlife
A growing number of the elite are freezing their bodies in the hope for a rebirth. Is it possible?
Spero: India's first crowd-funded e-bike with a 100-km range
Spero is an e-bike developed by S Manikandan of Miltex Engineers, Coimbatore. It has been funded by people. This state-of-the-art bike comes in …