Lab-grown bat organs, next stop on the road to predicting pandemics

by

Bats are important animals that help maintain ecosystem balance and human well-being. They play key roles like pollinating plants, dispersing seeds, and controlling insect populations. But of late they have become popular for a different reason: their unique ability to harbour viruses without succumbing to disease. SARS, MERS, Ebola, COVID-19 — some of the most … Read more

The Svedberg show – The Hindu

by

A path to pursue Born on August 30, 1884 at Flerang in the parish of Valbo near Gavle, Sweden, Theodor (The) Svedberg was the only child of Elias Svedberg and Augusta Alstermark. The fact that his father was a works manager at different ironworks in Sweden and Norway meant that the family lived at a … Read more

Rising ‘black carbon’ heating Himalayan snow: Study

by

Representative image | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto Levels of black carbon — ultra-fine particles of carbon that come from vehicles, stoves and wood-fire — in the Himalayas have been rising for most of the past two decades, according to a study by the think-tank Climate Trends. This is contributing to warmer snow, increasing the risk … Read more

Children with mothers suffering from domestic violence prone to mental health issues, study says

by

Children of mothers suffering from domestic violence in India are significantly associated with mental health disorders, including anxiety and depression in teenagers, a study has found. The findings, published in the journal PLOS One, underscore the need for school programs sensitive to trauma and improved prevention of domestic violence in India. Researchers from the cVEDA … Read more

Daily Quiz | On the monsoons

by

Daily Quiz | On the monsoons Edmond Halley was an astronomer and mathematician who edited the work of Isaac Newton. A comet and a research station in Antarctica are named after him, who published a treatise on the Indian monsoon. START THE QUIZ 1 / 6 | In which State does the south-west monsoon arrive … Read more

This botanical illustrator is charting the endemic and endangered species of the Western Ghats, one brushstroke at a time

by

Nilgiri Chilappan | Photo Credit: Special arrangement At the intersection of art and science, lies the realm of botanical illustration. For Suresh Ragavan, a bird artist, who has served as a botanical illustrator at the Botanical Survey of India for over 33 years, this realm has not only been a source of his bread and … Read more

BrahMos chief stresses tri-sector collaboration to equip Navy cadets for tech-driven warfare

by

Director General BrahMos, DRDO and CEO and MD BrahMos Aerospace Dr Jaiteerth R Joshi The Director General of BrahMos Aerospace, Jaitheerth E. Joshi, has emphasised the urgent need for a robust collaboration between defence research, academic institutions and industry to create hands on ready engineers, particularly for the Indian Navy and defence services. Speaking to … Read more

Beware beaches near river mouths: the air may not be fresh

by

This bird’s eye view shows the severely contaminated Adyar river flowing into the Bay of Bengal after cutting through Chennai’s Marina beach. Less than half a kilometre on either side, the river mouth is flanked by urban settlements. | Photo Credit: Google Earth Through history, human civilisations almost always erupted near bountiful rivers. The waters … Read more