BUSINESS

A committee that includes K. VijayRaghavan, former Principal Scientific Advisor, and S. Somanath, former Chairman, India Space Research Organisation (ISRO), will probe “systemic issues” underlying the successive failures of ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). While technical committees probe and submit ‘failure analysis reports’ when mishaps occur, this committee, The Hindu has reliably learnt, will … Read more

For decades, fluorescent proteins have been among the most powerful tools in biology. They glow when illuminated, allowing scientists to see where molecules are inside cells and how they move. From tracking cancer cells to mapping neural circuits, these luminous markers transformed the life sciences, work recognised with a Nobel Prize in 2008. Now, two … Read more

Chicks, like humans, often match “bouba” with round shapes and “kiki” with spiky ones. | Photo Credit: Michael Anfang/Unsplash Scientists find bouba-kiki effect in three-day chicks Humans often match “bouba” with round shapes and “kiki” with spiky ones. Researchers raised baby chicks, then played the sounds while showing them the two shapes. Three-day-old chicks chose … Read more

A group of quantum researchers has issued a manifesto urging colleagues to resist what it calls the “militarisation” of quantum science. The authors, who describe themselves as “Quantum Scientists for Disarmament”, say they oppose military uses of quantum research, reject military funding for academic work, and want universities to disclose which quantum projects take defence … Read more

Wildfire smoke in the northeast Pacific Ocean, September 2020. | Photo Credit: NASA A: Sometimes wildfire smoke in the stratosphere collects into a compact bubble of smoke that spins in a coherent vortex, clockwise in the northern hemisphere and counter-clockwise in the southern hemisphere. Two new studies, published in Weather and Climate Dynamics and presented … Read more

Malabar Trogon | Photo Credit: Special arrangement A total of 238 bird species were documented across Thiruvananthapuram district during the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), an annual four-day global citizen science initiative held from February 13 to 16. Endemic species such as Grey-fronted Green-Pigeon, Malabar Imperial-Pigeon, Malabar Grey Hornbill, Malabar Flameback, Malabar Parakeet, Malabar Woodshrike, … Read more

The Food and Drug Administration plans to drop its longtime standard of requiring two rigorous studies to win approval for new drugs, the latest change from Trump administration officials vowing to speed up the availability of certain medical products. Going forward, the FDA’s “default position” will be to require one study for new drugs and … Read more

The project is an integrated infrastructure development plan proposed by the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation Limited (ANIIDCO). | Photo Credit: Getty Images/istockphoto The story so far: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) recently concluded a high-stakes legal battle over the ‘Holistic Development of Great Nicobar Island’, and ruled that all environment safeguards are … Read more

There aren’t many everyday routines that are both overtly essential, while at the same time almost a form of art. Cooking, however, is one such routine that blends creativity, skill, and science to transform individual ingredients into dishes that are not just essential for our consumption and living, but also double up as unique, flavourful … Read more

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman (L) holds a press conference with (L-R) Artemis II mission specialist Jeremy Hansen, Christina Koch, pilot Victor Glover, and Commander Reid Wiseman, as NASA’s Artemis II (behind them) is rolled from the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on January 17, 2026 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. | Photo Credit: … Read more