Science learns from tradition
Seeds of nuts used by Andhra tribals to purify water yields a substance that can be used to remove toxic metals from industrial waste.
Scavenging off toxic metals
Using microorganisms to treat pollutants is a cheap eco-friendly way of disposing waste, which is fast catching on.
Volcanic rocks in Deccan pinned down to a comet
A model to explain the formation of a vast stretch of volcanic rocks near Bombay may even explain the extinction of dinosaures
Non-smoking beedi-rollers face cancer risk
About six million people employed in India's beedi industry risk developing cancer from handling tobacco leaves
The halo is hotter than the star
An astrophysicist tries to explain why, in violation of the laws of thermodynamics, the corona is hotter than the Sun.
Helping addicts get through their withdrawal symptoms
The manner in which marijuana and heroin affect the brain can provide useful clues to developing more effective painkillers.
More snow cover means less rain
A recent study reveals how the snow cover in Asia and Europe controls the intensity of the Indian monsoon.
Biotech-engineered rice has few takers
Despite advancements, research programmes in rice biotechnology heve drawn lukewarm response because it is felt that there is little money to be …
Trees can't offset global warming
New studies show large forest areas alone may not be able to counter the effects of increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Subabul biscuits boost milk yield
Cattle fed with subabul biscuits can produce up to 20 per cent more milk. The fast-growing tree also produces useful timber.
Dal hybrid beneficial but costly
The hybridisation of tur dal has made it higher-yielding and less vulnerable to disease. But only rich farmers will be able to buy the seeds.
No takers for clean technology
Developers of a new, clean and efficient process for coal-based power generation say it will not become popular unless the government enforces …
New hope for Himalayan wastelands
The seabuckthorn plant can change the lives of marginal farmers by enriching soil with nitrogen, preventing its erosion and providing …
Sound sense
Fishes seem to be developing ways to detect and avoid high-frequency sonars that trawlers use to locate them
Treasure down under
The discovery of mineral deposits on the sea bed off the Andamans could signal a treasure hunt for precious metals
Never say die
Farmers and agricultural scientists in Australia are having a tough time battling a weed that has suddenly developed resistance to a herbicide
Manure magic
Farmers living in the upper reaches of Nepal have developed an ingenious way of maintaining soil fertility
Fumes and wrinkles
Smoking not only affects your mouth and lung but it also plays a vicious part in expediting ageing and is responsible for premature wrinkles
Natural-born killers
A naturally occuring bacterium in milk can save the losses incurred by mal1scale dairy farmers who do not own refrigeration facilities
Goodbye, freon
Russian researchers have come up with a power-saving and ozone-friendly refrigerator which operates without a motor and uses a semiconductor as …
Flowery woes
The crisis of pollination assumes greater significance in the face of declining numbers of species which act as useful pollinators
Feeding in asthma
Food that one finds allergic can cause problems in the respiratory tract according to a group of scientists inspecting children with breathing …
Leaders in agony
A recent theory which says that the dominant animal in a pack bears the proverbial cross might lead to more systematic studies of relationships …
Wood does a lot of good
It was the bane of the rubber tree, as the fungus Phytophthora literally ate into its every part. With the discovery of antifungal wood extracts, …
He search is on
Seed varieties resistant to ozone would help enhance crop yields in areas which are exposed to high ozone levels