Scientists make plans to keep spacefarers from contaminating other worlds

In his inauguration speech in January, United States President Donald Trump declared the US would “plant the stars and stripes on the planet Mars”. This shouldn’t come as a surprise. In 2017, in Trump’s previous term of office, he promised to “establish a foundation for an eventual mission to Mars”. And his billionaire adviser Elon … Read more

What is an earthquake swarm?

A bell tower of an Orthodox church in the town of Oia on the earthquake-truck island of Santorini, Greece, is visible as the main town of Fira is lit by the sun in the background, February 4, 2025. | Photo Credit: AP An earthquake swarm occurs when multiple seismic events of comparable intensity strike a … Read more

Research discovers ancient Egyptian remains smell nice

In this undated photo provided by Abdelrazek Elnaggar, Emma Paolin, PhD student at University of Ljubljana, sets up active air sampling with sorbent tubes and pumps. | Photo Credit: Abdelrazek Elnaggar/AP At first whiff, it sounds repulsive: sniff the essence of an ancient corpse. But researchers who indulged their curiosity in the name of science … Read more

Odisha tribal healer’s remedies for chronic diseases to undergo scientific validation under Ministry of Ayush initiative

Hari Pangi, the tribal healer, in Odisha‘s Koraput district. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement  In the quiet foothills of Tentuliguda, a remote village in Odisha’s Koraput district, where age-old wisdom thrives around leaves, epidermal plant tissues, and roots, a humble four-room building serves as a laboratory for a tribal healer. Recently, this unassuming space hosted 17 … Read more

Earthquake in Delhi-NCR, Bihar: What is a shallow earthquake that struck Delhi?

National Center for Seismology said the earthquake struck at a focal depth of five kilometres in Delhi-NCR on February 17, 2025 | Photo Credit: Special arrangement Strong tremors were felt in the national capital and adjoining regions as an earthquake of 4.0 magnitude struck the region early on Monday (February 17, 2025). The National Center … Read more

Loggerhead turtles use geomagnetic field to navigate large distances

The loggerhead turtle can learn and remember the magnetic signature of an area and does a ‘turtle dance’ when in a location that they associate with food, a study in Nature reports. The research presents mechanisms of how migratory species navigate using the magnetic field of the Earth. Sea turtles are renowned for their long-distance migrations and … Read more

China to develop gene-editing tools, new crop varieties in biotech initiative

Wheat crop ready for harvest in a farmer’s field near Kindersley, Saskatchewan, Canada September 5, 2024. | Photo Credit: Reuters China issued guidelines on Friday to promote biotech cultivation, focusing on gene-editing tools and developing new wheat, corn, and soybean varieties, as part of efforts to ensure food security and boost agriculture technology. The 2024-2028 … Read more